ing being let blood in the jugular, I am not in a condition to wait upon my Lady Rochester, which else I should have done, and hoped then to have seen your lordship with the treasurer's staff, and which sight must needs have done me good, it being one of the things in this world that I have the most wished for. Therefore, my lord, you will pardon I hope the impatiency I have, which will not let me stay till I can see you, to wish you all the prosperity and happiness imaginable, and assure you of my being very zealously, "My lord, "Your lordship's most faithful, humble servant, "For the Earl of Rochester, Lord High Treasurer of England." The Duchess, who bore her husband no children, was left a widow in the prime of life; the Duke dying at Elsinore-whither he had been sent as Ambassador to the Court of Denmark-on the 12th December, 1672. The Duchess followed him to the grave on the 15th October, 1702, after a widowhood of thirty years. The annals of Queen Anne's reign, after noticing her decease, observe that she died a Roman Catholic, and "very devout in her way." In the dearth of any remarkable virtues, we may mention the following trifling incident in favour of the Duchess of Richmond. Poor Lee, in dedicating to her his Thedosius," speaks warmly of her love for the drama, and of her personal kindness towards himself. She seems good-naturedly to have brought the Duchess of York to the theatre on his benefit night; a circumstance which filled the house and consequently replenished the poet's pockets. Lee himself styles it a "poet's subsistence for 230 FRANCES STEWART, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND. a year. The Duchess left a considerable fortune, which, with the exception of some annuities to her cats,* she bequeathed to her nephew, Alexander, fifth Lord Blantyre, who died in 1704. Agreeably with her last injunctions an estate was purchased in East Lothian, which was named by her own desire, "Lennox-Love to Blantyre." This property had been the residence of Secretary Maitland, and a spot near the house still bears the name of the "Politician's Walk." The Duchess's gold dressing-case, as well as her watch and seal, are still in the possession of the present Lord Blantyre at "Lennox-Love." * Pope alludes to the legacies which she left to her cats in his wellknown line, "Gone to endow a hospital or cat." She To this he appends a note, that "a Duchess of Richmond left annuities to her cats." "The lady as to whom he seems so uncertain," says Lord Hailes, "" was la Belle Stewart of the Comte de Grammont. left annuities to certain female friends, with the burden of maintaining some of her cats; a delicate way of providing for poor, and, probably, proud gentlewomen, without making them feel that they owed their livelihood to her mere liberality."-Note by Lord Hailes to the Duchess of Marlborough's "Opinions." 231 FRANCES JENNINGS, DUCHESS OF TYRCONNEL. Her Beauty and Wit-The Duke of York a Candidate for her Favours -She makes him appear Ridiculous before the Court-The King equally unsuccessful in his Addresses-Her wild Frolic in the Character of an Orange-girl-Her different Lovers-Her Marriage with George Hamilton-Her second Marriage (with the Duke of Tyrconnel)-Apocryphal Story of her Poverty after the Death of the Duke Distressing Circumstances attending her DissolutionInscription to her Memory in the Scotch College at Paris. FRANCES JENNINGS was another of those beautiful coquettes, who lived when female loveliness was more marketable, and created more duchesses than at the present day. She was the daughter of Richard Jennings, Esquire, of Sundridge in Hertfordshire, and was the elder sister of Sarah, the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough. About the year 1664, she became maid of honour to Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. Among the fair and frail beings who figured at the libertine Court of Charles, there are few who are described as having been more charming; few, comparatively speaking, who conducted themselves with greater propriety. "Miss Jennings," says Count Hamilton, "was adorned with all the blooming treasures of youth. She had the fairest and brightest complexion that ever was seen: her hair was of a most beauteous flaxen; there was something particularly lively and animated in her countenance, which entirely did away with that appearance of insipidity which is frequently an attendant on a complexion so extremely fair. Her mouth was not the smallest, but it was the handsomest mouth in the world. Nature had endowed her with all those charms which cannot be expressed, and the Graces had given the finish to them. The turn of her face was exquisitely fine, and her swelling neck was as fair and as bright as her face. In a word, her person gave the idea of Aurora, or the goddess of spring, 'such as youthful poets fancy when they love.' With so agreeable a person she united a fund of wit and sprightliness, and a carriage easy and unaffected. Her conversation was bewitching when she had a mind to please; piercing and delicate when disposed to raillery." The Duke of York, who looked upon his wife's maids of honour as his own property, did all in his power to overcome any virtuous scruples which might have accompanied this charming young lady to his brother's Court. All his attempts, however, were ineffectual. "Her eyes," adds the same agreeable authority, were always wandering on other objects, when those of his Royal Highness were in search of them; and, if by chance he caught any casual glance, she did not even blush. This made him resolve to change his manner of attack: ogling having proved ineffectual, he took an opportunity to speak to her; and this was still worse. I know not in what strain he told his case; but it is certain that the oratory of the tongue was not more prevailing than the eloquence of his eyes." The eloquence of the pen, however, still remained to be tried:-"every day, billets, containing the tenderest expressions, and the most magnificent promises, were slipped into her pockets or into her muff. This, however, could not be done unperceived; and the malicious little gipsy took care that those who saw them slip in, should likewise see them fall out, unperused and unopened. She only shook her muff, or pulled out her handkerchief; and, as soon as his back was turned, his billets fell about her like hail-stones, and whoever pleased might pick them up.” The reputation of so much obduracy, and, at the same time, of so many charms, at length reached the ear of Charles. He had naturally no very favourable opinion of female virtue, and, imagining that his brother had failed from want of knowledge of the sex, determined on laying siege to the beautiful prude himself. As Miss Jennings was fond of admiration, and, as the sight of a gay and agreeable monarch prostrate at her feet must have been rather a dangerous triumph to one so young, it is probable that, under ordinary circumstances, Charles would not long have sighed in vain. Fortunately, however, the appearance of Frances Stewart at Court diverted his attention to more alluring charms and a more difficult pursuit. con While the beauty and unusual propriety of the newcomer were still attracting the attention of the Court, the giddy girl was indiscreet enough to embark in a wild frolic, which very nearly had the effect of ruining her hitherto stainless reputation. The adventure in question, which has been chronicled by more than one temporary writer, is thus recorded by Pepys. "What mad freaks," he says, "the maids of honour at Court have! That Mrs. Jennings, one of the Duchess's maids, the other day dressed herself like an orange wench, and went up and down and cried oranges; till, falling down, or by some accident, her fine shoes were discovered, and she put to a great deal of shame." The particulars of the adventure are well known, but will perhaps bear repetition. Lord Rochester, at this time in disgrace at Court, |