Part 18 (1/2)
said Hamilton: ”you are acquainted with all her childish aford was at her aparthted wax candle in herend there a long tiuished I have, thank God, a pretty large mouth, and, in order to out-do her teacher, I took two candles into my mouth at the saoing out Every person present adjudged rewbut a lanthorn could stand in cohing; and thus was I admitted into the familiarity of her a one of thecreatures that ever was: since the court has been in the country, I have had an hundred opportunities of seeing her, which I had not before You know that the dishabille of the bath is a great convenience for those ladies, who, strictly adhering to all the rules of decorum, are yet desirous to display all their charms and attractions Miss Stewart is so fully acquainted with the advantages she possesses over all other women, that it is hardly possible to praise any lady at court for a well-turned ar, but she is ever ready to dispute the point by demonstration; and I really believe, that, with a little address, it would not be difficult to induce her to strip naked, without ever reflecting upon what she was doing After all, a man must be very insensible to remain unconcerned and unood opinion we entertain of ourselves is apt to uishes us by habitual fa This is the truth of the matter with respect to myself: my own presumption, her beauty, the brilliant station that sets it off, and a thousand kind things she had said toserious reflections; but then, as some excuse for my folly, Iher the tenderest declarations by co ht not to have entrusted ht have deceived or infatuated any other man as well as myself
”I presented her with one of the prettiest horses in England You knohat peculiar grace and elegance distinguish her on horseback The king, who, of all the diversions of the chase, likes none but hawking, because it is the most convenient for the ladies, went out the other day to take this amusement, attended by all the beauties of his court His ht squadron after hihtened her horse, which was at full speed, endeavouring to come up with mine, that had been his companion; so that I was the only witness of a disorder in her clothes, which displayed a thousand new beauties to allant and flattering excla concerned or out of countenance upon it: on the contrary, this subject of my admiration has been frequently since the subject of our conversation, and did not seeford, and that eneral confession), those insipid buffoons, were frequently telling her so stories, which passed pretty ith the help of a few old threadbare jests, or soh heartily As for myself, who know no stories, and do not possess the talent of ireatly embarrassed when she desired me to tell her one: 'I do not know one, indeed,' said I, one day, when she was teazing me on the subject 'Invent one, then,' said she 'That would be still ive me leave, madam, I will relate to you a very extraordinary dream, which has, however, less appearance of truth in it than dreaenerally have' This excited her curiosity, which would brook no denial I therefore began to tell her that the most beautiful creature in the world, whom I loved to distraction, paid me a visit in my sleep I then drew her own portrait, with a rapturous description of all her beauties; adding, that this Goddess, who came to visit me with the most favourable intentions, did not counteract them by any unreasonable cruelty This was not sufficient to satisfy Miss Stewart's curiosity: I was obliged to relate every particular circumstance of the kindness I experienced from this delicate phantom; to which she was so very attentive, that she never once appeared surprised or disconcerted at the luscious tale On the contrary, she made me repeat the description of the beauty, which I drew as near as possible after her own person, and after such charined of beauties that were unknown tothat had almost deprived me of my senses: she knew very well that she herself was the person I was describing: ere alone, as you ine, when I told her this story; and my eyes did their utmost to persuade her that it was herself whom I drew I perceived that she was not in the least offended at knowing this; nor was her modesty in the least alarht have concluded in a ht proper This patient audienceideas that presented theht of the king, nor how passionately fond he was of her, nor of the dangers attendant upon such an engage of; but I a for ht have found my ruin in theafter, the court returned to London; and froained the ascendant, every thing went cross in the empire of Love: vexation, suspicions, or jealousies, first entered the field, to set all hearts at variance; next, false reports, slander, and disputes, completed the ruin of all
The duchess of Cleveland had been brought to bed while the court was at Bristol; and never before had she recovered fro-in with such a profusion of charms This made her believe that she was in a proper state to retrieve her ancient rights over the king's heart, if she had an opportunity of appearing before hi of the sae was prepared for this expedition; but the very evening before the day she had fixed on to set out, she saw young Churchill, and was at once seized with a disease, which had more than once opposed her projects, and which she could never coet the better of
[Churchill--Afterwards the celebrated Duke of Marlborough He was born midsummer-day, 1650, and died June 16, 1722 Bishop Burnet takes notice of the discovery of this intrigue ”The duchess of Cleveland finding that she had lost the king, abandoned herself to great disorders; one of which, by the artifice of the Duke of Buckingha in person, the party concerned leaping out of the ”--History of his own Times, vol i p 370 This was in 1668 A very particular account of this intrigue is to be seen in the Atalantis of Mrs Manley, vol
i, p 30 The same writer, who had lived as companion to the duchess of Cleveland, says, in the account of her own life, that she was an eye-witness when the duke, who had received thousands fro her twenty guineas at basset--The history of Rivella, 4th ed 1725, p 33
Lord Chesterfield's character of this noblemen is too remarkable to be omitted
”Of all the men that ever I knew in my life, (and I knew hih possessed the graces in the highest degree, not to say engrossed theot the most by them! for I will venture, (contrary to the custoreat events,) to ascribe the better half of the Duke of Marlborough's greatness and riches to those graces He was elish, and spelled it still worse He had no share of what is co shi+ning in his genius He had, , with sound judgment But these alone would probably have raised hie to King Jaraces protected and prouards, the duchess of Cleveland, then favourite ave hiht an annuity for his life, of five hundred pounds a-year, of randfather, Halifax; which was the foundation of his subsequent fortune His figure was beautiful; but his manner was irresistible by either racefulall his wars, to connect the various and jarring powers of the grand alliance, and to carry the their private and separate views, jealousies, and wrong-headednesses Whatever court he went to, (and he was often obliged to go himself to some restive and refractory ones,) he as constantly prevailed, and brought them into his rown grey in business, and who had governed the republic of the United Provinces for overned by the Duke of Marlborough, as that republic feels to this day He was always cool; and nobody ever observed the least variation in his countenance He could refuse rant; and those ent away from him the most dissatisfied, as to the substance of their business, were yet personally charree, coracefulness, nowas nity better”--Chest Letters, letter 136]
A uards, was raised to such a fortune, must certainly possess an uncommon share of prudence, not to be intoxicated with his happiness Churchill boasted in all places of the new favour he had received: the duchess of Cleveland, who neither recommended to him circumspection in his behaviour, nor in his conversation, did not seem to be in the least concerned at his indiscretion Thus this intrigue was becoeneral topic in all companies, when the court arrived in London, and occasioned an is: some said she had already presented him with Jermyn's pension, and Jacob Hall's salary, because the merits and qualifications of both were united in his person: others maintained that he had too indolent an air, and too delicate a shape, long to reed that a 's mistress, and brother to the duke's favourite, was in a fair way of preferment, and could not fail to ave him a place in his household: this was naturally to be expected; but the king, who did not think that Lady Cleveland's kindness to hiht proper to forbid hian now to be rather peevish: nor was it altogether without reason: he disturbed no person in their amours, and yet others had often the presumption to encroach upon his Lord Dorset, first lord of the bed-chamber, had lately debauched from his service Nell Gwyn, the actress Lady Cleveland, whorace him by repeated infidelities with unworthy rivals, and alallants; but that which most sensibly affected hi since had offered her all the settlements and all the titles she could desire, until he had an opportunity more effectually to provide for her, which she had pretended only to decline, for fear of the scandal theyraised to a rank which would attract the public notice; but since the return of the court, she had given herself other airs: so froave the queen: at other times it was to avoid temptations, by which she wished to insinuate that her innocence was still preserved: in short, the king's heart was continually distracted by alarms, or oppressed by huine what Miss Steished hi his establishment of mistresses, to try whether jealousy was not the real occasion of her uneasiness It was for this reason that, after having sole ue with Churchill, he discarded, without any exception, all the other mistresses which he had in various parts of the town The Nell Gwyns, the Misses Davis, and the joyous rain of singers and dancers in his majesty's theatre, were all dismissed All these sacrifices were ineffectual: Miss Stewart continued to tor to distraction; but his majesty soon after found out the real cause of this coldness
This discovery ing to the officious duchess of Cleveland, who, ever since her disgrace, had railed ainst the king's weakness, who, for an inaninity As so's confidence, by their 's uneasiness, and that Miss Stewart's behaviour was the occasion of it--and as soon as she had found the opportunity she had so long wished for, she went directly into the king's cabinet, through the apartes called Chiffinch This as not new to her
The king was just returned fro Miss Stewart, in a very ill humour: the presence of the duchess of Cleveland surprised hi this, accosted hination ”I hope,” said she, ”I elic Stewart has forbid you to see me at my own house I will not race myself: still less will I endeavour to excuse frailties which nothing can justify, since your constancy forI am the only person you have honoured with your tenderness, who has made herself unworthy of it by ill conduct I come now, therefore, with no other intent than to corief into which the coldness, or new-fashi+oned chastity of the inhuman Stewart have reduced your hter, as unnatural and strained as it was insulting and i's impatience: he had, indeed, expected that some bitter jest would follow this preaiven herself such blustering airs, considering the ter to answer her: ”be not offended,” said she, ”that I take the liberty of laughing at the gross manner in which you are imposed upon: I cannot bear to see that such particular affectation should make you the jest of your own court, and that you should be ridiculed with such impunity I know that the affected Stuart has sent you away, under pretence of some indisposition, or perhaps some scruple of conscience; and I come to acquaint you that the Duke of Richmond will soon be with her, if he is not there already I do not desire you to believe what I say, since it h resentment or envy: only followcalumny and malice, you may honour her with a just preference, if I accuse her falsely; or, if er be the dupe of a pretended prude, whoand ridiculous a part”
As she ended this speech, she took him by the hand, while he was yet undecided, and pulled hi in her interest, Miss Stewart could have no warning of the visit; and Babiani, ed all to the duchess of Cleveland, and who served her admirably well upon this occasion, caone into Miss Stewart's chah a private door, led fro's apartments to those of his ht, as he entered her rival's chamber, and retired, in order to wait the success of the adventure, of which Babiani, who attended the king, was charged to coht: the king, in his way, met his mistress's chamber-maids, who respectfully opposed his entrance, and in a very low voice, whispered his majesty that Miss Stewart had been very ill since he left her: but that, being gone to bed, she was, God be thanked, in a very fine sleep ”That Iher back, who had posted herself in his way He found Miss Stewart in bed, indeed, but far fro asleep: the Duke of Richmond was seated at her pillow, and in all probability was less inclined to sleep than herself The perplexity of the one party, and the rage of the other, were such as , who, of all entle, testified his resentment to the Duke of Richmond in such terms as he had never before used The duke was speechless, and al justly irritated The first transports which rage inspires on such occasions are dangerous Miss Stewart, as very convenient for a sudden revenge, the Tha close beneath it: he cast his eyes upon it; and, seeing those of the king ht his nature capable of, he le word to the vast torrent of threats anda little recovered froan to talk in thethat was 's passion and resentment; that, if she were not allowed to receive visits from a man of the Duke of Richmond's rank, who came with honourable intentions, she was a slave in a free country; that she knew of no engage of her hand as she thought proper; but, however, if this was not permitted her in his dominions, she did not believe that there was any power on earth that could hinder her fro herself into a convent, to enjoy there that tranquillity which was denied her in his court The king, so at her tears, and soitated, that he knew not how to answer, either the nicety of a creature anted to act the part of Lucretia under his own eye, or the assurance hich she had the effrontery to reproach him In this suspense, love had almost entirely vanquished all his resentments, and had nearly induced him to throw himself upon his knees, and entreat pardon for the injury he had done her, when she desired him to retire, and leave her in repose, at least for the re those who had either accoer visit This ihest degree: he went out abruptly, vowing never to see her ht he had ever experienced since his restoration
The next day the Duke of Richmond received orders to quit the court, and never ; but it see set out early thatfor his country seat
Miss Stewart, in order to obviate all injurious constructions that ht, went and threw herself at the queen's feet; where, acting the new part of an innocent Magdalen, she entreated her iveness for all the sorrow and uneasiness she ht have already occasioned her She told her majesty that a constant and sincere repentance had induced her to contrive all possiblefrom court: that this reason had inclined her to receive the Duke of Rich tirace, and had likewise raised a vast noise and disturbance, which perhaps ht be turned to the prejudice of her reputation, she conjured her Majesty to take her under her protection, and endeavour to obtain the king's permission for her to retire into a convent, to remove at once all those vexations and troubles her presence had innocently occasioned at court
All this was accoreeable spectacle to see a rival prostrate at our feet, entreating pardon, and at the sa her conduct The queen's heart not only relented, but sheraised her up, and most tenderly embraced her, she promised her all e, or in any other course she thought fit to pursue, and parted from her with the firm resolution to exert all her interest in her support; but, being a person of great judgment, the reflections which she afterwards e her opinion!
She knew that the king's disposition was not capable of an obstinate constancy She therefore judged that absence would cure hirees entirely efface the remembrance of Miss Stewart, and that, since she could not avoid having a rival, it was iven such eminent proofs of her prudence and virtue Besides, she flattered herself that the king would ever think hi opposed the retreat and irl, who deter Miss Stewart to abandon her schemes; and what isprevailed upon her to think no more either of the Duke of Riched herself with the office of reconciling these two lovers
Indeed it would have been a thousand pities if her negotiation had miscarried but she did not suffer this er and passionate as after this peace, nor ever better received by the fair Stewart