Political Women, Vol. 2

BOOK I.. Princess Des Ursins.

PRINCESS DES URSINS.

CHAP. I.--Two ladies of the Bedchamber during the war of the Spanish Succession--Lady Churchill and the Princess des Ursins--Political motives for their elevation in England and Spain 127

II.--The Princess des Ursins--The married life of Anne de la Tremouille--She becomes the centre of contemporary politics in Rome 131

III.--Madame des Ursins aspires to govern Spain--Her manoeuvres to secure the post of Camerara-Mayor 141

IV.--The Princess assumes the functions of Camerara-Mayor to the young Queen of Spain--An unpropitious royal wedding 148

V.--Onerous and incongruous duties of the Camerara-Mayor--She renders Marie Louise popular with the Spaniards--The policy adopted by the Princess for the regeneration of Spain--Character of Philip and Marie Louise--Two political systems combated by Madame des Ursins--She effects the ruin of her political rivals and reigns absolutely in the Councils of the Crown 161

VI.--The Princess makes a false step in her Statecraft--A blunder and an imbroglio 175

VII.--The Princess quits Madrid by command of Louis XIV.--After a short exile, she receives permission to visit Versailles 184

VIII.--The Princess triumphs at Versailles 192

BOOK II.. Chap. I.--Sarah Jennings and John Churchill 207

CHAP. I.--Sarah Jennings and John Churchill 207

II.--State of parties in action on the accession of Queen Anne--Harley and Bolingbroke aim at overthrowing the sway of the female "Viceroy"--Abigail Hill becomes the instrument of the Duchess's downfall--Squabbles between the Queen and her Mistress of the Robes 215

III.--Success of the Cabal--The Queen emancipates herself from all obligations to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough--The downfall of the Duchess and the Whigs resolved upon--The Duchess's stormy and final interview with the Queen 233

IV.--The disgrace of the Duchess involves the fall of the Whigs--Anne demands back the Duchess's gold keys of office--Extraordinary influence of Sarah and Abigail on the fortunes of Europe--The illustrious soldier and his disgraced wife driven from England 242

BOOK III.. Chap. I.--Delicate and Perilous Position of the Princess

CHAP. I.--Delicate and perilous position of the Princess des Ursins after the Battle of Almanza--She effects an important reform by the centralisation of the different kingdoms of Spain--The Duke of Orleans heads a faction inimical to the Princess--She demands and obtains his recall--Her bold resolution to act in opposition to the timid policy of Versailles--The loftiness of her past conduct and character--The victory of Villaviciosa definitely seats the House of Bourbon on the throne of Spain 251

II.--The Princess's share in the Treaty of Utrecht--At the culminating point of her greatness, a humiliating catastrophe is impending--Philip negotiates for the erection of a territory into a sovereignty for Madame des Ursins--The sudden death of Queen Marie Louise causes a serious conjunction for the Princess--Her power begins to totter 264

III.--The Princess finds herself friendless in Spain--Suspicions and slanders rife with regard to the relations existing between her and the King--The projected creation of a sovereignty fails, through the abandonment of England--Philip, in consequence, refuses to sign the Treaty of Utrecht, but Louis XIV. compels the King and Princess to yield--Their têtes-à-têtes causing great scandal, the King suddenly orders the Princess to find him a wife 272

IV.--Among the Princesses eligible to become Philip's consort, he chooses the Princess of Parma--Alberoni deceives Madame des Ursins as to the character of Elizabeth Farnese--The Camerara-Mayor's prompt and cruel disgrace at the hands of the new Queen--She is arrested and carried to St. Jean de Luz--Her courage under adversity--She returns to Rome, and dies there 287

BOOK IV.. I.--_closing Scenes_--the Princess Des Ursins 301

I.--Closing Scenes--The Princess des Ursins 301

II.--Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough 307

BOOK V.

(Continued.)

POLITICAL WOMEN.

CHAPTER III.

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN CONDÉ AND TURENNE AT PARIS--NOBLE CONDUCT OF MADEMOISELLE DE MONTPENSIER--FALL OF THE FRONDE.

THE second-rate actors in this shifting drama presented no less diversity in the motives of their actions. Beaufort, who commanded the troops of Gaston, and Nemours those of Condé, although brothers-in-law, weakened by their dissentions an army which their concord would have rendered formidable. The necessity of military operations required their absence from Paris; but they preferred rather to there exhibit themselves to their mistresses, decked out in a general's uniform, and grasping the truncheon of command. No greater harmony existed between the Prince de Conti and Madame de Longueville than when La Rochefoucauld severed them. At Bordeaux they favoured opposite parties, and contributed to augment the discord prevailing, and to weaken the party of the Princes by dividing it. The Duchess de Longueville, when no longer guided by La Rochefoucauld, did not fail to lose herself in aimless projects, and to compromise herself in intrigues without result. On Nemours being wounded, his wife repaired to the army to tend him, and the Duchess de Châtillon, under pretext of visiting one of her châteaux, accompanied her as far as Montargis; thence she went to the convent of Filles de Sainte-Marie, where, believing herself quite incognita, she went, under various disguises, to see him whom she had never ceased to love. These mysterious visits soon became no longer a secret to any one; and then Condé and his sister could convince themselves how different are the sentiments which love inspires and those which self-interest and vanity simulate. The great Condé, by his intelligence and bearing, had all the means of pleasing women; but obtained small success notwithstanding. Mademoiselle Vigean excepted, he appears to have been incapable of inspiring the tender passion, in the truest acceptation of the phrase. He went further than his sister, it seems, in the neglect of his person. It was his habit of life to be almost always badly dressed, and only appeared radiant on the field of battle. So that the Duke de Nemours was not the only rival with whom Condé had to contend for the favours of that beauty for whom Louis XIV. in his boyish amusements had shown a preference, and which has furnished a theme for some agreeable trifling to the sparkling muse of Benserade. An abbé, named Cambiac, in the service of the house of Condé, balanced for some time the passion to which Nemours had given birth in the bosom of the Duchess de Châtillon, and the jealousy of Nemours failed to expel Cambiac. The Duchess kept fair with him as the man who had obtained the greatest sway over her relation, the Princess-dowager de Condé. The condescension of the Duchess de Châtillon towards this intriguing and licentious priest procured her, on the part of the Princess-dowager, a legacy of more than a hundred thousand crowns in Bavaria, and the usufruct of an estate worth twenty thousand livres in rent per annum. Cambiac, however, retired, when he knew that Condé was his rival. But the victor of Rocroy had more address in winning battles than in conducting a love intrigue. He was clumsy enough to employ as a go-between in his courtship of his new mistress a certain gentleman named Vineuil, who was, it is true, one of his most skilful and attached followers, but whose good looks, agreeable and satirical wit, and enterprising character rendered him a very dangerous emissary among women. He had even acquired some celebrity through his successes in that way. Madame de Montbazon, Madame de Mouy, and the Princess of Wurtemberg had successively experienced the effects of his seductions. Vineuil made himself very agreeable to Madame de Châtillon, and if Condé were wronged by him in that quarter, he never knew of it; for Vineuil was always in great favour with him. Nemours excited his jealousy, and Nemours only dreaded Condé. However, shortly before, in the month of March, 1652, the Marquis de la Boulay and Count de Choisy, both enamoured of this Queen of Hearts, were bent on fighting a duel about her. A rumour of their intention got wind. The Duchess de Châtillon heard of it, and appeared unexpectedly on the spot fixed by the two adversaries for a rendezvous; and at the very instant they were about to unsheath their swords, she flung herself between them, seized each by the hand, and led them into the presence of the Duke d'Orleans, who charged Marshals l'Hospital, Schomberg, and d'Etampes, then in Paris, to arrange that affair and prevent a duel. In this they succeeded, but these rivalries and gallant intrigues very sensibly weakened Condé's party, and hindered there being anything secret or combined in the execution of projects determined upon in the councils of its chief.

In the meantime, the siege of Etampes had been raised; and the army of Condé had issued forth, probably with the intention of attacking Turenne if he were found engaged with the Duke de Lorraine. On its approaching Paris, Condé took the command of it, and fixed his head-quarters at Saint-Cloud, in order to manoeuvre on both banks of the Seine. The proximity of his camp to Paris did him far greater harm than even a defeat would have done. With but a scanty commissariat, Condé was of course obliged to permit every sort of licence. All the crops were ruined in the neighbouring fields; the peasantry were plundered, injured, and their domestic peace destroyed; and the country-houses of the rich Parisians were pillaged and burned in all directions. The evils of civil war now came home to the hearts of the people of the capital, and, forgetting how great a part they themselves had taken in producing the results they lamented, they cast the whole blame upon Condé, and regarded him thenceforth with a malevolent eye.

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