ompletely at an end.
Whether he ever received the allowance of three thousand pounds seems
doubtful. Fuller declares it never was paid. The lad was therefore free
to go where he chose. He travelled a great deal. And in France he always
tried to know and imitate the best, "not being caught with novelties,
nor infected with customes, nor given to affectation."[105]

In Paris a sore trial of the boy's strength of principle awaited him.
Charles the Second, the king without a kingdom, left Paris in 1654 with
the Duke of York, and returned to Flanders where most of his exile was
spent, leaving Henry with his mother, Queen Henrietta Maria, in order to
pursue his studies. The queen was a strong Roman Catholic; and no sooner
had Charles left the French Court than she tried by every means in her
power to convert her son Henry to her own church. She first told him
that his brothers' fortunes were almost desperate: but that if he would
embrace the Romish Faith, the Pope and other European Princes would at
once take part in King Charles's cause. Then she said that as the duke
had no fortune of his own, and as she could give him none, if he would
but abjure his faith the Queen of France would confer rich abbeys and
benefices upon him, such as would enable him to live

in that splendour as was suitable to his birth, that in a
little time the pope would make him a Cardinal; by which he
might be able to do the king, his brother, much service, and
contribute to his recovery; whereas without this he must be
exposed to great necessity and misery, for that she was not
able any longer to give him maintenance.[106]

But no argument the queen used could shake the resolute boy. He reminded
her of the precepts he had received from the king, his father, who had
died in the faith of the Anglican Church. He put her in mind of the
promise he had lately made to his eldest brother, never to change his
religion. And he besought the queen to press him no further, until he
could at least communicate with the king his brother.

[Illustration: PRINCESS ELIZABETH IN PRISON.]

Queen Henrietta knew well enough what Charles's views were on the
subject. So finding that her persuasions availed nothing, she dismissed
the tutor, and packed Prince Henry off to the Abbey of Pontoise, of
which her almoner, Montague, was abbot. Here the duke was entirely
separated from every one but Roman Catholics; and a very bad time he
had, for every ho