Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 3 | Page 8

tears in their eyes. The ambassador
of the Emperor immediately entered, little suspecting what had taken
place, and was confounded when he learned the news. The King
afterwards went to mass, during which at his right hand was the new
King of Spain, who during the rest of his stay in France, was publicly
treated in every respect as a sovereign, by the King and all the Court.
The joy of Monseigneur at all this was very great. He seemed beside
himself, and continually repeated that no man had ever found himself
in a condition to say as he could, "The King my father, and the King
my son." If he had known the prophecy which from his birth had been
said of him, "A King's son, a King's father, and never a King," which
everybody had heard repeated a thousand times, I think he would not
have so much rejoiced, however vain may be such prophecies. The
King himself was so overcome, that at supper he turned to the Spanish
ambassador and said that the whole affair seemed to him like a dream.
In public, as I have observed, the new King of Spain was treated in
every respect as a sovereign, but in private he was still the Duc d'Anjou.
He passed his evenings in the apartments of Madame de Maintenon,
where he played at all sorts of children's games, scampering to and fro
with Messeigneurs his brothers, with Madame la Duchesse de
Bourgogne, and with the few ladies to whom access was permitted.
On Friday, the 19th of November, the new King of Spain put on

mourning. Two days after, the King did the same. On Monday, the
22nd, letters were received from the Elector of Bavaria, stating that the
King of Spain had been proclaimed at Brussels with much rejoicing
and illuminations. On Sunday, the 28th, M. Vaudemont, governor of
the Milanese, sent word that he had been proclaimed in that territory,
and with the same demonstrations of joy as at Brussels.
On Saturday, the 4th of December, the King of Spain set out for his
dominions. The King rode with him in his coach as far as Sceaux,
surrounded in pomp by many more guards than usual, gendarmes and
light horse, all the road covered with coaches and people; and Sceaux,
where they arrived a little after midday, full of ladies and courtiers,
guarded by two companies of Musketeers. There was a good deal of
leave-taking, and all the family was collected alone in the last room of
the apartment; but as the doors were left open, the tears they shed so
bitterly could be seen. In presenting the King of Spain to the Princes of
the blood, the King said--"Behold the Princes of my blood and of yours;
the two nations from this time ought to regard themselves as one nation;
they ought to have the same interests; therefore I wish these Princes to
be attached to you as to me; you cannot have friends more faithful or
more certain." All this lasted a good hour and a half. But the time of
separation at last came. The King conducted the King of Spain to the
end of the apartment, and embraced him several times, holding him a
long while in. his arms. Monseigneur did the same. The spectacle was
extremely touching.
The King returned into the palace for some time, in order to recover
himself. Monseigneur got into a caleche alone, and went to Meudon;
and the King of Spain, with his brother, M. de Noailles, and a large
number of courtiers, set out on his journey. The King gave to his
grandson twenty-one purses of a thousand louis each, for pocket-money,
and much money besides for presents. Let us leave them on their
journey, and admire the Providence which sports with the thoughts of
men and disposes of states. What would have said Ferdinand and
Isabella, Charles V. and Philip II., who so many times attempted to
conquer France, and who have been so frequently accused of aspiring
to universal monarchy, and Philip IV., even, with all his precautions at

the marriage of the King and at the Peace of the Pyrenees,--what would
they have said, to see a son of France become King of Spain, by the
will and testament of the last of their blood in Spain, and by the
universal wish of all the Spaniards-- without plot, without intrigue,
without a shot being fired on our part, and without the sanction of our
King, nay even to his extreme surprise and that of all his ministers, who
had only the trouble of making up their minds and of accepting? What
great and wise reflections might be made thereon! But they would be
out of place in these Memoirs.
The King of