The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

532 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
mistress either of the circumstances of etiquette, or the particular relations
which existed betwixt the government and the Duke of Argyle, to form an
accurate judgment. The Duke, as we have said, was at this time in open
opposition to the administration of Sir Robert Walpole, and was -nderstood
to be out of favour with the royal family, to whom he had rendered such
important services. But it was a maxim of Qteenp Caroline, to bear herself
towards her political friends with such caution, asl eeas a possibility
of their one day being her enemies, and towards political opponents with
the same degree of circumspection, as if they might again become friendly
to her measures. Since Margaret of Anjou, no queen-consort had exercised
such weight in the political affairs of England, and the personal address
which she displayed on many occasions, had no small share in reclaiming
from their political heresy many of those determined Tories, who, after the
reign of the Stuarts had been extinguished in the person of Queen Anne,
were disposed rather to transfer their allegiance to her brother the Chevalier de St. George, thafn to acquiesce in the settlement of the crown on the
Hanover family. Her husband, whose most shining quality was courage
in the field of battle, and who endured the office of King of England, without ever being able to acquire English habits, or any familiarity with English dispositions, found the utmost assistance from the address of his partner,
and while he jealously affected to do every thing according to his own will
and pleasure, was in secret prudent enough to take and follow the advice of
his more adroit consort. He intrusted to her the delicate office of determining the various degrees of favour necessary to attach the wavering, or to
confirm such as were already friendly, or to regain those whose good-will
had been lost.
With all the winning address of an elegant, and, according to the times,
an accomplished woman, Queen Caroline possessed the masculine soul of
the other sex. She was proud by nature, and even her policy could not
always temper her expressions of displeasure, although few were more
ready at repairing any false step of this kind, when her prudence came up
to the aid of her passions. She loved the real possession of power, rather
than the show of it, and whatever she did herself that was either wise or
popular, she always desired that the king should have the full credit as
well as the advantage of the measure, conscious that, by adding to his respectability, she was most likely to maintain her own. And so desirous
was she to comply with all his tastes, that, when threatened with the gout,
she had repeatedly had recourse to checking the fit, by the use of the cold
bath, thereby endangering her life, that she might be able to attend the
king in his walks.
It was a very consistent part of Queen Caroline's character, to keep up
many private correspondences with those to whom in public'she seemed
unfavourable, or who, for various reasons, stood ill with the court. By
this means she kept in her hands the thread of many a political intrigue,
and, without pledging herself to anything, could often prevent discontent
from becoming hatred, and opposition from exaggerating itself into rebellion. If by any accident her correspondence with such persons chanced to
be observed or discovered, which she took all possible pains to prevent, it
was represented as a mere intercourse of society, having no reference to
politics; an answer with which even the prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, was compelled to remain satisfied, when he discovered that the Queen
had given private audience to Pulteney, afterwards Earl of Bath, his most
formidable and most inveterate enemy.
In thus maintaining occasional intercourse with several persons who
seemed most alienated from the crown, it may readily be supposed that
Queen Caroline had taken care not to break entirely with the Duke of
Argyle. His high birth, his great talents, the estimation in which he was
held in his own country, the great services which he had rendered the house