For MAY, 1819. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. Number One Hundred and Twenty-three. BEAUTIES OF THE COURT OF CHARLES II. LOUISA DUCHESS OF PORTSMOUTH. MADEMOISELLE DE QUEROUAILLES, the subject of this sketch, was a young lady of the most exquisite beauty and accomplishments; but with a disposition to intrigue, both in politics and love, which has scarcely ever been equalled, and never excelled. At a very early age she was appointed maid of honour to Henrietta Duchess of Orleans, the favourite sister of Charles II. Mademoiselle de Querouailles being of a very noble family, her extreme youth was overlooked in the appointment, and she became the cherished darling, more than the attendant of the lovely Henrietta of England. From a long residence in France, aided by her French mother, the Duchess of Orleans was possessed of all that spirit of intrigue which seemed almost requisite to the existence of Frenchwomen at that period. Louis XIV. well knew the amorous disposition of the English monarch, and how easily he might be drawn aside even from the duty he owed to his people, by the blandishments of female beauty, aided by every powerful charm of wit, sprightliness, and the most brilliant feminine accomplishments. By his assiduous gallantries about the Duchess of Orleans, Louis prevailed on her to meet her brother Charles at Dover, where she was to pro. pose an alliance in order to effect the con quest of Holland; and to wind up the intrigue to a more successful point, the dangerous Louisa was to accompany her illustrious mistress. Charles, however, was so fascinated by the visible improvement both in person and manners of his beloved sister, that he took but little notice of her who was sent to entrap him, and to whom he afterwards became completely enslaved. On the first opening of the design, the King certainly felt alarmed for his people; for it must send much wealth, trade, and men over to Holland, which, by such accession, would grow stronger as he grew weaker. Madame Orleans, however, succeeded in having her scheme settled, and returned to France triumphant in having gained so much in favour of the French monarch. The Duke of Buckingham, whose history is so much connected with that of his royal master, took it in his head to fall upon a scheme whereby he could not only gratify his own desire of severely injuring the Duchess of Cleveland, against whom his Grace had taken a most inveterate hatred, but also considerably aid the continental cause, by giving the King of England a French mistress; assuring, at the same time, the King of France that it would be the only means of keeping the English monarch true to his interests. Inconstant, however, in all his dealings, thoughtless and inconsistent, he sent Louisa de Querouailles along with part of his baggage to Dieppe, saying he would shortly follow; but he entirely forgot her, and went to England by the way of Calais. Montague, then Ambassador at Paris, hearing of || this, sent a yacht for her, and several of his own servants to attend upon her, taking upon himself all her expences till she arrived in this triumphal manner at Whitehall; where she was placed under the care of Lord Arlington, the Duke of Buckingham having lost all the credit of procuring this new mistress. mouth by her infatuated lover, was more or less engaged. The principles of the Duke of York, the King's brother, were too well known as to their religious bigotry; and debates ran high in parliament to exclude him from the succession; which exclusion had a great majority in the House of Commons. The Duchess of Portsmouth's interest was now eagerly sought, and she openly declared for the House of Commons: this made them so careful of her, that if any one moved for an address to his Majesty to send away this expensive mistress, he could Though the King was then in his prime, not be heard, though previously such a and possessed of all those winning ways motion would have been certainly carried: which generally gain the hearts of females, and this shews how alive Louisa de Quean adept also in that tone of superficial || rouailles ever was only to her own interests; conversation, and well turned compliment, a French woman and a Catholic supporting that never fail to please, yet Louisa, though a Protestant succession! Her behaviour anxious to be acknowledged his mistress, in this instance was as unlooked for as it was actuated less by her love for the mo- was unaccountable; and the Duke's behanarch's person than the desire of aiding the viour to her afterwards appeared more like interests of her own country; and apt, in an acknowledgement than resentment: but sinuating, and artful by nature, having she was the life of every plot, and could been thoroughly instructed by the court intrigue against the monarch she affected from whence she came, she had no sooner so ardently to love. It was proposed to landed on English ground than she formed her that if she could persuade the King to her plans entirely to subdue the heart of sign the exclusion of his brother, and if she her royal lover, mould him to her will, and could bring about some other popular meaforward all the views of Louis XIV.; and sures, the parliament would next propose this she did so effectually, that all business a bill to secure the person of the sovereign; in the English court was carried on with in which a clause might be carried that he a kind of servility to that of France. might name his successor, and which would very much raise the King's authority. The Duchess of Portsmouth found herself at this time absolute mistress over the King's spirit, and she fancied, if such an act was carried, she could prevail on the King to nominate the son she had by him as his successor: in order to strengthen that in Yet never did the insinuating Louisa in the least degree appear to govern her royal protector; her sole study was to please him and to prevent his wishes, as she observed, and carefully studied his character; so that the King's fondness for her soon became unbounded: he supported her at a vast expence, and on the slightest indis-terest, she sought to treat for a match for position, which, it is said, she often feigned, he could deny her nothing that womanish caprice or court intrigue might prompt her to ask; while she ever stood firm to the French interest, and became its chief support: this threw the misguided Charles into great dangers and difficulties, and exposed him to the contempt and distrust of his people. this child with the French King's natural daughter, afterwards Duchess of Bourbon. The Duke of Monmouth joined with the Duchess of Portsmouth in being hearty for the exclusion; while the Duke expected to be nominated the successor of his father, this female Machiaval and himself mutually imagined that they were making tools of each other; and the Duke of York became It is impossible for us, in our bounded reconciled to the Duchess of Portsmouth, limits, to enumerate the various plots and because the King, his brother, assured him intrigues carried on at this period, in which she did all by his order, that she might Louisa, now created Duchess of Ports-"gain credit with the party and see into their designs; the Duke found it requisite, ary, 1685, being Sunday, he called at the to his own future interests to believe this, Duchess of Portsmouth's in the evening, or, at least, to seem to believe it. Towards the latter part of the life of Charles II. a scheme was laid at the Duchess of Portsmouth's, that would, in all probability, have for ever divided the King and the Duke of York. Barillon and the Lords Sunderland and Godolphin were the chief managers. The Duke of Monmouth came secretly to England, and though he did not see his Majesty, he went back to Scotland highly satisfied with his journey. Whatever this design was, Mr. May, the keeper of the privy purse, told Bishop Burnet that he was highly pleased with it; for when the scheme was ripe he should be called in to manage the King's temper. The commencement of this plot consisted in getting the Duke of York to be sent to Scotland; for it was always thought that if the brothers separated they would never see each other again. The King once told the Duke he must go to Scotland, on which the Duke replied there was no occasion at present; and his Majesty, with some degree of anger said, then he would himself go thither. || Though Charles looked better than he had done for many years, he was remarked to be unusually, pensive: his fondness for the Duchess of Portsmouth so increased that he forgot, in the public manner in which he caressed her, all regard to decency, decorum, and morality. The Grand Prior of France, the Duke de Vendome's brother, had made some applications to this cherished mistress which highly offended his Britannic Majesty: indeed it is attested by authentic historians, that the King, entering the apartment of his favourite somewhat suddenly, found the Grand Prior taking those freedoms to which alone he had a right; certain it was that the Prior was ordered to quit England at a moment's notice. Yet after all, the King caressed his Louisa in public, and made a public display and boast of his regard and unbounded affection for her. During the winter his health and good looks continued to improve; he seemed, however, by the state of his legs, which prevented him from taking his favourite exercise of walking very fast, as if the gout was commencing. On the first of Febru" and asked for a porringer of spoon-meat; but finding it too strong for his stomach, he ate but little of it. Dr. King being called in, ordered his Majesty to be let blood, as, soon after taking the porridge, the King had fallen into a fit. The King's physicians, as soon as they could be called together, highly approved of what Dr. King had done, and the privy council ordered him a thousand pounds, which, however, was never paid. After Charles was put to bed, being found to be at the last extremity, he made signs for the Duchess of Portsmouth to seat herself in the bed with him: which she did, and sat there attending him with all the assiduity and tenderness of a fond and affectionate wife. Her son, the Duke of Richmond, was now brought in to receive the last blessing of his royal father: this gave great offence to the standers by, who, with one voice, exclaimed, that the King was their com mon father! they were shocked at finding that knowing himself about to appear before the King of Kings, he made no mention whatever of his virtuous and muchinjured Queen, but that his anxiety was solely manifested about his mistresses, as he commended them to the care of his brother and successor, particularly her who was seated with him in his dying couch. Charles, however, blessed those who knelt down with the Duke of Richmond very affectionately, styling them all his children. Many reports were spread after the King's death not much to the advantage of the Duchess; several not scrupling to affirm that her servants had given him poisoned snuff; for the small veins of the head were all burst, and the brain in such disorder that no real judgment could be made concerning it; but his dying so critically, as it were, in the very minute that he seemed to begin a turn of affairs, might well engender the opinion that some among the numerous French papists belonging to the suite of the Duchess of Portsmouth might have some share in his death. After the King's demise, the Duchess retired to her native country, having well fulfilled the mission she was first sent on from France. In the year 1699 she paid a visit to England, at the house of Mr. Henly, || interested, and who, seeing what was to of Hampshire; to whom she always ex- follow, took that wicked means to prevent pressed her opinion that King Charles had it. These are exactly the words which the been poisoned. She said she was conti- Duchess of Portsmouth uttered to the nually pressing the King to make both worthy Mr. Henly; and it is a circumhimself and his people easy, and to come stance of too much importance to be omitto a full agreement with his parliament; ted in the page of history, as Bishop Burand that he was come to a final resolution net justly observes: it discovers the knavery of sending away his brother, and calling a of confessors, where their own purposes parliament; which was to have been exe- and the interests of their fellow papists are cuted the very next day after that in which concerned. he fell down in the fit of which he died. The Duchess of Portsmouth retained her She had never mentioued this secret, she beauty till she was seventy years of age: told Mr. Henly, to any one but her con- she survived her infatuated royal lover fessor, who, she believed firmly, had di-many years; and died at the age of eightyvulged her confession to some one deeply || nine, in November, 1734. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC. PROGRESSIVE STATE OF MUSIC IN ITALY. very successfully cultivated in the pontifical chapel by very eminent composers, yet dramatic music offered nothing that can at all interest the present taste. In 1696, a new theatre was opened at the Alberti palace. The inhabitants of Venice certainly cultivated and encouraged the musical drama with much more zeal than any of the other states in Italy; notwithstanding which, the first regular opera performed at Venice after the invention of recitative, was in the year 1637; this was Andromeda, set to music by Francesco Manelli, of Tivoli, and written by Benedetto Ferrari, a celebrated player on the lute, who was not only a good IN 1616, the drama of Euridice, written by Riunucini, was performed in Bologna, and || though operas continued to be performed every year in Bologna during the seventeenth century, yet they were chiefly composed by Venetian masters till the year 1674, when Petronio Franceschelli set the prologue to the opera of Caligula; and afterwards to several others. There was no public theatre in that city till 1680, when four operas are said to have been performed there. At Rome, during the former part of the seventeenth century, there was no regular theatre, nor was any secular musical drama performed there till 1632. Several musical dramas were, how-poet but a real musician: he brought out ever, performed at the palaces of the nobility and of the ambassadors between the years 1632 and 1661. The first public theatre opened for musical entertainments was Il Torre di Nona. This theatre was still subsisting in the year 1789. After Queen Christina abdicated the throne of Sweden, she retired to Rome for the remainder of her days; and in 1681, the opera of Lesimaco, set by Legrenzi, was performed in her palace; the next year four different operas were represented in the city of Rome. this opera in a most splendid manner, at his own expence, in the theatre of S. Cassiano. In 1639 there were four operas performed at Venice; and from 1641 to 1649, there were upwards of thirty performed in the different theatres of Venice. It has been extremely difficult to find any manuscript music of that period; a scene, however, of the celebrated opera of Orontea, composed in 1649, was found in Salvator Rosa's music book, in that painter's own writing. Since 1671 songs have been so much Though counterpoint at this period was composed to set off the peculiar talents of |