251 



pour profiter des lumieres d'autruy, il n'en tiroit que de D. Geronimo 

 d'Eguya qui le gouvernoit aussi absolument que s'il en eust este capa- 

 ble, Tun et r autre gouvernoient le Eojr par le confesseur et par Vibanco 

 qui dans son poste de valet de chambre estoit un petit favory." 



''La Camerera Mayor toujours unie avec le premier Ministre, luy 

 rendoit compte de la E-eyne aupres de laquelle elle se maintenoit par 

 une grande complaisance a luy laisser faire tout ce qu'elle vouloit, cette 

 liberte excessive fut un malheur pour la Reyne qui s'abandonna sans 

 contrainte a une conduite dangereuse et Ton eu lieu de douter pour ies 

 suittes si la severite dure de la Duchesse de Terra I^ova ne luy eust point 

 este plus utile que la foible tolerance de la Duchesse d' Albuquerque." 



Le Due de Medina Cell se conservoit dans le ministere par une 

 conduitte toute singuliere, il sembloit que la foiblesse et I'incapacite qui 

 precipitent d' ordinaire les favoris, servoient a le soutenir ; il laissoit aux 

 conseils la disposition des affaires, aux tribuneaux le cours libre de leurs 

 injustices, il ne recherchoit point les malversations passe es et ne s^j 

 opposoit point pour I'avenir, les grands et les personnes de qualite 

 vivoient dans leur insolence ordinaire et dans le mepris des loix et de 

 leur Maistre. La Licence et I'impunite estoient generalles, et hors le 

 peuple qui se trouvoist accable presque tout le monde s'accomodoit d'un 

 gouvernement ou tout le monde estoit le Maistre." — Folio 105. 



The ''Memoires de la Cour d'Espagne," properly so called, end at 

 the above passage, on the 105th folio of the Arsenal MS. A blank leaf 

 then follows, and the next page (folio 106) is headed, " Estat de la Cour 

 d'Espagne en L'annee 1680." This second division of the MS. extends 

 to folio 132, where the volume ends. There is no difference in the 

 handwriting or the colour of the ink. The first entry is about the 

 King, which certainly was written by a contemporary — '' Le Eoy est 

 entre dans sa 19^ annee le 7^ JN'ovembre de l'annee passee 1679." To 

 this succeeds a description of the personal appearance of the king, which 

 resembles very much that which Madame d'Aulnoy gives of him in her 

 ''Travels."^"' The same may be said of the entry about the queen 

 commencing ''La Eeine agee de 18 ans." f Characters of the queen- 



* "Relation du Voyage d'Espagne," A la Haye, 1715, t. ii., p. 17. It is thus trans- 

 lated in "The Lady's Travels," v. ii., p. 15 : — 



"I must tell you, then, that his complexion is delicate and fair; he has a broad 

 forehead, his eyes are fine, and have a great deal of sweetness in them ; his face is very 

 long and narrow ; his lips, like those of the house of Austria, are very thick, and his 

 mouth is wide ; his nose is very much hawked ; his chin is sharp, and turns up ; he has 

 a great head of hair, and fair, lank, and put behind his ears ; his stature is pretty high, 

 straight and slender ; his legs are small, and almost of a thickness ; he is naturally very 

 kind and good ; he is inclined to clemency, and of the great variety of council he has 

 given him, he takes that which is most for the advantage of his people, for he lOves them 

 extremely. He is not of a vindictive spirit ; he is sober, liberal, and pious ; his inclina- 

 tions are virtuous ; he is of an even temper, and of easy access ; he hath not had all that 

 education which is requisite to form the mind, but yet he seems not deficient." 



t Madame de Villars also sketches her at this interesting age: — " En verite sa douceur, 

 sa complaisance et toute sa conduite, sent des choses extraordinaires a dixhuit ans" — 

 Lettres, p. 83. 



E. I. Jl. PEOC. VOL. VIII. 2 L 



