Duke of Richmond and Earl of Marsh in
England, Mademoiselle de Queroualle was made Duchess of Portsmouth.
At the same time, she was drawing a considerable pension from Louis
in recognition of her services to France. The noble-minded English
gentleman Evelyn records the extravagant tastes of the duchess, whose
control over the king had become unbounded, in these words: "Following
his Majesty this morning through the gallery, I went with the few who
attended him into the Duchess of Portsmouth's dressing-room, within
her bed-chamber, where she was in her loose morning garment, her
maids combing her, newly out of her bed, his Majesty and the gallants
standing about her; but that which engaged my curiosity was the rich
and splendid furniture of this woman's apartment, now twice or thrice
pulled down and rebuilt to satisfy her prodigality and expensive
pleasures, while her Majesty's does not exceed some gentlemen's wives'
in furniture and accommodations. Here I saw the new fabric of French
tapestry, for design, tenderness of work, and incomparable imitation
of the best paintings, beyond anything I had ever beheld. Some pieces
had Versailles, St. Germaines, and other places of the French king,
with huntings, figures, and landscapes, exotic fowls, and all to the
life rarely done. Then the Japan cabinets, screens, pendule clocks,
great vases of wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture,
sconces, branches, brasures, and all of massive silver, and out of
number; besides of his Majesty's best paintings. Surfeiting of this,
I dined at Sir Stephen Fox's, and went contented home to my poor but
quiet villa. What contentment can there be in the riches and splendour
of this world, purchased with vice and dishonour!"

"There was, in truth, little of contentment within those sumptuous
walls;" a weak queen helpless under the indignities imposed upon her,
a duchess burning with passionate resentment, and light-hearted Nell
Gwynn laughing with amusement; a group of courtiers and courtesans
with little sense of honor, tossed about by conflicting emotions of
fear and jealousy, perplexity and heartaches; involved in disgraceful
intrigues and malicious conspiracies; attended by all the demons which
wait upon the mind that has sold itself to sordidness and sin;
mocked at by a troupe of perfidious spirits of pride, avarice, and
ambition--such was the company within the palace walls that opened to
receive the woman who was to be, if possible,