religion of his queen would injure the cause of his son, and sent earnest warnings to both when the prince joined his mother in France. To the former he wrote from Oxford, 22nd March 1646 : " I command you, upon my blessing, to be constant to your religion ; neither hearkening to Roman superstitions, nor the seditious and schismatical doctrines of the Presbyterians and Independents ; for know that a persecuted church is not thereby less pure, though less fortunate. For all other things command you to be totally directed by your mother."[1] Shortly after, he wrote to the queen from Newcastle : "In God's name, let him stay with thee till it is seen what ply my business will take ; and, for my sake, let the world see that the queen seeks not to alter his conscience."[2] Clarendon entertained the same fears, and endeavoured to keep the prince at Jersey, away from his mother's influence. But he bears testimony that, for six years, down to 1652, when the fortunes of the Stuarts seemed desperate, and the motives for prudence had disappeared with the hope of success, Henrietta Maria was sensible of the impolicy of a step which, more than any other act, must have alienated the English people from their king.[3] That she recognised it at first we may conclude from the failure of the match between Charles and Mademoiselle de Montpensier, the cousin of Lewis XIV. That princess insisted that the difference of religion was an insurmountable obstacle ; and Jermyn, who was conducting the business, and must have spoken the thoughts of the queen-mother, thereupon replied that the king could not change his religion for her sake without forfeiting for ever the crown of his kingdom.[4]
When, at length, it appeared certain that no chance of recovering the throne remained, except through the support of the Catholic Powers, the exiled courtiers began to debate whether some sacrifice might not be made for the purpose of obtaining their assistance. "The Protestant
