Note 47 — Chapter VII

Lord Chesterfield paid his court (according to those maxims and false pretensions to superior penetration which characterized him) to Lady Suffolk, and not to the Queen; and of those who acted thus the Queen never failed to oppose the rise: Lord Chesterfield is a remarkable instance. He had long coveted the post of Secretary of State, and an arrangement had been made in his favour: after an audience of the Queen, to which he had been introduced by Walpole, and thanking her for her concurrence, he had the imprudence to make a long visit to Lady Suffolk; the Queen was informed of the circumstance, and his appointment did not take place. At another time he had requested the Queen to speak to the King for some small favour; the Queen promised, but forgot it: a few days afterwards, recollecting her promise, she expressed regret at her forgetfulness, and added, she would certainly mention it that very day. Chesterfield replied, that her Majesty need not give herself that trouble, for Lady Suffolk had spoken to the King. The Queen made no reply, but on seeing the King, told him she had long promised to mention a trifling request to his Majesty, but it was needless, because Lord Chesterfield had just informed her that she had been anticipated by Lady Suffolk. The King, who always preserved great decorum with the Queen, and was very unwilling to have it supposed that the favourite interfered, was extremely displeased, both with Lord Chesterfield and Lady Suffolk; the consequence was, that in a short time her Ladyship went to Bath for her health, and returned no more to Court; Chesterfield was dismissed from his office, and never heard the reason until two years before his death, when he was informed by Lord Oxford, that his disgrace was owing to his having offended the Queen by paying court to Lady Suffolk.