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MELESINA.
DUCHESS OF KENDAL.
-
Sister of the Count of Schulenberg. Appointed Maid of
Honour to the Electress Sophia, mother of George the First.
- The Duchess's birth in 1659.- Her personal appearance.
- Reluctantly accompanies George the First to England. —
Created an Irish peeress, Duchess of Munster, in 1716.
Afterwards created an English peeress, Duchess of Kendal,
for life, and, subsequently, Princess of Eberstein in Germany.
-Supposed to have contracted a left-handed marriage with
George the First.-Her assumption of piety.—Sir R. Walpole's
mean opinion of her. Her political influence.- Letter re-
specting her from Count Broglio to Louis the Fifteenth.-
The latter's reply.-The Duchess presides at the King's even-
ing parties. His nightly visits to her apartments.- Accom-
panies him on his last visit to Hanover.-Her grief on hear-
ing of his death.—Singular anecdote. The Duchess's death
in 1743.
Page 321
SOPHIA CHARLOTTE,
COUNTESS OF PLATEN AND DARLINGTON.
Sister of Count Platen, one of the most influential noblemen
in Hanover. The family of Platen supply the Electoral House
with mistresses.-The young Countess taken by her ambitious
mother to the Electoral Court. - She thwarts her mother's
schemes by falling in love with the son of a Hamburgh mer-
chant. She marries him in order to preserve her character.
- Her mother's disappointment and death. The Countess
separates from her husband, and squanders the fortune left
her by her mother.-Becomes George the First's mistress.-
His vexation at her indiscretions and extravagance. She
accompanies him to England.-Character of her by Lady M. W.
Montagu. Her liaison with Mr. Methuen.-Created Countess
of Darlington.- Horace Walpole's portrait of her in her old
age. Her daughter by George the First married to Viscount
Howe of Ireland.-Death of the Countess in 1730.
Page 329
PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE,
EARL OF CHESTERFIELD.
His birth. His early thirst for distinction.-Lord Galway's
advice to him. His opinion of the University of Cambridge.
- His habits of life there. His own account of his pedantry.
-Makes the tour of Europe.-Elected Member for St. Ger-
mains, and appointed Gentleman of the Bed-chamber to the
Prince.-Appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard in
1723.- Succeeds to the Earldom. -Sent Ambassador to Hol-
land. His splendid style of living. -Extracts from the Suf-
folk Correspondence. - Created a Knight of the Garter.—
Takes an active part in the debates of the House of Lords.
Opposes the Excise Bill, and is dismissed from all his offices.
----
Marries the Duchess of Kendal's reputed niece. Ap-
pointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.-His successful adminis-
tration there.Appointed principal Secretary of State. -
Resigns his Secretaryship.— Horace Walpole's high opinion
of his eloquence. His wit and conversational powers.
Pope's compliment to the Earl's wit.-The Earl's epigram on
Sir Thomas Robinson. — His literary associates. His patron-
age of literary men.-Specimen of his versification. His at-
tachment to his natural son.-Addresses his celebrated letters
to him. Character of the letters. Sarcastic epigram on
them. Character of the Earl's natural son.-His son's death
in 1768.-Publication of the letters in 1774.-The Earl in his
old age. Characteristic anecdote of his last moments.-His
death in 1773.
Page 334
JOHN, LORD HERVEY.
Eldest son of the first Earl of Bristol.-His birth in 1696.
-Educated at Cambridge.-Appointed Gentleman of the Bed-
chamber to the Prince of Wales.-Returned to Parliament
for Edmondsbury.-Called to the House of Peers as Lord
Hervey, of Ickworth, during his father's life-time. Nomi-
nated Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1740.- His oratorical
powers. Supports Sir Robert Walpole. Resigns the Privy
Seal on the overthrow of that minister.-His political writings.
- His duel with Pulteney. Circumstances that gave rise to
it.- Sir Charles Hanbury Williams's verses on the duel.
Lord Hervey's quarrel with Pope. The latter satirizes him
under the character of Sporus. Lord Hailes' account of
Lord Hervey.Extract from Archdeacon Coxe. Personal
warfare commenced by Lord Hervey on Pope. His satirical
address to that poet.- Pope's prose letter to Lord Hervey.
-Suppressed during their life-time.-Brief memoir of Ham-
mond, the Poet. His unfortunate attachment to Catherine
Dashwood, ward of Lord Hervey. The latter's opposition
to their union.-Hammond's despondency in consequence, and
death in his thirty-third year, 1742.-Dr. Middleton's fulsome
dedication of his Life of Cicero to Lord Hervey.-The latter's
unamiable character.-Queen Caroline's partiality for him.-
His effeminacy and affectation.-His success with the fair
-Princess Caroline's romantic attachment to him. His
desertion of Sir Robert Walpole. Extracts from Horace
Walpole's letters.-Lord Hervey's death in 1743. Page 364
sex.
--
MARY LEPEL.
LADY HERVEY.
Daughter of General Lepel.-Born in 1700.-Appointed at
an early age Maid of Honour to the Princess of Wales, after-
wards Queen Caroline, and Mistress of the Robes, on the
Princess's accession. -Miss Lepel's extraordinary beauty and
accomplishments.-Extracts from the Suffolk Correspondence.
- Pope's admiration of the young beauty. His moonlight
walk with her in the gardens at Hampton Court, and letter on
the subject. His poetical address to Miss Howe. - Compli-
ments by Gay and Voltaire to Miss Lepel.-Lord Chester-
field's praises of her manners and accomplishments.- Lively
verses addressed to her by Lords Chesterfield and Bath.-
Her marriage in 1720 to Lord Hervey.-Extract from Lady
Montagu's Letters. Quarrel with Lady Hervey. - Singular
particulars respecting its origin. — Lady Hervey's French
tastes and partialities. Her education of her children.—Her
irreligious feelings, and repeated attacks of illness.-Churchill's
eulogium on her youngest daughter, Lady Caroline. - Lady
Hervey's death in 1768.- Posthumous publication of her
Letters. Their character.
Page 383
LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU.
Her birth in 1690. Her early love of reading.Teaches
herself Latin, and translates Epictetus. Anecdote of her
father related by herself.-Her acquaintance with Mr. Wortley
Montagu. His literary tastes.-He proposes for her hand to
her father, and is rejected. He elopes with, and is privately
married to, her.-Lady Mary's first appearance at St. James's.
-Attends the evening parties of George the First.-Accom-
nent.
panies her husband on his embassy to Constantinople.- Her
familiarity with the Turkish ladies.- Anecdote. - Introduces
into England the oriental practice of inoculation for the small-
pox. Returns home, and takes a house at Twickenham.-Her
intimacy with Pope.-Addison warns her against him. Her
subsequent quarrel with Pope.-Her account of its origin.-
Her splenetic feelings towards him. - Retires to the conti-
- Her separation from her husband. - Extracts from
Horace Walpole's letters.-Pope's remarks on Lady Mary's
want of cleanliness. Anecdote of Lady Mary.- Indecency
of some of her letters. Brief memoir of her son, Edward
Wortley Montagu.-His eccentricities abroad.-Extract from
Horace Walpole's letters. Mr. Montagu disinherited on his
father's death. His extraordinary advertisement in the Public
Advertiser. His sudden death at Lyons. His literary
production.-Lady Mary's return to England after the death
of her husband.-Horace Walpole's description of her.-Her
death. Page 403
MARY BELLENDEN.
Daughter of the second Lord Bellenden.-At an early age
appointed Maid of Honour to the Princess of Wales. - Her
great vivacity and wit. Horace Walpole's description of her.
-Extract from Gay's "Welcome to Pope."-George the
Second's admiration of her.-Anecdotes. Her private mar-
riage in 1720 to Colonel Campbell, afterwards Duke of
Argyle. Specimen of her epistolary style from the Suffolk
correspondence.-Period of her death.-Enumeration of her
Page 436
family.