Casual readings of Pepys's and Evelyn's diaries leave one with the impression that Louise Renee de Keéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, was just one of the many women to. whom Charles LI devoted his amorous attentions, someone who yanked with Lady Castlemaine, Nell Gwynn, and the host of others, Including Catherine Croft and the pretty but vulgar Bulkely, who figured largely on the Treasury Books as in receipt of salaries ranging from thousands a year down to a paltry £50. "But of them all, despite the great appeal to the English people of the flippant Nell, who described herself to a crowd at Oxford.as the "Protestant where," none was so great or played important a part in the history' of the time that Louise, her name: for a short while anglicized into Madame Carwell, the woman who hated. England but loved Charles, who loved France but was_indifferent to its King, Louis XIV. For she was not only the king's mistress, but, the trusted emissary of France in the English Court, and brought the French policy to bear upon the internal history of Britain, a way. which is not generally Known. Fortunately a great deal: of matter concerning this brilliant and beautiful woman's history -has been preserved, and it is possible now to reconstruct not" only.a convincing picture of herself, but of the times in which she moved, and the men with whom she came in contact and influenced, That has in fact been done by John Lindsey in "Charles LI and. Madame Car-well," Andrew Melrose Ltd., London, 16/-. was necessary for the policies Louis XIV that a French woman' should be introduced into the Eng-Ush Court, and that she should capture the King's fancy, and what was more important, hold it, The choice fell on La Belle Bretonne, who before the age of 19 years had had' a violent affair with the Duc de Venddme, Frances Stewart, whose portrait Is stil-to be seen on the reverse of every British copper coin, had already been sent across the Channel, and had captured the wayward fancies of the English monarch; she managed to keep her relations' with him on d basis of! pure friendship, and had not, therefore, acquired ihe ascendancy over the ' King's mind, which Louis desired some woman faithful French interests should have. For! Louis, dreaming of a mighty European empire, was racking his brain for some scheme whereby he could force Charles to keep. th peace of Europe and, if possible, ally himself with France on the religious issue which had then arisen. "How to handle Charles? It was not difeutt, Parliament was always keeping him short of money by refusing to vote supplies, the Army was. three years in arrears for wades, and if Louis could supply him with the necessary money and provide him with a sentimental reason for friendship. with France into the bargain, there was every chance that France's foreign polley would be brought to fruition along the lines schemed by Louis. Despite the Irregularities of Louise Keroualle's behaviour, it is possible that she would have entered Louls's own serasfio. instead of being sent torose the Channel. to fight with Nell Gwynn, Indy Castlemaine and the passionate but lovely Hortense Mancini, but whatever Louis felt fon the subject of Louise, noliey came first and eventually she found herself In Tiondon, on a mission to capture Charles's affection and secure a suitable understanding with France. That was fo be the future, of Ta Belle Bretonne,.the danahier of a poverty-stricken ex-soldier, Charles was dallying with the idea of an alliance with France, not because he thought his people would approve of it, for he knew they would: not, but' because he was short of money—the Royal servants nad not been naid for five years. Hie price was £1,000,000. £800,000 to sustain the alliance, and £200,000 ta precede his conversion to Roman Catholicism, He was to connive at Louis's accession to the Spanish throne, when the existing incumbent had died, receiving in exchange the South American colonies, Minorca and Ostend. It was after some such arrangement had been signed that Louise arrived in Oni land, landing at Dover with a suite of young ladies whose enormous hats caused the English to laugh at them. She was appointed a maid of honour to the Queen, and it was not long before it became: apparent that she was capturing Charles's} fancy. Lady Castlemaine grew frightened for her position and begged the-king for preferment; even the Queen asked that she. should be given some station which would take her away from the palace, and she was ultimately made Duchess of Cleveland.
Meantime the affair with Louise progressed, until it reached a stage Where it was desirable that the King should acknowledge his new mistress, Hence the mock marriage which Evelyn mentions. Louise had reached her destination, Castle~ maine had lost, but Nell' Gwynn always managed to control the King's Adelity, so far as it was! controllable, Charles was all the time having trouble with: his Parlia~ ment, They sought to force him to withdraw his Declaration of Indulgence, by again refusing to vote supplies until he did. Parliament won and the Test Act was passed. and "foreed upon an' unwilling monarch, Somewhat of a reverse for Louise and her French King, but not, suMicient to disenthrone her, for she bore Charles a son, and having received from Louis per mission to" become a naturalized British subject, she was created Baroness Petersfield, Countess of Farnham, Duchess of Pendennis, which was afterwards changed to Portsmouth. Her son became Duke} of Lennox in Scotland and Richmond in England with' the right} to bear the Royal arms on his shield.
She had reached the height of] her career and of her power. Never] very popular, outside her own particular circle she was viewed with loathing as one who was betraying their country, and her's too after her naturalization, with her kisses, She was witty, beautiful and fabulously wealthy. She worked day and night in the service of the French Minister, work which was nade all the more difficult because she really did love Charles. It Is remarkable that when the fact came out that the English had been sold out to Louis, and the people} raged against it ominously, Louise managed to maintain her influence] at Court. And Charles was again short of money. Louis was told through Louise that if Charles was} to continue to fight his Parliament} more money would have to- be forthcoming, and though at first France was unsympathetic to the! Merry Monarch's impecuniosity, the: time came when the money he then wanted, and more was actually offered.
It was about this time that Loutse was made uncomfortable as to her position, Duchess Hortense Mancini had arrived in England, dressed as: man, and accompanied by an' entrancing black page. She had been drifting round the Courts of Europe in an endeavour to find. game place to settle, and England seemed to be the Mast hope. Tt proved profitable, for her beauty completely captivated Charles, and for the first time in her fifteen years association with him, an association ended only by his' death, Louise was under a cloud. But she did not give up without a struggle: eventually Hortense, despite her: beauty, commenced ' to pall, and, Louise, who her contemporaries. admitted had a way with her, regained the ascendant. And this has always to be remembered: through out the twenty-five years of his reign, Charles was always short of money. and added to Louise's personal charm was the fact. that through her and the French Minister, Louis could always be persuaded to find 'a few more subsidies. Thus he pai Charles £150,000 on condition that Parliament which had been dissolved should not meet again until the following April,. and when Charles tricked the French Minister out of another £50.000-it is possible that Loutse's love for him, for-once
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.