The Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, vol 2 | Page 8

Fleming.
The Bishop gave us a grand supper, and after supper a ball, to which he
had invited all the ladies of the city. As soon as the ball was opened he
withdrew, in accordance with the Spanish ceremony; but M. d'Ainsi did
the honours for him, and kept me company during the ball, conducting
me afterwards to a collation, which, considering his command at the
citadel, was, I thought, imprudent. I speak from experience, having
been taught, to my cost, and contrary to my desire, the caution and
vigilance necessary to be observed in keeping such places. As my
regard for my brother was always predominant in me, I continually had
his instructions in mind, and now thought I had a fair opportunity to
open my commission and forward his views in Flanders, this town of
Cambray, and especially the citadel, being, as it were, a key to that
country. Accordingly I employed all the talents God had given me to
make M. d'Ainsi a friend to France, and attach him to my brother's
interest. Through God's assistance I succeeded with him, and so much
was M. d'Ainsi pleased with my conversation that he came to the
resolution of soliciting the Bishop, his master, to grant him leave to
accompany me as, far as Namur, where Don John of Austria was in
waiting to receive me, observing that he had a great desire to witness so
splendid an interview. This Spanish Fleming, the Bishop, had the
weakness to grant M. d'Ainsi's request, who continued following in my
train for ten or twelve days. During this time he took every opportunity
of discoursing with me, and showed that, in his heart, he was well
disposed to embrace the service of France, wishing no better master
than the Prince my brother, and declaring that he heartily despised
being under the command of his Bishop, who, though his sovereign,

was not his superior by birth, being born a private gentleman like
himself, and, in every other respect, greatly his inferior.
Leaving Cambray, I set out to sleep at Valenciennes, the chief city of a
part of Flanders called by the same name. Where this country is divided
from Cambresis (as far as which I was conducted by the Bishop of
Cambray), the Comte de Lalain, M. de Montigny his brother, and a
number of gentlemen, to the amount of two or three hundred, came to
meet me.
Valenciennes is a town inferior to Cambray in point of strength, but
equal to it for the beauty of its squares, and churches,--the former
ornamented with fountains, as the latter are with curious clocks. The
ingenuity of the Germans in the construction of their clocks was a
matter of great surprise to all my attendants, few amongst whom had
ever before seen clocks exhibiting a number of moving figures, and
playing a variety of tunes in the most agreeable manner.
The Comte de Lalain, the governor of the city, invited the lords and
gentlemen of my train to a banquet, reserving himself to give an
entertainment to the ladies on our arrival at Mons, where we should
find the Countess his wife, his sister-in-law Madame d'Aurec, and other
ladies of distinction. Accordingly the Count, with his attendants,
conducted us thither the next day. He claimed a relationship with the
King my husband, and was, in reality, a person who carried great
weight and authority. He was much dissatisfied with the Spanish
Government, and had conceived a great dislike for it since the
execution of Count Egmont, who was his near kinsman.
Although he had hitherto abstained from entering into the league with
the Prince of Orange and the Huguenots, being himself a steady
Catholic, yet he had not admitted of an interview with Don John,
neither would he suffer him, nor any one in the interest of Spain, to
enter upon his territories. Don John was unwilling to give the Count
any umbrage, lest he should force him to unite the Catholic League of
Flanders, called the League of the States, to that of the Prince of
Orange and the Huguenots, well foreseeing that such a union would
prove fatal to the Spanish interest, as other governors have since
experienced. With this disposition of mind, the Comte de Lalain
thought he could not give me sufficient demonstrations of the joy he
felt by my presence; and he could not have shown more honour to his

natural prince, nor displayed greater marks of zeal and affection.
On our arrival at Mons, I was lodged in his house, and found there the
Countess his wife, and a Court consisting of eighty or a hundred ladies
of the city and country. My reception was rather that of their sovereign
lady than of a foreign princess. The Flemish ladies are naturally