Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/526

512 of the king were betrayed to the friends of James. In the account the duchess of Marlborough gives of her conduct, she says, "Soon after, a dreadful plot broke out, which was said to have been hid somewhere, I don't know where, in a flower-pot, and my lord Marlborough was sent to the Tower." He was, however, soon bailed, and the contrivance laid open, which forced king William to set him at liberty; though, from Dr. Somerviile's account of the reign of Queen Anne, it appears he was neither suspected without cause, nor that William had any real confidence in him. He, however, recommended him to Queen Anne, and during her reign he performed those actions which have rendered his name immortal, and remained in great favour with her till a new female favourite supplanted the duchess; but on his return in 1709, he began to suspect the change that took place; and when he came over the next year, though the queen was still polite towards him, he found her dislike towards the duchess so apparent, that seeing it could be no longer dissembled, on the 19th of January he carried the gold key, the ensign of his wife's dignity, to the queen, and surrendered all her employments. In 1712, he was dismissed from his; and as his duchess had shared his glory, she shared also his disgrace, and attended him in all his journies, particularly in his visit to the principality of Mindelheim, which had been given him by the emperor. Just before the death of queen Anne, they again returned to England, and he came into favour in the reign of George I. They lost their only son young, but the dukedom descended to the eldest of his four daughters, who were all greatly married, Colley Cibber, who was in raptures with her beauty, said, she became a great-grandmother without grey hairs. Swift says, the duke was indebted to