least jealousy of it; but she was so skilful a dissembler, that
it was hard to judge of her real sentiments, and policy obliged
her to keep the duchess about her person, that she might draw the
King to her at the same time. This Prince took great delight in
the conversation of women, even of such as he had no passion for;
for he was every day at the Queen's court, when she held her
assembly, which was a concourse of all that was beautiful and
excellent in either sex.

Never were finer women or more accomplished men seen in any
Court, and Nature seemed to have taken pleasure in lavishing her
greatest graces on the greatest persons. The Princess Elizabeth,
since Queen of Spain, began now to manifest an uncommon wit, and
to display those beauties, which proved afterwards so fatal to
her. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, who had just married the
Dauphin, and was called the Queen-Dauphin, had all the
perfections of mind and body; she had been educated in the Court
of France, and had imbibed all the politeness of it; she was by
nature so well formed to shine in everything that was polite,
that notwithstanding her youth, none surpassed her in the most
refined accomplishments. The Queen, her mother-in-law, and the
King's sister, were also extreme lovers of music, plays and
poetry; for the taste which Francis the First had for the Belles
Lettres was not yet extinguished in France; and as his son was
addicted to exercises, no kind of pleasure was wanting at Court.
But what rendered this Court so splendid, was the presence of so
many great Princes, and persons of the highest quality and merit:
those I shall name, in their different characters, were the
admiration and ornament of their age.