ANNE,

Fourth Queen Regnant.

CHAPTER I.

Anne's parentage-Birth-Christening-Education-Early Intimacy with Sarah Jennings-Fondness for card-playing-Introduced to Court-Attends Lord Mayor's feast-Suffers from small-pox-Her favourite married to Churchill, afterwards Lord Marlborough-She is confirmed-Visits her sister Mary, and her father in exile-Unsuccessfully wooed by Prince George of Hanover-Personal charmsVisits her exiled father in Scotland-Clandestinely courted by Sheffield-Married to Prince George of Denmark-Sarah Churchill becomes one of her ladies-Her affection for Sarah, and for her father, who kindly augments her income-Misfortunes as a mother-Extravagance-Birth of her half brother, known as the Pretender-She pronounces him a supposititious child-Conspires with her sister Mary against her father, James the Second-Deserts with her husband to the Prince of Orange, afterwards William the Third.

NNE of YORK, the last Sovereign of the Royal House of Stuart, and a Princess whose reign was brilliant, but whose goodness of heart and Christian excellences have been overrated by general history, was the second daughter and fourth child of James, Duke of York, afterwards James II., by his first wife, Anne Hyde, daughter of Lord Chancellor Clarendon. She was born at St. James's Palace on the sixth of February, 1665, and a few days afterwards was christened according to the rites of the Church of England, in the chapel at St. James's her godfather was Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury; her godmothers were her cousin, the Duchess of Monmouth, and

her sister, the Lady Mary of York, afterwards Queen Mary II. of Great Britain. As mentioned in the preceding memoirs, the sisters, Anne and Mary, passed their early youth together. A propensity to gluttony, which her toofond mother indulged, laid the royal child, Anne, on the bed of sickness; by the advice of the Duke's physicians, she, in 1669, was sent to France; and such was the effect of change of air and scene, that, after an absence of eight months, she returned in excellent health and spirits. The death of her mother in March, 1674; the little regard paid to her education, the early intimacy which she formed with Sarah Jennings, afterwards Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and her father's conversion to the Catholic faith, and marriage to Maria d'Este, have all been duly men