The Chevalier de Guise, whose idol she still was, sat at her feet, and

what had passed filled him with the utmost grief; he looked upon it as

ominous for him, that fortune had destined the Duke of Nemours to be in

love with the Princess of Cleves. And whether there appeared in

reality any concern in the Princess's face, or whether the Chevalier's

jealousy only led him to suspect it, he believed that she was touched

with the sight of the Duke, and could not forbear telling her, that

Monsieur de Nemours was very happy to commence an acquaintance with her

by an incident which had something very gallant and extraordinary in it.

Madam de Cleves returned home with her thoughts full of what had passed

at the ball; and though it was very late, she went into her mother's

room to give her a relation of it; in doing which she praised the Duke

of Nemours with a certain air, that gave Madam de Chartres the same

suspicion the Chevalier de Guise had entertained before.

The day following the ceremony of the Duke of Loraine's marriage was

performed; and there the Princess of Cleves observed so inimitable a

grace, and so fine a mien in the Duke of Nemours, that she was yet more

surprised. She afterwards saw him at the Court of the Queen-Dauphin; she saw him

play at tennis with the King; she saw him run the ring; she heard him

discourse; still she found he far excelled everybody else, and drew the

attention of the company to him wherever he was; in short, the

gracefulness of his person, and the agreeableness of his wit soon made

a considerable impression on her heart.

The Duke de Nemours had an inclination no less violent for her; and

hence flowed all that gaiety and sweetness of behaviour, which the

first desires of pleasing ordinarily inspire a man with: hence he

became more amiable than ever he was before; so that by often seeing

one another, and by seeing in each other whatever was most accomplished

at Court, it could not be but that they must mutually receive the

greatest pleasure from such a commerce.

The Duchess of Valentinois made one in all parties of pleasure; and the

King was still as passionately fond of her as in the beginning of his

love. The Princess of Cleves being at those years, wherein people

think a woman is incapable of inciting love after the age of

twenty-five, beheld with the utmost astonishment the King's passion for

the Duchess, who was a grandmother, and had lately married her

granddaughter: she often spoke on this subject to Madam de Chartres.

"Is it possible, Madam," said she, "that the King should still continue

to love? How could he take a fancy to one, who was so much older than

himself, who had been his father's mistress, and who, as I have heard,

is still such to many others?" "'Tis certain," answered Madam de

Chartres," it was neither the merit nor the fidelity of the Duchess of

Valentinois, which gave birth to the King's passion, or preserved it;

and this is what he can't be justified in; for if this lady had had

beauty and youth suitable to her birth; and the merit of having had no

other lover; if she had been exactly true and faithful to the King; if

she had loved him with respect only to his person, without the

interested views of greatness and fortune, and without using her power

but for honourable purposes and for his Majesty's interest; in this

case it must be confessed, one could have hardly forbore praising his

passion for her. If I was not afraid," continued Madam de Chartres,

"that you would say the same thing of me which is said of most women of

my years, that they love to recount the history of their own times, I

would inform you how the King's passion for this Duchess began, and of

several particulars of the Court of the late King, which have a great

relation to things that are acted at present."




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