1G63.] THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF RICHMOND. 243 



was educated in France, and came over to England in the 

 train of the Queen Dowager, Henrietta Maria, in 1662. Of 

 her early history but little is known, except that Louis XIV. 

 was an ardent admirer of her person. Shortly after her 

 arrival at the English court she was appointed maid of 

 honour to Queen Catherine and had the king among her many 

 suitors. This liaison probably originated in his constantly 

 meeting her in the apartments of the Duchess of Cleveland, 

 who, little aware of the dangerous rival she was fostering, had 

 taken the new beauty into favour, and invited her to all the 

 entertainments which she made for the king. Among other 

 civilities, she frequently detained Miss Stuart to pass the 

 night in her apartment, and, as it was the daily practice of 

 Charles to visit his mistress before she rose, he constantly 

 found them in bed together. His attachment for Miss Stuart 

 seems to have approached nearer to true love than any other 

 of his libertine attachments. Her appearance on horseback 

 was classically graceful and picturesque. Pepys gives a 

 graphic description of the return of a court party after a ride, 

 at which Charles and his queen were present, and in which 

 Miss Stuart figured the observed of all observers. It was the 

 peculiar elegance of her seat on horseback that captivated the 

 sensitive George Hamilton when he presented her with the 

 proffer of his heart, " and with one of the prettiest horses in 

 England." The Duke of Buckingham and Lord Digby were 

 also amongst her admirers ; but they, like the king, failed to 

 win the beauty. So paramount, however, was her influence 

 over Charles, that it was commonly believed, even by those 

 who were best acquainted with his disposition, that he would 

 willingly have divorced his neglected queen, and have rai' ed 

 her maid of honour to the throne. The world, however on 

 this score, at least, did him singular injustice. About this 

 time the Duke of Richmond having made her a solemn offer 

 of his hand, she determined to brave the anger of the king 

 and to secure the proud coronet which was within her reach. 

 The union, under the circumstances, could only take place 

 surreptitiously, and it was necessary to resort to the inevit- 

 able elopement. Accordingly on a storm}^ night in March 



