tition; indeed among
the maids of honour of the Queen, whose situation threw them into
hourly scenes of revelry and dissipation, Theresa Marchmont, who was
universally acknowledged to be the loveliest of the train, excited less
than any those attentions of idle gallantry, which however, sought and
prized by her livelier companions, are offensive to true modesty. I
attributed this flattering distinction to the respect ensured by the
extreme _retenue_ and propriety of her manners, but I have had reason
since to ascribe the reserve of the courtiers to a less commendable
motive. On occasion of a masqued festival given by Her Majesty on her
birth-day at Kew, the king, in distributing the characters, allotted
to Miss Marchmont that of Diana. 'Your Majesty' said the Duchess of
Grafton, 'has judiciously assigned the part of the frigid goddess, to
the only statue of snow visible among us. _Mademoiselle se rencherit sur
son petit air de province, si glacial et si arrange_,' continued
she, turning to the Comt de Gramont. 'Madam,' said the king, bowing
respectfully to Theresa, with all that captivating grace of address for
which he was distinguished, 'if every frozen statue were as lovely and
attractive as this, I should forget to wish for their animation; and
become myself a votary of the

"'Queen and huntress, chaste and fair!'

"'Ay,' whispered the Duke of Buckingham, 'even at the perilous risk of
being termed Charles, king and Lunatic.'

"This sobriquet of Diana had passed into a proverb; and such was
Theresa's character for coldness and reserve, that I attributed to her
temper of mind, the evident indifference with which she received my
attentions. Meeting her as I did, either in public assemblies, or in
the antechamber of the Queen among the other ladies in waiting, I had
no opportunity of making myself more particularly acquainted with her
sentiments and character. When I addressed her in the evening circle,
although she readily entered into conversation on general subjects,
and displayed powers of mind of no common order, yet, if I attempted
to introduce any topic, which might lead to a discussion of our mutual
situation, she relapsed into silence. At times her countenance became so
pensive, so touchingly sorrowful, that I could not help suspecting she
nourished some secret and hidden cause of grief; and once on hinting
this opinion to the king, who frequently in our familiar intercourse
rallied me on my passion for Ther