most continually there; the Duke of York thinks of his own affairs and is too busy to take due care of the King's conscience: go and tell him that I entreated you to warn him that he ought to think of what may be done to save the King's soul; he is master in the room, he can bid whom he pleases go out; don't lose any time; for if you delay ever so little, it will be too late."

I returned that very instant to the Duke of York, I besought him to appear as if he went to the Queen who had left the King's room and had just been bled because she had fallen into a swoon: the room communicates with both apartments; I followed him to the Queen, and told him what the Lady Portsmouth had said to me. He recovered, as it were, from a profound reverie, and told me

you are right; there is no time to be lost, I shall venture every thing rather than not discharge my duty on this occasion." One hour after he returned to me, still under the pretence of going to the Queen, and told me, he had spoken to the King his brother and found him determined on not taking the sacrament which the protestant Bishops pressed him to receive; that they had very much wondered at it, but there remained always some of them in his room, if he did not make some pretence for bidding every body leave it in order to speak freely to the King his brother, and to dispose him to make a formal adjuration of heresy and to confess to a Catholic priest.

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We agitated several expedients; the Duke of York proposed I should ask to speak to the King his brother, in order to communicate to him some secret business from Majesty, and that every body should be required to go out. I offered to do it; but I represented to him, besides, that it would cause a great noise, it was not likely to make

me stay privately with the King of England, and him alone, long enough for what we had to do. It came then into the Duke of York's thoughts, to call in the Queen, to take, as it were, a last leave of the King, and to ask his pardon if she had disobeyed him in any thing, that he should also perform the same ceremony. At last the Duke of York determined to speak to the King his brother before every body, but so that no one might hear what he would say to him, because that would leave no room for suspicion, and it would be merely thought that he was speaking to him of state affairs, and of what he wished should be done after his death. Thus, without any other greater precaution, the Duke of York leaned to the King his brother's ear, after he had ordered that no body should come near: I was in the room, and more than twenty people at the door that was open; one did not hear what the Duke of York said, but the King of England now and then said very loudly, yes, with all my heart; he sometimes caused the Duke of York to repeat his words, because he did not hear distinctly; this lasted nearly a quarter of an hour; the Duke of York went again out as if he intended to go to the Queen, and told me, the King consents that I shall call a priest for "him; I dare not call any one of the Dutches's; they are "too well known; send for some one presently." I told him I would do it with all my heart, but I thought too much time would be lost, and that I had just seen all the priests of the Queen in a closet near her Room. He told me, "you are right." At the same time he perceived the Earl of Castelmelhor, who eagerly seized the proposal I made him; and took upon himself to speak to the Queen; he returned instantly and told me; should I venture my head in this business I would joyfully do it; however I

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know not one priest attached to the Queen's household, who understands and speaks English. Therefore we resolved to send to the Resident of Venice for an English priest; but as there was no room for the least delay, the Earl of Castelmelhor went to the place where the Queen's priests were, and found there among them, a Scotch priest, called Hudelston, who saved the King of England after the battle of Worcester, and by an act of Parliament was excepted from all the laws made against the Catholics, and priests; a wig and great coat were given him in order to disguise him, and the Earl of Castelmelhor led him to the door of an apartment, which by a small stair case, goes to the King's room. The Duke of York, whom I had informed that all was ready, sent Chiffin to receive and conduct Mr. Hudelston: then he said loudly, "Gentlemen, "the King orders every one to withdraw except the Earl's

of Bath and Feversham." The former is the first officer of the King's bed-chamber, and the latter was in discharge of his duty and in actual service. The Physicians entered a closet, the door of which was shut, and Chiffin brought in Mr. Hudelston. The Duke of York, in presenting him to the King, said to the latter, "Sire, here is a man who res"cued your life, and who comes now to save your soul." The King answered, let him be welcome. Then he confessed his sins with great sentiments of devotion and repentance. The Earl of Castelmelhor had taken care to get Hudelston instructed by a Portuguese Friar, a barefooted Carmelite, in what he was to say to the King, on such an occasion, because of himself he was no great doctor. But the Duke of York told me that he performed his function very well, and caused the King of England formally to engage, he would declare himself openly to be

a Catholic if he recovered his health: then he received the absolution, the Lord's supper, and even the extreme unc tion. All this lasted about three quarters of an hour. They looked all at each other in the antichamber; spoke only with their eyes, and whispered in each other's ears. The presence of my Lord's Bath and Feversham, who are Protestants, removed in some measure the fears of the Bishops; the Queen's women, however, and the other Priests, saw so many persons going to and fro, that I think it impossible the secret should be kept very long.

After the King of England's having received the Sacraments, his illness was rather mending. It is certain that he spoke more intelligibly and had more strength; we already hoped God had been willing to work a miracle by curing him; but the physicians judged the illness had not diminished, and the King would not pass the night; he appeared, however, a great deal more quiet, and spoke with more sense and knowledge than he had done from ten o'clock in the evening, till eight in the morning. He spoke several times quite loud to the Duke of York, in terms full of tenderness and friendship. He recommended to him twice the Lady Portsmouth, and the Duke of Richmond; he also recommended to him all his remaining children. He did not mention at all the Duke of Monmouth, either one way or the other. He often expressed his confidence in the mercy of God. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, who was his preacher, recited some prayers, and spoke to him of God; the King of England showed with his head, that he understood him; that Bishop did not take upon him to tell him any thing particular, nor to propose to him he should make a profession of faith: he apprehended a

refusal, and was still more afraid, in my opinion, to irritate the Duke of York.

The King of England preserved all night an entire knowledge, and spoke of every thing with a great deal of calmness; at six o'clock, he asked what o'clock it was, and said, cause the curtains to be opened, that I may see the day-light once more; he suffered great pain, and at seven o'clock he was bled, because they thought it would allay his pain; from half past eight, he spoke no more, except with the greatest difficulty; and about ten, he had no longer any knowledge. He died at noon, without any effort or convulsion. The new King withdrew to his apartment, he was unanimously acknowledged, and afterwards proclaimed.

I thought it my duty to give your Majesty an exact account of the particulars which took place on this occasion; and I think myself very happy, since God granted me to have a hand in the business.

M. BARILLON TO THE KING.

February 19th, 1685.

Last evening the sixteenth I informed your Majesty, by an express, of the King of England's death, and of the Duke of York's having been acknowledged and proclaimed King without any trouble or opposition. The new King of England went into the council-chamber a quarter of an hour after the King his brother's decease. The keeper of the Seals of England, the keeper of the Privy Seal and both Secretaries of State delivered him up the seals which he gave them instantly back; saying that he re-established the Privy Council to consist of the same persons of which it had been before composed. They all took a new oath. His