Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/374

Mary of Modena occupied by the affairs of her family at Modena, which was so divided on the subject of the marriage of her brother the duke that the duchess-dowager withdrew to Rome ; and it soems to have been in connection with the same transactions that she unfortunately took under her protection the Abbe 1 Rizzini on his falling into disfavour at Versailles (ib. pp. 421 seqq.) Through her the dying Charles II obtained the ministrations of a catholic priest (ib. ii. 8; cf. Klopp, ii. 447). On the accession of James II to the throne, his queen became inevitably identified with the aggressive faction among the English catholics. She assured the papal nuncio at Brussels (30 March) that a revolution had begun in England (Campana di Cavelli, ii. 28). But it was some time before she had any insight into the actual situation of affairs ; and she continued on perfectly good terms with the Prince of Orange and his wife, always a favourite with her (Klopp, iii. 74, 155). A letter in Mary's hand, dated 'Whitehall, 13 March 108),' is addressed 'To my sonne, the Prince of Orange' (, Autograph Letters).

Her health was at this time precarious. In March and April 1085 the Tuscan minister, Terriesi, and others reported a visible decline in her strength, and already new marriage schemes for the king were suggested (jb. iii. 40; Campaxa dt Cavelli, ii. 29, So); but she was able to bear her part in the coronation ceremony of St, George's day, when her devout demeanour was contrasted with the apathetic bearing of her consort (Bisnop Patrick ap. Plumptre, Life of Ken t .20$; Campaxa di Cavelli, ii. 53 seqq.; and see ik, p. 02, the coronation medal with the absurd legend ' O dea certe *). In all probability the gossips rightly connected the queen's indisposition with the king's continued amour with Catherine Sedley, whom early in 1086 he created Countess of Dorchester. The announcement not long afterwards of James's intention to break with his mistress was reported to have restored the queen to health (Thun ap. Klopp, iii. 173 note; ct Campaxa di Cavelli, ii. HS seqq.) ; but it proved difficult to shake off the new countess. The combined influence of Mary Beatrice and Father Petre prevailed, however, to relegate her to Ireland. Thence the countess managed to incense the queen against the Rochester-Clarendon interest, and thus helped to bringr about its downfall. Mary, however, had little liking for Clarendon's succ' j s*or, Tyrconnel,and it was maliciously reported that he had bribed her into supporting him bv the gift of a precious string of pearls (Macaulay, iii. 156-7, ii. -72; Klopp, ii. 159; Clarendon Corre- spondence, i. 577, ii. 117 note et al. ; Burnet, iii. 120-1 ; Campaxa di Cavelli, ii. 117). The queen was also (September 1685) said to have been vexed by the favours shown by the king: to his illegitimate sons by Arabella Churchill ; and it is clear that her health re- mained uncertain as late as the spring of 16^6 (ib. ii. 78, 106).

Although her influence upon the king's policy, determined as it was by religious motives, increased, her chief interest in Castelmaine's mission to Rome (February 1686) was doubtless the renewed demand of a cardinal's hat for her uncle (ib. ii. $4, 76, 91). This was at last reluctantly granted (ib. ii. 110 seqq., 120 seqq.; cf. Clarke, Life of James II y ii. 75-8). In February 1087 she is described by an observer on the other side (Kaunitz ap' Klopp, iii. 307-8) as leaving the king no peace till he had yielded to her persuasions in the French interest. In the following July she lost her mother, who was said shortly before her death to have addressed special orisons to the Virgin of Loretto for the birth of a son to Mary Beatrice.

In August she proceeded to Bath (which Tbrriesi ap. Campaxa di Cavelli, ii. 140, 146, calls the Baths of Bristol) to drink the waters ; the hopes of the king, who accompanied her (Plumptre, Life of Ken, i. 275 seqq.), were already set on the birth of an heir, and he turned aside from his western progress to offer pravers to St. Winifred at her holy well in Wales (Macaulat, ii. 509-10; Clarke, Life of James II, ii. 129; and for Burnet's additional fiction, Own Time, iii. 246 n.) Before the end of October the news of the queen's pregnancy began to spread through London (Macaulat, ii'. 308: Klopp, iii. 394-6) ; and while exciting enthusiasm among the catholics, was, by the great body of the public, received with a mixture of incredulity and dislike, which very soon passed into a readiness to believe the worst scandals.

At such a time prudence might have prevented division of feeling among the catholics ; and in one important matter the counsels of Mary Beatrice seem to have been on the side of prudence. Ardently attached to the Jesuits (cf. her letter ap. Campaxa di Cavelli, ii. 492 seqq. ; Klopp, iii. 156), she nevertheless sought to resist the recognition of the overbearing influence of their vice-provincial, Father Petre, by his admission into the privy council (Burnet, iii. 102 n. ; Klopp, iit. 390). Though failing in this, she was able to prevent the complete success of his and Sunderland's ambitious intrigues (ib. iii. 397 ; cf. Clarke, Life of James II, ii. 131-2). It would seem as ifin other matters,