f Woking, county
Surrey; the manor and advowson of Chobham, the hundred of Blackheath and
Wootton, the manor of Bagshot (except the park, site of the manor and
manor-house, and the Bailiwick, and the office of the Bailiwick, called
Surrey Bailiwick, otherwise Bagshot Bailiwick), and the advowson of
Bisley, all in the same county."

Her wealth, the more notable at a time when the king was in debt, and
the nation impoverished from expenditure necessary to warfare, was
enormous. Andrew Marvell, writing in August, 1671, states: "Lord St.
John, Sir R. Howard, Sir John Bennet, and Sir W. Bicknell, the brewer,
have farmed the customs. They have signed and sealed ten thousand pounds
a year more to the Duchess of Cleveland; who has likewise near ten
thousand pounds a year out of the new farm of the country excise of Beer
and Ale; five thousand pounds a year out of the Post Office; and they
say, the reversion of all the King's Leases, the reversion of places all
in the Custom House, the green wax, and indeed what not? All promotions
spiritual and temporal pass under her cognizance."

CHAPTER XV.

Louise de Querouaille.--The Triple Alliance.--Louise is created Duchess
of Portsmouth.--Her grace and the impudent comedian.--Madam Ellen moves
in society.--The young Duke of St. Albans.--Strange story of the
Duchess of Mazarine.--Entertaining the wits at Chelsea.--Luxurious
suppers.--Profligacy and wit.

The Duchess of Cleveland having shared the fate common to court
favourites, her place in the royal affections was speedily filled by
a mistress whose influence was even more baneful to the king, and more
pernicious to the nation. This woman was Louise de Querouaille, the
descendant of a noble family in Lower Brittany. At an early age she had
been appointed maid of honour to Henrietta, youngest sister of Charles
II., soon after the marriage of that princess, in 1661, with the Duke
of Orleans, brother to Louis XIV. Fate decreed that Mademoiselle de
Querouaille should be brought into England by means of a political
movement; love ordained she should reign mistress of the king's
affections.

It happened in January, 1668, that a Triple Alliance had been signed at
the Hague, which engaged England, Sweden, and the United Provinces to
join in defending Spain against the power of France. A secret treaty
in this agreement furthermore bound the allies to check the ambition of
Louis XIV., and, if possible, reduce his encroaching