Descendants of the Stuarts

186 THE DESCENDANTS
on their way at Villars-Cotterets, where they were
visited by the king.
Elizabeth's public introduction at the Prench
court which next followed, a formidable afiPair at
the best of times, was doubly so to the poor
German Princess, who could with difficulty com-
prehend its language. Nothing in fact could be
more unenviable than her situation, for excepting
the king who stood her friend she had no ex-
traneous support to rely upon, as Monsieur, far from
assisting, rather impeded and insulted her forlorn
position. As we cannot hope to rival her graphic
description of the difficulties she encountered, we
quote her account of her reception, with the trou-
bles she surmounted on that occasion. Happily
hers was not a disposition to quail under per-
plexities !
" When I arrived at St. Germain," she says, " I
felt as if I had fallen from the clouds. The Princess
Palatine" (her aunt) " went to Paris, and there fixed
me. I put as good a face upon the affair as was
possible ; I saw very well that I did not please my
husband, and indeed that could not be wondered at,
considering my ugliness ; however, I resolved to con-
duct myself in such a manner towards him that he
should become accustomed to my attentions, and
eventually enabled to endure me. Immediately on
my arrival, the king came to see me at the Chateau
Nerf, where Monsieur and I lived ; he brought with
him the Dauphin, who was then a child about ten