ain."[72] On that account such
was not an eligible choice for the King of Spain. It was certain,
moreover, although Madame des Ursins was unaware of it, that "she was of
a haughty disposition, and that she had been brought up at Parma with
the same thoroughly French freedom which reigned at Turin."[73] But by
her uncle, the reigning Duke of Parma, who had no children, and was no
longer of an age to have any, she was heiress to the duchies of Parma,
Plaisance, and Guastalla, and by another uncle, the aged Gaston de
Medicis, Duke of Tuscany, she had the expectation of Tuscany itself, and
the isle of Elba, a dependance of it. United to Philip V. she might
therefore some day, and perhaps shortly, bring Spain into Italy,
alongside of its ancient possessions, from which the treaty of Utrecht
had driven her. This consideration had much weight with Madame des
Ursins, to whom that treaty, as we have seen from a letter of Madame de
Maintenon, had appeared disgraceful for Spain, as well as detrimental to
herself. Doubtless there was something disquieting in the family
alliances of this princess; but it might be thought that the perspective
of an union with one of the most illustrious crowned houses of Europe,
and moreover the crown of a queen which would bind her brow, would
render her favourable to Madame des Ursins, upon whom a marriage so
brilliant depended, and which far surpassed Elizabeth's utmost
expectations. The former thought to find in the Farnese, brought up in a
modest and virtuous court, a simple-minded, timorous girl. Gratitude for
such a service appeared to Madame des Ursins a certain security for her
future tranquillity; but a skilful intriguer who had but very slightly
rendered himself agreeable to the princess--Alberoni, a native of
Parma--afterwards celebrated throughout Europe as the Cardinal Alberoni,
but then occupying a subordinate position in Spain, conceived at that
moment one of those vast plans to which his fertile genius was wont to
give birth, and which would have placed him in the foremost rank of
great men had a like success equally crowned them all. He concealed, as
already said, the real character of the Princess of Parma, who,
moreover, could not then have been known to be what she afterwards
turned out. The marriage was concluded, the new Queen set out for
Spain, and Madame des Ursins went forward to meet her at Xadraque, a
small town some few leagues from Madrid.

[72] Memoirs of St. Simon,