without incurring the imputation of an ill-founded and un-
natural prejudice.

These feuds of the contending parties and the cabals of
their agents continued to perplex the duke in the midst of
his military operations; for to him an appeal was made,
generally and individually, from the sovereign herself to the
meanest candidate for office. The moderate Tories, through
the medium of Harley, deprecated the gradual encroachments
of the Whigs; while the latter recriminated through the
agency of Sunderland and the duchess. Godolphin also re-
curred to Marlborough for consolation and advice in his con-
tentions with the rival chiefs, as well as in his frequent
struggles against the antipathies of the sovereign. The queen
herself also resorted to him as to a servant of congenial sen-
timents and approved fidelity, and solicited his interposition
to defend her prerogative and rescue her from what she
deemed personal degradation. Above all, the duchess expa-
tiated on the ill-rewarded zeal and steady patriotism of the
Whigs, and lavished her sarcastic reflections on his political
infatuation and imprudent partiality to his Tory friends.

In these circumstances we find him constantly employed
in parrying the suggestions of Sunderland, soothing the com-
plaints of Harley, encouraging and tranquillising Godolphin,
exhorting the queen to submit to the necessity of her affairs,
and, above all, in combating the arguments and repelling the
acrimonious taunts of the duchess.

In fact, the sarcastic reflections of his wife made a deeper
impression on his sensitive mind than all his other embar-
rassments; and in his correspondence with her we trace a
perpetual struggle between his irritability and conjugal ten-
derness. Two extracts will sufficiently indicate the tone
which occasionally prevailed in their epistolary intercourse.

"Meldert, August 3. -- I received yours of the 17th, yesterday, in which
you complain of my having writ a cold letter, which you think may be
occasioned by one I had then received from you. It is most certain that
upon many occasions I have the spleen, and am weary of my life; for
my friends give me much more uneasiness than my enemies, as you may
guess by a copy of a letter I have sent to my lord treasurer. But for,
you, my dearest life, I love you so well, and have placed all my happi-
ness in ending my days with you, that I would venture ten thousand
lives to preserve your good opinion. You sometimes use the espression
of my Tory friends. As I never will enter into party and faction, I beg

-263-