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

334 THE PEINCESS LOUISA MARY. [1699.
in age, she acquired the sensibility and tenderness of
womanhood. She had quick talents and ready wit. Her
state governess was the Countess of Middleton, to whom
she was much attached ; but her love for her parents and
brother, was of the most intense nature. Both in person
and disposition, there was great resemblance between her
and her mother, but she was of a much more energetic
character.
King James, in a letter to the Earl of Perth, the
governor to the Prince, his son, dated Fontainebleau,
September 28, 1699, says, "This morning I had yours
of the 26th, in which you give me a very good
account of my son. 'Tis a great satisfaction to me to
hear he behaves himself so well. I am sure it would not
be your fault should he do otherways. This is the last
letter I design to write from hence. The Queen and
I wrote, last night, both of us to our children ; the Queen
to my son, and I to my girl, and now she is writing to my
daughter." *
Here King James, who was doubtless writing in haste,
speaks of his darling Louisa in the same sentence both as
" my girl " and " my daughter." I do not remember
another of his letters in which he mentions her, although
so passionately fond of her, and with reason. Her chief
ambition, in her early years, was to please him and the
Queen, her mother.
Her great natural vivacity, was succeeded by a com-
posed and reflective manner, from her fourth year. She
was early placed under the care of Father Constable,
a very learned ecclesiastic, who united to great talents
sweet and polished manners, and a beautiful spirit. He
instructed his young royal pupil from Scripture histories,
* From the Family Archives of the late Baroness "Willonghby
d'Eresby.