, neice of the learned Saumaise (Salmasius), was one of the ladies of
, neice of the learned Saumaise (Salmasius), was one
of the ladies of honour to queen Anne of Austria. She
was distinguished at that court by her beauty and her wit;
both of which she preserved to an advanced age, and died
at Paris, April 13, 1693, at the age of 74. She wrote a
collection of letters and verses, 1688, 12mo, in which we
meet with many ingenious thoughts; her verses almost
entirely turn on a metaphysical love, which employed her
mind more than her heart. But there are several pieces
that are not of this description. In one of them she gives
the following portrait of herself: “I am fond of praise;
and this it is that makes me repay it with usury to those
from whom I receive it. I have a proud and scornful
heart; but this does not prevent me from being gentle and
civil. I never oppose the opinions of any; but I must
own that I never adopt them to the prejudice of my own.
I may say with truth that I am by nature modest and discreet, and that pride always takes care to preserve these
two qualities in me. I am indolent; I never seek pleasures and diversions, but when my friends take more pains,
than I do to procure them for me. I feel myself obliged,
and I appear at them very gay, though I am not so in tact.
1 am not much given to intrigue, but if I should get into
an affair of that sort, I think I should certainly bring myself off with some propriety. I am constant, even to obstinacy, and secret to excess. In order to contract a
friendship with me, all advances must be made by the
ther party; but I amply compensate all this trouble in
the sequel: for I serve my friends with all that ardency
usually employed in selfish interests. I praise them, and
I defend them, without once consenting to what I may
hear against them. I have not so much virtue as to be free
from the desire of the goods of fortune and honours; but
I have too much for pursuing any of the ways that commonly lead to them. I act in the world conformably to
what it ought to be, and too little according to what it is.
”