_All that on earth he held most dear, He recommended to his care, To whom both heaven The right had given, And his own love bequeathed supreme command._--P. 69. The historical accounts of the dying requests of Charles are contradictory and obscure. It seems certain, that he earnestly recommended his favourite mistress, the Duchess of Portsmouth, to the protection of his successor. He had always, he said, loved her, and he now loved her at the last. The Bishop of Bath presented to him his natural son, the Duke of Richmond; whom he blessed, and recommended, with his other children, to his successor's protection; adding, "Do not let poor Nelly[67] starve." He seems to have said nothing of the Duke of Monmouth, once so much beloved, and whom, shortly before, he entertained thoughts of recalling from banishment, and replacing in favour; perhaps he thought, any recommendation to James of a rival so hated would be ineffectual. Burnet says, he spoke not a word of the queen. Echard, on the contrary, affirms, that, at the exhortation of the Bishop of Bath, Charles sent for the queen, and asked and received her pardon for the injuries he had done her bed.[68] In Fountainhall's Manuscript, the queen is said to have sent a message, requesting his pardon if she had ever offended him: "Alas, poor lady!" replied the dying monarch, "she never offended me; I have too often injured her."[69] This account seems more probable than that of Echard; for so public a circumstance, as a personal visit from the queen to her husband's death-bed, could hardly have been disputed by contemporaries. Note VI. _The officious muses came along, A gay harmonious quire, like angels ever young; The muse, that mourns him now, his happy triumph sung._--P. 74. In Dryden's Life, we had occasion to remark the effect of the Restoration upon literature. It was not certainly its least important benefit, that it opened our poet's own way to distinction; which is thus celebrated by Baber: ----till blest years brought Cæsar home again, Dryden to purpose never drew his pen. He, happy favourite of the tuneful nine! Came with an early offering to your shrine; Embalmed in deathless verse the monarch's fame; Verse, which shall keep it fresh in youthful prime, When Rustal's sacred gift must yield to time. Note VII. _Faith is a Christian's and a subject's test._--P. 78. James, as well as his poet, was not slack in intimating to his subjects, that he expected them to possess a proper portion of this saving virtue. And, that they might not want an opportunity of exercising it, he was pleased, by his own royal proclamation, to continue the payment of the duties of the custom-house, which had been granted by parliament only during his brother's life. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 61: RALPH, Vol. I. p. 834.] [Footnote 62: Life of Lord Keeper Guilford, p. 253.] [Footnote 63: Epistle to Mr Duke.]