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It is set in a period almost 100 years +previously during the sanguinary wars of the counter-reformation, +when the Catholic rulers of Europe, with the encouragement of the +Papacy, were bent on extirpating the followers of the creeds of +Luther and Calvin. I am not qualified to embark on a historical +analysis, and shall do no more than say that many of the persons who +are involved in the tale actually existed, and the events referred to +actually took place. The weak and vicious King and his malign and +unscrupulous mother are real enough, as is a Duc de Montpensier, a +Prince of the Blood, who achieved some notoriety for the cruelty with +which he treated any Huguenots who fell into his hands, and for the +leadership he gave to the assassins during the atrocious massacre of +St. Bartholomew's day. + +He was married and had progeny, but the woman to whom he was married +was not the heroine of this romance, who is a fictional character, as +is the Comte de Chabannes. + +The Duc de Guise of the period whose father had been killed +fighting against the Protestants, did marry the Princess de Portein, +but this was for political reasons and not to satisfy the wishes of a +Princess de Montpensier. + +It will be noticed, I think, that women were traded in marriage +with little or no regard to their personal emotions, and no doubt, as +has been remarked by others, marriages without love encouraged love +outside marriage. Whatever the reality, the literary conventions of +the time seem to have dictated that we should be treated only to +ardent glances, fervent declarations, swoonings and courtly gestures; +we are not led even to the bedroom door, let alone the amorous couch. +I wonder, however, if the reader might not think that this little +tale written more than three hundred years ago contains the elements +of many of the romantic novels and soap operas which have followed +it. + +At one level it is a cautionary tale about the consequences of +marital infidelity; at another it is a story of a woman betrayed, +treated as a pretty bauble for the gratification of men, and cast +aside when she has served her purpose, or a butterfly trapped in a +net woven by uncaring fate. Her end is rather too contrived for +modern taste, but, even today, characters who are about to be written +out of the plot in soap operas are sometimes smitten by mysterious +and fatal disorders of the brain. + +The unfortunate Comte de Chabannes is the archetypical "decent +chap," the faithful but rejected swain who sacrifices himself for the +welfare of his beloved without expectation of reward. In the hands of +another writer, with some modification, he could have provided a +happy ending in the "Mills and Boon" tradition. + +This translation is not a schoolroom exercise, for although I have +not altered the story, I have altered the exact way in which it is +told in the original, with the aim of making it more acceptable to +the modern reader. All translation must involve paraphrase, for what +sounds well in one language may sound ridiculous if translated +literally into another, and it is for the translator to decide how +far this process may be carried. Whether I have succeeded in my task, +only the reader can say. + + + + + +The Princess de Montpensier + +By Madame de Lafayette + + + + +Translated by Oliver C. Colt + + + + +It was while the civil war of religion was tearing France apart +that the only daughter of the Marquis of MĒziäres, a very +considerable heiress, both because of her wealth and the illustrious +house of Anjou from which she was descended, was promised in marriage +to the Duc de Maine, the younger brother of the Duc de Guise. + +The marriage was delayed because of the youth of this heiress, but +the elder of the brothers, the Duc de Guise, who saw much of her, and +who saw also the burgeoning of what was to become a great beauty, +fell in love with her and was loved in return. They concealed their +feelings with great care; the Duc de Guise, who had not yet become as +ambitious as he was to become later, wanted desperately to marry her, +but fear of angering his uncle, the Cardinal de Lorraine, who had +taken the place of his dead father, prevented him from making any +declaration. + +This was how the matter stood when the ruling house of Bourbon, +who could not bear to see any benefit accruing to that of de Guise, +decided to step in and reap the profit themselves by marrying this +heiress to the Prince de Montpensier. + +This project was pursued with such vigour that the parents of +Mlle. de MĒziäres, despite the promises given to the Cardinal de +Lorraine, resolved to give her in marriage to the young Prince. The +house of de Guise was much displeased at this, but the Duc himself +was overcome by grief, and regarded this as an insupportable affront. +In spite of warnings from his uncles, the Cardinal and the Duc de +Aumale - who did not wish to stand in the way of something which +they could not prevent - he expressed himself with so much violence, +even in the presence of the Prince de Montpensier, that a mutual +enmity arose between them which lasted all their lives. + +Mlle. de MĒziäres, urged by her parents to marry the Prince, +realised that it was impossible for her to marry the Duc de Guise, +and that if she married his brother, the Duc de Maine, she would be +in the dangerous position of having as a brother-in-law a man whom +she wished was her husband; so she agreed finally to marry the Prince +and begged the Duc de Guise not to continue to place any obstacle in +the way. + +The marriage having taken place, the Prince de Montpensier took +her off to his estate of Champigny, which was where Princes of his +family usually lived, in order to remove her from Paris, where it +seemed that an outbreak of fighting was imminent: this great city +being under threat of siege by a Huguenot army led by the Prince de +CondĒ, who had once more declared war on the King. + +The Prince de Montpensier had, when a very young man, formed a +close friendship with the Comte de Chabannes, a man considerably +older than himself and of exemplary character. The Comte in turn had +been so much influenced by the esteem and friendship of the Prince +that he had broken off influential connections which he had with the +Prince de CondĒ, and had declared for the Catholics; a change of +sides which, having no other foundation, was regarded with suspicion: +so much so that the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, on the +declaration of war by the Huguenots, proposed to have him imprisoned. +The Prince de Montpensier prevented this and carried him away to +Champigny when he went there with his wife. The Comte being a very +pleasant, amiable man soon gained the approbation of the Princess and +before long she regarded him with as much friendship and confidence +as did her husband. Chabannes, for his part, observed with +admiration the beauty, sense and modesty of the young Princess, and +used what influence he had to instill in her thoughts and behaviour +suited to her elevated position; so that under his guidance she +became one of the most accomplished women of her time. + +The Prince having gone back to the Court, where he was needed +owing to the continuation of the war, the Comte lived alone with the +Princess and continued to treat her with the respect due to her rank +and position. The Princess took him so far into her confidence as to +tell him of the feelings she had once had for the Duc de Guise, but +she intimated that there remained only enough of this emotion to +prevent her heart from straying elsewhere and that this remnant, +together with her wifely virtue made it impossible for her to +respond, except with a rebuff, to any possible suitor. + +The Comte who recognised her sincerity and who saw in her a +character wholly opposed to flirtation and gallantry, did not doubt +the truth of her words; but nevertheless he was unable to resist all +the charms which he saw daily so close to him. He fell deeply in +love with the Princess, in spite of the shame he felt at allowing +himself to be overcome by this illicit passion. However although not +master of his heart, he was master of his actions; the change in his +emotions did not show at all in his behaviour, and no none suspected +him. He took, for a whole year, scrupulous care to hide his feelings +from the Princess and believed that he would always be able to do so. + +Love, however, had the same effect on him as it does on everyone, he +longed to speak of it, and after all the struggles which are usually +made on such occasions, he dared to tell her of his devotion. He had +been prepared to weather the storm of reproach which this might +arouse, but he was greeted with a calm and a coolness which was a +thousand times worse than the outburst which he had expected. She +did not take the trouble to be angry. She pointed out in a few words +the difference in their rank and ages, she reminded him of what she +had previously said about her attitude to suitors and above all to the +duty he owed to the confidence and friendship of the Prince her +husband. The Comte was overwhelmed by shame and distress. She tried +to console him by assuring him that she would forget entirely what he +had just said to her and would always look on him as her best friend; +assurances which were small consolation to the Comte as one might +imagine. He felt the disdain which was implicit in all that the +Princess had said, and seeing her the next day with her customary +untroubled looks redoubled his misery. + +The Princess continued to show him the same goodwill as before and + +even discussed her former attachment to the Duc de Guise, saying that +she was pleased that his increasing fame showed that he was worthy of +the affection she had once had for him. These demonstrations of +confidence, which were once so dear to the Comte, he now found +insupportable, but he did not dare say as much to the Princess, +though he did sometimes remind her of what he had so rashly confessed +to her. + +After an absence of two years, peace having been declared, the +Prince de Montpensier returned to his wife, his renown enhanced by +his behaviour at the siege of Paris and the battle of St. Denis. He +was surprised to find the beauty of the Princess blooming in such +perfection, and being of a naturally jealous disposition he was a +little put out of humour by the realisation that this beauty would be +evident to others beside himself. He was delighted to see once more +the Comte, for whom his affection was in no way diminished. He asked +him for confidential details about his wife's character and +temperament, for she was almost a stranger to him because of the +little time during which they had lived together. The Comte, with the +utmost sincerity, as if he himself were not enamoured, told the +Prince everything he knew about the Princess which would encourage +her husband's love of her, and he also suggested to Madame de +Montpensier all the measures she might take to win the heart and +respect of her spouse. The Comte's devotion led him to think of +nothing but what would increase the happiness and wellbeing of the +Princess and to forget without difficulty the interest which +lovers usually have in stirring up trouble between the objects of +their affection and their marital partners. + +The peace was only shortlived. War soon broke out again by reason +of a plot by the King to arrest the Prince de CondĒ and Admiral +Chatillon at Noyers. As a result of the military preparations the +Prince de Montpensier was forced to leave his wife and report for +duty. Chabannes, who had been restored to the Queen's favour, went +with him. It was not without much sorrow that he left the Princess, +while she, for her part, was distressed to think of the perils to +which the war might expose her husband. + +The leaders of the Huguenots retired to La Rochelle. They held + +Poitou and Saintongne; the war flared up again and the King assembled +all his troops. His brother, the Duc d'Anjou, who later became Henri +III, distinguished himself by his deeds in various actions, amongst +others the battle of Jarnac, in which the Prince de CondĒ was killed. +It was during this fighting that the Duc de Guise began to play a +more important part and to display some of the great qualities which +had been expected of him. The Prince de Montpensier, who hated him, +not only as a personal enemy but as an enemy of his family, the +Bourbons, took no pleasure in his successes nor in the friendliness +shown toward him by the Duc d'Anjou. + +After the two armies had tired themselves out in a series of minor +actions, by common consent they were stood down for a time. The Duc +d'Anjou stayed at Loches to restore to order all the places which had +been attacked. The Duc de Guise stayed with him and the Prince de +Montpensier, accompanied by the Comte de Chabannes, went back to +Champigny, which was not far away. + +The Duc d'Anjou frequently went to inspect places where +fortifications were being constructed. One day when he was returning +to Loches by a route which his staff did not know well, the Duc de +Guise, who claimed to know the way, went to the head of the party to +act as guide, but after a time he became lost and arrived at the bank +of a small river which he did not recognise. The Duc d'Anjou had a +few words to say to him for leading them astray, but while they were +held up there they saw a little boat floating on the river, in which +- the river not being very wide - they could see the figures of three +or four women, one of whom, very pretty and sumptuously dressed, was +watching with interest the activities of two men who were fishing +nearby. + +This spectacle created something of a sensation amongst the +Princes and their suite. It seemed to them like an episode from a +romance. Some declared that it was fate that had led the Duc de Guise +to bring them there to see this lovely lady, and that they should now +pay court to her. The Duc d'Anjou maintained that it was he who +should be her suitor. + +To push the matter a bit further, they made one of the horsemen go +into the river as far as he could and shout to the lady that it was +the Duc d'Anjou who wished to cross to the other bank and who begged +the lady to take him in her boat. The lady, who was of course the +Princess de Montpensier, hearing that it was the Duc d'Anjou, and +having no doubt when she saw the size of his suite that it was indeed +him, took her boat over to the bank where he was. His fine figure +made him easily distinguishable from the others; she, however, +distinguished even more easily the figure of the Duc de Guise. This +sight disturbed her and caused her to blush a little which made her +seem to the Princes to have an almost supernatural beauty. + +The Duc de Guise recognised her immediately in spite of the +changes which had taken place in her appearance in the three years +since he had last seen her. He told the Duc d'Anjou who she was and +the Duc was at first embarrassed at the liberty he had taken, but +then, struck by the Princess's beauty, he decided to venture a little +further, and after a thousand excuses and a thousand compliments he +invented a serious matter which required his presence on the opposite +bank, and accepted the offer which she made of a passage in her boat. +He got in, accompanied only by the Duc de Guise, giving orders to his +suite to cross the river elsewhere and to join him at Champigny, +which Madame de Montpensier told him was not more than two leagues +from there. + +As soon as they were in the boat the Duc d'Anjou asked to what +they owed this so pleasant encounter. Madame de Montpensier replied +that having left Champigny with the Prince her husband with the +intention of following the hunt, she had become tired and having +reached the river bank she had gone out in the boat to watch the +landing of a salmon which had been caught in a net. The Duc de Guise +did not take part in this conversation, but he was conscious of the +re-awakening of all the emotions which the Princess had once aroused +in him, and thought to himself that he would have difficulty in +escaping from this meeting without falling once more under her spell. + +They arrived shortly at the bank where they found the Princess's +horses and her attendants who had been waiting for her. The two +noblemen helped her onto her horse where she sat with the greatest +elegance. During their journey back to Champigny they talked +agreeably about a number of subjects and her companions were no less +charmed by her conversation than they had been by her beauty. They +offered her a number of compliments to which she replied with +becoming modesty, but a little more coolly to those from M. de Guise, +for she wished to maintain a distance which would prevent him from +founding any expectations on the feelings she had once had towards +him. + +When they arrived at the outer courtyard of Champigny they +encountered the Prince de Montpensier, who had just returned from the +hunt. He was greatly astonished to see two men in the company of his +wife, and he was even more astonished when, on coming closer, he saw +that these were the Duc d'Anjou and the Duc de Guise. The hatred +which he bore for the latter, combined with his naturally jealous +disposition made him find the sight of these two Princes with his +wife, without knowing how they came to be there or why they had come +to his house, so disagreeable that he was unable to conceal his +annoyance. He, however, adroitly put this down to a fear that he +could not receive so mighty a Prince as the King's brother in a style +befitting his rank. The Comte de Chabannes was even more upset at +seeing the Duc de Guise and Madame de Montpensier together than +was her husband, it seemed to him a most evil chance which had +brought the two of them together again, an augury which foretold +disturbing sequels to follow this new beginning. + +In the evening Madame de Montpensier acted as hostess with the +same grace with which she did everything. In fact she pleased her +guests a little too much. The Duc d'Anjou who was very handsome and +very much a ladies man, could not see a prize so much worth winning +without wishing ardently to make it his own. He had a touch of the +same sickness as the Duc de Guise, and continuing to invent important +reasons, he stayed for two days at Champigny, without being obliged +to do so by anything but the charms of Madame de Montpensier, for her +husband did not make any noticeable effort to detain him. The Duc de +Guise did not leave without making it clear to Madame de Momtpensier +that he felt towards her as he had done in the past. As nobody knew +of this former relationship he said to her several times, in front of +everybody, that his affections were in no way changed. A remark which +only she understood. + +Both he and the Duc d'Anjou left Champigny with regret. For a +long time they went along in silence; but at last it occurred to the +Duc d'Anjou that the reflections which occupied his thoughts might be +echoed in the mind of the Duc de Guise, and he asked him brusquely if +he was thinking about the beauties of Madame de Montpensier. This +blunt question combined with what he had already observed of the +Prince's behaviour made the Duc realise that he had a rival from whom +it was essential that his own love for the Princess should be +concealed. In order to allay all suspicion he answered with a laugh +that the Prince himself had seemed so preoccupied with the thoughts +which he was accused of having that he had deemed it inadvisable to +interrupt him; the beauty of Madame de Montpensier was, he said, +nothing new to him, he had been used to discounting its effect since +the days when she was destined to be his sister-in-law, but he saw +that not everyone was so little dazzled. The Duc d'Anjou admitted +that he had never seen anyone to compare with this young Princess and +that he was well aware that the vision might be dangerous if he was +exposed to it too often. He tried to get the Duc de Guise to confess +that he felt the same, but the Duc would admit to nothing. + +On their return to Loches they often recalled with pleasure the +events which had led to their meeting with the Princess de +Montpensier, a subject which did not give rise to the same pleasure +at Champigny. The Prince de Montpensier was dissatisfied with all +that had happened without being able to say precisely why. He found +fault with his wife for being in the boat. He considered that she +had welcomed the Princes too readily; and what displeased him most +was that he had noticed the attention paid to her by the Duc de +Guise. This had provoked in him a furious bout of jealousy in which +he recalled the anger displayed by the Duc at the prospect of his +marriage, which caused him to suspect that even at that time the Duc +was in love with his wife. The Comte de Chabannes as usual made +every effort to act as peacemaker, hoping in this way to show the +Princess that his devotion to her was sincere and disinterested. He +could not resist asking her what effect the sight of the Duc de Guise +had produced. She replied that she had been somewhat upset and +embarrassed at the memory of the feelings she had once displayed to +him; she found him more handsome than he had been then and it had +seemed to her that he wished to persuade her that he still loved her, +but she assured the Comte that nothing would shake her determination +not to become involved in any intrigue. The Comte was happy to hear +of this resolve, but he was far from being sure about the Duc de +Guise. He earnestly warned the Princess of the danger of a return to +the previous situation should she have any change of heart, though +when he spoke of his devotion she adopted her invariable attitude of +looking on him as her closest friend but in no way a possible suitor. + +The armies were once more called up; all the Princes returned to +their posts and the Prince de Montpensier decided that his wife +should come with him to Paris so as to be further from the area where +it was expected that fighting would take place. The Huguenots +besieged Poitiers. The Duc de Guise went there to organise the +defence and, while there, enhanced his reputation by his conduct. +The Duc d'Anjou suffered from some illness, and left the army either +on account of the severity of this or because he wanted to return to +the comfort and security of Paris, where the presence of the Princess +de Montpensier was not the least of the attractions. The command of +the army was taken over by the Prince de Montpensier, and shortly +after this, a peace having been arranged, the Court assembled in +Paris. Here the beauty of the Princess eclipsed that of all her +rivals. She charmed everyone by her looks and personality. The Duc +d'Anjou did not abandon the sentiments she had inspired in him at +Champigny, he took great care to make her aware of this by all sorts +of delicate considerations, being careful at the same time not to +make his attentions too obvious for fear of arousing the jealousy of +her husband. The Duc de Guise was now fervently in love with her, but +wishing, for a variety of reasons, to keep this secret, he resolved +to tell her so privately and avoid any preliminaries which, as +always, would give rise to talk and exposure. One day when he was in +the Queen's apartments where there were very few people, the Queen +having left to discuss affairs of state with Cardinal de Lorraine, +the Princess de Montpensier arrived. He decided to take this +opportunity to speak to her, and going up to her he said, "Although +it may surprise and displease you, I want you to know that I have +always felt for you that emotion which you once knew so well, and +that its power has been so greatly increased by seeing you again that +neither your disapproval, the hatred of your husband, nor the rivalry +of the first Prince in the kingdom can in the least diminish it. It +would perhaps have been more tactful to have let you become aware of +this by my behaviour rather than by my words, but my behaviour would +have been evident to others as well as to yourself and I wanted you +alone to know of my love for you." + +The Princess was so surprised and thrown into confusion by this +speech that she could not think of an answer, then, just when she had +collected her wits and begun to reply, the Prince de Montpensier +entered the room. The Princess's face displayed her agitation, and +her embarrassment was compounded by the sight of her husband, to such +an extent that he was left in no doubt about what the Duc de Guise +had been saying to her. Fortunately at that moment the Queen +re-entered the room and the Duc de Guise moved away to avoid the +jealous Prince. + +That evening the Princess found her husband in the worst temper +imaginable. He berated her with the utmost violence and forbade her +ever to speak to the Duc de Guise again. She retired to her room +very sad and much preoccupied with the events of the day. She saw +the Duc the next day amid the company around the Queen, but he did +not come near her and left soon after she did, indicating that he had +no interest in remaining if she was not there. Not a day passed +without her receiving a thousand covert marks of the Duc's passion +though he did not attempt to speak to her unless he was sure that +they could be seen by nobody. + +Convinced of the Duc's sincerity, the Princess, in spite of the +resolution she had made at Champigny, began to feel in the depths of +her heart something of what she had felt in the past. + +The Duc d'Anjou for his part, omitted nothing which could +demonstrate his devotion in all the places where he could meet her. +In the Queen his mother's apartments he followed her about +continually, completely ignoring his sister who was very fond of him. +It was at around this time that it became evident that this sister, +who later became the Queen of Navarre, had a liking for the Duc de +Guise, and another thing that became evident was a cooling of the +friendship between that Duc and the Duc d'Anjou. The rumour linking +the name of the Royal Princess with that of the Duc de Guise +disturbed The Princess de Montpensier to a degree which surprised +her, and made her realise that she was more interested in the Duc +than she had supposed. + +Now it so happened that her father-in-law, M. de Montpensier, +married a sister of the Duc de Guise, and the princess was bound to +meet the Duc frequently in the various places where the marriage +celebrations required their presence. She was greatly offended that +a man who was widely believed to be in love with "Madame", the King's +sister, should dare to make advances to her; she was not only +offended but distressed at having deceived herself. + +One day, when they met at his sister's house, being a little +separated from he rest, the Duc was tempted to speak to her, but she +interrupted him sharply saying angrily "I do not understand how, on +the basis of a weakness which one had at the age of thirteen, you +have the audacity to make amorous proposals to a person like me, +particularly when, in the view of the whole Court, you are interested +in someone else." The Duc who was intelligent as well as being much +in love, understood the emotion which underlay the Princess's words. +He answered her most respectfully, "I confess, Madame, that it was +wrong of me not to reject the possible honour of becoming the King's +brother-in-law, rather than allow you to suspect for a moment that I +could desire any heart but yours; but if you will be patient enough +to hear me I am sure I can fully justify my behaviour." The Princess +made no reply, but she did not go away and the Duc, seeing that she +was prepared to listen to him, told her that although he had made no +effort to attract the attention of Madame, she had nevertheless +honoured him with her interest: as he was not enamoured of her he had +responded very coolly to this honour until she gave him to believe +that she might marry him. The realisation of the grandeur to which +such a marriage would raise him had obliged him to take a little more +trouble. This situation had aroused the suspicions of the King and +the Duc d'Anjou, but the opposition of neither of them would have any +effect on his course of action, however, if this displeased her he +would abandon all such notions and never think of them again. + +This sacrifice which the Duc was prepared to make caused the +Princess to forget all the anger she had shown. She changed the +subject and began to speak of the indiscretion displayed by Madame in +making the first advances and of the considerable advantages which he +would gain if he married her. In the end, without saying anything +kind to the Duc de Guise, she made him recall a thousand things he +had found so pleasing in Mlle. de MĒziäres. Although they had not had +private conversation for a long time, they found themselves attuned +to one another, and their thoughts went along a track which they both +had travelled in the past. At the end of this agreeable meeting the +Duc was left in a state of considerable happiness, and the Princess +was not a little moved to think that he truly loved her. However, in +the privacy of her room she became ashamed of the ease with which she +had accepted the Duc's excuses and reflected on the trouble into +which she might be plunged if she engaged in something she had always +regarded with distaste and on the frightening misery which a jealous +husband might inflict on her. These thoughts made her adopt new +resolves, but they disappeared the next day on the sight of the Duc +de Guise. + +The new alliance between their families gave the Duc many +opportunities to speak to her. He gave her an exact account of all +that passed between Madame and himself. He had difficulty in +allaying the jealousy to which the beauty of Madame gave rise and any +number of promises failed to reassure her. This jealousy enabled the +Princess to defend the remains of her heart against the advances of +the Duc, who already had won the greater part of it. + +The marriage of the King to the daughter of the Emperor Maximilian +filled the Court with fątes and celebrations. The King put on a +ballet in which Madame and all the princesses were to dance; among +them only the Princess de Montpensier could rival Madame in beauty. +The Duc d'Anjou and four others were to make an appearance as Moors; +their costumes would all be identical, as was usual in this sort of +performance. On the first occasion on which the ballet was +presented, the Duc de Guise, before the dance began and before he had +donned his mask, said a few words to the Princess as he went past +her. She saw clearly that the Prince her husband had noticed this, +which made her feel uneasy. A little later, seeing the Duc d'Anjou in +his mask and Moorish costume, who was coming to speak to her, she +mistook him for the Duc de Guise and said to him "Do not have eyes +for anyone but Madame this evening: I shall not be in the least +jealous. I am ordering you. I am being watched. Do not come near me +again." As soon as she had said this she moved away. + +The Duc d'Anjou stood there thunderstruck. He saw that he had a +successful rival: the reference to Madame made it obvious that this +was the Duc de Guise, and left him in no doubt that his sister was to +play second fiddle to the Princess de Montpensier. Jealousy, +frustration and rage joining to the dislike which he already had for +the Duc roused him to a violent fury; and he would have given there +and then some bloody mark of his temper had not that dissimulation +which came naturally to him prevented him from attacking the Duc de +Guise in the present circumstances. He did not, however, refrain +from the pleasure of disclosing his knowledge of this secret affair. +He approached the Duc de Guise as they left the salon where they had +been dancing and said to him "To presume to raise your eyes towards +my sister, as well as stealing the affection of the woman I love is +altogether too much. The presence of the King prevents me from taking +any action just now, but remember that the loss of your life may be, +one day, the least thing with which I shall punish your +impertinence." + +The pride of the Duc de Guise was not accustomed to submit tamely +to such threats, but he was unable to reply because at that moment +the King called both of them to his side. He did not forget, however, +and tried all his life to exact revenge. + +From that evening the Duc d'Anjou endeavoured in all sorts of ways +to turn the King against the Duc de Guise. He persuaded the King +that Madame would never agree to her proposed marriage to the King of +Navarre as long as the Duc de Guise was allowed to have any contact +with her; and that it was unacceptable that a subject, for his own +vain purposes, should place an obstacle in the way of what could +bring peace to France. The King already disliked the Duc de Guise +and this speech inflamed his dislike so much that the next day when +the Duc presented himself to join the ball at the Queen's +apartments, he stood in the doorway and asked him brusquely where he +was going. The Duc, without showing any surprise answered that he +had come to offer his most humble services, to which the King replied +that he had no need of any services which the Duc might provide, and +turned away without any other acknowledgement. The Duc was not +deterred from entering the room, his feelings incensed both against +the King and the Duc d'Anjou. His natural pride led him, as an act +of defiance, to pay more attention to Madame than usual, and what the +Duc d'Anjou had told him prevented him from looking in the direction +of the Princess de Montpensier. + +The Duc d'Anjou watched both of them with close attention. The +Princess's expression, in spite of herself, showed some chagrin when +the Duc de Guise spoke with Madame. The Duc d'Anjou who realised +from what she had said to him, when she mistook him for the Duc de +Guise, that she was jealous, hoped to cause trouble. He drew close to +her and said, "It is in your interest and not in mine that I must +tell you that the Duc de Guise does not deserve the choice you have +made of him in preference to me, a choice which you cannot deny and +of which I am well aware. He is deceiving you, Madame, and betraying +you for my sister as he betrayed her for you. He is a man moved only +by ambition, but since he has the good fortune to please you, that is +enough; I shall not attempt to stand in the way of a felicity which +without doubt I merit more than he. It would be undignified for me to +persist in trying to gain the heart which is already possessed by +another. It is bad enough to have attracted only your indifference +and I would not like to have this replaced by dislike by wearying you +with endless protestations of unwelcome devotion." + +The Duc d'Anjou who was genuinely touched by love and sadness, was +hardly able to complete this speech, and although he had begun in a +spirit of spite and vengeance, he was so overcome when he thought of +the Princess's beauty and of what he was losing by giving up all hope +of being her lover, that without waiting for her reply he left the +ball, saying that he felt unwell, and went home to nurse his grief. + +The Princess de Montpensier stayed there, upset and worried as one +might imagine. To see her reputation and her secret in the hands of a +suitor whom she had rejected and to learn from him that she was being +deceived by her lover were not things which would put her in the +right frame of mind for a place dedicated to enjoyment; she had, +however, to remain where she was and later go to supper in the +company of the Duchess de Montpensier, her mother-in-law. + +The Duc de Guise who had followed them to his sister's house, was +dying to tell her what the Duc d'Anjou had said the day before, but +to his astonishment when he did have the opportunity to speak to her, +he was overwhelmed by reproaches which were tumbled out in such angry +profusion that all he could gather was that he was accused of +infidelity and treachery. Dismayed at finding himself in this unhappy +situation when he had hoped for consolation, and being so much in +love with the Princess that he could not bear to be unsure if he was +loved in return, he took a sudden decision. "I shall lay your doubts +at rest." He said. "I am going to do what all the royal power could +not make me do. It will cost me my fortune but that is of little +account if it makes you happy." + +He went straight from his sister's house to that of his uncle, the +cardinal. He convinced him that having fallen into the King's +disfavour, it was essential that it should be made quite clear that +he would not marry Madame, so he asked for his marriage to be +arranged with the Princess de Portien, a matter which had previously +been discussed. The news of this was soon all over Paris and gave +rise to much surprise. The princess de Montpensier was both happy +and sad. Glad to see the power she had over the Duc, and sorry that +she had caused him to abandon something so advantageous as marriage +to Madame. The Duc who hoped that love would compensate him for his +material loss, pressed the Princess to give him a private audience so +that he could clear up the unjust accusations which she had made. He +obtained this when she found herself at his sister's house at a time +when his sister was not there and she was able to speak to him alone. +The Duc took the opportunity to throw himself at her feet and +describe all that he had suffered because of her suspicions, and +though the Princess was unable to forget what the Duc d'Anjou had +said to her, the behaviour of the Duc de Guise did much to reassure +her. She told him exactly why she believed he had betrayed her which +was because the Duc d'Anjou knew what he could only have learned from +him. The Duc did not how to defend himself and was as puzzled as she +to guess what could have given away their secret: at last, while the +Princess was remonstrating with him for giving up the idea of the +advantageous marriage with Madame and rushing into that with the +Princess de Portien, she said to him that he could have been certain +that she would not be jealous since on the day of the ball she +herself had told him to have eyes only for Madame. The Duc said that +she might have intended to do so but that she certainly had not. She +maintained that she had, and in the end they reached the correct +conclusion that she herself, deceived by the resemblance of the +costumes, had told the Duc d'Anjou what she accused the Duc de Guise +of telling him. The Duc de Guise who had almost entirely returned to +favour, did so completely as a result of this conversation. The +Princess could not refuse her heart to a man who had possessed it in +the past and had just made such a sacrifice to please her. She +consented to accept his declaration and permitted him to believe that +she was not unmoved by his passion. The arrival of the Duchess, her +mother-in-law, put an end to this tąte-Ö-tąte, and prevented the Duc +from demonstrating his transports of joy. + +Some time later, the Court having gone to Blois, the marriage +between the King of Navarre and Madame was celebrated. The Duc de +Guise who wanted nothing more than the love of the Princess de + +Montpensier, enjoyed a ceremony which in other circumstances would +have overwhelmed him with disappointment. + +The Duc was not able to conceal his love so well that the Prince +de Montpensier did not suspect that something was going on, and being +consumed by jealousy he ordered his wife to go to Champigny. This +order was a great shock to her, but she had to obey: she found a way +to say goodbye to the Duc de Guise privately but she found herself in +great difficulty when it came to a means of providing a method +whereby he could write to her. After much thought she decided to +make use of the Comte de Chabannes, whom she always looked on as a +friend without considering that he was in love with her. The Duc de +Guise, who knew of the close friendship between the Comte and the +Prince de Montpensier, was at first amazed at her choice of the Comte +as a go-between, but she assured him of the Comte's fidelity with such +conviction that he was eventually satisfied. He parted from her with +all the unhappiness which such a separation can cause. + +The Comte de Chabannes, who had been ill in Paris while the +Princess was at Blois, learning that she was going to Champigny +arranged to meet her on the road and go with her. She greeted him +with a thousand expressions of friendship and displayed an +extraordinary impatience to talk to him in private, which at first +delighted him. Judge his dismay when he found that this impatience +was only to tell him that she was loved passionately by the Duc de +Guise, a love which she returned. He was so distressed that he was +unable to reply. The Princess, who was engrossed by her infatuation, +took no notice of his silence. She began to tell him all the least +details of the events, and how she and the Duc had agreed that he +should be the means by which they could exchange letters. The thought +that the woman he loved expected him to be of assistance to his +rival, and made the proposal as if it was a thing he would find +agreeable was bitterly hurtful, but he was so much in control of +himself that he hid all his feelings from her and expressed only +surprise at the change in her attitude. He hoped that this change +which removed even the faintest hope from him would at the same time +change his feelings, but he found the Princess so charming, her +natural beauty having been enhanced by a certain grace which she had +acquired at Court that he felt that he loved her more than ever. This +remarkable devotion produced a remarkable effect. He agreed to carry +his rival's letters to his beloved. + +The Princess was very despondent at the absence of the Duc de +Guise, and could hope for solace only from his letters. She +continually tormented the Comte de Chabannes to know if he had +received any and almost blamed him for not having delivered one +sooner. At last some arrived, brought by a gentleman in the Duc's +service, which he took to her immediately so as not to delay her +pleasure for a moment longer than necessary. The Princess was +delighted to have them and tortured the poor Comte by reading them to +him, as well as her tender and loving reply. He took this reply to +the waiting courier even more sadly than he had made the delivery. +He consoled himself a little by the reflection that the Princess +would realise what he was doing for her and would show some +recognition. Finding, however, that she daily treated him with less +consideration, owing to the anxieties which preoccupied her, he took +the liberty of begging her to think a little of the suffering she was +causing him. The Princess who had nothing in her head but the Duc de +Guise, was so irritated by this approach that she treated the Comte +much worse than she had done on the first occasion when he had +declared his love for her. Although his devotion and patience had +stood so many trials, this was too much. He left the Princess and +went to live with a friend who had a house in the neighbourhood, from +where he wrote to her with all the bitterness that her behaviour had +provoked and bid her an eternal adieu. + +The Princess began to repent having dealt so harshly with a man +over whom she had so much influence, and being unwilling to lose him, +not only on account of their past friendship, but also because of his +vital role in the conduct of her affair, she sent a message to him to +say that she wished to speak to him one more time and that afterwards +she would leave him free to do as he pleased. One is very vulnerable +when one is in love. The Comte came back, and in less than an hour +the beauty of the Princess, her charm and a few kind words made him +more submissive than ever, and he even gave her some letters from the +Duc de Guise which he had just received. + +At this time there was a scheme afoot in the Court to attract +there all the leaders of the Huguenots, with the secret aim of +including them in the horrible massacre of St. Bartholomew's day. As +part of this attempt to lull them into a false sense of security, the +King dismissed from his presence all the princes of the houses of +Bourbon and de Guise. The Prince de Montpensier returned to +Champigny, to the utter dismay of his wife, the Duc de Guise went to +the home of his uncle, the Cardinal de Lorraine. + +Love and idleness induced in him such a violent desire to see the +Princess de Montpensier that without considering the risks to her and +to himself he made some excuse to travel and leaving his suite in a +small town he took with him only the gentleman who had already made +several trips to Champigny, and went there by post-chaise. As he +knew no one whom he could approach but the Comte de Chabannes, he had +the gentleman write a note requesting a meeting at a certain spot. +The Comte, believing that this was solely for the purpose of +receiving letters from the Duc de Guise went there, but was most +surprised to see the Duc himself and equally dismayed. The Duc, full +of his own plans, took no more notice of the Comte's dismay than had +the Princess of his silence when she told him of her amour. He +described his passion in florid terms and claimed that he would +infallibly die if the Princess could not be persuaded to see him. +The Comte replied coldly that he would tell the Princess all that the +Duc wanted to convey and would return with her response. He then went +back to Champigny with his own emotions in such a turmoil that he +hardly knew what he was doing. He thought of sending the Duc away +without saying anything to the Princess, but the faithfulness with +which he had promised to serve her soon put an end to that idea. He +arrived without knowing what he should do, and finding that the +Prince was out hunting, he went straight to the Princess's +apartment. She saw that he was distressed and dismissed her women in +order to find out what troubled him. He told her, as calmly as he +could, that the Duc de Guise was a league distant and that he wanted +passionately to see her. The Princess gave a cry at this news and her +confusion was almost as great as that of the Comte. At first she was +full of joy at the thought of seeing the man she loved so tenderly, +but when she considered how much this was against her principles, and +that she could not see her lover without introducing him into her +home during the night and without her husband's knowledge, she found +herself in the utmost difficulty. The Comte awaited her reply as if +it were a matter of life or death. Realising that her silence +indicated her uncertainty, he took the liberty of presenting to her +all the perils to which she would be exposed by such a meeting, and +wishing to make it clear that he was not doing this in his own +interest, he said that if, in spite of all that he had said she was +determined to see the Duc, rather than see her seek for aid from +helpers less faithful than himself, he would bring the Duc to +her. "Yes Madame," he said, "I shall go and find the Duc and bring him +to your apartment, for it is too dangerous to leave him for long +where he is." + +"But how can this be done?" interrupted the Princess. + +"Ha! Madame," cried the Comte, "It is then decided, since you speak +only of the method. I shall lead him through the park; only order one +of your maids whom you can trust to lower, exactly at midnight, the +little drawbridge which leads from your antichamber to the flower +garden and leave the rest to me." Having said this he rose and +without waiting for any further comment from the Princess, he left, +remounted his horse and went to look for the Duc de Guise, who was +waiting for him with the greatest impatience. + +The Princess remained in such a state of confusion that it was +some time before she came to her senses. Her first thought was to +send someone after the Comte to tell him not to bring the Duc, but +she could not bring herself to do so. She then thought that failing +this she had only not to have the drawbridge lowered, and she +believed that she would continue with this resolve, but when the hour +of the assignation drew near she was no longer able to resist the +desire to see the lover whom she longed for, and she gave +instructions to one of her women on the method by which the Duc was +to be introduced into her apartment. + +Meanwhile the Duc and the Comte were approaching Champigny, but in +very differing frames of mind. The Duc was full of joy and all the +happiness of expectation. The Comte was in a mood of despair and +anger, which tempted him at times to run his sword through his rival. +They at last reached the park, where they left their horses in the +care of the Duc's squire, and passing through a gap in the wall they +came to the flower garden. The Comte had always retained some hope +that the Princess would come to her senses and resolve not to see the +Duc, but when he saw that the drawbridge was lowered he realised that +his hope was in vain. He was tempted to take some desperate measure, +but he was aware that any noise would be heard by the Prince de +Montpensier whose rooms looked out onto the same flower-garden, and +that all the subsequent disorder would fall on the head of the one he +loved most. He calmed himself and led the Duc to the presence of the +Princess. Although the Princess signaled that she would like him to +stay in the room during the interview, he was unwilling to do so, and +retired to a little passage which ran alongside the Princess's +apartment, a prey to the saddest thoughts which could afflict a +disappointed lover. + +Now, although they had made very little noise while crossing the +bridge, the Prince de Montpensier was awake and heard it. He made +one of his servants get up and go to see what it was. The servant +put his head out of the window and in the darkness he could make out +that the drawbridge was lowered. He told his master who then ordered +him to go into the park and find out what was going on. A moment +later he got up himself, being disturbed by what he thought he had +heard, that is, footsteps on the bridge leading to his wife's +quarters. + +As he was going towards the little passage where the Comte was +waiting, the Princess who was somewhat embarrassed at being alone +with the Duc de Guise, asked the latter several times to come into +the room. He refused to do so and as she continued to press him and +as he was furiously angry he answered her so loudly that he was heard +by the Prince de Montpensier, but so indistinctly that the Prince +heard only a man's voice without being able to recognise it as that +of the Comte. + +These events would have infuriated a character more placid and +less jealous than the Prince de Montpensier. He hurled himself +against the door, calling for it to be opened, and cruelly surprising +the Princess, the Duc de Guise and the Comte de Chabannes. This +last, hearing the Prince's voice, saw immediately that it was +impossible to prevent him from believing that there was someone in +his wife's room, and that he was in such a state that if he found +that it was the Duc de Guise he might kill him before the eyes of the +Princess and that even her life might be at risk. He decided, in an +act of extraordinary generosity, to sacrifice himself to save a +successful rival and an ungrateful mistress. + +While the Prince was battering on the door, he went to the Duc, +who had no idea what to do, put him in the care of the woman who had +arranged his entry by the bridge and told her to show him the way +out. Scarcely had he left when the Prince having broken down the +door entered the room like a man possessed. However when he saw only +the Comte de Chabannes, motionless, leaning on a table with a look +of infinite sadness on his face, he stopped short. The astonishment +of finding his best friend alone at night in his wife's room deprived +him of speech. The Princess had collapsed onto some cushions and +never perhaps has fate put three people in a more unhappy position. +At last the Prince made an attempt to make sense of the chaos before +his eyes. He addressed the Comte in a tone of voice which still had +some friendliness, "What is this I see?" he said, "Is it possible +that a man I love so dearly has chosen among all other women to +seduce my wife? And you, Madame," he said, turning to his wife, "Was +it not enough to deprive me of your love and my honour without +depriving me of the one man who could have consoled me in such +circumstances? Answer me, one of you," he said to them, "And explain +this affair, which I cannot believe is what it seems." The Princess +was incapable of replying and the Comte opened his mouth once or +twice but was unable to speak. + +"You see me as a criminal" he said at last "And unworthy of the +friendship you have shown me; but the situation is not what you may +think it is. I am more unhappy than you and more despairing. I do +not know how to tell you more than that. My death would avenge you, +and if you were to kill me now you would be doing me a favour." +These words, spoken with an air of the deepest sorrow, and in a +manner which declared his innocence instead of enlightening the +Prince confirmed him in the view that something mysterious was going +on which he did not understand. His unhappiness was increased by this +uncertainty. "Kill me yourself," he said. "Or give me some explanation +of your words for I can understand nothing. You owe it to my +friendship, you owe it to my restraint, for anyone but me would have +already taken your life to avenge such an affront." + +"The appearances are wholly misleading," interrupted the Comte. + +"Ah! It is too much. I must be avenged and clear things up later," +said the Prince, advancing towards the Comte like a man carried away +by rage. The Princess, fearing bloodshed, (which was not possible as +her husband did not have a sword) placed herself between the two of +them and fell fainting at her husband's feet. The Prince was even +more affected by this than he was by the calmness of the Comte when +he confronted him, and as if he could no longer bear the sight of +those two people who had caused him such distress, he turned away and +fell on his wife's bed, overcome by grief. The Comte de Chabannes, +filled with remorse at having abused the friendship of which he had +had so many marks, and believing that he could never atone for what +he had done, left the room abruptly and passing through the +Princess's apartment where he found all the doors open, he went down +to the courtyard. He had a horse brought to him and rode off into +the country led only by his feelings of hopelessness. The Prince de +Montpensier, seeing that his wife did not recover from her faint, +left her to her women and retired to his own quarters greatly +disturbed. + +The Duc de Guise having got out of the park, hardly knowing what +he was doing being in such a state of turmoil, put several leagues +between himself and Champigny, but could go no further without news +of the Princess. He stopped in the forest and sent his squire to +find out from the Comte de Chabannes what had happened. The squire +found no trace of Chabannes but was told by others that the Princess +was seriously ill. The Duc's inquietude was increased by what the +squire had told him, but as he could do nothing he was constrained to +go back to his uncle's in order not to raise suspicions by too long +an absence. + +The Duc's squire had been correct when he said that the Princess +was seriously ill, for as soon as her women had put her to bed she +was seized by a violent fever with horrible phantasies, so that by +the second day her life was despaired of. The Prince pretended that +he himself was ill so that no one should be surprised that he did not +visit his wife's room. The order which he received to return to the +Court, to which all the Catholic princes were being recalled in +preparation for the massacre of the Huguenots, relieved him of his +embarrassment. He went off to Paris without knowing what he had to +hope or fear about his wife's illness. He had hardly arrived there +when the assault on the Huguenots was signalised by the attack on +admiral de Chatillon. Two days later came the disgraceful massacre, +now so well known throughout Europe. + +The poor Comte de Chabannes who had gone to hide himself away in +one of the outer suburbs of Paris to abandon himself to his misery +was caught up in the ruin of the Huguenots. The people to whose house +he had retired, having recognised him, and having recalled that he +had once been suspected of being of that persuasion, murdered him on +the same night which was fatal to so many people. The next day the +Prince de Montpensier, who was in that area on duty, passed along the +street where the body of the Comte lay. He was at first shocked by +this pitiful sight and, recalling his past friendship, was grieved; +but then the memory of the offence, which he believed the Comte had +committed, made him feel pleased that he had been avenged by the hand +of chance. + +The Duc de Guise who had used the opportunity of the massacre to +take ample revenge for the death of his father, gradually took less +and less interest in the condition of the Princess of Montpensier; +and having met the Marquise de Noirmoutier, a woman of wit and +beauty, and one who promised more than the Princess de Montpensier, +he attached himself to her, an attachment which lasted a lifetime. + +The Princess's illness reached a crisis and then began to remit. +She recovered her senses and was somewhat relieved by the absence of +her husband. She was expected to live, but her health recovered very +slowly because of her low spirits, which were further depressed by +the realisation that she had received no news of the Duc de Guise +during all her illness. She asked her women if they had not seen +anyone, if they had not had any letters, and finding that there had +been nothing, she saw herself as the most wretched of women, one who +had risked all for a man who had abandoned her. A fresh blow was the +news of the death of the Comte de Chabannes, which her husband made +sure she heard about as soon as possible. The ingratitude of the Duc +de Guise made her feel even more deeply the loss of a man whose +fidelity she knew so well. These disappointments weighed heavily upon +her and reduced her to a state as serious as that from which she had +recently recovered. Madame de Noirmoutier was a woman who took as +much care to publicise her affairs as others do to conceal them. Her +relations with the Duc de Guise were so open that, even though far +away and ill, the Princess heard so much about it that she was left +in no doubt. This was the final straw. She had lost the regard of +her husband, the heart of her lover, and the most loyal of her +friends. She took to her bed, and died not long after in the flower +of her youth. She was one of the loveliest of women and could have +been one of the happiest if she had not strayed so far from the path +of prudence and virtue. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext The Princess de Montpensier, by Lafayette + |