of　the　hatred　which　he　afterwards　bore　me。
  Before　I　proceed　to　give　you　the　detail　of　the　civil　war；　suffer　me　to　lead　you　into　the　gallery　where　you；　who　are　an　admirer　of　fine　painting；　will　be　entertained　with　the　figures　of　the　chief　actors；　drawn　all　at　length　in　their　proper　colours；　and　you　will　be　able　to　judge　by　the　history　whether　they　are　painted　to　the　life。　　Let　us　begin；　as　it　is　but　just；　with　her　Majesty。
  Character　of　the　Queen。
  The　Queen　excelled　in　that　kind　of　wit　which　was　becoming　her　circle；　to　the　end　that　she　might　not　appear　silly　before　strangers；　she　was　more　ill…natured　than　proud；　had　more　pride　than　real　grandeur；　and　more　show　than　substance；　she　loved　money　too　well　to　be　liberal；　and　her　own　interest　too　well　to　be　impartial；　she　was　more　constant　than　passionate　as　a　lover；　more　implacable　than　cruel；　and　more　mindful　of　injuries　than　of　good　offices。　　She　had　more　of　the　pious　intention　than　of　real　piety；　more　obstinacy　than　well…grounded　resolution；　and　a　greater　measure　of　incapacity　than　of　all　the　rest。
  Character　of　the　Duc　d'　Orleans。
  The　Duc　d'Orleans　possessed　all　the　good　qualities　requisite　for　a　man　of　honour　except　courage；　but　having　not　one　quality　eminent　enough　to　make　him　notable；　he　had　nothing　in　him　to　supply　or　support　the　weakness　which　was　so　predominant　in　his　heart　through　fear；　and　in　his　mind　through　irresolution；　that　it　tarnished　the　whole　course　of　his　life。　He　engaged　in　all　affairs；　because　he　had　not　power　to　resist　the　importunities　of　those　who　drew　him　in　for　their　own　advantage；　and　came　off　always　with　shame　for　want　of　courage　to　go　on。　　His　suspicious　temper；　even　from　his　childhood；　deadened　those　lively；　gay　colours　which　would　have　shone　out　naturally　with　the　advantages　of　a　fine；　bright　genius；　an　amiable　gracefulness；　a　very　honest　disposition；　a　perfect　disinterestedness；　and　an　incredible　easiness　of　behaviour。
  Character　of　the　Prince　de　Conde。
  The　Prince　de　Conde　was　born　a　general；　an　honour　none　could　ever　boast　of　before　but　Caesar　and　Spinola；　he　was　equal　to　the　first；　but　superior　to　the　second。　　Intrepidity　was　one　of　the　least　parts　of　his　character。　Nature　gave　him　a　genius　as　great　as　his　heart。　　It　was　his　fortune　to　be　born　in　an　age　of　war；　which　gave　him　an　opportunity　to　display　his　courage　to　its　full　extent；　but　his　birth；　or　rather　education；　in　a　family　submissively　attached　to　the　Cabinet；　restrained　his　noble　genius　within　too　narrow　bounds。　　There　was　no　care　taken　betimes　to　inspire　him　with　those　great　and　general　maxims　which　form　and　improve　a　man　of　parts。　　He　had　not　time　to　acquire　them　by　his　own　application；　because　he　was　prevented　from　his　youth　by　the　unexpected　revolution；　and　by　a　constant　series　of　successes。　　This　one　imperfection；　though　he　had　as　pure　a　soul　as　any　in　the　world；　was　the　reason　that　he　did　things　which　were　not　to　be　justified；　that　though　he　had　the　heart　of　Alexander　so　he　had　his　infirmities；　that　he　was　guilty　of　unaccountable　follies；　that　having　all　the　talents　of　Francois　de　Guise；　he　did　not　serve　the　State　upon　some　occasions　as　well　as　he　ought；　and　that　having　the　parts　of　Henri　de　Conde；　his　namesake；　he　did　not　push　the　faction　as　far　as　he　might　have　done；　nor　did　he　discharge　all　the　duties　his　extraordinary　merit　demanded　from　him。
  Character　of　the　Duc　de　Longueville。
  M。　de　Longueville；　though　he　had　the　grand　name　of　Orleans；　together　with　vivacity；　an　agreeable　appearance；　generosity；　liberality；　justice；　valour；　and　grandeur；　yet　never　made　any　extraordinary　figure　in　life；　because　his　ideas　were　infinitely　above　his　capacity。　　If　a　man　has　abilities　and　great　designs；　he　is　sure　to　be　looked　upon　as　a　man　of　some　importance；　but　if　he　does　not　carry　them　out；　he　is　not　much　esteemed；　which　was　the　case　with　De　Longueville。
  Character　of　the　Duc　de　Beaufort。
  M。　de　Beaufort　knew　little　of　affairs　of　moment　but　by　hearsay　and　by　what　he　had　learned　in　the　cabal　of　〃The　Importants；〃　of　whose　jargon　he　had　retained　some　smattering；　which；　together　with　some　expressions　he　had　perfectly　acquired　from　Madame　de　Vendome；　formed　a　language　that　would　have　puzzled　a　Cato。　　His　speech　was　short　and　stupidly　dull；　and　the　more　so　because　he　obscured　it　by　affectation。　　He　thought　himself　very　sufficient；　and　pretended　to　a　great　deal　more　wit　than　came　to　his　share。　　He　was　brave　enough　in　his　person；　and　outdid　the　common　Hectors　by　being　so　upon　all　occasions；　but　never　more　'mal　a　propos'　than　in　gallantry。　　And　he　talked　and　thought　just　as　the　people　did　whose　idol　he　was　for　some　time。
  Character　of　the　Dice　d'Elbeuf。
  M。　d'Elbeuf　could　not　fail　of　courage；　as　he　was　a　Prince　of　the　house　of　Lorraine。　　He　had　all　the　wit　that　a　man　of　abundantly　more　cunning　and　good　sense　could　pretend　to。　　He　was　a　medley　of　incoherent　flourishes。　He　was　the　first　Prince　debased　by　poverty；　and；　perhaps；　never　man　was　more　at　a　loss　than　he　to　raise　the　pity　of　the　people　in　misery。　　A　comfortable　subsistence　did　not　raise　his　spirits；　and　if　he　had　been　master　of　riches　he　would　have　been　envied　as　a　leader　of　a　party。　Poverty　so　well　became　him　that　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　been　cut　out　for　a　beggar。
  Character　of　the　Duc　de　Bouillon。
  The　Duc　de　Bouillon　was　a　man　of　experienced　valour　and　profound　sense。　I　am　fully　persuaded；　by　what　I　have　seen　of　his　conduct；　that　those　who　cry　it　down　wrong　his　character；　and　it　may　be　that　others　had　too　favourable　notions　of　his　merit；　who　thought　him　capable　of　all　the　great　things　which　he　never　did。
  Character　of　M。　de　Turenne。
  M。　de　Turenne　had　all　the　good　qualities　in　his　very　nature；　and　acquired　all　the　great　ones　very　early；　those　only　excepted　that　he　never　thought　of。　　Though　almost　all　the　virtues　were　in　a　manner　natural　to　him；　yet　he　shone　out　in　none。　　He　was　looked　upon　as　more　proper　to　be　at　the　head　of　an　army　than　of　a　faction；　for　he　was　not　naturally　enterprising。　He　had　in　all　his　conduct；　as　well　as　in　his　way　of　talking；　certain　obscurities　which　he　never　explained　but　on　particular　occasions；　and　then　only　for　his　own　honour。
  Character　of　Marechal　de　La　Mothe。
  The　Marechal　de　La　Mothe　was　a　captain　of　the　second　rank；　full　of　mettle；　but　not　a　man　of　much　sense。　　He　was　affable　and　courteous　in　civil　life；　and　a　very　useful　man　in　a　faction　because　of　his　wonderful　complacency。
  Character　of　the　Prince　de　Conti。
  The　Prince　de　Conti　was　a　second　Zeno　as　much　as　he　was　a　Prince　of　the　blood。　　That　is　his　character　with　regard　to　the　public；　and　as　to　his　private　capacity；　wickedness　had　the　same　effect　on　him　as　weakness　had　on　M。　d'Elbeuf；　and　drowned　his　other　qualities；　which　were　all　mean　and　tinctured　with　folly。
  Character　of　M。　de　La　Rochefoucault。
  M。　de　La　Rochefoucault　had　something　so　odd　in　all　his　conduct　that　I　know　not　what　name　to　give　it。　　He　loved　to　be　engaged　in　intrigues　from　a　child。　　He　was　never　capable　of　conducting　any　affair；　for　what　reasons　I　could　not　conceive；　for　he　had　endowments　which；　in　another；　would　have　made　amends　for　imperfections　。　　。　　。　　。　　He　had　not　a　long　view　of　what　was　beyond　his　reach；　nor　a　quick　apprehension　of　what　was　within　it；　but　his　sound　sense；　very　good　in　speculation；　his　good…nature；　his　engaging　and　wonderfully　easy　behaviour；　were　enough　to　have　made　amends　more　than　they　did　for　his　want　of　penetration。　　He　was　constantly　wavering　in　his　resolution；　but　what　to　attribute　it　to　I　know　not；　for　it　could　not　come　from　his　fertile　imagination；　which　was　lively。　　Nor　can　I　say　it　came　from　his　barrenness　of　thought；　for　though　he　did　not　excel　as　a　man　of　affairs；　yet　he　had　a　good　fund　of　sense。　　The　effect　of　this　irresolution　is　very　visible；　though　we　do　not　know　its　cause。　　He　never　was　a　warrior；　though　a　true　soldier。　　He　never　was　a　courtier；　though　he　had　always　a　good　mind　to　be　one。　　He　never　was　a　good　party　man；　though　his　whole　life　was　engaged　in　partisanship。　　He　was　very　timorous　and　bashful　in　conversation；　and　thought　he　always　stood　in　need　of　apologies；　which；　considering　that　his　〃Maxims〃　showed　not　great　regard　for　virtue；　and　that　his　practice　was　always　to　get　out　of　affairs　with　the　same　hurry　as　he　got　into　them；　makes　me　conclude　that　he　would　have　done　much　better　if　he　had　contented　himself　to　have　passed；　as　he　might　have　done；　for　the　politest　courtier　and　the　most　cultivated　gentlemen　of　his　age。
  Character　of　Madame　de　Longueville。
  Madame　de　Longueville　had　naturally　a　great　fund　of　wit；　and　was；　moreover；　a　woman　of　parts；　but　her　indolent　temper　kept　her　from　making　any　use　of　her　talents；　either　in　gallantries　or　in　her　hatred　against　the　Prince　de　Conde。　　Her　languishing　air　had　more　charms　in　it　than　the　most　exquisite　beauty。　　She　had　few　or　no　faults　besides　what　she　contracted　in　her　gallantry。　　As　her　passion　of　love　influenced　her　conduct　more　than　politics；　she　who　was　the　Amazon　of　a　great　party　degener