Memoirs of the Court of England: From the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of ... - John Heneage Jesse - Google Könyvek

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William expresses his thanks to Dr. Bidloo. - Waited on by

the Archbishop of Canterbury.-Receives the Sacrament, and

bids farewell to the Duke of Ormond, and other friends.-In-

quires of Dr. Bidloo how long he has to live. Sends for the

Earl of Portland.-William's death on the 8th of March, 1702.

-Summary of the leading points in his character. - Extract

from a poem on his death.-Interred in a vault beneath Henry

the Seventh's chapel at Westminster.

MARY, QUEEN OF WILLIAM III.

Mary's birth in 1662.-Eldest daughter of James the Se-

cond, by Anne Hyde, daughter of Lord Clarendon.-Married

to William, Prince of Orange, in 1677.— Anecdote of Mary

related by the Duchess of Orleans.-Curious letter from James

the Second to his son-in-law. Mary warmly espouses the

cause of her husband.-Displays a total want of sympathy for

her father's sufferings.-Evelyn's account of her behaviour on

her arrival in England. - Severely handled in the lampoons

of the period. Cutting reproof administered to Mary by

Archbishop Sancroft. Anecdote of her coronation. - Her

dislike to hear her father maligned by the courtiers. Her

affection for her husband. - Decency and propriety of her

Court. Horace Walpole's sarcasm against her. Curious

extract from a letter written by the Earl of Nottingham. —

Mary's attachment to the Duke of Shrewsbury. - Anecdote

illustrative of Mary's partiality for Shrewsbury. Her affec-

tionate letters to her husband when on his Irish campaign.

Ill-treated by William. His distress on her death attested by

Calamy and Burnet. The latter's account of Mary's last

illness. Archbishop of Canterbury's funeral sermon.—James

the Second's notice of Mary's death in his Diary. — Memor-

anda found among her papers. Her obsequies performed

with the greatest magnificence. Extract from Pomfret's

Elegy on her Death.

WILLIAM BENTINCK,

EARL OF PORTLAND.

His descent from an old Dutch family. His birth in 1649,

and appointment as Page of Honour to the Prince of Orange.-

Instance of his early attachment to the Prince.-Sir W. Tem-

ple's opinion of him.-Bentinck accompanies the Prince on his

invasion of England. Shortly afterwards created Earl of

Portland, and made a Knight of the Garter.-Lampooned in

consequence. Accompanies William to Ireland, and distin-

guishes himself at the battle of the Boyne. His disinterest-

edness with respect to a bribe offered him. Sent Ambas-

sador-extraordinary to France. Disliked by the English.-

Rivalled in the King's favour by Arnold Van Keppel, after-

wards Earl of Albemarle-Dies of a pleurisy and malignant

ARNOLD VAN KEPPEL,

EARL OF ALBEMARLE.

Descended from an ancient Dutch family, and born in 1670.

- Accompanies William to England as Page of Honour in

1688. His rise owing to the intrigues of Lord Sunderland,

and the King's mistress, Mrs. Villiers.-Appointed to several

distinguished posts, and created Earl of Albemarle.-Made a

Knight of the Garter in 1700.- Highly honoured in Holland,

and made General of the Dutch forces. His popularity with

the English nobility. His character by Burnet. Reflections

on William's system of favouritism. - Albemarle's gallantry in

the field. Favourably noticed by Queen Anne after Wil-

liam's death. Deputed by the States-General of Holland to

congratulate George the First on his accession to the English

throne. Afterwards appointed to receive Peter the Great on

his arrival at Amsterdam in 1717.- Duke of Marlborough's

interview with him at Tournay. Died at the Hague in

ELIZABETH VILLIERS,

COUNTESS OF ORKNEY.

Daughter of Sir Edward Villiers, and the only Englishwoman

selected by King William to be his mistress. Appointed

at an early age Maid of Honour to Queen Mary. William

settles on her the whole of James the Second's private estates

in Ireland. — Grant revoked by Act of Parliament. --- Queen

Mary's uneasiness at her husband's connexion with Miss Vil-

liers.-The latter is married to the fifth son of the Duke of

Hamilton. Her husband created Earl of Orkney. The

Countess's genius for political intrigue.-Swift's high opinion

of her intellect.-Lady M. W. Montagu's description of her ap-

pearance. The Countess entertains George the First at her

seat at Clifden. Specimen of her correspondence. Her death

in 1733.
Page 242

Anne, second daughter of James the Second, by Anne

Hyde, daughter of the celebrated Lord Clarendon. Her birth

in 1665.-Attached early in life to the son of Ernest, Duke

of Brunswick, afterwards George the First. Announcement

of her marriage in 1683 to Prince George of Denmark. - Her

desertion of her father. His anguish in consequence.-Ex-

tracts from Clarendon's Diary, and Duchess of Marlborough's

Memoirs. - Lord Dartmouth's account of Anne's flight. –

Her entry into Oxford. And strong bias in favour of Pro-

Her letter to Mary of Modena, and to the

Prince of Orange.-Anecdotes of Anne.-Origin of her mis-

understanding with her sister, Queen Mary.-Grant made to

her by Parliament. King William's neglect of her. Her

endeavours to effect a reconciliation with King James.-Her

letter to him. He pardons her on his death-bed. Anne's

favourable disposition towards the claims of her exiled

brother. The Pretender writes her an affecting letter.

Anecdotes of the Duke of Ormond and the Bishop of London.

Interesting letter of the Earl of Oxford respecting the Ha-

noverian succession. Death of Anne's son, the young Duke

of Gloucester. His promising character.-Anne's grief for the

loss of her son.-Shippen's verses on the subject. Page 249

Bishop Burnet congratulates Anne on her accession to

the Throne.-Lord Dartmouth's letter on the subject of the

Bishop's officiousness. Anne's character. - Her attachment

to "ceremonies and customs." Her love of flattery. — Lam-

poons on her supposed love of dram-drinking. - Denial of the

charge by the Duchess of Marlborough. Anne's economical

habits, and occasional distress for money. Description of

her person. Anecdote of Lord Bolingbroke. Remarkable

sweetness of Anne's voice. - Her love of the chase. - Death

of Prince George of Denmark. Curious narrative of the

Duchess of Marlborough respecting Anne's behaviour on the

occasion. Cursory sketch of the state of parties at the

commencement of the eighteenth century. — Rise of Harley,

Earl of Oxford. Anne's prepossession in favour of the

Tory and High-Church party. Downfal of the Whigs.-

Violent altercations between Harley and Bolingbroke. -

Their effect on the Queen's health. Interesting details re-

specting Anne's indisposition. - Character of Dr. Radcliffe.-

His letter to a friend on the subject of Anne's state of

health. Her death in 1714. The Duke of Marlborough's

pithy character of her. Literary and military glories of her

reign. Enumeration of her children.

PRINCE GEORGE OF DENMARK.

-

Birth of Prince George in 1653. — Distinguishes himself

at the celebrated battle of Landen. O Married to the Prin-

cess Anne in 1683.-Extract from Evelyn's Journal.-Cha-

racter of the Prince, his tastes and feelings.-Sarcastic remark

by James the Second on the Prince's defection. Created

by William the Third, Duke of Cumberland, with precedency

of all other Peers.-Accompanies William to Ireland, and is

present at the battle of the Boyne.-William's studied neglect

of him.-Appointed, on Anne's accession to the throne, Gene-

ralissimo of all her forces by sea and land.-His death in 1708.

-Burnet's character of the Prince.
Page 323

JOHN CHURCHILL,

DUKE OF MARLBORough.

His birth. His education lamentably neglected.-Curious

instances of his ignorance of orthography.-His father procures

his appointment as Page to the Duke of York. Obtains an

Ensigncy in the Guards at the age of 16.-His personal beauty

and elegance of manner.-Pope's satirical description of his

squeaking voice.-Enlists as a volunteer in the expedition to

Tangier.-Appointed Captain of Grenadiers in the Duke of

Monmouth's own regiment. Publicly complimented by the

French King and Marshal Turenne.-Appointed Lieutenant-

Colonel, and Master of the Horse to the Duke of York.-

His sister the acknowledged mistress of the Duke.-Attaches

himself warmly to the Duke's fortunes. Extract from the

Duke's Autobiography.-Created Baron of Eymouth in Scot-

land. Marries Sarah Jennings, afterwards the celebrated fa-

vourite of Queen Anne.-Sent Ambassador to France to notify

James the Second's accession to the throne. Created an

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