The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-07-03
Duchess Of. Marlborough.

NArah Jennings. Duchess OF MafloOf-
ough. Not onlv was she beautiful, but
witty and yivacious. Her conversatior
was interesting, and q vein of keen but
delicate satire often gave Diquancy to
her remarks The fascinating Frances
was but sixteen when she Irst appeared
at the Court Of the Duchess of York.
J crowd of adorers was soon signing at
her feet James himself being amongst
the most ardent of worshipers at the
shrine Of the new divinity. Unavailing,
however, We're his signs and his lam
gushing airs to win her smiles and good
graees and the prohigate bigot was soon
made to comprehend that, though en-
gagged in the service Of his duchess, ia
belle jennings was not at all disposed
to engage in his. Her conduct occasloned
unspeakable astonishment III Charles
licentious Court 4 young girl who was
both beautiful and ylrtuous was there
phenomenon, and the king thought 1t
something SO novel, SO piquant, tnat he
had a fancy to attempt to prevail where
his brothers powers of seduction had
failed. After the dukes death the dueh-
ess lived in great secl,lsion at larlbor-
ough House, which she held by a lease
of fifty wears from the crown. Within
the first wear and half of her widow
hood she had offers Of marriage from
Lord Conngsbv and the Duke of Som
erset the latter was persistent, saying
he had admired her for years She was
then sixtv-two but still very handsome.
Her beautiful hair was unchanged in
color, which she attributed to her con.
slant use Of honey-water She, however,
very properly replied TO her suitors that
she was too old to marry again. Were
l." she said to the Duke of Somerset,
"but thirty instead Of past sixty, | would
not consent that an emperor should sue
ceea to a place in my heart, which was
wholly given to the Duke Of Marlbor-
ourh.h She survived all her children
except the younge.t-the Duchess OF
Montague and lived on untroubled by
the infirmities incidental to old age until
l7ll. when she was taken i'll, and so Sc
riouslv that she believed death TO be
near at hand. But she recovered, and
survived three years longer; her death
occurring on the 29th Of October, l144,
! in her cightv-tifth year odd Marlbor-
ough is diving said Horace Walpsle, q
! few davs before her death occurred ,
'hut who can tell?-last year when she
/ had lain great while without speaking,
the physician said "She must be blls-
] tered or She will die she called out,
II won't be hlistered, and | won't die. :
She. however, did not fear death. She
said ",here was one great happiness II
diving. that one would never hear more
If ANYTHING that was done III this world.
Lady Nortlev Montague and the Count
css Of Bufe often spent their mornings
with her. She herself had quite given
up going into society. in which she had
never taken delight, 50 absorbed had she
been by affairs of state. Her interest II
polities remained In her boroughs Of
i Woodstock and st. Albans she put whom
.he pleased. Sir Robert Walpole, and
queen Caroline we're the chief object,
IL her political hate and inyeetlse. Of
the former She writes: Ills though
wrong tovish anybody dead; but | hops
! lis none to wish he may be hanged fo1
| having brought to ruin - great coun
try asthis.'