Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/262

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Barbara Duchess of Cleveland-, (half-length, by Lely) the most noble by birth and ignoble by conduct of the numerous mistresses of Charles II. She was sole daughtei and heiress ofVilliers Lord

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��student in the Temple. The beauty of her person soon recommended her to the royal notice, and her husband was created Earl of Castlemainc. But neither gratitude nor affection could guide her passions, and she shortly afterwards discovered a partiality for Churchill, a subaltern in the arm}", (afterwards known as Duke of Marlborough) and occasionally conferred her favours on Jacob Ka ! rope-dancer, Goodman the actor, and Wychcrlc) the poet. When removed from the royal protec- tion, she married the celebrated Beau Fielding, by whom she was so ill treated, that necessity com- pelled her to prosecute him for bigamy; and having dearly established the charge, she was liberated from his severity, and died of a dropsy, 1709. Dutch fie] : whole length, by Vernosi, very fine, William first Duke cf Bedford, father of the pa- triotic Lord Russel; a distinction not considered of secondary moment by King William III. who, in conrerrme" the dukedom, thouoht that he could not assert more noble pretensions than a recital ol the virtue ; and amiable qualities of his illustrious

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