be brought to marry him. The King communicated it to the Duke
the same evening, and caused the Count de Randan to relate to him
all the conversations he had had with Queen Elizabeth, and in
conclusion advised him to push his fortune: the Duke of Nemours
imagined at first that the King was not in earnest, but when he
found to the contrary, "If, by your advice, Sir," said he, "I
engage in this chimerical undertaking for your Majesty's service,
I must entreat your Majesty to keep the affair secret, till the
success of it shall justify me to the public; I would not be
thought guilty of the intolerable vanity, to think that a Queen,
who has never seen me, would marry me for love." The King
promised to let nobody into the design but the Constable, secrecy
being necessary, he knew, to the success of it. The Count de
Randan advised the Duke to go to England under pretence of
travelling; but the Duke disapproving this proposal, sent Mr.
Lignerol, a sprightly young gentleman, his favourite, to sound
the Queen's inclinations, and to endeavour to make some steps
towards advancing that affair: in the meantime, he paid a visit
to the Duke of Savoy, who was then at Brussels with the King of
Spain. The death of Queen Mary brought great obstructions to the
Treaty; the Congress broke up at the end of November, and the
King returned to Paris.

There appeared at this time a lady at Court, who drew the eyes of
the whole world; and one may imagine she was a perfect beauty, to
gain admiration in a place where there were so many fine women;
she was of the same family with the Viscount of Chartres, and one
of the greatest heiresses of France, her father died young, and
left her to the guardianship of Madam de Chartres his wife, whose
wealth, virtue, and merit were uncommon. After the loss of her