dren one by one, drawing them down to
him upon the bed--they weeping aloud, as I heard.

A very strange scene followed this. One of the Bishops fell down upon
his knees, and begged him, who was the "Lord's Anointed"--(and anointed
too, lately, in a fashion the Bishop never dreamed of!)--to bless all
that were there, since they were all his children, and all his subjects
too. The Bedchamber was now full from end to end; and all the company
fell together upon their knees. His Majesty, raising himself in bed,
first begged the pardon of all in a loud voice for anything in which he
had acted contrary to the interests of his country or the principles of
good government; and then, still in a loud voice, pronounced a blessing
on them all. Then he fell back again upon his pillows.

So that night went slowly by. The dogs were still in the room, whining
from time to time, as Mr. Chiffinch told me afterwards--(for it was
thought better that I myself, as one so deeply involved in what had
lately passed should not be present)--and one of the little dogs sought
repeatedly to leap upon the bed, but was prevented; and at last was
carried away, crying. Again and again first one Bishop and then another
begged him to receive the sacrament; but he would not: so they prayed by
him instead, which was all they could do.

At about six o'clock, when dawn came, he begged that the curtains of his
bed might be drawn back yet further, and the windows opened, that he
might see daylight again and breathe the fresh air: and this was done.
Then, at the chiming of the hour by the clocks in the room, he
remembered that one of them, which was an eight-day one, should be wound
up, for it was a Friday on which it was always wound. And this too was
done.

At seven o'clock breathlessness came on him again, and he was compelled
to sit up in bed, with his brother's arm about him on one side, and a
physician's upon the other. They blooded him again, to twelve ounces
more, which I suppose took his last remnant of strength from him; for in
spite of their remedies, he sank very rapidly; and about half-past eight
lost all power of speech. He kept his consciousness, however, moving his
eyes and shewing that he understood what was said to him till ten
o'clock; and then he became unconscious altogether.

At a little before noon, without a struggle or agony of any kind, His
Sacred Majesty ceased to breathe.

Of all that followed, there is no need that I should writ