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 forbearsaying, 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 remarkablylively in her countenance,

very different from what is usually found in other English
beauties." "I think," replied Madam de Cleves, "'tis said

she was born in France." "Those who imagine so are mistaken,"
replied the Queen-Dauphin; "I'll give you her history in a few

words.
"She was of a good family in England; Henry the Eighth was in

love with her sister and her mother, and it has been even
suspected by some, that she was his daughter; she came to France

with Henry the Seventh's sister, who married Louis XII that
Princess, who was full of youth and gallantry, left the Court of

France with great reluctance after her husband's death; but Anne
Boleyn, who had the same inclinations as her mistress, could not

prevail with herself to go away; the late King was in love with
her, and she continued maid of honour to Queen Claude; that Queen

died, and Margaretta, the King's sister, Duchess of Alenson, and
since Queen of Navarre, whose story you know, took her into her

service, where she imbibed the principles of the new religion;
she returned afterwards to England, and there charmed all the

world; she had the manners of France, which please in all
countries; she sung well, she danced finely; she was a maid of

honour to Queen Catherine, and Henry the Eighth fell desperately
in love with her.

"Cardinal Wolsey, his favourite and first minister, being
dissatisfied with the Emperor for not having favoured his

pretensions to the Papacy, in order to revenge himself of him,
contrived an alliance between France and the King his master; he

put it into the head of Henry the Eighth, that his marriage with
the Emperor's aunt was null, and advised him to marry the Duchess

of Alenson, whose husband was just dead; Anne Boleyn, who was not
without ambition, considered Queen Catherine's divorce as a means

that would bring her to the Crown; she began to give the King of
England impressions of the Lutheran religion, and engaged the

late King to favour at Rome Henry the Eighth's divorce, in hopes
of his marrying the Duchess of Alenson; Cardinal Wolsey, that he

might have an opportunity of treating this affair, procured
himself to be sent to France upon other pretences; but his master

was so far from permitting him to propose this marriage, that he
sent him express orders to Calais not to speak of it.

"Cardinal Wolsey, at his return from France, was received with
as great honours as could have been paid to the King himself;

never did any favourite carry his pride and vanity to so great a
height; he managed an interview between the two Kings at

Boulogne, when Francis the First would have given the upperhand
to Henry the Eighth, but he refused to accept it; they treated

one another by turns with the utmostmagnificence, and presented
to each habits of the same sort with those they wore themselves.

I remember to have heard say, that those the late King sent to
the King of England were of crimson satin beset all over with

pearls and diamonds, and a robe of white velvet embroidered with
gold; after having stayed some time at Boulogne, they went to

Calais. Anne Boleyn was lodged in Henry the Eighth's Court with
the train of a Queen; and Francis the First made her the same

presents, and paid her the same honours as if she had been really
so: in a word, after a passion of nine year's continuance King

Henry married her, without waiting for the dissolving of his
first marriage. The Pope precipitately thundered out

excommunications against him, which so provoked King Henry, that
he declared himself head of the Church, and drew after him all

England into the unhappy change in which you see it.
"Anne Boleyn did not long enjoy her greatness; for when she

thought herself most secure of it by the death of Queen
Catherine, one day as she was seeing a match of running at the

ring made by the Viscount Rochefort her brother, the King was
struck with such a jealousy, that he abruptly left the show, went

away to London, and gave orders for arresting the Queen, the
Viscount Rochefort, and several others whom he believed to be the

lovers or confidants of that Princess. Though this jealousy in
appearance had its birth that moment, the King had been long

possessed with it by the Viscountess Rochefort, who not being
able to bear the strictintimacy between her husband and the

Queen, represented it to the King as a criminalcommerce; so that
that Prince, who was besides in love with Jane Seymour, thought

of nothing but ridding himself of Anne Boleyn; and in less than
three weeks he caused the Queen and her brother to be tried, had

them both beheaded, and, married Jane Seymour. He had afterwards
several wives, whom he divorced or put to death; and among others

Catherine Howard, whose confidant the Viscountess Rochefort was,
and who was beheaded with her: thus was she punished for having

falsely accused Anne Boleyn. And Henry the Eighth died, being
become excessive fat."

All the ladies, that were present when the Queen-Dauphin made
this relation, thanked her for having given them so good an

account of the Court of England; and among the rest Madam de
Cleves, who could not forbear asking several questions concerning

Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen-Dauphin caused pictures in miniature to be drawn of all

the beauties of the Court, in order to send them to the Queen her
mother. One day, when that of Madam de Cleves was finishing, the

Queen-Dauphin came to spend the afternoon with her; the Duke de
Nemours did not fail to be there; he let slip no opportunities of

seeing Madam de Cleves, yet without appearing to contrive them.