INTERESTING HISTORY OF
THE PRINCESS DE PONTHIEU.
Translated from the French.
Amongall the great families which flourished in France in the reign of Philipthe First, the Count de St. Paul and the Count de Ponthieu were the mostdistinguished; but especially the Count de Ponthieu, who, possessing agreat extent of dominion, maintained the title of sovereign withinconceiveable magnificence. He was a widower, and had an only daughter,whose wit and beauty, supported by the shining qualities of her father,made his court polite and sumptuous, and had attracted to it the bravestCavaliers of that age. The Count de St. Paul had no children but anephew, son of his sister, by the Sieur la Domar, who was the only heirof his title and possessions. This expectation was for the present hisonly fortune; but Heaven having formed him to please, he might be saidto be one of those whose intrinsic worth is sufficient to render themsuperior to the rest of mankind: courage, wit, and a good mien, togetherwith a high birth, made ample atonement for his want of riches. Thisyoung Cavalier having engaged the notice of the Count de Ponthieu in atournament, where he had all the honour; he conceived so great an esteemfor him, that he invited him to his court. The considerable advantageshe offered him were so much above what the Count de St. Paul’s nephewcould for the present expect, that he embraced the proposals he made himwith pleasure, and the Count thought himself happy in having prevailedon him to stay with him. Thibault, for so history calls this youngCavalier, was no sooner come to court, than the beauty of the princessinspired him with admiration, which soon ripened into love; and it wasbut in vain that reason opposed his passion, by representing how littlehe was in a condition to make any such pretensions. Love is not to becontrouled, it is not to be repelled.—But in some measure topunish his temerity, he condemned himself to an eternal silence; yet,though his tongue was mute, the princess, who had as great a share ofsensibility as beauty, soon perceived the effect of her charms writtenin his eyes, and imprinted in all his motions, and, in secret, rejoicedat the conquest she had gained. But the same reasons which obligedThibault to conceal his sentiments, prevented her from making anydiscovery of her’s, and it was only by the language of their glances,they told each other that they burned with a mutual flame.
As at that time there were great numbers of sovereign princes, therewere very often wars between them; and as the Count de Ponthieu had thegreatest extent of land, so he was the most exposed: But Thibault, byhis courage and prudence, rendered him so formidable to his neighbours,that he both enlarged his dominions and made the possession of themsecure. These important services added to that esteem the Count and