St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-25
GLENhE!M'S DUCHESS.
Not Beautiful Lily Hamersley,
But the Famous Castles
First Mistress.
Sarah Jennings, Who Shared
Handsome Jack Church
ills Ducal Title.
Through the Great Dukes
Glory and His Downfall
She was Faithful.
Kneller Painted Her, Con-
greve Loved Her, Queen
Anne 0bayed Her.

pail shadows its cumbrOus magnlfl-
cence. Perhaps, says the New York
Press, the spirit OF Sarah Jennings, first
Duchess of Marlborough. is watching
curiously the American duchess, mourn
ing for the dead duke, eighth in descent
from Sarah'S own illustrious husband.
This ghoStly scrutiny should be kindly.
Has not the beautiful American dame
shown gracious yet humble apprecia-
ton if her own elevation, raised as she
has been to the rank of Queen Anne'S
Whilom favorite? Duchess Sarah her
self would never have expended her
wealth in repairing the ravages Of time
and weather upon her splendid palace,
but she would have taken great care
that it should be done by others. The
American duchess wealth has been
lavished in rehabilitation OF the
grandeur of Blenheim in manner that
she knew would have seemed generous
to Saran, but nevertheless quite proper.
Two women of Woodstock.
Duchess Sarah, Duchess Lily! The
one a beauty of the Restoration. the
other a modern belle of the chief city of
the land to which Charles Ii. sent recall
citrant mobiles and commonerS. When
Sir John Vanbrugh built Blenheim pal
ace he may have thought in all idle mo-
ment of the grand danes that would
fill its salons. He was man of imagl-
nation, and he wrote plays III which ap-
pear some charming feminine concep-
tons, though it must be added that they
are rather free of speech. 1t is hardly
possible that even his genius could have
conceived in that day of the good Queen
Anne presence so beautiful and
gracious as that of her present grace OF
Marlborough. But Sir John had the
Duchess Sarah before his eyes; he soon
knew her intimately, and if he had Ell
Shrined her in mimic life in one of his
witty comedies it is not at all likely
that we should have altogether admired
her. Nobody loved the first Duchess
of Marlborough but her husband, it
was often said, in her own time. She
had all uncertain temper. The Duchess
Lily's suave grace is a jewel the first
duchess did not possess. The stirring
times in which she lived may have
strained the Duchess Sarah's nerves
unduly. Her grace of today has
beautiful face, regular and Roman in
its type. Duchess Sarah'S face was
nounced, and in the delicate, slightly
upturned nose there was a foreboding
of sudden, unannOunced turns of mood.
Duchess Sarah loved to rule, and, doubt
less, so does the present duchess. Un-
fortunately her opportunities are not
equal to those which the time offered to
Sarah Jennings. When Anne was only
princess she felt the force OF Sarah'S
will and surrendered, and only when
another woman came to her rescue did
she regain her freedom. The first Duke
OF Marlborough neZer regained his after
he welded his wife.
what the Walls of Bleniieim Tell.
Duchess Sarah saw some strange
things in her youth, and in womanhood
she knew and influenced not few men
of genius. 1t may be taken as a fact
that Duchess Lily wandering through
Blenheim palace has often cast wonder
ing glanceS at the noble portraits of men
and women that their husbands ances-
tress knew as familiars, whose names
even now conJure up historical pictures
of the deepest interest. Not less inter
esting would be the expression Of this
American Woman'S opinion of them all.
She has lived amid the scenes where
their life was spent, and the walls of
their mlrth and wit. Sarah Jen-
nings had a sister, Frances, one of
that matchless bevy of beauties of the
Restoration whose spirit was as free as
air and whose actions no dull motives
of morality restrained. Such a constel-
lation demanded an historian with a
feeling akin to theirs, and one was ready
at hand. Later he became the brother
in-laW of the lovely Frances Jennings,
but not before he had placed her in his
gallery OF portraits. In these days
wit even would scarcely hint such tales
of his brothers. wife as Count Anthony
Hamilton gave of Frances Jennings.
One of her companions was Arabella
Churchill, quite as beautiful as herself,
and afterWard the mother of duke of
some fame. ArabelIa was the sister of
John Churchill, first Duke of MarlbOr-
ough, and, as has been scandalously
whispered, the first stepping stone to
his renOwn. Through her also it is pos
sible he first met his wife. Arabella
was maid of honor to the Duchess OF
York, Earl Clarendon's daughter, and
James Stuart, Duke of York, though
devout, looked with favor upon beauti-
full maids Of honor no less than did his
brother, Charles of England. Thus it
tector and not long after John Churchill
had commission. This is part of the
story that the portraits on the walls of
Blenheim palace tell without words,
1t may be, some dull hours OF
the American duchess life. Perhaps
there is tradition in Woodstock of the
first meeting of John Churchill and
Sarah Jennings, and her grace, Lily
Churchill, may have heard it, but history
has been silent about it.
Her Husband Her Lover
They were married quite as quietly
as the American Duchess and her late
husband; indeed, so quietly that the
record OF the marriage has never been
found. But for more than forty years
through the dukes proba-
ton. his glory and fall, they lived as
fond lovers, neither scandal nor base
intrigue separating them. The duke
was diplomat and warrior; he was a
thrifty, even close man, but TO his wife
he was only the generous cOurtier each
day when he was with her, winning her
favor by PC ntle words and quick sub
mission, and when absent writing her
the most loving letters. She repaid him
with devotion to his interests, moving
heaven and earth for his advancement.
but ever keeping the whip hand upon
him. Would 1t be mere curiosity
to ask. did the Duchess Lilly take her as
her model in her life with the late duke?
There was no devoutness about the
Duchess Sarah, quality in which the
present duchess is said to be redundant.
She was beautiful. but passion held no
sway over her, and the innumerable
love intrigues OF the tine seem never to
have touched her. Looking at her lovely