The Princess of Cleves | Page 3

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THE PRINCESS OF CLEVES by Madame de Lafayette

THE PRINCESS OF CLEVES
Grandeur and gallantry never appeared with more lustre in France, than
in the last years of Henry the Second's reign. This Prince was amorous
and handsome, and though his passion for Diana of Poitiers Duchess of
Valentinois, was of above twenty years standing, it was not the less
violent, nor did he give less distinguishing proofs of it.
As he was happily turned to excel in bodily exercises, he took a
particular delight in them, such as hunting, tennis, running at the ring,
and the like diversions. Madam de Valentinois gave spirit to all
entertainments of this sort, and appeared at them with grace and beauty
equal to that of her grand-daughter, Madam de la Marke, who was then
unmarried; 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 was
Duke of Orleans, during the life of his elder brother the Dauphin, a
prince whose great qualities promised in him a worthy successor of his
father Francis the First.
The Queen's ambitious temper made her taste the sweets of reigning,
and she seemed to bear with perfect ease the King's passion for the
Duchess of Valentinois, nor did she express the 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.
The King of Navarre drew to himself the respect of all the world both

by the greatness of his birth, and by the dignity that appeared in his
person; he was remarkable for his skill and courage in war. The Duke
of Guise had also given proofs of extraordinary valour, and had, been
so successful, that there was not a general who did not look upon him
with envy; to his valour he added a most exquisite genius and
understanding, grandeur of mind, and a capacity equally turned for
military or civil affairs. His brother, the Cardinal of Loraine, was a man
of boundless ambition, and of extraordinary wit and eloquence, and had
besides acquired a vast variety of learning, which enabled him to make
himself very considerable by defending the Catholic religion, which
began to be attacked at that time. The Chevalier de Guise, afterwards
called Grand Prior, was a prince beloved by all the world,