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- A Volunteer in the First Naval War with the Dutch
in 1666- Attempts to Take His Seat in the House of
Lords, but Objected to, on Account of His Being under
Age - Obtains the Favour of Charles the Second and
His Courtiers, and Befriends the Poet Dryden - Ap-
pointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber Serves a
Campaign under Turenne - Pays His Addresses to Prin-
cess Anne-Volunteers to Command the Forces Des-
patched to the Relief of Tangier - Curious Anecdote
Sworn of the Privy Council on the Accession of James
the Second Anecdote of the Duke and King William
-The Duke's Noble Conduct during the London Riots
- Gives in His Adhesion to King William - Created
Marquis of Normanby - Created by Queen Anne Duke
of Buckinghamshire His Vexation at the Honours
Heaped on the Duke of Marlborough His Infidelity
and Superstition - His Character as a Poet - Neglected
by George the Second
Spring Macky's Character of
the Duke His Three Marriages - Death in 1721-
His Epitaph on Himself.
PAGE
. 166
CHAPTER VII.
CATHERINE DARNLEY, DUCHESS OF BUCKINGHAM.
1
Character of the Duchess Written by Herself - Her Mar.
riage in 1699 to James Annesley, Third Earl of Anglesey
- Second Marriage to Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham,
and Separation from Him by Act of Parliament — Her
Daughter by the Duke Married to William Phipps, Esq.,
Ancestor of the Present Marquis of Normanby -
Singular Anecdote of the Duchess's Mother, Lady Dor-
chester, Mistress of James the Second - The Duchess's
Zeal in the Cause of the Pretender - Anecdote of Her
Related by Horace Walpole - Anecdote of Pulteney,
Earl of Bath - The Duchess's Efforts to Interest Sir
Robert Walpole in the Cause of the Stuarts - Her
Correspondence with Him Singular Interview with
Lord Hervey — Her Love of Pomp and Display — Ex-
tract from Horace Walpole's Letter to Sir Horace Mann
- The Duchess's Flattering Character of Herself - Her
Death in 1743 ·
CHAPTER IX.
ROBERT HARLEY, EARL OF OXFORD.
183
Ancestors of Robert Harley-His Birth-Offers His
Services to the Prince of Orange at the Revolution - Is
Coldly Received by Him- Elected Speaker of the House
of Commons Appointed Secretary of State - Procures
the Secretaryship at War for Henry St. John - His
Intrigues with Mrs. Masham - His Efforts to Insinuate
Himself into Her Confidence by Promoting Her Union
with Mr. Masham - Jealousy of the Duchess of Marl-
borough - Harley's Influence over Queen Anne - His
Intrigues against the Duke of Marlborough and Godol-
phin-The Queen Attends a Privy Council in Person-
Harley Dismissed from His Office, through the Influence
of the Whig Party- The Queen's Increasing Dislike of
the Whigs - Harley's Interested Patronage of Literary
Men The Duke of Shrewsbury Persuaded to League
Himself with the Tories- Ultimate Overthrow of the
Whig Party- Attempt on Harley's Life by the Marquis
de Guiscard Warrant Issued for His Arrest - Brought
before the Privy Council- - He Endeavours to Revenge
Himself on St. John-Failing in That, He Stabs Harley
with a Penknife during His Examination before the
Council - And Dies a Few Days Afterward in Newgate. 198
CHAPTER X.
Harley's Recovery from His Wound - His Firmness and
Self-possession when Anticipating Death- His Popu
larity Increased by Guiscard's Attempt on His Life—
Publicly Congratulated by the House of Commons on
His Escape- His Reply-Act of Parliament Passed
on the Occasion- Harley Created Earl of Oxford -
Extract from Swift's Journal to Stella-Harley Ap-
pointed Lord High Treasurer, and Honoured with the
Garter-Lord Dartmouth's and Lockhart's Opinions of
Harley - Extracts from Spence's Anecdotes and Swift's
Correspondence - Curious Anecdotes of Harley — In-
trigues of St. John against Harley - The Latter's Jeal-
ousy of His Rival - Reasons of St. John's Hostility to
Harley Mrs. Masham Declares against Harley — The
Queen Induced to Abandon Him - Inquiry into the
Charges Brought against Him- Letter from Harley to
Swift Memorable Interview between the Queen, Mrs.
Masham, Harley, and St. John-Indecent Squabble
between the Parties in the Royal Presence - Harley
Resigns the Post of Lord Treasurer- Accession of
George the First-Harley's Sanguine Anticipations in
Consequence - His Disappointment St. John Im-
peached of High Treason - Harley Impeached by Lord
Coningsby of the Same Crime, and Committed to the
Tower - Popular Sympathy for the Fallen Minister —
His Noble Conduct under Disgrace-Attempts Made
by His Enemies to Delay His Trial-Feigned Quarrel
between the Houses of Lords and Commons- - Unani-
mous Acquittal of Harley-He Retires into Private
Life, and Amuses Himself by Collecting the Harleian
MSS., Now in the British Museum - His Death
227
CHAPTER XI.
HENRY ST. JOHN, VISCOUNT BOLINGBROKE.
His Birth Sketch of His Father, and Anecdote - St.
John Educated among the Puritans-Is Sent to Eton
- Sir Robert Walpole One of His Schoolfellows -
Removed to Christ Church, Oxford His Alternate Fits
of Idleness and Study There His Profligacy on Leav
ing College-His Unsuccessful Attempts at Poetry -
Verses Addressed to Miss Clara Atkins - His Visit to
the Continent and Subsequent Marriage to the Wealthy
Daughter of Sir Henry Winchescomb- His Separation
from His Wife-Her Letters to Swift and Harley - St.
John Enters the House of Commons, and Distinguishes
Himself by His Eloquence-He Unites Himself to
Harley's Party, and Is Appointed, in His Twenty-sixth
Year, Secretary at War- His Respect for the Duke of
Marlborough - The Duke's Kindly Feelings toward Him
- His Retirement with Harley from Office- His Letter
to the Duke of Marlborough - Returns with Harley to
Office, and Is Appointed Secretary of State - Extract
from Goldsmith's Life of Bolingbroke - Queen Anne's
Dislike of St. John- Extracts from Swift's Journal to
Stella St. John's Difficulties in Negotiating the Peace
of Utrecht - His Visit to Paris- - Ratification of the
Peace of Utrecht, and Elevation of St. John to the Peer-
age, by the Title of Viscount Bolingbroke
. 254
CHAPTER XII.
St. John's Taste for Literary Society and Patronage of
Dryden- His Generosity to Literary Men - Extracts
from Spence's Anecdotes of Pope - Mutual Admiration
of Pope and St. John-St. John's Subsequent Attempts
to Blast the Poet's Memory - Probable Reasons for His
Vindictiveness-Gradual Estrangement between Harley
and St. John, and Causes of Their Estrangement - St.
John's Letters to the Earl of Strafford and Sir William
Wyndham - St. John's Ambitious Hopes Disappointed
by the Death of Queen Anne-Extract from His Letter
to Swift on the Occasion-Accession of George the
First Earl of Dorset Despatched to Hanover to Con-
vey to Him the News of His Accession Addison
Appointed Secretary by the Regency - Insults Offered
to St. John His Dignified Equanimity - His Letters to
Swift and Lord Strafford - Dismissed from All His Em-
ployments - Harley's Humiliating Reception by George
the First St. John's Delight at His Rival's Mortification
He Is Threatened with Impeachment, and Escapes
from England in the Disguise of a Servant - Curious
Letter Respecting His Flight - Letter from St. John to
Lord Lansdowne, Dated from Dover - Violence of His
Enemies in Parliament
. 278
CHAPTER XIII.
--
The Whigs Attempt to Prejudice the King against the
Tories Walpole, Afterward Sir Robert, Chairman of
the Secret Committee against St. John, Presents the
Report of the Committee to the House of Commons-
Nature of the Charges against St. John Walpole Form-
ally Impeaches St. John of High Treason - His Violent
Speech on the Occasion Its Effect on the House of
Commons - Mr. Hungerford and General Ross Attempt
St. John's Defence - The Latter's Embarrassment
Remarks on the Charges against St. John - He Is De-
graded from His Nobility, and Sentenced to Death
Should He Return to England - Strong Protest in the
Lords against These Penalties - Bill Passes the Lords
and Receives the Royal Assent - Remarks on the Charge
against St. John of Having Made Treasonable Overtures
to the Stuarts St. John's Forlorn Condition in France
He Is Visited by an Emissary of the Pretender, and
Accepts the Seals under That Prince His First Inter-
view with Him - St. John's Promise to Lord Stair, and
Violation of It - Rebellion of 1715 - St. John's Inter-
view with the Pretender at St. Germains - Is Dismissed
from His Service - His Reply to the Charge Brought
against Him, of Neglecting to Send Gunpowder to Scot-
land Letter from Lord Stair to Walpole - St. John's
Love Intrigues While in France - French Lines on the
Subject - Duke of Berwick's Testimony to St. John's
Zeal in the Cause of the Pretender- His Second Mar-
riage to a Niece of Madame de Maintenon . Curious
Anecdote of His Jealousy of a Rival - Character of His