Henrietta Maria, Queen, consort of Charles I, King of England, 1609-1669
It was but a few days later that she roused herself to go for a short visit
to her friends, the Carmelite nuns in the Faubourg S. Jacques;[371] but
there fresh agitation awaited her, for thither was brought the last tender
letter which her husband had written for her consolation when he knew that
he must die. As she read it grief once more overcame her and she sank
fainting into the arms of two of the nuns who stood near; but she was
stronger now than when she had met the first shock. Flinging herself on her
knees before the crucifix which hung on the wall and raising her eyes and
hands to heaven, she cried, "Lord, I will not complain, for it is Thou who
hast permitted it." A similar courage upheld her in receiving indifferent
acquaintance and uncongenial relatives who came to pay visits of
condolence. Mademoiselle de Montpensier, indeed, considered that her aunt
was less affected by her husband's death than she should have been, though
she had the grace to add that it was probably self-respect and pride which
forbade the widow to show the depth of her sorrow; this was undoubtedly the
case. Henrietta might open her heart to dear friends such as Madame de
Motteville or the Duchess of Vendôme, but she could not expose the
sacredness of grief to the curious eyes of her niece, who not only had
shown herself very indifferent to the charms of the Prince of Wales, on
which, perhaps, Henrietta had descanted rather too frequently, but was
inclined to regard the Queen of England's tales of the happiness and
prosperity of her married life as somewhat highly coloured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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