Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [146]
He paused, aware of the magnitude of the demand he was making. Sarah had represented Anne to be a fool, a cipher in her hands; and although he knew that Sarah had exaggerated in her contempt for the Queen, he had accepted the fact that Anne was a simple woman.
This was not entirely true. She might love her cards and her chocolates, her gossip and her comforts, but she had a great sense of her responsibilities to her country; and she would not make a rash promise before she had first pondered the matter or consulted with those whose opinion she valued.
She understood what this would mean. The title of Captain-General for life would make Marlborough a military dictator whom none could shift.
She thought of Sarah grown more arrogant than ever, forcing her way into the royal apartments. Oh no! That would never do.
She lowered her eyes and studied her hands.
“I should need time to consider that, Mr. Freeman,” she answered.
Disappointed, but not unhopeful, Marlborough talked of other matters and after a while took his leave.
Anne was thoughtful after the Duke had left. How right Mr. Harley and Abigail had been! It was true that the Churchills were trying to reduce her to a mere cypher; and they had begun it by joining themselves through marriage with the most influential families so that the junta was formed; and now there they were—Marlborough, Godolphin and the hateful Sunderland—ready to rule the nation. All they needed was for Marlborough to become Captain-General of the Army for life—which would mean that no one would have the power to dislodge him—and there would be the military dictatorship for which they would all be working.
Relations with Sarah were very strained; they would soon be so with her husband, for Anne was certain that she was putting no such power into the hands of Marlborough.
But how to act in a manner so tactful that she could refuse Marlborough’s demands without alienating him, for if he were to resign from his present position at this moment she could not imagine what evil might befall her armies abroad.
She considered her ministers and thought of Earl Cowper who was not of the Churchill faction, and was a man whom she trusted and who would not wish to see Marlborough supreme. She sent for him.
“My lord,” she said, “if I were to ask you to draw up a commission to make the Duke of Marlborough Captain-General of the Army for life, how would you do it?”
Cowper was momentarily speechless at such a prospect.
“Your Majesty …” he stammered at length. “Madam … I … I could not advise such an undertaking in any circumstances.”
“My Lord Marlborough has asked that his position should be made permanent,” she told him.
“Madam, it is an office which has never been bestowed, other than for the time of the Sovereign’s pleasure.”
“I know it, my lord; but now His Grace would have it otherwise.”
“But, Madam …”
“You will know what to say to His Grace, I am sure, my lord,” said the Queen with her placid smile.
Cowper did know. He first went to his friends and told them what had taken place between him and the Queen. They were immediately apprehensive and angry. Marlborough was clearly aiming at military dictatorship. How disastrous if the Queen had agreed to his request which, they believed, she might have done if the Duchess had been on the old terms with her.
In the circumstances, Cowper was able to go to the Duke, with the support of his friends, to tell him that the great seal of England would never be put to such commission.
There was consternation throughout the Ministry. Marlborough’s preposterous suggestion was seen as a dangerous one.
Harley and St. John talked of it to their political and literary friends.
Sarah had failed to keep her hold on the Queen, it was said; so Marlborough was going to rule instead of the Queen. Military men with big ambitions should be watched.
John went down to St. Albans with Sarah. Restlessly and