The Prince of Cleves became passionately in love with Mademoiselle de

Chartres, and ardently wished to marry her, but he was afraid the

haughtiness of her mother would not stoop to match her with one who was

not the head of his family: nevertheless his birth was illustrious, and

his elder brother, the Count d'En, had just married a lady so nearly

related to the Royal family, that this apprehension was rather the

effect of his love, than grounded on any substantial reason. He had a

great number of rivals; the most formidable among them, for his birth,

his merit, and the lustre which Royal favour cast upon his house, was

the Chevalier de Guise; this gentleman fell in love with Mademoiselle

de Chartres the first day he saw her, and he discovered the Prince of

Cleves's passion as the Prince of Cleves discovered his. Though they

were intimate friends, their having the same pretentions gradually

created a coolness between them, and their friendship grew into an

indifference, without their being able to come to an explanation on the

matter. The Prince of Cleves's good fortune in having seen

Mademoiselle de Chartres first seemed to be a happy presage, and gave

him some advantage over his rivals, but he foresaw great obstructions

on the part of the Duke of Nevers his father: the Duke was strictly

attached to the Duchess of Valentinois, and the Viscount de Chartres

was her enemy, which was a sufficient reason to hinder the Duke from

consenting to the marriage of his son, with a niece of the Viscount's.

Madam de Chartres, who had taken so much care to inspire virtue into

her daughter, did not fail to continue the same care in a place where

it was so necessary, and where there were so many dangerous examples.

Ambition and gallantry were the soul of the Court, and employed both

sexes equally; there were so many different interests and so many

cabals, and the ladies had so great a share in them, that love was

always mixed with business, and business with love: nobody was easy, or

indifferent; their business was to raise themselves, to be agreeable,

to serve or disserve; and intrigue and pleasure took up their whole

time.

The care of the ladies was to recommend themselves either to the

Queen, the Dauphin-Queen, or the Queen of Navarre, or to Madame, or the

Duchess of Valentinois. Inclination, reasons of decorum, resemblance

of temper made their applications different; those who found the bloom

worn off, and who professed an austerity of virtue, were attached to

the Queen; the younger sort, who loved pleasure and gallantry, made

their Court to the Queen-Dauphin; the Queen of Navarre too had her

favourites, she was young, and had great power with the King her

husband, who was in the interest of the Constable, and by that means

increased his authority; Madame was still very beautiful, and drew many

ladies into her party. And as for the Duchess of Valentinois, she

could command as many as she would condescend to smile upon; but very

few women were agreeable to her, and excepting some with whom she lived

in confidence and familiarity, and whose humour was agreeable to her

own, she admitted none but on days when she gratified her vanity in

having a Court in the same manner the Queen had.




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