tantly acquainted with what was taking
place at the palace hard by. His counsel was, and the bishop's, that as
soon as ever the queen's malady took a favourable turn, the prince should
be introduced to her bedside; the Council summoned; the guard at
Kensington and St. James's, of which two regiments were to be entirely
relied on, and one known not to be hostile, would declare for the prince,
as the queen would before the lords of her Council, designating him as the
heir to her throne.

With locked doors, and Colonel Esmond acting as secretary, the prince and
his lordship of Rochester passed many hours of this day composing
Proclamations and Addresses to the Country, to the Scots, to the Clergy,
to the People of London and England; announcing the arrival of the exile
descendant of three sovereigns, and his acknowledgement by his sister as
heir to the throne. Every safeguard for their liberties the Church and
People could ask was promised to them. The bishop could answer for the
adhesion of very many prelates, who besought of their flocks and brother
ecclesiastics to recognize the sacred right of the future sovereign, and
to purge the country of the sin of rebellion.

During the composition of these papers, more messengers than one came from
the Palace regarding the state of the august patient there lying. At
midday she was somewhat better; at evening the torpor again seized her,
and she wandered in her mind. At night Dr. A---- was with us again, with a
report rather more favourable: no instant danger at any rate was
apprehended. In the course of the last two years her Majesty had had many
attacks similar, but more severe.

By this time we had finished a half-dozen of Proclamations (the wording of
them so as to offend no parties, and not to give umbrage to Whigs or
Dissenters, required very great caution), and the young prince, who had
indeed shown, during a long day's labour, both alacrity at seizing the
information given him, and ingenuity and skill in turning the phrases
which were to go out signed by his name, here exhibited a good humour and
thoughtfulness that ought to be set down to his credit.

"Were these papers to be mislaid," says he, "or our scheme to come to
mishap, my Lord Esmond's writing would bring him to a place where I
heartily hope never to see him; and so, by your leave, I will copy the
papers myself, though I am not very strong in spelling; and if they are
found they will implicate none but the pe