E N G I 
duce once more the claims of the pretender. Early in 
May, 1721, the king received intelligence from the duke 
cf Orleans, regent of France, of a plot againft his perfon 
and government. In confequence, a camp was imme¬ 
diately formed in Hyde park; the military officers were 
ordered to repair to their pods; the dates of Holland 
were defired to have their auxiliary troops in readinefs to 
be embarked, and many fufpefted perfons were appre¬ 
hended in Scotland and England. Among thofe who 
were fuppofed to be principally implicated in this trea- 
fonable confpiracy, were Atterbury bilhop of Rocheder, 
the earl of Orrery, lords Grey and North, Cochrane and 
Smith from Scotland, Chridopher Layer, a young tem¬ 
plar, George Kelly, an Irifh clergyman, Cotton, Bingley, 
and Fleetwood, Engliflimen, and one Naynoe, an Irifti 
pried. 
On the meeting of the new parliament, A. D. 1722, his 
majedy, in his fpeech, developed the nature and extent 
of the plot, which had only been frudrated by the above 
timely difcoverv. To this formidable reprefentation, 
Mr. Robert Walpole, the prime minider, added feveral 
particulars, which diewed the dangerous aims and ob¬ 
jects of the jacobites. To corroborate the whole, an 
original and printed copy of a declaration, dgned by the 
pretender at Lucca, was laid before the houfe. In this 
curious paper, the chevalier de St. George expatiated on 
the grievances of the nation, and calling upon the people 
to affert their rights, gravely propofed, “that if king 
George would relinquifli the throne, the rightful heir, 
in return, would bedow on the faid George the title of 
king in his native dominions, and fecure his fuccefiion to 
the Britidi fceptre, whenever, in due cotirfe, his natural 
right diould take place.” By way of punidiing the friends 
of the pretender, a bill was prepared by the commons to 
raife one hundred thoufand pounds on the real and per- 
fonal edates of papids, towards defraying the expences 
incurred by the late rebellion and diforders ; and all per¬ 
fons of that faith in Scotland were called upon to regider 
their names and edates. Thefe pecuniary mulfts were 
followed by the trial, eonviftion, and execution, of Layer. 
No evidence appeared, or at lead was produced, for 
grounding any procefs againd the nobles who had been 
arreded ; but Atterbury bifhop of Rocheder, was for 
ever banifhed the realm, and all other his majedy’s do¬ 
minions, and ordered to depart out of the fame before 
the 25th of June, 1723. 
The trial of Rocheder was followed by another of a 
different nature, but in which the intereds of the nation 
were more deeply concerned. It had been iifual for the 
lord-chancellors, upon being appointed to their high of¬ 
fice, to nominate the maders in chancery—places of value 
and of trud, though then purchafed as commidions in 
the army. Some men of bad churafter having been ap¬ 
pointed to this office, and having embezzled the money 
of orphans and fuitors lodged in their hands, a complaint 
was made to government, and this drew down the refent- 
ment of the minidry on the lord chancellor. He was 
made to refign the feals ; and the king ordered the whole 
ad'air to be laid before parliament. The commons, tak¬ 
ing the fafts into confideration, and finding many abufes 
had crept into that court, which either impeded juftice 
or rendered it venal, they refolved to impeach Thomas 
earl of Macclesfield, the late chancellor, at the bar of 
the houfe of lords, for high crimes and mifdemeanors. 
This is one of the mod celebrated trials in the annals of 
England. A bill was previoudy brought in to indemnify 
the maders in chancery from the penalties of the law, 
upon difcovering what condderations they had paid for 
their admiflion to their refpeftive offices. The trial laded 
twenty days. The earl proved that fuch films had been 
ufually received by former lords-chancellors ; but real'on 
fliewed that fuch receipts were contrary to law and juf- 
tice. Equity, therefore, prevailed above precedent; the 
earl was convicted of fraudulent practices, and, con¬ 
demned in a fine of thirty thoufand pounds,, 
Vol. VI. No. 385. 
AND. 713 
The remainder of the reign of George I. prefents little 
more than a tedious repetition of intricate and contra¬ 
dictory treaties, mod of which were inimical to the inte¬ 
reds of this country. To enable the king to fulfil iorne 
new engagements with the kings of Pruffia and Denmark, 
an--additional number of feamen and land forces were 
voted by the commons. Yet on a new alliance taking 
place between the courts of Spain and Vienna, the king 
felt again alarmed for the fafety of his German domi¬ 
nions ; and a negociation between Pruflia, France, and 
England, took place at Hanover, which ended in a defen- 
five treaty for fifteen years. The ltodile defigns of Spain, 
in conjunction with the emperor, A. D. 1727, becoming 
daily more apparent, the naval and military force of the 
kingdom were put on a refpeftable footing; and, in order 
to cut off the fupplies which furniflied Spain with the 
means of annoyance, admiral Hofier was direfted to fail 
to the Wed Indies, with the intent of making prize of 
the galleons, which annually import the treafures of 
South America into the mother country. This defign, 
however, being divulged before it could be executed, 
the treafure, amounting to fix millions derling, was un¬ 
loaded, and carried back to Panama. 
It was now confidently afferted in parliament, that the 
objefts of Spain were to place the pretender on the throne 
of Great Britain, and to recover Gibraltar and Port Ma¬ 
hon. Mutual affronts and recriminations followed be¬ 
tween the powers at variance ; and the feafon for aCtion 
was at hand. George, therefore, entered into a more 
drift alliance with the kings of France and Denmark, 
fubfidizing Sweden, formed a convention with Heffe Caf- 
fel, and determined to fend a drong fleet into the Baltic 
to check the Ruflians, who were fufpefted of being in the 
intereds of Spain and the emperor. Parliament gave its 
entire fanftion to thefe meafures, and voted an adequate 
fupply. Meanwhile, hodilities were commenced againft 
the dominions of Great Britain, by the Spaniards inveft- 
ing Gibraltar. This place was defended by colonel 
Clayton; and after the enemy had lain before it fome 
months, and loft ten thoufand men, they found it expe¬ 
dient to raife the fiege. The garrifon did not lofe more 
than three hundred during the whole time of its invefl- 
inent. 
Early in the fpring fir Charles Wager had been dif- 
patched with a reinforcement to the garrifon of Gibraltar, 
and fir John Norris fet fail for the Baltic, where he was 
joined by a Danifti fquadron. Everywhere preparations 
were making for a war, which threatened to embroil all 
Europe. A flop, however, was put to the further effu- 
fion of human blood, by the mediation of the king of 
France; and at length twelve preliminary articles were 
dgned by the refpeftive plenipotentiaries, by which it 
was ftipulated, “ that hodilities diould immediately 
ceafe ; that the charter of the Oftend company diould be 
fufpended for feven years; and, that a congrefs diould, 
in four months, affemble at Aix-la-Chapelle, for adjlift¬ 
ing all differences, and confolidating the peace of Eu¬ 
rope.” The king of England did not live to enjoy the 
agreeable profpeft which his fuccefsful negociations now 
opened. Being fuddenly feized with a paralytic difor- 
der, on the road from Holland to Hanover, he was con¬ 
veyed in a date of infenfibility to Ofnaburgh, where he 
expired on Sunday, the nth of June, 1727, in the fixty- 
eiglith year of his age, and .the thirteenth of his reign. 
His body was conveyed to Hanover, and interred among 
hisanceftors. 
George I. was of a moderate ftature; his features re¬ 
gular and manly, and his countenance grave and majeftic. 
He was an able and experienced general, and a confum- 
mate politician. Though the rage of party was never 
ftronger than during his reign, he was allowed by all to 
have an honed heart; and he was beloved by thofe who 
had the belt opportunity of appreciating his worth. 
He governed England with great mildnefs; was an enemy 
to perfecution; and never wiflied to encroach on the 
8 T civil 
