Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 2.Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
History
Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 2.
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
Erotic literature
This said Princess was in mine opinion one of the most beauteous and
most well accomplished Princesses I have ever seen,—in face very
fair and pleasing, her figure very tall and fine, her conversation
agreeable, and above all her dress most excellent. In fact all her life
she was the pattern and model of fashion to all the ladies of France.
This mode of dressing head and hair and arranging the veil was known
as the Lorraine way, and ’twas a pretty sight to see our Court ladies
so attired. These were ever a-making grand fêtes and splendid shows,
the better thereat to show off their dainty adornments, all being _à
la Lorraine_ and copied after Her Highness. In especial she had one
of the prettiest hands ever seen; and I have heard the Queen Mother
herself praise the same, and liken it to her own for perfection. She
had an excellent seat on horseback, and rode with no little grace,
always using the stirrup attached to the saddle, the mode whereof she
had learned of the Queen Marie, her aunt, and the Queen Mother, so I
have heard say of her; for previously she had ridden with help of the
old-fashioned “planchette,”[108] which was far from properly showing
off her grace and her elegant seat like the stirrup. In all this she
was for imitating the Queen her aunt, never mounting any but Spanish
horses, Turks, Barbs and the very best jennets, which could go well
at the amble. Of such I have seen a dozen capital mounts at one time
in her stable, all so excellent, ’twere impossible to say one was
better than another. The said aunt did love her dearly, as well for the
exercises they both were fond of, hunting, riding and the like, as for
her virtues, the which she did observe in her. Accordingly, after her
marriage, she did often go to visit her in Flanders, as I have heard
Madame de Fontaines relate; and indeed after she became a widow, and
especially after her son had been taken from her, she did quit Lorraine
altogether in despite, so proud and high of heart was she. She did
thereafter take up her abode with the Emperor her uncle and the Queens
her aunts, all which great personages did receive her with no small
pleasure.
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