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

1656.] SHE LEAVES PAKIS. 107
frequently find her dissipating gloom and clouds, and
shedding sunshine on the scene.
There are many other of her letters to Gloucester, one
written partly in English and partly in French, full of
sarcastic touches respecting various members of the court
of Queen Henrietta Maria. One of these worthies she calls
Nurns. Other parties, whose identity it would now be
difficult to make out, she speaks of as " father and mother,"
nuncle and nainte, and let us be merry and make a night
on't."* This last sentence alludes to some persons familiar, of
course, to Gloucester, but not very apparent to the reader.
Her stay in Paris, was prolonged till the autumn, for she
was reluctant to leave the mother from whom she had
been so long parted ; but the alarming intelligence that her
precious boy was dangerously ill, compelled her to depart
in all haste.
Cardinal Mazarin, did his utmost to prevail on her to
remain, inconvenient and embarrassing as her presence
in Paris must have been, after the arrival of Cromwell's
kinsman and ambassador Lockhart. It was a proof of the
cardinal's perfect diplomacy that she never encountered
that unwelcome statesman, at any of the balls or fetes.
Intelligence that the illness of the Prince, her son, was an
attack of the measles, from which he was happily recover-
ing, reached the Princess on her journey, dissipating all
her uneasiness before she arrived at Bruges. Her brother
Charles, now removed his court thither, and was preparing
great entertainments for her amusement. A company of
French comedians, much patronized by the thoughtless
Charles, had been detained by him at Bruges till she
came.f
Her object in seeking him was of more importance than
* In the possession of Charles Cottrell Dormer, Esq., Eousham,
Oxford. f Thurloe.