that of the Duchess of Valentinois: not that this young beauty
gave her umbrage; long experience convinced her she had nothing
to fear on the part of the King, and she had to great a hatred
for the Viscount of Chartres, whom she had endeavoured to bring
into her interest by marrying him with one of her daughters, and
who had joined himself to the Queen's party, that she could not
have the least favourable thought of a person who bore his name,
and was a great object of his friendship.

The Prince of Cleves became passionately in love with
Mademoiselle de Chartres, and ardently wished to marry her, but
he was afraid the haughtiness of her mother would not stoop to
match her with one who was not the head of his family:
nevertheless his birth was illustrious, and his elder brother,
the Count d'En, had just married a lady so nearly related to the
Royal family, that this apprehension was rather the effect of his
love, than grounded on any substantial reason. He had a great
number of rivals; the most formidable among them, for his birth,
his merit, and the lustre which Royal favour cast upon his house,
was the Chevalier de Guise; this gentleman fell in love with
Mademoiselle de Chartres the first day he saw her, and he
discovered the Prince of Cleves's passion as the Prince of Cleves
discovered his. Though they were intimate friends, their having
the same pretentions gradually created a coolness between them,
and their friendship grew into an indifference, without their
being able to come to an explanation on the matter. The Prince
of Cleves's good fortune in having seen Mademoiselle de Chartres
first seemed to be a happy presage, and gave him some advantage
over his rivals, but he foresaw great obstructions on the part of
the Duke of Nevers his father: the Duke was strictly attached to