Retrospect of French Literature—H istory. 
most wealthy in England. Their de- 
scendants formed still m: ore brilliant al- 
liances, being connected with the Lan- 
castrian line. 
Walter St. John, the grandfather of 
the statesman, represented the county of 
Wilts in parliament, during the reign of 
Charles 11. James Tt and We itiam TIT. 
This was an able man, whose son Henry 
married the daughter of the Earl of 
Warwick. The eldest son by that alil- 
ance, was the subject of the present me- 
moir. He was sent first to Eton, and 
then to Oxford, and is here reported to _ 
uimself at both these 
have distinguished h 
famous seminaries, not only, by a sur- 
prising memory, but extraordinary ta- 
lents. He afterwards became a little 
dissipated, on his first entrance into 
life, but he still cultivated a taste for 
létters, and an attachment to politics. Ac- 
cording to his own account, a voice ap- 
peared to be constantly whispering in 
his ear the two following lines trom 
Horace: . 
“ Solve senescentem, mature, sa- 
nus equum, ne 
Peccet ad extremum ridendus, & 
ilia ducat.” . 
Mr. St. John, (for so he was. then 
called), travelled into France and Italy, 
and on his return, conneeted himself 
(avec les plus beaux esprits), with tiie 
principal men of wit of that day, such 
as Dryden, Pope, Swift and others, 
- He married in 1700, and three years after 
was elected a member of parliament. _ 
His first connexion was with the Tory 
party; but he became: excecdingly in- 
timate with the famous Duke o° Marl- 
borough, aid it is supposed that 
the credit of this great general con-_ 
tributed not a little to obtain for him 
afterwards a place in the adiministration. 
It is here very ignorantly stated, that he 
was nominated minister of war and of the 
marine, on the 30th of April, 1704; but 
although thesé offices _ were formerly 
united 1 in France, they have always been 
separate and distinct in England. 
After a variety ‘of political intrigues 
in the court of Queen Anne, the Duke 
of Marlborough was diseraced, and at 
length the Earl of § Sunderland, his son-in- 
law, also was dismissed. On this, Ro- 
bert Harley, Earl of Oxford, became pre- 
mier, and St. John secretary of state. 
The first grand object of the'new govern- | 
ment was an attempt to negotiate a 
peace, and to facilitate this, a new par-— 
hament was jinmediately. convoked. On 
this occasion, Mr. St. John’ must have 
fal t himself in a peculiarly delicate situ- 
ation in regard to his friend the Duke of 
Marlborough, of whom he makes men- 
tion ina letter written about this period, 
in the following manner: 
“In respect to whatsoever, concerns 
this great man, his future situation en= 
tirely depends upon himself. Matters. 
were formerly carried so far, 
shall. never fall into a similar bondage. 
again. [t 1s absolutely necessary that 
he should abandon those who have hi-. 
therto advised him. tic is doubtless 
prudent, and I dare to say, that it was, 
in direct opposition to his own better 
judgment, that he permitted himself to. 
be drawn in, so as to cuuntenance the 
violent measures of the faction: I can- 
not promise however that he will not 
persevere. I frankly avow to you, that 
{ most sincerely wish for his prosperity, 
and this too with far greater sincerity 
than many of those who alfect to flaiter 
him, and make .heir court to the com- 
mander, at tle very same time they. 
forget that respect which is due to. 
royalty.” 
On the 23d of January, 1711, he ex- 
presses himself as foliows to a dis- 
tinguished member of the States Ge- 
neral of Holland... 
“ The Duke of Marlborough is at pre- 
sent here. _ He has at length resolved to. 
submit himself in all ‘tlungs to the. 
Queen’s pleasure, and on this: footing be 
may be able to support himself. , “Alt 
those who have the henour to be en-, 
paged in public affairs, are ready to take. 
him by the hand, and to render the best 
services to ber Majesty, and to the come, 
mon cause, of which they are capable, 
in concert with him: but it is necessary 
that he should igs candid.” 
Meanwhile St. John was desirous to. 
effect a peace with: France, and was not 
at ali ashamed to make the first over= 
tures himself. ‘“ He searched,” we are. 
told, “foran obscure agent, who, although 
he ha no pretensions whatsocver to 
consequence, yet posses ssed_ suflicient 
capacity to full this mission ina pro- 
per manner, and with all due secrecy. 
While looking about for sach a person, 
the Farl of Jersey pointed out the Abbé 
Gaultier, a poor French priest, well. 
adapted. “for such 2:-delicate business. 
Gaultier, who did not tant. talents, 
readily entered into the plan, aud hay-. 
ing been brought to the house of the - 
subject of this memoir, enteréd into. 
the views of the minister, who .pro=, 
‘ mised ham, in case of success, an ade- 
quate 
671 
that we 
