The time of her mourning being expired, the Princess of Cleves was

obliged to make her appearance again, and go to Court as usual; she saw

the Duke de Nemours at the Queen-Dauphin's apartment; she saw him at

the Prince of Cleves's, where he often came in company of other young

noblemen, to avoid being remarked; yet she never once saw him, but it

gave her a pain that could not escape his observation.

However industrious she was to avoid being looked at by him, and to

speak less to him than to any other, some things escaped her in an

unguarded moment, which convinced him he was not indifferent to her; a

man of less discernment than he would not have perceived it, but he had

already so often been the object of love, that it was easy for him to

know when he was loved; he found the Chevalier de Guise was his rival,

and the Chevalier knew that the Duke de Nemours was his; Monsieur de

Guise was the only man in the Court that had unravelled this affair,

his interest having made him more clear-sighted than others; the

knowledge they had of each other's sentiments created an opposition

between them in everything, which, however, did not break out into an

open quarrel; they were always of different parties at the running, at

the ring, at tournaments, and all diversions the King delighted in, and

their emulation was so great it could not be concealed.

Madam de Cleves frequently revolved in her mind the affair of England;

she believed the Duke de Nemours could not resist the advice of the

King, and the instances of Lignerolles; she was very much concerned to

find that Lignerolles was not yet returned, and she impatiently

expected him; her inclinations strongly swayed her to inform herself

exactly of the state of this affair; but the same reasons, which raised

in her that curiosity, obliged her to conceal it, and she only enquired

of the beauty, the wit, and the temper of Queen Elizabeth. A picture

of that Princess had been brought the King, which Madam de Cleves found

much handsomer than she could have wished for, and she could not

forbear saying, the picture flattered.

"I don't think so," replied the Queen-Dauphin;

"that Princess has the reputation of being very

handsome, and of having a very exalted genius, and I know she has

always been proposed to me as a model worthy my imitation; she can't

but be very handsome, if she resembles her mother, Anne Boleyn; never

had woman so many charms and allurements both in her person and her

humour; I have heard say she had something remarkably lively in her

countenance, very different from what is usually found in other English

beauties."




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