Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-07-05
AsHTABULA OHIO FRIDAY JULY 5, 1878.
Henry the Fourth.

Temple Bar tells the following curious
| olt of private history in relation to the
infatuated love of Henry the Fourth for
hls mistress: He accompanied La Ga
brIelle as far as Melun, where she was
to embark in the kings barge. Here
| they several times renewed their parting
endearments. Some secret presage of
evil seemed to be in the minds of both.
She earnestly recommended her children
to him, and her domestics at her Chateau
de Montceaux. The king, overcome
with sympathizing grief, listened with
out attempting to comfort her. Again
they took leave, and again some secret
emotion drewthem to each others arms.
henry could not leave her. The Due de
hoquelause and another of the mobiles in
attendance drew him away by force. On
Maundy Thursday, 10th of April, 1899,
after partak1ng of q most exquisitely
prepared dinner, she had fancy to at
tend the evening service at the Petit st.
Antoine, where she went with Mademoi-
selle de Gulse and the Duchesse de Retz.
During the service she was seized with
ialnHng hts. Recovering little, and
Slspectlng she had been poisoned, she
desired to be taken to Madame de Sour
dis, her aunt, In the cloister of st. Ger
name FAuxerrois. Fearful commissions
were soon followed by symptoms of ap-
preaching death. La Riviere, the kings
physician, came in all haste to see her:
but on beholdlng the distortion of her
countenance, he turned away with hor-
ror, saying: ut is the hand of God p
And thus, it would seem, this pious
quaek left her to die. La Varenee had
written to the king when first she was
seized with hts. On receiving the letter
the king mounted his horse and set off
for Paris. He was not half way there
when second messenger met him.
Much agitated, he dismounted to read
the letter now brought to him. It was
short, and at a glance he learned the IA
tai truth-his belle Gabrielle was dead!
In the madness of his grief he threw
himself on the ground, and gave way to
the violent emotions of his agony and
despair. Heroes have their weaknesses
like other men" The dauntless Henry
the Fourth, saying he would at least 0look
on her loved face once more" was about
to remeunt his horse, when he swooned
and fell powerless to the ground. The
messenger informed the cavaliers who
accompanied the King of the disfigure-
ment the commissions had occasioned TO
the beautiful face of Gabrielle. Taking
advantage, therefore, of the Kingsswoon-
ing they conveyed him back to Fontaine-
bleau,"H to spare him the further agony of |
seeing the beauty of the woman he loved |
turned to hideousness. Sully was sent
for. He found the King walking in the |
gallery, in excessive grief. Hestrove to |
comfort him, and intermingled his con-
solations with phrases from scripture |
and the praises of Gabrielle. These |
praises pleased the king. He was graft |
fed to think that SuIly now believed |
"his attachment to Gabrielle to have |
been founded on the real sympathy of |
their minds and the sincerest esteem !
that it was not a mere libertine love-"
The next day the king and the court |
appeared in mourning. Black was first
worn, afterwards violet, for a period of |
three months The funeral of Gabrielle |
was splendid; she lay in state at st. Ger
main PAuxerrois, under royal canopy.
The king and his children and the whole |
court knelt around her coffin. By her
side lay her newly-born dead child. The |
bodies were conducted with great pomp
to the Abbey of Maubuisson for burial.b