Memoirs of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, and of the Court of Queen Anne Vol. 2 (of 2)

by Mrs. A. T. Thomson

(Endorsed thus by the Duchess.)

Nov. 9.

All that Sir J. V. says in this letter is false. The manour house had cost me three thousand pounds, and was ordered to be pulled down, and the materialls made use of for things that were necessary to be done. The picture he sent to prevent this was false. My Lord Treasurer went to Blenheim to see the trick: ... and it is now ordered to be pulled down.

Reasons offered for preserving some part of the Old Manor, by Sir J. Vanburgh.[^[420]]

June 11, 1709.

There is, perhaps, no one thing which the most polite part of manhood have more universally agreed in, than the vallue they have ever set upon the remains of distant times: nor amongst the several kinds of those antiquitys are there any so much regarded as those of buildings; some for their magnificence and curious workmanship; and others as they move more lovely and pleasing reflections (than history without their aid can do) on the persons who have inherited them, on the remarkable things which have been transacted in them, or the extraordinary occasions of erecting them. As I believe it cannot be doubted, but if travellers many ages hence shall be shewn the very house in which so great a man dwelt, as they will then read the Duke of Marlborough in story; and that they shall be told it was not only his favourite habitation, but was erected for him by the bounty of the Queen, and with the approbation of the people, as a monument of the greatest services and honours that any subject had ever done his country—I believe, though they may not find art enough in the builder to make them admire the beauty of the fabric, they will find wonder enough in the story to make ’em pleased with the sight of it.

I hope I may be forgiven if I make some slight application of what I say of Blenheim, to the small remain of Woodstock manor. It can’t indeed be said it was erected upon so noble or so justifiable an occasion; but it was raised by one of the bravest and most warlike of the English kings; and though it has not been famed as a monument of his arms, it has been tenderly regarded as the scene of his affections. Nor amongst the multitude of people who came daily to view what is raising to the memory of the great Battle of Blenheim, are there any that do not run eagerly to see what ancient remains may be found of Rosamond’s Bower. It may, perhaps, be worth some little refection upon what may be said, if the very footsteps of it are no more to be found.

But if the historical argument stands in need of assistance, there is still much to be said upon other considerations.

That part of the park which is seen from the north front of the new building has little variety of objects, nor does the country beyond it afford any of value. It therefore stands in need of all the helps that can be given, which are only five; buildings and plantations—those indeed, rightly disposed, will supply all the wants of nature in that place: and the most agreeable disposition is to mix them, which this old manour gives so happy an occasion for, that were the enclosure filled with trees, principally fine yews and hollys, promiscuously set to grow up in a wild thicket, so that all the building left, which is only the habitable part, and the chapel, might appear in two risings amongst them, it would make one of the most agreeable objects that the best of landskip painters cou’d invent. And if, on the contrary, this building is taken away, there remains nothing but an irregular, ragged, and ungovernable hill, the deformitys of which are not to be cured but at a vast expense; and that at last will only remove an ill object, and not produce a good one. Whereas, to finish the present wall for the inclosures, to form the slopes and make the plantation, (which is all that is now wanting to complete the design,) wou’d not cost two hundred pounds.

I take the liberty to offer this paper, with a picture to explain what I endeavour to describe, that if the present direction for destroying the building shou’d hereafter happen to be repented of, I may not be blamed for neglecting to set in the truest light I cou’d, a thing that seemed to me at least so very materiall.

J. Vanburgh.

Remarks upon this Letter by the Duchess.

The enclosed paper[^[421]] was wrote by Mr. Robard, who lived always at Blenheim, and, as I have said, was taken into Mr. Bolter’s place. He wrote these directions from the Duke of Marlborough’s own mouth. And when he was gone, for fear of any contest, I suppose, in which he must disobey my Lord Marlborough’s orders, or disoblige Sir John Vanburgh, he brought it to me, and I wrote what you see under the instructions, which anybody would have thought might have put an end to all manner of expense upon that place. The occasion of the Duke of Marlborough’s giving these orders was as follows:—

Sir John Vanburgh having a great desire to employ his fancy in fitting up this extraordinary place, had laid out above two thousand pounds upon it, which may yet be seen in the books of accounts; and without being at all seen in the house, excepting in one article for the lead, which I believe is a good deal more than a thousand pounds of the money. Mr. Traverse, who calls himself the superintendent and chief of Blenheim works, let this thing go on (I will not call it a whim because there has been such a struggle about it) till it was a habitation; and then he came and complained of the great expense of it to me, desiring me to stop it; and Sir John having another house in the park where he lived, and where he had made some expense, Mr. Traverse was unwilling to think he designed this other for his own use, and very prudently wrote to my Lord Marlborough into Flanders, to ask for this old manour for himself, he having no place for the dispatch of his great business in carrying on these great works. The Duke of Marlborough made no answer, but when he came into England, I remember upon a representation that these ruins must come down, because they were not in themselves a very agreeable sight, but they happened to stand very near the middle of the front of this very fine castle of Blenheim, and is in the way of the prospect down the great avenue, for which a bridge of so vast an expense is made to go into. Upon this the Duke of Marlborough went down to Blenheim, and there was a great consultation held, whether these ruins should stand or fall; and I remember the late Earl of Godolphin said, that could no more be a dispute than whether a man that had a great wen upon his cheek would not have it cut off if he could. And upon hearing all people’s opinion, and the Duke of Marlborough seeing the thing himself, he gave this paper of directions, which prevented anything more from being done upon the ruins; but it had not the intended effect of pulling them down.

In August third, 1716, when I was at the Bath, Mr. Robart wrote to me that Sir John Vanburgh had ordered some walling about the old manour to plant some fruit-trees upon, which he would pay for. This, I suppose, was to save himself, because of the orders he had to do nothing there; and by the advance of what is done at that place, I believe it must have been begun a good while before I had this notice of it. I am sure it was upon the nineteenth of June, which was never mentioned by Sir John either to Lord Marlborough or to me. I thought this a little odd, but I had so great a mind to comply with Sir John, (if it were possible,) that I took no notice of this, nor wrote any to Mr. Robart concerning it, only that I was sure the Duke of Marlborough would never let Sir John pay for anything in his park, and I heard no more of it till I came here; only that I observed that several officers and people that had come by Blenheim to the Bath, when they talked of this place, and of the workmen that were employed about it, could hardly keep from laughing.

Since Sir John went to London, the Duke of Marlborough and I, taking the air, went to see these works, where there is a wall begun; I wish my park or some of my gardens had such another; the first having none but what you may kick down with your foot, nor the fine garden but what must be pulled down again, being done with a stone that the undertakers must know would not hold; but it was not their business to finish, but rather to intail work. If one may judge of the expense of this place by the manner of doing things at Blenheim, there is a foundation laid for a good round sum. There is a wall to be carried round a great piece of ground, and a good length of it done, with a walk ten feet broad that is to go on the outside of this wall on the garden side, which must have another wall to enclose it. There are to be fruit-trees set, but the earth not being proper for that, it is to be laid I know not how many feet deep with stone, and then as much earth brought to be put upon that, to secure good fruit. And there is one great hole that I saw in the park that must be filled up again, already occasioned by making mortar for that part of the wall that is already done. What I have wrote, I saw myself, and upon my commending the fancy of it, the man was so pleased at my liking it, who lives in the house, and has some care of the works about the causeway, that he told me with great pleasure the whole design.

Correspondence between the Duchess of Marlborough and Sir John Vanburgh on the subject of a Marriage between the Lady Harriot Godolphin and the Duke of Newcastle.

SIR JOHN VANBURGH TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[422]]

January 16, 1714.

Madam,—Sir Samuel Garth mentioning something yesterday of Lord Clare with relation to my Lady Harriot, made me reflect that your grace might possibly think (by my never saying anything to you of that matter since you did me the honour of hinting it to me) I had either forgot or neglected it: but I have done neither. ’Tis true, that partly by company being in the way, and partly by his illness when I was most with him, I have not yet had an opportunity of sounding him to the purpose. What I have yet done, therefore, has only been this,—I have brought into discourse the characters of several women, that I might have a natural occasion to bring in hers, which I have then dwelt a little upon, and, in the best manner I could, distinguished her from the others. This I have taken three or four occasions to do, without the least appearance of having any view in it, thinking the rightest thing I could do would be to possess him with a good impression of her before I hinted at anything more. I can give your grace no further accounts of the effect of it, than that he seemed to allow of the merit I gave her; though I must own he once expressed it with something joined which I did not like, though it showed he was convinced of those fine qualifications I had mentioned; and that was a sort of wish (expressed in a very gentle manner) that her bodily perfections had been up to those I described of her mind and understanding. I said to that, that though I did not believe she would ever have a beautiful face, I could plainly see it would prove a very agreeable one, which I thought was infinitely more valuable; especially since I saw one thing in her, which would contribute much to the making it so, which was, that we call a good countenance, than which I ever thought no one expression in a face was more engaging. I said further, that her shape and figure in general would be perfectly well; and that I would pawne all my skill, (which had used to be a good deal employed in these kind of observations,) that in two years time no woman in town would be better liked. He did not in the least contradict what I said, but allowed I might very probably be right.

Your grace may depend upon me that I will neglect nothing I can do in this thing, for I am truly and sincerely of opinion that if I coud be an instrument in bringing it about, I shoud do my Lord Clare as great a piece of service as my Lady Harriott.

I am your Grace’s

Most humble and obedient Servant,

J. Vanburgh.

SIR J. VANBURGH TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[423]]

Whitehall, Nov. 6, 1716.

Madam,—When I came to town from Blenheim, I received a letter from the Duke of Newcastle out of Sussex, that he wou’d in a day or two be at Claremont, and wanted very much to talk with me. But I, having engaged to Mr. Walpole to follow him into Norfolk, cou’d not stay to see him then. At my return from Mr. Walpole’s, which was Friday last, I found another letter from the Duke, that he was at Claremont, and deferred returning back to Sussex till he could see me; so I went down to him yesterday.

He told me the business he had with me was to know if anything more had passed on the subject he writ to me at Scarborough, relating to Lady H., and what discourse might have happened with your grace upon it at Blenheim. I told him you had not mentioned one word of it to me. He said that was mighty strange, for you had talked with Mr. Walters upon it at the Bath, and writ to him since, in such a manner as had put him upon endeavouring to bring about a direct negotiation. He then told me, that before he cou’d come to a resolution of embarking in any treaty, he had waited for an opportunity of discoursing with me once more upon the qualities and conditions of Lady H. For that, as I knew his whole views in marriage, and that he had hopes of some other satisfaction in it than many people troubled themselves about, I might judge what a terrible disappointment he should be under, if he found himself tied for life to a woman not capable of being a usefull and faithful friend, as well as an agreeable companion. That what I had often said to him of Lady H., in that respect, had left a strong impression with him; but it being of so high a consequence to him not to be deceived in this great point, on which the happiness of his life wou’d turn, he had desired to discourse with me again upon it, in the most serious manner, being of opinion (as he was pleased to say) that I cou’d give him a righter character of her than any other friend or acquaintance he had in the world: and that he was fully persuaded, that whatever good wishes I might have for her, or regards to my Lord Marlborough and his family, I wou’d be content with doing her justice, without exceeding in her character, so as to lead him into an opinion now, which, by a disappointment hereafter, (should he marry her) wou’d make him the unhappiest man in the world.

He then desired to know, in particular, what account I might have heard of her behaviour at the Bath; and what new observations I might myself have made of her at Blenheim; both as to her person, behaviour, sense, temper, and many other very new inquiries. It wou’d be too long to repeat to your grace what my answers were to him. It will be sufficient to acquaint you, that I think I have left him a disposition to prefer her to all other women.

When he had done with me on these personal considerations, he called Mr. Walters (who was there) into the room, and acquainted him with what had passed with your grace through me at several times, and then spoke his sentiments as to fortune, which Mr. Walters intends to give your grace an account of; so I need not.

And now, madam, your grace must give me leave to end my letter by telling you, that if the Duke of Newcastle was surprised to find you had said so much to Mr. Walters at the Bath, and nothing to me on the subject at Blenheim, I was no less surprised than he, after the honour you had done me of opening your first thoughts of it to me, and giving me leave to make several steps about it to his friends and relations, as well as to take such a part with himself as you seemed to think might probably the most contribute towards disposing his inclinations the way you wished them.

I don’t say this, madam, to court being further employed in this matter, for matchmaking is a damned trade, and I never was fond of meddling with other people’s affairs. But as in this, on your own motion, and at your own desire, I had taken a good deal of very hearty pains to serve you, and I think with a view of good success, I cannot but wonder (though not be sorry) you should not think it right to continue your commands upon

Your obedient, humble Servant,

J. Vanburgh.

LETTER FROM THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO SIR JOHN VANBURGH.[^[424]]

Woodstock, Thursday night.

I am sure nobody can be more surprised at anything than I am with your letter of the sixth of this month, in which you seem to think I have proceeded in a very extraordinary manner concerning Mr. Walter. I will therefore go back to the very beginning of the negotiation, that you or anybody else may be able to judge whether there is any ground for the reproaches which you have made me.

Some time after I came from Antwerp, having a great mind to dispose of Lady Hariot well, and knowing that you had opportunity of speaking to the Duke of Newcastle, I desired your help in that affair, if you found he would marry, and were persuaded, as I was, that he could not find a young woman in all respects that was more likely to make him happy than she is, for I never imagined that you would endeavour to serve me upon any other account. This you engaged in very readily, and I thought myself much obliged to you for it, and I shall always be thankful for any good offices upon that subject, though ’tis no more than justice and speaking the truth. After the conversation, you may remember that I allowed you to say that you knew my mind in this concern, and you said you would speak to Mr. Walpole; but we agreed that you should manage it in such a manner as not to give the Duke of Newcastle the uneasiness of sending any message to me, in case he did not like the proposal. Some time after this, you came to me, and gave me an account of your conversation with Mr. Walpole, in which there were some civil things said as to the alliance, but at the same time you said, what they expected for her fortune was forty thousand pounds; and from that time till you wrote to me from Scarborough, I never spoke to anybody of this matter, nor so much as thought of it; for I concluded that the Duke of Newcastle or his friends thought that great demand the most effectual way of putting an end to my proposal, since Lady Harriot is not a citizen nor a monster, and I never heard of such a fortune in any other case, unless now and then, when it happens that there is but one child. After this I had the most considerable offer made me that is in this country, and, considering all things, I believe, as to wealth, as great a match as the Duke of Newcastle, and in a very valuable family; but to show that money is not the chief point, this match was refused, where I could have had my own conditions; and I had not then the least imagination that I should hear any more of what I am now writing of. But when I was at the Bath, you gave me an account of a letter you had from the Duke of Newcastle, which lookt as if he wanted to hear something more from you concerning Lady Harriot: and upon that I writ to you, that I was not so much at liberty as I had been to give her a portion when I first proposed this match, having many other children that were so unhappy as to want my help; but that I still liked it so well that there was nobody who I could imagine had power with the Duke of Marlborough that I would not endeavour to make them use it in compassing this thing, which I thought so very agreeable; and some other reasons I gave, which ought to induce my Lord Marlborough to come into it; which you approved of entirely in your answer to this letter, and concluded by giving me an expectation of hearing from you when you had heard from the Duke of Newcastle, or rather when you had seen him, for you repeated something of his having desired you to cast an eye upon some of his houses in your way home; but from that time till your letter of the sixth of November, though you were here some days, you never writ a word of this matter, nor mentioned it to me. And I think it was your turn to speak, after what I had written; and not at all reasonable for you to find fault with what passed between Mr. Walter and me at the Bath. I never saw him in my life before I was there; but upon his giving me an occasion, it was not very unnatural, and not unreasonable, I think, in me to own how much I wished an alliance with the Duke of Newcastle. He professed a great value and respect for him, seemed to think this match, as you did, as good for him as for anybody else; and since you left Blenheim, he writes to me upon that subject, but not what you mention of letting me know the Duke of Newcastle’s sentiments as to the fortune; but he said something civil from the Duke of Newcastle, and deferred the rest till we met in town, thinking it was better to speak than to write of such matters.

This letter I answered in my usual way, professing all the satisfaction imaginable in the thing, if it should happen to succeed, (which, by the way, I have not thought a great while that it will). I have now given a very true relation of this whole proceeding, and if any third person will say that I have done anything wrong to you in it, I shall be very sorry for it, and very ready to ask your pardon; but at present I have the ease and satisfaction to believe that there is no sort of cause for your complaint against

Your most humble Servant,

S. Marlborough.

I have two letters of yours concerning the building of this place, which I will not trouble you to answer after so long a letter as this; besides, after the tryal which I made when you were last here, ’tis plain that we can never agree upon that matter.

Upon the receiving that very insolent letter upon the eighth of the same month, ’tis easy to imagine that I wished to have had the civility I expressed in this letter back again, and was very sorry I had fouled my fingers in writing to such a fellow.

Explanatory Letter from Sir John Vanburgh, concerning his disagreement with the Duchess of Marlborough.[^[425]]

The Duke of Marlborough being pleased, some time since, to let me know by the Duke of Newcastle he took notice he had never once seen me since he came from Blenheim, I was surprised to find he was not acquainted with the cause why I had not continued to wait on him as I used to do; and I writ him a letter upon it, in which I did not trouble him with particulars, but said I wou’d beg the favour of your lordship, when you came to town, to speak to him on that occasion.

And since your lordship gave me leave to take this liberty with you, I will make the trouble as little as I can, both to yourself and to the Duke of Marlborough, by as short an account as possible of what has happened since his grace’s return to England, in two things I have had the honour to be employed in for his service, purely by his own and my Lady Duchess’s commands, without my applying or seeking for either, or ever having made any advantage by them. I mean, the building of Blenheim, and the match with the Duke of Newcastle.

As to the former, as soon as the Duke of Marlborough arrived in England, I received his commands to attend him at Blenheim, where he was pleased to tell me, that when the government took care to discharge him from the claim of the workmen for the debt in the Queen’s time, he intended to finish the building at his own expense. And, accordingly, from that time forwards he was pleased to give me his orders as occasion required, in things preparatory to it; till, at last, the affair of the debt being adjusted with the Treasury, and owned to be the Queen’s, he gave me directions to set people actually to work, after having considered an estimate he ordered me to prepare of the charge, to finish the house, offices, bridges, and out-walls of courts and gardens, which amounted to fifty-four thousand pounds.

I spared for no pains or industry to lower the prices of materials and workmanship, on the reasonablest considerations of sure and ready payment, which before (as experiments show) was precarious. I made no step without the Duke’s knowledge while he was well; and I made none without the Duchess’s after he fell ill; and was so far, I thought, from being in her ill opinion, that even the last time I waited on her and my Lord Duke at Blenheim, (which was last autumn,) she showed no sort of dissatisfaction on anything I had done, and was pleased to express herself to Mr. Hawkesmore (who saw her after I had taken my leave) in the most favourable and obliging manner of me; and to enjoin him to repeat to me what she had said to him.

Thus I left the Duke and Duchess at Blenheim. But a small time after I arrived in London, Brigadier Richards showed me a packet he had received from her grace, in which (without any new matter having happened) she had given herself the trouble, in twenty or thirty sides of paper, to draw up a charge against me, beginning from the time this building was first ordered by the Queen, and concluding upon the whole, that I had brought the Duke of Marlborough into this unhappy difficulty, either to leave the thing unfinished, and by consequence useless to him and his posterity; or, by finishing it, to distress his fortune, and deprive his grandchildren of the provision he inclined to make for them.

To this heavy charge I know I need trouble the Duke of Marlborough with nothing more in my own justification than to beg he will just please to recollect that I never did anything without his approbation; and that I never had the misfortune to be once found fault with by him in my life.

As to the Duchess, I took the liberty, in a letter I sent to her on this occasion, to say, “that finding she was weary of my service, (unless my Lord Duke recovered enough to take things again into his own direction,) I would do as I saw she desired, never trouble her more.”

I thought after this I could not wait on the Duke when she was present; and that if I endeavoured to do it at any other time, she would not like it. There has been no other reason whatever why I have not continued to pay my constant duty to him.

The other service I have mentioned, which her grace thought proper to lay her commands upon me, was the doing what might be in my power towards inclining the Duke of Newcastle to prefer my Lady Harriot Godolphin to all other women who were likely to be offered him. Her grace was pleased to tell me, on the breaking of this matter, I was the first body she had ever mentioned it to; and she gave me commission to open it to the Duke of Newcastle’s relations, as well as to himself, which I accordingly did, and gave her from time to time an account of what passed, and how the disposition moved towards what she so much desired.

Her grace did not seem inclined to think of giving such a fortune as should be any great inducement to the Duke’s prefering this match to others which might probably be offered; but she laid a very great and very just stress on the extraordinary qualifications and personal merits of my Lady Harriot, which she was pleased to say she thought might be more in my power to possess him rightly of than any other body she knew; and did not doubt but I would have that regard for the Duke of Marlborough, and the advantage of his family, as to take this part upon me, and spare no pains to make it successful.

This thing her grace desired I should do was so much with my own inclination, and what I was to say of the personal character of my Lady Harriot so truly my own opinion of her, that I had no sort of difficulty in resolving to use all the credit I had with the Duke of Newcastle to prefer the match to all others.

His grace received the first intimation with all the regard to the alliance that was due to it, and the hopes of having a posterity descended from the Duke of Marlborough had an extraordinary weight with him; but I found he had thoughts about marriage not very usual with men of great quality and fortune, especially so young as he was. He had made more observations on the bad education of the ladies of the court and towne than any one would have expected, and owned he shou’d think of marriage with much more pleasure than he did, if he cou’d find a woman (fit for him to marry) that had such a turn of understanding, temper, and behaviour, as might make her a usefull friend, as well as an agreeable companion; but of such a one he seemed almost to despair.

I was very glad to find him in this sentiment; agreed entirely with him in it, and upon that foundation endeavoured, for two years together, to convince him the Lady Harriot Godolphin was, happily, the very sort of woman he so much desired, and thought so difficult to find.

The latter end of last summer he writ to me to Scarborough, to tell me he was come to an absolute resolution of marrying somewhere before the winter was over, and desired to know if I had anything new to say to him about my Lady Harriot.

Upon this I writ to the Duchess of Marlborough at the Bath, and several letters past between her grace and me on this fresh occasion, in which she thought fit to express her extreme satisfaction to find a thing revived she so much desired, though for some time past had retained but little hopes of.

Not long after, I waited on her and the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim; but not happening to be any time alone with her, and being to see the Duke of Newcastle before there you’d be anything new to speak upon, I did not wonder she said nothing to me of that matter. But when I came to London, I was much surprised to find the cause of it.

I met with two letters from the Duke of Newcastle, expressing a great earnestness to see me. I went immediately to him to Claremont, where he told me his impatience to see me had been to know what I might have further to say of Lady Harriot; what I had learnt of her conduct and behaviour at the Bath; what I might have observed of her at Blenheim; and, in short, that if I knew anything that could reasonably abate of the extraordinary impression I had given him of her, I would have that regard to the greatest concern of his life not to hide it from him, for that if he marryed her, his happiness would be entirely determined by her answering, or not answering, the character he had received of her from me, and upon which he solely depended. That he had therefore forborne making any step (though prest to it by Mr. Walters) that cou’d any way engage him, till he saw me again, and once for all received a confirmation of the character, so agreeable to his wishes, I had given him of my Lady Harriot.

As I had nothing to say to him on this occasion but what was still to her advantage, he came to an absolute resolution of treating: and asking me what the Duchess of Marlborough had said to me at Blenheim about the fortune, the letter at Scarborough having (amongst other things) been on that subject, I told him she had not said a word to me of it, or anything relating to the matter in general.

The Duke seemed much surprised to hear me say so, and told me he took it for granted she had let me know what lately passed through Mr. Walters, whom she had accidentally fallen acquainted with at the Bath, and engaged him in this affair. That he had even pressed him to enter into a direct treaty, but that he had made pretences to decline it, being undetermined till he had once more had an opportunity of talking the whole matter over with me, especially on what related personally to my Lady Harriot, having resolved to make that his decisive point.

I told him it was very extraordinary the Duchess of Marlborough, after two years employing me, and finding I had succeeded in the very point she judged me fittest to serve her in, and by which point almost alone she hoped to bring this match about, shou’d drop me in so very short a manner; and that I cou’d conceive no cause good or bad for it, unless she was going to dismiss me from meddling any more in the building, and so judged it not proper to employ me any further in this other part of her service.

The Duke seemed inclined to hope I might be mistaken in that thought, and so desired I wou’d continue to act in this concern with her; upon which (calling Mr. Walters into the room) he was pleased to relate all that had passed through me from the beginning, with the Duchess of Marlborough, Lord Townsend, Mr. Walpole, &c., and ended in desiring we wou’d both join in bringing the matter to a conclusion, he being now determined to treat; and that we wou’d both write to the Duchess of Marlborough the next post.

I writ accordingly, and in the close of my letter mentioned the surprise I had been in to find she had not been pleased to continue her commands to me in a thing I had taken so much pains to serve her, and not without success.

But when I came to London, I heard of the charge her grace had thought fit to send up against me about the building, and so found I had not been mistaken in what I had told the Duke of Newcastle I apprehended might be the cause of her dropping me in so very easy a manner in what related to him.

The following Remarks were added by the Duchess to the above Letter.

Upon this false assertion of what the Duchess of Marlborough had said to Mr. Hawkesmoor, she met him at Mr. Richards’ at Black Heath, and told him what Sir John Vanburgh had said as to the Duchess of Marlborough’s message by him, upon which Mr. Hawkesmoor protested, as he had never seen her after Sir John went away, he never said any such thing to him; and that it had given him a great deal of trouble very often to see the unreasonable proceedings of Sir John.

What he repeats out of his own letter is quite different, as may be seen.

My Lady Harriot Godolphin had twenty-two thousand pounds to her portion, procured by the Duchess of Marlborough.

FROM THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[426]]

Friday.

Sir,—I beg pardon for troubling you with this, but I am in a very odd distress; too much ready money. I have now 105,000l. dead, and shall have fifty more next weeke: if you can imploy it any way, it will be a very great favor to me.

I hope you will forgive my reminding you of Mr. Sewell’s memorial for a majority; if any vouchers are wanting for his character, I believe Mr. Selwin will give him a very good one. I am, with great truth,

Your most obliged

And obedient servant,

Marlborough.

LORD CONINGSBY TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[427]]

December 11, 1712.

The shortest day of the year dates this letter, and to me the most melancholy, because it is the first after I heard of thirty-nine’s (Marlborough’s) leaving the kingdom (under God) he had saved. I who have not a friend left, now he is gone, (yourself excepted,) have this only comfort, that I am sure his greatest enemies on the side of the water where he now is, will be much kinder to him than many of the pretended friends he left behind him have been for some years past. They have, however, their full reward, and being true Irishmen, by cutting the bough they stood upon themselves, have fallen from the very top of the tree, and have broke their own necks by their senseless politics of breaking his power, who alone had acquired by his merits interest enough to support theirs. Though I know more of this than any man now alive, yet I shall never make any other use of it but to beg that you, during his absence, will never trust to anything they, or any one they can influence, shall either say or do, since, to my certain knowledge, they were ever enemies to you and yours; and so thirty-nine (Marlborough) knows I have told him long; and if I had been so happy to have been credited, others had travelled, and not dear thirty-nine (Marlborough.) But past time is not to be recalled. God preserve him wherever he goes.

It is time to return my thanks for the paper I have received about the chaplain, and to assure you that now thirty-nine (Marlborough) is gone, there is nobody behind him in this kingdom more heartily concerned for the happiness of you and yours, &c.

LORD CONINGSBY TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[428]]
Letters of Lord Coningsby to the Duchess of Marlborough, after the death of the Duke. (Referred to in vol. ii.)

Hampton Court in Hertfordshire, Oct. 14, 1720.

I received with the greatest pleasure imaginable your grace’s commands, as I shall ever do to the last moment of my life, and obey them with a readiness as becomes one to do, who, with all his faults, has not those fashionable ones of fickleness and insincerity, which the dear Duchess of Marlborough has, to my knowledge, so often met with in this false world.

I am sure your grace is overjoyed to hear the Duke is so well, and the more so because it is truth beyond contradiction, that as we owe our liberties to him, so he, under God, owes his life to the care and tenderness of the best of wives.

My dearest girls order me to present their duty to your grace, and their services to Lady Dy and Lady Hun.

There is not upon the face of the earth anybody that is more than I am, and ever will be, &c.

LORD CONINGSBY TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[429]]

Did I not know myself to be so entirely innocent as never to have had a single thought, that if you had known it would have given the least umbrage of offence to your grace, the usage I have lately met with would be to me insupportable; but since that is my case, I can, though with great uneasiness, bear it now, as I did once before, till the happy time will come when your grace will be convinced that I am incapable of being otherwise than your faithful servant; and that those who have persuaded you to believe the contrary are as great enemies to your grace, as I know they are to the true interest of their country. In the mean time, I beseech Heaven to let me learn by degrees to be without that agreeable conversation which I valued more than I can express. I can say no more, but conclude with assuring your grace, that, use me as you will, it is not in your power to make me otherwise than your grace’s, &c.

Saturday, Six o’Clock.

Letters between Mr. Scrope and the Duchess of Marlborough.[^[430]]

MR. SCROPE TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.

April 20, 1744.

Madam,—The letter which I had the honour to receive from your grace the 26th, hath given me great uneasiness, for I have always made it a rule not to intermeddle in family affairs, even of my relations and friends, and I should not have been so unguarded in what I presumed to mention to your grace about the Duke of Marlborough, had you not been pleased to hint what you inclined to do for his son, and had not my veneration for the name of a Duke of Marlborough, and my passion and desire to have it always flourish, and make a figure in the world, provoked me to say what I did, which I hope your grace will pardon. I know nothing of the Duke’s affairs, nor how or with whom he is entangled; but sincerely wish he had your prudence and discretion, for the sake of himself and family. I herewith return to your grace the book you pleased to send me, which I read with an aching heart.

I am, with the utmost duty and esteem,

Madam,

Your Grace’s most dutiful

and obedient humble servant,

J. Scrope.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO MR. SCROPE.[^[431]]

June 4, 1744.

Sir,—Your repeated civilities to me persuade me that you would willingly employ yourself to do me any reasonable service; and what I am now going to trouble you about is, I think, not unreasonable; at least I am told it is very customary, and almost a matter of form. I mean the prolongation of my term in Marlborough-house. I had it prolonged, I think, in the late king’s time, and am now desirous to prolong it again for as long as I can, paying what is usual upon such occasions. Some years ago I asked Sir Robert Walpole to add the term of years that was lapsed to my lease of Marlborough-house, and likewise to do another little favour for me: he answered me, that as to Marlborough-house he would do it, because he could do it himself, but that for the other he must ask it of the king. Somebody then advised me to wait a little, and they would be both done together; and I was fool enough to take that advice. However, I have still half the term left. The house was entirely built at the Duke of Marlborough’s expense, and moreover, I paid two thousand pounds to Sir Richard Beeling, for a pretended claim which he had upon part of the ground, so that I think I have as just a claim as any tenant of the crown can have. The late Lord Treasurer, I remember, granted a new term in a house upon crown land to Lord Sussex, an avowed enemy to the government, even when his first term was within a month of expiring, saying, it would be too great a hardship to take it from him. I am sure I am no enemy to the government, though possibly no friend to some in the administration, and therefore I hope that what would have been thought too hard in that case, will not be thought reasonable in mine. I am always sincere, and, for aught I know, some people may think me too much so; and I confess to you freely, that I take this opportunity, while Mr. Pelham is at the head of the Treasury, he being the only person in that station who, I believe, would oblige me, or to whom I would be obliged; and this I find, by the answer I have already mentioned from Sir Robert Walpole, is entirely in his power to do. He has been very civil to me, and the only one in employment who has been so for many years. I therefore desire you to mention this affair to him at a proper time, of which you are the best judge, and I put off my application till now, in order to be as little troublesome to him as possible, knowing that he has much less business in the summer. Your assistance and friendship in this matter will very much oblige

Your most faithful,

and most obliged,

humble servant,

S. Marlborough.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO MR. SCROPE.[^[432]]

June 7, 1744.

I am very much obliged to you for your application in my behalf to Mr. Pelham, and to him for his civil answer to it. I desire you will make him my compliments and acknowledgements. I would much rather have the lease under the exchequer seal only, and not trouble his Majesty about this affair; but as you desire me to ask advice of counsell thereupon, I have accordingly sent it to my lawyer for his opinion. I shall employ one Mr. Keys, who is used to matters of this kind, to attend this affair through the offices, and he will draw up my memorial in the proper form to be presented to the treasury. Mr. Keys informs me that the lease of the Duke of Richmond’s and the Montague’s houses in Whitehall, and many others, are only under the exchequer seal; so that I make no doubt but that the opinion of my counsell will agree with my own inclinations. As I cannot express, as I would do, my acknowledgements to you for the kindness you have shewn, and the trouble you have taken in this affair, I will only say that I am, with great esteem and truth,

Your most faithful,

humble servant,

S. Marlborough.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO MR. SCROPE.[^[433]]

September 11, 1744.

Sir,—’Tis a great while since I have troubled you with either thanks for the favours you have done me, or with any solicitations. The first, I believe, you don’t care for; and I know, you have so much business that I was willing to delay, as long as I could, giving Mr. Pelham or you any trouble concerning Windsor parke. You know the whole history about that matter, how Queen Caroline took the allowance away, which her Majesty sent me word she would do, if I would not let her buy something out of my estate at Wimbledon, which was settled upon my family. This I refused, but in a very respectful manner. After this she kept her word, and took the allowance away, which I have in my grant. And I am sure you know that I never gave any occasion for it by bringing any bills for what I did there on my own account. I certainly have as much right to this allowance in my grant as I have to any part of my own estate, and there is no person that has a grant from the crown, that has not an allowance more or less for taking care of his Majesty’s deer. I desire no favour, but only strict justice; and you will oblige me extremely if you will direct me in what manner I should proceed. I lost a considerable arrear, which his present Majesty did not think right to pay me, when King George the First died; saying, he was not obliged to pay his father’s debts. And since the Queen stopped the allowance, I have been at great expenses. I have a right by my grant to five hundred pounds a year for making hay, buying it when the year is bad, paying all tradesmen’s bills, keeping horses to carry the hay about to several lodges, and paying five keepers’ wages at fifteen pounds a year each, and some gate-keepers, mole-catchers, and other expenses that I cannot think of. But as kings’ parkes are not to be kept so low as private peoples’, because they call themselves king’s servants, I really believe that I am out of pocket upon this account, besides the disadvantage of paying ready money every year for what is done, and having only long arrears to sollicit for it. But I think, by your advice, this matter may be settled better, and that the treasury will either comply with my grant, or allow me to send the bills of what is paid upon his Majesty’s account. If they think anybody will do it honester or cheaper than I have done, I shall be very glad to quit the allowance, and I should have quitted the parke long ago, if I had not laid out a very great sum in building in the great parke, and likewise in the little parke, where John Spencer lives.

I have another small trouble at this time with Mr. Sandys the cofferer. The custom has ever been to serve venison for the royal family and the nobles; and the cofferer sends to know what venison the parks can furnish. My Lord Sandys, to shew his breeding, made a letter be sent to ask this question, I believe from some footman. I sent to the keepers to know what they could furnish without hurting the parke; the number was a very great one, but I have always chosen to send more by a great many than any other ranger ever did. However, his lordship was pleased to sent warrants for two more than the number, which I ordered the keepers to comply with. Since that, he has given out four warrants more above the number, which I forbade them to serve. For this year has been so bad for venison in all parkes but my own at Blenheim, that it has been seldom good. And Mr. Leg sent one of these warrants from the cofferer, who gave me a great deal of trouble, by being very impertinent in drawing warrants himself upon this park, signing only “Leg.” He certainly is a very great coxcomb; but I will say no more of that. The keepers send me word that it has been so bad a season this year, that I must buy a great deal of hay for the deer, or they will be starved this winter;—for though ’tis a great parke, it is full of roads; and there is nothing beautiful in it but clumps of trees, which, if Mr. Pelham does not prevent it, will be destroyed by the cheats of the surveyors, which in a great measure I have prevented for more than forty years.

Pray forgive me this long trouble, and be assured that you never obliged anybody in your life that is more sincerely, though I am insignificant,

Your friend and

humble servant,

S. Marlborough.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO MR. SCROPE.[^[434]]

September 17, 1744.

Sir,—I give you many thanks for your enquiring after my health to-day. I am a little better than I was yesterday, but in pain sometimes, and I have been able to hear some of the letters I told you of read to-day; and I hope I shall live long enough to assist the historians with all the information they can want of me; but it is not possible for me to live to see a history of between thirty and forty years finished. I shall be contented when I have done what lies in my power.

---

I cannot make up this letter without telling you something I have found in these papers, in the few I have heard read. My Lord Godolphin was prodigious careful to save all he could of the money of England, and to make the allies bear their proportion, according to the advantages they were to have, not to allow of anything that the parliament did not appropriate—and there were proper vouchers, and no douceurs. I have not found yet no more than so many crowns asked upon some occasions; now, one hears nothing but one hundred and fifty thousand pounds repeated over and over. That I suppose has been occasioned by the great success we have had, and that it was reasonable that one commander should have a great share himself, for his courage in standing all the fire, and for his wisdom in directing the whole matter. There is one letter of my Lord Godolphin’s that pleased me much, though of no great consequence, but it shewed his justice and humanity. There was some money returned from England, the value of which was more in that country than it was here, and Lord Godolphin writes to the Duke of Marlborough that the advantage of that gain should be to England, or given amongst the soldiers, and that the paymaster should not have it. Contrary to that notion, I have been told, and I believe it is true, that Mr. Hanbury Williams had a place made for him, quite unnecessary, with fifteen hundred a year salary, and that it is lately found out that he has cheated the government of forty thousand pounds. I am not sure that this last part is true, but I hope it is, for I am sure there is not a more infamous man in England than he is in every part of his character.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO MR. SCROPE.[^[435]]

September 20, 1744.

Sir,—Since I have heard from you, I have heard a great many things read which you seem to think would be of use in the history, and besides what I have mentioned before, of the great numbers writ in his own hand of my Lord Godolphin’s to the Duke of Marlborough, I have found a great number of books of the Duke of Marlborough’s letters, copied by Mr. Cardenoll; some of them to my Lord Godolphin, treasurer, Mr. St. John, Mr. Harley, and to a great number of others. My Lord Godolphin’s own letters shew that he was a very knowing minister in all foreign affairs; though you never heard, I believe, that he boasted of the great respect that the Princess abroad had for him, nor did he tell ever any of the lords of the cabinet counsell that they knew nothing, and that France trembled at his name. I need not say anything of my Lord Godolphin’s management and honesty in the treasury, for you know enough of that; but perhaps you do not know that he was so far from having pensions and grants, that if his elder brother had not died just before Mr. Harley turned him out, he must have been buried, as a great man in Plutarch’s Lives was, by the public or his friends; though he never spent anything himself, excepting in charity and generosities to any of his friends that happened to be poor; for he was not so ingenious as some people are in making places for insignificant people, and quartering them upon the crown; and by some of the letters I have heard read, I find the demands he consented should be paid in the war were sometimes so many livres, and I have not yet come to anything higher than crowns, neither of which amounted to any very great sum. I believe there are at least twenty great books, of Mr. Cardenoll’s copying, of the Duke of Marlborough’s letters to the minister at home, and to the Princes abroad; and, in short, to those in England that were at all useful to contribute anything to the good of the common cause. It is impossible to read what I have done lately, without being in vapours, as you call it; to think how these two men were discarded after serving so many years, when she was Princess, and assisting her when she was perfectly ignorant what was to be done in a higher station. My Lord Treasurer was taken leave of by a letter sent by a groom. That was because I suppose Mrs. Harley was ashamed to see him after all the expressions she had made to him, and for all his disinterested services. When Mr. Freeman was discharged, it was by a letter also; though he was so remarkable for having always a great deal of good temper, it put him into such a passion, that he flung the letter into the fire; but he soon recovered himself enough to write her an answer, a copy of which I can shew you whenever you care to read it. One would think that my Lord Sandys had been at the head of the councill upon these occasions. Mr. Freeman had nothing to do with the management of the money, but only the war for the security and grandeur of the Queen and England, and had gained more than twenty sieges and pitched battles. How this business will end by the great undertaking of C. and his partner D., I cannot pretend to say, but I could say something in behalf of Lord ——, if he had not taken the last grant for the pension, after he had taken all the money out of the treasury. I am sure you can’t suspect my being partial to him, and he really has some good qualities that made me love him extremely, as my Lord Marlborough and my Lord Godolphin did for many years, but I know they both thought he had not good judgment; and I thought he did not want it so much as to be persuaded by his friend C. to take the last pension, since his family was so vastly provided for. I thought he would have chosen rather to be his own master, and to have contributed what he could to secure his own great property, by endeavouring to recover our very good laws, and secure our once happy island.

I am glad to find I have so much judgment as to trouble you no longer at this time, but I must beg of you that you will read one paper more, which I will send as soon as I can; who am

Your most obliged and troublesome

Humble servant,

S. Marlborough.

MR. SCROPE TO THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.[^[436]]

September 21, 1744.

Madam,—When your grace can spare a quarter of an hour, I should be extremely obliged to you if you would give me leave to wait on you to return my humble thanks for the pleasure and honour of your picture and your other favours, and to acquaint your grace what progress is made in the commands you were pleased to commit to the care of,

Madam,

Your grace’s most faithful and most

Obliged humble servant,

J. Scrope.

LETTER ADDRESSED BY THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH TO THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

Communicated by W. Upcott, Esq.[^[437]]

Marlborough House, August 25, 1735.

My Lord,—I was ill in bed (as I frequently am) when I received the honour of your grace’s letter. I find by it, notwithstanding the many civil expressions you are pleased to make use of, that I must be forced to sitt down contented with a refusal, and the Duke of St. Albans is to be gratified at my expense. Some people, perhaps, may wonder it should be so, but I have for a long time ceased wondering at anything.

If I enter any farther into this affair, ’tis not, I assure you, with the least view that anything I can urge will have an effect; but ’tis some satisfaction to show that I apprehend myself still in the right, though I should have the misfortune not to prevail by doing so. There can be but three considerations to induce the Duke of St. Albans to insist on this point, which are, that he believes he has a right to it, or that it will be of use to him, or that it will mortifie me. I think I have already sufficiently proved that he has not the least glimmering of right to it. I have beat him, if I may say so, out of his fortifications, and forced him in his castle to yield up the constable’s pretensions; and I will now as plainly shew that it can be of no use to him: and then the third reason alone will subsist, which is, that ’tis done to mortifie me, against which there is no arguing. All I can say is, I think I have not deserved it. The Duke lives, as other constables have done, at the Keep; and, unless he chooses to goe out of his way, (which for ought I know he may,) I can’t see the least benefit it can be to him. It is not his road to London, neither is there any road through the park, and I hope none will ever be made, and for this reason, as I told you before, nobody but the royal family and ranger were ever suffered to goe in with their coaches. The Duke of Marlborough gave the Duke of St. Albans a key to walk in it at his pleasure, but little imagined to have his civility requited in the manner it was, by having other keys made from it, the Duke distributing them as he thought fit, coming into the park with his coach and chaise, and making use of it in many other respects, just as if he had been the ranger. But your grace tells me this favour could not well be refused him, and that he is not to go through the park in right of his office, but by her Majesty’s leave. I am sorry your grace imagined that this way of turning it softened the point, because, in my poor apprehension, it seems extremely to aggravate the injury. To give the Duke leave, contrary to my earnest representations and entreaties, (who am ranger of the park,) when he owns he has no right to it, seems so manifest a partiality in his favour, that it cannot be but exceeding mortifying to me. If his grace’s merit be not very great, it is natural to conclude my demerit must be so; and as I am not conscious of having deserved this disregard, I am the more concerned to find it. I have formerly been in courts as your grace is now, and I there observed that the ministerial policy always loaded people with favours in proportion to their abilities, and the use they could be of in return to them. Perhaps I may be mistaken, but I ask your grace, Is the Duke of St. Albans a man of that high importance as to be worth making a precedent for—which may be attended with ill consequences, and in process of time bring difficultys on the crown itself? How can others who live at Windsor be refused this favour, which has been granted to the Duke of St. Albans, simply as such? His predecessors in his office, I may say without wronging him, have some of them been as distinguished as himself. Prince Rupert, son to the Queen of Bohemia, and nephew to King Charles, was one of them that frequently resided at the Keep, and never desired nor ever enjoyed this privilege; the Dukes of Northumberland and Kent, Lord Cobham, Lord Carlisle, and others, never thought of asking it; but though his predecessors never had it, will his successors for the future ever be content without it? No, though they should not be of equal merit with his grace. So that, in truth my lord, you see I am not pleading on my own account singly, but I’m endeavouring to support the true interest of the crown, and making a stand against an innovation that will hereafter bring difficultys upon them. But I cannot flatter myself that anything I can say will gett this leave revoked; therefore I should be glad to have it explain’d how far, my lord, it is to extend. Is the Duke to have the privilege of giving keys, as he actually has done, to whomsoever he pleases? Are they all to come into the park with their coaches and chaises? This will greatly prejudice the park, but may be done if her Majesty pleases to order it. But as to his putting cattle, and authorising his gamekeepers to kill game for his own use and the Dowager Duchess of St. Albans, this I take to be an encroachment on my grant, and that I presume is not intended, nor can I be content to suffer it. I am sensible I have made this letter too tedious; but ’tis extremely natural to say all one can in defence of what one takes to be one’s right. This, my lord, must plead my excuse, and engage you to pardon

Your Grace’s most obedient

And most humble servant,

S. Marlborough.

To the Duke of Newcastle.

An Abstract of the last Will and Testament of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

This is the last Will and Testament of me, Sarah Duchess Dowager of Marlborough, made this eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord, 1744.

My will and desire is that I may be buried at Blenheim, near the body of my dear husband John late Duke of Marlborough; and if I die before his body is removed thither, I desire Francis Earl of Godolphin to direct the same to be removed to Blenheim aforesaid, as was always intended.

And I direct that my funeral may be made private, and with no more expense than decency requires; and that no mourning be given to any one, except such of my servants as shall attend at my funeral.

As concerning my estate, I give the same in manner and form following.

I devise to Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, of Lincoln’s Inn, Esq., their heirs, &c., all my manors, parsonage, rectory, advowsons, messuages, lands, tenements, tithes, and hereditaments in the several counties of Surrey, Oxford, Buckingham, and Huntingdon, which were lately the several estates of Richard Holditch, Francis Hawes, William Astell, and Robert Knight, Esqrs.

And also my manors, &c., in the said county of Buckingham, which were late the estate of Richard Hampden, Esq., deceased.

And also my manor, rectory, &c., in the county of Buckingham, which were some time the estate of Sir John Wittewronge, Bart., deceased.

And also my manor, &c. in the same county, formerly the estate of Sir Thomas Tyrrel, Bart., deceased.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Bedford, which were late the estate of Sir John Meres, Knight.

And also my freehold and copyhold messuages, &c. in the county of Bedford, which were late the estate of Bromsall Throckmorton, Esq.

And also my manor, &c. in possession and reversion, in the county of Bedford, which were late the estate of Edward Snagg, Esq.

And also my rectory and tithes of Steventon, in the county of Bedford, which were late the estate of Peter Floyer, Esq.

And also my lands, &c. in the county of Bedford, which were the estate of John Culliford, Esq., and Mary his wife.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Berks, which were the estate of Richard Jones, Esq.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Berks, which were the estate of Robert Packer, Esq.

And also my messuage, lands, &c. in the county of Berks, which were late the estate of Thomas Bedford, clerk.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Oxford, which were late the estate of Sir Cecil Bishop, Bart.

And also my manors, &c. in Northamptonshire, which were late the estate of Mrs. Elizabeth Wiseman.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Northampton, late the estate of Sir William Norwich, Bart.

And also my manor, &c. in the county of Northampton, late the estate of Nathaniel Lord Crewe, Lord Bishop of Durham.

And also that part of my estate at St. Albans still retained by me.

And also my manors, &c. in the county of Stafford, which were the estate of Viscount Fauconberg.

And also my manor, &c. freehold and copyhold, in the county of Norfolk, late the property of Gabriel Armiger, Esq.

And also my manors, &c. in the county of Leicester and Northampton, which were the estates of Sir Thomas Cave.

And all other my manors, &c. in the counties of Surrey, Oxford, Huntingdon, Buckingham, Bedford, Berks, Northampton, Hertford, Stafford, Norfolk, and Leicester, (always subject to charges made by indenture on the marriage of my grandson, John Spencer, Esq. to Georgiana Carolina, his now wife, daughter to Lord Carteret.)

John Spencer, the son of my said grandson John Spencer, shall have, arising from the said estates &c., an annuity (during the life of his father) of 2,000l., which he shall be empowered legally to enforce.

And whereas the late Duke of Marlborough directed by his will that a yearly sum of 3,000l. should be charged upon the estates devised upon Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, for each and every of the sons which may be born to Charles Spencer, (now Duke of Marlborough,) and the grandson of the same; I, with a desire to carry out such intention, hereby direct that the said sum be chargeable upon the said estates so devised, during the joint lives of the said Charles Duke of Marlborough and such son or grandson: Always provided that such son or grandson shall not covenant to do or do any act which shall set aside or bar any intent declared or expressed in the will of the late Duke of Marlborough; in which case such annuity shall utterly cease.

Upon such son or grandson marrying and attaining the age of twenty-one years, the said annual sum of 3,000l. shall no longer be paid to him; but an annual charge not exceeding 1,500l. shall be paid to any woman with whom he shall marry, for the term of her life.

Provided always, that my said estates shall never be chargeable with more than one such annuity, as a provision for any such woman, at one and the same time.

And all my said manors, &c. devised to Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, subject to the annuities and charges therein expressed, I will and direct the same to be in TRUST for my grandson John Spencer, for and during the term of his natural life; and after that, to the USE of the said Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, and their heirs, during the natural life of John Spencer, in TRUST, to preserve the contingent uses thereof; the said John Spencer to receive the rents and profits thereof, (with similar covenants relating to John Spencer the younger, and succeeding heirs.)

And whereas the dean and chapter of Christ’s Church—Canterbury, did lease unto me the scite and court lodge of the manor of Agney, in the county of Kent, I hereby bequeath the said court lodge, &c.

And also my lands, &c. held on lease in the county of Buckingham.

And also all other my leasehold estates (excepting such as I shall otherwise dispose of) to the USE of the said Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, in TRUST for such uses and persons as are herein expressed concerning my various manors and freeholds.

Item, I give unto Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, all my manor of Wimbledon, &c. in Surrey.

And also my leasehold rectory of Wimbledon, for their USE, and in trust, &c. (with similar covenants respecting John Spencer and his heirs.)

And my will is, that all my household goods, pictures, and furniture that shall be in my said buildings and gardens at Wimbledon, shall be considered as heirlooms.

And my will is, and I hereby expressly declare, that if the said John Spencer (my grandson) shall become bound or surety for any person or persons whatever for any sum or sums of money, or if he, or any person or persons in trust for him, shall take from any king or queen of these realms any pension, or any office or employment, civil or military, (except the rangership of the great or little parks at Windsor,) then shall all these my intents and covenants in behalf of the said John Spencer become void, as if he were actually dead.

(The same with regard to John Spencer the younger.)

And whereas by lease from the crown I am possessed of all that capital messuage which I now inhabit, called Marlborough-house, with all its appurtenances, within or near the parishes of St. James, the liberty of Westminster, and St. Martin in-the-Fields, in the county of Middlesex, for the term of fifty years:

Now I hereby give and bequeath all my interest in the said capital messuage, &c. unto my executors (subject to such charge thereon as is hereinafter mentioned) upon the TRUSTS following: That is to say, in trust for the said John Spencer the father, for so long a period of the fifty years as he shall live; and then in trust for George Spencer, commonly called Marquis of Blandford, eldest son and heir apparent of Charles Duke of Marlborough; and after his decease, in trust for any son of the said George Spencer who shall attain his majority.

Provided the said George Spencer shall have no son, then in trust for Charles Spencer, second son of Charles Duke of Marlborough, and his son, (with similar provisions, provided Charles Spencer shall have no son, conferring the interest upon such other son of Charles Duke of Marlborough as shall attain his majority.)

Provided always, that should any attempt be made by any of these legatees to dispose, let, exchange, or give up possession in any manner of Marlborough-house, or commit any act likely to subvert any of the declared intentions of the late Duke of Marlborough with respect to his will, such bequest shall become utterly void, and my executors are hereby empowered to dispose of all my interest in the said messuage, and pay over the money as part of my personal estate.

I am likewise possessed of another lease from the crown, bearing date Feb. 13, 1728, not yet expired.

Now I give and bequeath the said lease to my executors in trust for the holder of Marlborough-house for the time being, and subject to the same conditions and limitations.

And whereas I am empowered by the Duke of Marlborough’s will to dispose of such goods as are my own in Marlborough-house, and of which there is an inventory:

Now I bequeath all such goods, furniture, pictures, &c., to my grandson John Spencer, his executors, &c.

Item, I give unto my grandson, Charles Duke of Marlborough, all my furniture, pictures, &c., which shall be in Blenheim-house, in Oxfordshire, at the time of my decease; but upon the express condition that he do not remove any of the goods or furniture from Althorp-house, but permit the same to be enjoyed by my grandson, John Spencer, except the same shall be of greater value than those in Blenheim-house; then may he remove such part thereof as shall leave no more in value than shall be equal to that which at the time of my decease was in Blenheim-house; and should he not perform this condition, then I leave the said furniture, &c. in Blenheim-house, to John Spencer my grandson, his executors, &c.

And my will is, that all my goods, &c. in my mansion-house at Holywell, in St. Albans, in the county of Hertford, shall continue there, and be always held therewith, as far as the law will permit of.

And whereas by letters patent on the 18th day of July, in the eighth year of her reign, her late majesty Queen Anne granted me the rangership of Windsor Great Park, giving the said place in TRUST to James Craggs, Samuel Edwards, and Charles Hodges, for me and my heirs:

Now I will that the said Samuel Edwards shall hold the same in trust for my grandson John Spencer, his heirs, &c.

And I give all the goods, &c., which may be in the chief lodge, belonging to me, to my said grandson John Spencer. (Similar provisions with regard to the Little Park.)

I give unto my granddaughter Isabella Duchess Dowager of Manchester all my piece of ground and the messuage thereon in Dover-street, in the county of Middlesex; together with all the goods, furniture, &c., in the said messuage.

I give unto Hugh Earl of Marchmont, and Beversham Filmer, Esq., and James Stephens, all my leasehold piece of ground and brick messuage in Grosvenor-street, in the parish of St. George’s, Hanover-square, in trust for John Spencer the son.

Item, I hereby give unto Hugh Earl of Marchmont, Beversham Filmer, Thomas Lord Bishop of Oxford, and James Stephens, my joint executors, 2,000l. each, for their care and trouble about this my will.

All other property whatsoever, comprising money, mortgages, securities, &c., after payment of my just debts, and such bequests as herein before or after in any codicil mentioned, I bequeath to my said executors, in trust for John Spencer, my grandson.

---

This will, which occupies in the original eight skins of parchment, is witnessed by the following persons, and signed and sealed by the Duchess.

Fane.

Edmund London.

W. Lee.

John Scrope.

THE CODICIL.

This is a CODICIL to the last will and testament of me, Sarah Duchess Dowager of Marlborough, which I duly made and published, bearing date the eleventh day of August instant, and which will I do hereby ratify and confirm in all respects.

Whereas I am possessed of several long annuities, amounting to the yearly sum of two thousand six hundred pounds,

Now I bequeath the same to my executors, in trust for the following uses—

To James Stephens, 300l. yearly.

To Grace Bidley, 300l. yearly.

To Robert Macarty, Earl of Clancarty, the yearly sum of 1000l.

To Elizabeth Arbor, the yearly sum of 200l.

To Anne Patten, the yearly sum of 130l.

To Olive Lofft, the yearly sum of 40l.

To John Griffiths, the yearly sum of 200l.

To Hannah Clarke, the yearly sum of 200l.

To Jeremiah Lewis, the yearly sum of 50l.

To John Dorset, the yearly sum of 50l.

To each of my two chairmen, John Robins and George Humphreys, the yearly sum of 20l.

To Walter Jones, the yearly sum of 30l., and to each of my footmen that shall continue in my service to the time of my decease, the yearly sum of 10l.

To Margaret and Catherine Garmes, the yearly sum each of 10l.

The overplus of such long annuities to be paid to John Spencer.

I give to John Spencer ALL my gold and silver plate, seals, trinkets, and small pieces of japan.

I give to the wife of John Spencer, the son of my said grandson, (if he should live to be married,) my diamond pendants, which have three brilliant drops to each, and all the rest of my jewels which I shall not otherwise dispose of; and in case he die unmarried, I give the same to his father.

I give to my granddaughter, Mary Duchess of Leeds, my diamond solitaire, with the large brilliant diamond it hangs to; also the picture in water colours of the late Duke of Marlborough, drawn by Lens.

I give to my daughter, Mary Duchess of Montagu, my gold snuff-box, that has in it two pictures of her father, the Duke of Marlborough, when he was a youth. Also a picture of her father covered with a large diamond, and hung to a string of small pearls for a bracelet, and two enamelled pictures for a bracelet of her sisters, Sunderland and Bridgewater.

I give to Thomas Duke of Leeds 3000l.

I give to my niece, Frances Lady Dillon, 1000l.

I give to Philip Earl of Chesterfield, out of the great regard I have for his merit, and the infinite obligations I have received from him, my best and largest brilliant diamond ring, and 20,000l.

I give to William Pitt, Esq., the sum of 10,000l., upon account of his merit in the noble defence he made for the support of the laws of England, and to prevent the ruin of his country.

I give to Mr. Burroughs, Master in Chancery, 200l. to buy a ring.

I give to my executors 500l. each to buy them rings.

I give to the Earl of Clancarty, above what I have already given him, 1000l.

Whereas John Earl of Stair owes me 1000l. upon bond, and his wife bought me some things in France, but always declined telling me what they cost, I desire him to pay my Lady Stair, and to accept the residue of the 1000l., together with such other sums as I have lent to him.

I give to Juliana Countess of Burlington my bag of gold medals, and 1000l. to buy a ring, or something in remembrance of me.

I give to the Duchess of Devonshire my box of travelling plate.

I give to James Stephens, over and above what I have already given him, the sum of 1300l., and as a further compensation for the great trouble he will have as my acting executor, the yearly sum of 300l.

To Grace Ridley I give, over and above what I have already given, the sum of 15,000l.; an enamelled picture of the Duke of Marlborough; a little picture of the Duke in a locket, and my own picture by Sir Godfrey Kneller, and my striking watch, which was the Duke of Marlborough’s.

I give to Anne Ridley the sum of 3000l.

I give to Mrs. Jane Pattison my striking watch, which formerly belonged to her mistress, Lady Sunderland.

One half of my clothes and wearing apparel I give to Grace Ridley, and the other half equally between Anne Patter and Olive Lofft.

I give to each of my chairmen 25l.

I give to each of my servants one year’s wages.

I give to the poor of the town of Woodstock 300l.

I desire that Mr. Glover and Mr. Mallet, who are to write the history of the Duke of Marlborough, may have the use of all papers and letters relating to the same found in any of my houses. And I desire that these two gentlemen may write the said history, that it may be made publick to the world how truly the late Duke of Marlborough wished that justice should be done to all mankind, who, I am sure, left King James with great regret, at a time when ’twas with hazard to himself; and if he had been like the patriots of the present times, he might have been all that an ambitious man could hope for, by assisting King James to settle Popery in England.

I desire that no part of the said history may be in verse.

And I direct that the said history shall not be printed without the approbation of the Earl of Chesterfield and my executors.

I give to Mr. Glover and Mr. Mallet 500l. each for writing the history.

(Here follows a contingent provision for the younger children of Charles Spencer, Duke of Marlborough.)

I give to Thomas Duke of Leeds my estate near St. Albans, and my freehold at Romney Marsh, Kent.

I give to Philip Earl of Chesterfield my manor at Wimbledon, and also my manors in Northampton and Surrey.

I give to the Earl of Clancarty my manors and lands in the county of Buckingham.

To William Pitt I give my manor, &c., in the county of Buckingham, late the estate of Richard Hampden, Esq.; and leasehold in Suffolk; and lands, &c. in Northampton.

And to —— Bishop, Esq., my grandson, my manor, &c. in Oxford, with the furniture, &c.

To Hugh Earl of Marchmont, my manor, &c. in Buckingham, late the estate of Sir John Witteronge, Bart.; and also my manor, &c. in the same county, late the estate of Sir Thomas Tyrrel.

To Thomas Lord Bishop of Oxford, my manor, &c. in Bedford.

To Beversham Filmer, Esq., my manors, &c. in Leicester and Northampton, late the estates of Sir Thomas Cave.

To Dr. James Stephens, my estates, &c. in Berks and Huntingdon.

And all other undisposed of estates or effects to John Spencer, his heirs, &c.

Sarah Marlborough.

Dated August 15th, 1744.

(Witnessed by)

Sandwich.

Geo. Heathcote.

Henry Marshall.

Richard Hoare.

THE END.

---

[1]. Royal and Noble Authors, art. Peterborough.

[2]. Pope’s Letters to Swift, p. 76.

[3]. Noble, vol. ii. p. 43.

[4]. The Earl married, first, Carey, daughter of Sir Alexander Frazer, and, secondly, the accomplished Anastasia Robinson, the daughter of a painter. The story of his lordship’s lovesuit to this lady shows at once the licentiousness and the eccentricity of his character. Whilst he admired the virtues of Miss Robinson, and her efforts in her vocation as an opera singer and a teacher of music and Italian, to support an aged father, he did not deem it beneath him to endeavour to make her his mistress. His arts were unsuccessful, and Anastasia became privately his wife. In 1735 it suited his fancy to proclaim his marriage. Being at Bath, in the public rooms, a servant was ordered to call out distinctly, “Lady Peterborough’s carriage waits;” on which every lady of rank and respectability rose, and wished the new Countess joy.—Granger, vol. ii. p. 45.

[5]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 4.

[6]. Lady M. W.’s Letters, vol. ii. p. 168.

[7]. Coxe, vol. i. p. 232.

[8]. Cunningham, b. vi. p. 328.

[9]. Noble, vol. ii. p. 36.

[10]. Boyer, App., p. 46.

[11]. Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 197.

[12]. Cunningham, b. vi. p. 328.

[13]. Boyer.

[14]. Walpole’s Letters, vol. ii. p. 401.

[15]. Coxe, vol. i. p. 284.

[16]. Cunningham, book vi. p. 350.

[17]. Conduct, p. 159.

[18]. Conduct, p. 141.

[19]. Burnet.

[20]. Conduct, p. 171.

[21]. Conduct, p. 172.

[22]. Coxe.

[23]. Cunningham, b. vi. p. 351.

[24]. Ibid.

[25]. Examiner, No. 26.

[26]. Boyer, p. 472.

[27]. Coxe, p. 280.

[28]. Coxe, p. 279.

[29]. Ibid.

[30]. Coxe, p. 294, and Cunningham.

[31]. Cunningham, b. vi. p. 369.

[32]. Conduct, p. 145.

[33]. Somerville, vol. i. p. 48.

[34]. Coxe, p. 295.

[35]. Conduct, p. 145.

[36]. Conduct, p. 156.

[37]. Burnet, vol. v. p. 157.

[38]. Conduct.

[39]. Burnet.

[40]. Coxe, vol. i. p. 239.

[41]. Cox, vol. i. p. 246.

[42]. Ibid.

[43]. Lediard, vol. i. p. 365.

[44]. As prisoners.

[45]. Cunningham, b. vii. p. 402.

[46]. Coxe, vol. i. p. 306.

[47]. Lediard.

[48]. Ibid.

[49]. Cunningham, p. 402.

[50]. History of Europe. Lediard. Coxe.

[51]. History of Europe. Lediard. Coxe.

[52]. Lediard, p. 478.

[53]. Cunningham, book viii. p. 442.

[54]. Conduct, p. 147.

[55]. Lediard. Cunningham.

[56]. Conduct, p. 156.

[57]. Conduct, p. 150.

[58]. Conduct, p. 155.

[59]. Cunningham, p. 456.

[60]. See Conduct. Somerville, chap. vi. p. 113.

[61]. Conduct, p. 159.

[62]. Cunningham, p. 458.

[63]. Cunningham.

[64]. Lediard, vol. iii.

[65]. Cunningham, b. viii. p. 461.

[66]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 3.

[67]. Cunningham, p. 452.

[68]. Conduct, p. 161. Cunningham. Lediard.

[69]. Conduct, p. 170.

[70]. Ibid. p. 165–167.

[71]. Conduct, p. 173.

[72]. Ibid. p. 174.

[73]. Coxe, p. 515.

[74]. He was made Lord Keeper in 1705, and Lord Chancellor in 1707.

[75]. MSS. Letters British Museum, Coxe Papers, 45, 4to. p. 2.

[76]. Conduct, p. 171.

[77]. Ibid. p. 176.

[78]. Conduct, 161.

[79]. Other Side, p. 259.

[80]. Ibid. p. 261.

[81]. Conduct, p. 162.

[82]. Other Side, p. 261.

[83]. Cunningham, b. ix. p. 77.

[84]. Cunningham, p. 77.

[85]. Cunningham, p. 55, and Biographia Britannica.

[86]. Conduct.

[87]. Conduct, p. 177–181.

[88]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 2.

[89]. Letters on the Study of History. Letter IV.

[90]. Conduct, p. 176.

[91]. In her letter (supposed to Bishop Burnet) endorsed “An answer to the person that asked what first stuck with me,” in the Coxe MSS. the Duchess calls Mr. Hill “a merchant, or projector,” who was in some way related to Mr. Harley, and by profession an Anabaptist.—Coxe MSS. vol. xlv. p. 11.

[92]. Conduct.

[93]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlv. p. 11.

[94]. Ibid.

[95]. Political pamphlet, entitled a “Continuation of the Review of a late Treatise,” &c. London, 1741, p. 31.

[96]. MSS. B. M. Coxe Papers, vol. xliv.

[97]. Conduct, p. 183.

[98]. Mr. Masham was first page of honour to Queen Anne and to Prince George, and also equerry to the latter. In 1710 he was preferred to the command of a regiment of horse, and advanced to the rank of brigadier-general. At the famous creation in 1711, he was made a peer, by the title of Lord Masham of Oates, in the county of Essex. By his lady, who died in 1734, he had three sons and two daughters. Anne, his lordship’s eldest daughter, married, in 1726, Henry Hoare, grandson of Sir Richard Hoare, formerly Lord Mayor of London.—London Chronicle.

[99]. Conduct, p. 181.

[100]. MS. Letter to Mr. Hutchinson, B. M.

[101]. Conduct, p. 185.

[102]. Coxe, Papers vol. xlv. p. 13.

[103]. Conduct, p. 190.

[104]. Other Side of the Question, p. 311.

[105]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 63.

[106]. Ibid. p. 105.

[107]. MS. Letter, British Museum.

[108]. Preface to Lord Wharncliffe’s Ed. of Lady M. W.’s Letters, p. 74.

[109]. Conduct, p. 197.

[110]. Cunningham, b. ix. p. 82.

[111]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 5.

[112]. Other Side, p. 316.

[113]. B. ix. p. 80.

[114]. Conduct, p. 70.

[115]. Lediard.

[116]. Conduct, p. 191.

[117]. Conduct, p. 202.

[118]. Coxe Papers, vol. xliv.

[119]. London Chronicle, 1763.

[120]. MS.

[121]. See Appendix.

[122]. Conduct.

[123]. Conduct.

[124]. Coxe, book i. p. 377.

[125]. Burnet, vol. v. p. 358.

[126]. Coxe, p. 370–372.

[127]. Correspondence, vol. i. p. 83.

[128]. Ibid. p. 84.

[129]. Cunningham, b. ix. p. 141.

[130]. Cunningham, vol. x. p. 132.

[131]. Burnet, p. 373.

[132]. Burnet.

[133]. See Lives of St. John Lord Bolingbroke, by Goldsmith. Biog. Britannica, &c.

[134]. Cunningham.

[135]. Letters on History.

[136]. See Lives of Bolingbroke—Coxe, Burnet, Lediard.

[137]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 9.

[138]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 9.

[139]. Burnet, b. v. p. 384.

[140]. Conduct, p. 214.

[141]. Ibid. 216.

[142]. Ibid.

[143]. Conduct, p. 222.

[144]. Conduct, p. 219.

[145]. Aug. 19, 1708.

[146]. Conduct, p. 222.

[147]. Preserved in the Coxe MSS. B. M., and given in the Appendix to this volume.

[148]. Burnet, vol. iv. p. 247.

[149]. Conduct. Also Narrative, by the Duchess, of the events which took place after the Prince of Denmark’s death. Coxe, vol. iv. p. 234.

[150]. Macauley. History of England from the Revolution, p. 218.

[151]. Cunningham.

[152]. Cunningham, book ii. p. 300.

[153]. MS. Letter to Mr. Hutchinson. This curious and natural account of an amusing scene is contained in a manuscript Vindication of the Duchess, addressed to Mr. Hutchinson, preserved in the Coxe MSS. in the British Museum, and has never before been quoted or published.—See Coxe Papers, vol. xliv. p. 2. “The good-nature yet weakness of Anne’s character is strongly exemplified in the details in the text.”

[154]. Lady Hyde, afterwards Countess of Rochester, from whom the Duchess states herself to have received many affronts on the back-stairs.—Coxe MSS. vol. 44.

[155]. The Duchess of Somerset, wife of the proud Duke of Somerset, so called from his excessive pride of rank and ostentation, was a Percy; and, as such, considered to merit precedence, and great deference, both by her husband and by the Duchess of Marlborough, who always called her “the great lady.” There seems to have been a friendly understanding between the two Duchesses, for Mr. Maynwaring, in one of his letters to the Duchess of Marlborough, says, “I am glad the Duke and Duchess of Somerset were to dine with you, for notwithstanding the faults of the one, and the spirit of Percy blood in the other, I think they both naturally love and esteem you very much.”—Coxe MSS. vol. xli. p. 248.

[156]. MS. Letter. Coxe Papers, p. 44.

[157]. Conduct, p. 230.

[158]. Conduct, p. 230.

[159]. Cunningham, b. xii. p. 279.

[160]. Cunningham, b. xii. p. 279.

[161]. Cunningham, b. xii. p. 279.

[162]. Cunningham, book xii. p. 282.

[163]. Conduct, from p. 238 to 244.

[164]. See another account of this scene, in Private Correspondence of the Duke of Marlborough, vol. i. p. 295.

[165]. Conduct, p. 244.

[166]. Burnet’s History, b. iv. vol. vi. p. 314.

[167]. Biographia Britannica, art. Gilbert Burnet.

[168]. Biographia Britannica.

[169]. The Countess de Soissons was one among many ladies of rank, and some belonging to the court, who, merely to satisfy curiosity, ever powerful in female hearts, visited a woman of the name of Voisin, who carried on a traffic in poisons, and was convicted by the Chambre Ardente, and burnt alive on the twenty-second of February, 1680. This woman kept a list of all who had been dupes to her imposture; and in it were found the names of the Countess de Soissons, her sister the Duchess de Bouillon, and Marshal de Luxembourg. In order to avoid the disgrace of imprisonment without a fair trial, the Countess fled to Flanders; her sister was saved by the interest of her friends; and the Marshal, after some months’ imprisonment in the Bastile, was declared innocent.—See Beckman’s History of Inventions, vol. i. p. 94, 95.

[170]. Burnet, Hist. p. 290.

[171]. Conduct, p. 254.

[172]. Cunningham, Burnet, Tindal.

[173]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 317.

[174]. Conduct, p. 260.

[175]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 343.

[176]. Ibid. p. 351.

[177]. Private Correspondence, p. 366.

[178]. Conduct, p. 261.

[179]. See Cibber’s Apology. Lady M. Wortley Montague, preface.

[180]. Swift’s Letters, xiii p. 47.

[181]. Examiner, No. xvii.

[182]. Conduct, p. 263.

[183]. Conduct, p. 273.

[184]. Conduct, p. 279.

[185]. Conduct, p. 282.

[186]. Alluding, probably, to the custom of touching for the King’s evil.

[187]. Cunningham, b. xix. p. 348.

[188]. Conduct, p. 269. See Appendix.

[189]. Ibid. p. 270.

[190]. Coxe, MS. vol. xliii.

[191]. Lediard, p. 283.

[192]. Lediard, p. 278.

[193]. See Coxe—Lediard—Biog. Brit.

[194]. Warton’s Essay on Pope, p. 119.

[195]. See Archdeacon Coxe.

[196]. The Duchess herself remarks it, as an extraordinary occurrence, that her husband should, even upon a most trying occasion, be betrayed into anger. When he received from Queen Anne the letter containing his dismissal, he flung it, she says, “in a passion,” into the fire. Coxe, MS. vol. xliii.

[197]. Biog. Britannica.

[198]. Swift’s Works, vol. xiii. p. 36.

[199]. See Swift’s Letter.

[200]. Lediard, vol. ii. p. 399.

[201]. Lediard, p. 391.

[202]. See Appendix.

[203]. Lord Cowper’s Diary.

[204]. Ibid. vol. iv. p. 229.

[205]. Somerville, chap. xxiii. p. 125.

[206]. Somerville, p. 554, 555.

[207]. Sheridan’s Swift, p. 143.

[208]. Conduct.

[209]. Coxe MSS. vol. xliv. p. 2.

[210]. Swift’s Correspondence, vol. xv. p. 111.

[211]. Swift’s Correspondence, vol. xv. p. 73.

[212]. Ibid. p. 76.

[213]. Swift’s Correspondence, vol. xv. p. 77.

[214]. Swift’s Letters.

[215]. Coxe, p. 297.

[216]. Letter of Erasmus Lewes to Swift, vol. xv. p. 108.

[217]. Boyer, p. 714.

[218]. Boyer. Arbuthnot’s Letter to Swift, vol. xv.

[219]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 147.

[220]. Her early medical attendant, and that of her family, Dr. Ratcliffe, the singular benefactor of Oxford, was not present at her sick-bed. He died soon afterwards. This humorist, and shrewd physician, had offended her Majesty some time previously, by saying that her complaint was nothing but “vapours.” Possibly he was so far right, that repose, not medicine, was what the poor, harassed Queen required. Dr. Ratcliffe had been sent for to Prince George by the Queen’s express desire. On that occasion he had given her Majesty no hopes; telling her that however common it might be for surgeons to use caustics in cases of burning and scalding, “it was irregular for physicians to expel watery humours by the same element.” To this dogmatic assertion he added a promise that the dying Prince should have an easy passage out of this world, since he had been so “tampered with,” he could not live more than six days.—Ingram’s Memorials of Oxford, vol. iii. p. 8.

For some further notice of this extraordinary man, see the concluding portion of this volume.

[221]. Somerville, Appendix II p. 656.

[222]. Lediard, p. 447.

[223]. Coxe, vol. vi. p. 296.

[224]. Ibid. p. 305.

[225]. Lediard, p. 453.

[226]. Coxe, p. 6. 308.

[227]. Macauley. Lediard.

[228]. Macaulay. Chesterfield.

[229]. Coxe, vol. iii. p. 610.

[230]. A portion of that task, namely, her letter to Mr. Hutchison, she is stated, in a note in Dr. Coxe’s handwriting, to have begun during her residence abroad.

[231]. The principal of Sir J. Vanburgh’s works, besides Castle Howard and Blenheim, were Eastleving, in Dorsetshire; King’s Weston, near Bristol; the Opera House, and St. John’s Church, Westminster—not to mention his own residence at Whitehall, of which Swift writes—

“At length they in the rubbish spy

A thing resembling a goose-pie.”

[232]. Swift’s pun on this occasion was, that he might now “build houses.”

[233]. Hist. Vanburgh’s House, 1708.

[234]. This anecdote is pronounced by Mr. D’Israeli, in his “Curiosities of Literature” (1823), to be a mere invention.

[235]. Vanburgh died in 1726.

[236]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 76.

[237]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 76.

[238]. Coxe Papers.

[239]. Coxe Papers. See Appendix.

[240]. Coxe Papers, vol. xlvi. p. 148.

[241]. This marriage, unhappily for the Duke, was childless, thus disappointing his hopes of being able proudly to deduce the origin of his posterity from the great Marlborough.—Coxe Papers, vol. xlvi. p. 148.

[242]. This letter, together with the rest of this curious correspondence, is to be seen in the Appendix.

[243]. Coxe MSS.

[244]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 148.

[245]. Ibid. p. 145.

[246]. See Swift’s Letters.

[247]. Ibid. vol. xiv. p. 131.

[248]. Swift’s Letters, vol. xiv. p. 90.

[249]. Coxe, vol. vi. quarto, p. 615.

[250]. See Cunningham and others.

[251]. See Appendix.

[252]. Coxe, p. 361.

[253]. See Coxe, p. 619, and also Lord Sunderland’s answer.

[254]. Coxe, vol. iii. p. 645.

[255]. Hogarth personated the Ghost of Brutus, but, being wholly deficient in memory, he was unable to commit to memory the few lines which constituted his part. The verses he was to deliver were therefore pasted in very large letters on the outside of an illuminated lantern, so that he could read them as he came on the stage, with that appropriate implement in his hand.

[256]. Biographical Dict., Art. Hoadly.

[257]. Coxe.

[258]. The play-bill of “All for Love; or the World Well Lost,” has been given at length by Dr. Coxe. It runs as follows:

Marc Anthony, Captain Fish, Page of the Duchess.

Ventidius, Old Mr. Jennings.

Sarapion, the High Priest, Miss Cairnes.

Alexis, Mrs. La Vie.

Cleopatra, Lady Charlotte Macarthy.

Octavia, Lady Anne Spencer.

Children of Marc Anthony, Lady Anne Egerton, Lady Diana Spencer.

(Scene, the Bow-window Room.)

(Great screens for changing scenes.)

[259]. Coxe.

[260]. His second wife. He married first a Miss Talbot, niece of the Duke of Shrewsbury.—Burke’s Peerage.

[261]. Coxe.

[262]. Biographia Britannica.

[263]. Biographia Britannica.

[264]. Macauley, p. 290.

[265]. Coxe.

[266]. Anecdotes of Lady M. W., edited by Lord Wharncliffe, vol. i. p. 74.

[267]. Coxe, vol. i. p. 625.

[268]. Macauley, p. 308.

[269]. Coxe.

[270]. Biographia Britannica.

[271]. Coxe.

[272]. Political and Literary Anecdotes of his Own Time, by Dr. King.

[273]. Scott’s Life of Swift.

[274]. Lord Chesterfield’s Characters.

[275]. Lord Chesterfield. Horace Walpole.

[276]. Such was also the case even with the great Lord Clarendon, after many years of exile. See Mr. James’s Life of Louis Quatorze, vol. iii.

[277]. Coxe, p. 629.

[278]. Mem. of Lord Walpole. Coxe, p. 8.

[279]. The origin of Mr. James Craggs is said by Lady Mary W. Montague to be derived from a very low source. His father was footman to the Duchess of Norfolk, and a footman of the old school, who managed his mistress’s intrigues as well as other household affairs.—Lady M. W. M.’s Letters. Hence the epigram in Horace Walpole’s Letters.

[280]. Coxe, Appendix.

[281]. Life of Lord Walpole, p. 20.

[282]. Horace Walpole, Reminiscences.

[283]. For the rest of this curious letter, see Appendix. It was kindly pointed out to me by Deputy Holmes, Esq. keeper of the Manuscripts, British Museum. That gentleman found it crumpled up among Dr. Coxe’s papers, while he was arranging those manuscripts in their present convenient form. To this letter there is neither date nor address: on the back it is endorsed, “From the Duke of Marlborough;” Mr. Holmes surmises, in the handwriting of Lord Godolphin. Archdeacon Coxe has not noticed the Duke’s perplexity on the point expressed in this letter.

[284]. See Opinions.

[285]. Horace Walpole, Reminiscences.

[286]. Coxe, p. 646.

[287]. Coxe, vol. vi. octavo, p. 646.

[288]. “Our bishops,” says the Duchess, writing of the Princess, whose condescension she had so greatly extolled, “are now about to employ hands to write the finest character that ever was heard of Queen Caroline; who, as it is no treason, I freely own that I am glad she is dead. Upon her great understanding and goodness there come out nauseous panegyrics every day, that make one sick, so full of nonsense and lies. There is one very remarkable from a Dr. Clarke, in order to have the first bishoprick that falls, and I dare say he will have it, though there is something extremely ridiculous in the panegyric; for, after he has given her the most perfect character that ever any woman had, or can have, he allows that she had sacrificed her reputation to the great and the many, to show her duty to the King and her love to the country. These are the clergyman’s words exactly, which allows she did wrong things, but it was to please the King,—which is condemning him. I suppose he must mean some good she did to her own country, for I know of none she did in England, unless taking from the public deserves a panegyric.”—Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 169. Duchess of Marlborough’s Opinions.

[289]. See Dr. Coxe, p. 648.

[290]. Coxe, p. 649.

[291]. Newspapers of the day.

[292]. Coxe Papers, vol. xli. p. 76.

[293]. Warton’s Essay on Pope, vol. ii. p. 303.

[294]. Swift’s Correspondence, vol. xv. p. 236.

[295]. Biographia.

[296]. London Chronicle, November 21, 1758.

[297]. His avarice has been attributed greatly to the Duchess’s influence.

[298]. Collins’s Baronage, vol. ii.

[299]. See Lady M. W. Montague’s Letters.

[300]. Coxe, p. 653.

[301]. Coxe, p. 653.

[302]. See some curious letters in the Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 70.

[303]. Burke’s Extinct Peerage, art. Coningsby.

[304]. By Frances, daughter of the Earl of Ranelagh.

[305]. Oct. 8, 1722. The Duke died June 16, 1722.

[306]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 70.

[307]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 71.

[308]. Coxe.

[309]. Private Correspondence, p. 206. Letter from Mr. Maynwaring to the Duchess.

[310]. Ibid. See also Horace Walpole’s Letters.

[311]. Burke’s Peerage, art. Somerset.

[312]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 147.

[313]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 147.

[314]. Coxe, p. 656.

[315]. Coxe.

[316]. Ibid.

[317]. H. Walpole’s Reminiscences.

[318]. Warton on Pope.

[319]. Warton on Pope, p. 141.

[320]. Macauley.

[321]. Chesterfield’s Characters.

[322]. Chesterfield, Smollett, Tindal, &c.

[323]. See Macauley, p. 225.

[324]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 161.

[325]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 152.

[326]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 495.

[327]. Private Correspondence, p. 495.

[328]. Macaulay, p. 370.

[329]. Private Correspondence, p. 461.

[330]. Private Correspondence, p. 465.

[331]. Letter from Lord Godolphin to the Duchess. Private Correspondence, p. 479.

[332]. Private Correspondence, p. 467.

[333]. Coxe MSS. vol. xliii. p. 123.

[334]. Private Correspondence, p. 472, 473.

[335]. Burke’s Peerage.

[336]. Horace Walpole, Reminiscences.

[337]. Chesterfield. Annual Register. Collins’ Baronage.

[338]. Chesterfield’s Characters.

[339]. Note in Chesterfield’s Characters, p. 50.

[340]. Lord Wharncliffe, vol. i. p. 2.

[341]. Ibid.

[342]. Collins’s Baronage.

[343]. Chesterfield.

[344]. Lady M. W. Montague.

[345]. This letter is given literally as it is written, without any alteration of grammar or punctuation.—Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 148.

[346]. Letters to Sir Horace Mann, vol. iii. p. 286.

[347]. Letters to Sir Horace Mann, vol. ii. p. 144.

[348]. Dallaway’s Memoirs of Lady M. W. Lord Wharncliffe. Edition of Lady M. W.

[349]. Horace Walpole mentions this anecdote of Lady Bateman, but a later account specifies Lady Anne Egerton as the heroine of the blackened picture.

[350]. Those who have read the novels of Richardson, faithful delineations of manners, cannot but recal to mind the descriptions given of parental authority, and of filial fear, by that prolix, but, in some points, incomparable novelist.

[351]. Coxe MSS., vol. iv.

[352]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 103.

[353]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 100–102.

[354]. Memoirs of the Life of Whiston, p. 102.

[355]. Private Correspondence, vol. i. p. 6.

[356]. Lord Wharncliffe, vol. i. p. 76.

[357]. Life of Colley Cibber, p. 66.

[358]. Life of Colley Cibber, p. 461.

[359]. Such was her excellence in the “Provoked Husband,” that the managers made her a present of fifty guineas above her agreement, which was only a verbal one; “for they knew,” says Cibber, “that she was incapable of deserting them for another stage.” One of the many good traits in the character of this erring woman was her refusing to receive her salary, when disabled by illness from performing, although her agreement entitled her to receive it.—Life of Colley Cibber, p. 291.

[360]. It was not situated exactly on the spot, but near to the summer-house, which has been mentioned in p. 10. vol. i. of this work. The summer-house is also pulled down.

[361]. In Holywell-house, the Dowager Lady Spencer, mother of the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, long resided. Her ladyship received among her guests the late antiquary, —— Browne, Esq. of St. Albans, whose death, at a very advanced age, took place very recently. The authoress had the honour of conversing with this venerable antiquary, but could not learn from him that there were any particular traces in Holywell-house of the Duchess or her children, though there are several, as Mr. Browne informed her, of the Spencer and Cavendish family, more especially of the present Duke of Devonshire, whose visits to Holywell in childhood were frequent.

[362]. From the catalogue, Holywell-house must have been very commodious; but the rooms, though numerous, were not large. The authoress saw it on the eve of its destruction, and, not being at all aware of its peculiar interest to her, was struck by its massive though not picturesque appearance. It commanded a fine view of St. Alban’s Abbey.

[363]. On this occasion the churchwardens of Kingston paid “twenty pence” for mending the ways when the Queen went from Wimbledon to Nonsuch.

[364]. The survey taken of it by order of parliament, in 1649, describes it minutely, and is very curious. It is printed in the Archæologia of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. x. p. 399, 8vo., from the original in the Augmentation Office.

[365]. There is a view of this, the Duchess’s house, in the fifth volume of the “Vitruvius Britannicus.”

[366]. The following account, supplied by William Upcott, Esq., from some one of the daily papers of that day, is curious. “Woodstock, June 19. Yesterday being Monday, about six o’clock in the evening, was laid the first stone of the Duke of Marlborough’s house, by Mr. Vanbrugge, and then seven gentlemen gave it a stroke with a hammer, and threw down each of them a guinea; Sir Thomas Wheate was the first, Dr. Bouchel the second, Mr. Vanbrugge the third; I know not the rest. There were several sorts of musick; three morris dances; one of young fellows, one of maidens, and one of old beldames. There were about a hundred buckets, bowls, and pans, filled with wine, punch, cakes, and ale. From my lord’s house all went to the Town-hall, where plenty of sack, claret, cakes, &c., were prepared for the gentry and better sort; and under the Cross eight barrels of ale, with abundance of cakes, were placed for the common people. The stone laid by Mr. Vanbrugge was eight square, finely polished, about eighteen inches over, and upon it were these words inlayed in pewter—In memory of the battel of Blenheim, June 8, 1705, Anna Regina.”

[367]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi.

[368]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 8.

[369]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 8.

[370]. In the possession of William Upcott, Esq.

[371]. The word is expressed thus + in the original letter.

[372]. Coxe MSS., vol. xli p. 14.

[373]. For the correspondence on this subject, hitherto unpublished, see Appendix.

[374]. Appendix.

[375]. Coxe MSS.

[376]. Coxe Papers.

[377]. Coxe, p. 642.

[378]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 74.

[379]. Coxe.

[380]. Newspapers. Anecdote supplied by W. Upcott, Esq.

[381]. Letter from Vanburgh to Tonson. D’Israeli’s Curiosities of Literature. 1823.

[382]. Letter to Mr. Hutchinson, Coxe MSS.

[383]. Life of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough. Published in 1745.

[384]. Walpole’s Reminiscences, p. 293.

[385]. Reminiscences.

[386]. Chesterfield’s Characters.

[387]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii.

[388]. Granger’s Biog. Hist. of Great Britain. Art. Jennings.

[389]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 179.

[390]. Life of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

[391]. Macauley.

[392]. Lord Chesterfield.

[393]. Biographical Dictionary.

[394]. Manuscript Notes in the copy of the Duchess’s Opinions in the British Museum.

[395]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 123.

[396]. He conducted the paper called the “Champion.” His sister Sarah, a literary character also, was the intimate friend of Dr. Hoadly. Possibly, from her name, she may have been a god-daughter of the Duchess.

[397]. Reminiscences, p. 308.

[398]. Letters of Walpole, vol. i. p. 42.

[399]. Private Correspondence. Life of the Duchess.

[400]. Manuscript Notes to her Opinions.

[401]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 168.

[402]. Private Correspondence, vol. ii. p. 209.

[403]. Coxe. Private Correspondence, &c.

[404]. Life of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

[405]. Life of Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

[406]. The details of her grievances are to be found in the Appendix.

[407]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 123.

[408]. Coxe MSS.

[409]. As her early and only biographer expresses it, at her house at the Friery, St. James’s. Friery Passage was formerly close to Marlborough-house.

[410]. Coxe MSS.

[411]. See Appendix.

[412]. Coxe MSS., vol. xv. p. 151.

[413]. Coxe MSS., vol. xli. p. 14.

[414]. Blank in manuscript.

[415]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 28.

[416]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 56.

[417]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 127.

[418]. Coxe MSS., vol xli. p. 25.

[419]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 24.

[420]. Coxe MSS., vol. xli. p. 31.

[421]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 29.

[422]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 76.

[423]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 68.

[424]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvi. p. 142.

[425]. Coxe MSS. vol., xlvi. p. 148.

[426]. Coxe MSS., vol. xv. p. 150.

[427]. Coxe MSS., vol. xlvii. p. 8.

[428]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 63.

[429]. Ibid. vol. xliii. p. 9.

[430]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 132.

[431]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 133.

[432]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 134.

[433]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii, p. 136.

[434]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 142.

[435]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 144.

[436]. Coxe MSS., vol. xliii. p. 147.

[437]. This letter is probably in continuation of the Duchess of Marlborough’s to the Duke of Newcastle, of August 1, 1735.—See vol. ii. p. 476.

LONDON:

IBOTSON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.

---

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.