The deaths of the kings of England / by James Rae.

  • Rae, James.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The deaths of the kings of England / by James Rae. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    113/168 (page 101)
    CHARLES II. (Son of Charles L). Born May 29th, 1630; died (54) February 6th, 1685, Whitehall; buried, Westminster. (a) On Monday, being the and February, the King rose early, saying he had not slept well the last night, and about seven o’clock coming from his private devotions out of his closet, fell down (with scarce any sign of life remaining in him for the space of four hours) of a fit of an apoplexy; but with the loss of sixteen ounces of blood and other applications came again to his senses, and great hopes were entertained of his recovery till Thursday one o’clock, so that at five, the doctors being come before the Council, declared the King was in great danger, and on Friday a quarter before twelve, he departed this life.—Somers' Tracts, viii (1812). (b) The King had been in his later years surprised with some fits of an apoplexy from which tho’ he had been recovered by proper means yet it was much feared that at some time or other such fits might be fatal. And so it proved. For on Monday the 2nd February, 1685, he was seized at his palace of Whitehall with a violent fit between seven and eight in the morn- ing by which his speech and senses were for some time taken from him, but upon the immediate application of remedies he returned to such a condition as gave some hopes of his recovery, till Wednesday night, at which time the disease returning upon him with greater violence he prepared for death in a most pious and Christian manner . . . having his senses entire and his speech perfect till about an hour before his departure which was between eleven and twelve on Friday morning, the 6th day of February.—Baker (Chronicle).