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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
Among the shadowy figures that make up the circle of Congreve's most intimate friends, Henrietta, Duchess of Marlborough, seems to have suffered most from the gossip of her own age and from the more detached but still biassed estimates of later critics. Not one of her contemporaries spoke a really decisive word in her favor; and the biographers of Congreve have preferred to dismiss her as an amusing eccentric. But one critic, Leigh Hunt, has cared to linger over this minor portrait, commenting on “the slow yet sensitive mind” of the Duchess and concluding that she loved Congreve “with all the heart she had, and a great deal of obstinacy.”
1 I am indebted to the American Council of Learned Societies for the grant which enabled me to collect material for this essay. The writing of the essay was made possible through the courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Marlborough, who generously permitted me to make use of the private papers in Blenheim Palace.
2 The Dramatic Works of Wycherley, Congreve, Vanbrugh, and Farquhar, ed. Leigh Hunt (London, 1849), p. xxvii.
3 In the sketch of Philomede in Epistle II of the Moral Essays, Pope may have had Henrietta in mind. At least one detail of the portrait, however, fails to support this assumption. See The Works of Alexander Pope, ed. Elwin and Courthope (London, 1871–86), iii, 100.
4 Pope, Works, vii, 422.
5 Ibid., 75–76.
6 The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Worthy Montagu, ed. Lord Wharncliffe (London, 1893), i, 484. One of Henrietta's gestures of civility is illustrated in the following note (preserved among Lady Mary's unpublished manuscripts): “I am sure you won't dislike to have Mr. Congreve to-morrow if you can get him, for he is like all good things, hard to come at, and tho' I shan't add to your company, I have wit enough not to spoyle it, which you must allow as being tolerable. What hour would you have me come?” See George Paston [Emily Morse Symonds], Lady Mary Worthy Montagu and Her Times (London, 1907), p. 310.
7 The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Worthy Montagu, op. cit., i, 472.
8 Historical Manuscripts Commission, Fifteenth Report, Appendix, Part vi (London, 1897), 56–57.
9 Walpole, Reminiscences, ed. Toynbee (Oxford, 1924), p. 87. John Taylor in Records of My Life (London, 1832), I, 76, declares that Sarah never mentioned her daughter “but by the name of Moll Congreve.”
10 Spence, Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters, of Books and Men, ed. Singer (London, 1820), p. 376.
11 The Female Faction: or, The Gay Subscribers. A Poem (London [1729]), p. 5.
12 The Amorous D[uc]h[e]ss Or, Her G[race] Grateful (London, 1733), p. 8. The author asserts (p. 5) that a paragraph which had appeared in The Daily Post inspired his verses. The Daily Post, July 15, 1732, states: “We hear that the Effigies of the late ingenious William Congreve, Esq; done in Waxwork, at the Expence of 200 l and which was kept at a Person of Quality's House in St. James's, was broke to Pieces by the Carelessness of a Servant in bringing it down Stairs last Monday night.”
13 Cibber, The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (London, 1753), iv, 92.
14 Davies, Dramatic Miscellanies (London, 1783–84), iii, 382.
15 Kippis, Biographia Britannica (London, 1778–93), iv, 79n.
16 Leigh Hunt, op. cit., p. xxvi.
17 See Letters To and From Henrietta [Howard], Countess of Suffolk, and Her Second Husband, The Hon. George Berkeley; From 1712 to 1767 (London, 1824), I, 330–331.
18 Add. MSS. 22,628, f. 87.
19 Add. MSS. 22,627, ff. 59–60. In her reply (f. 61) Mrs. Howard urges a reconciliation.
20 Add. MSS. 20,104, ff. 68–69.
21 Add. MSS. 15,949, ff. 73–74.
22 In 1698, at the age of seventeen, Henrietta married Francis Godolphin, who became Viscount Rialton in 1706 and second Earl of Godolphin in 1712.
23 Add. MSS. 15,949, f. 65.
24 With two exceptions, which are indicated in footnotes, Henrietta's letters to her mother are in packet E. 6, Blenheim MSS.
26 For example, Sarah did not keep a letter concerning which she writes Lord Godolphin as follows (November 12, 1724): “I sent your Lordship a Copy of her Last letter to me which you were not pleased to take any notice of. she seems to think she is injured as to her fortune and that you are of the same oppinion, but I can't believe that.” See Blenheim MSS. E. 21.
26a An account of the Dutches of marl. & montagus behaviour before & after their fathers death, Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 7.
27 Blenheim MSS. E. 6.
28 In a postscript to the first letter, Henrietta announces: “The Princess is just come to Berkeley house and sent for us where we are now going.” Princess Anne and the Prince of Denmark moved to Berkeley House in the summer of 1692. The last letter in this group was written on the day (October 24, 1701) when Robert Spencer, second son of Henrietta's sister Anne, Countess of Sunderland, was born.
29 Stuart J. Reid, who examined these manuscripts when he catalogued the Blenheim papers, remarks that in one of her letters “Henrietta tells her mother that she is prepared to ‘go cheerfully to my martyrdom,‘ which is scarcely a pleasing allusion to the fact that the Duchess had expressed a desire to see her.” But since the phrase in question occurs in a translated letter, it cannot refer to Sarah. See Reid, John and Sarah Duke and Duchess of Marlborough (London, 1915), p. 420.
30 The order of events is indicated by Sarah in An account of the Dutches of marl. & montagus behaviour before & after their fathers death, f. 38.
31 Blenheim MSS. E. 7.
32 See Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, ff. 63–66.
33 Lady Ross was Henrietta's cousin, the daughter of Sarah's elder sister Frances, Lady Hamilton (who later became Duchess of Tyrconnel), and the wife of Viscount Ross.
34 Blenheim MSS. FI. 33.
35 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 1.
36 In the letters of Sidney, Earl of Godolphin, to Sarah there are many affectionate references to his daughter-in-law. When Henrietta was ill of the smallpox, he wrote of her (Blenheim MSS. E. 20): “I have just now near three, been kneeling by dear Ldy Harryett's bed side, and I find her pulse much slower, & not so Low as it was yesterday … She has not yett been told, she has the small pox, nor does she seem to suspect it, and if she did, I don't think she wd bee much afrayd.”
37 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, ff. 36–37.
38 Ibid., f. 38.
39 Sarah's children and grandchildren perhaps grew weary of having her force upon them, when they lacked physical energy to object, such medicines as Russia Castor, liquorice and rhubarb, Dr. Lewis' bitter drink, and Sir Walter Raleigh's cordial.
40 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 40.
41 The original texts of this letter and the letter about the children's tea party have not been preserved.
42 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 42.
43 Ibid., ff. 61–62.
44 In a letter to Sarah, written on June 24, 1703, the Duke remarks (Blenheim MSS. E. 2): “Upon your saying some thing to mee in one of your letters, of the Company 53 [Lady Harriet] keeps I write to her of my self, not taking any notice of what you had urged, that she Cou'd never find any lasting happyness in this world, but from the kindness of 27 [Mr Godolphin] soe that she ought to omit nothing that might oblige him, you must not aske her for this letter, but I shou'd be glad to know if it has had any effect, for I love her, and think her very good, soe that I shou'd hope if she Comits indiscresions, it is for want of thinking.”
45 Blenheim MSS, FI. 35, f. 70.
46 Ibid., f. 74.
47 Ibid., f. 59.
48 Ibid., f. 90.
49 Ibid., f. 95.
50 Ibid., f. 101.
51 Blenheim MSS. GI. 17.
52 See note 25.
53 The Complete Works of Sir John Vanbrugh, ed. Bonamy Dobrée and Geoffrey Webb (London, 1928), iv, 148–149.
54 Sarah had a warm regard for Dr. Hare, who had been the tutor of her son John, Marquis of Blandford.
55 Henrietta stated in her will that “it is my desire and express Will that my Body be not at any time hereafter or on any pretence what soever carried to Blenham.” See Add. MSS. 28,071, f. 35.
56 Add. MSS. 9120, f. 105.
57 Letters To and From Henrietta [Howard], Countess of Suffolk, and Her Second Husband, The Hon. George Berkeley, op. cit., ii, 83.
58 Add. MSS. 33,080, f. 282.
59 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 66.
60 Blenheim MSS. E. 8.
61 Blenheim MSS. E. 21.
62 Blenheim MSS. E. 22.
63 Blenheim MSS. E. 24.
64 Add. MSS. 33,079, f. 1.
65 Ibid., f. 3.
66 Ibid., ff. 17–19.
67 Blenheim MSS. E. 23.
68 Add. MSS. 28,052, f. 293.
69 Ibid., ff. 295–296.
70 James, first Earl Waldegrave, was sent as ambassador extraordinary in 1725.
71 One evidence of the Duchess of Newcastle's attitude towards her mother is afforded by the following item in The Daily Post, November 25, 1723: “On Saturday Night last, the young Dutchess of Marlborough was brought to Bed of a Daughter. A Messenger being sent Express with the News to her Daughter the Dutchess of Newcastle at Clermont, was handsomly gratify'd by her Grace, who came to Town immediately to attend her Mother on that Occasion.”
72 Blenheim MSS. E. 9.
73 Blenheim MSS. FI. 35, f. 49.
74 Add. MSS. 28,052, f. 286.
75 Add. MSS. 28,071, ff. 34–39.
76 Correspondence Between Frances, Countess of Hartford, (Afterwards Duchess of Somerset,) and Henrietta Louisa, Countess of Pomfret, Between the Years 1738 and 1741 (London, 1806), ii, 127–128.
77 Add. MSS. 33,081.
78 Add. MSS. 33,067, f. 372.
79 Ibid., f. 378.