Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 11 | Page 7

Ladies scarcely ever were seen at
these little dinners.
I have, however, seen the Marechale de la Mothe, who came in because
she had been used to do so as governess to the children of France, and

who received a seat, because she was a Duchess. Grand dinners were
very rare, and only took place on grand occasions, and then ladies were
present.
Upon leaving the table the King immediately entered his cabinet. That
was the time for distinguished people to speak to him. He stopped at
the door a moment to listen, then entered; very rarely did any one
follow him, never without asking him for permission to do so; and for
this few had the courage. If followed he placed himself in the
embrasure of the window nearest to the door of the cabinet, which
immediately closed of itself, and which you were obliged to open
yourself on quitting the King. This also was the time for the bastards
and the valets.
The King amused himself by feeding his dogs, and remained with them
more or less time, then asked for his wardrobe, changed before the very
few distinguished people it pleased the first gentleman of the chamber
to admit there, and immediately went out by the back stairs into the
court of marble to get into his coach. From the bottom of that staircase
to the coach, any one spoke to him who wished.
The King was fond of air, and when deprived of it his health suffered;
he had headaches and vapours caused by the undue use he had formerly
made of perfumes, so that for many years he could not endure any,
except the odour of orange flowers; therefore if you had to approach
anywhere near him you did well not to carry them.
As he was but little sensitive to heat or cold, or even to rain, the
weather was seldom sufficiently bad to prevent his going abroad. He
went out for three objects: stag-hunting, once or more each week;
shooting in his parks (and no man handled a gun with more grace or
skill), once or twice each week; and walking in his gardens for exercise,
and to see his workmen. Sometimes he made picnics with ladies, in the
forest at Marly or at Fontainebleau, and in this last place, promenades
with all the Court around the canal, which was a magnificent spectacle.
Nobody followed him in his other promenades but those who held
principal offices, except at Versailles or in the gardens of Trianon.
Marly had a privilege unknown to the other places. On going out from

the chateau, the King said aloud, "Your hats, gentlemen," and
immediately courtiers, officers of the guard, everybody, in fact, covered
their heads, as he would have been much displeased had they not done
so; and this lasted all the promenade, that is four or five hours in
summer, or in other seasons, when he dined early at Versailles to go
and walk at Marly, and not sleep there.
The stag-hunting parties were on an extensive scale. At Fontainebleau
every one went who wished; elsewhere only those were allowed to go
who had obtained the permission once for all, and those who had
obtained leave to wear the justau-corps, which was a blue uniform with
silver and gold lace, lined with red. The King did not like too many
people at these parties. He did not care for you to go if you were not
fond of the chase. He thought that ridiculous, and never bore ill-will to
those who stopped away altogether.
It was the same with the play-table, which he liked to see always well
frequented--with high stakes--in the saloon at Marly, for lansquenet and
other games. He amused himself at Fontainebleau during bad weather
by seeing good players at tennis, in which he had formerly excelled;
and at Marly by seeing mall played, in which he had also been skilful.
Sometimes when there was no council, he would make presents of stuff,
or of silverware, or jewels, to the ladies, by means of a lottery, for the
tickets of which they paid nothing. Madame de Maintenon drew lots
with the others, and almost always gave at once what she gained. The
King took no ticket.
Upon returning home from walks or drives, anybody, as I have said,
might speak to the King from the moment he left his coach till he
reached the foot of his staircase. He changed his dress again, and rested
in his cabinet an hour or more, then went to Madame de Maintenon's,
and on the way any one who wished might speak to him.
At ten o'clock his supper was served. The captain of the guard
announced this to him. A quarter of an hour after the King came to