This unhappy Princess bore her Disgrace very weakly. She repented, but too late, of having been so imprudent as to contravene the Orders of the King her Husband; and hoping to work upon his Good-nature, she wrote him a most submissive Letter, begging his pardon for her Disobedience, and intreating him to restore her to her Liberty. My Brother sent her an Answer, wherein he only gave her the Title of the Princess of Cattia. He told her, 'that having consider'd the Disagreement there was betwixt his Temper and her's, he resolved to be divorc'd from her, and that she would do well herself to give her Consent to it; which if she did with a good Grace, he would restore her to her Liberty and settle a Revenue on her suitable to her Rank.'
This Answer was a Thunder-stroke to my Sister-in-law; she rav'd and tore like a mad Woman. She was for a long while like one out of her Senses, but recovering them at length by the help of her Women, and consulting with those that had the greatest share of her Confidence, she sent the King
word that he was Master, and might make use of his Authority, but that she would never consent to the Divorce.
My Brother who had fix'd his Resolution, and saw no other way to get possession of Gertrude than by marrying that Girl who had presum'd to set so high a Price upon her Favours, took off the Mask, notify'd his Design to the Court, and in a few days after, the Marriage was perform'd in the manner that you know is practis'd in Germany by Princes who marry beneath themselves, which excludes the Children by such Venter from succeeding to the Father's Estate. As soon as he was marry'd, he restor'd the Queen to her Liberty, and acquainted her, 'That by the Advice and Consent of the Priests of his Kingdom whom he had caused to be assembled, he had marry'd Gertrude. That the Thing being done and past remedy, he hoped she would resolve to make her self easy. That however, he would always treat her as a Princess; that she should be welcome to continue in her Apartment at the Palace; that she should have her Guards to attend her, and that he had set apart a sufficient Fund for her Maintenance; but that he expected she would be so complaisant as to acknowledge Gertrude hereafter for the lawful Queen.'
My Sister-in-law who then saw that her Disgrace was infallible, gave her self up to Complaints and Tears, wrote to the King her Husband in the most moving Language, and implor'd the assistance of the King her Brother: But all was to no purpose; she was oblig'd to submit to her Misfortune, and to be patient under an Affliction which she had partly brought upon her self by her Folly.
While all this pass'd, my Brother was at one of his Seats not far[152] from his Capital, where he caus'd
Gertrude to be treated as a Queen, and not long after carried her to Montpayen where the sight of her Royalty was a fresh Mortification to the Queen my Sister-in-law. However, the unfortunate Princess not yet despairing of the means of reclaiming her Husband, was resolv'd to make the last Attempt to turn that Prince's Heart. She dress'd herself in the most gay and rich Apparel that she could get, and taking her Children along with her, went to meet the King her Husband in the Room next to the Hall where he was at Table with Gertrude, and thro' which he must necessarily return. When he appear'd, she threw herself with her Children at his Feet, clasp'd his Knees, conjur'd him with Tears in her Eyes to look with Pity on an unhappy Princess whom he had formerly thought fit to make his Wife, and to consider that the Affront he put upon her by divorcing her, would be a Reproach to those very Children of whom he had been so fond. My Brother seem'd to be melted at so moving a Spectacle, look'd for some Moments on his Wife and Children with Tears in his Eyes, and he was just ready to raise her from the Ground, when Gertrude who was at his Heels, fearing what might be the Consequence of the Confusion that she saw him in, talk'd earnestly to him in the Tuscan Language, saying, Remember, my Lord, what you promis'd me. These few Words wrought so much on the unsteady Mind of my Brother that he only lifted up his Hands to Heaven and went on, shewing by the Trouble he was under, how little he was Master of his Reason upon this Occasion. The Queen my Sister-in-law remain'd for a while speechless, but Fury and Despair quickly seiz'd her Soul. She rose up and ran into her Closet, where snatching up a Dagger[153] she came back again with an Intention
to stick it into her Rival's Heart. But the Rage she was in having so confounded her that she had not a Thought of concealing that Instrument of her Revenge, it was perceiv'd by one of the chief Courtiers who pluck'd it from her just as she was going into the Closet where my Brother was with Gertrude. That Prince hearing a Noise so near him ran out, and demanded what was the matter. 'Tis I, (said the Queen very couragiously) 'who was coming to revenge my self and you too on the Monster which disunites us; but that Traytor there (said she, pointing to the Man that had wrested the Dagger out of her Hands) has depriv'd me of the only Opportunity that I could call a Pleasure.—Princess, (said the King to her very calmly) don't indulge your self any longer in such extravagant Passions, if you are unwilling that I should use you roughly.' Then he retir'd with Gertrude, and my Sister-in-law return'd to her Apartment in a Temper which you may easily imagine.
Clodius, who now governs the Empire, being at that time proclaim'd Emperor, this Princess made her Complaints to him, and desir'd him to reconcile Malcolm to her. But Cæsar having excus'd himself, my Sister-in-law who could no longer bear the Presence of her Rival, retir'd to the King her Brother, there to wait the End of her Misfortunes. My Brother liv'd afterwards very lovingly with his new Spouse, and had by her four Sons and as many Daughters. But Death having at last robb'd him of a Person so dear to him, the Prince was so afflicted for the Loss of her, that he spent two Years in continual Sorrow, and at length himself paid the same Tribute to Nature.