Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 1 | Page 7

Beauvilliers.--His Character.--Of the Cardinal d'Estrees.--Anecdotes.-- Death of Fenelon.

VOLUME 10.
CHAPTER LXX
Character and Position of the Duc d'Orleans--His Manners, Talents, and Virtues.--His Weakness.--Anecdote Illustrative Thereof.-- The "Debonnaire"--Adventure of the Grand Prieur in England.--Education of the Duc d'Orleans.--Character of Dubois.--His Pernicious Influence.-- The Duke's Emptiness.--His Deceit.--His Love of Painting.--The Fairies at His Birth.--The Duke's Timidity.--An Instance of His Mistrustfulness.
CHAPTER LXXI
The Duke Tries to Raise the Devil.--Magical Experiments.--His Religious Opinions.--Impiety.--Reads Rabelais at Church.--The Duchesse d'Orleans.-- Her Character.--Her Life with Her Husband.--My Discourses with the Duke on the Future.--My Plans of Government.--A Place at Choice Offered Me.-- I Decline the Honour.--My Reason.--National Bankruptcy.--The Duke's Anger at My Refusal.--A Final Decision.
CHAPTER LXXII
The King's Health Declines.--Bets about His Death.--Lord Stair.--My New Friend.--The King's Last Hunt.--And Last Domestic and Public Acts.-- Doctors.--Opium.--The King's Diet.--Failure of His Strength.--His Hopes of Recovery.--Increased Danger.--Codicil to His Will.--Interview with the Duc d'Orleans.--With the Cardinal de Noailles.--Address to His Attendants.--The Dauphin Brought to Him.--His Last Words.-- An Extraordinary Physician.--The Courtiers and the Duc d'Orleans.-- Conduct of Madame de Maintenon.--The King's Death.
CHAPTER LXXIII
Early Life of Louis XIV.--His Education.--His Enormous Vanity.--His Ignorance.--Cause of the War with Holland.--His Mistakes and Weakness in War.--The Ruin of France.--Origin of Versailles.--The King's Love of Adulation, and Jealousy of People Who Came Not to Court.--His Spies.-- His Vindictiveness.--Opening of Letters.--Confidence Sometimes Placed in Him--A Lady in a Predicament.
CHAPTER LXXIV
Excessive Politeness.--Influence of the Valets.--How the King Drove Out.--Love of magnificence.--His Buildings. --Versailles.--The Supply of Water.--The King Seeks for Quiet.--Creation of Marly.--Tremendous Extravagance.
CHAPTER LXXV
Amours of the King.--La Valliere.--Montespan.--Scandalous Publicity.-- Temper of Madame de Montespan.--Her Unbearable Haughtiness.--Other Mistresses.--Madame de Maintenon.--Her Fortunes.--Her Marriage with Scarron.--His Character and Society.--How She Lived After His Death.-- Gets into Better Company.--Acquaintance with Madame de Montespan.-- The King's Children.--His Dislike of Widow Scarron.--Purchase of the Maintenon Estate.--Further Demands.--M. du Maine on His Travels.-- Montespan's Ill--humour.--Madame de Maintenon Supplants Her.--Her Bitter Annoyance.--Progress of the New Intrigue.--Marriage of the King and Madame de Maintenon.
CHAPTER LXXVI
Character of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Conversation.--Her Narrow- mindedness.--Her Devotion.--Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.--Its Fatal Consequences.--Saint Cyr.--Madame de Maintenon Desires Her Marriage to be Declared.--Her Schemes.--Counterworked by Louvois.--His Vigorous Conduct and Sudden Death.--Behaviour of the King.--Extraordinary Death of Seron.
CHAPTER LXXVII
Daily Occupations of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Policy--How She Governed the King's Affairs.--Connivance with the Ministers.--Anecdote of Le Tellier.--Behaviour of the King to Madame de Maintenon.-- His Hardness.--Selfishness.--Want of Thought for Others.--Anecdotes.-- Resignation of the King.--Its Causes.--The Jesuits and the Doctors.--The King and Lay Jesuits.

VOLUME 11.
CHAPTER LXXVIII
External Life of Louis XIV.--At the Army.--Etiquette of the King's Table.--Court Manners and Customs.--The Rising of the King.--Morning Occupations.--Secret Amours.--Going to Mass.--Councils.--Thursdays.-- Fridays.--Ceremony of the King's Dinner.--The King's Brother.--After Dinner.--The Drive.--Walks at Marly and Elsewhere.--Stag--hunting.--Play- tables.--Lotteries.--Visits to Madame de Maintenon.--Supper.--The King Retires to Rest.--Medicine Days.--Kings Religious Observances.--Fervency in Lent.--At Mass.--Costume.--Politeness of the King for the Court of Saint-Germain.--Feelings of the Court at His Death.--Relief of Madame de Maintenon.--Of the Duchesse d'Orleans.--Of the Court Generally.--Joy of Paris and the Whole of France.--Decency of Foreigners.--Burial of the King.
CHAPTER LXXIX
Surprise of M. d'Orleans at the King's Death.--My Interview with Him.-- Dispute about Hats.--M. du Maine at the Parliament.--His Reception.-- My Protest.--The King's Will.--Its Contents and Reception.--Speech of the Duc d'Orleans.--Its Effect.--His Speech on the Codicil.--Violent Discussion.--Curious Scene.--Interruption for Dinner.--Return to the Parliament.--Abrogation of the Codicil.--New Scheme of Government.-- The Regent Visits Madame de Maintenon.--The Establishment of Saint-Cyr.-- The Regent's Liberality to Madame de Maintenon.
CHAPTER LXXX
The Young King's Cold.--'Lettres des Cachet' Revived.--A Melancholy Story.--A Loan from Crosat.--Retrenchments.--Unpaid Ambassadors.--Council of the Regency.--Influence of Lord Stair.--The Pretender.--His Departure from Bar.--Colonel Douglas.--The Pursuit.--Adventure at Nonancourt.--Its Upshot.--Madame l'Hospital.--Ingratitude of the Pretender.
CHAPTER LXXXI
Behaviour of the Duchesse de Berry.--Her Arrogance Checked by Public Opinion.--Walls up the Luxembourg Garden.--La Muette.--Her Strange Amour with Rion.--Extraordinary Details.--The Duchess at the Carmelites.-- Weakness of the Regent.--His Daily Round of Life.--His Suppers.-- How He Squandered His Time.--His Impenetrability.--Scandal of His Life.-- Public Balls at the Opera.
CHAPTER LXXXII
First Appearance of Law.--His Banking Project Supported by the Regent.-- Discussed by the Regent with Me.--Approved by the Council and Registered. --My Interviews with Law.--His Reasons for Seeking My Friendship.-- Arouet de Voltaire
CHAPTER LXXXIII
Rise of Alberoni.--Intimacy of France and England.--Gibraltar Proposed to be Given Up.--Louville the Agent.--His Departure.--Arrives at Madrid.-- Alarm of Alberoni.--His Audacious Intrigues.--Louville in the Bath.-- His Attempts to See the King.--Defeated.--Driven out of Spain.--Impudence of Alberoni.--Treaty between France and England.--Stipulation with Reference to the Pretender.
CHAPTER LXXXIV
The Lieutenant of Police.--Jealousy of Parliament.--Arrest of Pomereu Resolved On.--His Imprisonment and Sudden Release.--Proposed Destruction of Marly.--How I Prevented It.--Sale of the Furniture.--I Obtain the 'Grandes Entrees'.--Their Importance and Nature.--Afterwards Lavished Indiscriminately.--Adventure of the Diamond called "The Regent."--Bought for the Crown of France.
CHAPTER LXXXV
Death of the Duchesse de Lesdiguieres.--Cavoye and His Wife.--Peter the Great.--His Visit to France.--Enmity to England.--Its Cause.--Kourakin, the Russian Ambassador.--The Czar Studies Rome.--Makes Himself the Head of Religion.--New Desires for Rome--Ultimately Suppressed.--Preparations to Receive the Czar at Paris.--His Arrival at Dunkerque.--At Beaumont.-- Dislikes the Fine Quarters Provided for Him.--His Singular Manners,