Dupuy, servant to the duke. In
a paper she drew up relative to her adoption of the catholic
religion, preserved in the fifth volume of the "Harleian
Miscellany," she professes being one of the greatest enemies that
faith ever had. She likewise declares no man or woman had said
anything, or used the least persuasion to make her change her
religion. That had been effected, she adds, by a perusal of Dr.
Heylin's "History of the Reformation;" after which she spoke
severally to Dr. Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr.
Blandford, Bishop of Worcester, who told her "there were many
things in the Roman Church which it was very much to be wished
they had kept--as confession, which was no doubt commanded by
God; and praying for the dead, which was one of the ancient
things in Christianity--that for their parts they did it daily,
though they would not own to it."
The duchess pondered over what she had read and heard, and being
a woman accustomed to judge for herself, and act upon her
decisions, she, in the month of August, 1670 became a member of
the Catholic Church, in which communion she died seven months
later. For fifteen months previous to her demise she had been
suffering from a complication of diseases, with which the medical
skill of that day was unable to cope, and these accumulating, in
March, 1671, ended her days. The "Stuart Papers" furnish an
interesting account of her death. Seeing the hour was at hand
which would sever her from all earthly ties, she besought her
husband not to leave her whilst life remained.
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