



Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Emanuela Piasentini and the
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  |Transcriber's note.                                         |
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  |The original punctuation, language and spelling have been   |
  |retained, except where noted at the end of the text.        |
  |Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.|
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  |The [oe] ligature has been rendered as oe.                  |
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  |Alternative spellings:                                      |
  |chateau: chateau                                            |
  |camerara: camarera                                          |
  |Fenelon: Fenelon                                            |
  |Ferte-Senneterre: Ferte-Senneterre                          |
  |Hotel: Hotel                                                |
  |Leganez: Leganez                                            |
  |Orleans: Orleans                                            |
  |Querouialle: Querouialle                                    |
  |Saint-Megrin: Saint-Megrin                                  |
  |Sevigne: Sevigne, Sevigne                                   |
  |Tremouille: Tremouille                                      |
  |Tarent: Tarente                                             |
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                             POLITICAL WOMEN.


                                   BY

                           SUTHERLAND MENZIES,

                   AUTHOR OF "ROYAL FAVOURITES," ETC.


                            IN TWO VOLUMES.

                                VOL. II.


                          HENRY S. KING & CO.,

             65, CORNHILL, AND 12, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.

                                 1873.




                        [_All rights reserved._]




CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.


BOOK V.--_continued._

                                                               PAGE

  CHAP.  III.--The struggle between Conde and Turenne--Noble
               conduct of Mademoiselle de Montpensier--Fall of
               the Fronde                                         3

          IV.--The Duke de Nemours slain in a duel by his
               brother-in-law Beaufort                           12

           V.--Triumph of Mazarin                                16


BOOK VI.

  CHAP.    I.--Closing scenes--Madame de Longueville             35

          II.--Madame de Chevreuse                               49

         III.--The Princess Palatine                             54

          IV.--Madame de Montbazon                               61

           V.--Mademoiselle de Montpensier                       69

          VI.--The Wife of the Great Conde                       80


PART II.

  The Duchess of Portsmouth                                      93


PART III.


BOOK I.

PRINCESS DES URSINS.

  CHAP.    I.--Two ladies of the Bedchamber during _the war of
               the Spanish Succession_--Lady Churchill and the
               Princess des Ursins--Political motives for their
               elevation in England and Spain                   127

          II.--The Princess des Ursins--The married life of
               Anne de la Tremouille--She becomes the centre of
               contemporary politics in Rome                    131

         III.--Madame des Ursins aspires to govern Spain--Her
               manoeuvres to secure the post of Camerara-Mayor  141

          IV.--The Princess assumes the functions of
               Camerara-Mayor to the young Queen of Spain--An
               unpropitious royal wedding                       148

           V.--Onerous and incongruous duties of the
               Camerara-Mayor--She renders Marie Louise popular
               with the Spaniards--The policy adopted by the
               Princess for the regeneration of Spain--Character
               of Philip and Marie Louise--Two political systems
               combated by Madame des Ursins--She effects the
               ruin of her political rivals and reigns
               absolutely in the Councils of the Crown          161

          VI.--The Princess makes a false step in her
               Statecraft--A blunder and an imbroglio           175

         VII.--The Princess quits Madrid by command of Louis
               XIV.--After a short exile, she receives
               permission to visit Versailles                   184

        VIII.--The Princess triumphs at Versailles              192


BOOK II.

  CHAP.    I.--Sarah Jennings and John Churchill                207

          II.--State of parties in action on the accession of
               Queen Anne--Harley and Bolingbroke aim at
               overthrowing the sway of the female
               "Viceroy"--Abigail Hill becomes the instrument
               of the Duchess's downfall--Squabbles between
              