Duchess; and in the first years of his marriage, when he had no
issue, he appeared almost resolved to be divorced from the Queen,
in order to make room for my mother, though at the same time he
had some affection for the Duchess. Madam de Valentinois being
jealous of a lady whom he had formerly loved, and whose wit and
beauty were capable of lessening her interest, joined herself to
the Constable, who was no more desirous than herself that the
King should marry a sister of the Duke of Guise; they possessed
the deceased King with their sentiments; and though he mortally
hated the Duchess of Valentinois, and loved the Queen, he joined
his endeavours with theirs to prevent the divorce; but in order
to take from the King all thoughts of marrying the Queen my
mother, they struck up a marriage between her and the King of
Scotland, who had had for his first wife the King's sister, and
they did this because it was the easiest to be brought to a
conclusion, though they failed in their engagements to the King
of England, who was very desirous of marrying her; and that
failure wanted but little of occasioning a rupture between the
two Crowns: for Henry the Eighth was inconsolable, when he found
himself disappointed in his expectations of marrying my mother;
and whatever other Princess of France was proposed to him, he
always said, nothing could make him amends for her he had been
deprived of. It is certainly true, that my mother was a perfect
beauty; and what is very remarkable, is, that being the widow of
the Duke of Longueville, three Kings should court her in
marriage. Her ill fortune gave her to the least of them, and
placed her in a kingdom where she meets with nothing but trouble.
They say I resemble her, but I fear I shall resemble her only in
her unhappy destiny; and whatever fortune may seem to promise me
at present, I can never think I shall enjoy it."