France and England in North America, Part V: Count Frontenac, New France, Louis XIVParkman, Francis
History
France and England in North America, Part V: Count Frontenac, New France, Louis XIV
Parkman, Francis
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Frontenac, Louis de Buade, comte de, 1620-1698
The young Countesses of Frontenac and Fiesque had constantly followed
her, and climbed after her through the hole in the gate. Her father
wrote to compliment them on their prowess, and addressed his letter à
Mesdames les Comtesses, Maréchales de Camp dans l'armée de ma fille
contre le Mazarin. Officers and soldiers took part in the pleasantry;
and, as Madame de Frontenac passed on horseback before the troops, they
saluted her with the honors paid to a brigadier.
When the king, or Cardinal Mazarin who controlled him, had triumphed
over the revolting princes, Mademoiselle de Montpensier paid the penalty
of her exploit by a temporary banishment from the court. She roamed from
place to place, with a little court of her own, of which Madame de
Frontenac was a conspicuous member. During the war, Count Frontenac had
been dangerously ill of a fever in Paris; and his wife had been absent
for a time, attending him. She soon rejoined the princess, who was at
her château of St. Fargeau, three days' journey from Paris, when an
incident occurred which placed the married life of her fair companion in
an unexpected light. "The Duchesse de Sully came to see me, and brought
with her M. d'Herbault and M. de Frontenac. Frontenac had stopped here
once before, but it was only for a week, when he still had the fever,
and took great care of himself like a man who had been at the door of
death. This time he was in high health. His arrival had not been
expected, and his wife was so much surprised that everybody observed it,
especially as the surprise seemed to be not at all a pleasant one.
Instead of going to talk with her husband, she went off and hid herself,
crying and screaming because he had said that he would like to have her
company that evening. I was very much astonished, especially as I had
never before perceived her aversion to him. The elder Comtesse de
Fiesque remonstrated with her; but she only cried the more. Madame de
Fiesque then brought books to show her her duty as a wife; but it did no
good, and at last she got into such a state that we sent for the curé
with holy water to exorcise her." [2]
[2] Memoires de Mademoiselle de Montpensier, II. 265. The curé's holy
water, or his exhortations, were at last successful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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