one ascribed to Philip of Macedon. Schomberg
spoke of Marlborough as "the first lieutenant-general whom I ever
remember to have deserted his colors." Lord Granard, who was in the
camp of King James the Second on Salisbury Plain, told Dr. King, who
has recorded the story, that Churchill and some other colonels invited
Lord Granard to supper, and opened to him their design of deserting to
the Prince of Orange. Granard not merely refused to enter into the
conspiracy, but went to the King and told him the whole story, advising
him to seize Marlborough and the other conspirators. Perhaps if this
advice had been followed, King William would never have come to the
throne of England. James, however, gave no credit to the story, and
took no trouble about it. Next morning he found his mistake; but it
was then too late. The truth of this story is corroborated by other
authorities, one of them being King James himself, who afterwards
stated that he had received information of Lord Churchill's designs,
and was recommended to seize his person, but that he unfortunately
neglected to avail himself of the advice. "Speak of that no more,"
says Egmont, in Goethe's play; "I _was_ warned."

[Sidenote: 1714--Marlborough]

Swift said of Marlborough that "he is as covetous as hell, and
ambitious as the prince of it." Marlborough was as ignorant as he was
avaricious. Literary taste or instinct he must have had, because he
read with so much eagerness the historical plays of Shakespeare, and
indeed frankly owned that his only knowledge of English history was
taken from their scenes. Even in that time of loose spelling his
spelling is remarkably loose. He seems to spell without any particular
principle in the matter, seldom rendering the same word a second time
by the same combination of letters. He was at one period of his life a
libertine of the loosest order, so far as morals were {25} concerned,
but of the shrewdest kind as regarded personal gain and advancement.
He would have loved any Lady Bellaston who presented herself, and who
could have rewarded him for his kindness. He was not of the type of
Byron's "Don Juan," who declares that

The prisoned eagle will not pair, nor I
Serve a Sultana's sensual phantasy.

Marlborough would have served any phantasy for gain. It has been said
of him that the reason for his being so successful with women as a
young man was that he took money of them. Yet, as another striking
insta