At night great search was made for the picture; and having found the

case it used to be kept in, they never suspected it had been stolen but

thought it might have fallen out by chance. The Prince of Cleves was

very much concerned for the loss of it; and after having searched for

it a great while to no purpose, he told his wife, but with an air that

showed he did not think so, that without doubt she had some secret

lover, to whom she had given the picture, or who had stole it, and that

none but a lover would have been contented with the picture without the

case. These words, though spoke in jest, made a lively impression in the mind

of Madam de Cleves; they gave her remorse, and she reflected on the

violence of her inclination which hurried her on to love the Duke of

Nemours; she found she was no longer mistress of her words or

countenance; she imagined that Lignerolles was returned, that she had

nothing to fear from the affair of England, nor any cause to suspect

the Queen-Dauphin; in a word, that she had no refuge or defence against

the Duke de Nemours but by retiring; but as she was not at her liberty

to retire, she found herself in a very great extremity and ready to

fall into the last misfortune, that of discovering to the Duke the

inclination she had for him: she remembered all that her mother had

said to her on her death-bed, and the advice which she gave her, to

enter on any resolutions, however difficult they might be, rather than

engage in gallantry; she remembered also what Monsieur de Cleves had

told her, when he gave an account of Madam de Tournon; she thought she

ought to acknowledge to him the inclination she had for the Duke de

Nemours, and in that thought she continued a long time; afterwards she

was astonished to have entertained so ridiculous a design, and fell

back again into her former perplexity of not knowing what to choose.

The peace was signed; and the Lady Elizabeth, after a great deal of

reluctance, resolved to obey the King her father. The Duke of Alva was

appointed to marry her in the name of the Catholic King, and was very

soon expected.

The Duke of Savoy too, who was to marry the King's

sister, and whose nuptials were to be solemnised at the same time, was

expected every day. The King thought of nothing but how to grace these

marriages with such diversions as might display the politeness and

magnificence of his Court. Interludes and comedies of the best kind

were proposed, but the King thought those entertainments too private,

and desired to have somewhat of a more splendid nature: he resolved to

make a solemn tournament, to which strangers might be invited, and of

which the people might be spectators. The princes and young lords very

much approved the King's design, especially the Duke of Ferrara,

Monsieur de Guise, and the Duke de Nemours, who surpassed the rest in

these sorts of exercises. The King made choice of them to be together

with himself the four champions of the tournament.




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