Lives of the last four princesses of the royal house of Stuart

94 MARY, PRINCESS-ROYAL. [1656.
on her arrival and the motives of her journey. "The
Princess of Orange is come to Paris to see her mother.
"What should occasion her coming in so unseasonable
weather at this time of the year, I know not, unless it be
in the hope the French king will fall in love with her."*
But as Louis's cousin, Mademoiselle de Montpensier,
who expressed the same suspicion, observes, " The times
were not auspicious for such affairs."f The day of her
oldest daughter's arrival was, at all events, a bright and
happy one for her careworn mother, Henrietta Maria,
who communicates the pleasing intelligence in the fol-
lowing brief, but lively notice of the occurrence, to
her son Charles, with whom she had been on very distant
terms.
" February 4£h.
" I leave to better pens than mine to give you the
description of the arrival of your sister, the Princess-
royal. She has been received right royally. She pleases
both high and low. She has been to-day so overwhelmed
with visits that I am half dead with fatigue, which will
serve me for excuse that I can tell you no more than that
I am,
"Sir, my Son,
" Your very affectionate Mother,
"Henriette Marie."
Her letter was sent to her son, who was then at Cologne,
accompanied by one from her factotum, Lord Jermyn,
on the same event; but he does not enter into any of
the particulars of the reception of the Princess-royal in
Paris, only observing "that it has been so universally
civil, meaning honourable, in all respects and from all
* Letter of intelligence to Cromwell. Thurloe's ' State Papers,' vol. iv.
p. 492. t ' Memoires de Montpensier.'