Letters addressed to Robert Harley by Sidney Godolphin, Earl of Godolphin, Lord Treasurer;...

Letters addressed to Robert Harley by Sidney Godolphin, Earl of Godolphin, Lord Treasurer; 9 June, 1704-30 Jan, 1707-1708.

Among subjects referred to are the following:- on "a print more scandalous in my opinion than the Observator himself....no pains or expense could bee, or bee thought, too much to bring him (the author) to the punishment he deserves", 29 June, 1704 (f.1); suggesting that the Duke of Hamilton's letters "bee looked into" in the post, and asking if Dr Atterbury would care to bee Dean of Carlisle", 9 June, 1704 (f.3);- referring to "Frazers plott", the Duchess of Hamilton's "inclinations and her influence upon her sons", etc, 19 July, 1704 (f.8); sending a warrant "for D's pardon" and the queen's approval "of what you have promised him", 31 July, 1704 (f.10); "The Bp. of Carlisles perversness is very unaccountable, but a discreet clergy man is almost as rare as a black swan", 15 Sept, 1704 (f.19); on negotiations abroad, "The truth is, all the ministers sent abroad by my lord Nottingham have hitherto done us more hurt than good, and the sooner they are all changed, not Mr Hill excepted, the better", 27 Sept, 1704 (f.21); lamenting H. St. John's illness, "for I know nobody more able or willing to serve the Queen", 1 Sept, 1704 (f.23); on the Queen's anxiety for "a thanks giving day for the victory" [at Blenheim], 13 Aug, 1704 (f.25); on a meeting "at the Fountain tavern of 150 members, where it was resolv'd that the money bill should lie upon the Table till the bill of Occasionall Conformity bee passed", etc; 8 Nov, 1704 (f.27); "I am not fond of the proposall of 2 statues, one for the Queen and to'ther for the D. of M[arlborough]. What meritt soever a subject may have, I am doubtfull that may sett him upon too near an equallity with one upon the throne", etc [Nov. 1704] f.29; "I find plainly it was in the power of the Queens servants to have kept out the Occasionall bill. She has not much reason to thank them for it", 16 Nov, 1704 (f.34); suggesting an answer for the Queen to Parliament on a grant to Marlborough, II Jan, 1704-1705 (f.36); on the Commissioners for the Union, 8 Apr, 1705 (f.49); on the draft of the Queen's speech, etc, "I am sorry so many of our friends have play'd the fool", [? Apr, 1705] (f.51); on the powers to be given to Marlborough "in case of any desertion of the Irish from the French service abroad", 16 Apr, 1705 (f.54); on difficulties about the election of a Speaker, etc., 21 May, 1705 (f.57.); on news from Marlborough, etc, 3 June, 1705 (f.61); on Sir G. Rookes battle of 13 Aug, the delay being "a sign wee have not much to bragg of..." "Upon the whole, it seems to have been a sort of a drawn battell", 14 Sept, 1705 (f.75); on the "very ill condition of our affairs" in Portugal, (f.81); on news of a victory from the Duke of Marlborough, 14 July, 1705 (f.87); on a complaint by Marlborough of "something being omitted to bee printed in the London Gazette" about his late action, 5 Sept, 1705 (f.97); expressing anxiety about the prosecutions, the "disposing of the Great Seal", etc, and on "several insolencies of the Clergy, which are really unsufferable and next dore loopen rebellion, and I dont find the least notice taken of it", 19 Sept, 1705 (f.102); "I am sorry Mr Attorney will be easy in nothing: Perhaps he will bee of another mind, when he finds it is no more in his power", 29 Sept, 1705 (f.106); on an opinion of the Att. General that it was no way essentiall that a Lord Keeper should bee Speaker of the House of Lords", and proposing to try "whether he would care to bee of the H. of Commons, [? Sept 1705] (f.108); on his concern "for the shame and the ill consequences of our disappointment in Catalonia", 4 Oct, 1705 (f.111); on the Land Tax and the Scots Bill, and his alarm on hearing that he (Harley) was "not for repealing, but only suspending, the Scots Act", 8 Dec, 1705 (f.114); on "the project, or plan as it is called", which is "so partiall, and at the same time so weak, that one must have a good deal of temper to treat it seriously" Oct. 1705 (f.116); on the encouragement given to "Mr Bromleys partisans" by the "noise which the folly of our own friends makes every day", Oct, 1705 (f.117); that Dr Younger is to be Dean of Salisbury, [Sept, 1705] (f.119); on a report from Holland "of our being weary of Gibraltar", and enclosing an anonymous letter of the Scots "preparing to arme", etc, 3 Feb, 1705-1706 (f.121); as to one L'Apostre being a spy, May, 1706 (f.128); with suggestions as to Sir John Leake's squadron, 8 June, 1706 (f.136); on the attitude of Sweden, the French in Italy, etc, 17 June, 1706 (f.138); on the death of Mr [John] Methuen [amb. to Portugal], etc, 21 July, 1706 (f.142); on scandalous words against the Queen and Marlborough and his Duchess, 23 Aug, 1706 (f.146); on directions for a Thanksgiving for Pr. Eugene's success at Turin, 18 Sept, 1706 (f.150); on Scotch news, "I conclude they will not proceed upon the Union till they have perfected their Act for Security of their Church", etc. (f.154); on letters from Marlborough, "The Duke of M. desires the Queens leave to speak plainly to them in Holland about the French propositions", etc, 3 Oct, 1706 (f.158); on the "averseness" in Parliament to "doe anything that they thought would give any meritt to the Whiggs", etc, 10 Oct 1706 (f.160); on the intentions of the King of Sweden, 20 Feb, 1706-1707 (f.176); on matters connected with the Union with Scotland, 22 Apr, 1707 (f.185); on the question whether he (Godolphin) is to be "Treasurer of Great Brittain", [1707] (f.213); "If wee who have the honour to serve the best Queen in the world can't agree upon the proper measures for her service at home, whatever wee doe abroad will signify very little", 9 Sept, 1707 (f.222); as to the practices and proposed arrest of Robert Murray, and on Harley's reply to the above remark of 9 Sept. "I never had nor never can have, a thought of your being out of the Queens service while I am in it, but I am as sure I neither desire nor am not (sic)able to continue in it unless wee can agree upon the measures by which she is to bee served both at home and abroad", 18 Sept, 1707 (f.229); on a pension to Pr. Charles of Denmark, the proceedings of Sweden etc, 23 Sept, 1707 (f.236); expressing surprise at Harley's writing to him a letter (f.245b) "in so very extraordinary a stile", but consenting to an interview, in presence of Marlborough, 5 Dec., 1707 (f.245); on the wording of a paragraph in a Queen's speech, 17 Dec, 1707 (f.247); "I cannot help seeing and hearing nor believing my senses. I am very farr from having deserved it from you. God forgive you", endorsed by Harley 30 Jan, 1707-1708 (f.251).

A few drafts or copies of letters of Harley are also included, viz. 21 July 1704 (f.6); 3 Sept, 1705 (f.74); with his "crude notions" on the political situation, 4 Sept, 1705 (f.95); 30 Sept, 1705 (f.110); on the "treaty for the succession and the Barriere", etc, and on home affairs, "Many of the most stanch Whiggs (not whimsicale) have and do frequently lament the fury of their leaders", etc, in answer to Godolphin's of 10 Oct, 15 Oct, 1706 (f.162); on his resolve "to do every thing to the utmost of my power (if required) to make the Queens service and her minister easy", and to be under Godolphin's directions "and be active or passive to do anything or nothing", etc, as he shall think best, 2 Sept, 1707 (f. 228) on the same subject, in his defence, 10, 17 Sept, 1707 (ff.225, 233); with emendations in a draft of a Queen's speech, 17 Dec, 1707 (f.248); on hearing he had fallen under Godolphin's displeasure, 30 Jan, 1707-1708 (f.249) to W. Lowndes, as to the payment of bills of messengers since he was out of being secretary", 10 May, 1709 (f.253).

Letters are also interspersed from :- "Ormiston" (so endorsed, the letter being unsigned) on affairs in Scotland, the "curbing of the insolence of the Papists and Jacobites", the boldness of the Duke of Gordon, etc., Edinburgh, 3 Feb, 1705. (f.40); William Cowper, Lord Cowper, Lord Keeper, on the appointment of a Welsh Judge, etc, 25 Apr, 1707 (ff.187, 190); Jean Gassion, a spy, with information against Robert Murray, etc, as a Jacobite, 25 Nov, 1707 (f.242); Lady Henrietta Godolphin, inploring Harley to obtain a pardon for one Mr Reeves condemned to death for Killing a bailiff, no dates, (ff.255, 257, 258).

Quarto; ff.259.