A Woman Remembered by' her Temper Fate hae caused Serah Jennin Femembered in history wot qualities of greatness but because 198, Duchess of Marlborough, to be 0 her capabilities, "or her of her. abominable temper, wonderful flow of invectives ani! her cond stant us.of them. Indeed the ta re. bored to" have referred to her queen as "that thi ter abe had parted from her, which, to Toast of rather lec the expect that most subjects agree ts due to their sovereign.
Sarah Jonnings, though her name even in the most charitable of lights has a decidedly plebeian sound, was the daughter of English country gentleman of comfortable estate and at an early age the became the companion of the Princess Anne who was about her own age. And after Anne became! queen and Sarah her lady of the Dedchamber, the latter desiring to mark their mutual affection and intimacy, all "deference due' to. her rank Was abandoned and the two called each other Mrs. Morely and Drs. Freeman.
Although Sarah and Anne were such firm friends there is no doubt Ghat at times" Sarah quarrelled violently with Anne, who despite her amiability could be, and_ wa exasperating beyond words and was only to be expected that Vigorous woman was the Gvchess would inher utter exasperation occasionally air her opinions before the queen of Anne herself and all those who surrounded her, with the exception, be it id, of Sarah herself.
The duchess later wrote of Anne's obstinacy, a trait which often accompanies weakness of character, that "she had a certain knack disagreeable, sand without tle least sign of understanding oF judyemild statement for the variable duchess to make, Romance came early into Sarah's life. One of the gentlemen of the bedichamber of the Duke of York, afterwards James 1, was Colonel Zebu Churchill. This young gentle. wan wax handsome, able and with a manner which Lord Chesterfield declare "was irresistible either man or woman." Sarah and he! in love with each other and were married secretly, Sarah at the time of her marriage hi was described as having "a face Found and small, with soft. deep, blue eyes, a nose somewhat retroussee, a delicate, rosy mouth—on Which no™ trace of temper had settled, a forehead white ax marble, with blonde, thick, glossy" hai."
While her husband was on. the Continent Sarah did much to help his position at home for sh had an extraordinary influence over Anne, Which she had no scruples in using But during the reign of William and Mary the Marlboroughs came into seat disfavour, and Sarah was mainly responsible. forbidden the court. But when weeks passed and that dread order was not issued she either thought the affair was over or else in a spirit of "bravado was determined to put her standing to the teat. Accordingly she went to a cou reception. She was ignored by the queen who next day sent notice to Princess Anne -that Lady Marlborough was insolent and must be di missed from her service.
Anne, however, resolutely refused to disgrace her' friend, with the result that a day later she was told to leave Whitehall.
The Duke of Somerset gave her a house, whither she went much pleased with her loyalty to her friend but distressed because Lady Marlborough gave way to melancholy lest she had injured her hhusband's prospects.
"For God's sake," wrote the kindly Anne, "have a little care for your own dear self. Give way: as little to melancholy as you can. Try a He asses" milk."
Presumably this was a remedy for melancholy which was a favourite with the queen, although it does net sound as though it would be very effective.
But in 1702 Mary died, Anne "ame queen and Lady Marlborhad no more fears for the safety of hor husband's. carer. But she was not satisfied with he position in court as she should have been and in trying to exercise her influence over Anne ton greater extent than heretofore the inevitable quarrel cam through some trivial matier and Lady Marlborough emerging from the royal presence n wrath, banged the door. so em-tically that she was never asked reopen it.
The last days of the duchess after her retirement from court wore spirit in incessant quarrels with her When her husband died:
she found among his treasures a parcel that brough! tears even to her hard old eyes.
The parcel contained a thick of beautiful blonde hair. Tt had lost its gloss and wonderful colour but Sarah recognized it as her own locks which one day in a quarrel with the duke when they were young she had chopped off breause she knew he loved dearly her thick tresses. She had left the shorn locks where he could not help but sce them, but he said nothing, and made no comment even Apparent-
William had told Marlborough one of his chief guards, cherished plans for the seizure of Dunkirk from the French, Marlborough told this to his wife as his commander-in-chief, and she told it unwisely to Lady Oglethorpe and so the tidings spread until they reached the ears of Jean Bart, dashing French seaman, halt admiral and half pirate, who straightway saved "the" town, William was wrathful, but not un: reasonable and Marlborough wa: disgraced and dismissed from his command.
Everybody thought that the countess as she was then, would be dearest treasures.
The duchess was slow dying—' like Charles If, who apologized to his courtiers for his unconscionable delay, she never lost contro! of her mind and used to dictate six hours daily from her bed to her biographer. A fierce, dominant spirit to the lust, she defied even her doctors. "I won't be blistered, and I won't die," she cried when that form of tre was recommended to her, nor did she die until several days later, when she passed away on October 6, 1744, two years after the dear 13 ber cos
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.