Historical Characters in the Reign of Queen Anne

by Mrs. Oliphant

BY
Mrs. M. O. W. OLIPHANT

NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1894
Copyright, 1893, 1894,
By The Century Co.
The De Vinne Press.

CONTENTS

[CHAPTER I]
	PAGE
The Princess Anne	[1]
[CHAPTER II]
The Queen and the Duchess	[43]
[CHAPTER III]
The Author of “Gulliver”	[83]
[CHAPTER IV]
The Author of “Robinson Crusoe”	[129]
[CHAPTER V]
Addison, the Humorist	[167]

INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS

[Princess Anne of Denmark]	[FRONTISPIECE]
Engraved by H. Davidson, from mezzotint by John Smith, after the painting by W. Wissing and I. Vandervaart.
[Anne Hyde, Duchess of York]	[4]
Engraved by T. Johnson, after the painting by Sir Peter Lely, in possession of Earl Spencer.
[John Evelyn]	[8]
Engraved by E. Heinemann, after copperplate by F. Bartolozzi in the British Museum.
[Prince George of Denmark]	[12]
Engraved by R. A. Muller, from mezzotint in the British Museum by John Smith, after the painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
[Charles II.]	[16]
Engraved by T. Johnson, after original painting by Samuel Cooper, in the gallery of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon.
[Henry Compton, Bishop of London]	[20]
Engraved from life by David Loggan, from print in the British Museum. Engraved by E. Heinemann.
[James II. in his Coronation Robes]	[24]
Engraved by T. Johnson, after the painting by Sir Peter Lely, in possession of the Duke of Northumberland.
[Mary, Princess of Orange]	[28]
Engraved by C. A. Powell, after the painting by Sir Peter Lely, in possession of the Earl of Crawford.
[Queen Mary of Modena]	[32]
Engraved by Charles State, after the painting by Sir Peter Lely, in possession of Earl Spencer.
[William III.]	[40]
From copperplate engraving by Cornelis Vermeulen, after the Painting by Adriaan Vander Werff.
[The Duke of Gloucester]	[44]
Engraved by R. G. Tietze, From mezzotint by John Smith, after the painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
[Garden Front, Hampton Court]	[48]
Drawn by Joseph Pennell. Engraved by J. F. Jungling.
[The Duke of Gloucester]	[52]
Engraved by R. A. Muller, from miniature by Lewis Crosse, in the collection at Windsor Castle; by special permission of Queen Victoria.
[Queen Anne]	[56]
From copperplate engraving by Pieter Van Gunst, after the painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
[Windsor Terrace, Looking Westward]	[60]
Engraved by J. W. Evans, after aquatint by P. Sandby.
[The Duke of Marlborough]	[64]
Engraved by J. H. E. Whitney, from an engraving by Pieter Van Gunst, after painting by Adriaan Vander Werff.
[The Duchess of Marlborough]	[72]
Engraved by R. G. Tietze, from mezzotint after painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
[Bishop Gilbert Burnet]	[80]
Engraved by R. A. Muller, from mezzotint in the British Museum by John Smith, after the painting by John Riley.
[Jonathan Swift]	[84]
From photograph of original Marble Bust of Swift by Roubilliac (1695-1762), now in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin.
[Moor Park, Residence of Sir William Temple and of Swift]	[88]
Drawn by Charles Herbert Woodbury. Engraved by R. Varley.
[Dean Swift]	[92]
From copperplate engraving by Pierre Fourdrinier, after a painting by Charles Jervas.
[Stella’s Cottage, on the Boundary of the Moor Park Estate]	[96]
Drawn by Charles Herbert Woodbury. Engraved by S. Davis.
[Hester Johnson, Swift’s “Stella,” painted from Life by Mrs. Delany, on the Wall of the Temple at Delville, and accidentally destroyed]	[100]
Engraved by M. Haider, from copy of the original by Henry MacManus, R. H. A., now in possession of Professor Dowden.
[Sir William Temple]	[104]
Engraved by R. A. Muller, from an engraving in the British Museum, after a painting by Sir Peter Lely.
[Delany’s House at Delville, where Swift stayed]	[108]
Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by C. A. Powell.
[Marley Abbey, the Residence of Vanessa, now called Selbridge Abbey]	[112]
Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by R. C. Collins.
[George, Earl of Berkeley]	[120]
From an unfinished engraving, in the British Museum, attributed to David Loggan.
[St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin]	[124]
Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by C. A. Powell.
[Daniel Defoe]	[136]
Engraved by C. A. Powell, after copperplate by M. Van der Gucht, in the British Museum.
[Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, where Defoe is supposed to have been Baptized]	[144]
Drawn by Harry Fenn. Engraved by H. E. Sylvester.
[Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford]	[152]
Engraved by John P. Davis, after the original painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, in the British Museum.
[Joseph Addison]	[176]
Engraved by T. Johnson, from mezzotint by Jean Simon, after painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
[Sidney, Earl of Godolphin]	[192]
Engraved by Peter Aitken, from mezzotint by John Smith, in British Museum. Painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller.

THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE

Chapter I
THE PRINCESS ANNE

THE reign of Queen Anne is one of the most illustrious in English history. In literature it has been common to call it the Augustan age. In politics it has all the interest of a transition period, less agitating, but not less important, than the actual era of revolution. In war, it is, with the exception of the great European wars of the beginning of this century, the most glorious for the English arms of any that have elapsed since Henry V. set up his rights of conquest over France. Opinions change as to the advantage of such superiorities; and, still more, as to the glory which is purchased by bloodshed; yet, according to the received nomenclature, and in the language of all the ages, the time of Marlborough cannot be characterized as anything but glorious. A great general, statesmen of eminence, great poets, men of letters of the first distinction—these are points in which this period cannot easily be excelled. It pleases the fancy to step historically from queen to queen, and to find in each a center of national greatness knitting together the loose threads of the great web. “The spacious times of great Elizabeth” bulk larger and more magnificently in history than those of Anne, but the two eras bear a certain balance which is agreeable to the imagination. And we can scarcely help regretting that the great age of Wordsworth and Scott, Byron and Wellington, should not have been deferred long enough to make the reign of Victoria the third noblest period of modern English history. But time has here balked us. This age is not without its own greatness, but it is not the next in national sequence to that of Anne, as Anne’s was to that of Elizabeth.