lacking in anything that was due to himself; and he gave Catherine an
"entry" into Paris, to be crowned as queen, which was worthy of all
such pageants that had ever taken place. The archives of the
Parliament, and those of the Cour des Comptes, show that those two
great bodies went to meet her outside of Paris as far as Saint Lazare.
Here is an extract from du Tillet's account of it:--

"A platform had been erected at Saint-Lazare, on which was a
throne (du Tillet calls it a /chair de parement/). Catherine took
her seat upon it, wearing a surcoat, or species of ermine
short-cloak covered with precious stones, a bodice beneath it with
the royal mantle, and on her head a crown enriched with pearls and
diamonds, and held in place by the Marechale de la Mark, her lady
of honor. Around her /stood/ the princes of the blood, and other
princes and seigneurs, richly apparelled, also the chancellor of
France in a robe of gold damask on a background of crimson-red.
Before the queen, and on the same platform, were seated, in two
rows, twelve duchesses or countesses, wearing ermine surcoats,
bodices, robes, and circlets,--that is to say, the coronets of
duchesses and countesses. These were the Duchesses d'Estouteville,
Montpensier (elder and younger); the Princesses de la
Roche-sur-Yon; the Duchesses de Guise, de Nivernois, d'Aumale, de
Valentinois (Diane de Poitiers), Mademoiselle la batarde legitimee
de France (the title of the king's daughter, Diane, who was
Duchesse de Castro-Farnese and afterwards Duchesse de
Montmorency-Damville), Madame la Connetable, and Mademoiselle de
Nemours; without mentioning other demoiselles who were not seated.
The four presidents of the courts of justice, wearing their caps,
several other members of the court, and the clerk du Tillet, mounted
the platform, made reverent bows, and the chief judge, Lizet,