Ingenious and diverting letters of a lady's travels into Spain; describing the devotions, nunneries, humour, customs, laws, militia, trade, diet, and recreations of that people / [Marie Catherine Jumelle de Berneville Aulnoy].

Madame d'Aulnoy

Date:: 1717

Credit: Ingenious and diverting letters of a lady's travels into Spain; describing the devotions, nunneries, humour, customs, laws, militia, trade, diet, and recreations of that people / [Marie Catherine Jumelle de Berneville Aulnoy]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$with the Queen, fhenegleéting nothing whereby to-retain bim near her. He attended where-ever fhe went fince ; and many, who were led by outward Appeurances, judged, when fhe left the Crown to her Coufin, fhe did it with great Satisfaction, ~becaufe fhe did i withdry Eyes, and had the Courage io ha- rangue the States, with great Force and Eloquence ; but the People were greatly miftaken in the fecret Motives of this :Princefs. Her Soul at that time was pierced with the moftlive- ly Sorrow; fhe was not a little griev’d to yield to the Prince Palatine a Scepter, which fhe thought herfelf worthy to wield alone, and of which fhe was lawful Heirefs. This Prince had the Addrefs to get it declar’d, that if fhe married, fhe fhould chufe him for her Husband, — | As foon as this Declaration was made, fhe began to feel the weight of the Subjeétion wherein fhe was plac’d; and on the other hand, the People did not well relifh the being govern’d by a Woman. They infifted more on her Defeéts, than they minded her Virtues, The Prince contributed under-hand there- to ; and the Queen, who was penetrating, foon perceiv'd it 5 fhe obferv'd the Inclination the People had to him, and the Wifhes which were made to fee him on the Throne: She grew every day more and more jealous of this, and pafs’d from hence fuch a deadly Hatred, that’twas impoflible for her to ftop the Courfe of it. The Prince’s Prefence becamefo infupportable ta her, that perceiving it, he withdrew into an Ifland which be- . Jong'd to him: But he fet not out till he had left good Me- moins to his Creatures againft the Queen’s Condu&, : When fhefaw, herfelf deliver’d from an Objeét, whofe Sight intent Purfuit of the Affairs of the Kingdom, and gave way to her Inclinations to Books. Her marvellous Wit made, in a Mort time, admirable Progreffes in the moft profound Sciences ; that having {pent feveral days in her Study, fhe would CHRESS fifgufted with her Books ; faying, They were goodfor nothing the Great Men of the Court faw her in this Dilpofition, they approach’d her with more Familiarity, and then the whole _ Tumeys, Huntings, and all otherDiverfions.. She gaye up her- {elf entirely to them, and nothing could bring her off them 5 but fhe added to this Defect that of enriching Strangers, at the Expence of her own Subjects, sf : : = 4 we $ . $e iV o ] { the$