The year 1706 is celebrated in the annals of Antigua as that in which that abominable and atrocious governor, Daniel Parke, arrived to blast for a time with his unhallowed breath this beautiful little island. Parke was an American of rather low birth, a tobacco-planter in the state of Virginia, but who succeeded in marrying a lady of good fortune, and of a respectable family in that province. As money was the only thing he cared for in this alliance, he contrived to secure that, and then left his wife a prey to sorrow and regret, for having sacrificed her peace for a handsome but unworthy man. After acting in this inhuman manner to a woman whose only fault was her love for him, Parke proceeded to one of the northern states, where he committed a crime at a gaming-table, which obliged him to fly to England to escape the punishment so justly due. Here he purchased an estate, situated near Whitchurch, county of Hants, of about 500l. a year, and got himself returned member for that borough. He was, however, expelled the House for bribery, and ordered to be prosecuted, but through the interference of the Earl of Pembroke, he eluded his trial. His next action was to form a _liaison_ with a lady, the wife of a captain in the Guards; and, to escape the vengeance of the incensed husband, he left England, and fled into Holland, where he entered into the army as a volunteer, under the celebrated John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. The Duke of Marlborough appears to have been caught with Mr. Parke’s insinuating manners and agreeable person, and made him one of his aides-de-camp at the battle of Hochet; but having had a quarrel with an officer in the Queen’s Guards, Parke quitted the service a few days previous to the memorable battle of Blenheim. He still, however, remained within the precincts of the camp until the very day when that decisive action was fought; and when victory was about to be declared for the allied army, he presented himself before Marlborough, and requested that he might be the bearer of a line or two to acquaint the Queen of the glorious conquest likely to be achieved. The brave General reined up his panting war-horse, and with a heart bounding with exultation, and a face flushed with expected success, wrote, with a lead pencil, the following brief and soldier-like billet to his duchess:— August 13, 1704. “I have not time to say more, than to beg of you to present my duty to the Queen, and let her majesty know that her army has had a glorious victory. Monsieur Tallard and two other generals are in my court, and I am following the rest. The bearer, my aide-de-camp, Colonel Parke, will give her majesty an account of what has passed; I shall do it in a day or two, by another, more at large. “Marlborough.”