s own kinsfolk. Then he
died, and Bess still went on conquering and to conquer.

Her fourth husband was the great prize of all, as far as rank was
concerned, for he was none other than George Talbot, sixth Earl of
Shrewsbury, one of whose seats at that time was Worksop Manor.

It was not Bess's way to accept a suitor without a bargain being made,
having ulterior objects. The Earl had been married before, and had
children, so that Bess insisted upon two other matrimonial matches
before she would enter into the bonds of matrimony herself for the
fourth time.

The stipulation was that her daughter, Mary Cavendish, should marry the
Earl's heir and his daughter was to marry her son. These alliances were
duly entered into, and brought with them new honours and additional
wealth. The building of Worksop Manor house had been commenced in the
time of the first Earl of Shrewsbury, but was not finished when the new
Countess became its mistress. Having built Chatsworth, here was another
opportunity for her to display her genius in architecture, and under her
direction it was completed, and became a sumptuous residence.

The Earl must have been a nobleman of redoubtable and fearless
disposition, or a courtier whose pliant will was easily moulded by
accomplished and attractive women, else he would not have been involved
in the feminine intrigues that he was.

Not only had he his imperious wife to consider, but he was appointed
custodian of Mary Queen of Scots when that unhappy personage was under
the ban of Queen Elizabeth and was sent prisoner to Worksop Manor. She
was kept strictly in durance vile, for the Earl was a rigid warder, and
did not even allow her to walk in Sherwood Forest.

There is a portrait of Bess of Hardwick in the collection of the Duke of
Devonshire at Chatsworth. When Mary was in the custody of her husband
Bess first fawned upon her royal prisoner; but a new matrimonial scheme
filled her mind which led her to change her conduct into one of hatred.
Bess had a grandchild, Lady Arabella Stuart, for whom she planned an
alliance hostile to the Queen's interests, hence her smiles were turned
to frowns.

_En passant_ it may be said that the Manor went by marriage to the Dukes
of Norfolk, who held it for generations and then sold it. Of Bess of
Hardwick's building enterprises it may be added that she built Hardwick
Hall, "more glass than wall" (according to an old rhyme), in 1587. The
Earl died in 1590, and the