ther in
the literature or the political history of England.

Carteret had one great advantage over Walpole and over all his
contemporaries in political life--he was able to speak German fluently;
he was able to talk for hours with the King in the King's own guttural
tongue. The King clung to Carteret's companionship because of his
German. While Walpole was trying to instil his policy and counsels
into George's mind through the non-conducting medium of very bad Latin,
while other ministers were endeavoring to approach the Royal
intelligence by means of French, which they spoke badly and he
understood imperfectly, Carteret could rattle away in idiomatic German,
and could amuse the Royal humor even with voluble German slang.
Carteret had come into public life under the influence of Lord
Sunderland and Lord Stanhope, and he regarded himself as the successor
to their policy. He never considered himself as quite in {236}
understanding and harmony with Townshend and Walpole. His principal
idea was that the time had passed when it was proper or expedient to
exclude the Tories or the High-churchmen from the political service of
the Crown. He desired to enlarge the basis of administration by
admitting some of the more plastic and progressive of the Tories to a
share in it. There was, however, something more than a conflict of
political views between Carteret and Walpole. Walpole's ambition was
to be the constitution dictator of England. We do not say that this
was a mere personal ambition; on the contrary, we believe Walpole acted
on the honest conviction that he knew better than any other man how
England ought to be governed. He was sure, and reasonably sure, that
no other statesman could play the game so well; he therefore claimed
the right to play it. Carteret, on the other hand, was far too strong
a man to be quietly pushed into the background. He was determined that
if he remained in the service of the State he would be a statesman, and
not a clerk.

[Sidenote: 1723--A match making intrigue]

Therefore, while Carteret and Walpole were colleagues there was always
a struggle going on between them, and, like all the political struggles
of the time, it had a great deal of underhand influence, and the worst
kind of petticoat influence, engaged in it. One of the King's
mistresses--the most influential of them--gave all her support to
Walpole; another Royal paramour lent her aid to Carteret's side.
Carteret played i