Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/185

A.D. 1702.] the prince of Denmark, and Marlborough carried the sword of state before her. Lady Marlborough occupied the place close behind the queen, but ladies do not seem to have been admitted into the body of the house as at the present day. Anne had a remarkably rich and touching voice, and it had been cultivated, at the suggestion of her uncle, Charles II., for elocutionary delivery, as especially important for a monarch,—one of Charles's few wise suggestions. She concluded her speech with these words—"As I know my own heart to be entirely English, I can sincerely assure you that there is not anything that you can expect or desire from me which I shall not be ready to do for the happiness and prosperity of England, and you shall always find me a strict and religious observer of my word."

It has been observed that, unfortunately, both the assurances that her heart was entirely English, and that her word should be sacred, had been in her father's speech; but in Anne the word English had a peculiar signification. With the exception of Edward VI., Elizabeth, and Mary II., there had not been a king or queen for a very long time, who was English both by father and mother. Anne's mother, as well as father, were English, and the common people had always a tradition that the queen's grandmother, the wife of chancellor Hyde, first lord chancellor, had been a washerwoman, or, as cardinal York asserted, a tub-woman—that is, a drawer of beer at a country publichouse, which, though a doubtful tradition, always gave her a wonderful claim in their regard. Anne was too thoroughly English in many other respects. Her education had been so neglected that she knew scarcely any other language than English, and very little of what was written in that. She rarely ever read a book, and her orthography, as well as that of her friend, lady Marlborough, and most ladies of the time, was amazingly defective.

Not only did she receive the thanks of both houses for her gracious assurances, but congratulatory addresses from the city of London, from the bishop and clergy of London, from the various bodies of dissenters, and the different counties and chief towns of the kingdom. There was, according to Burnet, a great difference of tone observed in these addresses towards the late king. Some mentioned him in terms full of respect and gratitude, others named him slightingly or not at all. To all Anne gave short but courteous answers; some of these answers, however, being so short that they had not a word in them, but only friendly smiles and nods, for Anne was no orator.

There was expected to be some difficulty in Scotland from the Jacobites, but all passed over easily, the Jacobites, in fact, thinking that as Anne had no issue, the Stuarts would be sure to get in again on her death. The secretaries of state for Scotland, and such of the Scotch privy councillors who were in London, waited on her, read to her their "claim of rights," and tendered her the coronation oath with many professions of loyalty and attachment; and this ceremony being completed, the earl of Marchmont, the chancellor of Scotland, was dispatched to represent the queen in the general assembly of the kirk about to assemble. In Ireland the natives were so rigorously ruled, that they excited no alarm.

The queen announced the coronation for the 23rd of April, and took up her abode at Windsor, as St. James's was completely hung with black, and was too gloomy for living in. She also took immediate possession of William's favourite residence at Kensington, which George of Denmark had always coveted. William's remains were unceremoniously transferred to "the prince's chamber" at Westminster, and the Dutch colony, as they were called, the attendants of William, were routed out, to their great indignation. Before a week had expired Anne accomplished what she had so often attempted in vain—she conferred the order of the garter on Marlborough. He was appointed captain-general of the English army both at home and abroad, and, soon after, master of the ordnance. The prince of Denmark was made lord high admiral, with the title of generalissimo of the forces; but as he was both ignorant of and indisposed to the management of either naval or military affairs, Marlborough was in reality the real commander-in-chief of the forces.

The commons voted her majesty the same revenue as king William had enjoyed, and pledged themselves to the repudiation of the pretended prince of Wales, and to the defence of her majesty's person and the protestant succession. On the 30th of March the queen went to the house of lords and ratified the act for the revenue and for her household, and generously relinquished one hundred thousand pounds of the income granted. At the same time she passed a bill continuing the commission for examination of the public accounts; but these necessary inquiries were always defeated by the principal persons who were deep in the corruption. The villany was almost universal, and therefore was carefully screened from efficient research.

On the 12th of April the funeral of the late king took place, prince George acting as chief mourner, though William had a particular aversion and contempt for him, and, though it was his proper office, had refused to allow him to perform it at the funeral of queen Mary. The body was deposited in the vault of Henry VII.'s chapel, near that of the late queen and that of Charles II.

When the great officers of the court came to surrender their white sticks she graciously returned them all, requesting them to hold office for the present, except that of lord Wharton, comptroller of the household, which she handed to Sir Edward Seymour. This marked affront, so unlike the gentle nature of Anne, was no doubt instigated by the vindictive lady Marlborough. Wharton had been a most determined whig, and had, probably, particularly stirred the imperious lady's spleen by his urging on the repeated attempts to impeach her husband. The incensed noble muttered threats of vengeance which he did not forget. On the other hand, lady Marlborough did not forget her grudge against the old earl of Portland. She got him dismissed from his office of groom of the stole and keeper of Windsor Park, into both of which she stepped herself, getting her two daughters, lady Harriet Godolphin and lady Spencer, nominated ladies of the bedchamber.

In naming her ministers, the tory bias of the queen at once showed itself. Godolphin, the family ally of the Marlboroughs, was appointed lord treasurer; Nottingham was made principal secretary of state, and was allowed to name Sir Charles Hedges as the other secretary, in the place of