I have had fomething to fay to you a great while, and I did not know how to go about it. I have defigned, ever fincè my Revenue was fettled, to defire you would accept of a Thousand Pounds a Year.. I beg you would only look upon it as an Earneft of my Good-will, but never mention any Thing of it to me; for I shall be afhamed to have any Notice taken of fuch a Thing from one that deferves more than Ifhall ever be able to return.

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And fome Time afterwards, a little Delay being made by her Treasurer in the Payment of it' (of which it appears your Grace did not fail to complain) he wrote another Letter, wherein are thefe Words; 'Tis long fince I mentioned this Thing to dear Mrs. Freeman. She has all the ReaJon in the World to believe I did not mean what I faid, or that I have changed my

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Mind, which are both fo ill Qualities, that

• I cannot bear you should have Caufe to think your faithful Morley is capable of being guilty of either.

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The Circumstances of my Family at this Time were not very great; yet I was fo far from catching at fo free and large an Offer, that I could not perfuade myfelf to accept of it, till I had fent the first Letter to my Lord Godolphin, and confulted him upon the Matter, It was his Opinion, that there was no Reafon in the • World for me to refuse it. And perhaps no one else will think otherwife, who believes, as he did, that the fettling of the Princess's Revenue had been chiefly owing to my Lord Marlborough's indefatigable Industry, and to MINE.

When I read this Paffage firft, I could fcarce give Credit to my Eyes, I examin'd it over and over again, on the Suppofition that I had miftaken your Meaning; and, when there was no longer Room for any Doubt, could not help exclaiming aloud: What! Lady CHURCHILL fcruple to accept a Thoufand POUNDS a Year? Impoffible! nor till I reflected that your Grace was born both to do and fay extraordinary Things, could I put an End to my Astonishment.

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It is to be wished however, Madam, that you had favoured us with the remarkable Piece of Court-Cafuiftry contained in that confcientious Epistle of your's to Lord Godolphin, and his Lordship's Anfwer; especially, as we must fuppofe it might have saved your Grace the Trouble of repeating what you had said in the next preceding Page but one, concerning your indefatigable Industry to ferve her Highness.

I cannot take my Leave of your Grace on this Head, without reminding you of an Occurrence in the Reign of King James II. the Use and Application of which no Person better knows than yourself.

Not long after Lady Churchill was taken into the Service of the Princess of Denmark, her Highnefs had the Misfortune to find, that her Expences had exceeded her Income between 6 and 7000 . which they had never done before; and was forced to apply to her Royal Father for that Sum to en

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This Fact is partly confirmed by the Princess' Letter, to

the Lady Marlborough, Account, p. 87.

able her to discharge her Debts; which he readily and chearfully comply'd with. The next Year her Highnefs fell into the like Difficulty, was forc❜d to make the like Application, and receiv'd the like Indulgence: but was, foon after, furpriz'd with a Visit from his Majefty, fo fudden and unexpected, that Lady Churchill and a certain other Lady of her Highness's Court had but just Time enough to hide themselves in a Clofet adjoining; from whence they overheard the King, charging his Daughter with having fome body about her, for whofe fake fhe plunged herself into thefe Inconveniencies, and recommending to her a more exact Oeconomy for the future. To this the Princess made no Reply but with her Tears; and the King being withdrawn, Lady Chur→ chill, to pacify her for the prefent, and anfwer certain other obvious Ends, quitted the place of her Concealment, with the following decent Expreffions in her Mouth: Oh Madam! all this is owing to that old R----your Uncle; meaning Lord Rochester, then Lord-Treasurer; but who afterwards ho

nourably refign'd, and was fucceeded by two Popish Lords, and Lord Godolphin, who held that Office in Commiffion.

The next Particular that occurs in your Grace's Account, is the Refolution taken by the Prince of Denmark to ferve at Sea as a Voluntier; which, we are told, occafion'd a new Difference between the two Sifters: * Refolution wifely taken by the Prince, and as politicly oppos'd by the King. It was right in the Prince to diftinguish himself; it was right in the King neither to be eclips'd nor rivall'd by the Hufband of the prefumptive Heiress. The Queen was however to be the Agent in preventing it, not his Majefty: Upon which, not warn'd by your Grace's former' Behaviour, she condescends again to apply to Lady Churchill, by sending, first, a great Lord, and then Lord Rochester, to defire that he would perfuade the Princefs to keep the Prince from going to Sea, &c. Which indicates, that even her Majesty confidered her Sister as no better than your Grace's Ward ; that as much Complaifance as the Princefs had for

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