Page:Catherine of Bragança, infanta of Portugal, & queen-consort of England.djvu/412

368 very rich and grotesque screen, many teapots — tea had then become extremely fashionable — and chaises, coaches, sedan chairs, pewter for the servants' hall, etc., completed the outfit.

Lady Pembroke, some little time after her return to France, privately married the Marquis de Thois, governor of Blois.^ Her daughter by the first marriage subsequently married a son of Judge Jeffreys, of bloody memory.

Charles, towards the end of the year 1684, was " observed to be more than ordinary pensive." He is said to have been contemplating a complete reform of his life,^ and the Duchess of Portsmouth was greatly alarmed at his seriousness and gravity, fearing he was about to send her to a convent, and return altogether to Catherine. It was suggested to her, according to Burnet, that she should try to bring about a marriage between her son and Louis's natural daughter, the Duchess of Bourbon.^ She had been forced to aban- don her hopes of his being declared his father's succes- sor. Charles was noticed, through the beginning of the winter, to be looking better than he had looked for years, and it is possible that his life might have long been preserved, for he was strong, and of a wonderful constitution. But, if we may credit Burnet, he had had some trouble with his leg, which looked like the beginning of gout, and prevented him walking the three or four hours a day he was accustomed to. He had probably weakened his splendid constitution by excesses, and now he foolishly refused to let his physicians know of the trouble in his leg, but was treating it with drugs and washes of his own.* He had always a passion for amateur doctoring. The discharge from his leg suddenly stopped, and the consequences were those that ended his life.

On Sunday, January 30, 1685, Evelyn was at Whitehall in th^ evening, and witnessed the " inex-


 * Dangeau. * History of His Own Times ^


 * Jesse. * Lord Holland.