of eating this vegetable, which was to devour the whole of the stalks. Swift insisted on all his guests practising the same refined royal method, when, in after-life, he became dean of St. Patrick's; but more out of satire on the "glorious memory," and to vex its Irish adorers, than for any sincere admiration of this Dutch custom.1 1 Sir Walter Scott's Life of Swift. MARY II. QUEEN REGNANT OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. CHAPTER X. Gossip of the court-Anecdotes of Mary II.-Her attention to her nephew— Princess Anne's arrangements for him-His vicinity to the queen at Campden House Often visits her majesty-Their conversations, &c. &c. -Departure of the king-Queen founds Greenwich Hospital—Anecdotes of the queen and her nephew-Disasters in the queen's government-Return of the king-Archbishop Tillotson struck with death in the queen's presence -Queen's observations regarding Dr. Hooper-Queen appoints Dr. Tennison archbishop-Lord Jersey's remonstrance-Her reply-Queen taken ill at Kensington-Sits up to destroy papers-Fluctuations in her disorderProceedings of her sister-Queen's illness proves small-pox—Her danger— Anguish of the king-Princess Anne sends lady Fitzharding with message to the queen-Queen's sufferings from erysipelas-Her life despaired of— Preparations for death-Delirious fancies-Dangerous state of the kingDeath of Mary II.-Great seal broken-News of her death carried to St. Germains, by a priest-Conduct of her father, and his remarks on her death-Letter she left for her husband-Duke of Devonshire's verses on her death-Burnet's eulogy-Lord Cutts' elegy, &c.—Jacobite epigrams on the queen-Sermons, funeral, and wax statue in Westminster Abbey— Anecdotes in her praise-Burnet's panegyrical epitaph. THE new prime minister, destined to be president of the queen's council when she again reigned alone, was Charles Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, who had been permitted to take his seat as premier earl of England, on a very doubtful renunciation of the Roman-catholic religion, in which he had been educated. Scandal feigned that he was the object of queen Mary's passionate affection. This gossip arose from the reports of "one Jack Howe," her dismissed vicechamberlain, who was, in 1693-94, purveyor of scandal to the princess Anne's inimical little court. Lord-chamberlains and vice-chamberlains have always been very formidable personages, as connected with slander in regard to queens, either as the subjects of gossip tales, or the inventors of them. There is a story afloat concerning the successor of this Jack Howe. Queen Mary did not often indulge in badinage or playfulness; once, however, she forgot her caution, and gave rise to an anecdote, the tradition of which was handed down to Horace Walpole. One day the queen asked her ladies, "What was meant by a squeeze of the hand?" They answered, "Love." "Then," said the queen, laughing, "vice-chamberlain Smith must be in love with me, for he squeezes my hand very hard." Among many other circumstances, which contradict the report that queen Mary bestowed any undue partiality on lord Shrewsbury, is the undoubted fact, that the vacillations of that nobleman regarding his acceptation of office, were settled by the negotiations of her husband's female favourite, and Mrs. Lundee, a woman dishonourably connected with Shrewsbury.' Thus was the appointment of a prime minister of England arranged in a manner equally disgraceful to king William and to himself. Shrewsbury's political intrigues with a woman deservedly abhorred by the queen, were not likely to recommend him to her majesty. Neither is the description of lord Shrewsbury as "a charming man wanting one eye," very attractive. The young heir of England, at this period, began to occupy the attention of his aunt the queen, in a greater degree than heretofore. The princess Anne continued to reside at Berkeley House, as her town residence, while her boy usually inhabited Campden House, close to Kensington Palace. The princess had suites of apartments at Campden House for her own use, therefore it is evident that she 1 Coxe's Correspondence of the duke of Shrewsbury. See the Letters to and from Mrs. Villiers and Mrs. Lundee, p. 18 to 30. occasionally resided with her son,' although the entrée at Kensington Palace, open to him, was for ever barred to her. All the provisions for his table were sent daily from Berkeley House; these consisted of plain joints of meat, to which an apple-pie was added as dessert, but he was never permitted to eat confectionary. The predilection all young children take for the glitter and clatter of military movements, was eagerly fostered by his attendants, as an early indication of love of war, and to cultivate this virtuous propensity to the height, he was indulged with warlike toys in profusion, miniature cannon, swords, and trumpets, and, more than all, with a little regiment of urchins about his own age. The princess Anne, finding her son afflicted with the ague in 1694, sent for Mr. Sentiman, an apothecary, and required him "to give her a prescription approved of by her uncle Charles II.," for her royal highness said, "it cured every kind of ague." Mr. Sentiman had the recipe for the nostrum, which was a mixture of brandy and saffron; it made the poor child excessively ill, but did not cure him. Her royal highness had a great ambition to have her young son elected a knight of the garter, and soon afterwards sent him to visit the queen and king William with a blue band passed over his shoulder, to put them in mind that there was a blue ribbon vacant by the death of the duke of Hamilton. Queen Mary received her young visitor, but did not take the hint respecting the coveted garter, which she gave the duke of Shrewsbury as a reward for having, after much political coquetry, agreed to become her secretary of state. The queen bestowed on her little 1 This is gathered from the tract full of puerilities written by Lewis Jenkins, a Welsh usher to the little duke's chamber. The usher's memoir has, however, thrown light on the residence and daily life of queen Mary and her sister, for which it is vain to search biography or history. The localities of this narrative of small facts are often quoted, as in the bed-chamber, cabinet, or sitting-room of the princess Anne, at Campden House; likewise, that she resided at Berkeley House, until she took possession of St. James's Palace. nephew a gift much more consonant to his years; this was a beautiful bird, but it appears that the child had been rendered, either by his mother or his governess, expectant and ambitious of the blue ribbon; he therefore rejected the bird, and very calmly said, "that he would not rob her majesty of it." The poor little prince was evidently afflicted with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, a complaint that often carries to the grave whole families of promising infants. Such was, no doubt, the disease that desolated the nursery of the princess Anne; very little was known regarding it by the faculty at that period. The symptoms are clearly traced, by the duke's attendant, Lewis Jenkins, who says, "The duke of Gloucester's head was very long and large, insomuch that his hat was big enough for most men, which made it difficult to fit his head with a peruke;" a peruke for an infant born in July, 1689 !—it was then only Easter, 1694! The unfortunate child with this enormous head, is nevertheless described in glowing terms by his flattering attendant. After lamenting the difficulties of fitting the poor babe with a periwig, because the doctors kept a blister in the nape of his neck, he continues,' "The face of the young duke of Gloucester was oval, and usually glowed with a fresh colour, his body easy, his arms finely hung, his chest full, his legs proportionable to his body, made him appear very charming; turning out his toes as if he had really been taught to do so. I measured him, and found his height was three feet four inches. Although he was active and lively, yet he could not go up and down stairs without help, nor raise himself when down." How any child could be active and lively, in such a pitiable state, passes the comprehension of every one but Lewis Jenkins? "People concluded it was occasioned by the over care of the ladies. The prince of Denmark, who was a very good-natured pleasant man, would often rally them 1 Lewis Jenkins' Memoirs of the duke of Gloucester, p. 12. |