Twelve days later the King reached
Exeter, and called to see his infant daughter, and he again stayed at
Bedford House on his return from Cornwall on September 17th, 1645.
[Illustration: EXETER CATHEDRAL, WEST FRONT.]
In 1671 Charles II, his son, also passed through Exeter, and stayed to
accept a gift of L500 from the city as a testimony of its loyalty and
gratitude for his restoration and return; and the "Merrie Monarch"
afterwards sent the city a portrait of his sister, the unfortunate
Henrietta, to whom he was passionately attached. As Duchess of Orleans
she had an unhappy life, and her somewhat sudden death was attributed to
poison. Her portrait, painted by Lely, was still hanging in the
Guildhall, and was highly prized as one of the greatest treasures of the
city.
We went to see the Cathedral, but were rather disappointed with its
external appearance, which seemed dark and dismal compared with that of
Salisbury. A restoration was in progress, and repairs were being carried
out with some light-coloured and clean-looking stone, not of a very
durable nature, which looked quite beautiful when new, but after being
exposed to the weather for a few years would become as dull and
dark-looking as the other.
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