His first public character was Embassador to Holland, where he courted the good opinion of that economical people by losing immense sums at play. On his return he attached himself to Lord Townshend, who was then breaking with Sir Robert Walpole, and did himself no good by that connexion: but what pinned down his disgrace, was the Queen’s seeing him one Twelfth Night, after winning a large sum of money at hazard, cross St. James’s Court, to deposit it with my Lady Suffolk till next morning:—the Queen never pardoned an intimacy there. He continued in Opposition for the remainder of Sir Robert Walpole’s Ministry, and after the ineffectual motion in 1740 for removing that Minister, Lord Chesterfield was dispatched to Avignon by the party to solicit, by the Duke of Ormond’s means, an order from the Pretender to the Jacobites, to concur roundly in any measure for Sir Robert’s destruction: they had retired without voting on the question abovementioned. Lord Chesterfield had accepted no employment till the removal of Lord Granville, when he was sent again to Holland, and then made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and became the most popular Governor they ever had. Nothing was cried up but his integrity, though he would have laughed at any man who really had any confidence in his morality: and how little he repented his negotiations at Avignon would appear, if a story told of him is authentic (which I do not vouch), that being at Dublin in the height of the Rebellion, a zealous Bishop came to him one morning before he was out of bed, and told him he had great grounds to believe the Jacobites were going to rise. The Lord Lieutenant coolly looked at his watch, and replied, “I fancy they are, my Lord, for it is nine o’clock.”
He had married the Duchess of Kendal’s niece,[57] designing to become heir to her aunt, but had not the address to succeed; yet, miscarrying with the late King’s mistress, he was rewarded by old Marlborough among the rest of the legatees,[58] whom she had selected for the prejudice they had done to the Royal Family. She was scarce cold before he returned to the King’s service. In short, my Lord Chesterfield’s being the instrument to introduce this new era into our computation of time will probably preserve his name in almanacs and chronologies, when the wit that he had but laboured too much, and the gallantry that he could scarce ever execute, will be no more remembered.
26th, 27th.—The Mutiny Bill was finished. Sir Henry Erskine declared he should postpone till next year the offer of several more clauses and amendments.
28th.—The Naturalization Bill was read a second time. Petitions for it had been presented from Bristol and Liverpool; and this day Mr. Nugent presented another from one hundred and forty-two very considerable Merchants of London. Mr. Sydenham desired to have the names read, that it might appear many of them were Foreigners. Nugent observed, that it was evident from thence that men of all denominations were for it; and Sir William Yonge, that Foreigners already composed a very serviceable and considerable part of our Merchants. Sir John Barnard spoke an hour and a half against the commitment, and then stalked away to dinner, according to his custom, without deigning to wait for any reply. To every body’s surprise, Mr. Pelham declared for the Bill, said he had always approved the principle of it, but had formerly feared its raising disturbances; but that finding no reason to apprehend that consequence now, since our trading cities concurred in petitioning for it; that we were daily in want of recruits for Nova Scotia, and to repair our losses by the war; and having last year received applications from Spitalfields for encouragement of Foreign hands and materials, and having actually encouraged the importation of the latter, he hoped we should, and he would now vote for encouraging the former. On Mr. Pelham’s having formerly offended the Whigs by opposing this scheme, the Duke of Bedford, trusting to his adhering to the same style, had eagerly taken up the protection of this Bill, and privately made great interest to carry it through. Mr. Pelham discovered this, and turned short, and carried it for the commitment. The Duke of Bedford’s faction being thus baffled, made a shorter turn, kept away, and the Bill was lost at last. Mr. Fox, who had formerly at Mr. Pelham’s desire spoken against the Bill, stuck to his former vote, at the same time showing that he approved the Bill, though he said he doubted if it would have any effect. Pitt spoke immediately after Fox for the Bill; and it was committed by a majority of 146 to 81, three only of the Whigs adhering with Mr. Fox to their former vote. The House sat till past nine.
FOOTNOTES:
[38] James Hamilton, Lord Viscount Limerick, a great friend of Lord Bath, who had obtained the reversion of King’s Remembrancer for him and his son on the change of the Ministry in 1742. He was created Earl of Clanbrazil in 1756.
[39] In 1742.
[40] Vide the [Appendix, C.]
[41] Soon after Mr. Winnington deserted the Tories, and had made a strong speech on the other side, Sir John Cotton was abusing him to Sir Robert Walpole, and said, “That young dog promised that he would always stand by us.” Sir Robert replied, “I advise my young men never to use always.” “Yet,” said Cotton, stammering, “you yourself are very apt to make use of all—ways.”
[42] Feb. 1752.—On Tuesday night last, died at his house in Park-place, Sir John Hinde Cotton, Bart. He was a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations in the reign of Queen Anne; also member in several Parliaments in that reign for the town of Cambridge; and in the last Parliament of his late Majesty was one of the Knights of the Shire for the county of Cambridge; and in the two first Parliaments called by his present Majesty served again for the town of Cambridge; in the last and present Parliaments for Marlborough. He was also Treasurer of the Chamber to his Majesty in 1742. He married first a daughter of Sir Ambrose Crawley, Knt., and has issue one son, now Sir John Hinde Cotton, and one daughter, married to Jacob Houblon, of Hallingbury, in Essex, Esq. He married to his second lady, the daughter of the late James Craggs, Esq., one of the Commissioners of the Post-office, and relict of Samuel Trefusis, Esq., who died August 23, 1724, by whom he had only one daughter, who died young.