Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 3 | Page 4

s Success.--Appointment of Villeroy.--The First Campaign.--A Snuffbox.--Prince Eugene's Plan.--Attack and Defence of Cremona.--Villeroy Made Prisoner.--Appointment of M. de Vendome.
CHAPTER XX
Discontent and Death of Barbezieux.--His Character.--Elevation of Chamillart.--Strange Reasons of His Success.--Death of Rose.--Anecdotes. --An Invasion of Foxes.--M. le Prince.--A Horse upon Roses.--Marriage of His Daughter: His Manners and Appearance
CHAPTER XXI
Monseigneur's Indigestion.--The King Disturbed.--The Ladies of the Halle.--Quarrel of the King and His Brother.--Mutual Reproaches.-- Monsieur's Confessors.--A New Scene of Wrangling.--Monsieur at Table.-- He Is Seized with Apoplexy.--The News Carried to Marly.--How Received by the King.--Death of Monsieur.--Various Forms of Grief.--The Duc de Chartres.
CHAPTER XXII
The Dead Soon Forgotten.--Feelings of Madame de Maintenon.--And of the Duc de Chartres.--Of the Courtiers.--Madame's Mode of Life.--Character of Monsieur.--Anecdote of M. le Prince.--Strange Interview of Madame de Maintenon with Madame.--Mourning at Court.--Death of Henriette d'Angleterre.--A Poisoning Scene.--The King and the Accomplice.
CHAPTER XXIII
Scandalous Adventure of the Abbesse de la Joye.--Anecdote of Madame de Saint-Herem.--Death of James II. and Recognition of His Son.--Alliance against France.--Scene at St. Maur.--Balls and Plays.--The "Electra" of Longepierre--Romantic Adventures of the Abbe de Vatterville.
CHAPTER XXIV
Changes in the Army.--I Leave the Service.--Annoyance of the King.--The Medallic History of the Reign.--Louis XIII.--Death of William III.-- Accession of Queen Anne.--The Alliance Continued.--Anecdotes of Catinat. --Madame de Maintenon and the King.
CHAPTER XVIII
For the last two or three years the King of Spain had been in very weak health, and in danger of his life several times. He had no children, and no hope of having any. The question, therefore, of the succession to his vast empire began now to agitate every European Court. The King of England (William III.), who since his usurpation had much augmented his credit by the grand alliance he had formed against France, and of which he had been the soul and the chief up to the Peace of Ryswick, undertook to arrange this question in a manner that should prevent war when the King of Spain died. His plan was to give Spain, the Indies, the Low Countries, and the title of King of Spain to the Archduke, second son of the Emperor; Guipuscoa, Naples, Sicily, and Lorraine to France; and the Milanese to M. de Lorraine, as compensation for taking away from him his territory.
The King of England made this proposition first of all to our King; who, tired of war, and anxious for repose, as was natural at his age, made few difficulties, and soon accepted. M. de Lorraine was not in a position to refuse his consent to a change recommended by England, France, and Holland. Thus much being settled, the Emperor was next applied to. But he was not so easy to persuade: he wished to inherit the entire succession, and would not brook the idea of seeing the House of Austria driven from Italy, as it would have been if the King of England's proposal had been carried out. He therefore declared it was altogether unheard of and unnatural to divide a succession under such circumstances, and that he would hear nothing upon the subject until after the death of the King of Spain. The resistance he made caused the whole scheme to come to the ears of the King of Spain, instead of remaining a secret, as was intended.
The King of Spain made a great stir in consequence of what had taken place, as though the project had been formed to strip him, during his lifetime, of his realm. His ambassador in England spoke so insolently that he was ordered to leave the country by William, and retired to Flanders. The Emperor, who did not wish to quarrel with England, intervened at this point, and brought about a reconciliation between the two powers. The Spanish ambassador returned to London.
The Emperor next endeavoured to strengthen his party in Spain. The reigning Queen was his sister-in-law and was all-powerful. Such of the nobility and of the ministers who would not bend before her she caused to be dismissed; and none were favoured by her who were not partisans of the House of Austria. The Emperor had, therefore, a powerful ally at the Court of Madrid to aid him in carrying out his plans; and the King was so much in his favour, that he had made a will bequeathing his succession to the Archduke. Everything therefore seemed to promise success to the Emperor.
But just at this time, a small party arose in Spain, equally opposed to the Emperor, and to the propositions of the King of England. This party consisted at first of only five persons: namely, Villafranca, Medina- Sidonia, Villagarcias, Villena, and San Estevan, all of them nobles, and well instructed in the affairs of government. Their wish was to prevent the dismemberment of the Spanish kingdom by conferring the whole succession upon the son of the only son of the Queen of France, Maria Theresa, sister