Descendants of the Stuarts

OF THE STUARTS. 227
as for going into a convent I never dreamed of suck
a thing."*
The year 1701 proved an eventful one to the
Duchess of Orleans. Just previously to her hus-
band's death the Act of Succession had been
passed in England, which debarred her of her
contingent reversion of the British crown. It
is strange that, throughout her published corre-
spondence, she makes no mention of this event,
so pregnant with important consequences to her
family; althougk kad tke suggestion of ker aunt
Sopkia been adopted, Parliament would certainly
kave made ker a formal proffer of tke crown,
dependent upon ker renunciation of tke Romanist
faitk. Tkis advice it is notorious was not followed,
and tkose members of tke royal family wko from
ckoice kad become Romanists, were as effectually
precluded as tkose wko kad been bred up in tkat
faitk; nor was tke opportunity afforded tkem of
returning into tkat ckurck, wkick, as from motives
of self-interest tkey kad abandoned, tke same
reasons migkt kave again induced tkem to embrace.
Wkat would kave been tke result kad tke crown
been tendered tke matter of fact Duckess of Orleans,
must always remain matter for conjecture. Tkat
ske would not kave objected to renouncing tke
Romisk faitk is obvious, for ske kad never sin-
cerely embraced it ; tkougk tkat ske would not
kave accepted tke crown to tke detriment of tke
* Duchess of Orleans.
Q 2