The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17

sven the most recent and best informed French
historian Of tho period does not credit its
having taken place. The correspondence,
however, Of Mendoza, the Spanish AM
bassador, which has passed through the hands
of the author of this book, leaves him little
doubt upon the subject. hlencon's third visit
took place In November. 1881. aud this time he
remained about three months. Tho Queen was
full OF smiles and Establishments for her young
lover. and again took to calling him her little
frog, her little Moor. her little italian. On Mo-
vember - she did not hesitate to tell the French
Ambassador; you may write this To tho King.
that the Duke OF Alcncon shall be my husband"
and at the same moment she turned to Alencon
and kissed him on tho mouth, drawing n ring
from her own hand and giving IL to him n .
pledge. Alcncon gave her n ring of his In re-
turn and, shortly nftcrward the Queen
summoned the ladies and gentlemen from
tho presence chamber to the gallery, r-
pcating to them in II loud voice, In
Alcncon's presence. what she had previously
raid. All OF her Council except Sussex were
furious Mt her decision. and leicester. by tho
right of his greater intimacy. was blunt In his
rcproaches. lie asked her point blank whether
She was a maid or II married woman. to which
she replied that she was II maid. rs the condi-
lions upon which she had given the marriage
pledge would never be ~fulnilcd. As n matter Of
fact. Alencon eventually would have submitted
to any cond itions. but the Queen changed her
mind. and, making n prcteXt OF the opposition
offered by Parliament, persisted in withdraw
ing her promise. In n painful interview she
told him that It was not her fault: would he
not accept her as a dear friend and
sister instead OF as n wife? No, no
replied; he had suffered. risked. and
lost too much to give up the quest now. lie
would rather die than leave England unmarried
to her. Did he. the Queen asked, mean to
threaten n poor old woman In her own countryf
Was this the only result Of all his boosted love
for her? At this. the poor, ovcrwrouRht, sorcly
besct lad melted. burst into tears, and swore he
would rather he torn into a thousand bits than
lose the hope OF marrying her. and thus become
the laughing stock OF the whole world. In this
mood the Queen could deal with him; she
mingled her tears with his, wiped his wet
cheeks with her own handkerchief, and CON
soled him with words more tender even than
the occasion demanded" In the end she got
rid Of the young prince, who went off TO Flan-
dcrs, carrying with him one of the Queens
carriers. This had been in his possession nearly
a year. 1t had been sent to him by
his confidential agent, Marchaumont, who OBJ
talned 1t in this way: He had accompanied the
Queen upon her VISIT to brakes ship. the Peli-
can. Mt Deptford in April. 1881. When Eliza
beth was crossing tho ganGway one OF her pur-
pie and gold carriers slipped down and trailed
behind her, whereupon Ma~rchaumont, who was
following. seized 1t as a lawful prize to send to
his master. The Queen besought him to return
1t TO her, as she had nothing else to prevent her
stocking from slipping down; but the gallant
Frenchman refused to surrender it until she
promised to restore it to him as soon as she re-
turned to Westminster. She made no ado about
putting the garter on before him. and the next
day an emissary was started Off to the lovelorn
frog" bearing with him a letter of highiiown
affection from the Queen and the precious gar
ter from Marchaumont.
1t Is well known that Alencon died in 1884
while engaged in preparations for an expedition
to Flanders. He was the last of Elizabeth's suit
ors. She was now more than so years of age, and
there were no princes left in Europe. marriage
with whom would have given her any advan-
tage. From the far off Ivan the Terrible, who
had been dismissed with a gibe. to the youngest
of the Nalois, with whom she had played for
years, every manageable prince in Christen-
dom had. in his turn. been suggested as a sutton
for Elizabeth's hand. With her henceforth
there was to be no longer a question of mar
riage. but many gallant gentlemen, Raleigh,
Essex. Blount. Harrington. and others were to
keep up the comedy of lovemaking and bow
their handsome heads before the perennial
beauty which had become an article of the ma
tional faith. NJ. w. II.