Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

If one spoke of the king's death he had to be
careful in what terms he did so. His words were
caught up by invisible auditors, and a hand was
stretched out from the Duchess to punish the
imprudence of indiscreet remarks. A physician who
gave it as his opinion that the king had been
poisoned was seized with a sudden illness, the
symptoms of which closely resembled those of the
king, whom he followed to the grave in a few days.
But at Rome it was not necessary to observe the
same circumspection.
The death of Charles II was there made the
theme of certain orations, which eulogized it as
singularly opportune, and it was delicately
insinuated that his brother was not without some
share in the merit of a deed that was destined to
introduce a day of glory to the Roman Church and
the realm of England. Misson has given a few
extracts from these orations and epigrams which
are somewhat curious. "James," says the author of
one of these pieces, "intending to notify to the gods
his accession to the crown, that he might send the
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