Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 6 | Page 4

Loves with Mademoiselle de Roquelaure.-- Run--away Marriage.--Anger of Madame de Roquelaure.--A Furious Mother.-- Opinions of the Court.--A Mistake.--Interference of the King.-- Fate of the Couple .
CHAPTER XLI
The Duc d'Orleans in Spain.--Offends Madame des Ursins and Madame de Maintenon.--Laziness of M. de Vendome in Flanders.--Battle of Oudenarde. --Defeat and Disasters.--Difference of M. de Vendome and the Duc de Bourgogne.
CHAPTER XLII
Conflicting Reports.--Attacks on the Duc de Bourgogne.--The Duchesse de Bourgogne Acts against Vendome.--Weakness of the Duke.--Cunning of Vendome.--The Siege of Lille.--Anxiety for a Battle.--Its Delay.--Conduct of the King and Monseigneur.--A Picture of Royal Family Feeling.--Conduct of the Marechal de Boufflers.
CHAPTER XLIII
Equivocal Position of the Duc de Bourgogne.--His Weak Conduct.-- Concealment of a Battle from the King.--Return of the Duc de Bourgogne to Court.--Incidents of His Reception.--Monseigneur.--Reception of the Duc de Berry.--Behaviour of the Duc de Bourgogne.--Anecdotes of Gamaches.-- Return of Vendome to Court.--His Star Begins to Wane.--Contrast of Boufflers and Vendome.--Chamillart's Project for Retaking Lille.--How It Was Defeated by Madame de Maintenon.
CHAPTER XLIV
Tremendous Cold in France.--Winters of 1708-1709--Financiers and the Famine.--Interference of the Parliaments of Paris and Dijon.--Dreadful Oppression.--Misery of the People.--New Taxes.--Forced Labour.--General Ruin.--Increased Misfortunes.--Threatened Regicide.--Procession of Saint Genevieve.--Offerings of Plate to the King.--Discontent of the People.-- A Bread Riot, How Appeased.
CHAPTER XLV
M. de Vendome out of Favour.--Death and Character of the Prince de Conti.--Fall of Vendome.--Pursegur's Interview with the King.--Madame de Bourgogne against Vendome.--Her Decided Conduct.--Vendome Excluded from Marly.--He Clings to Meudon.--From Which He is also Expelled.--His Final Disgrace and Abandonment.--Triumph of Madame de Maintenon.
CHAPTER XLVI
Death of Pere La Chaise.--His Infirmities in Old Age.--Partiality of the King.--Character of Pere La Chaise.--The Jesuits.--Choice of a New Confessor.--Fagon's Opinion.--Destruction of Port Royal.--Jansenists and Molinists.--Pascal.--Violent Oppression of the Inhabitants of Port Royal.
CHAPTER XXXIX
I went this summer to Forges, to try, by means of the waters there, to get rid of a tertian fever that quinquina only suspended. While there I heard of a new enterprise on the part of the Princes of the blood, who, in the discredit in which the King held them, profited without measure by his desire for the grandeur of the illegitimate children, to acquire new advantages which were suffered because the others shared them. This was the case in question.
After the elevation of the mass--at the King's communion--a folding-chair was pushed to the foot of the altar, was covered with a piece of stuff, and then with a large cloth, which hung down before and behind. At the Pater the chaplain rose and whispered in the King's ear the names of all the Dukes who were in the chapel. The King named two, always the oldest, to each of whom the chaplain advanced and made a reverence. During the communion of the priest the King rose, and went and knelt down on the bare floor behind this folding seat, and took hold of the cloth; at the same time the two Dukes, the elder on the right, the other on the left, each took hold of a corner of the cloth; the two chaplains took hold of the other two corners of the same cloth, on the side of the altar, all four kneeling, and the captain of the guards also kneeling and behind the King. The communion received and the oblation taken some moments afterwards, the King remained a little while in the same place, then returned to his own, followed by the two Dukes and the captain of the guards, who took theirs. If a son of France happened to be there alone, he alone held the right corner of the cloth, and nobody the other; and when M. le Duc d'Orleans was there, and no son of France was present, M. le Duc d'Orleans held the cloth in like manner. If a Prince of the blood were alone present, however, he held the cloth, but a Duke was called forward to assist him. He was not privileged to act without the Duke.
The Princes of the blood wanted to change this; they were envious of the distinction accorded to M. d'Orleans, and wished to put themselves on the same footing. Accordingly, at the Assumption of this year, they managed so well that M. le Duc served alone at the altar at the King's communion, no Duke being called upon to come and join him. The surprise at this was very great. The Duc de la Force and the Marechal de Boufflers, who ought to have served, were both present. I wrote to this last to say that such a thing had never happened before, and that it was contrary to all precedent. I wrote, too, to M. d'Orleans, who was then in Spain, informing him of the circumstance. When he returned he complained to the King. But the King merely said that the Dukes ought to have presented themselves and taken hold of the cloth. But