Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 10 | Page 4

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.

CHAPTER LXX
The reign of Louis XIV. was approaching its conclusion, so that there is now nothing more to relate but what passed during the last month of his life, and scarcely so much. These events, indeed, so curious and so important, are so mixed up with those that immediately followed the King's death, that they cannot be separated from them. It will be interesting and is necessary to describe the projects, the thoughts, the difficulties, the different resolutions, which occupied the brain of the Prince, who, despite the efforts of Madame de Maintenon and M. du Maine, was of necessity about to be called to the head of affairs during the minority of the young King. This is the place, therefore, to explain all these things, after which we will resume the narrative of the last month of the King's life, and go on to the events which followed his death.
But, as I have said, before entering upon this thorny path, it will be as well to make known, if possible, the chief personage of the story, the impediments interior and exterior in his path, and all that personally belonged to him.
M. le Duc d'Orleans was, at the most, of mediocre stature, full-bodied without being fat; his manner and his deportment were easy and very noble; his face was broad and very agreeable, high in colour; his hair black, and wig the same. Although he danced very badly, and had but ill succeeded at the riding-school, he had in his face, in his gestures, in all his movements, infinite grace, and so natural that it adorned even his most ordinary commonplace actions. With much ease when nothing constrained him, he was gentle, affable, open, of facile and charming access; the tone of his voice was agreeable, and he had a surprisingly easy flow of words upon all subjects which nothing ever disturbed, and which never failed to surprise; his eloquence was natural and extended even to his most familiar discourse, while it equally entered into his observations upon the most abstract sciences, on which he talked most perspicuously; the affairs of government, politics, finance, justice, war, the court, ordinary conversation, the arts, and mechanics. He could speak as well too upon history and memoirs, and was well acquainted with pedigrees. The personages of former days were familiar to him; and the intrigues of the ancient courts were to him as those of his own time. To hear him, you would have thought him a great reader. Not so. He skimmed; but his memory was so singular that he never forgot things, names, or dates, cherishing remembrance of things with precision; and his apprehension was so good, that in skimming thus it was, with him, precisely as though he had read very laboriously. He excelled in unpremeditated discourse, which, whether in the shape of repartee or jest, was always appropriate