He represents the Duke and Duchess as
extortioners and dissipators of the public money, insatiable in their
avarice, and greedily swallowing all that they could get into their
power, disposing of places, and seizing on rewards in a manner the most
odious. "Even the Duke's courage," says Smollet, "was called in
question, and this consummate general was represented as the lowest of
mankind." Yet he did not resign; for Godolphin and the Whigs, the
Emperor, and all the allies implored him to retain the command of the
army, as otherwise all their hopes would be gone.

The clamour raised by Dr. Sacheverell's affair, not less than the
acrimonious temper of the Duchess, contributed to ruin the Whigs in the
Queen's favour, who was present _incognita_ during every debate. During
the course of Sacheverell's trial, the government advocate, in order to
establish the true Whig doctrine, calumniated by the Doctor, uttered
words which seemed revolutionary to the royal ears. It will be readily
understood that the theory of absolute obedience, preached by
Sacheverell and adopted by certain Tories, was more consonant with the
Queen's taste than the maxims of the Whigs, who asserted the dogma of
the sovereignty of nations and recognised their right of insurrection
against royalty. Anne was a zealous Protestant, and sincerely attached
to the Anglican Church, of which she was the head. She blamed the
tolerance of the Whigs, and thought with Sacheverell that it was
necessary to defend the Church both against Popery and indifferentism.

The Tories fomented these dissensions in an underhand way, turning them
dexterously against their enemies. The negotiations then set on foot in
Holland occurred still more favourably to advance their projects. Anne
had a horror of bloodshed: since her accession she had not permitted a
single political execution. She sighed deeply on hearing of the
continual levies for the war, and shed tears on receiving the long lists
of dead and wounded from the Low Countries. One day, having to sign
certain papers relative to the army, her tears were seen to blot the
paper, as she exclaimed, "Great God! when will this horrible effusion of
blood cease?" The Tories, who, like herself, wished for peace with all
their hearts, adroitly fostered her grief. With her, they deplored the
butchery of Malplaquet, the increase of taxation, the misery entailed by
the interminable campaigns, and repeated that it was time to put an end
to