Grandeur and gallantry never appeared with more lustre in France, thanin the last years of Henry the Second's reign. This Prince was amorousand handsome, and though his passion for Diana of Poitiers Duchess ofValentinois, was of above twenty years standing, it was not the lessviolent, nor did he give less distinguishing proofs of it.
As he was happily turned to excel in bodily exercises, he took aparticular delight in them, such as hunting, tennis, running at thering, and the like diversions. Madam de Valentinois gave spirit to allentertainments of this sort, and appeared at them with grace and beautyequal to that of her grand-daughter, Madam de la Marke, who was thenunmarried; the Queen's presence seemed to authorise hers.
The Queen was handsome, though not young; she loved grandeur,magnificence and pleasure; she was married to the King while he wasDuke of Orleans, during the life of his elder brother the Dauphin, aprince whose great qualities promised in him a worthy successor of hisfather Francis the First.
The Queen's ambitious temper made her taste the sweets of reigning, andshe seemed to bear with perfect ease the King's passion for the Duchessof Valentinois, nor did she express the least jealousy of it; but shewas so skilful a dissembler, that it was hard to judge of her realsentiments, and policy obliged her to keep the duchess about herperson, that she might draw the King to her at the same time. ThisPrince took great delight in the conversation of women, even of such ashe had no passion for; for he was every day at the Queen's court, whenshe held her assembly, which was a concourse of all that was beautifuland excellent in either sex.
Never were finer women or more accomplished men seen in any Court, andNature seemed to have taken pleasure in lavishing her greatest graceson 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 ofScotland, who had just married the Dauphin, and was called theQueen-Dauphin, had all the perfections of mind and body; she had beeneducated in the Court of France, and had imbibed all the politeness ofit; she was by nature so well formed to shine in everything that waspolite, that notwithstanding her youth, none surpassed her in the mostrefined accomplishments. The Queen, her mother-in-law, and the King'ssister, were also extreme lovers of music, plays and poetry; for thetaste which Francis the First had for the Belles Lettres was not yetextinguished in France; and as his son was addicted to exercises, nokind of pleasure was wanting at Court. But what rendered this Court sosplendid, was the presence of so many great Princes, and persons of thehighest quality and merit: those I shall name, in their differentcharacters, were the admiration and ornament of their age.
The King of Navarre drew to himself the respect of all the world bothby the greatness of his birth, and by the dignity that appeared in hisperson; he was remarkable for his skill and courage in war. The Dukeof Guise