Lives of the last four princesses of the royal house of Stuart

1666.] ( 263 )
CHAPTEE IV.
The year 1666 had opened sadly with the death of
Henrietta's mother-in-law and kind friend, Anne of
Austria ; but it was destined to bring deeper sorrow
to her in its close. Her only son, the Duke of Valois,
was stricken with illness, which at first was attributed to
teething, and not much regarded. It did not prevent the
mother from attending her usual round of balls, fetes, and
comedies. She acted her part as one of the Muses on the
2nd of December in a court ballet at St. Germains ; but
hearing that her boy had taken a severe cold, immediately
afterwards, and was in a high fever, attended with con-
vulsions and delirium, she remembered that the ceremony
of his baptism had not yet been solemnized, and in a great
fright ordered the Bishop of Valence, to perform that
important ceremonial without delay. The sick infant
received the names of Philip Charles, after his father and
his uncle, Charles II. of England. He expired on the
8th of December, two days after he had been admitted
into the Christian Church. The grief of his mother was
frantic, but of course unavailing. The want of sympathy
between her and her consort, embittered her anguish.
Monsieur felt deeply the death of his lovely and hopeful
boy, but it was a selfish affliction on his part. Instead
of weeping with his wife, and endeavouring to soothe her