Agnes Strickland's Queens of England (44 page)

please his host and hostess better than by eating heartily of what they set before him.

" Do you ever go up to London ? " he asked in the course of the dinner.

" Oh, yes," answered the host; " I sometimes go there to buy whalebones for the corsets I manufacture."

When the prince took his leave he gave John Duddle-stone a card, and told him " the next time he went to London to take his wife along, and to be sure to bring her to court," adding " that if he would present that card at Windor Castle it would insure his admission."

Sure enough, when, a few weeks later, a supply of whalebone was needed, John actually took his good wife behind him on a pack-horse, and journeyed to London. Armed with the prince's card, he presented himself at Windsor Castle, was received by Prince George, and with his wife clinging to his arm, introduced into the presence of Queen Anne. Only a few words were necessary to recall to her majesty the circumstance Prince George had related on his return from Bristol. She cordially thanked the good-hearted couple for their hospitality to her husband, and, in return, invited them to dine with her, adding that the court-dresses which were required for the occasion, would be furnished by the officers of her household ; but the visitors were required to choose their own material. Both selected purple velvet. The suits were accordingly made, and worn at the royal dinner party, when the queen presented the Duddlestone pair " as the most loyal persons in the whole city of Bristol."

After dinner her majesty surprised John Duddlestone by requesting him to kneel down before her. He obeyed, when taking a sword and laying it gently on his head, she said : " Stand up, Sir John."

Having knighted him. Queen Anne offered him a gov-

emment position, or a sum of money, whichever he preferred, but he refused both, saying: " Wife and I want nothing, and we have fifty pounds of our savings out at interest, besides, judging from the number of people about your majesty's house, your expenses must be heavy enough." This honest reply pleased the queen so much that she presented the newly-constituted Lady Duddlestone with the gold watch that hung at her side. This mark of royal favor so delighted the good dame that whenever she appeared in the streets of her native town afterwards the watch was sure to be seen hanging from her blue apron-string.

Although Queen Anne could not forget nor forgive the insulting remarks about herself that she had heard from the lips of Lady Marlborough, she did not find it easy to steel her heart against a woman whom she had loved for thirty years. There is no doubt that she had fully determined to part with both her and her husband, but meanwhile intended that the favorite should observe no change. The dearly-beloved " Mrs. Freeman " should have all the advantages her ambition and avarice had sought, and after both she and her husband had obtained all they desired of wealth and title they should be dismissed.

The queen went to St. James's Palace in time to open parliament, leaving Lady Marlborough at Windsor, because she did not desire her attendance at the grand state visit to the city. But her majesty wrote " Dear Mrs. Freeman " in the most caressing terms, and in one of her letters she said; " It is very sad for your poor, unfortunate, faithful Morley to think that she has so very little in her power to show you how sensible she is of all Lord Marlborough's kindness, especially when he deserves all that a rich crown can give ; but since there is nothing else at this time, I hope you will give me leave, as soon as he comes, to make him a duke."

Lady Marlborough was not so pleased at this proposition as Queen Anne supposed she would be; the dukedom was all very fine, but no provision for the support of the title was mentioned, and the Marlboroughs were by no means rich. The letter dropped from the lady's hand as though she had read news of a death, but the lord was more grateful ; for the new distinction increased the respect that the German princes in Flanders entertained for him, and, as he was commander-in-chief of the allied forces, it was important that he should be esteemed. He had not yet achieved the military glory that has made him one of the heroes of history.

Some discussion had been going on between Lady Marlborough and the queen about the creating of four new peers, because the ministry had resolved that they should be Tories, and Lady Marlborough objected. At last, by way of compromise, the queen consented to add Mr. Hervey to the number; but, as he was a Whig, the newly-made nobles refused to have their names associated with his, and so the poor queen was in a dilemma. She wrote the haughty favorite a most humble letter, in which she said : " I cannot help being extremely concerned that you are so partial to the Whigs, because I would not have you and your poor, unfortunate, faithful Morley differ in opinion in the least thing."

There was to be a grand dinner on Lord Mayor's day, which the Queen and Prince George were to attend, so for the encouragement of her Tory partizans, her majesty preferred that her favorite should not appear at her side on that occasion; she therefore concluded the letter we have referred to above, with this sentence: " Since you have staid so long at Windsor, I wish now for your own sake that you would stay until after Lord Mayor's day; for if you are in town you can't avoid going to the show, and

being in the country is a just excuse, and, I think, one would be glad of any way to avoid so troublesome a business. I am at this time in great haste, and therefore can say no more to my dear, dear Mrs. Freeman, but that I am most passionately hers."

The queen had another reason for desiring Lady Marlborough's absence. It was this : The Duke of Ormond and Sir George Rooke had won a grand victory at Vigo, and so the Tory party were greatly elated. This enraged Lady Marlborough to such a degree that there was no telling how far she might go in giving expression to her displeasure, and she was safer at a little distance.

Lord Marlborough returned from the continent in November, after having gained several victories and captured some towns in Flanders. The queen was so pleased with his success that she showed herself a little too eager to reward him; therefore when her majesty sent a message to the house of commons declaring her intention to create Lord Marlborough a duke, and requesting that a pension of five thousand pounds per annum might be secured to him and his heirs, it was regarded with disfavor. After some warm debate, it was decided "that Lord Marlborough's services, although considerable, had been sufficiently rewarded;" so, although the title was granted, the revenue was refused. The consequence was that Lady Marlborough hated the Tories worse than ever, although ten years before she had belonged to their party.

With the hope of soothing the newly-made duchess, her majesty wrote : " I cannot be satisfied with myself without doing something towards making up what has been so maliciously hindered in parliament, and therefore, I desire, my dear Mrs. Freeman and her husband to be so kind as to accept of two thousand pounds a year out of my private purse instead of the five, and this can excite no envy, for nobodv need know it."

The angry duchess refused to be pacified, and rejected the queen's offer with scorn. But this was her regular plan of action to avoid appearing under obligations to her majesty; she always refused an offer the first time it was made, but never failed to claim it later. So it was in this case, for she not only pocketed the two thousand pounds per annum when she had charge of the queen's privy purse, but demanded, besides, portions for her daughters to the *mount of thirty thousand pounds. Queen Anne fell completely in the power of the designing duchess, who constantly abused the Tories to her majesty, and accused her of being their accomplice. More than half of "///i? crowned slave's''^ time was spent in the degrading occupation of soothing the domestic tyrant, who exacted the most servile attentions, and complained, like a spoiled child, if she did not get everything she wanted, though this she generally managed, by hook or by crook.

[A.D. 1703.] In the month of December the fleet of Charles of Austria, who was on his way to take possession of the throne of Spain, appeared off the west coast of England. The Duke of Somerset was immediately despatched to Portsmouth to receive the royal stranger, and conduct him to Windsor, where the queen had gone on purpose to entertain him. But he was first invited to rest while at the duke's residence on the coast of Petworth, and there he was met by the prince-consort, who had with great difficulty, and three or four upsets of his carriage, made the journey across the bad roads.

The whole party arrived at Windsor at night, and were received by torchlight. Three noblemen awaited the King of Spain as he alighted from his coach, and the Earl of Jersey led him up the stairs, at the head of which he was met by Queen Anne, and conducted to her bed-chamber according to the etiquette of the times. An hour later a

state supper was served, when the royal guest was placed at the queen's right hand, while Prince George sat on her left. At the conclusion of the feast a formal procession conducted King Charles to his sleeping apartment, where his own attendants awaited him.

The next day Queen Anne returned the call of her guest, who, having been previously informed of her intention, met her at his drawing-room door with a profusion (jf compliments, protesting against the trouble-she took in coming to him. However, she was not to be outdone in politeness, so persisted in entering his room, where she spent about fifteen minutes. Then, at a signal from one of the courtiers. King Charles rose and conducted her majesty to a grand state dinner. During the progress of the meal the court was entertained by a vocal and instrumental concert. Dinner was served at three, and at its conclusion everybody played cards, basset being the favorite game, until supper was announced, which closed the hospitalities of the day.

Her majesty had, during the interval between dmner and supper, presented several ladies of the highest rank to the king, and he had saluted each with a kiss, which was the privilege of his station. But a grand act of courtesy was reserved for the royal favorites, the Duke and the Duchess of Marlborough. To the former. King Charles presented his sword, saying at the same time, " that he had nothing worthier of his acceptance, for he was a poor prince, who had little more than his sword and his mantle." After supper he prevailed on the duchess to give him the napkin which it was her duty to present to the queen, and he held it while her majesty washed her hands. On returning it to the Duchess of Marlborough, the king placed a superb diamond nng on her finger. He then gave his hand to the queen, and led her to her bed-

chamber, whtio he took formal leave, and expressed his intention to depart early the next morning. Prince George meant to escort the royal guest back to his ship at Portsmouth, but as he was far from well the Duke of Somerset was appointed to perform that office in his stead ; and the Admiral, Sir George Rooke, was ordered to provide the proper number of ships to escort him to Spain.

[A.D. 1704.] The queen's birthday this year fell on Sunday. She received the usual compliments, and held a splendid reception on the following day, after which Dry-den's play, entitled " All for Love, or Anthony and Cleopatra," was performed before her majesty and the whole court. This was succeeded on the next evening by the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, in honor of Prince George. There were various other entertainments during the week: and we must not omit to say that notices of them were given in the daily papers, of which there were several in this reign.

So much dissension arose in parliament, chiefly on account of church matters, that some of the Tories became disgusted and withdrew from office. The most important of these were the queen's uncle. Lord Rochester, the Duke of Buckingham, and Lord Dartmouth. This gave the Whig party the upper hand, and the Duchess of Marlborough thoroughly controlled and led them. Prince George was a Whig at heart, though he managed to keep this fact secret; however, the duchess knew it perfectly well, and rejoiced at it.

Now we must take a look at Queen Anne to see what sort of a ruler she made, for thus far we have touched lightly on this important matter, or given the Duchess of Marlborough the precedence. As far as personal affection goes, this queen was the most popular one who had occupied the English throne; the lower classes always

The Queens of Fjigland.

called her " our good Queen Anne," and do so to this very day. It is to be accounted for in this way: In the first place, her parents were both English, and she herself was in every way like a middle-class Englishwoman, because of her very limited education. She was a comfortable sort of a matron, the last of the Stuarts, and by no means disposed to govern arbitrarily. Then she was, as we have seen, exceedingly generous to the church, and her