Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/597

Rh  to put herself in his power. She was much admired by the English, but often felt the pressure of severe necessity, and died at Chelsea 1699, aged 53, having passed 30 years in England, Her misfortunes, which she attributed to the ingratitude she had shewn to her uncle the cardinal, who had done so much for her family, taught her to be very indifferent to life. Her husband survived her many years; and though, during her life, he was such a great enemy to superfluous expences on her account, he employed immense sums to transport her corpse to France and to bury it there. Memoirs of Madame de Mazarin may be seen in St. Evremond's and St. Real's worlds, as well as separately. F. C, &c.

Henry was then only in his 13th year, and when he succeeded to the throne 1547, Catherine was held in contempt, not only by him, but also by all those who surrounded him; yet the pliancy of her disposition, and her profound dissimulation, at length enabled her to become the head of a party. By caressing the duchess of Valentinois (Diana of Poitiers, mistress to the king, who had the most powerful party at court], although she detested her; by perpetually flattering the pride, and asking the advice of the Constable Montmorenci, whom she considered as her greatest enemy; and by stopping at nothing which could in the smallest degree promote the objects which she had in view, she obtained considerable favours for herself and partizans; but during the reign of her husband her influence was comparatively small: his death,