Whenever the time of her accouchement approaches, she never fails to bid her friends adieu, in the notion that she will die.  Fortunately she has hitherto always escaped well.

When jealousy is once suffered to take root, it is impossible to extirpate it—­therefore it is better not to let it gain ground.  My daughter pretends not to be affected by hers, but she often suffers great affliction from it.  This is not astonishing, because she is very fond of her children; and the woman with whom the Duke is infatuated, together with her husband, do not leave him a farthing; they completely ruin his household.  Craon is an accursed cuckold and a treacherous man.  The Duc de Lorraine knows that my daughter is acquainted with everything, and I believe he likes her the better that she does not remonstrate with him, but endures all patiently.  He is occasionally kind to her, and, provided that he only says tender things to her, she is content and cheerful.

I should almost believe that the Duke’s mistress has given him a philtre, as Neidschin did to the Elector of Saxony.  When he does not see her, it is said he perspires copiously at the head, and, in order that the cuckold of a husband may say nothing about the affair, the Duke suffers him to do whatever he pleases.  He and his wife, who is gouvernante, rule everything, although neither the one nor the other has any feeling of honour.  She is to come hither, it seems, with the Duke and Duchess.

The Duc de Lorraine is here incog.

[He came to Paris for the purpose of soliciting an arrondissement in Champagne and the title of Royal Highness.  Through the influence of his mother-in-law he obtained both the one and the other.  By virtue of a treaty very disadvantageous for France, but which was nevertheless registered by the Parliament, he increased his states by adding to them a great number of villages.]

under the title of the Comte de Blamont.  Formerly the chase was his greatest passion; but now, it seems, the swain is wholly amorous.  It is in vain for him to attempt to conceal it; for the more he tries, the more apparent it becomes.  When you would suppose he is about to address you, his head will turn round, and his eyes wander in search of Madame Craon; it is quite diverting to see him.  I cannot conceive how my daughter can love her husband so well, and not display more jealousy.  It is impossible for a man to be more amorous than the Duke is of Craon (19th of April, 1718).

It cannot be denied that she (Madame de Craon) is full of agreeable qualities.  Although she is not a beauty, she has a good shape, a fine skin, and a very white complexion; but her greatest charms are her mouth and teeth.  When she laughs it is in a very pleasing and modest manner; she behaves properly and respectfully in my daughter’s presence; if she did the same when she is not with her, one would have nothing to complain of.  It is not surprising