"You see, Madam," said she to her, "that my interest is

small; I am upon so ill terms with the Queen and the Duchess of

Valentinois, that it is no wonder if they or their dependents still

succeed in disappointing my desires; nevertheless, I have constantly

used my endeavours to please them. Indeed, they hate me not for my own

sake, but for my mother's; she formerly gave them some jealousy and

uneasiness; the King was in love with her before he was in love with

the Duchess; and in the first years of his marriage, when he had no

issue, he appeared almost resolved to be divorced from the Queen, in

order to make room for my mother, though at the same time he had some

affection for the Duchess. Madam de Valentinois being jealous of a

lady whom he had formerly loved, and whose wit and beauty were capable

of lessening her interest, joined herself to the Constable, who was no

more desirous than herself that the King should marry a sister of the

Duke of Guise; they possessed the deceased King with their sentiments;

and though he mortally hated the Duchess of Valentinois, and loved the

Queen, he joined his endeavours with theirs to prevent the divorce; but

in order to take from the King all thoughts of marrying the Queen my

mother, they struck up a marriage between her and the King of Scotland,

who had had for his first wife the King's sister, and they did this

because it was the easiest to be brought to a conclusion, though they

failed in their engagements to the King of England, who was very

desirous of marrying her; and that failure wanted but little of

occasioning a rupture between the two Crowns: for Henry the Eighth was

inconsolable, when he found himself disappointed in his expectations of

marrying my mother; and whatever other Princess of France was proposed

to him, he always said, nothing could make him amends for her he had

been deprived of. It is certainly true, that my mother was a perfect

beauty; and what is very remarkable, is, that being the widow of the

Duke of Longueville, three Kings should court her in marriage. Her ill

fortune gave her to the least of them, and placed her in a kingdom

where she meets with nothing but trouble. They say I resemble her, but

I fear I shall resemble her only in her unhappy destiny; and whatever

fortune may seem to promise me at present, I can never think I shall

enjoy it."

Mademoiselle de Chartres answered the Queen, that these melancholy

presages were so ill-grounded, that they would not disturb her long,

and that she ought not to doubt but her good fortune would accomplish

whatever it promised.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024