106 'OLD q' 



Lord Duke.' "What his lordship had done to displease 

 this retired lady's-maid or her old fellow-servants is 

 unknown, but that he was not popular among his 

 relative's retinue appears evident. Some of these 

 fossils of servitude used to recount their recollections 

 of her grace's evening coteries, when Pope, Handel, 

 Swift, Prior, Dr. Arbuthnot, Kent, Jervas the painter, 

 and other professors of literature and art would 

 match their wit and raillery with those of the proud 

 Duchess, as her Majesty Queen Caroline used to 

 term her. 



A little episode that occurred once between the 

 Duchess and Swift may be recounted here ; one which 

 the admirers of Swift may thank me for, though he 

 plays but a secondary part. One of the Duke of 

 Queensberry's gardeners — presumably at Amesbury — 

 wooed and won the daughter of her grace's dairy- 

 maid. Parental consent having been granted, their 

 graces' wishes were then consulted, and permission 

 given; a course which no doubt meant more than 

 the mere ' Yes.' On the wedding-day the Dean of 

 St. Patrick's arrived, and observed to her grace : ' So 

 you have a wedding to-day, my Lady Duchess ? ' 

 adding, ' Why, all the village is up in arms ! ' 



' Yes, Mr. Dean,' was her reply ; ' silly, silly young 

 people to choose this of all days in the year — 



