In the course of the year which we have now reached, Queen Caroline communicated to Lord Hervey a fact, which is not so much evidence of her Majesty’s common-sense, as of the presumption and immorality of those who gave Caroline little credit for having even the sense which is so qualified. Lord Bolingbroke had married the Marchioness de Villette, niece of Madame de Maintenon, about the year 1716. The union, however, was not only kept secret for many years, but when Bolingbroke was under attainder, and a sum of 52,000_l._ belonging to his wife was in the hands of Decker, the banker, Lady Bolingbroke swore that she was not married to him, and so obtained possession of a sum which, being hers, was her husband’s, and which being her husband’s, who was attainted as a traitor, was forfeit to the Crown. However, as some of it went through the hands of poor Sophia Dorothea’s rival, the easy Duchess of Kendal, and her rapacious niece, Lady Walsingham, the matter was not enquired into. Subsequently Lady Bolingbroke attempted to excuse her husband’s alleged dealings with the Pretender, by asserting that he entered into them solely for the purpose of serving the Court of London. ‘That was, in short,’ said Caroline to Lord Hervey, ‘to betray the Pretender; for though Madame de Villette softened the word, she did not soften the thing, which I own,’ continued the Queen, ‘was a speech which had so much impudence and villainy mixed up in it, that I could never bear him or her from that hour, and could hardly hinder myself from saying to her--“And pray, madam, what security can the King have that my Lord Bolingbroke does not desire to come here with the same honest desire that he went to Rome? or that he swears that he is no longer a Jacobite, with any more truth than you have sworn you are not his wife?”’ The only wonder is, considering Caroline’s vivacious character, that she restrained herself from giving expression to her thoughts. She was eminently fond of ‘speaking daggers’ to those who merited such a gladiatorial visitation. CHAPTER V. THE MARRIAGE OF FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES. The Queen’s cleverness--Princess Augusta of Saxe Gotha, the selected bride of Prince Frederick--Spirited conduct of Miss Vane, the Prince’s mistress--The King anxious for a matrimonial alliance with the Court of Prussia--Prussian intrigue to prevent this--The Prussian _mandats_ for entrapping recruits--Quarrel, and challenge to duel, between King George and the Prussian monarch--The silly duel prevented--Arrival of the bride--The royal lovers--Disgraceful squabbles of the Princes and Princesses--The marriage--Brilliant assemblage in the bridal chamber--Lady Diana Spencer proposed as a match for the Prince--_Débût_ of Mr. Pitt, afterwards Lord Chatham, in the House of Commons--Riot of the footmen at Drury Lane Theatre--Ill-humour exhibited by the Prince towards the Queen.