Pulteney and Lord Carteret, the leaders of the regular
Opposition, with a view of forming a government, to the
exclusion of the Tories and Jacobites, and even of part of Mr.
Pulteney's own party. The negotiation was successful; but it
was so at the expense of the popularity, reputation, and
influence of Pulteney, who never recovered the disgrace of
thus deserting his former associates.

"In consequence of these intrigues, the King agreed to send
for Lord Wilmington, and to place him at the head of the
ministry. It is remarkable that this man, who was a mere
cipher, should have been again had recourse to, after his
failure in making a government at the very commencement of
the reign of George the Second, when his manifest incapacity,
and the influence of Queen Caroline, had occasioned the
remaining of his opponent Sir Robert Walpole in power. With
Lord Wilmington came in Lord Harrington, as president of the
council; Lord Gower, as privy seal; Lord Winchilsea, as first
lord of the admiralty; Lord Carteret as secretary of state;
the other secretary being the Duke of Newcastle, who had been
so under Walpole; Lord Hardwicke continued chancellor; and
Samuel Sandys was made chancellor of the exchequer. Several
of the creatures of Pulteney obtained minor offices: but he
himself, hampered by his abandonment of many of his former
friends, took no place; but Only obtained a promise of an
earldom, whenever he might wish for it.

"These arrangements produced, as was natural, a great schism
in the different parties, which broke out at a meeting at the
Fountain Tavern, on the 12th of February, where the Duke of