Next I observed a lady, no longer in her first youth, but still
wonderfully fair and graceful. She was enthroned in a large arm-
chair, and on a stool beside her sat her daughter, a girl of my own
age, the most lovely creature I had ever seen, with a profusion of
light flaxen hair, and deep blue eyes, and one moment full of grave
thought, at another of merry mischief. A young sat by, whose cast of
features reminded me of the Prince of Wales, but his nose was more
aquiline, his dark blue eyes far more intensely bright and flashing,
and whereas Prince Charles would have made fun of all the flourishes
of our poet, they seemed to inspire in this youth an ardour he could
barely restrain, and when there was something vehement about Mon epee
et ma patrie he laid his hand on his sword, and his eyes lit up, so
that he reminded me of a young eagle.
This was the Princess of Conde, who in the pride of her youthful
beauty had been the last flame of Henri IV., who had almost begun a
war on her account; this was her lovely daughter, Mademoiselle de
Bourbon, and her sons, the brave Duke of Enghien, with his deformed
brother, the Prince of Conti.
When the recital was over, there was a general outburst of applause,
in which M. de Nidemerle joined heartily. Madame de Rambouillet gave
her meed of approbation, but her daughter, Mademoiselle d' Argennes,
took exception at the use of the word chevaucher, for to ride, both
as being obsolete, and being formed from the name of a single animal,
instead of regularly derived from a Latin verb.
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