250 



il est certain que selon le genie et ies manieres d'Espagne sa conduite 

 auroit du luy faire craindre des suittes facheuses, si le Hoy, et le gou- 

 vernement n'eussent este egallement foibles. EUe ne menageoit point 

 le premier Ministre, mais comme elle estoit sans ponvoir, il se contentoit 

 de la mepriser sans tirer avantage de son pen de conduite ny Luy faire 

 plus de mal qu'elle s'en faisoit Elle meme."^' 



" La Eeyne mere la connoisoit bien et apres avoir fait toutes les de- 

 marches pour entrer avec Elle en une veritable confiance, dont les liaisons 

 auroient pu leur douner tout pouvoir sur I'esprit du Eoy et sur les 

 ministres, elle n'y trouva que de I'indifference et de la legerete, de sorte 

 que voyant ses soins jnutiles elle fut obligee d'abandonner toutes les 

 viies qu'elle avoit formees pour le bien de la Maison Eoyalle et de I'es- 

 tat, et ne songea plus qu' a donner le reste de sa vie au repos et a la 

 piete. Princesse vertneuse, honneste, juste, liberalle,^ pent estre trop 

 bonne et trop facile, moins sensible, et nioins severe qu'il ne convient 

 aux personnes de son rarig."f 



" Le genie du premier ministre n' estoit guerre plus eleve, queceluy 

 du premier Roy, il avoit quelque facilite pour les complimens et pour 

 le dehors des affaires, hors cette apparence on le trouvoit jusques dans 

 les moindres affaires incapable d'agir de luy meme, et sans discernement 



half the slair-case and threw herself about his neck with that agreeable French liberty 

 which she had not yet forgotten." — Part ii. p. 21. 



* Surely this cannot be the same queen of whom Dunlop writes as follows: — 

 ' Yet Louisa d'Orleans passed the dangerous period of life with untainted reputation, 

 and with many claims to popularity and esteem among her subjects. Leaving in the first 

 dawn of youth the mo^t brilliant court in Europe, and entering the most gloomy, she 

 bore the change with cheerfulness, and, except in the few first days of probation, without 

 repining. United to a husband of the most despicable understanding and deplorable 

 ignorance, and who possessed no qualifications which could win attachment or esteem, 

 she paid him, in all his tits of caprice or despondency, unremitting attention, and never 

 was suspected of allowing her affections to stray to a more worthy object. From the be- 

 ginning of her reign, she showed the greatest sympathy for the distresses of the people ; 

 and, during hei' last illness, being informed that the citizens who had assembled at the 

 gates of the palace, were offering up prayers for her recovery, she said, ' that she was well 

 entitled to this return of affection, as she would at any time have laid down her life to 

 relieve them of the burdens they endured.' "—Memoirs of Spain during the reigns of 

 Philip IV. and Charles IL, by John Dunlop, v. 2, p. 247. 



f In Madame de Villars' letter theie is no mention of this disgust of the queen- 

 mother, and of her abandonment of all efforts to be useful to her daughter-in-law and 

 her son. There is, however, evidence of the strong regard which the queen-mother 

 entertained towards the French Ambassador and his wife. The last sentence we have of 

 Madame de Villars' letter proves this; but it proves also that at this time, toM'ards the very 

 close of M. de Villars' embassy. May, 1681, the union which had been brought about by 

 the good offices of M. de Villars and his wife between the queen-mother and her daugh- 

 ter-in-law still contiimed. " J'ai vu la Heine Mere ces jours passes," says Madame de 

 Villars in her last letter: " dont j'ai tons les sujets du monde de me louer, par toutes 

 les choses obligeantes qu' elle diL de la conduite de M. de Villars et de la Mienne, qu- 

 ant a I'union de sa belle-fille avec elle ; et je suis bien persuadee qu' elle en' ecrit confor- 

 mement a la Reine en France." — Lettres, p. 244. 



With regard to the general character of the queen-mother in the text, it is strangely 

 the reverse of that insinuated by Dunlop, and broadly stated by Mr. Ford. (See " Hand- 

 Book of Spain," sect, xi., p. 840. 



