Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/498

484 After the imprisonment of the princes on the 18th of January, 1649, Madame de Longueville went to Stenay to be near M. de Turenne. It is said, this illustrious warrior, not content with directing her political enterprizes, was deeply in love with this princess; and though she rejected his vows, it is certain he always remained her firm friend. During all these agitations, her little girl died, and she sent a letter to the Carmelite nuns, written in a very pious strain, on that occasion; and perhaps the moment after, says her historian, wrote another to the king of Spain, to demand troops against the king.

After the enlargement of the princes, Madame de Longuevilie found herself in the most brilliant situation, and the object of public admiration. Yet the prince de Condé soon renewed the civil war, though he took some time to determine upon it, and severely reprehended his sister and the duke de la Rochefoucault for engaging him in an enterprize of which they would first be weary, and abandon him when he had no other resource.

Indeed, Madame de Longueville began to have many subjects of disgust with life. The king's party prevailed, and her brother, though still attached to her, began to follow her counsels less. The duke de la Rochefoucault, offended at the manner in which she had received the addresses of the duke de Nemours, had left her, as did the latter soon after; though, on his being killed by the duke of Beaufort, she bitterly regretted him.

Having had permission to go to Moulins, she passed ten months there at a monastery, with her relation the duchess de Montmorenci, who was abbess; and from that time, though only thirty-four years of age, she had no more bold projects, no more sighs for glory, no more taste