Part 9 (1/2)
When he knew that war in Candia had broken out, and which side the kings of Christendom would necessarily take, his ideas becae fortunes of certain valiant warriors in the time of the Crusades He saw that the Lorraines, the Bouillons, and the Lusignans had won sceptres and crowns, and he flattered hiht in this vast adventurous career gain glory too
He begged et hi had just pero and win laurels for theoons, and one of the captains of the guard The King, who till then liked hiauging or not gauging his intentions, he postponed until a later period these aspirations of Lauzun to the post of prince or sovereign
CHAPTER XXIII
The Abbe d'Estrees--Singular Offers of Service--Madame de Montespan Declines His Offer of Intercession at the Vatican--He Revenges Hial--Difference between a Fair Man and a Dark
Since the reign of Gabrielle d'Estrees, who died just as she was about to espouse her King, the D'Estrees family were treated at Court more with conventional favour than with esteeeneral, destined to wield the baton of a French marshal, on account of his ancestry as well as his own personalin the Church what M de Lauzun was in society,--a man who always met with success, and who also was , he had been appointed to the bishopric of Laon, which, in conjunction with two splendid abbeys, brought him in a handsome revenue The Duc and duchesse de Vendo without first consulting hi his abilities, which orthy of a s to be made a cardinal Under Henri IV he could easily have had his wish, but at that tith of my credit he could procure the biretta for hinised as aan opportunity of everywhere sounding my praise One day he said to me: ”Madarief which the Marquis de Montespan has caused you If you will confide in me,--that is, if you will let me represent your interests with the Cardinals and the Holy Father,--I heartily offer you ard to the question of nullity At an early age I studied theology and ecclesiastical law Yourto this or that point of view You know that upon the death of the Princesse de Nemours, Madehters, came to reside with Madame de Vendome, my cousin, a relative and a friend of their mother
The eldest I first of all married to Duc Charles de Lorraine, heir to the present Duc de Lorraine His Majesty did not approve of this ned to explain himself and open out to me upon the subject I at once consultedsuch a e
So true, indeed is this, that I forthwith remarried Mademoiselle de Nemours to the Duc de Savoie This took place under your very eyes Soon afterwards I al, and accoave her a fairly war husband is tall and fair, with a pleasant, distinguished face; he loves his wife, and is only ht? Noill tell you The monarch is well-made, but a childish infirmity has left one whole side of him someeak, and he limps Mademoiselle d'Aual, writes letter upon letter to nant, and had even announced the news to Madame de Vendome, as well as to Madame de Savoie, her sister Now it appears that this is not the case She is vexed and disgusted I am about to join her at Lisbon She is inclined to place the crown upon the young brother of the King, requesting the latter to seek the seclusion of a monastery I can see that this new idea of the youthful Queen's will necessitate e of your interests Do not have the slightest fear but that I shall protect the thus two birds with one stone”
”Pray acceptSovereign Pontiff has never shown me any favour whatever, and is in nowise one of my friends What you desire to do for ratitude in return, but I cannot get you a cardinal's hat, for a thousand reasons
”Made us, pro as she lived, and to have ot the chance Do not let her know that you have any regard for ht lose her affection
”I hope that the weak side of her husband, the King,monarch in a convent of monks
”In any case,soul that you have told e resolutions as these; for my own part, I will safely keep your secret, and pray God to have you in his holy keeping”
The Bishop of Laon was not a man to be rebuffed by pleasantry such as this He declared the King of Portugal to be impotent, after what the Queen had expressly stated The Pope annulled the eously wedded her husband's brother, who had no congenital weakness of any sort, and as, as every one knew, of dark complexion
At the request of the Queen, the Bishop of Laon was afterwards presented with the hat, and is, today, my lord Cardinal d'Estrees
CHAPTER XXIV
Mademoiselle de Valois--Mademoiselle d'Orleans--Mademoiselle d'Alencon--M de Savoie--His Love-letters--His Marriage with Mademoiselle de Valois--M de Guise and Madee Cere--Madee with the Duke of Tuscany--The Bishop de Bonzy
By his second wife, Marguerite de Lorraine, Gaston de France had three daughters, and being devoid of energy, ability, or greatness of character, they did not object when the King ns of the third-rate order
Upon these three es I should like to ular details connected therewith, and because of the joking to which they gave rise
Mademoiselle de Montpensier had flatly refused the Duc de Savoie, because Mada her estate like a wo's daughter, Madehter of a French prince who died in disgrace and was forgotten
Being refused by the elder princess, M de Savoie, still quite young, sought the hand of her sister, Mademoiselle de Valois He wrote her a letter which, unfortunately, was soular in style, and which, unfortunately too, fell into the hands of Mademoiselle de Montpensier