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

1706.] MERRY DAYS AT ST. GERMAINS. 345
villa. Her brother, Count Anthony Hamilton, had changed
its homely name, Moulineau, into the more euphonious
appellation of Pontalie, and there she frequently had the
honour of receiving the royal British exiles of St.
G-ermains, during the summer.
, The Princess Louisa and her brother, were perhaps
much happier in their free, natural way of life, than if
established in regal splendour at Windsor or Whitehall.
They delighted in performing mimic pilgrimages, with their
young companions, to the churches and chapels, within a
walk of the palace. On these occasions they carried a
light refection of fruit, cakes, and wine, with them, and
made their repast in some pleasanOorest bower, on their
return. Count Hamilton writes to his friend, the Duke of
Berwick, a piquant description, partly in prose and partly
in untranslatable doggrel rhyme, of one of these expeditions,
which was undertaken by the Princess Louisa, with her
ladies, attended by some of the officials of the court, and
matronized by the Duchess of Berwick, and the Countess
of Middleton, her governess.
" Towards the centre of the forest," he says, " there is a
chapel dedicated to St. Thibaut,* and this St. Thibaut
cures the ague. Now there is a worthy man at St. Germains,
named Dikesson, who has had several fits of the ague.
You know our ladies are always charitable to their
neighbours, so they all set off in company, to recommend
the invalid to Monsieur St. Thibaut. The fair Nanette
(the Duchess of Berwick), as she knew the least about him,
chose to beguile her pilgrimage by looking fors trawberries,
by the way. I will tell you the names of some of the fair
pilgrims, who went with her royal highness, to make
intercessions for the Lord Dikesson." This gentleman's
name, which the Queen does not always spell correctly,
* ' (Euvres de Count Antoine Hamilton.'