might once be wanting in that respect he owed the queen, in the business of the regiment belonging to the late earl of Essex[1]. Nor, when I remember, how much he did formerly for conscience sake, and the interest of the church of England, can I persuade myself he will now engage against it. How seasonably did he decline king James's service, when the papists and dissenters were united in interests to destroy the church; king James, to whom the duke of Marlborough was engaged by the highest gratitude! He had saved his life in the Gloucester frigate, and honoured his grace's family so far as to mingle his own royal blood with it. Did not the duke of Marlborough forego the interests of his sister and her children, his nephews and nieces, that he was so fond of before, for the good of his country, and the security of the protestant religion? was he not contriving to deliver up the king to the prince of Orange[2], if the design had not been prevented?
- ↑ See above, p. 69.
- ↑ The night before he left London, a conspiracy was formed by some of his chief officers to seize his person, and to deliver him into the hands of the prince of Orange. The earl of Rochester, the lord Churchill, the bishop of London [Dr. Henry Compton], sir George Hewit, with several others, met at Mr. Hatton Compton's lodgings in St. Alban's street. After a long debate, concerning the means of serving to the best purpose the prince of Orange, it was at length resolved, that Rochester should attend the king to Salisbury, to betray his counsels to the prince; that Churchill should endeavour to secure the person of James, which could best be done, when Maine was staff officer on duty. Should Maine and the guards resist, no safety remained but in dispatching the king. Churchill, but perhaps very unjustly, is said to have undertaken this barbarous service. The design of seizing the king is ascertained from various quarters; but an intention to stab or pistol him, in case of resistance, is too shocking to merit credit, without the
