n London, at Blenheim,
Holywell, or Windsor Lodge (and he latterly moved from place to place
with a sort of restless frequency), his door was always open to the
visits of his numerous and sincere admirers; all of whom he received
without ceremony, and treated with peculiar kindness.

"In this manner Marlborough continued to drag on an existence, which,
when contrasted with the tenour of years gone by, scarcely deserves to
be accounted other than vegetation. In 1720, he added several codicils
to his will, and 'put his house in order;' and in November, 1721, he
made his appearance in the house of lords, where, however, he took no
prominent part in the business under discussion. He had spent the winter
too in London, according to his usual habits, and was recently returned
to Windsor Lodge, when his paralytic complaint again attacked him, with
a degree of violence which resisted all efforts at removal. On this
occasion, it does not appear that the faculties of his mind failed him.
He lay, indeed, for the better part of a week, incapable of the
slightest bodily exertion, being lifted from his couch to his bed, and
from his bed to his couch, according as he indicated a wish to that
effect; but he retained his senses so perfectly as to listen with
manifest gratification to the prayers of his chaplain, and to join in
them, as he himself stated, on the evening preceding his death. The
latter event befell at four o'clock in the morning of the 16th of June,
1722, 'when his strength,' says Dr. Coxe, 'suddenly failed him, and he
rendered up his spirit to his Maker, in the 72nd year of his age.'

"The Duke of Marlborough left behind him three daughters, all of them
married into the best families of the kingdom. Henrietta, the eldest,
the wife of Francis Earl of Godolphin, became on her father's decease
Duchess of Marlborough; but died in 1733, without male issue. Anne
married Charles, Earl of Sunderland, from whom are descended the present
Duke of Marlborough and the Earl of Spencer; and Mary gave her hand to
the Duke of Montagu. The property which he had accumulated in the course
of his long and busy life proved to be very great. In addition to the
estates purchased for him by the country, he disposed by will of lands
and money, of which the interest fell not short of 100,000L a year;
indeed, the annual revenue bequeathed to his successors in Woodstock
alone is given on the best authority at 70,000L. The mansion house at
Blenheim