Agnes Strickland's Queens of England, Vol. 2. (of 3): Abridged and Fully IllustratedStrickland, Agnes
History
Agnes Strickland's Queens of England, Vol. 2. (of 3): Abridged and Fully Illustrated
Strickland, Agnes
Queens -- Great Britain -- Biography
But it must not be supposed that the union was brought into working
order without a struggle, for in the course of a few weeks Scotland was
almost in a state of open rebellion. It was the queen's policy to
extend mildness and mercy to all offenders, which was a great deal more
effective than shedding blood on the scaffold; for in a very little
while she was universally acknowledged as sovereign of both England and
Scotland.
Sixteen Scottish noblemen represented their country in parliament, and
there was a good deal of jealousy aroused on account of favors shown
them by her majesty. At her accession she had declared, "That her heart
was entirely English," and this sentence was inscribed on some of her
medals, so when she showed partiality to the Scotch an English satirist
wrote:--
"The queen has lately lost a part
Of her 'entirely English heart,'
For want of which by way of botch
She pieced it up again with Scotch."
For some reason, not necessary for us to inquire into, the Duke of
Hamilton was denied a seat in parliament; {461}and in order to console
him for the injury, Queen Anne consented to stand godmother in person to
his third son. She gave the child her own name, and from his infancy
he was called "Lord Anne." Some years later Lord Anne Hamilton was
celebrated as a valiant soldier.
To return to the palace dissensions. The Duchess of Marlborough became
at last furiously jealous of Abigail Hill, and probably opposed her
marriage, otherwise it would not have been managed so secretly as it
was. She was engaged to Samuel Masham, a page to the queen, and it
seems a very undignified proceeding for her majesty to have consented to
witness a secret marriage, in a remote part of her palace, between two
people who were not under obligations of duty to any one unless it was
herself. But such was really the arrangement, and only proves that all
parties stood in mortal terror of the duchess's wrath. How long this
union would have remained secret it is impossible to tell, had not the
queen thought proper to dower the bride from her own private purse,
and as soon as she demanded the sum she chose to present, of course the
watchful duchess set to work to find out to what purpose it was to be
put. She had began to suspect that there was a mystery, and it did not
take her more than a week to ferret it out. No sooner were her spies set
on the right track than they made another discovery that was forthwith
reported to the duchess with an accuracy and assiduity worthy of a
better cause. It was this: "That Mrs. Masham spent about two hours every
day with the queen in private, while the prince, who was a confirmed
invalid, took his afternoon nap."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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