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.
Proclamation was made throughout the kingdom, that on the 15th of

June in the City of Paris, his most Christian Majesty, and the
Princes Alphonso d'Ete Duke of Ferrara, Francis of Loraine Duke

of Guise, and James of Savoy Duke of Nemours would hold an open
tournament against all comers. The first combat to be on

horse-back in the lists, with double armour, to break four
lances, and one for the ladies; the second combat with swords,

one to one, or two to two, as the judges of the field should
direct; the third combat on foot, three pushes of pikes, and six

hits with the sword. The champions to furnish lances, swords,
and pikes, at the choice of the combatants. Whoever did not

manage his horse in the carreer to be put out of the lists; four
judges of the field to give orders. The combatants who should

break most lances and perform best to carry the prize, the value
whereof to be at the discretion of the judges; all the

combatants, as well French as strangers, to be obliged to touch
one or more, at their choice, of the shields that should hang on

the pillar at the end of the lists, where a herald at arms should
be ready to receive them, and enroll them according to their

quality, and the shields they had touched; the combatants to be
obliged to cause their shields and arms to be brought by a

gentleman and hung up at the pillar three days before the
tournament, otherwise not to be admitted without leave of the

champions.
A spacious list was made near the Bastille, which begun from the

Chateau des Tournelles and crossed the street of St. Anthony, and
extended as far as the King's stables; on both sides were built

scaffolds and amphitheatres, which formed a sort of galleries
that made a very fine sight, and were capable of containing an

infinite number of people. The princes and lords were wholly
taken up in providing what was necessary for a splendid

appearance, and in mingling in their cyphers and devices somewhat
of gallantry that had relation to the ladies they were in love

with.
A few days before the Duke of Alva's arrival, the King made a

match at tennis with the Duke de Nemours, the Chevalier de Guise,
and the Viscount de Chartres. The Queens came to see them play,

attended with the ladies of the Court, and among others Madam de
Cleves. After the game was ended, as they went out of the tennis

court, Chatelart came up to the Queen-Dauphin, and told her
fortune had put into his hands a letter of gallantry, that

dropped out of the Duke de Nemours's pocket. This Queen, who was
always very curious in what related to the Duke, bid Chatelart

give her the letter; he did so, and she followed the Queen her
mother-in-law, who was going with the King to see them work at

the lists. After they had been there some time, the King caused
some horses to be brought that had been lately taken in, and

though they were not as yet thoroughly managed, he was for
mounting one of them, and ordered his attendants to mount others;

the King and the Duke de Nemours hit upon the most fiery and high
mettled of them. The horses were ready to fall foul on one

another, when the Duke of Nemours, for fear of hurting the King,
retreated abruptly, and ran back his horse against a pillar with

so much violence that the shock of it made him stagger. The
company ran up to him, and he was thought considerably hurt; but

the Princess of Cleves thought the hurt much greater than anyone
else. The interest she had in it gave her an apprehension and

concern which she took no care to conceal; she came up to him
with the Queens, and with a countenance so changed, that one less

concerned than the Chevalier de Guise might have perceived it:
perceive it he immediately did, and was much more intent upon the

condition Madam de Cleves was in, than upon that of the Duke de
Nemours. The blow the Duke had given himself had so stunned him,

that he continued some time leaning his head on those who
supported him; when he raised himself up, he immediately viewed

Madam de Cleves, and saw in her face the concern she was in for
him, and he looked upon her in a manner which made her sense how

much he was touched with it: afterwards he thanked the Queens for
the goodness they had expressed to him, and made apologies for

the condition he had been in before them; and then the King
ordered him to go to rest.

Madam de Cleves, after she was recovered from the fright she had
been in, presently reflected on the tokens she had given of it.

The Chevalier de Guise did not suffer her to continue long in the
hope that nobody had perceived it, but giving her his hand to

lead her out of the lists: "I have more cause to complain,
Madam," said he, "than the Duke de Nemours; pardon me, if I

forget for a moment that profound respect I have always had for
you, and show you how much my heart is grieved for what my eyes

have just seen; this is the first time I have ever been so bold
as to speak to you, and it will be the last. Death or at least

eternal absence will remove me from a place where I can live no
longer, since I have now lost the melancholy comfort I had of

believing that all who behold you with love are as unhappy as
myself."

Madam de Cleves made only a confused answer, as if she had not
understood what the Chevalier's words meant: at another time she

would have been offended if he had mentioned the passion he had
for her; but at this moment she felt nothing but the affliction

to know that he had observed the passion she had for the Duke de
Nemours. The Chevalier de Guise was so well convinced of it, and

so pierced with grief, that from that moment he took a resolution
never to think of being loved by Madam de Cleves; but that he

might the better be able to quit a passion which he had thought
so difficult and so glorious, it was necessary to make choice of

some other taking" target="_blank" title="n.任务；事业；计划">undertakingworthy of employing him; he had his view
on Rhodes: the taking of which he had formerly had some idea of;

and when death snatched him away, in the flower of his youth, and
at a time when he had acquired the reputation of one of the

greatest Princes of his age, the only regret he had to part with
life was, that he had not been able to execute so noble a

resolution, the success whereof he thought infallible from the
great care he had taken about it.

Madam de Cleves, when she came out of the lists, went to the