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CHAPTER XV.

QUEEN ANNE.

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- Lampoons on Her Supposed Love of Dram-

drinking - Denial of the Charge by the Duchess of

Marlborough - Anne's Economical Habits, and Occa-

sional Distress for Money - Description of Her Person

-Anecdote of Lord Bolingbroke - Remarkable Sweet-

ness 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 Behav.

iour on the Occasion - Cursory Sketch of the State of

Parties at the Commencement of the Eighteenth Cen-

tury Rise of Harley, Earl of Oxford-Anne's Pre-

possession in Favour of the Tory and High Church

Party - Downfall of the Whigs-Violent Altercations

between Harley and Bolingbroke―Their Effect on the

Queen's Health - Interesting Details Repecting Anne's

Indisposition - Character of Doctor Radcliffe- His Let-

ter to a Friend on the Subject of Anne's State of

Health Her Death in 1714-The Duke of Marl-

borough's Pithy Character of Her-Literary and Mili-

tary Glories of Her Reign- Enumeration of Her

Children

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293

CHAPTER XVI.

PRINCE GEORGE OF DENMARK.

Birth of Prince George in 1653- He Distinguishes Him-

self at the Celebrated Battle of Landen-Is Married to

the Princess Anne in 1683- Extract from Evelyn's Jour-

nal Character of the Prince, His Tastes and Feelings

Sarcastic Remark by James the Second on the Prince's

Defection - He Is Created by William the Third, Duke

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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

- He Is Appointed, on Anne's Accession to the Throne,

Generalissimo of All Her Forces by Sea and Land - His

Death in 1708 - Burnet's Character of the Prince

CHAPTER XVII.

PAGE

· 332

JOHN CHURCHILL, Duke of Marlborough.

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His Birth His Education Lamentably Neglected -Curi-

ous 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 Sixteen - 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 Compli-

mented 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 Auto-

biography Created Baron of Eymouth in Scotland —

Marries Sarah Jennings, Afterward the Celebrated Favour-

ite of Queen Anne Sent Ambassador to France to

Notify James the Second's Accession to the Throne-

Created an English Peer, by the Title of Baron Churchill

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-

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Present at the Battle of Sedgemoor- Extract from

Mrs. Macauley's History - His Letter of Apology to

James the Second, on the Eve of His Defection-

Probable Motives of His Defection - Interesting Anec-

dote Related by Doctor King and by Sir George Hewit

Lord Churchill's Supposed Project for Assassinating

James the Second-King William's Opinion of Him

Anecdote of Marshal Schomberg

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· 341

THE COURT OF ENGLAND.

CHAPTER I.

WILLIAM THE THIRD.

Preliminary Remarks — League of Utrecht Formed by the Netherlands in 1579 - Character and Constitution of That League

William of Nassau, First Prince of Orange, Appointed Its Head, by the Title of Stadtholder - His Character - His Assassination in 1584- His Son, Prince Maurice, Succeeds to the Office of Stadtholder, and Is Successful against the Spaniards - Dies, and Is Succeeded by His Younger Brother, Henry Frederick Acknowledgment by Spain of the Independence of the United Provinces Character of William the Second, Fourth Stadtholder- Abolition of That Office. Prince William Henry, Son of William the Second, Afterward William the Third of England, Born in 1650 - Is Nephew to Kings Charles the Second and James the Second His Early Studies - Sir William Temple's Favourable Opinion of His Capacity — He Visits England in His Twentieth Year, and Is Entertained by the University of Oxford - Probable Motives of His Visit - Entertaining Anecdote - Charles the Second's Distrust of William, and the Latter's Politic Conduct while in England - League between France and England against the States of Holland.

THE history of William of Nassau is so closely connected with that of his native country that, in order fully to comprehend the causes of his