Thussetasidefrompubliclife，thissuperiorwomanpassedhertimeinobservingtheself-interestsofthecourtpeopleandofthevariouspartieswhichwereformedabouther。AlltheItalianswhohadfollowedherwereobjectsofviolentsuspicion。AftertheexecutionofMontecuculitheConnetabledeMontmorency，Diane，andmanyofthekeenestpoliticiansofthecourtwerefilledwithsuspicionoftheMedici；thoughFrancoisI。alwaysrepelledit。Consequently，theGondi，Strozzi，Ruggieri，Sardini，etc。，——inshort，allthosewhowerecalleddistinctively”theItalians，”——werecompelledtoemploygreaterresourcesofmind，shrewdpolicy，andcourage，tomaintainthemselvesatcourtagainsttheweightofdisfavorwhichpresseduponthem。
Duringherhusband’sreignCatherine’samiabilitytoDianedePoitierswenttosuchgreatlengthsthatintelligentpersonsmustregarditasproofofthatprofounddissimulationwhichmen，events，andtheconductofHenriII。compelledCatherinede’Medicitoemploy。Buttheygotoofarwhentheydeclarethatsheneverclaimedherrightsaswifeandqueen。Inthefirstplace，thesenseofdignitywhichCatherinepossessedinthehighestdegreeforbadeherclaimingwhathistorianscallherrightsasawife。ThetenchildrenofthemarriageexplainHenri’sconduct；andhiswife’smaternaloccupationslefthimfreetopasshistimewithDianedePoitiers。Butthekingwasneverlackinginanythingthatwasduetohimself；andhegaveCatherinean”entry”intoParis，tobecrownedasqueen，whichwasworthyofallsuchpageantsthathadevertakenplace。ThearchivesoftheParliament，andthoseoftheCourdesComptes，showthatthosetwogreatbodieswenttomeetheroutsideofParisasfarasSaintLazare。
HereisanextractfromduTillet’saccountofit:——”AplatformhadbeenerectedatSaint-Lazare，onwhichwasathroneduTilletcallsita/chairdeparement/。Catherinetookherseatuponit，wearingasurcoat，orspeciesofermineshort-
cloakcoveredwithpreciousstones，abodicebeneathitwiththeroyalmantle，andonherheadacrownenrichedwithpearlsanddiamonds，andheldinplacebytheMarechaledelaMark，herladyofhonor。Aroundher/stood/theprincesoftheblood，andotherprincesandseigneurs，richlyapparelled，alsothechancellorofFranceinarobeofgolddamaskonabackgroundofcrimson-red。
Beforethequeen，andonthesameplatform，wereseated，intworows，twelveduchessesorcountesses，wearingerminesurcoats，bodices，robes，andcirclets，——thatistosay，thecoronetsofduchessesandcountesses。TheseweretheDuchessesd’Estouteville，Montpensierelderandyounger；thePrincessesdelaRoche-sur-