The serpent and the stag

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John Pearson tells the story of a family who have not only been at the centre of English political and cultural life for more than four centuries, but were often remarkable figures in their own right. The dynasty was founded by Bess of Hardwick, who married four times into wealth, and used it to build her own empire and her own monument in that most Tudor of palaces, Hardwick Hall. Since then the Cavendishes have provided men who have been in the front rank of politics, science and the encouragement of the arts.