night；　as　my　sister　lay　asleep　with　her　mouth　open；　Madame　de　Venelle；　after　her　accustomed　manner；　coming；　asleep　as　she　was；　to　grope　in　the　dark；　happened　to　thrust　her　finger　into　her　mouth　so　far　that　my　sister；　starting　out　of　her　sleep；　made　her　teeth　almost　meet　in　her　finger。　　Judge　you　the　amazement　they　both　were　in　to　find　themselves　in　this　posture　when　they　were　thoroughly　awake。　　My　sister　was　in　a　grievous　fret。　　The　story　was　told　the　king　the　next　day；　and　the　court　had　the　divertisement　of　laughing　at　it。〃
  Whilst　the　great　minister's　nieces　were　yet　extremely　young；　Louis　XIV。　fell　passionately　in　love　with　the　elder；　Maria；　and　his　marriage　with　her　was　frustrated　only　by　the　united　endeavours　of　the　queen　mother　and　the　cardinal。　　A　proposal　to　raise　Hortensia　to　the　nominal　dignity　of　queen　was　soon　after　made　on　behalf　of　Charles　II。；　who　sought　her　as　his　bride。　　But　he　being　at　the　time　an　exile；　banished　from　his　kingdom；　and　with　little　hope　of　regaining　his　throne；　the　offer　was　rejected　by　Cardinal　Mazarine　as　unworthy　of　his　favourite　niece。
  His　eminence　was；　however；　anxious　to　see　her　married；　and　accordingly　sought　amongst　the　nobility　of　France　a　husband　suitable　to　her　merits　and　equal　to　her　condition；　she　being　not　only　a　beautiful　woman　but；　through　his　bounty；　the　richest　heiress　in　Christendom。　　It　happened　the　cardinal's　choice　settled　upon　one　who　had　fallen　in　love　with　Hortensia；　and　who　had　declared；　with　amorous　enthusiasm；　that　if　he　had　but　the　happiness　of　being　married　to　her；　it　would　not　grieve　him　to　die　three　months　afterwards。
  The　young　noble　was　Armand　Charles　de　la　Porte；　Duke　de　Meilleraye；　who　had　the　sole　recommendation　of　being　one　of　the　richest　peers　of　France。　　On　condition　that　he　and　his　heirs　should　assume　the　name　of　Mazarine　and　arms　of　that　house；　the　cardinal　consented　to　his　becoming　the　husband　of　his　niece。　　And　the　great　minister's　days　rapidly　approaching　their　end；　the　ceremony　was　performed　which　made　Hortensia；　then　at　the　age　of　thirteen；　Duchess　of　Mazarine。　　A　few　months　later　the　great　cardinal　expired；　leaving　her　the　sum　of　one　million　six　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　pounds　sterling。　　Alas　that　she　should　have　died　in　poverty；　and　that　her　body　should　have　been　seized　for　debt！
  Scarce　had　the　first　weeks　of　her　married　life　passed　away；　when　the　young　wife　found　herself　mated　to　one　wholly　unsuited　to　her　character。　　She　was　beautiful；　witty；　and　frivolous；　he　jealous；　dull；　and　morose。　　The　incompatibility　of　their　dispositions　became　as　discernible　to　him；　as　they　had　become　intolerable　to　her；　and；　as　if　to　avenge　the　fate　which　had　united　them；　he　lost　no　opportunity　of　thwarting　her　desires；　by　such　means　striving　to　bend　her　lissom　quality　to　the　gnarled　shape　of　his　unhappy　nature。
  With　such　a　purpose　in　view　no　opportunity　was　neglected　to　curb　her　pleasures　or　oppose　her　inclinations。　　He　continually　forced　her　to　leave　Paris；　and　even　when　her　condition　required　rest　and　care；　compelled　her　to　accompany　him　on　long　and　weary　journeys；　undertaken　by　him　in　consequence　of　his　diplomatic　missions。　　If　she　received　two　successive　visits　from　one　man；　he　was　instantly　forbidden　the　house。　　If　she　called　her　carriage；　the　coachman　received　orders　not　to　obey。　　If　she　betrayed　a　preference　for　one　maid　more　than　another；　the　favourite　was　instantly　dismissed；　moreover；　the　duchess　was　surrounded　by　spies；　her　movements　being　rigorously　watched；　and　invariably　reported。　　Nor　would　the　duke　vouchsafe　an　explanation　to　his　young　wife　regarding　the　cause　of　this　severe　treatment；　but　continued　the　even　course　of　such　conduct　without　intermission　or　abatement。
  After　displaying　these　eccentricities　for　some　years；　they　suddenly　associated　themselves　with　religion；　when　he　became　a　fanatic。　　Her　condition　was　now　less　endurable　than　before；　his　whims　more　ludicrous　and　exasperating。　　With　solemnity　he　declared　no　one　could　in　conscience　visit　the　theatre；　that　it　was　a　sin　to　play　blind　man's　buff；　and　a　heinous　crime　to　retire　to　bed　late。　　And　presently；　his　fanaticism　increasing；　he　prohibited　the　woman　who　nursed　his　infant　to　suckle　it　on　Fridays　or　Saturdays；　that　instead　of　imbibing　milk；　it　might；　in　its　earliest　life；　become　accustomed　to　fasting　and　mortification　of　the　flesh。
  The　young　duchess　grew　hopeless　of　peace。　　All　day　her　ears　were　beset　by　harangues　setting　forth　her　wickedness；　by　exortations　calling　her　to　repentance；　and　by　descriptions　of　visions　vouchsafed　him。　　By　night　her　condition　was　rendered　scarcely　less　miserable。　　〃No　sooner；〃　says　St。　Evremond；　〃were　her　eyes　closed；　than　Monsieur　Mazarine　（who　had　the　devil　always　present　in　his　black　imagination）　wakes　his　best　beloved；　to　make　her　partakeryou　will　never　be　able　to　guess　of　whatto　make　her　partaker　of　his　nocturnal　visions。　　Flambeaux　are　lighted；　and　search　is　made　everywhere；　but　no　spectre　does　Madame　Mazarine　find；　except　that　which　lay　by　her　in　the　bed。〃
  The　distresses　to　which　she　was　subjected　were　increased　by　the　knowledge　that　her　husband　was　squandering　her　vast　fortune。　　In　what　manner　the　money　was　spent　she　does　not　state。　　〃If〃　she　writes；　〃Monsieur　Mazarine　had　only　taken　delight　in　overwhelming　me　with　sadness　and　grief；　and　in　exposing　my　health　and　my　life　to　his　most　unreasonable　caprice；　and　in　making　me　pass　the　best　of　my　days　in　an　unparalleled　slavery；　since　heaven　had　been　pleased　to　make　him　my　master；　I　should　have　endeavoured　to　allay　and　qualify　my　misfortunes　by　my　sighs　and　tears。　　But　when　I　saw　that　by　his　incredible　dilapidations　and　profuseness；　my　son；　who　might　have　been　the　richest　gentleman　in　France；　was　in　danger　of　being　the　poorest；　there　was　no　resisting　the　force　of　nature；　and　motherly　love　carried　it　over　all　other　considerations　of　duty；　or　the　moderation　I　proposed　to　myself。　　I　saw　every　day　vast　sums　go　away：　　moveables　of　inestimable　prices；　offices；　and　all　the　rich　remains　of　my　uncle's　fortune；　the　fruits　of　his　labours；　and　the　rewards　of　his　services。　　I　saw　as　much　sold　as　came　to　three　millions；　before　I　took　any　public　notice　of　it；　and　I　had　hardly　anything　left　me　of　value　but　my　jewels；　when　Monsieur　Mazarine　took　occasion　to　seize　upon　them。〃
  She　therefore　sought　the　king's　interference；　but　as　the　duke　had　interest　at　court；　she　received　but　little　satisfaction。　　Then　commenced　disputes；　which；　after　months　of　wrangling；　ended　by　the　duchess　escaping　in　male　attire　out　of　France；　in　company　with　a　gay　young　cavalier；　Monsieur　de　Rohan。　　After　various　wanderings　through　Italy　and　many　adventures　in　Savoy；　she　determined　on　journeying　to　England。　　That　her　visit　was　not　without　a　political　motive；　we　gather　from　St。　Evremond；　who；　referring　to　the　ascendancy　which　the　Duchess　of　Portsmouth　had　gained　over　his　majesty；　and　the　uses　she　made　of　her　power　for　the　interests　of　France；　tells　us；　〃The　advocates　for　liberty；　being　excluded　from　posts　and　the　management　of　affairs；　contrived　several　ways　to　free　their　country　from　that　infamous　commerce；　but　finding　them　ineffectual；　they　at　last　concluded　that　there　was　no　other　course　to　take　than　to　work　the　Duchess　of　Portsmouth　out　of　the　king's　favour；　by　setting　up　against　her　a　rival　who　should　be　in　their　interest。　　The　Duchess　of　Mazarine　was　thought　very　fit　for　their　purpose；　for　she　outshined　the　other；　both　in　wit　and　beauty。〃
  Charles　de　St。　Denis；　Seigneur　de　St。　Evremond；　was　a　soldier；　philosopher；　and　courtier；　who　had　distinguished　himself　by　his　bravery；　learning；　and　politeness。　　Having　fallen　under　the　displeasure　of　the　French　court；　he　had；　in　the　year　1662；　sought　refuge　in　England；　where　he　had　been　welcomed　with　the　courtesy　due　to　his　rank；　and　the　esteem　which　befitted　his　merits。　Settling　in　the　capital；　he　mixed　freely　in　the　companionship　of　wits；　gallants；　and　courtiers　who　constituted　its　society；　and　delighted　with　London　as　a　residence；　he　determined　on　making　England　his　country　by　adoption。　　An　old　friend　and　fervent　admirer　of　the　Duchess　of　Mazarine；　he　had　received　the　news　of　her　visit　with　joy；　and　celebrated　her　arrival　in　verse。
  The　reputation　of　her　loveliness　and　the　history　of　her　life　having　preceded　her；　the　court　became　anxious　to　behold　her；　the　king；　mindful　of　the　relationship　he　had　once　sought；　with　the　duchess；　grew　impatient　to　welcome　her。　　After　a　few　days'　rest；　necessary　to　remedy　the　fatigue　of　her　journey；　she　appeared　at　Whitehall。　　By　reason　of　her　beauty；　now　ripened　rather　than　impaired　by　time；　and　those　graces　which　attracted　the　more　from　the　fascination　they　had　formerly　exercised；　she　at　once　gained　the　susceptible　heart　of　the　monarch。　　St。　Evremond　tells　us　her　person　〃contained　nothing　that　was　not　too　lovely。〃　　In　the　〃Character　of　the　Duchess　of　Mazarine；〃　which　he　drew　soon　after　her　arrival　in　London；　he　has　presented　a　portrait　of　her　worth　examining　not　only　for　sake　of　the　object　it　paints；　but　for　the　quaint　workmanship　it　contains。　　〃An　ill…natured　curiosity；〃　he　writes；　〃makes　me　scrutinize　every　feature　in　her　face；　with　a　design　either　to　meet　there　some　shocking　irregularity；　or　some　disgusting　disagreeableness。　　But　how　unluckily　do　I　succe