oved to a
country lodging, his study and counting-house, as well as his other
rooms, were locked and sealed up; all business was laid aside, excepting
such letters as came to him were carried to his lordship to be opened,
read, and answered. I also went to see him morning and evening, but he
would not suffer me to stay with him a single night. I might have had
another room in the same house, but was not willing the people who kept
it should know that there was a misunderstanding between us; so I
contented myself to be a constant visitor, but could not persuade him to
forgive me the denying of my daughter, and acting the part of Roxana,
because I had kept those two things an inviolable secret from him and
everybody else but Amy, and it was carelessness in her conduct at last
that was the foundation of all my future misery.

As my lord's weakness increased, so his ill temper, rather than
diminish, increased also. I could do nothing to please him, and began to
think that he was only pettish because he found it was his turn to go
out of the world first. A gentleman that lived near him, as well as his
chaplain, persuaded him to have a physician, to know in what state his
health was; and by all I could learn, the doctor told him to settle his
worldly affairs as soon as he conveniently could. "For," says he,
"although your death is not certain, still your life is very
precarious."

The first thing he did after this was to send for the son he had by me
from the university. He came the week afterwards, and the tutor with
him, to take care of his pupil. The next day after my lord came home,
and sending for six eminent men that lived at The Hague he made his
will, and signed it in the presence of them all; and they, with the
chaplain, were appointed the executors of it, and guardians of my son.

As I was in a great concern at his making his will unknown to me, and
before we were friends, I thought of it in too serious a manner not to
speak about it. I did not know where to apply first, but after mature
consideration sent for the chaplain, and he coming to me, I desired he
would give me the best intelligence he could about it. "My lady," said
he, "you cannot be so unacquainted with the duty of my function, and the
trust my lord has reposed in me, but you must know I shall go beyond my
trust in relating anything of that nature to you; all that I can say on
that head is, that I would have you make friends with my lord as soon as
y