raceful letter was ineffectual. The Monarch, "whose views and
affections were, according to Lord Chesterfield, singly confined to the
narrow compass of his Electorate," and for "whom England was too big,"
acted with a promptness and decision which gave no time for the workings
of faction. An immediate change of ministry was announced by Kryenberg,
the Hanoverian resident, at the first Privy Council; and among other
changes, Lord Townshend was appointed in the place of Lord Bolingbroke.
Well might Bolingbroke exclaim, "The grief of my soul is this; I see
plainly that the Tory party is gone."[63]

For many months Lord Mar continued to maintain such a demeanour as might
blind those of the opposite party to his real intentions. It seems,
indeed, certain that at first he hoped to ensure a continuance in office
by exerting his influence in Scotland to procure the good conduct of the
clans: he was successful in obtaining even from some of those Highland
chieftains who were afterwards the most deeply implicated in the
Rebellion, an address declaring that they were "ready to concur with his
Lordship in faithfully serving King George." "Your Lordship," states
that memorial, "has an estate and interest in the Highlands, and is so
well known to bear good will to your neighbours, that in order to
prevent any ill impression which malicious and designing people may at
this juncture labour to give of us, we must beg leave to address your
Lordship, and entreat you to assure the Government, in our names, and in
that of the rest of our clans, who, by distance of the place, could not
be present at the signing of our letter, of our loyalty to his sacred
Majesty, King George."[64] This address was signed by Maclean of that
Ilk, Macdonald of Glengary, Mackenzie of Fraserdale, Cameron of Lochiel,
and by several other chiefs of clans, who afterwards fought under the
banners of the Earl of Mar. It furnishes a proof of the great influence
which the Earl possessed in his own country, but he had not the courage
to present it to the King. His Majesty, on the contrary, on hearing of
this address was highly offended, believing that it had been drawn up at
St. Germains in order to insult him, and his refusal to receive it was
accompanied by an order to Lord Mar to give up the seals.

The Earl lingered, nevertheless, for some time in London, where he had
now some attractions which to a less ambitious mind might have operated
in favour of prudence. In th