178 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
he had never heard so much and 'twas very worthy their
notice, and bow'd several times to the Duke of M and he
to him, so that I beheve the Ministry is wilhng to make the
Duke of M easie as to his Command in the Army, if he
does not trouble himself to advise who shall be employ'd here
at home. Twas very true that the Duke of M carry the
key to the Queen last thursday, but the places are not yet given.
LOJ^DON, /anuary 26, 1711. Dear Brother,
You'l find by Mr. Lewis's letter of last post that the scheme as to the earring on the War in Spain was very different from what he told me that very morning ; he tells me to day he knew nothing of the resolution of the Duke of Argile's going to command in Spain till some hours after he had seen me, but he did not fail to writ you that night.
Wednesday the Lords were upon the Debate if Lord Gallway's reasons were sufficient to excuse his having the Censure of that house pass upon him for giving the post of Honour to the Portuguese after they were out of their own country. What he gave in writing was to this effect that when he came into Portugal he found the line of Battle settled, and 'twas with a great deal of pains that he had brought the Portuguese to march to their Borders, and that if he had then insisted upon the right of the English they wou'd have gone back again, and he thought their march to Madrid of too great a consequence to the interest of the Allies to have it dis- appointed for a punctilio, resolving the first opportunity he had to resume our right, wch was when he join'd the Spainards.
The Duke of Argile mov'd the question first against him, and was seconded by lord North, that the Lord Gallway
taking upon him to give away the right to P had lost the
honour of England. Lords Hallifax, Cooper, and Sommers endeavour'd to excuse him by reading the treaty wch had yeilded up so many points to the Portuguese, that tho' he had not express Authority to give them the right when out of
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