for her children grew up unable to speak French, and Mme de Motteville says that she had spoilt her French by talking English. Perhaps even now it was only the accent which was at fault. Probably she never wrote English with ease. Her first letter written in that language is to Lord Finch; the date is about 1641. Green: _Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria_, p. 28.] [Footnote 79: _The Shepherd's Paradise: a comedy_ (1659).] [Footnote 80: Sir John Suckling: "A Session of the Poets."] [Footnote 81: He was the Queen's Lord Steward.] [Footnote 82: Edmund Waller.] [Footnote 83: The following description of the Queen is written by a Catholic hand: "Seremissima Maria Regina quinque ac viginti circiter annorum, figurâ corporis parvâ, sed venustissimâ, crine cum suo Rege consimili [dark chestnut] constitutione corporis primâ, de qua hac virtutum Epitome quod formosissima, quod in ætatis vere, quod Regina, in Aula deliciis, et voluptatibus affluente, atque etiam Religionibus dispari, nec vel lerissimam offensionem dederit."--Archives of the See of Westminster: Status Angliæ, 1635.] [Footnote 84: The official list of the clothes, jewels, furniture, etc., which the Queen brought to England and from which the above account is taken, forms part of MS. Français, 23,600. Among the furniture are mentioned "trois tapis de velours" and "deux grands tapis de Turquie."] [Footnote 85: Robert Herrick: "Corinna's going a-Maying."] [Footnote 86: The evidence of Father Philip on this point is conclusive. See Con to Barberini: Add. MS., 15,389, f. 196.] [Footnote 87: He was in England at the time of Bassompierre's mission.] [Footnote 88: Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 43.] [Footnote 89: In a secret article of the treaty between France and England, made in 1629, it was recognized by the King of France that it was inadvisable that Henrietta should have a large French household. Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 43.] [Footnote 90: Aff. Etran. Ang., t. 43.] [Footnote 91: Fontenay-Mareuil to Richelieu (apparently). "Vos actions sont en telle veneration par tout le monde que le Roy de la Grande Bretagne animé d'un si bon exemple s'est enfin resolu de ruiner la Cabale qui estoit en sa Cour dont il estime que le Roy ni vous Monsieur ne serez pas marris puis-qu'elle avoit esté fondée par M. de Chasteauneuf et sur les mesmes desseins que celle de France très préjudiciables aux deux royaumes.... 14 April, 1633."--Aff. Etran, Ang., t. 45.] [Footnote 92: Richelieu thought that Mme. de Chevreuse, swayed by her love for Holland, induced Chateauneuf to act against Weston, whom Holland hoped to supplant.] [Footnote 93: This clique was considered "Puritan" as against the "Protestantism" of Portland. See chap. IV.]