Observations upon the government of the Kingdom of France during the reigns of Henry the Fourth, sirnamed the Great, Lewis the Thirteenth, sirnamed the Just : but more at large of Lewis the Fourteenth, sirnamed Given of God, the Great, and the Invincible.

OBSERVAT. III. Concerning the Second Marriage of Henry the Fourth.

IF Henry the Great was Unfortunate in his First Marriage, he had but very little better Fortune in his Second, except his Posterity. For the first Night he lay with his Wife Mary de Medicis, there was fix'd over his Bridal Chamber, in great Letters, these Words of the Scripture, Non erat opus Bene-valentibus Medicis; which was a Satyrical allusion to the Queens Family, who was Daughter to the Great Duke of Tuscany, of the House of Medicis. These Illustrious Lovers did not always agree very well, their particular Intrigues made 'em often Quarrel; the Queen had great Heart-burnings, to see the Kings several Mistresses; and the King could not bear

the Queens Leudness with the Marquis of Ancre an Italian, that was her Favorite. One Night, when they lay together, after some Curtain-lectures, and sharp Re∣proaches of each other, the Queen got up, and flew at his Face, and in the heighth of her Auger scratch'd him soundly; the King for his part spared her no more than she did him; so that to end this Combat, those of the Bed-Chamber then in Wait∣ing, were fain to run and call the Duke de Sully, Lord Treasurer, who had a great ascendant over the King's Temper, he hastned to the Louvre and after he had very much intreated the King, and re∣monstrated to him how scandalous it was; he obliged him, to hinder further disorder, to quit the Field, and carried him to lodge in another Chamber.