Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	life_n	see_v	5,477	5	3.2164	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50472	The memoires of the Dutchess Mazarine written in French by her own hand, and done into English by P. Porter Esq. ; together with the reasons of her coming into England ; likewise, a letter containing a true character of her person and conversation.; Mémoires. English	Mazarin, Hortense Mancini, duchesse de, 1646-1699.; Porter, P.	1676 (1676)	Wing M1538; ESTC R19039	48,247	134

Honour and Civility due to her Vertues and Quality THE LETTER I Returne you again the Memoires you were pleased to send me by a Messenger expresse fearing lest if I should send them by the Post they might run the same hazard and fall into the like Inconveniencies which at first brought them to your hands If things so curious and well worth the intercepting were to be found every time the Ministers of State should think fit to open the Pacquets I should not much pitty the Commissaries trouble in executing their Orders You had reason to believe that after the manner I had spoken to you of Madam Mazarine I should be extreamly glad to see her History It speaks her own Genious and is like her self all over I have particularly observed twenty things in this Relation that none but her self could think or express in the manner they are penn'd Since you say you never saw her I will satisfie your Curiosity by endeavouring to give you a rough Draught of her Face and Sh●pe of Body She is one of those lofty Roman Beauties no way like our Baby Visaged and Puppet-like Faces of France in whose Composition Nature alone triumphs over all those Artificies and Helps which our painted Ladies make use of to recommend themselves and their borrowed Graces to the doting World and to the silly Adulations of their Conceited Adorers The Colour of her Eyes has no name it is neither Blew nor Gray nor altogether Black but a mixture of all three which participates of all the Excellence that is found in them they have the sweetness of the Blew the Briskness of the Gray and above all the Fire of the Black and what is more wonderful you never saw more Lovely and generally more Pleasant and more apt to enflame and yet nothing more serious more severe and steddy when her Thoughts are taken up with any Grave Subject They are so lively and so quick that when she looks stedfastly vpon any one which she rarely does they think she pierces their very Souls and sees into the very bottom of their Hearts They are large well slit and decently rowling full of sprightly Life and Fire and yet with all these Beauties they have nothing of Languishing nor Passionate as if Nature maliciously had contrived them onely to give Love and Veneration and be susceptible of none Her Mouth is neither wide nor very little but the motion of her Lips are very Graceful and Charming and the strangest Mouthes and Grimasses wonderfully becomes her when she imitates those that make them Her Smiles would soften the hardest Hearts and ease the heaviest Sadness of mind They do almost quite change the Ayre of her Face which Naturally is Sublime and Grave and spreads over it a certain Tincture of Sweetness and Mildness that re-assures those Hearts which her Charms had Alarmed and inspires them with that kind of unquiet Gladness which is next of kin to a tender Inclination So much for her Mouth and Eyes which are the two chief Parts of her Face most expressive and principally important to kindle a Flame and create Love But the rest are nothing less to be admired and adored Her Nose which without doubt is Incomparably well turned and of a just Bigness gives the rest of her Countenance a Curious Noble and Lofty Ayre which is infinitly taking The Tone of her Voice is so Harmonious and agreeable that none can hear her speak without being sensibly moved The Hue or Colour of her Skin is Naturally most lively and so delicately cleer that I cannot believe any man that views it with Curiosity can justly deny it to be whiter than the Driven Snow The Colour of her Hair is shineing Black but has nothing of Harsh to see how Naturally they Curle and into what fine Buckles they twine themselves as soon as they are let loose would make us think without much help of Poetry that they swell'd with Pride and as it were took a Glory in the Honor they have to shade so lovely a Head She has the finest turned Face that ever Limner fancied or drew with Pencill The proportion of her Body though straight a d well framed is nothing comparable to what it has been in delicacy of shape before her cares made her neglect it and wear loose Garments And for all that many would fancy themselves slender enough that were no grosser than she still is This makes her appear lower than she is though in Truth she is of as becomming a height as any Woman can well be without being Ridiculous You shall see her for fifteen days together in as many several Head-dresses without being able to distinguish which of them suits with her Face the best and those Dresses which would make other Women look like Witches wonderfully become her so that no k●●d of C●iffing or Head-geere is unbecoming when she wears it the same thing is remarkable in her Cloaths and Attire you must see her lapped in a Night-Goun to Judge with more exactness of her And it is in this person alone that one truly may say that Art though never so cunningly used and skilfully layed can never equal Nature Though she loves Perfumes Essences and Aromatick Scents she never carries any about her which shews undeniably that that sweetness is natural to her which costs other Ladies so much paines and Charges I had almost forgot to speak of her Neck her Arms and Hands but let it suffice that they appear to have been made and fitted for the Face And if we may Judg by what we see of what we do not see we may certainly conclude that her Husband after having been the happiest man is now the unhappiest in the World Thus shee is made as to her Body and of the Mind you may Judg by what I am going to say Being some time since at Rome it was my chance to be speaking of her after the manner I heard her talked of at Paris that she was a fine young Lady extream handsome but guiddy inconsiderate and extravagantly Head-strong and good-natur'd even to Folly An Italian that knew her hearing me give her such a Charracter Laughed in my Face after such a manner that I was much surprised at it but would never let me know why though I had very earnestly urged him to tell me his Reason As these people dive further into mens Natures to find their true and proper Character than we do in France so this adventure gave me a great Curiosity to see her as I passed in my return from Rome by Chambery though I had never much spoken to her in Paris yet she knew me by sight and by name I was at first surprized not to perceive in her at my coming that eagerness and excessive Desire to hear News which is ordinary to those that live at a distance from Court when they see any that comes from thence She received me as unconcerned as the most indifferent Woman of the Country could do

Licensed February 22th 1675. Henry Oldenburg THE MEMOIRES OF THE DUTCHESS Mazarine Written in French by her Own Hand AND Done into English by P. Porter Esq Together with the Reasons of her Coming into England Likewise A Letter containing a True Character of her Person and Conversation The Second Impression LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by William Cademan at the Popes-Head in the New-Exchange and Middle-Exchange in the Strande 1676. THE MEMOIRES OF THE Dutchess Mazarin SInce the Obligations I owe you are of that Nature that I ought to conceal nothing from you wherein I may testifie my Acknowledgements of them I am willing to gratifie you with the true Relation of my Life being you desire it Not that I am ignorant how hard it is to speak discreetly of ones self And you know how averse I am in my Nature from explaining to the World matters wherein I am so neerly concerned yet it is very Natural to defend one's self from Calumny and to make appear to those of whom we have received considerable Services that we are not so unworthy of their Favours as the traducing World would make us appear to be Nor can I spend the time of my Solitary Retreat with more Innocence But if what I am going to acquaint you with seem to favour much of the Romance impute it rather to my Destiny than to my Inclination I know the chief Glory of a Woman ought to consist in not making her self to be publickly talked of And those that know me know like-wise that I never took much pleasure in things that make too much Noise But it is not alwayes in our choise to live our own way And there is a kind of Fatality even in those things that seem to depend upon the wisest Conduct I would not trouble you with the account of my Birth if those that envied my Vncles Glory had not endeavoured to tarnish the Lustre thereof But since their Fury spared nothing that was his It is lawful for me to let you know that I am descended from one of the most illustrious Families of Rome and that my Ancestors these three hundred years have held a Rank so eminent and considerable that I might pass my dayes happily though I had never been Heiresse to a first Minister of France The Accademy of Good Wits which began in that Country at the Nuptials of one of our Family made it appear in what esteem that House was in at that time And as a farther addition of Happiness I had the advantage to be descended from a Father that was one of the most accomplished and best qualified of our Family I was but six years old when I was brought into France and a few years after Monsieur M. rejected the Marriage of my Sister afterwards married to the Constable of Collonna and conceived such a violent Passion for me that upon a time he told Madam D Eguillon that if he could but have the happiness to be marryed to me it would not grieve him to dye three Months after The success surpassed his desire he has married me and yet God be thanked he is alive still Upon the first report of his refusing my Sister the Cardinal was much offended and would often say He had rather marry me to a Serving-man But he was not the only man I had the ill Fortune to please An Italian Eunuch Musician to the Cardinal was accused for having a Kindness for me But the truth is That it was as much for my Sisters as for me He was also jeered for being in love with the beautiful Statues that were in the Pallace M. This man's Love certainly was unlucky since those poor Statues were so cruelly punished for it as well as I though they were as little in fault It was no fault of my Sisters that I was not in love with something as well as I was beloved As she had a sincere Inclination for the King she would have been glad to see me ingaged with some such Folly But being extream young and childish I could fix to nothing All that she could obtain from me to oblige her was to shew some Complasance to those of my Age that diverted me most in our little Play-games which then took up all my time and thoughts though they were often interrupted by the Kings Presence who seldom stirred from our House though he conversed amongst us with wonderful goodness He had so much of Serious and solid not to say of Majesty in all his wayes that be could not keep himself from striking through us a most a weful Respect even beyond his intentions My Sister was no way disturbed at his Presence who ever else was And you may easily conceive that his Assiduity had Charms for those who were cause he had none for others As the things which Passion makes us do seem ridiculous to those that have never known what that passion is My Sisters exposed her very often to our Rallery One time amongst the rest we Jeered her because he seeing at a a distance a Gentleman of the House who was about the King's Stature with his back to her ran to him with open arms crying Ha my poor Sire An other thing that made us Sport about that time was a Pleasantry of the Cardinals with Madam de Bouillon which was about six years old The Court was then at Lafere One day as he made sport with her about some Gallant that he said she had at last he began to chide her for being with Child The Resentment which she shewed diverted all so that it was agreed she should be still told of it They streightened her Cloaths from time to time and they made her believe that she was growing very big This continued as long as it was thought necessary to perswade her to the likelihood of her being with Child Yet she would never believe any thing of it and denyed it with a great deal of heat untill the time of her Lying-in came she found betwixt her Sheets in the morning a Child new born You cannot imagine the Astonishment and Grief she was in at this sight Such a thing said she never happened to any but to the Virgin Mary and my self for I never felt any kind of Pain The Queen came to condole with her and offered to be God-mother many came to Gossip with her as newly brought to bed And that which at first was but a Past-time within doors came to be the publick Divertisment of all the Court They pressed her hard to tell who was the Father but all they could get from her was only That it could h none but the King or the Count of Guich because no other man hut those mo had ever kissed Her For my part being three years elder than her I was infinitely proud that I knew the truth of the matter and I could never be weary of laughing to make people take notice that I knew it You will hardly believe that at those years

with him in a Chamber to see him spue up his Waters without so much as visiting Madam the Princess who was there and to whom he had the Honour to be Related He could not presently be induced to believe that it was his Father that kept me from departing out of Britany and notwithstanding all the assurance he received of it since he maintained always that I had been better pleased to pass my time there than come and solace him in his sickness It had not been hard for me to justifie my self if he would but hear me But that he avoided still the most he could because all the blame would be found of his side in the clearing of the matter and he would never acknowledge himself in an Errour nothing afflicted me more than his aversion to be Informed or Convinced of a mistake because he rook upon him the jurisdiction of treating me continually as guilty Some time afterwards being obliged for the Kings Service to go into Brittaine he took such an obstinate Resolution to have me with him and writ such strange things upon this occasion to the Abbot de Effiat his near kinsman that I was forced to go from Paris three weeks after I was brought to Bed Few Women of my quality would have done the like but what would not one do for the enjoying of so great a good as Peace And to mend the matter he made me lodge in one of the wretchedest Villages in all that Country and in so miserable a Cottage that we were constrained to be out of dores all day He always made choise of such places because I should see no Company also far from seeing any of the people of those Villages those whose civility or business brought thither to see him were forced to lie in the Fields for want of Inns and if they displeased him never so little he sent them of Errands about several businesses which depended upon him in this Province Yet we spent six months in this pleasant place in the year 1666. Another time being alone at Bourbon having sent me into Britain he understood by his Spies that I diverted my self very pleasantly with Madam de Coaquin and that few days passed but we appointed to take the Aire either at Land or by Sea His wonted disquiet seizing him he sends for me to meet him at Nevers where as he said there were very good Comedians amongst other divertisements I began to be weary of making so many idle Journeys I writ to Monsieur Colbert to complain but being advised by him to go I was much surprised to find Monsieur Mazarine upon the Road ten Leagues from Nevers coming to Paris with my Brother who was returning out of Italy He would never give me any Reason why he dealt so strangely with me we went without any farther clearing of this doubt to confine our selves at our Cassine near Sedan whither my Brother out of Complaisance seeing me very melancholy accompanied us It was there first that Monsieur Mazarine made shew as if he were Jealous of him not knowing otherwise how to be rid of him and being unwilling to have such a Witness of his Domestick proceedings you may judge of my resentment for so base and wicked a suspicion but if all these out-rages by hearing them related seem hard to be endured the manner with which he did them was yet somthing more cruel and barbarous I will give you one scantling by which you shall judge of the rest Being one Night with the Queen I saw him coming towards me very pleasant and with a constrained and affected Smile publiquely made me this Complement Madam I have good Newes to tell you the King has just now Commanded me to go into Alsatia Monsieur De Roquelaure who was then present moved as well as the rest of the Company with this silly Affection but more frank than the rest could not refrain telling him That this was fine Newes indeed to be told with so much Joy to a woman of my Condition But Monsieur Mazarine disdaining to reply went quietly out of the Room very proud of his Gallantry The King hearing of it was moved to pitty He took the paines to tell me himself that my stay there should be onely for three months and kept his word with me as he always did If I did not apprehend to tyre your Patience I could tell you a thousand such little malitious tricks which he play'd me without any manner of necessity out of the meer pleasure he took to torment me Fancy then to your self continual oppositions to my most innocent desires and an Implacable hatred against all those I loved or loved me an undefatigable care to bring into my presence all those I hated mortally and to corrupt those of my Servants whom I most trusted to betray my Secrets if I had any a studious Application to cry me down every where and make my Actions odious to all people In fine all that the Malignity of the by-got Cabal could invent or practise in a house where it had absolute Tyranny against a simple young Woman careless and whose want of circumspection in her actions gave every day new matter to her Enemies to insult over her I boldly make use of this expression By-got Cabal because I cannot think that I erre against the most strict Rules of Christianity when I presume that those Devotes by whose directions Monsieur Mazarine doth Regulate his Actions are not truly so having promoted the Dissipation of so many Millions And this is the fatal Article that has made me lose all patience and that has been the true beginning of all my misfortunes If Monsieur Mazarine had only taken delight in overwhelming me with sadness and grief and in exposing my Health and my Life to his most unreasonable caprice and in making me pass my best days in an unparalled slavery since Heaven has been pleased to make him my Master I should have endeavoured to allay and qualifie my misfortunes by my Sighs and Tears and my complaints to my particular Friends But when I saw that by his incredible Dilapidations and profuseness my son who might have been the Richest Gentleman in France was in danger of being the poorest there was no resisting the force of Nature and motherly Love carried it over all other Considerations of Duty or the moderation I proposed to my self I saw every day vast summs go away movables of inestimable price Offices Governments and all the Rich remaines of my Unkles Fortune the Fruits of his Labours and the Rewards of his Services I saw as much sold as came to three Millions before I took any publick notice of it And I had hardly any thing left me of Value but my Jewels when Monsieur Mazarine took an occasion to seize upon them He took his opportunity to lay hold of them one Night as I came late home from the City Desiring to know the Reason of this Proceeding before I went to bed he told me