Robert Harley, first earl of Oxford and later

Lord Treasurer and undisputed Prime Mini-

ster of Great Britain in the early eighteenth

century under Queen Anne, is one of the

most tantalizing, fascinating, and indeed,

misunderstood of all figures in British history.

A great statesman, he has all too often been

portrayed as totally underhanded and trea-

cherous, while in truth he was oftentimes

honest, just, and trustworthy. He was also

merry and convivial, good-humored even in

times of crisis, and well-known for his ability

to soothe angry men and calm the heats of

faction. "For all his love of dissembling,

artifice and intrigue to which was soon added

inveterate drunkenness," wrote Winston

Churchill, "he was nevertheless a man built

on a large scale and of a nature not wholly

divorced from the life of Britain."

The first full-scale biography of Harley to

be written since i9o2, this volume shows him

as a great exponent of the middle way in

politics who suffered for his moderation in the

diamond-hard world of politics. His love of

secrecy led him to build up an intelligence

system more comprehensive than any other

previously originated; he had a vast corres-

pondence and a study of his papers gives a

vivid picture of his time. About THE

BACKSTAIRS DRAGON the London Times

has said, "No scholar or student of the period

can afford to pass this book by. It has more

insight, more feel for the realities of men and

events in Queen Anne s England, than many

a chunk of worthy professional prose . . .

(This volume is) embellished by high quali-

ties of style and narrative skill, and by

scholarship of no mean calibre."

An author noted for her deft and insightful

handling of documents and correspondence,

Elizabeth Hamilton has written sev, eral other

biographies including THE MORDAUNTS.