speak in
private with secretary St. John, whom in all probability he had resolved
to assassinate. His request being refused, he said, "That's hard! not
one word!" St. John being out of his reach, he stepped up to Mr. Harley,
and exclaiming, "Have at thee, then!" stabbed him in the breast with
the penknife which he had concealed. The instrument broke upon the bone,
without penetrating into the cavity; nevertheless he repeated the blow
with such force that the chancellor of the exchequer fell to the ground.
Secretary St. John, seeing him fall, cried out, "The villain has killed
Mr. Harley!" and drew his sword. Several other members followed his
example, and wounded Guiscard in several places. Yet he made a desperate
defence, until he was overpowered by the messengers and servants, and
conveyed from the council-chamber, which he had filled with terror,
tumult, and confusion. His wounds, though dangerous, were not mortal;
but he died of a gangrene occasioned by the bruises he had sustained.
This attempt upon the life of Harley, by a person who wanted to
establish a traitorous correspondence with France, extinguished the
suspicions of those who began to doubt that minister's integrity. The
two houses of parliament, in an address to the queen, declared their
belief that Mr. Harley's fidelity to her majesty, and zeal for her
service, had drawn upon him the hatred of all the abettors of popery
and faction. They besought her majesty to take all possible care of her
sacred person; and, for that purpose, to give directions for causing
papists to be removed from the cities of London and Westminster. A
proclamation was published, ordering the laws to be strictly put in
execution against papists. When Harley appeared in the house of commons
after his recovery, he was congratulated upon it by the speaker, in a
florid and fulsome premeditated speech. An act was passed, decreeing,
that an attempt upon the life of a privy-counsellor should be felony
without benefit of clergy. The earl of Rochester dying, Harley became
sole minister, was created baron of Wigmore, and raised to the rank of
earl by the noble and ancient title of Oxford and Mortimer: to crown his
prosperity, he was appointed lord-treasurer, and vested with the supreme
administration of affairs.

DEATH OF THE EMPEROR JOSEPH.

The commons empowered certain persons to examine all the grants made
by king William, and report the value of them, as well as the
consideratio