140 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
new parliament, but he thought there wou'd. This alarm'd me. I said nothing but I whip up to town with your letter in my pockets with designe to diliver them, but when I came there I found Web had since I saw him publickly declared he wou'd not stand for Westminster, and that for some time 'twas thought he did it not to divide interest, for 'tis upon the same interest that Medlicote and Cross, high church. But very soon after the town knew a stronger reason then that, for now 'tis known that the Duke of Bolton is out of his Em- ployments, the Duke of Beauford made leiutenant of Ham- shire and Warden of New forest, and General Web Governor of the Isle of Weight, from whence there's six members sent the Governor being always sure of being one, without any trouble. This is judged to be no unmasterly stroak of our
new Lords of the T , Web being a popular man, and
they show their good husbandry by saving the Queen here by a pention of a looo year, for it seems Webs pention runs for so much till he had a government given him, to say nothing of the pique 'tis thought, 'twill be to some body ; and for the Dukes they reckon one as great a man as th' other, one sup- porting the Whigs th' other the Tories. Lord Godolphin is out of his leiutenancy of Cornwell, the Pattent drawn for Lord Bath, and lord Rotchester during his minority to act for him. So that now there remains no doubt with any man that a new Parliament is resolved, and I am at rest that I did not diliver a certain letter, tho' 'tis much wonder'd at that the Leiutenancy of London is not yet changed for that most be done before the proclaimation comes out, wch is said to be designed for the tenth of this month. Some say the matter of the Leiutenancy of London is now under agitation.
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I hope you will have a good answere to your Letter from the Duke of Summerset, tho the town gives him the Character of being very Whicical {sic) and changeable as to his resolves. Mr. Rowe in his didication of his Edition of Shakespare, gives him the caractor of the Greatest patriot and best Patron in the world ; and truely to him he was so, for he stickled hard for him to be in the Duke of Q Office, so much
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