174 PSITTACUS ERITHACUS. 



Maria, Louis endeavoured by flattering promises to induce the young beauty 

 to stay at his court. The Queen, however, insisted on carrying her off^ with 

 her. Louis presented her with a rich jewel at her departure. She was 

 appointed Maid of Honour to Queen Catherine." 



Pepys mentions " Mrs. Stuart's " dancing as " mighty fine." This was 

 not in the "brantle," but the " corant." 



Clarendon is supposed to have promoted her marriage with the Duke of 

 Richmond; and (at page 427) Miss Strickland's note runs thus : — "Frances 

 Stuart had never accepted any thing from the king beyond a few jewels ; and 

 these she returned to him after her marriage. The Duke of York presented 

 her with a jewel worth £800 when he drew her for a valentine. Her 

 husband, unfortunately, had a bad habit of drinking, which perhaps shortened 

 his life; he died in 1672, at the Court of Denmark, where he was sent as 

 Ambassador. The small-pox, that disease so fatal to the life or beauty of 

 the Royal house of Stuart, had destroyed the matchless charms of the 

 Duchess of Richmond and Lennox two years after her wedlock ; she bore the 

 infliction with philosophy. Although the Duke of Richmond and Lennox 

 had impaired his property, his widow was enabled by economy to save a 

 fortune from her dower. She purchased with it the estate of Lethrington, 

 and bequeathed it to her impoverished nephew Alexander, Earl of Blantyre, 

 with a request that it might be called ' Lennox's Love to Blantyre.' It is 

 called Lennox-love to this day. She seems to have valued the title of her 

 Scottish duchy more than that of Richmond." 



The likeness between the wax effigy and the portrait above mentioned, 

 of which a photograph is now before me, is apparent, though the nose in the 

 former is made more aquiline. In the latter a profusion of curls hang from 

 the head, but the countenance, though certainly pleasing, does not convey 

 the idea of such extraordinary beauty. Miss Strickland says, one of the eyes 

 of the Duchess was injured after the small-pox, and she looked ill for a long 

 time (p. 421). 



