The queen, who was in sympathy with the Tories, had just quarrelled with the Duchess of Marlborough, and had taken a new favourite, a Mrs. Masham, the cousin of Harley, a leading Tory statesman. Through Mrs. Masham’s influence, Anne now dismissed her Whig ministers and chose in their stead Tories, the chief of which were Harley and Bolingbroke, the latter a brilliant speaker and writer. A general election followed, which resulted in the Tory party gaining a large majority in the House of Commons. Marlborough was dismissed from his command of the army, and charged with taking wrongfully some of the public money given for the army. He was forced to leave England, and never again held any high position. So ended the career of England’s greatest general—one who never lost a battle nor besieged a fortress he did not take.
6. Peace of Utrecht (1713).—The new Tory ministry was very anxious for peace, for it knew that the war could not succeed without Marlborough. So it offered, secretly, good terms to Louis, and peace was agreed upon without the knowledge of England’s allies. It was a disgraceful act, although there was nothing to be gained by continuing the war. Louis gave up all his conquests in the Low Countries and Germany; Austria obtained Naples, Milan, and the Netherlands; while Philip of Anjou kept Spain and her possessions in America. England obtained Gibraltar, Minorca, Hudson’s Bay and Straits, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. Louis, further, promised to acknowledge Anne and her Hanoverian successors, and never again to help the Pretender. But after all this bloodshed to drive Philip from Spain, he was allowed to remain king.
7. Death of Anne (1714).—The Peace of Utrecht was scarcely concluded when Anne died. The Princess Sophia died a few months before her, and George, Sophia’s son, was Anne’s successor. George was not in England at the time of the queen’s death: Anne’s dislike of her successor being so great that she would not allow him to visit England. A short time before Anne died, Bolingbroke, Harley (now Earl of Oxford), Ormond, and other Jacobites began to intrigue to restore the Pretender. Bolingbroke thought he had everything in readiness to place the Pretender on the throne; but the sudden death of the queen, and the prompt action of the Whigs and the Duke of Shrewsbury ruined his plans, and George I. became king without any opposition.
