mentioned。
  No　further　movement　towards　professing　the　catholic　religion　was　made　by　the　king　or　his　brother　for　some　time。　　The　tendencies　of　the　latter　becoming　suspected；　his　actions　were　observed　with　vigilance；　when　it　was　noted；　that　although　he　attended　service　as　usual　with　the　king；　he　no　longer　received　the　sacrament。　　It　was　also　remarked　the　Duchess　of　York；　whose　custom　it　had　been　to　communicate　once　a　month；　soon　followed　his　example。　　Her　neglect　of　this　duty　was　considered　the　more　conspicuous　as　she　had　been　bred　a　staunch　protestant；　and　ever　appeared　zealous　in　her　support　of　that　religion。　　Moreover；　it　was　noted　that；　from　the　beginning　of　the　year　1670；　she　was　wont　to　defend　the　catholic　faith　from　such　errors　as　it　had　been　charged　withal。
  These　matters　becoming　subjects　of　conversation　at　court　soon　reached　the　ears　of　Bishop　Morley；　who　had　acted　as　her　confessor　since　her　twelfth　year；　confession　being　then　much　practised　in　the　English　Church。　　Thereon　he　hastened　to　her；　and　spoke　at　length　of　the　inferences　which　were　drawn　from　her　neglect　of　receiving　the　sacrament；　in　answer　to　which　she　pleaded　business　and　ill…health　as　sufficient　excuses。　　But　he；　suspecting　other　causes；　gave　her　advice；　and　requested　she　would　send　for　him　in　case　doubts　arose　in　her　mind　concerning　the　faith　she　professed。　Being　now　free　from　all　uncertainties；　she　readily　promised　compliance　with　his　desire；　and　added；　〃No　priest　had　ever　taken　the　confidence　to　speak　to　her　on　those　matters。〃
  The　fact　that　she　no　longer　communicated　becoming　more　noticed　as　time　passed；　the　king　spoke　to　his　brother　concerning　the　omission；　when　the　duke　told　him　she　had　become　a　catholic。　Hearing　this；　Charles　requested　him　to　keep　her　change　of　faith　a　secret；　which　was　accordingly　done；　none　being　aware　of　the　act　but　Father　Hunt；　a　Franciscan　friar；　Lady　Cranmer；　one　of　her　women　of　the　bedchamber；　and　Mr。　Dupuy；　servant　to　the　duke。　　In　a　paper　she　drew　up　relative　to　her　adoption　of　the　catholic　religion；　preserved　in　the　fifth　volume　of　the　〃Harleian　Miscellany；〃　she　professes　being　one　of　the　greatest　enemies　that　faith　ever　had。　　She　likewise　declares　no　man　or　woman　had　said　anything；　or　used　the　least　persuasion　to　make　her　change　her　religion。　　That　had　been　effected；　she　adds；　by　a　perusal　of　Dr。　Heylin's　〃History　of　the　Reformation；〃　after　which　she　spoke　severally　to　Dr。　Sheldon；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　and　Dr。　Blandford；　Bishop　of　Worcester；　who　told　her　〃there　were　many　things　in　the　Roman　Church　which　it　was　very　much　to　be　wished　they　had　keptas　confession；　which　was　no　doubt　commanded　by　God；　and　praying　for　the　dead；　which　was　one　of　the　ancient　things　in　Christianitythat　for　their　parts　they　did　it　daily；　though　they　would　not　own　to　it。〃
  The　duchess　pondered　over　what　she　had　read　and　heard；　and　being　a　woman　accustomed　to　judge　for　herself；　and　act　upon　her　decisions；　she；　in　the　month　of　August；　1670　became　a　member　of　the　Catholic　Church；　in　which　communion　she　died　seven　months　later。　　For　fifteen　months　previous　to　her　demise　she　had　been　suffering　from　a　complication　of　diseases；　with　which　the　medical　skill　of　that　day　was　unable　to　cope；　and　these　accumulating；　in　March；　1671；　ended　her　days。　　The　〃Stuart　Papers〃　furnish　an　interesting　account　of　her　death。　　Seeing　the　hour　was　at　hand　which　would　sever　her　from　all　earthly　ties；　she　besought　her　husband　not　to　leave　her　whilst　life　remained。　　She　likewise　requested　that　in　case　Dr。　Blandford　or　any　other　of　the　bishops　should　come　to　visit　her；　he　would　tell　them　she　had　become　a　member　of　the　Catholic　Church；　but　if　they　insisted　on　seeing　her　she　was　satisfied　to　admit　them；　providing　they　would　not　distress　her　by　arguments　or　controversy。
  Soon　after　she　had　expressed　these　desires；　Bishop　Blandford　arrived；　and　begged　permission　to　see　her；　hearing　which　the　duke　went　into　the　drawing…room；　where　his　lordship　waited；　and　delivered　the　message　with　which　the　duchess　had　charged　him。　Thereon　the　bishop　said；　〃he　made　no　doubt　but　that　she　would　do　well　since　she　was　fully　convinced；　and　had　not　changed　out　of　any　worldly　end。〃　　He　then　went　into　the　room；　and　having　made　〃a　short　Christian　exhortation　suitable　to　the　condition　she　was　in；〃　took　his　departure。　　Presently　the　queen　came　and　sat　by　the　dying　woman；　with　whom　she　had　borne　many　wrongs　in　common；　and　later　on；　the　Franciscan　friar　being　admitted；　the　duchess　〃received　all　the　last　sacraments　of　the　Catholick　Church；　and　dyed　with　great　devotion　and　resignation。〃
  Though　no　mystery　was　now　made　concerning　the　faith　in　which　she　died；　the　duke；　from　motives　of　prudence；　continued　to　preserve　the　secret　of　his　having　embraced　the　same　religion。　　He　still　publicly　attended　service　on　Sundays　with　the　king；　but　continued　to　absent　himself　from　communion。　　At　last；　the　Christmastide　of　the　year　1672　being　at　hand；　his　majesty　besought　Lord　Arundel　and　Sir　Thomas　（now　Lord）　Clifford　to　persuade　the　duke　to　take　the　sacrament　with　him；　〃and　make　him　sensible　of　the　prejudice　it　would　do　to　both　of　them　should　he　forbear　so　to　do；　by　giving　the　world　so　much　reason　to　believe　he　was　a　catholick。〃　　To　this　request　these　honest　gentlemen　replied　it　would　be　difficult　to　move　the　duke　to　his　majesty's　desires；　but　even　if　they　succeeded；　it　would　fail　to　convince　the　world　his　royal　highness　was　not　a　catholic。　　With　these　answers　Charles　seemed　satisfied；　but　again　on　Christmas　Eve　he　urged　Lord　Clifford　to　advise　the　duke　to　publicly　communicate　on　the　morrow。　　His　royal　highness；　not　being　so　unscrupulous　as　the　king；　refused　compliance　with　his　wishes。
  The　following　Easter　he　likewise　refrained　from　communicating。　Evelyn　tells　us　that　〃a　most　crowded　auditorie〃　had　assembled　in　the　Chapel　Royal　on　this　Sunday；　possibly　it　had　been　drawn　there　to　hear　the　eloquence　of　Dr。　Sparrow；　Bishop　of　Exeterprobably　to　observe　the　movements　of　the　king's　brother。　　〃I　staied　to　see；〃　writes　Evelyn；　〃whether；　according　to　costome；　the　Duke　of　York　received　the　communion　with　the　king；　but　he　did　not；　to　the　amazement　of　everybody。　　This　being　the　second　year　he　had　forborn　and　put　it　off；　and　within　a　day　of　the　parliament　sitting；　who　had　lately　made　so　severe　an　act　against　ye　increase　of　poperie；　gave　exceeding　griefe　and　scandal　to　the　whole　nation；　that　the　heyre　of　it；　and　ye　sonn　of　a　martyr　for　ye　Protestant　religion；　should　apostatize。　　What　the　consequence　of　this　will　be　God　only　knows；　and　wise　men　dread。〃
  That　the　nation　might　no　longer　remain　in　uncertainty　concerning　the　change　the　duke　was　suspected　to　have　made；　a　bill；　commonly　called　the　〃Test　Act；〃　was；　at　the　instigation　of　Lord　Shaftesbury；　introduced　into　the　House　of　Commons；　on　its　reassembling。　　In　substance　this　set　forth；　that　all　persons　holding　office；　or　place　of　trust；　or　profit；　should　take　the　oaths　of　supremacy　and　allegiance　in　a　public　court；　receive　the　sacrament　according　to　the　Church　of　England　in　some　parish　church　on　the　Lord's　Day；　and　deliver　a　certificate　of　having　so　received　communion；　signed　by　the　respective　ministers　and　church…wardens；　and　proved　by　two　credible　witnesses　on　oath。　After　prolonged　debates　upon　this　singular　bill；　it　was　passed　through　both　houses　of　parliament；　and　received　a　reluctant　consent　from　the　king。　　＇This　act　continued　in　force　until　the　reign　of　George　IV。＇
  A　great　commotion　followed　the　passing　of　this　Act。　　Immediately　the　Duke　of　York　resigned　his　post　of　lord　high　admiral　of　England。　　Suspicion　now　became　certainty；　he　was　truly　a　papist。　His　enemies　were　elated　with　triumph；　his　friends　dejected　by　regret。　　Before　public　feeling　had　time　to　subside；　it　was　thoroughly　startled　by　the　news　that　Lord　Clifford；　who　was　supposed　to　be　a　staunch　protestant；　had　delivered　up　his　staff　of　office　as　lord　treasurer；　and　Lord　Bellasis　and　Sir　Thomas　Strickland；　papists　both；　〃though　otherwise　men　of　quality　and　ability；〃　had　relinquished　their　places　at　court。　　The　king　was　perplexed；　the　parliament　divided　into　factions；　the　nation　disturbed。　　No　man　knew　who　might　next　proclaim　himself　a　papist。　As　days　passed；　excitement　increased；　for　hundreds　who　held　positions　in　the　army；　or　under　the　crownmany　of　whom　had　fought　for　the　king　and　his　fatherby　tendering　their　resignations；　now　proved　themselves　slaves　of　what　a　vigorous　writer　calls　the　〃Romish　yoke：　　such　a　thing；〃　he　adds；　〃as　cannot；　but　for　want　of　a　name　to　express　it；　be　called　a　religion。〃
  Public　agitation　steadily　rose。　　Evelyn　tells　us；　〃he　dare　not　write　all　the　strange　talk　of　the　town。〃　　Distrust　of　the　king；　fear　of　his　brother；　hatred　of　popery　and　papists；　filled　men's　minds　and　blinded　their　reason　with　prejudice。　　That　the　city　had　seven　years　ago　been　destroyed　by　fire；　in　accordance　with　a　scheme　of　the　wicked　Jesuits；　was　a　belief　which　once　more　revived：　　the　story　of　the　gunpowder　plot　was　again　detailed。　Fearful　suspicions　sprang　up　and　held　possession　of　the　vulgar　mind；　that　the　prosecutions　suffered　by　protestants　under　Queen　Mary　might　be　repeated　in　the　reign　of　the　present　monarch；　or　of　his　brother。　　That　heaven　might　defend　the　country　from　being　overrun　by　popery；　the　House　of　Commons