occasion; nor, though Johnstone often hurried to him with intelligence of such designs, did he ever see reason, but once, to believe in the soundness of the information. That once arrived thus: A day or two before the bill of pains and penalties was to pass the house of commons against the bishop of Rochester, Mr. Johnstone advertised sir Robert to be circumspect; for three or four persons meditated to assassinate him as he should leave the house at night. Sir Robert laughed, and forgot the notice. The morning after the debate, Johnstone came to sir Robert with a kind of good-natured insult, telling him, that though he had scoffed his advice, he had for once followed it, and by so doing preserved his life. Sir Robert understood not what he meant, and protested he had not given more credit than usual to his warning. "Yes," said Johnstone, "but you did; for you did not come from the house last night in your own chariot." Walpole affirmed that he did. But his friend persisting in his asseveration, sir Robert called one of his footmen, who replied, "I did call up your honour's carriage; but colonel Churchill being with you, and his chariot driving up first, your honour stepped into that, and your own came home empty." Johnstone, triumphing on his own veracity, and pushing the examination farther, sir Robert's coachman recollected, that as he left Palace-yard three men much muffled had looked into the empty chariot. The mystery was never farther cleared up; and my father frequently said, it was the only instance of the kind in which he had ever seen any appearance of a real design. The second subject that I promised to mention, and it shall be very briefly, was the revival of the order of the Bath. It was the measure of sir Robert Walpole, and was an artful bank of thirty-six ribands to supply a fund of favours in lieu of places. He meant too to stave off the demands for garters, and intended that the red should be a step to the blue; and accordingly took one of the former him. self. He offered the new order to old Sarah, duchess of Marlborough, for her grandson the duke, and for the duke of Bedford, who had married one of her grand-daughters*. She haughtily replied, they should take nothing but the garter. Madam,' said sir Robert coolly, "they who take the bath will the sooner have the garter." The next year he took the latter himself with the duke of Richmond, both having been previously installed knights of the revived institution. 66 Before I quit king George the first, I will relate a story very expressive of his good-humoured presence of mind. On one of his journeys to Hanover his coach broke. At a distance in view was a chateau of a considerable German nobleman. The king sent to borrow assistance. The possessor came, conveyed the king to his house, and begged the honour of his majesty's accepting a dinner, while his carriage was repairing; and, while the dinner was preparing, begged leave to amuse his majesty with a collection of pictures, which he had formed in several tours to Italy. But what did the king see in one of the • Wriothesly, duke of Bedford, had married lady Anne Egerton, only daughter of Scroop, duke of Bridgewater, by lady Elizabeth Churchill, daughter of John, duke of Marl. borough, occasion; nor, though Johnstone often hurried to him with intelligence of such designs, did he ever see reason, but once, to believe in the soundness of the information. That once arrived thus: A day or two before the bill of pains and penalties was to pass the house of commons against the bishop of Rochester, Mr. Johnstone advertised sir Robert to be circumspect; for three or four persons meditated to assassinate him as he should leave the house at night. Sir Robert laughed, and forgot the notice. The morning after the debate, Johnstone came to sir Robert with a kind of good-natured insult, telling him, that though he had scoffed his advice, he had for once followed it, and by so doing preserved his life. Sir Robert understood not what he meant, and protested he had not given more credit than usual to his warning. "Yes," said Johnstone, "but you did; for you did not come from the house last night in your own chariot." Walpole affirmed that he did. But his friend persisting in his asseveration, sir Robert called one of his footmen, who replied, "I did call up your honour's carriage; but colonel Churchill being with you, and his chariot driving up first, your honour stepped into that, and your own came home empty." Johnstone, triumphing on his own veracity, and pushing the examination farther, sir Robert's coachman recollected, that as he left Palace-yard three men much muffled had looked into the empty chariot. The mystery was never farther cleared up; and my father frequently said, it was the only instance of the kind in which he had ever seen any appearance of a real design. The second subject that I promised to mention, and it shall be very briefly, was the revival of the order of the Bath. It was the measure of sir Robert Walpole, and was an artful bank of thirty-six ribands to supply a fund of favours in lieu of places. He meant too to stave off the demands for garters, and intended that the red should be a step to the blue; and accordingly took one of the former himself. He offered the new order to old Sarah, duchess of Marlborough, for her grandson the duke, and for the duke of Bedford, who had married one of her grand-daughters *. She haughtily replied, they should take nothing but the garter. "Madam," said sir Robert coolly, "they who take the bath will the sooner have the garter." The next year he took the latter himself with the duke of Richmond, both having been previously installed knights of the revived institution. Before I quit king George the first, I will relate a story very expressive of his good-humoured presence of mind. On one of his journeys to Hanover his coach broke. At a distance in view was a chateau of a considerable German nobleman. The king sent to borrow assistance. The possessor came, conveyed the king to his house, and begged the honour of his majesty's accepting a dinner, while his carriage was repairing; and, while the dinner was preparing, begged leave to amuse his majesty with a collection of pictures, which he had formed in several tours to Italy. But what did the king see in one of the • Wriothesly, duke of Bedford, had married lady Anne Egerton, only daughter of Scroop, duke of Bridgewater, by lady Elizabeth Churchill, daughter of John, duke of Marl. borough, rooms but an unknown portrait of a person in the robes and with the regalia of the sovereigns of Great Britain! George asked whom it represented. The nobleman replied, with much diffident but decent respect, that in various journeys to Rome he had been acquainted with the chevalier de St. George, who had done him the honour of sending him that picture. 'Upon my word," said the king instantly, "it is very like to the family." It was impossible to remove the embarrassment of the proprietor with more good breeding. 66 CHAPTER V. THE unexpected death of George the first on his road to Hanover was instantly notified by lord Townshend, secretary of state, who attended his majesty, to his brother sir Robert Walpole, who as expeditiously was the first to carry the news to the successor and hail him king. The next step was, to ask who his majesty would please should draw his speech to the council-"Sir Spencer Compton,” replied the new monarch.-The answer was decisive and implied sir Robert's dismission. Sir Spencer Compton was speaker of the house of commons, and treasurer, I think, at that time, to his royal highness, who by that first command implied his intention of making sir Spencer his prime minister. He was a worthy man, of exceedingly grave formality, but of no parts- as his conduct immediately proved. The poor gentleman was so little qualified to accommodate himself to the grandeur -- |