ice cider from the orchards round the Malvern Hills
made its appearance in company with the Champagne and the Burgundy.

Portland was welcomed by his master with all the kindness of old times.
But that kindness availed nothing. For Albemarle was still in the royal
household, and appeared to have been, during the last few months, making
progress in the royal favour. Portland was angry, and the more angry
because he could not but perceive that his enemies enjoyed his anger,
and that even his friends generally thought it unreasonable; nor did he
take any pains to conceal his vexation. But he was the very opposite
of the vulgar crowd of courtiers who fawn on a master while they betray
him. He neither disguised his ill humour, nor suffered it to interfere
with the discharge of his duties. He gave his prince sullen looks, short
answers, and faithful and strenuous services. His first wish, he said,
was to retire altogether from public life. But he was sensible that,
having borne a chief part in the negotiation on which the fate of Europe
depended, he might be of use at Loo; and, with devoted loyalty, though
with a sore heart and a gloomy brow, he prepared to attend William
thither.

Before the King departed he delegated his power to nine Lords Justices.
The public was well pleased to find that Sunderland was not among them.
Two new names appeared in the list. That of Montague could excite no
surprise. But that of Marlborough awakened many recollections and gave
occasion to many speculations. He had once enjoyed a large measure of
royal favour. He had then been dismissed, disgraced, imprisoned. The
Princess Anne, for refusing to discard his wife, had been turned out of
the palace, and deprived of the honours which had often been enjoyed
by persons less near to the throne. Ministers who were supposed to have
great influence in the closet had vainly tried to overcome the dislike
with which their master regarded the Churchills. It was not till he had
been some time reconciled to his sister in law that he ceased to regard
her two favourite servants as his enemies. So late as the year 1696
he had been heard to say, "If I had been a private gentleman, my Lord
Marlborough and I must have measured swords." All these things were now,
it seemed, forgotten. The Duke of Gloucester's household had just been
arranged. As he was not yet nine years old, and the civil list was
burdened with a heavy debt, fifteen thousand pounds was thought for