shed Stuarts to
the English throne, and took part in a conspiracy in France to seize the
Duke of Orleans and appoint Philip to the regency.

Both these plots failed, the war became general, Philip found his armies
beaten, and Alberoni was forced to treat for peace. The Spanish minister
had made bitter enemies of George I. of England and the Duke of Orleans,
who, claiming that he was responsible for disturbing the peace of Europe,
demanded his dismissal as a preliminary to peace. His failure had lost him
influence with the king, but the queen, the real power behind the throne,
supported him, and it was only by promises of the enemies of Alberoni to
aid her views for the establishment of her children that she was induced
to yield consent to his overthrow.

On the 4th of December, 1719, Alberoni spent the evening transacting
affairs of state with the king and queen. Up to that time he remained in
full favor and authority, however he may have suspected the intrigues for
his overthrow. Their majesties that night left Madrid for their country
palace at Pardo, and from there was sent a decree by the hands of a
secretary of state, to the all-powerful minister, depriving him of all his
offices, and bidding him to quit Madrid within eight days and Spain within
three weeks.

Alberoni had long been hated by the people of Spain, and detested by the
grandees, who could not be reconciled to the supremacy of a foreigner and
his appointment to equality with them in rank. But this sudden dismissal
seemed to change their sentiments, and rouse them to realization of the
fact that Spain was losing its ablest man. Nobles and clergy flocked to
his house in such numbers that the king became alarmed at this sudden
popularity, and ordered him to shorten the time of his departure.

Alberoni sought refuge in Rome, but here the enmity of France and England
pursued him, and Philip accused him of misdemeanors in office, for which
he demanded a trial by the Pope and cardinals. Before these judges the
disgraced minister defended himself so ably that the court brought the
investigation to a sudden end by ordering him to retire to a monastery for
three years.

This period the favor of the Pope reduced to one year, and his chief
enemy, the regent of France, soon after dying, he was permitted to leave
the monastery and pass the remainder of his life free from persecution.
His career was a singular one, considering the lowness of his origin, and
showed