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pations during his retirement. Returns to England, and
resides with Pope at Twickenham.
John's mode of life in France.
Pope's account of St.
St. John finally takes up his
abode at Battersea. - Lord Chesterfield's sketch of him in
old age. — Declining health of St. John's wife.
-
--
Her death
in 1750. St. John attacked by a cancerous humour in the
face. Sufferings occasioned by it. His death in 1751.-
His character by Lord Orrery. - Swift's and Pitt's opinions
of his oratory. His character as a philosophical writer.-
Mallet's edition of his works, and Garrick's epigram on it.
Page 152
CHARLES MORDAUNT,
EARL OF PETERBOROUGH.
Lord Peterborough's romantic and adventurous turn of mind.
-His birth. Embarks for Tangier.- Joins the Prince of
Orange at the Hague, and is, subsequently, appointed a
Lord of the Bed-chamber and first Lord-Commissioner of
the Treasury. Created Earl of Monmouth. Serves under
King William. Engaged in an intrigue against the Duke of
Ormond and Lord Orford. — Publishes an attack against the
Duke. — Committed to the Tower in consequence.
- His pub-
lication burned by the common hangman, Succeeds to the
Earldom of Peterborough. Gets into favour with Queen
Anne. Commands an expedition against Spain, and is
appointed joint-Admiral of the Fleet. His Manifestoes, and
romantic exploits at Barcelona. His letter to the Duchess
of Marlborough. His justice and disinterestedness in Spain.
-His recal. Compliments paid him by the House of Lords.
Made a Knight of the Garter, and sent ambassador to Sicily.
Anecdote of the Earl related by Richardson.
The Earl's
contempt for appearances. His letter to Pope. His
admiration of Penn, the Quaker. Accompanies him to
Pennsylvania. His character as a letter-writer. Specimen
---
of his poetry.
his last illness.
His literary society. Pope's account
- of
His singular letter to Lady Suffolk.
His death. Sketch of his person. His autobiography
suppressed by his widow.
Page 180
FRANCIS ATTERBURY,
BISHOP OF ROCHESTER.
Educated at Westminster and Oxford.
His literary at-
tainments.
Assists his pupil, C. Boyle, in his dispute
with Bentley. His Jacobitism.
His letter to his father.
His scepticism in early life.. Enters into holy orders.-
Marries a lady of fortune.-Appointed chaplain in ordinary
to King William. Enters into a controversy with Dr. Wake.
-Created Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Rochester.-
His polemical controversies. The reputed author of the
speech made by Sacheverel on his trial. George the First's
accession fatal to Atterbury's ambitious hopes. His disaffec-
tion. Committal to the Tower. Speaker Onslow's character
of him. Public sympathy for Atterbury. His harsh treat-
ment in the Tower. His letter to Pope. His eloquent
speech on his trial. Sentence passed on him. Trial of
strength between Atterbury and Sir R. Walpole during the
proceedings against the former. Atterbury quits England,
and resides chiefly in Paris till his death. Death of his
favourite daughter. The Duke of Wharton's poetical ad-
dress to Atterbury. Atterbury's letter to Dicconson on his
daughter's death. His last meeting with her at Toulouse.
-His death at Paris in 1731. His body brought to England,
and the coffin opened by order of Government. His inter-
ment in Westminster Abbey.
MRS. MASHAM.
Abigail Hill, afterwards Mrs. Masham, daughter of Mr. Hill,
a Turkey merchant.-Placed as a waiting-woman with Lady
Rivers. Her relationship to the Duchess of Marlborough,
who places her in the Queen's household.-Anecdote of her
related by the Duchess. The latter's communication to
Bishop Burnet.-Extract from the Duchess's memoirs. Her
kindness to the Hill family.-Abigail Hill's marriage to Mr.
Masham, Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to Prince George
of Denmark.- Queen Anne present at the ceremony. - Ex-
tracts from the Duchess of Marlborough's memoirs. The
Duke's remarks on Mrs. Masham's influence. His letter to
the Queen.-Brief account of Mr. Masham.-He is created
Baron Masham of Otes.-Lord Dartmouth's and Swift's opi-
nions of Mrs. Masham.-She retires with her husband, on the
death of the Queen, to her seat at Otes.-John Locke their
guest for two years.—Mrs. Masham's death in 1734. Page 242
ROBERT FIELDING.
BEAU FIELDING.
Beau Fielding, the "Orlando" of the Tatler.-Descended
from an old Warwickshire family.-Sent to London to study
the Law. His great personal beauty and foppish habits.-
His extraordinary popularity with the fair sex.-His success
as a gambler.-Fantastic liveries of his servants.-Portraits of
him by the three great Artists of the day. His first wife,
daughter and heiress of Lord Carlingford. His second, the
celebrated Duchess of Cleveland, Mistress of Charles the Se-
cond. Their matrimonial unhappiness.-Duchess's discovery
that he had committed bigamy. He is tried at the Old
Bailey. — Singular evidence adduced at the trial respecting
Fielding's intrigues to obtain the hand of a rich widow,
Deleau. Curious statement made by the Counsel for the
prosecution. Evidence of Mrs. Villars, and of Fielding's ser-
vant, Boucher. Fielding found guilty, but afterwards par-
doned by Queen Anne. His marriage with the Duchess of
Cleveland annulled.
CHAPTER II.
Page 258
Beau Wilson's mysterious rise from poverty to affluence.—
Serves a campaign in Flanders.-Is broken for cowardice, and
returns to England with forty shillings in his pocket.—His ex-
traordinary show of wealth immediately after his return.-
Various conjectures on the subject. Extract from Madam
Dunois' Memoirs.-Her belief that Wilson owed his good for-
tune to the favour of the Duchess of Cleveland.-Wilson en-
gaged in a duel with Law, and killed.-Extract from Evelyn's
Diary.-Law tried and condemned.-His escape from prison.-
His death at Venice in 1729.
Page 271
GEORGE THE FIRST.
CHAPTER I.
His birth.
Sketch
of his mother.-Serves a campaign under his father, when in
his fifteenth year. Fights in the Imperial army against the
Turks. Accompanies King William during a series of cam-
paigns. Created by him a Knight of the Garter.- Sub-
sequently created by Queen Anne Marquis and Duke of
Cambridge, &c., with precedency of all the peers of Great
Britain. Visits England with a view to make overtures for
the hand of the Princess Anne, afterwards Queen.-Recalled
by his father, and forced to marry the daughter of the Duke
of Zell.-Story of Sophia Dorothea, of Zell.-Her compulsory
marriage with George the First in her sixteenth year. Her
beauty and intelligence.-Neglected and insulted by her hus-
band. Count Coningsmark's avowed admiration of her. -
Indignation of her father-in-law.-Imprisoned in the Castle of
His near relationship to the Stuarts.
Alden. Divorced from her husband in 1694.-Her criminality
doubtful. Her son's affection for her. Her dignified conduct
during her imprisonment.-Her death in 1726.-George the
First's accession to the English throne. His indifference on
the subject. His arrival at Greenwich.-Anecdote. His per-
son and habits.-Extracts from Horace Walpole, and Arch-
deacon Coxe.-The King's male favourites.-Their rapacity.—
The King's aversion to the English. His profligate .expen-
diture.
Page 277
Attachment of the University of Oxford to the House of
Stuart. Whig principles of the University of Cambridge.-
Dr. Trapp's epigram on the occasion.-Sir W. Browne's re-
tort. James Shepherd's attempt to assassinate the King-
His execution.-Lord Chesterfield's remark on the subject.-
The King's good-humour, and love of music.-His aversion
to pomp.
Anecdote of his humour. Anecdotes of the
Duchess of Bolton and of Dean Lockier. - The King's
liberality of feeling towards the House of Stuart. Extract
from Horace Walpole. -The King's generosity towards
prisoners for debt.- Horace Walpole presented to him when
a mere child. His account of the presentation.-The King's
liaison with Anne Brett, daughter of the repudiated Countess
of Macclesfield, by her second husband. Her insolence and
ambition. Anecdote of her related by Horace Walpole.-
The King's superstitious feelings. He orders his wife's will
to be burned. His hatred of her and his son, George the
Second. His departure from England in 1727 for his Elec-
torate. Archdeacon Coxe's details of his last illness.- Ex-
tract from the Marchmont Papers. - Romantic anecdote re-
lated by Lockhart. - The King's death in 1727.- His cha-
racter as a man and as a King. His indifferent education.
-Anecdote of him.-His daughter Sophia Dorothea married
in 1706 to Frederick William, King of Prussia. Her beauty
and intelligence. Her husband's brutal treatment of her.
-Her death in 1757.
Page 302