244 



de la plus mechante compagnie et ne voyoit aiipres de liiy que ses deux 

 nains." 



''Dans cet Estat elle sceut se faire pour quelque temps une appa- 

 rence de tranquilite. Elle acquit de la complaisance pour le Roy, des 

 manieres et des exactitudes telles qu'il pouvoit les souhaiter pour croire 

 qu'il estoit aime, on La voyoit gaye avec de la sante, et de I'embonpoint. 

 La compagnie de ses chiens et de ses perroquets I'amusoit souvent, et 

 son esprit sans suitte, sans ambition et sans attachement pour rien de ce 

 que son rang luy donnoit, la consoloit par certaines idees de France ou 

 Elle se faisoit de seules esperances de retourner un jour et de gouster 

 hors du throne les douceurs d'une vie sans crainte, qui luy laisseroit la 

 liberte de suivre des penchans particuliers qui I'attachoient beaucoup 

 plus que la grandeur." — Eolios 45 and 46. 



At folios 51 and 52 there are thirty-six lines in the MS. which are 

 omitted in the Yillars' ''Memoirs." Erom these it would appear that the 

 queen opened her mind first to the ambassadress as to her intention of 

 asking the king for the dismissal of her camera-mayor. The ambassa- 

 dress discouraged the idea for a while, through fear of the queen's want of 

 persistence in her object; but finding some days after that she persevered 

 in her intention, she advised her to speak to the king, but to use the 

 utmost secresy and caution in her proceedings.^- 



Eolios 80 and 89 contain eighty lines which are omitted in the printed 

 books. They commence near the top of p. 274 of Villars. They are 

 curious, referring both to Madame de Yillars and to the Queen, whose 

 imprudence, in appearing at the windows of the palace, "qui donnent 

 sur la place," with her Erench ladies or attendants, and addressing such 

 Erench people as passed by " contre toutes les regies du Palais et la 

 bienseance de son rang et de son sexe" is severely condemned. I regret 

 that I had not time to copy this passage in full.f 



* There is nothing of this in Madame de Villars' Letters. At p. 164 she simply 

 says — "On lui a change de Camarera Major." In the next letter, at p. 156, she saya 

 again: — " Je vous ai mande par ma deri)iere Lettre la destitution de la Duchesse de 

 Terra Nova ; qu'on avoit mis a sa place la Duchesse d'Albuquerque ; et que je ne pouvois 

 etre ni aise ni fachee de ce cliangement, que selon que la Reine s'en trouveroit bien ou mal." 



f It is curious that Madame de Villars mentions as one of the chief advantages of the 

 change of Camarera Mayor the privilege of looking out of a window which is here de- 

 nounced as such a crime : — 



" On se trouve toujours bien du changement de la Camarera Major. L'air du Palais 

 en est tout different. Nous regardons presentement la Reine et moi, tant que nous vou- 

 lons, par une fenetre qui n'a de viie que sur un grand jardin d'un convent de Reli- 

 giueses qu'on appelle Y Inearnation et qui est attache au Palais. Vous aurez peine a 

 imaginer qu'une jeune Princesse nee en France, et eleveeau Palais Royal, puisse comp- 

 ter cela ponr un plaisir." — Lettres, pp. 163, 164. 



The following passages from Madame d'Aulnoy (in the translation of Tom Brown), 

 perhaps refer to the subject in the text: — " For, as I signified before, the Queen durst 

 not play with the little Dogs she had brouglit along with her, belore the King ; and the 

 two Parrots were killed for no other reason but because they talked French. The King 

 was out of humour as oft as any Frenchman passed through the court of tlie Palace, es- 

 pecially if the Queen looked upon him, although it was through the windows and lat- 

 tices of her chamber." — Memoirs of the Court of Spain, London, 1692, Part ii., p. 35. 



