Queen Sarah
Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. By Kathleen Campbell (Butterworth. 15s.) BEFORE proceeding to pick holes (after all, the reviewer must get his fun somewhere) in this extremely sound biography, it should be stated that this book will probably be the stock one on the Duchess of Marlborough for some years. Many biographies, short and long, good and bad, have been written on this theme since Mrs. Thomson published her work in 1839, but this is the first which can be said definitely to supersede it. There is still more to be done, for the present Duke of Marlborough denied Mrs. Campbell access to Blenheim, and, apparently, the Duke of Bedford refused Mrs. Campbell the sight of some papers at Woburn. At the same time, it is unlikely that any new discovery will alter the main lines of any portrait of the Duchess, but there are sonic points which need clearing up, especially as to how the Duchess managed to convert the Tory Anne to Whiggism. As it is, this biography, based on original authorities, covers all the ground, and it is only on insignificant points of detail that any fault can be found with it. Mrs. Campbell has competently tackled the political background, which she confesses was strange to her, and provides as much as is necessary for the understanding of a personal biography. There is only one omission which could be called at all serious, and that is a failure to discuss whether the estrange- ment between Mrs. Freeman (the Duchess) and " poor dear faithful Morley " (the Queen) may not have been due to a strong physical dislike the Duchess began to feel for the Queen. Mrs. Campbell ascribes the rift entirely to politics and distance, but there is evidence that the former cause was of some weight. At least Mrs. Campbell should have given the ghastly story of the Queen's gloves, which the Duchess tore from her own hands in horror when she found she had put them on by mistake. But then Mrs. Campbell makes two valuable contributions. The first is to suggest that John Churchill's first professions to Sarah Jennings were not of an honourable nature ; a theory which explains the letters ; the second is to conjecture that Sarah was a paranoiac, this suggestion being, quite properly, argued in an appendix.
In her determination not to make a picturesque biography-- though why the biography of a picturesque person should not be picturesque is not explained—Mrs. Campbell has avoided giving us any vivid novelistic scenes, and this is a pity, because the book, written without any striking distinction of style, needs some bright focussing points to make up for a certain lack of concision. The book is about a third longer than it need be. Mrs. Campbell is too eager to dissociate herself from her predecessors (whom she declares she has ignored), and continually tells us that " other biographers have said . . ." till we say " Confound all other biographers'. What about the Duchess ? " And besides, she often accuses them unjustly. Her predecessors do not, on the whole, think that the Duchess's first child was Henrietta. Here and there Mrs. Campbell gets her colour a little wrong ; for instance, if the Duke of York made himself popular in Scotland by playing golf, he also made himself thoroughly hated by his delight in tortures. Where Mrs. Campbell is weakest is in her general picture of the Restoration. It is indeed, sounder than most, for- if she gives us the world of Grammont, she does not forget Margaret Blagge ; but she jumps so readily from 1628 to 1728, that unless one is tolerably familiar with the literature of the period, confusion is inevitable. She makes the same sort of slip at the end of the book. She is describing the life of the Duchess from, we gather, about 1730 to 1740, and tells us that Vanbrugh was not " now " admitted to Blenheim. He had not been since 1725, and had indeed died the next year. Here and there we meet a slip, as when Mrs. Campbell suggests that Sacheverell invented the name Volpone for Godolphin ; he had figured as such for some years in ballads and broadsides, a source of information Mrs. Campbell neglects. These things; however are small flaws in a work which should certainly be recommended in the first instance to anyone who wishes to read a life of the great Duchess, who ruled England for five years.
There are, however, two points on which Mrs. Campbell should be taken to task. It would be convenient to have a bibliography, though since Mrs. Campbell usually gives her references, that does not much matter ; but it is a thousand pities that she does not give the page or folio of the papers or books she quotes. " Coxe MSS.," for instance, is of small help to the eager searcher after more knowledge. What must not escape condemnation is the perfectly appalling index : a book of this sort should have an index which is accurate and also informative. This is neither. Take Halifax. One page reference only is given, though his name occurs several times. This, of course, is the Earl. I do not think the Marquess is referred to, but the Trimmer is mentioned, with not quite the right implication. There are two entries under Newcastle ; there should be several, referring to two different Dukes: Chesterfield is the worst of all, we hope. There are three entries where there Should be at least six, but there is no indication whatever, either in the index or the text that three successive Earls are referred to." At least we assume that the reference on p. 126 is to the third Earl, though no source is given so it is impossible to check off-hand. At the same time, it is difficult to know why the Duchess should be writing to that sour old Jacobite. This is just the sort of point an index should clear up. It is to be hoped that Mrs. Campbell will rectify these errors in the next edition.
BONAMY DOBERE.
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