gs fair; and
my Lord Chancellor hath told him of it, but with so much contempt of Mr.
Montagu, as my Lord knows himself very secure against any thing the fool
can do; and notwithstanding all this, so noble is his nature, that he
professes himself ready to show kindness and pity to Mr. Montagu on any
occasion. My Lord told me of his presenting Sir H. Bennet with a gold
cupp of L100, which he refuses, with a compliment; but my Lord would
have been glad he had taken it, that he might have had some obligations
upon him which he thinks possible the other may refuse to prevent it;
not that he hath any reason to doubt his kindness. But I perceive great
differences there are at Court; and Sir H. Bennet and my Lord Bristol,
and their faction, are likely to carry all things before them (which my
Lord's judgment is, will not be for the best), and particularly against
the Chancellor, who, he tells me, is irrecoverably lost: but, however,
that he will not actually joyne in anything against the Chancellor, whom
he do own to be his most sure friend, and to have been his greatest;
and therefore will not openly act in either, but passively carry himself
even. The Queen, my Lord tells me, he thinks he hath incurred
some displeasure with, for his kindness to his neighbour, my Lady
Castlemaine. My Lord tells me he hath no reason to fall for her sake,
whose wit, management, nor interest, is not likely to hold up any man,
and therefore he thinks it not his obligation to stand for her against
his own interest. The Duke and Mr. Coventry my Lord says he is very well
with, and fears not but they will show themselves his very good friends,
specially at this time, he being able to serve them, and they needing
him, which he did not tell me wherein. Talking of the business of
Tangier, he tells me that my Lord Tiviott is gone away without the least
respect paid to him, nor indeed to any man, but without his commission;
and (if it be true what he says) having laid out seven or eight thousand
pounds in commodities for the place; and besides having not only
disobliged all the Commissioners for Tangier, but also Sir Charles
Barkeley the other day, who, speaking in behalf of Colonel Fitz-Gerald,
that having been deputy-governor there already, he ought to have
expected and had the governorship upon the death or removal of the
former governor. And whereas it is said that he and his men are Irish,
which is indeed the main thing that hath moved the King and Cou