fying sight
to see her at table. The duke, on the contrary, being incessantly in the
hurry of new fancies, exhausted himself by his inconstancy, and was
gradually wasting away; whilst the poor princess, gratifying her good
appetite, grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her.
It is not easy to determine how long things would have continued in this
situation, if Love, who was resolved to have satisfaction for her late
conduct, so opposite to the former, had not employed artifice as well as
force, to disturb her repose.

He at first let loose upon her resentment and jealousy two mortal enemies
to all tranquillity and happiness. A tall creature, pale-faced, and
nothing but skin and bone, named Churchill, whom she had taken for a maid
of honour, became the object of her jealousy, because she was then the
object of the duke's affection. The court was not able to comprehend
how, after having been in love with Lady Chesterfield, Miss Hamilton, and
Miss Jennings, he could have any inclination for such a creature; but
they soon perceived that something more than unaccountable variety had a
great share in effecting this conquest.

[Miss Arabella Churchill, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill of
Wotton Basset, in the county of Wilts, and sister to the celebrated
John, Duke of Marlborough. She was born 1648.]

The duchess beheld with indignation a choice which seemed to debase her
own merit in a much greater degree than any of the former; at the very
instant that indignation and jealousy began to provoke her spleen,
perfidious Cupid threw in the way of her passions and resentments the
amiable, handsome Sidney; and, whilst he kept her eyes fixed upon his
personal perfections, diverted her attention from perceiving the
deficiency of his mental accomplishments: she was wounded before she was
aware of her danger; but the good opinion Sidney had of his own merit did
not suffer him long to be ignorant of such a glorious conquest; and, in
order more effectually to secure it, his eyes rashly answered everything
which those of her royal highness had the kindness to tell him, whilst
his personal accomplishments were carefully heightened by all the
advantages of dress and show.

The duchess, foreseeing the consequences of such an engagement, strongly
combated the inclination that hurried her away; but Miss Hobart, siding
with that inclination, argued the matter with her scruples, and, in the
end, really vanquished them