de Comines' Memoirs from
Althorpe, knowing his liking for solid reading. And he is given Pibrac's
Quatrains in French to learn by heart. He is already corresponding in
Latin with the Doge of Venice, the Landgrave of Hesse, the Duke of
Brunswick, the Prince of Poland, and his grandfather, the King of
Denmark. Then a year or so later we come upon a charming series of
French letters between the prince and Henri Quatre, the famous King of
France, who had a strong affection for the clever, high-minded boy, and
foresaw how important his influence would be in Europe should he live.
Prince Henry and the little Dauphin of France, afterward Louis the
Thirteenth, were also warm friends, although they never met. When
Monsieur de la Boderie came over to England as ambassador from France,
he was charged with special messages to Prince Henry from Henri Quatre
and the Dauphin. The latter begged the ambassador to tell the prince

that he cherished his friendship and often spoke of him and
of the pack of little dogs which his Highness had sent him,
and which he was very sorry that his Governess and Physician
would not permit him to make use of.[67]

Poor little Dauphin! To have a pack of little dogs, and not be allowed
to use them, must indeed have been hard. But he was not quite six years
old then, so that perhaps he was a little young for field sports.

Prince Henry and his sister were both devoted to horses, and were bold
and accomplished riders. When the Prince was hardly ten years old he
wished "to mount a horse of prodigious mettle," and refusing the help of
his attendants, who were greatly alarmed and tried to dissuade him from
the attempt,

he got up himself from the side of a bank, and spurred the
animal to a full gallop, in spite of the remonstrance of
those who stood by; and at last having thoroughly exercised
the horse, brought him in a gentle pace back, and
dismounting, said to them, "How long shall I continue to be
a child in your opinion?"[68]

King Henri Quatre sent over a French riding-master to the boy, a
Monsieur St. Anthoine, for in those days France excelled in the
"_manege_"--the elaborate art of horsemanship--which was a part of every
fine gentleman's education. When the French ambassador came over to
England he went to the Riding School to see how Prince Henry was
profited by his French teaching, and wrote to the French Secretary of
State:

The Dauphin may make