ment to his
queen; she coming out of a country where it was not the fashion." The
Duke of York presented some noblemen who had accompanied him; after
which she introduced the members of her suite. The queen and her
brother-in-law then held a conversation in the Spanish language, when
James assured her of his affection, and besought her to accept his
services. To these compliments she replied in like manner, when he arose
to depart. The queen advanced three paces with him, not withstanding
that he protested against such courtesy, bidding her remember her rank.
At this she smiled, and answered with much sweetness, "She wished to do
that out of affection, which she was not obliged to do"--a reply which
made a favourable impression on his mind. Whilst she continued on
board, the duke and his suite visited her daily, entering freely into
conversation with her, and finding her "a most agreeable lady." Probably
at the desire of the king, she left the ship before his arrival, and was
conveyed to his majesty's house at Portsmouth, where she was received
by the Countess of Suffolk, first lady of the bedchamber, and four other
ladies who had been appointed members of her household. One of her first
requests to these was--as may be learned from a letter of Lord Sandwich,
preserved in the Bodleian library--"that they would put her in that
habit they thought would be most pleasing to the king." Before leaving
the "Royal Charles" she spoke to all the officers of the ship, thanked
them for their services, and permitted them to kiss her hand. She
then presented a collar of gold to the captain, and gave money to be
distributed among the crew.

When at length the parliamentary business was concluded, the king found
himself in readiness to depart. The last words he addressed to his
faithful commons before starting are worth recording: "The mention of my
wife's arrival," said he, in the pleasant familiar tone it was his wont
to use, "puts me in mind to desire you to put that compliment upon her,
that her entrance into this town may be made with more decency than
the ways will now suffer it to be; and to that purpose I pray you would
quickly pass such laws as are before you, in order to the mending those
ways, that she may not find Whitehall surrounded with water."

At nine o'clock on the night of the 19th of May, his majesty left London
in Lord Northumberland's carriage, on his way to Portsmouth. Arriving
at Kingston an hour later, he ente