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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	duke_n	france_n	king_n	8,145	5	4.2048	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48205	The Princess of Cleves the most famed romance / written in French by the greatest wits of France ; rendred into English by a person of quality, at the request of some friends.; Princesse de Clèves. English	La Fayette, Madame de (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne), 1634-1693.; Segrais, Jean Regnauld de, 1624-1701.; La Rochefoucauld, François, duc de, 1613-1680.; Person of quality.	1679 (1679)	Wing L169; ESTC R10484	121,911	270

were Plenipotentiaries for the King the Duke of Alva and the Prince of Orange for philip the Second the Duke and Duchess of Orleans were the Mediators The principal Articles were the Marriage of the Princess Elizabeth of France with Don Carlos the Infanta of Spain and his Majesties Sister with the Monsieur of Savoy The King during the Treaty continued upon the Frontiers where he received the first news of the Death of Queen Mary of England His Majesty forthwith dispatcht the Earl of Randan to Queen Elizabeth to congratulate with her Majesty her Assumption to the Crown she received him honourably her affairs were in so ill a posture at that time she was not a little satisfied that so great a Prince was pleased to pay his first respects to her The Court discoursed she was well read in the interest of the Court of France and the merit of those that had the honour to compose it But for none she seemed to express so great a value as the Duke of Nemours she was pleased to speak with that Honour of this Prince that the Ambassadour upon his return took the Liberty to declare he thought no Person more valuable in her esteem than the Duke And did not question upon his addresses the Queen might do him the Honour to entertain a Passion for him The King the same Evening communicated it to the Prince where he commanded the Count de Randan to give him the Relation to confirm the Duke in the respect the Queen had for him which he was pleased to conclude with his advice not to neglect the favourable opportunity that seemed to court him to so much happiness The Duke received it at first as a piece of raillery till his Majesty was pleas'd to undeceive him If Sir says the Duke in obedience to your Majesties commands and for your service I shall embark my self upon so extravagant a design as to presume a Princess whom I have never yet had the honour to know should admit me to her Royal Bed I hope your Majesty will be pleased not to divulge the vanity of the attempt till the success may justifie me to the Publick The King was pleas'd to give him his Royal word that he would depose it in the knowledge of no other Breast but the Constable's concluding with the Duke that Secresie might facilitate the design The Count advised the Duke to take a Journey for England which he refused and dispatch't Monsieur Lignerolle a sprightly Gentleman his Favourite to sound the Queens inclinations and to endeavour to fix some obligation upon her In the interim he takes a Journey for Bruxells to give a visit to the Duke of Savoy who was there with the King of Spain The death of Queen Mary gave several difficulties to the Treaty which about the end of November broke up and his Majesty return'd to Paris At last there broke forth a Beauty in the Court which drew all its Eyes upon her and I cannot without injustice rank her amongst the indifferent that could purchase such admiration in a place that was so richly stored She was of the Family of the Viscount de Chartres and one of the greatest Heiresses of France She had the misfortune to bury her Father in her infancy by which unhappy accident she was left to the Guardianship of Madam de Chartres her Mother She was a Lady of those great Accomplishments that Fortune Vertue and Merit seem'd to have conspired to compleat her fair model After her Husbands death she had for some years made her recess from Court. During her retirement she was not wanting to give her Daughter an Education suitable to her Quality in which she did not so much labour to improve her Person as her better part which she endeavour'd to embellish with Vertue which renders a Lady truly noble The generality of Mothers imagin it sufficient to forbear to discourse of the vanity of Love left their Children should be invited to stray out of the paths of Vertue Madam de Chartres was of a contrary opinion She was pleased to paint out love to her Daughter in all its shapes that she might be the better able to discern that part of her which might be the most dangerous She informs her of the little Sincerity and Candor there is in Man Their Devices their Infidelity and the Domestick Discontents Marriage often plunges those into that alter their condition On the other side she declares the Happiness and Tranquility that attends a Vertuous Wife and what Luster and Esteem Piety in a person of Birth and Beauty may purchase her And concludes in acquainting her with the difficulty to preserve it which cannot be better secured than by a diffidence in our selves and a serious application to those things that can best contribute to our happiness which is to love our Husbands and to merit a return This Lady was at that time one of the greatest Matches of France and notwithstanding she was but in her greener years she wanted not her choice of Proposals Madam de Chartres who was an ambitious Lady scarce thought the noblest worthy her consideration She having now arrived to the sixteenth year of her Age she brought her to Court The first that paid his respects to her upon her arrival was the Viscount who was not a little surprised and you cannot blame him at the Beauty of the fair Lady The delicacy of her Meen in which York and Lancaster seem'd to have contended which of the two should be the most prodigal of his Charms was the Subject of his admiration The Day following the young Lady went to a famous Italian to purchase a Set of Jewels This Gentleman came along with the Queen from Florence and he had raised himself to that prodigious wealth by his Industry that his House appeared rather to be the Palace of a Prince than the Being of a Merchant When she was there in comes the Prince of Cleve He was so transported at the sight of this young Lady that he could not dissemble his surprise Madam de Chartres could not forbear to answer the Princes discomposure with a blush after she had a little composed her self she pays her civility to the Prince suitable to the Character she apprehended he might bear The Prince beheld her with admiration but he was not able to judge who this Lady should be having never had the honour to see her before He perceived by her Person and the numerous Retinue that waited on her that she must be of eminent Quality Her youth perswaded him she might be a Maid but seeing no Mother with her and the Italian giving her the Title of Madam he knew not what to think She seemed to receive his Addresses with a disorder more than usual with young Ladies who take no small vanity in the impression their Beauty may happily make upon a stranger The Prince's applications to her gave her some impatience to retire which she suddenly did Monsieur de Cleve was

Grandeur and Fortune and without imploying that power but for things that were just and honourable for the King 't is confest a person could not without some injustice have blamed the passion of this Prince If I did believe I should not lye under the unhappy censure Women of my years undeservedly do which take pleasure to relate the passages of the Age they dwell in I would give you the Relation of their Amours and several other intrigues of the Court of the deceased King which do not a little sympathize with those practicable at present I am far from those reflections replyed Madam de Cleve that I am sorry Madam that you have not been pleased to instruct me in the present and that you have not learnt me the distinct Interests and Cabals of the Court I am so ill read in them that I believed there was not a day wherein the Constable was not in her Majesties Favour Your Opinion is infinitely remote from the truth of it answers Madam de Chartres the Queen has a perfect Hatred for the Constable and if ever she has a power he will be sure both to know and feel it She is sensible that he has often informed the King that of all his Children none resemble him more than his natural ones I never suspected a misunderstanding here replies Madam de Cleve after I had been an Eye-witness of the care her Majesty took to solace him in his Confinement the joy she was pleased to express at his inlargement and especially after she had treated him in the familiar phrase of Gossip with the King If you shall measure says Madam de Chartres things by their appearances you will often lye under a mistake you must know that Hearts and Tongues keep here no correspence together Give me leave to assume my story of the Duchess says Madam de Chartres and proceed You must understand that she is called The Diana of Poictiers her Family is noble she is descended from the ancient Dukes of Acquitain her Grandfather was the Natural Son of Lewis the Eleventh in fine her whole composition is made up of greatness her Father had unfortunately engaged in the quarrel of the Constable of Bourbon of which you have so often heard he was condemned to lose his Head and in order to it was conducted to the Scaffold his Daughter who had a charming Beauty and which had already kindled a Flame in the Kings Breast interposed her interest and obtained his pardon 'T was brought him in the fatal moment he expected the bloody stroke the fear and terror he lay under had so far disordered his thoughts he was not sensible of his Majesties Grace and favour so that the day following put a period to his life His Daughter appeared at Court as the Kings Mistress the Expedition for Italy and the Kings Imprisonment gave some diversion to this passion After his Majesties return from Spain and that Madam the Queen Regent went to meet him at Bayonne she took all her Daughters with her amongst which number was Mademoiselle de Pisseleu afterwards Duchess of d' Estampes The King saw her and became her prize she was much inferiour both in her Quality Wit and Beauty to Madam de Valennois and she had nothing but her youth to recommend her to his Majesties favour I have often heard her say that she was born the same Day the Diana of Poictiers was married but her mallice not the truth obliged her to speak it For if I am not mistaken the Duchess of Valentinois married Monsieur de Breze Grand-President of Normandy at the same time the King had first a passion for Madam d' Estampes There was never a greater picque in Nature than between these two Ladies The Duchess of Valentinois could not in her heart pardon Madam de Estampes notwithstanding she had divested her of the Title of The Kings Mistress Madam de Estampes had an inveteracy against the Duchess because the King still kept her company This Prince was not always constant to his Mistresses there was one 't is true which wore the Title and the Honour of it but the Ladies of the lesser Faction as they stile them had the happiness sometimes to take their turns in his favour The death of the Dauphin who dyed at Tournon and not without a suspition of poyson gave him no small Disquiet He had not that tenderness and affection for his second Son our present King He discovered not in him those inclinations to vigour and courage He was pleased to complain to Madam Valentinois and told her he would endeavour to create a passion in him for her that she might infuse into him something more noble and generous It had the success you see 't is upwards of twenty years this passion had its Birth and yet has stood the shock of all difficulties and alterations His deceased Majesty endeavour'd to oppose it in its in fancy and notwithstanding he had a kindness for the Duchess either prompted by his jealousie or Madam de Estampes who was now upon the point of despair seeing her Enemy in the Dauphin's Arms was pleased to look upon this passion with some indignation of which he was not wanting to give his symptomes his Son neither regarded his Anger nor his Hatred nothing could oblige him either to lessen the value he had for her nor yet hide it At last his Majesty was forc'd to connive the Dauphin's stubbornness much abated of his Royal favour which he conferred in a greater measure upon the Duke of Orleans his third Son He was a Prince on whom Nature had been lavish of her Grace but he was swelled with so much heat and ambition and of a spirit so fierce that it wanted a Curb He had been a Prince of great worth and honour had his Age been so kind as to have ripened his understanding The quality the Dauphin held and the favour the King was pleased to shew the Duke of Orleans had created so great an envy between them it almost amounted to a degree of hatred It took its being from their infancy and has continued to this day The Emperour when he came through France gave the precedency to the Duke of Orleans which so much incensed the Dauphin that he would have obliged the Constable to arrest him without his Majesties Command The Constable durst not obey the King blamed him that he took not his Sons advice and when he bannisht him the Court his reasons for it wanted not their different Interpreters The difference between these two Brothers gave fresh thoughts to the Duchess de Estampes to endeavour to prop her self with the interest of the Duke of Orleans against the Duchess It had its success This Prince without having the least passion for her did as zealously espouse her quarrel as the Dauphin had done the Duchess This created two Cabals in the Court such as you may easily imagine These Intrigues were not limited within the management of the weaker Sex

The Emperour who had a great respect for the Duke of Orleans had often offer'd him the Duchy of Millan and in the Articles of the Peace that was afterwards concluded he gave him the hopes of the seventeen Provinces and his Daughter in marriage with them The Dauphin neither inclined to the Match nor it he employ'd the Constable whom he ever lov'd to make the King sensible of what importance it would be to leave his Successor a Brother so powerful as the Duke of Orleans must be with the advantage of the Imperial Allyance and these Countries The Constable yielded more easily to the Dauphins design in that it was opposite to that of Madam d' Estampes who was his declared Enemy and who so passionately desired the Dukes advancement The Dauphin at that time commanded his Majesties Army in Champagne and had reduc'd that of the Empire to those extremities he had certainly ruin'd it if the Duchess d' Estampes fearing these great advantages might retard the Peace and the honour of the Dukes Allyance with the Emperour had not advis'd the Enemy to surprise Espernay and the Castle of Rierry which was their Magazine they attempted it and succeeded by which means they preserved the Army This Duchess did not long enjoy the success of her Treason Immediately after dyed the Duke of Orleans at Farmoutiers of a contagious disease He was enamoured with one of the greatest Beauties of the Court who was pleased to entertain the flame I shall forbear to name her for she has since lived under so close a retirement and has with so much prudence disguised the passion she had for him we ought in justice to be tender of her honour The death of her Husband and the Duke bore even date together which gave her the freedom to shew those open marks of her grief and sorrow which otherwise she had been enforc'd to hide The King did not long survive the Prince his Son for he dyed within two years after He recommends to the Dauphin the Cardinal of Tournon and the Admiral d' Annebault without the least mention of the Constable whom he had confined to Chantilly notwithstanding his Fathers commands he calls him home and makes him the grand Minister of State Madam d' Estampes was discarded and received all the ill Treatment she could expect from so powerful and inveterate an Enemy The Duchess of Valentinois was not satisfied till she had glutted her self with her revenge upon this Duchess and the rest who had faln under her displeasure Her interest has been more absolute over the King since he came to the Crown than when he was the Dauphin These twelve years since he has reign'd she has been the uncontroulable Mistress of all his Actions she has had the disposal of all Governments and Affairs she has obliged him to bannish the Cardinal of Tournon the Chancellour and Villeray all that have endeavour'd to eclypse her power have perisht in the attempt The Count de Taix Grand Master of the Artillery who had no kindness for her taking the liberty to reflect upon her Gallants and particularly the Count de Brissac of whom the King had a jealousie she so subtilly plaid her Cards that he was in disgrace and divested of his emply and what renders the thing more strange she procured it for the Count de Brissac who by her means had the honour to be since created a Marshal of France The Kings jealousie began to swell to that degree in him he could no longer endure the test of it but that which in another would have appeared more sharp and violent was strangely corrected in him by the great respect he had for this Lady In so much that he durst not if we may presume to use this saucy Dialect with a Prince remove his Rival but under the pretence of preferring him to the Government of Piedmont He has lived there several years and only return'd this last Winter under a pretext of recruiting the Troops under his command and for other necessary supplies for the Army The ambition to see the Duchess of Valentinois and the fear of being forgotten had certainly the greatest share in that Journey The King was observed to receive him coldly the Family of Guise who loves her not but yet dares not declare the cause imploy'd the Viscount his mortal Enemy to obstruct the Grant of what he design'd himself by his Journey 'T was no hard matter to compass it the King hated him and his presence gave him no small disquiet insomuch that he was forc'd to return without having had the happiness to reap the fruits of his Voyage which was only to give him an opportunity to re-kindle the Flame his passion had made in the heart of the Duchess which he feared his absence might extinguish His Majesty wanted no other subjects of his jealousie but they not being known gave him no provocation to complain I know not Daughter says Madam de Chartres if you may not find that I have instructed you in some things more than you are willing to know I am so far from complaining replyes Madam de Cleve that did I not fear to be troublesom to you I would desire you to enlarge upon several Circumstances which I am ignorant of The passion that Monsieur de Nemours had for Madam de Cleve was so violent in its Original that it seem'd to have robb'd him of all his content and the very thoughts of those he had a kindness for nay even such with whom he converst during her absence 't was his care to frame excuses to disingage himself from them he could not allow himself the patience to give Ear to their Complaints nor make returns to their reproaches Madam la Dauphin for whom he had inclinations not ordinarily passionate yet he was scarce able to confine them within his Breast Madam de Cleve had made that impression there His impatience for England began to cool he seem'd not to pursue with much Zeal his necessary dispatches for that Journey He often made his visits to the Dauphin-Queen that he might have the happiness to pay his respects to Madam de Cleve who was frequently there neither was he concern'd at the liberty some took to imagin what others thought of the passion he had for that Princess Madam de Cleve was of that value with him he was resolved rather to hide from her the sentiments of his heart than expose her honour to the publick He forbore even to communicate it to the Viscount de Chartres who was his Confident and to whom his Bosome lay ever open He used a Conduct so prudent and which he managed with so much care that the Argus's of the Court could not discover the least symptome of any kindness for this Lady but in the Chevalier de Guise Madam de Cleve her self had continued a stranger to them had not the inclination she had for that Prince obliged her to keep a close Watch on all his Actions

Court as she had us'd She had a sight of Monsieur de Nemours at the Queen-Dauphins she had a sight of him at Monsieur de Cleve's where he frequently came with other Persons of Quality of his age that no notice might be taken of it but where-ever she saw him it gave her trouble and put her into some disorder which he easily perceiv'd As careful as she was to shun his looks and speak less to him than any other she could not prevent some sudden escapes of her passion that gave Monsieur de Nemours cause to believe she had more than indifferent inclination for him A Man perhaps less discerning than he could not have perceiv'd it but he had been already so often belov'd it was easie for him to know when one lov'd him He knew the Chevalier de Guise was his Rival and the Chevalier de Guise as clearly saw Monsieur de Nemours was his Not one of the whole Court but the Chevalier de Guise had made the discovery his interest render'd him more clear-sighted than the rest The knowledge they had of one anothers designs made them cross one another in all things and they could not forbear expressing their spight on every occasion though it broke not out into open enmity At the Runnings at the Ring at Combats at the Barrier and all Divertisements the King call'd them to they were always of different Parties and their emulation was so great it could not be hid Madam de Cleve could not forbear thinking frequently of the Affair with England she believ'd Monsieur de Nemours would not resist the King's Advice and the Instances of Lignerolles it troubled her to see Lignerolles was not yet return'd and she expected him every hour with the greatest impatience Her inclinations sway'd her strongly to inform her self exactly of the state of that Affair but the same thought that rais'd her Curiosity immediately suggested to her she was oblig'd to conceal it and she enquir'd only of the Beauty the Wit and Humour of Queen Elizabeth The King had one of her Pictures brought him Madam de Cleve thought it far handsomer than she hop'd to have found it and she could not forbear saying the Picture-drawer had flatter'd the Queen in drawing her so beautiful I do not think so says the Queen-Dauphin that Princess is reputed extraordinary handsome and witty and I am sure she hath been propos'd to me for an Example all my Life she must be very lovely if like Anne Bullen her Mother Never had a Lady so charming a Person or so bewitching a sweetness and lovliness in her humour I have heard say she had a singular sprightliness in her Countenance and not like the common English Beauties I think says Madam Cleve I have been told she was born in France They that fancy so are mistaken replys the Queen-Dauphin and I will tell you the Story of her in a very few words She was of a good Family in England Henry the 8th had been in love with her Mother and Sister and it was suspected she might be his Daughter She came into France with Henry the 7th's Sister who was marry'd to King Lewis the 12th This Princess being youthful and gallant was loth to leave the Court of France at the death of her Husband Anne Bullen whose love for the French Court was equal to her Mistresses resolv'd not to quit it The late King fell in love with her and she was made Maid of Honour to Queen Claudia This Queen dying the Lady Margaret the King's Sister Duchess of Alanson and since Queen of Navarr took her into her Service where she receiv'd some Tincture of the reformed Religion Afterwards she return'd into England and charm'd all that saw her she sung well and danc'd excellently They made her one of Queen Katherine's Maids of Honour and Henry the 8th fell desperately in love with her Cardinal Wolsey his Favourite and prime Minister was ill satisfi'd with the Emperour for not having favour'd his pretensions to the Papacy and to be reveng'd of him resolv'd to unite the King his Master to the French To effect this he suggested to Henry the 8th that his Marrriage with the Emperour's Aunt was Null and propos'd for a Wife to him the Duchess of Alanson whose Husband was lately dead Anne Bullen had Ambition enough to look upon the Divorce of King Henry from Katherine as a means to make way for her into the Throne She began to give the King some Impressions of the Lutheran Perswasion and engag'd the late King here to favour at Rome the Divorce of Henry in hopes of his marrying the Duchess of Alanson Cardinal wolsey to have opportunity to treat of this Affair prevailed with King Henry to send him into France on other business but he was so far from giving him power to propose that Marriage that he sent him express Order to Calais not to speak of it At his return from France Cardinal Wolsey was receiv'd with honours equal to those they would have done to the King Never did Favourite carry on Pride and Vanity to so high a Pitch He mannag'd an Enterview between the two Kings at Bulloigne Francis the 1st would have given the upper-hand to Henry the 8th but he would not take it they treated one another by turns with extraordinary Magnificence and presented each other with Habits equal to those they had caus'd to be made for themselves I have heard it said those the late King sent the King of England were of Crimson-Sattin beset all over with Pearls and Diamonds and a Robe of white Velvet embroider'd with Gold After some days stay at Bulloigne they went to Callis Anne Bullen was Lodg'd in Henry the 8th's Court with the Train of a Queen and Francis the 1st made her the same Presents and did her the same Honour as if she had been actually so At last after a Passion of nine years continuance Henry the 8th married her without staying for the dissolution of his first Marriage which he had a long time demanded at Rome The Pope hastily thunder'd Excommunications against him which provok'd the King so highly that he declar'd himself Head of the Religion and drew England after him into the Change ye now see Anne Bullen enjoy'd not her Grandeur long for when she thought it surest by the death of Queen Katherine one day as she was seeing with the whole Court a Match made by the Viscount Rochfort her Brother to run at the Ring the King was suddenly struck with so furious a jealousie that he hastily left the Show and went straight to London having left order for arresting the Queen the Viscount Rochfort and several others whom he thought Lovers or Confidents of that Princess though in appearance this jealousie of the Kings seem'd to owe its Birth to that moment the truth is it had been inspir'd into him some time before by the Viscountess Rochfort who was not able to bear with patience the great intimacy between the