Another of the Duchess's failings is recorded by De Grammont. "The Duchess of York," he says,

66 was one

of the greatest eaters in England, and as this was not a forbidden pleasure, she indulged herself in it, as an indemnification for other self-denials. It was really an edifying sight to see her at table. The Duke, on the contrary, giving way to new caprices, exhausted himself by his inconstancy, and was gradually wasting away; whilst the poor Duchess, gratifying her good appetite, grew so fat and plump, that it was a blessing to see her."

In the character of Anne Hyde there seems to have been more to excite admiration than to inspire love. She was possessed rather of dignity than grace; rather of masculine sense than feminine gentleness. Bishop Burnet, who was unlikely to be prejudiced in her favour, speaks pointedly of her as "a very extraordinary woman: -"She composed well," he says; "had acquired considerable information from books; was a kind and generous friend, but a severe enemy." She had begun to write the life of her husband, of which Burnet saw the first volume, but, unfortunately, it was never completed. On the mere credit of this unfinished memoir, Walpole has included her among his "Noble Authors." He certainly could have little to say in favour of her as an authoress, since the work which he speaks of he had never seen, and Burnet, who had seen it, says nothing in its praise. The Duchess, however, was the author of a "Character" of her sister-in-law, the Princess of

25th April, 1694, was advanced to the Earldom of Romney. Swift calls him an "idle, drunken, ignorant rake, without sense, truth, or honour." Burnet, on the contrary, characterises him as a very graceful man, who had lived long in court; of a sweet and caressing temper; and one who had no malice in his heart, but too great a love of pleasure." He died, unmarried, in 1704, when his titles became extinct.

Orange; a circumstance of which Walpole appears to
have been ignorant. Waller, in a copy of verses ad-
dressed to the Princess of Orange, thus alludes to the
incident:-
:-

"While some your beauty, some your bounty sing,
Your native isle does with your praises ring;
But above all, a nymph of your own train
Gives us your character in such a strain

As none but she, who in that court did dwell,

Could know such worth, or worth describe so well."

Some time before her death, the Duchess had become a convert to the Roman Catholic religion; a fact which, to the last, had been scarcely more than suspected even by her own relations. During the last fifteen months of her life, they had remarked that she neglected to take the Sacrament. When the omission had been alluded to by her spiritual adviser, Bishop Morley, she had either pleaded ill-health or business as the excuse; affirming, that her belief in the Protestant faith remained unshaken. It was only in her last moments that she acknowledged her conversion; and subsequently received the Sacrament from the hands of Hunt, a Franciscan friar. After her death, a paper was published which will be found in Bishop Kennet's History, containing the arguments which had established conviction in her mind. It seems that, previously to her decease, only five persons had been in the secret of her conversion. A report, however, which was prevalent, that she was wavering in her faith, had been for some time a source of great distress to the Chancellor, who was then in exile. Accordingly he addressed to her a long letter on the subject, which will be found inserted in his Life of himself. But before it reached its destination, she had expired. Of her two brothers,-the Earl of Rochester and Lord Cornbury, the former, disbeliev

ing the reports of her apostasy, paid her a visit in her last moments. Lord Cornbury, on the other hand, who was a zealous Protestant, appears to have been fully satisfied of her conversion, and accordingly absented himself from her sick chamber.

According to the Stuart Papers, the Duchess died "convinced and reconciled" to the Catholic Church; and, having received all the Sacraments of that faith, expired with "great devotion and resignation." Shortly before she breathed her last, she requested the Duke, her husband, not to stir from her bedside till life had departed. She further enjoined him, should any of the Protestant bishops demand entrance to her sick chamber, to impart to them candidly the fact of her conversion; adding, that if they would carefully refrain from disturbing her with controversial discussions, she had no objection to their being admitted.

When the Duchess was almost in the agonies of death, Dr. Blandford, Bishop of Worcester, came to pay her a visit. He had previously been received in the drawingroom by the Duke, who acquainted him with the state of the Duchess's mind, and of the solemn injunctions which he had received from her. The Bishop, according to the Stuart Papers, while he intimated his regret at her having deserted the faith of her fathers, had nevertheless the charity to express his belief that she was in a fair way to salvation, inasmuch as her change of opinion had its origin, not in worldly motives, but in the conscientious and full conviction that she was pursuing the path of duty and truth. "He afterwards," we are told, "went into the room to her, and made her a short Christian exhortation, suitable to the condition she was in, and then departed."

It appears by Burnet's account, that on entering the

VOL. III.

ΙΙ

dying woman.

apartment, Bishop Blandford discovered the Queen, Catherine of Braganza, seated by the bedside of the "Blandford," says Burnet, "was SO modest and humble that he had not presence of mind enough to begin prayers, which probably would have driven the Queen out of the room; but that not being done, she pretended kindness, and would not leave her. He happened to say, 'I hope you continue still in the truth: ' upon which she asked,- What is truth?' And then her agony increasing, she repeated the word, Truth, Truth, Truth, often." A few minutes afterwards she expired.

The death of the Duchess took place at St. James's Palace on the 31st March, 1671, in her thirty-fourth year. She had been ill many months; and, according to a letter from the Earl of Arlington to the English Ambassador in Spain, was afflicted with a complication of diseases. Her remains were privately interred in the vault of Mary Queen of Scots, in Henry the Seventh's Chapel at Westminster.

483

MARY OF MODENA,

QUEEN OF JAMES II.

Lineage of this Princess-Married by Proxy to James, Duke of York -Her Youth and Beauty-Character of Mary-Her Uneasiness at her Husband's Amours-Her Conduct on her Elevation to the Throne General Dalziel's Rebuke to her-Character drawn of her by the Princess Anne-Her Flight from England at the Revolution-Laments the Imprudence and Bigotry of her HusbandHer strong Attachment to him-The Princess Louisa-Her charming Character and lamented Death-Her interesting Epitaph at Paris-Death of the Exiled Queen.

MARY BEATRICE ELEONORA, descended from the ancient house of Este, was the daughter of Alphonso the Fourth, Duke of Modena. She was born on the 5th October, 1658, and was early adopted by Louis the Fourteenth as his daughter. When in her fifteenth year, she was married at Modena by proxy to James, then Duke of York, and shortly afterwards was conducted by her mother to England. The Duke's proxy on the occasion was Henry Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough.

The acceptance of the Duke's proposals by the house of Este, and the fact of his having been actually married, were announced to James at the same moment. Lady Vaughan writes to Mr. William Russell, on the 23rd September, 1672,—" The news came on Sunday night to the Duke of York, that he was a married man: he was talking in the drawing-room, when the French Ambassador brought the letters in, and told the news: the Duke turned about and said, 'Then I am a married