An enquiry into the circumstances of the death of King Charles the Second, of England / by Norman Chevers.

  • Chevers, Norman, 1818-1886.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An enquiry into the circumstances of the death of King Charles the Second, of England / by Norman Chevers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    but none took so muck pains as Bath and Wells” [Ken] <c nor were so well versed in that sort of Divinity; but, oh ! I tremble to tell you, would never be persuaded to receive the communion, though he seemed to join in prayer, and audibly said ‘ amen.’ I have heard he was once private, with only three in the room, (except some one waited privately in another, hard by till that vacancy.) What passed there, none can tell that will. He recommended all his relations, that he considered, to his brother. When he saw he should die, he first asked his pardon for all he had done to him which looked unkind, and said he was forced to it; then desired him to be kind to the Queen and to his four children by the Dutchess of Cleveland, and made them kneel down and desired him to embrace them : the like he did to the rest and the king named them, but could not bring out Bur” [supposed to be the Earl of Burford, afterwards Duke of St. Albans, his son by Eleanor Gwyn,] “ but put him into his hands, and desired him to take care of his education, for he will he spoiled else; he desired him to be well to Portsmouth, and not let poor Nelly starve. The King, that is now, repeated over all the children, except Monmouth, whom his father had not named. He recommended neither church nor state nor servant nor debts. This King” [James the Second] “behaved himself from the beginning to the end the best in the world : he wept bitterly, and without affecta- tion, he watched and kneeled by him till he could scarce rise or stand, and paid duty and respect to the very last moment ” Severe paroxysmal attacks of pain appear to have recurred from time to time, during the night. According to Burnet, “ he said he was burnt up within, of which he complained often, but with great decency.” About six in the morning of Friday the 6th of February, he complained of pain in the side accompanied with difficulty in breathing, to remove which eight ounces of blood were taken from his arm.* According to the Draycot M.S. “ He was then let blood, by order” (!) “ of the Council though the physicians despaired of life.” Lord Macaulay tells us that as “ the morning light began to peep through the windows of Whitehall, Charles desired the attendants to pull aside the curtains, that he might have one look at the day. He remarked that it was * Lingard.—Evelyn says twelve ounces. D