In her last agonies Lord Clarendon says "she expressed a dislike
of the proceedings in that affair, to which she had contributed
too much." This fact, together with his royal highness's
unhappiness, had due weight on Sir Charles Berkley, who began to
repent of the calumnies he had spoken. Accordingly, the "lewd
informer" went to the duke, and sought to repair the evil he had
wrought. Believing, he said, such a marriage would be the
absolute ruin of his royal highness, he had made the accusation
which he now confessed to be false, and without the least ground;
for he was very confident of the lady's honour and virtue. He
then begged pardon on his knees for a fault committed out of pure
devotion, and trusted the duke would "not suffer him to be ruined
by the power of those whom he had so unworthily provoked, and of
which he had so much shame that he had not confidence to look
upon them."
James was so much relieved by what he heard that he not only
forgave Sir Charles, but embraced him, and promised him
protection. Nor did his royal highness longer withhold the
reparation due to his wife, who, with the approval of the king
and the reluctant consent of the queen, was received at court as
Duchess of York. Such was the romance connected with the
marriage of her who became mother of two English queens--Mary,
wife of William of Orange, and Anne, of pious memory.
CHAPTER V.
Morality of the Restoration.--Puritan piety.--Conduct of women
under the Republic.
Pages:
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108