Descendants of the Stuarts

or THE STUARTS. 133
Louisa met her husband at Quintinapallaj near
Burgos, where the second nuptial ceremony took
place. Whatever the king's prejudices against the
French — and they are said to have been so excessive
that he even commended the Duchess de Terra Nova
for strangling her parrot because it could only speak
French — he received his bride with affection, and
warmly embraced her. Forgetful for the moment
of etiquette, or perhaps openly setting it at defiance,
he rushed into her presence on her arrival, and
catching her in his arms before she could throw
herself at his feet, passionately exclaimed, "My
queen, my queen !"*
It is strange that amid the numerous correspon-
dence of the writers of that age so little is said of
the Princess Anne of Orleans, for both her mother
and her sister engross no small share of their
attention. Still, lacking this information, it is not
difficult to discover that Anne's was a peculiarly
attractive disposition ; and that she inherited to their
full extent those persistent charms of her lamented
mother by the fascination she exercised over those
whom she came in contact with. By her mother-in-
law she is described as one of " the most amiable
and virtuous of women ;"t and by Madame de
Maintenon as one of " the best and most indulgent
of mothers;" I strong testimony to her extreme
amiability and moral worth.
* Taylor's House of Orleans. t Duchess of Orleans.
I Correspondence of Madame de Maintenon.