c
Spain, the Spain of Philip the Second, the Spain of the Armada and the
Inquisition, the implacable enemy of England's national religion.

[Sidenote: 1739--Argyle's anecdote]

The Duke of Argyle made a most vehement speech against the proposed
address. He dealt a sharp blow against the Ministry when he declared
that the whole convention was a French and not a Spanish measure. He
said he should never be persuaded that fear of aught that could be done
by Spain could have induced ministers to accept "this thing you call a
convention." "It is the interest of France that our navigation and
commerce should be ruined, we are the only people in the world whom
France has reason to be apprehensive of in America, and every advantage
that Spain gains in point of commerce is gained for her. . . . So far
as I can judge from the tenor of our late behavior, our dread of France
has been the spring of all our weak and ruinous measures. To this
dread we have sacrificed the most distinguishing honors of this
kingdom. This dread of France has changed {167} every maxim of right
government among us. There is no measure for the advantage of this
kingdom that has been set on foot for these many years to which she has
not given a negative. There is no measure so much to our detriment
into which she has not led us." He scornfully declared that what the
reasons of ministers might be for this pusillanimity he could not tell,
"for, my Lords, though I am a privy councillor I am as unacquainted
with the secrets of the Government as any private gentleman that hears
me." Then he told an anecdote of the late Lord Peterborough. "When
Lord Peterborough was asked by a friend one day his opinion of a
certain measure, says my lord, in some surprise, 'This is the first
time I ever heard of it.' 'Impossible,' says the other; 'why, you are
a privy councillor.' 'So I am,' replies his lordship, 'and there is a
Cabinet councillor coming up to us just now; if you ask the same
question of him he will perhaps hold his peace, and then you will think
he is in the secret; but if he opens once his mouth about it you will
find he knows as little of it as I do.' No, my Lords," exclaimed the
Duke of Argyle, "it is not being in Privy Council or in Cabinet
Council; one must be in the Minister's counsel to know the true motives
of our late proceedings." The duke concluded his oration,
characteristically, with a glorification of his own honest and
impartial hea