Ambassatrice

The French ambassador, goeing out in his gundola this last week, to take the aire in the euening, with his lady and niepce, did incounter with a barke of insolent sergeants, who would nees haue searched his gundola; and being repelled by the ambassador, who did keepe them of with a halberd and a pistol, they made a battery of stones against the gundola, with which the ambassatrice was hurt in the head, and the neipce in a showlder. It was much feared, that the ambassatrice might haue miscarried, either with the hurt or affright, because shee is within a month of her time ; but she doth bearc it out well, although the hurt be great.

The viscountess of Effingham standing to her woman's right, and possessed already of her proper place (as she called it), would not remove lower, so held the hand of the ambassatrice, till after dinner, when the French ambassador, informed of the difference and opposition, called out for his wife's coach !

The ambassatrice in the mean tyme thought fit in discretion to absent herself from court for some tyme after, as being eyther discountenanced with the deceyt of her expectation, or apprehending perhaps that none of our great ladyes would give her place, though her tytle was marquise and theyrs but countess, a tytle which here (in regard ours do wear coronets and are styled by the king cosens) is iudged more noble then that of marquis in France, where such titles were alienable with the manor or seignury that bare them.