The Washington herald., 1911-02-14
Some Ancient Peerages in Great Britain

have passed them but for the talisman
Of his peerage. Among the family gifts
was the mastership of St Cross Hos
pital. in connection with which the
founder had provided for thirteen poor
and needy men within the walls and 100
poor men without, any balance remain
ing to go to others OF the poor. The
reverend earl" to save all trouble.
after making narrow provision for those
specified, put the balance into his pocket
SO great was the increment OF value that
before the courts of law interfered he
had netted 10000. As recently as the
year 1888 public opinion forced the in
terpositiOn of the Rolls Court.
According to the principle Of heredity,
by which "Amurath succeeds to ANU
rath'' in the House of Lords. the British
army of to-day should be commanded BY
the Duke of Marlborough Perhaps. to
be just, the Duke of Wellington should
be joint controller. Logically, one can
not limit the principle. II the eldest son
Of peer succeeds to the estate and the
legislative functions of his father, by
equal rights he should become heritor
of his business. However. that fence is
SHE'D at, and the heirs of the conquerors
of Blenheim and Waterloo to-day walk
the paths of peace, not to say of medi-
ocrity. The Duke Of wellington. con-
tent to enjoy the tenancy of Apsley
House and Strathfieldsaye. with rental
exceeding G31,OOO. plus a pension of
$4,000 granted by Parliament to the
great duke, takes no part in public life
He may be counted upon for a vote
VIXEN the backswoods-nen are whipped
up to give the Commons a lesson; other
wise he is a rare visitor to the IegisIa-
tive chamber and still more rarely dis
turbs its stiffness by articulate speech.
The Duke of Marlborough rather fancjes
himself as a statesman and is not in
disposed to give the house and the coun-
try the advantage of his counsel Shortly
after he succeeded to the dukedom he
married a rich American heireSs, Con-
suelo Vanderbilt, of New York, whose
dover relieved Blenheim from some of
the effects of the extravagances OF his
father. England thinks gratefully of the
first Duke of Marlborough as the soldier,
who in a perilous moment saved the
state. His personal history was akin to
first Duke of Marlborough as the soldier
mentioned, and others too numerous to
name.
Macaulay. who had a caustic habit of
describing a man in one sentence pre-
sents John Churchill, first Duke of Marl-
borough, as "a man who owed his rise
to his sisters dishonor." The sister was
Arabella, mistress of the Duke of York,
brother to Charles IL Not to be out of
the family business, Churchill paid court
to Barbara Palmer, whom Charles Gre
ated Duchess OF Cleveland. She paid him
not only in love, but in money.
The Duke of York, later King James II,
being head of the army, looked after
Arabella's brother. who made rapid ad-
vance. This patronage was rewarded by
Churchill taking a leading part in the
plot that exfled King James II and
brought to the throne William of Orange
In turn. Churchill plotted against William,
paying court to Anne, who, when she be
came Queen. made him a duke, with a
pension of e5.O00 year. This he supple
mented by income received from army
contractors and a percentage on the pay
of foreign troops. The scandal leaking
out, the House OF Commons passed a vote
OF censure on the duke, and process was
taken under direction of the attorney gen.
eral to recapture the plunder- The effort
was not more successful in degree than
was the analogous one in the case of the
Rev Earr' of North. Still. as the old
man more than once remarked to little
Peterkin, "Blenheim was a glorious VIC
toryf' FLANEUR.
scQuugtt III - Mecu1a ss~s1sp~ ssndiczsAl