Page:Daughters of Genius.djvu/367

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

THE DAUGHTERS OF JAMES II OF ENGLAND. 359 She accompanied the Prince to his ship and saw the fleet set sail. A month passed before she heard news of him, during which she spent most of her time in public and private prayers, as did also all her court, and a great number of the people of Holland. " Every morning," she records, " I attended the French prayers which were held in my own house. At noon, I joined in the English prayers ; and at five in the after- noon, I attended church to hear a sermon ; at half-past seven in the evening, I was present at evening prayers. All this I did constantly, God by His grace giving me health to be able to do it. Every Friday we had a par- ticular solemnity in my house, where I then had an Eng- lish sermon preached. But my enemy, the devil, found means to stir up within me scruples and fears, causing me to apprehend that by all these public devotions I was attracting the praises of men, and that that would excite my vanity. I feared also that if I should abstain from them and remain at home, I should not give them that good example and encouragement to devotion which was my duty in the rank in which it had pleased God to place me. Hence, whether I went to prayers or abstained, I saw something to fear. Nevertheless, thanks be to God, I resolved to do my duty without troubling myself as to the consequences." Daring that month of suspense, the Princess received no company. When at length she was assured that her husband had made a safe landing, she resumed her recep- tions, four days in the week, at which, however, as she herself records, " I did not play at cards." A young lady has seldom been so cruelly situated as she was then ; her husband having invaded the dominions of her father with the deliberate intention to drive him from his throne and country. It is evident from these letters that she had no scruples of conscience in the matter, but gave all