[Illustration: Drop-T]he popular demonstrations troubled the authorities less than the expressed discontent of some of the soldiery. The Foot Guards especially had become clamorous at having to wear shirts that would not hold together, and uniforms that _would_ go into holes, while the wearers were liable to punishment for what they could not prevent. On the anniversary of the king’s birthday (20th May), crowds of soldiers of the regiments of Guards paraded the streets, exhibited their linen garments on poles, and shouted, ‘Look at our Hanover shirts!’ Others stript off shirts and jackets, and flung them over the garden walls of St. James’s Palace and Marlborough House. Some of the men made a bonfire in front of Whitehall, and cast their shoddy garments into the flames! The soldiers were treated with peculiar consideration. Marlborough reviewed them in the Park, and then addressed them in a deprecatory speech which began with ‘_Gentlemen!_’ He acknowledged that they had grievances, promised that these should be redressed, informed them that he himself had ordered new clothes for them, and he almost begged that they would be so good as to wear the old ones till the new (including the shirts) were ready! The whole address showed that the soldiers were considered as worth the flattering. It ended with a ‘tag’ about ‘the best of kings,’ and as the tag was cheered, it was, doubtless, supposed that the flattery had not been administered in vain. Fears connected with the soldiery were certainly not groundless. A reward of 50_l._ was offered for the apprehension of Captain Wright, of Lord Wimbledon’s Horse. The Captain had written a letter to a friend in Ireland, which letter had probably fallen into the hands of ‘the king’s decypherer.’ The Government had, at all events, got at the contents. The offensive portion was to the effect that the Duke of Ormond would overcome all his enemies, and the writer expressed a hope that they should soon send George home again! The ‘loyal’ papers were not afraid to accuse the bishops of so far tampering with the soldiery as to encourage them in thinking, or even in saying, how much better off they were in Ormond’s days than _now_! [Sidenote: _POLITICS IN THE ARMY._]