by Charlotte of Hesse, and the last of the illustrious Branch of the Palatine Family. The Court I constantly pay'd to this Princess, to whom I was moreover well recommended by the Electoress of Hanover Mother to the King of England, enables me to tell you some Particulars which will give you a just Notion of her.
This Princess was very affable, yet not very forward to grant her Protection. She talk'd a great deal, and talk'd well. She lov'd especially to speak in her Mother-Tongue, which she had not forgot tho' she had been fifty Years in France, for which reason she was overjoy'd to see her Countrymen, and to correspond with them by Letters. She was very punctual in writing to the Electoress of Hanover, and to several other Personages in Germany; and the Letters she commonly wrote were not little Billets, but took up twenty or thirty Sheets of Paper. Of these I had a sight of several that would have been worth publishing, and have not seen any thing better writ in the German Tongue. In short, this Princess did nothing but write from Morning till Night. Immediately after she rose, which was always about ten o'clock, she sate down at her Toilet. From thence she went into her Closet, where after having spent some time in Prayer, she took Pen and Ink and wrote till she went to Mass. After this was ended, she wrote again till Dinner-time, which did not last long, and then she fell to writing again till ten o'clock at Night. About nine o'clock when she received Company in her Closet she was found sitting at a great Table spread with Papers, and there was an Ombre Table just by it, at which the Marshal de Cleremhault's Lady and the other Ladies of the Princess's Houshold used to play. Every
now and then the Princess cast an Eye upon the Game, and would give her Advice and write at the same time. At other times she convers'd with those who paid their Court to her. I once saw this Princess napping, and the Moment after start out of her Sleep and write on. This, Madame, was the common Life of the Princess when she was at Versailles. Sometimes however she went out a hunting with the King, dress'd like an Amazon, and sometimes to the Opera. For this Princess was very fond of Plays, so that after the Death of Lewis XIV. when the Court came to settle at Paris she often made the French and Italian Comedians perform at the Theatre of the Royal Palace.
As to Rank, never did any Princess support it better than this. As she was punctual to the last degree in requiring the Honors due to her, so she return'd to every one the Honors that belong'd to them. I heard her once talk very sharply upon this head to the Duchess of Berry; and indeed none but she durst have talk'd to that Princess in such a Stile. It happen'd in Lewis XVth's Minority that the Duchess of Berry came to her one Evening in a Scarf. After she had been there about half an Hour she ask'd Madame de Mouchy what o'clock it was; whereupon the Princess ask'd the Duchess of Berry what she said to Madame de Mouchy. The Duchess made her Answer, that she was going to the Tuilleries, and therefore she ask'd what time of Night it was. How! to the Tuilleries, said Madame; What are you going to take an Airing by the Light of Flambeaus? For, indeed, it was just Night. No, Madame, said the Duchess of Berry, I am going to the King. To the King! reply'd Madame; Pray excuse me for expressing my Surprize!
What, go to the King, Madame, in that Dress! I thought you knew your Duty to him better: I beseech you, Madame, do no such thing. Render to the King the Respect that you owe him, and then you will have a Right to challenge what is your due from every body else.
The Duchess of Berry, who was not pleas'd at this Reprimand, was going to reply, but Madame interrupted her, and said, No, Madame, nothing can excuse you: Surely you may think fit to dress your self as seldom as you go to the King, since I that am your Grandmother dress my self every day. Speak the Truth, and say 'tis meer Laziness that hinders you from putting on your Clothes, which is a Fault that becomes neither your Age nor your Rank. A Princess ought to be dress'd like a Princess, and a Chambermaid like a Chambermaid. The Duchess of Berry being not us'd to such Lectures, was extremely mortify'd at being so check'd, and upon this occasion she did what she us'd to do when any thing was ever said that offended her, and when Decency did not permit her to make a haughty Reply; that is, she arose, made a low Curt'sy, and went away. Madame fell to writing again, but talk'd still of the same Subject, and not without some Warmth. She said, looking about to all the Company, Was I in the wrong, pray, to talk as I did to the Duchess of Berry? What say you to it? You will easily suppose, Madame, that nobody open'd their Lips, but while she was running on still in the same strain, to the great Confusion of every Soul in her Closet, the Princess of Conti came in, which gave a Turn to the Conversation.
After Lewis XIVth's Death, Madame follow'd the Court to Paris, where she resided in the Winter, but commonly spent the fine Season
at St. Cloud. From thence she came very often to the King's Apartment, us'd to be at the Theatre, and return in the Evening to St. Cloud. She had then with her Mademoiselle, now the Abbess of Chelles, and Mademoiselle de Valois, now the Princess of Modena. The other Princesses, her Grandaughters, liv'd at Paris with the Duchess of Orleans their Mother. This Princess, tho' the Mother of the Duchess of Berry, had not the Precedency of her, and when she was at her Daughter's House she had only a Folding-Chair allowed her, whereas the Duchess sate in an Arm-Chair. The Duchess of Orleans was the last of the Royal Family.
The first of the Princesses of the Blood was the Princess-Dowager of Condé, Anne of Bavaria Countess-Palatine, Daughter of Edward Prince-Palatine of the Rhine. She was call'd only, Madame the Princess. She commonly resided at Paris, where she liv'd a very exemplary Life for her Piety and great Charity. She died the 23d of February, 1723, at seventy-five Years of Age.
This Princess was Mother to the Duke of Bourbon (that died in 1710) whose Wife Louisa-Francese of Bourbon, the legitimated Daughter of Lewis XIV. was, I can assure you, Madame, one of the most beautiful Princesses of the Court; and tho' already the Mother of eight Children, it was much more natural to take her for their Sister. With so much Beauty, she had also Charms still more preferable; and all these external Qualities were supported by a majestic Air, and a Deportment which gain'd this illustrious Princess Respect at the same time that her affable and obliging Behavior procured her Love. She had moreover a lively sparkling Wit, always sure