tiful viragos
in that civil war of words which was raging; one of whom, Madame St.
George, was in high favour, and most intolerably hated by the English.
Yet such was English gallantry, that the king presented this lady on her
dismission with several thousand pounds and jewels. There was something
inconceivably ludicrous in the notions of the English, of a bishop
hardly of age, and the gravity of whose character was probably tarnished
by French gesture and vivacity. This French establishment was daily
growing in expense and number; a manuscript letter of the times states
that it cost the king L240 a day, and had increased from threescore
persons to four hundred and forty, besides children!

It was one evening that the king suddenly appeared, and, summoning the
French household, commanded them to take their instant departure--the
carriages were prepared for their removal. In doing this, Charles had to
resist the warmest entreaties, and even the vehement anger of the queen,
who is said in her rage to have broken several panes of the window of
the apartment to which the king dragged her, and confined her from
them.[214]

The scene which took place among the French people, at the sudden
announcement of the king's determination, was remarkably indecorous.
They instantly flew to take possession of all the queen's wardrobe and
jewels; they did not leave her, it appears, a change of linen, since it
was with difficulty she procured one as a favour, according to some
manuscript letters of the times. One of their extraordinary expedients
was that of inventing bills, for which they pretended they had engaged
themselves on account of the queen, to the amount of L10,000, which the
queen at first owned to, but afterwards acknowledged the debts were
fictitious ones. Among these items was one of L400 for necessaries for
her majesty; an apothecary's bill for drugs of L800; and another of
L150 for "the bishop's unholy water," as the writer expresses it. The
young French bishop attempted by all sorts of delays to avoid this
ignominious expulsion; till the king was forced to send his yeomen of
the guards to turn them out from Somerset-house, where the juvenile
French bishop, at once protesting against it, and mounting the steps of
the coach, took his departure "head and shoulders."[215] It appears that
to pay the debts and the pensions, besides sending the French troops
free home, cost L50,000.

In a long procession of nearly forty coach