speaking to Madam de Cleves, was surprised and afflicted not to
have had so much as the pleasure to see her. The King's illness
increased so much, that the seventh day he was given over by the
physicians; he received the news of the certainty of his death
with an uncommon firmness of mind; which was the more to be
admired, considering that he lost his life by so unfortunate an
accident, that he died in the flower of his age, happy, adored by
his people, and beloved by a mistress he was desperately in love
with. The evening before his death he caused Madame his sister
to be married to the Duke of Savoy without ceremony. One may
judge what condition the Duchess of Valentinois was in; the Queen
would not permit her to see the King, but sent to demand of her
the King's signets, and the jewels of the crown which she had in
her custody. The Duchess enquired if the King was dead, and
being answered, "No"; "I have then as yet no other matter,"
said she, "and nobody can oblige me to restore what he has
trusted in my hands." As soon as the King expired at Chateau de
Toumelles, the Duke of Ferrara, the Duke of Guise, and the Duke
de Nemours conducted the Queen-Mother, the New King and the
Queen-Consort to the Louvre. The Duke de Nemours led the
Queen-Mother. As they began to march, she stepped back a little,
and told the Queen her daughter-in-law, it was her place to go
first; but it was easy to see, that there was more of spleen than
decorum in this compliment.


IV

The Queen-mother was now wholly governed by the Cardinal of
Loraine; the Viscount de Chartres had no interest with her, and