Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/396

382 him. But, as he went to Paris in 1588, and continued there good part of the year, she made him a visit, that she might know the face of her father elect, to whom she shewed no less respect and duty than she paid to her natural parent; insomuch that she prevailed with her mother to take him with them to their house at Gournay, where he was entertained with all possible civility and kindness for two or three months.

In short, she was so devoted to the belles lettres, that Montaigne foretold, in his second book of essays, that she would be capable of the first-rate productions. She passed many years very happily in friendship with him and his family; and when she received the news of his death, crossed almost the whole kingdom of France, invited by his widow and daughter to come and mingle her tears with theirs. Not satisfied with paying this filial respect to his ashes, she revised, corrected, and reprinted an edition of his essays, in 1635, to which she prefixed a preface, in which she makes use of the strongest expressions of esteem and respect for his memory.

The dedication was to cardinal Richelieu, who was her patron; and who, to enable her to set up her coach and equipage, offered to enlarge the small pension which had been granted her by the king; but she declined the favour, looking on the pension merely as a testimony of her merit, and as it was trifling, all the reflections on a dependance were cut off, which would unavoidably attend its enlargement. She was always welcome to the princesses of the blood; and in particular her society was courted by the duke de Retelois, eldest son of the duke de Nevers, who, though of a very gay and gallant temper, would leave any other lady's conversation for her's, who was very plain in her person.

Upon