38 COX. F-y difficulties. It was the general opinion that the Duke of Ormond would be speedily removed from his situation as lord-lieutenant, and this step was earnestly desired by some of the council. In consequence of this, when Sir Richard Cox applied to the council to know how he should proceed, the commission being vacant by the death of his colleague, they were at first unanimously of opi nion, that it would be necessary, according to an old statute of Henry VIII., for him to issue writs to the king's councillors, to elect a governor; and Sir Charles Porter privately intimated to him, that he should be elected sole governor of Ireland. This snare, however tempting it might be to him, he managed to avoid; and by explaining to the council, that the statute in question referred only to the absence of the principal magistrate of Ireland, he induced them to withdraw their resolution. This much irritated such as were desirous that the Duke of Ormond should be removed; they had hoped, that by this means, he might be displaced without any formal parade, and they threatened, in revenge for their disappointment, to impeach the chancellor. In this trying and critical situa tion he remained firm to his principles; and having con sulted the judges and law officers of Ireland, and their opinions coinciding with his own, he resolved upon adhering to i t , b y which, although the queen and the lawyers o f England approved o f his conduct, h e gave a mortal affront t o the statesmen. At length, o n the 10th o f April, 1707, the duke was removed from the lord-lieutenancy, and Lord Pembroke appointed i n his stead. I t was for some time a doubt whether the chancellor was also t o be removed: the new lord-lieutenant entertained a great respect for him
and the lord treasurer still remained, who had told him i n 1693, that “they were a l l bound t o d o a s much a s they could for him.” The power o f the faction was, however, too great for private attachment t o withstand, and o n June 30th, h e delivered the great seal t o the lord-lieute nant, who assured him that h e would not have received
