fferently; but these had only one king: on which her
Majesty was pleased to give him a medal blessed by the Pope, which had
been found very efficacious in cases similar to his own, and to promise
she would offer up prayers for his conversion and that of the family:
which no doubt this pious lady did, though up to the present moment, and
after twenty-seven years, Colonel Esmond is bound to say that neither
the medal nor the prayers have had the slightest known effect upon his
religious convictions.

As for the splendors of Versailles, Monsieur Simon, the merchant, only
beheld them as a humble and distant spectator, seeing the old King but
once, when he went to feed his carps; and asking for no presentation at
his Majesty's Court.

By this time my Lord Viscount Castlewood was got to Paris, where, as the
London prints presently announced, her ladyship was brought to bed of a
son and heir. For a long while afterwards she was in a delicate state
of health, and ordered by the physicians not to travel; otherwise 'twas
well known that the Viscount Castlewood proposed returning to England,
and taking up his residence at his own seat.

Whilst he remained at Paris, my Lord Castlewood had his picture done by
the famous French painter, Monsieur Rigaud, a present for his mother
in London; and this piece Monsieur Simon took back with him when he
returned to that city, which he reached about May, in the year 1714,
very soon after which time my Lady Castlewood and her daughter, and
their kinsman, Colonel Esmond, who had been at Castlewood all this
time, likewise returned to London; her ladyship occupying her house
at Kensington, Mr. Esmond returning to his lodgings at Knightsbridge,
nearer the town, and once more making his appearance at all public
places, his health greatly improved by his long stay in the country.

The portrait of my lord, in a handsome gilt frame, was hung up in
the place of honor in her ladyship's drawing-room. His lordship was
represented in his scarlet uniform of Captain of the Guard, with a light
brown periwig, a cuirass under his coat, a blue ribbon, and a fall of
Bruxelles lace. Many of her ladyship's friends admired the piece beyond
measure, and flocked to see it; Bishop Atterbury, Mr. Lesly, good old
Mr. Collier, and others amongst the clergy, were delighted with the
performance, and many among the first quality examined and praised it;
only I must own that Doctor Tusher happening to come up to London, and