the sum of twenty
thousand pounds was reserved out of the sale of the estates in Scotland,
for erecting schools; and eight thousand pounds for building barracks
in that kingdom. The king having signified, by a message to the house
of commons, that he had lately received such information from abroad,
as gave reason to believe that a naval force employed where it should be
necessary, would give weight to his endeavours; he therefore thought fit
to acquaint the house with this circumstance, not doubting but that
in case he should be obliged, at this critical juncture, to exceed the
number of men granted this year for the sea-service, the house would
provide for such exceeding. The commons immediately drew up and
presented an address, assuring his majesty that they would make good
such exceedings of seamen as he should find necessary to preserve the
tranquillity of Europe. On the twenty-first day of March, the king went
to the house of peers, and having passed the bills that were ready for
the royal assent, ordered the parliament to be prorogued.*

* Earl Cowper, lord chancellor, resigned the great seal,
which was at first put in commission, but afterwards given
to lord Parker, as high chancellor. The earl of Sunderland
was made president of the council, and first commissioner of
the treasury. Lord Stanhope and Mr. Craggs were appointed
secretaries of state. Lord Stanhope and lord Cadogan were
afterwards created earls.

{1718}

NATURE OF THE QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE.

The king of Spain, by the care and indefatigable diligence of his prime
minister, cardinal Alberoni, equipped a very formidable armament, which,
in the beginning of June, set sail from Barcelona towards Italy; but the
destination of it was not known. A strong squadron having been fitted
out in England, the marquis de Monteleone, ambassador from Spain,
presented a memorial to the British ministry, importing that so powerful
an armament in time of peace could not but give umbrage to the king his
master, and alter the good intelligence that subsisted between the two
crowns. In answer to this representation, the ministers declared that
the king intended to send admiral Byng with a powerful squadron into
the Mediterranean, to maintain the neutrality in Italy. Meanwhile,
the negotiations between the English and French ministers produced the
quadruple alliance, by which king George and the regent prescribed a
peace between the