Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/826

812 such a jealousy of her, that to keep her out of the way of temptation, he confined her in one of his country houses. The countess being thus immured knew not how to recover her liberty, but by declaring herself a Roman catholic, her husband being a Hugonot. This, however, produced nothing, except a more violent enmity. At length she proposed a dissolution of their marriage, and to induce him to agree to it, offered him 25,000 crowns. The count accepted the terms, and the parliament dissolved their marriage: upon which it was said that the countess had lost 50,000 crowns in the management of this affair; since, if she would have been patient a little longer, instead of paying 25,000 crowns to her husband, she would have received 25,000 from him; so desirous was he to get rid of her. Queen Christina, of Sweden, said upon the occasion, "That the Countess de la Suze had turned catholic, and separated from her husband, that she might never see him more, either in this world or the next."

This lady had brought herself into extreme embarrassments. One morning about eight o'clock, an officer came to seize her goods: her woman acquainting her with the affair, the officer was desired to walk up to her chamber, where she was in bed. "Sir," said she, "I have scarce had a wink of sleep all night, and must beg your patience for an hour or two." After which she fell asleep till ten o'clock, and then dressed herself in order to go and dine in town, where she had been invited. As she came out of her apartment, she said to the officer, "Sir, I thank you very heartily for your civility, and leave you master here."

Being free from all troublesome connexions, she gave herself up intirely to poetry; and excelled particularly in the elegiac way; her songs, madrigals, and odes, being reckoned