! 1685. the tower. And a message was sent to Mr. May, then at Windsor, to desire him to come to court 606 that day, which it was expected would prove a critical day. And it proved to be so indeed, though in a different way. The king's All this winter the king looked better than he had done for many years. He had a humour in his leg, which looked like the beginning of the gout: so that for some weeks he could not walk, as he used to do generally three or four hours a day in the park; which he did commonly so fast, that as it was really an exercise to himself, so it was a trouble to all about him to hold up with him. In the state the king was in, he not being able to walk, spent much of his time in his laboratory, and was running a process for the fixing of mercury. On the first of February, being a Sunday, he eat little all day, and came to lady Portsmouth at night, and called for a porringer of spoon meat. It was made too strong for his stomach. So he eat little of it: and he had an unquiet night. In the morning, one Dr. King, a physician, and a chymist, came, as he had been ordered, to wait on him. All the king's discourse to him was so broken, that he could not understand what he meant. And the doctor concluded he was under some great disorder, either in his mind or in his body. The doctor amazed at this, went out, and meeting with lord Peterborough, he said, the king was in a strange humour, for he did not speak one word of sense. Lord Peterborough desired he would go in again to the bedchamber, which he did. And he was scarce come in, when the king, who seemed all the while to be in great confusion, fell down all of a sudden in a fit like an apoplexy: he looked black, and his eyes turned in his head. The 1685. physician, who had been formerly an eminent surgeon, said, it was impossible to save the king's life, if one minute was lost: he would rather venture on the rigour of the law, than leave the king to perish. And so he let him blood. The king came out of that fit and the physicians approved what Dr. King had done: upon which the privy council ordered him a thousand pound, which yet was never paid him. Though the king came out of that fit, yet the effects of it hung still upon him, so that he was much oppressed. And the physicians did very much apprehend the return of another fit, and that it would carry him off: so they looked on him as a dead man. The bishop of London spoke a little to him, to dispose him to prepare for whatever might be before him; to which the king answered not a word. But that was imputed partly to the bishop's cold way of speaking, and partly to the ill opinion they had of him at court, as too busy in opposition 607 to popery. Sancroft made a very weighty exhortation to him; in which he used a good degree of freedom, which he said was necessary, since he was going to be judged by one who was no respecter of persons. To him the king made no answer neither; nor yet to Ken, though the most in favour with him of all the bishops. Some imputed this to an insensibility; of which too visible an instance appeared, since lady Portsmouth sat in the bed taking care of him as a wife of a husband. Others guessed truer, a (This ill agrees with lady. Portsmouth's words to the French ambassador, when she pressed him to devise means for the reconciliation of the dy- I cannot with decency (she 1685. that it would appear he was of another religion. On Thursday a second fit returned; and then the physicians told the duke, that the king was not like to live a day to an end. He received the from a popish priest. The duke immediately ordered Hudleston, the sacraments priest that had a great hand in saving the king at Worcester fight, (for which he was excepted out of all severe acts that were made against priests,) to be brought to the lodgings under the bedchamber. And when he was told what was to be done, he was in great confusion, for he had no hostie about him. But he went to another priest, that lived in the court, who gave him the pix with an hostie in it. But that poor priest was so frighted, that he run out of Whitehall in such haste that he struck against a post, and seemed to be in a fit of madness with fearb. As soon as Hudleston had prepared every thing that was necessary, the duke whispered the king in the ear. Upon that the king ordered that "sides that the queen is al- good king and master falling “ him to be blooded, and then I "went to fetch the duke of "York, and when we came to "the bed-side, we found the queen there, and the imposter says it was the duchess of "Portsmouth." See also note below, at p. 608. below, at p. 608. From king James's account of his brother's death, it appears that he spoke most tenderly to the queen in his last moments. See Life of James the Second, vol. i. p. 749.) (Higgons, in his Remarks on this Hist. p. 280, relates that the host, which was given to the king at this time, was fetched from the chapel at Somerset house.) с all who were in the bedchamber should withdraw, 1685. except the earls of Bath and Feversham : and the door was double locked. The company was kept out half an hour: only lord Feversham opened the door once, and called for a glass of water. Cardinal Howard told me at Rome, that Hudleston, according to the relation that he sent thither, made the king go through some acts of contrition, and, after such a confession as he could then make, he gave him absolution and the other sacraments. The hostie stuck in his throat: and that was the occasion of calling for a glass of water. He also gave him extreme unction. All must have been performed very superficially, since it was so soon ended. But the king seemed to be at great ease upon it. It was given out, that the king said to Hudleston, that he had saved him twice, first his body, and now his soul; and that he asked him, if he would have him declare himself to be of their church. But it seems he was prepared for this, and so diverted the king from it; and said, he took it upon him to satisfy the world in that particular. But though by the principles of all religions whatsoever, he ought to have obliged him to make open profession of his 608 religion, yet, it seems, the consequences of that were apprehended; for without doubt that poor priest acted by the directions that were given him. The company was suffered to come in. And the king ("The king commanded "all to retire out of the room, telling them, that he had "something to communicate 66 to his brother." Aprice a Romish priest's letter, published in Harris's Life of Charles II. vol. ii. p. 391. Macpherson says, 1685. went through the agonies of death with a calm and a constancy, that amazed all who were about him, and knew how he had lived. This made some conclude, that he had made a will, and that his quiet was the effect of that. Ken applied himself much to the awaking the king's conscience. He spoke with a great elevation, both of thought and expression, like a man inspired, as those who were present told me. He resumed the matter often, and pronounced many short ejaculations and prayers, which affected all that were present, except him that was the most concerned, who seemed to take no notice of him, and made no answers to him. He pressed the king six or seven times to receive the sacrament. But the king always declined it, saying he was very weak. A table with the elements upon it ready to be consecrated was brought into the room; which occasioned a report to be then spread about, that he had received it. Ken pressed him to declare that he desired it, and that he died in the communion of the church of England. To that he answered nothing. Ken asked him if he desired absolution of his sins. It seems the king, if he then thought any thing at all, thought that would do him no hurt. So Ken pronounced it over him: for which he was blamed, since the king expressed no sense or sorrow for his past life, nor any purpose of amendment. It was thought to be a prostitution of the peace of the church, to give it to one, who, after a life led as the king's had been, seemed to harden himself against every thing that could be said to him d. Ken was also censured for another piece of |