a firm refusal to deviate from those principles which had
occasioned his exile, or to approve of the Peace of Utrecht, or to
abandon his desire for the Hanoverian succession. Distrusting the
sincerity of Harley's pretended exertions, he resolutely refused to hold
intercourse with a Minister of whose hollowness he had already received
many proofs. Nor was the Duchess less determined never to pardon the
injuries which she conceived herself and her husband to have sustained
from Harley. All offers of his aid, all attempts to lend to him the
influence which Marlborough's military and personal character still
commanded, were absolutely rejected.

At the Court of Hanover, the Duke and Duchess saw, as it were, reflected
the cabals of their native country. Little, indeed, that was reassuring
reached them in their foreign retreat, relative to public affairs. The
existing policy of Anne's Ministers seemed likely to destroy all that
his labours had effected during a long life of toil and danger; and the
sacrifice of thousands of lives had gained no advantage which the malice
of his enemies could not undo. In short, the friendly relations which
were brought about between France and England threatened to change the
face of things altogether.

The result of the shrewd Duchess's experience of political life and
royal favour was embodied in the sound advice she gave her illustrious
husband on his return to England, shortly after the death of Anne, and
previous to the arrival of her successor, George I. "I begged of the
Duke upon my knees," relates the Duchess, "that he would never accept
any employment. I said everybody that liked the Revolution and the
security of the law had a great esteem for him, that he had a greater
fortune than he wanted, and that a man who had had such success, with
such an estate, would be of more use to any court than they could be to
him; that I would live civilly with them, if they were so to me, but
would never put it into the power of any King to use me ill. He was
entirely of this opinion, and determined to quit all, and serve them
only when he could act honestly and do his country service at the same
time."

Though the Duchess witnessed the triumph of the Whigs on their return to
power at the accession of George I., she was very far from possessing
the influence she had enjoyed during Anne's reign. Her feverish thirst
for political and courtly intrigues had returned upon her, despite so
many bitter