Place Aux Dames.
79
PLACE AUX DAMES. A CURIOUS instance of a lady availing herself, in 1540, of the right to appear by champion in a " breach of promise of marriage " case, is mentioned in the mem oirs of the Maréchal de Vielleville. The husband of Philippe de Montespedon having died in Piedmont without issue, she was left a young, rich, and beautiful widow, and was sought in marriage by several noble suitors. Amongst these was the Marquis de Saluées, to whose attentions she seemed to listen favorably, and she permitted him to accom pany her from Turin to Paris. It turned out, however, that the sly dame merely wished to have the advantage of his escort on the journey; and when she arrived at its termination, she cavalierly dismissed him, saying, "Adieu, sir! your lodging is the hostel des Ursins, and mine at the hostel Saint Denis, close to that of the Augustines." The marquis still persisted in his suit; but as Philippe continued obdurate, he asserted that she had made him a formal promise of marriage, and cited her to ap pear before the Court of Parliament. She came there, attended by a numerous com pany of friends, and having been desired by the president to hold up her hand, she was asked whether she had ever promised mar riage to the marquis, who was then present in court. She answered upon her honor that she had not; and when the court pro ceeded to press her with further questions, she exclaimed with passionate warmth, "Gentlemen, I never was in a court of justice before; and this makes me fear
that I may not answer properly. But to put a stop to all captious cavilling and word-catching, I swear in the face of this assembly to God and the King, — to God under pain of eternal damnation to my soul; and to the King under the penalty of loss of honor and life, — that I have never given pledge or promise of marriage to the Mar quis de Saluées, and, what is more, that I never thought of such a thing in my life. And if there is any one who will assert the contrary, here is my chevalier, whom I offer to maintain my words, which he knows are entirely true, and uttered by the lips of a lady of honor, if ever there was one. And this I do, trusting in God and my good right, that he will prove the plaintiff to be (begging the pardon of the court) a villain ous liar." This spirited defiance caused no little sensation in the audience; and the pres ident told the registrar that he might put up his papers, for Madame la Maréchale had taken another and much shorter road towards settling the dispute. Then, ad dressing the marquis, he asked, " Well, sir, what say you to this challenge?" But the love, as well as the valor of the latter, was fast oozing away; and the craven Knight answered by a very decided negative : " I want not," said he, " to take a wife by force, and if she does not wish to have me, I do not wish to have her." And so, making a low obeisance to the court, he prudently retired, and the fair Philippe heard no more of his pretensions to her hand.
