ouse of lords, while the queen was present, lord Haversham, at the end
of a long speech, in which he reflected upon the conduct of the duke of
Marlborough, both on the Moselle and in Brabant, moved for an address
to desire her majesty would invite the presumptive heir to the crown
of England to come and reside in the kingdom. This motion was earnestly
supported by the duke of Buckingham, the earls of Rochester, Nottingham,
and Anglesea. They said there was no method so effectual to secure the
succession as that of the successor's being upon the spot, ready to
assume and maintain his or her right against any pretender; and they
observed, that in former times, when the throne of England was vacant,
the first comer had always succeeded in his pretensions. The proposal
was vehemently opposed by the whigs, who knew it was disagreeable to
the queen, whom they would not venture to disoblige. They argued, that
a rivalry between the two courts might produce distractions, and be
attended with very ill consequences; and observed, that the princess
Sophia had expressed a full satisfaction in the assurances of the queen,
who had promised to maintain her title. The question being put, was
carried in the negative by a great majority. The design of the tories
in making this motion, was to bring the other party into disgrace either
with the queen or with the people. Their joining in the measure would
have given umbrage to their sovereign; and, by opposing it, they ran
the risk of incurring the public odium as enemies to the protestant
succession: but the pretence of the tories was so thin, the nation saw
through it; and the sole effect the motion produced was the queen's
resentment against the whole party. Burnet, bishop of Sarum, proposed,
that provision might be made for maintaining the public quiet in the
interval between the queen's decease and the arrival of her successor;
the motion was seconded by the lord-treasurer, and a bill brought in for
the better security of her majesty's person and government, and of the
succession to the crown of England. By this act a regency was appointed,
of the seven persons that should possess the offices of archbishop
of Canterbury, lord-chancellor, or lord-keeper, lord-treasurer,
lord-president, lord privy-seal, lord high-admiral, and the lord
chief-justice of the queen's bench. Their business was to proclaim the
next successor through the kingdom of England, and join with a certain
number of person