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

374 THE PRINCESS LOUISA MARY. [1712.
pox, to the infinite distress of his royal mother, who knew
how fatal that dreadful malady had, in many cases, proved
to the royal family of Stuart.
The Princess Louisa was greatly troubled at the
thoughts of her brothers danger. She expressed a solici-
tude for him in a letter to her friend, Lady Henrietta
Douglas, sister Margaret Henrietta. The Abbess of
Chaillot, wrote to her, in consequence, to encourage her.
It does not appear that Louisa had the slightest fear of
taking the infection herself ; all her anxiety was on her
brother's account. But on the 10th of April, the malady
appeared visibly on her, as she was performing her toilette.
The symptoms were at first favourable, so that hopes Avere
entertained that not only her life, but her beauty, would
be spared. Unfortunately, the practice of bleeding in the
foot, was resorted to in her case, and the effects were fatal.
After the duties of their church for the sick had. been
performed, the afflicted Queen, Mary Beatrice, came to her
dying child, and asked her how she felt.
" Madam," replied, the Princess, " you see before you
the happiest person in the world. I have just made my
general confession, and I have done my best to do it so,
that if they were to tell me that I should die now, I should
have nothing more to do. I resign myself into the hands
of God. I ask not of Him life, but that His will may be
accomplished in me."
" My daughter," replied the Queen, " I do not think
I can say as much. I declare that I entreat of God to
prolong your life, that you may be able to serve Him and
to love Him better than you have yet done."
" If I desire to live, it is for that alone," responded the
dying Princess, fervently ; " and because I think I might
be of some comfort to you."