id women love best men who treat them worst. If this be so,
God, alone who made them knows wherefore; for it is given no man to
understand them in all. Now her majesty proved no exception to this rule
regarding the unreasonableness of her sex in placing their affections
most on those who regard them least; for she was devoted to the king.
Therefore the evidence of his grief at prospect of her loss touched her
deeper than all words can say, and with much sweetness she sought to
soothe and console him.

She told him she had no desire to live, and no sorrow to die, save,
indeed, that caused by parting from him. She hoped he would soon wed
a consort more worthy of his love than she had been; one who would
contribute more to his happiness and the satisfaction of the nation than
she had. And now they were about to part, she had two requests to make:
that he would never separate his interests from those of the king her
brother, or cease to protect her distressed nation; and that her body
might be sent back to Portugal and laid in the tomb of her ancestors. At
this the king, yet on his knees beside her, interrupted her only by his
sobs, hearing which she wept likewise; and so overcome was he by grief
that he was obliged to be led from her room.

The court was saddened by her majesty's illness, for she had won the
goodwill of all by the kindness of her disposition and gentleness of her
manner; the city was likewise afflicted, for the people thought so good
a queen could not fail in time to reclaim even so erratic a husband;
and trade became suddenly depressed. Crowds gathered by night and by
day outside the palace to learn the most recent change in her majesty's
condition many thinking her death inevitable, because the doctors
had pronounced her recovery impossible. And for days her soul hovered
betwixt two worlds.

On the night of the 19th, a fierce storm raged over England; and Mr.
Pepys, being waked by the roaring of mighty winds, turned to his wife
and said: "I pray God I hear not of the death of any great person, this
wind is so high." And fearing the queen might have departed, he rose
betimes, and took coach to the palace that he might make inquiries
concerning her, but found her majesty was still living. She was now,
however, unconscious; and gave free voice to the secret sorrow which
underlay her life, because she had not borne children to the king. Had
she given him heirs, she felt assured he would certainly love her