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

1670.] HER DEATH. 317
spoke to her in English, which the Bishop did not under-
stand, to tell her, when she should have entered into her
rest, to give Bossuet the emerald ring which she had
ordered to be made for him as a memorial of her. Perceiving
that he had ceased speaking, she told him " she had not
ceased to listen, though she had turned away."
Shortly after she felt drowsy, and thought she might
sleep. Bossuet rose and went into the garden for a little
fresh air, but Feuillet still lingered by her pillow.
Suddenly turning to him, she said, " M. Feuillet, it is all
over with me."
" Well, Madame," said he, " are you not very fortunate
in having accomplished your course in so short a time ?"
" At what o'clock did Jesus Christ die ?" she asked. " Do
not mind that, Madame," he replied ; " you must endure
life, and wait for death with patience." She asked for the
cross, her mother-in-law had used on her death-bed. She
took it in her hand, and kissed it fervently. Bossuet
returned into the room, both priests knelt by her bedside*
and the prayers for the dying were repeated. She pressed
the cross once more to her lips. It fell from her relaxing
grasp, and after two or three convulsive movements she
expired, about three in the morning of the 30th of June*
Although her consort, Monsieur, had wept and shown
much tender feeling for her during her agonising sufferings,
the breath was scarcely out of her body before he seized
all her papers, letters, jewels, and the money she had
requested Sir Balph Montague to divide among her
attendants. It was only by the secretary of the British
legation, assuring him the money was his, having been
borrowed by him for her use, that he could succeed in
extracting half of it for the use to which it had been
bequeathed by the deceased.!
* Madame de la Fayette. f Arlington's ' State Papers.'