of the Duke of Gloucester, and of the Princess Royal, which
followed soon after, had interrupted the course of this splendour by a
tedious mourning, which they quitted at last to prepare for the reception
of the Infanta of Portugal.

[The Princess Royal: Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I., born
November 4th, 1631, married to the Prince of Orange, 2nd May, 1641,
who died 27th October, 1650. She arrived in England, September
23rd, and died of the smallpox, December 24th, 1660,-according to
Bishop Burnet, not much lamented. "She had lived," says the author,
"in her widowhood for some years with great reputation, kept a
decent court, and supported her brothers very liberally; and lived
within bounds. But her mother, who had the art of making herself
believe anything she had a mind to, upon a conversation with the
queen-mother of France, fancied the King of France might be inclined
to marry her. So she wrote to her to come to Paris. In order to
that, she made an equipage far above what she could support. So she
ran herself into debt, sold all her jewels, and some estates that
were in her power as her son's guardian; and was not only
disappointed of that vain expectation, but fell into some
misfortunes that lessened the reputation she had formerly lived in."
History of his Own Times, vol. i., p. 238. She was mother of
William III.]

["The Infanta, of Portugal landed in May (1662) at Portsmouth. The
king went thither, and was married privately by Lord Aubigny, a
secular priest, and almoner to the queen, according to the rites of
Rome, in the queen's chamber; none present but the Portuguese
ambassador, three more Portuguese of quality, and two or three
Portuguese women. What made this necessary was, that the Earl of
Sandwich did not marry her by proxy, as usual, before she came away.
How this happened, the duke knows not, nor did the chancellor know
of this private marriage. The queen would not be bedded, till
pronounced man and wife by Sheldon, bishop of London."--Extract 2,
from King James II.'s Journal.--Macpherson's State Papers, vol. i.
In the same collection is a curious letter from the King to Lord
Clarendon, giving his opinion of the queen after having seen her.]

It was in the height of the rejoicings they were making for this new
queen, in all the splendour of a brilliant court, that the Chevalier de
Grammont arrived to co