il poffible left me at laft ?" But when he heard of Anne's defection he faid, "Good God, am I "then abandoned by my children?” It appears by the Memoirs of the times, that Anne was very anxious that no violence should be offered to her brother's life, when he fought in the French army against thofe of the Allies. Had this Princess lived longer, great efforts would most probably have been made to place him upon the throne of thefe kingdoms after her death. The Duke of Marlborough and Lord Bolingbroke were well affected to his fucceffion; Lord Oxford was wavering. Sarah Duchefs of Marlborough, in her "Opinions," fays, "The Queen's journey to "Nottingham was purely accidental, but occa"fioned by the great fright she was in when "King James the Second returned to Salisbury; "upon which the faid she would jump out of the window rather than fee her father; and upon "that fent to the Bishop of London to confult "with others what the fhould do, who carried "her into the City, and from thence to Notting"ham. She was never expenfive, but faved money out of her 50,000l. a year, which, after "fhe came to the crown, was paid to Prince "George of Denmark, which was his by right. "She made no foolish buildings, nor bought one 6C jewel in the whole time of her reign." SAKAH, SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH. THIS fingular woman in the latter part of her life became bed-ridden. Paper, pen, and ink were laid by the fide of her bed, and fhe ufed occafionally to write down either what the remembered, or what came into her head. A felection from these loose papers of the Duchefs was made fone years ago, with great judgement, by the learned and ingenious Sir David Dalrymple, Bart. under the title of "The Opinions of Sarah "Duchefs of Marlborough, published from Origi"nal MSS." Edinburgh 1788. The Duchefs, like many other perfons of a violent temper, and of disappointed pride, is but too apt to impute the caufe of her mifery to the defects of others, instead of defcending to the fource of it in herself. 1739. As to my own particular," fays the Duchefs, "I have nothing to reproach myfelf "with; and I think it very improbable that I fhould live to fuffer what others will do who "have contributed to the ruin of their country. "I have always thought, that the greatest happi"nefs of life was to love and value fomebody ex"tremely that returned it, and to fee them often; "and if one has an eafy fortune, that is what "makes "makes one's life pafs away agreeably. But, "alas! there is such a change in the world fince "I knew it firft, that though one's natural plea<fure is to love people, the generality of the "world are in fomething fo difagreeable that it is "impoffible to do it; and added to this, I am a ་ cripple, lifted about like a child, and very fel"dom free from pain." The two following fhort letters have perhaps little to recommend them, but that they are Original Letters of this celebrated Lady. "I BEG you will give me leave to trouble you "with this letter, and beg the favour of you to "fhew it to the Prince. There are perpetualy a "thoufand lies of me-That I am very indiffe"rent about; but I hear now that it is faid I was angry with Doctor Hollands for waiting upon "the Prince. Upon my word, fo far from it, that "I never once named his Highness: I think I "have the honour to be enough known to him, "that he will not doubt of the truth of this, after "I have given my word upon it. If I had not a "refpect for the Prince, I should not have "troubled myself about it. "I am, SIR, "Your most humble Servant, August 19, 1733. "MARLBOROUGH." 66 SIR, « SIR, "I MUST trouble you with my thanks for the favour of your two obliging letters, and fo foon, which makes it the more fo! "I am, siR, with regard, "Your moft humble Servant, "MARLBOROUGH." "I Beg my humble duty to the Prince, and many thanks for the honour of enquiring how "I do. I am ftill the fame as I have been this "long time, very ill." During the preparations for the trial of Harley Earl of Oxford, a relation of his went to the Duchefs of Marlborough, with a copy of a letter which the Duke had written to the Pretender. She taking the letter from him, and reading it, tore it to pieces. He then fhewed her the original. The trial foon after was ftopped, on a fupposed misunderstanding between the Houses of Lords and Commons. MATTHEW MATTHEW PRIOR in the latter part of his life refided at Down Hall, Effex, and amufed himself with a select party of friends at any kind of nonfenfe that occurred. Sir James Thornhill was often of the party, and in the evening, between dinner and fupper, used to make drawings of fome of Mr. Prior's guests. Prior ufed to write verfes under them. Under the head of Mr. Timothy Thomas, Chaplain to Lord Oxford, Prior wrote This phiz, fo well drawn, you may easily knów, Under Chriftian the Seal-Engraver's head Prior wrote-- This, done by candlelight and hazard, Is meant to fhew Kit Chriftian's mazzard. An ingenious and elegant Collector has many of thefe portraits, with the verfes under them in Prior's hand-writing. At Lord Oxford's Seat at Wimple (now Lord Hardwicke's) there hung a fine picture of Harley in his Speaker's robes, with the roll of the Bill in his hand for bringing in the prefent family; which, if I mistake not, was done VOL. II. X by |