o her first child on a Wednesday;
almost all the important events of her life had befallen her on
Wednesday, and it seemed in the fitness of things that Wednesday should
bring with it the close of that life. Wednesday came; and, as Lord
Hervey puts it, "some wise, some pious, and a great many busy,
meddling, impertinent people about the Court" began asking each other,
and everybody else they met, whether the Queen had any clergyman to
pray for her and minister to her. Hervey thought all this very
offensive and absurd, and was of opinion that if the Queen cared about
praying, and that sort of thing, she could pray for herself as well as
any one else could do it. {121} Hervey, however, kept this free and
easy view of things discreetly to himself. He was shocked at the rough
cynicism of Sir Robert Walpole, who cared as little about prayer as
Hervey or any other man living, but was perfectly willing that all the
world should know his views on the subject. The talk of the people
about the Court reached Walpole's ears, and he recommended the Princess
Emily to propose to the King and Queen that the Archbishop of
Canterbury should be sent for. The princess seemed to be a little
afraid to make so audacious a proposal to the King, Defender of the
Faith, as the suggestion that a minister of the Church should be
allowed to pray by the bedside of the dying Queen. Sir Robert
encouraged her in his characteristic way. In the presence of a dozen
people, Hervey tells, Sir Robert said to the princess: "Pray, madam,
let this farce be played; the archbishop will act it very well. You
may bid him be as short as you will. It will do the Queen no hurt, no
more than any good; and it will satisfy all the wise and good fools who
will call us atheists if we don't pretend to be as great fools as they
are."

[Sidenote: 1737--Praying with the Queen]

The advice of the statesman was taken. The wise and good fools were
allowed to have it their own way. The archbishop was sent for, and he
came and prayed with the Queen every morning and evening; the King
always graciously bolting out of the room the moment the prelate came
in. But the wise and good fools were not satisfied with the concession
which enlightenment had condescended to make. Up to this time they
kept asking, "Has the Queen no one to pray with her?" Now the
whispered question was, "Has the Queen taken--will the Queen take--the
sacrament?" Some people hinted that she could n