DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45257#0051
CHARLOTTE DE MONTMORENCY
of her mother, as we have seen, at an early age,
she was presented at the French Court by her
aunt, the Duchesse d’Angouleme, and her beauty,
as described by Bentivoglio, seems to have been of
so irresistible a charm that it made a deep impression
on the fancy of the gallant King. So great indeed
was the admiration which he displayed for the
young Charlotte de Montmorency that it became
a matter of public notoriety, and throws a curious
light upon the famous personages of that period
and their morals.
Although Charlotte had not yet attained her
fifteenth year, a marriage had been arranged for her
with the brilliant Bassompi£re, at that time a great
favourite with the King. His Majesty had given
his consent to the marriage ; but he nevertheless
one day made the following proposals to Bassom-
pi&re : “ Listen ! I wish to speak to you as a friend.
I am in love with Mademoiselle de Montmorency,
and that even madly. If you marry her and she
loves you, I should hate you ; if she loved me, she
would hate you. Now, for the sake of our mutual
friendship, it would be better that this marriage
should not take place, for I love you with real affec-
tion and inclination. I have therefore resolved to
arrange a marriage between Mademoiselle de Mont-
morency and my nephew the Prince de Conde
in order to keep her near me. She will thus
be the consolation of my old age. To my nephew,
who prefers the chase to the ladies, I shall give
100,000 francs a year and claim nothing for it in
of her mother, as we have seen, at an early age,
she was presented at the French Court by her
aunt, the Duchesse d’Angouleme, and her beauty,
as described by Bentivoglio, seems to have been of
so irresistible a charm that it made a deep impression
on the fancy of the gallant King. So great indeed
was the admiration which he displayed for the
young Charlotte de Montmorency that it became
a matter of public notoriety, and throws a curious
light upon the famous personages of that period
and their morals.
Although Charlotte had not yet attained her
fifteenth year, a marriage had been arranged for her
with the brilliant Bassompi£re, at that time a great
favourite with the King. His Majesty had given
his consent to the marriage ; but he nevertheless
one day made the following proposals to Bassom-
pi&re : “ Listen ! I wish to speak to you as a friend.
I am in love with Mademoiselle de Montmorency,
and that even madly. If you marry her and she
loves you, I should hate you ; if she loved me, she
would hate you. Now, for the sake of our mutual
friendship, it would be better that this marriage
should not take place, for I love you with real affec-
tion and inclination. I have therefore resolved to
arrange a marriage between Mademoiselle de Mont-
morency and my nephew the Prince de Conde
in order to keep her near me. She will thus
be the consolation of my old age. To my nephew,
who prefers the chase to the ladies, I shall give
100,000 francs a year and claim nothing for it in