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The Princess of Cleves-Part2_Madame de La Fayette(1643-1693)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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both gave over for that time; but they were obliged the next day



to renew the subject, for this new-risen beauty long continued to

supply discourse to the whole Court; the Queen herself was lavish



in her praise, and showed her particular marks of favour; the

Queen-Dauphin made her one of her favourites, and begged her



mother to bring her often to her Court; the Princesses, the

King's daughters, made her a party in all their diversions; in



short, she had the love and admiration of the whole Court, except

that of the Duchess of Valentinois: not that this young beauty



gave her umbrage; long experience convinced her she had nothing

to fear on the part of the King, and she had to great a hatred



for the Viscount of Chartres, whom she had endeavoured to bring

into her interest by marrying him with one of her daughters, and



who had joined himself to the Queen's party, that she could not

have the least favourable thought of a person who bore his name,



and was a great object of his friendship.

The Prince of Cleves became passionately in love with



Mademoiselle de Chartres, and ardently wished to marry her, but

he was afraid the haughtiness of her mother would not stoop to



match her with one who was not the head of his family:

nevertheless his birth was illustrious, and his elder brother,



the Count d'En, had just married a lady so nearly related to the

Royal family, that this apprehension was rather the effect of his



love, than grounded on any substantial reason. He had a great

number of rivals; the most formidable among them, for his birth,



his merit, and the lustre which Royal favour cast upon his house,

was the Chevalier de Guise; this gentleman fell in love with



Mademoiselle de Chartres the first day he saw her, and he

discovered the Prince of Cleves's passion as the Prince of Cleves



discovered his. Though they were intimate friends, their having

the same pretentions gradually created a coolness between them,



and their friendship grew into an indifference, without their

being able to come to an explanation on the matter. The Prince



of Cleves's good fortune in having seen Mademoiselle de Chartres

first seemed to be a happy presage, and gave him some advantage



over his rivals, but he foresaw great obstructions on the part of

the Duke of Nevers his father: the Duke was strictly attached to



the Duchess of Valentinois, and the Viscount de Chartres was her

enemy, which was a sufficient reason to hinder the Duke from



consenting to the marriage of his son, with a niece of the

Viscount's.



Madam de Chartres, who had taken so much care to inspirevirtue

into her daughter, did not fail to continue the same care in a



place where it was so necessary, and where there were so many

dangerous examples. Ambition and gallantry were the soul of the



Court, and employed both sexes equally; there were so many

different interests and so many cabals, and the ladies had so



great a share in them, that love was always mixed with business,

and business with love: nobody was easy, or indifferent; their



business was to raise themselves, to be agreeable, to serve or

disserve; and intrigue and pleasure took up their whole time.



The care of the ladies was to recommend themselves either to the

Queen, the Dauphin-Queen, or the Queen of Navarre, or to Madame,



or the Duchess of Valentinois. Inclination, reasons of decorum,

resemblance of temper made their applications different; those



who found the bloom worn off, and who professed an austerity of

virtue, were attached to the Queen; the younger sort, who loved



pleasure and gallantry, made their Court to the Queen-Dauphin;

the Queen of Navarre too had her favourites, she was young, and



had great power with the King her husband, who was in the

interest of the Constable, and by that means increased his



authority; Madame was still very beautiful, and drew many ladies

into her party. And as for the Duchess of Valentinois, she could



command as many as she would condescend to smile upon; but very

few women were agreeable to her, and excepting some with whom she



lived in confidence and familiarity, and whose humour was

agreeable to her own, she admitted none but on days when she



gratified her vanity in having a Court in the same manner the




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