The Historical Nights' Entertainment: Second SeriesSabatini, Rafael
History
The Historical Nights' Entertainment: Second Series
Sabatini, Rafael
Europe -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Historical fiction, English
Richelieu, whose hard pride and self-love had been wounded by the
Duke’s cavalier behaviour, who despised the fellow for an upstart, and
may even have resented that so shallow a man should have been sent to
treat with a statesman of his own caliber—for other business beside the
marriage had brought Buckingham to Paris—suggested to the King that the
Duke’s manner in approaching the Queen lacked a proper deference, and
the Queen’s manner of receiving him a proper circumspection. Therefore
the King’s long face became longer, his gloomy eyes gloomier, as he
looked on. Far, however, from acting as a deterrent, the royal scowl
was mere incense to the vanity of Buckingham, a spur to goad him on to
greater daring.
On the 2nd of June a splendid company of some four thousand French
nobles and ladies, besides Buckingham and his retinue, quitted Paris to
accompany Henrietta Maria, now Queen of England, on the first stage of
her journey to her new home. The King was not of the party. He had gone
with Richelieu to Fontainebieau, leaving it to the Queen and the
Queen-Mother to accompany his sister.
Buckingham missed no chance upon that journey of pressing his
attentions upon Anne of Austria. Duty dictated that his place should be
beside the carriage of Henrietta Maria. But duty did not apply to His
Insolence of Buckingham, so indifferent of whom he might slight or
offend. And then the devil took a hand in the game.
At Amiens, the Queen-Mother fell ill, so that the Court was compelled
to halt there for a few days to give her Majesty the repose she
required. Whilst Amiens was thus honoured by the presence of three
queens at one and the same time within its walls, the Duc de Chaulnes
gave an entertainment in the Citadel. Buckingham attended this, and in
the dance that followed the banquet it was Buckingham who led out the
Queen.
Thereafter the royal party had returned to the Bishop’s Palace, where
it was lodged, and a small company went out to take the evening cool in
the Bishop’s fragrant gardens on the Somme, Buckingham ever at the
Queen’s side. Anne of Austria was attended by her Mistress of the
Household, the beautiful, witty Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse,
and by her equerry, Monsieur de Putange. Madame de Chevreuse had for
cavalier that handsome coxcomb, Lord Holland, who was one of
Buckingham’s creatures, between whom and herself a certain transient
tenderness had sprung up. M. de Putange was accompanied by Madame de
Vernet, with whom at the time he was over head and ears in love.
Elsewhere about the spacious gardens other courtiers sauntered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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