Book excerpt: This memoir, written by a close friend of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, offers an intimate portrait of the royal court of Queen Anne. Sarah was a key figure in the court, known for her wit, beauty, and influence over the queen. The memoir covers Sarah's life from childhood through her time at court, and provides insights into the politics and personalities of the era. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.