Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 7 | Page 7

would be called. At her wish he waited again, as before,
during another Council, but with as little success. He was very much
annoyed, comprehending that the affair had fallen through.
Madame de Maintenon did not, however, like to be defeated in this way.
After waiting some time she spoke to the King, reminding him what he
had promised to do. The King replied in confusion that he had thought
better of it; that Harcourt was on bad terms with all the Ministers, and
might, if admitted to the Council, cause them much embarrassment; he
preferred, therefore, things to remain as they were. This was said in a
manner that admitted of no reply.
Madame de Maintenon felt herself beaten; Harcourt was in despair. M.
de Beauvilliers was quite reestablished in the favour of the King. I
pretended to have known nothing of this affair, and innocent asked
many questions about it when all was over. I was happy to the last
degree that everything had turned out so well.
M. le Prince, who for more than two years had not appeared at the
Court, died at Paris a little after midnight on the night between Easter
Sunday and Monday, the last of March and first of April, and in his
seventy- sixth year. No man had ever more ability of all kinds,
extending even to the arts and mechanics more valour, and, when it
pleased him, more discernment, grace, politeness, and nobility. But
then no man had ever before so many useless talents, so much genius of
no avail, or an imagination so calculated to be a bugbear to itself and a

plague to others. Abjectly and vilely servile even to lackeys, he
scrupled not to use the lowest and paltriest means to gain his ends.
Unnatural son, cruel father, terrible husband, detestable master,
pernicious neighbour; without friendship, without friends--incapable of
having any jealous, suspicious, ever restless, full of slyness and
artifices to discover and to scrutinise all, (in which he was unceasingly
occupied, aided by an extreme vivacity and a surprising penetration,)
choleric and headstrong to excess even for trifles, difficult of access,
never in accord with himself, and keeping all around him in a tremble;
to conclude, impetuosity and avarice were his masters, which
monopolised him always. With all this he was a man difficult to be
proof against when he put in play the pleasing qualities he possessed.
Madame la Princesse, his wife, was his continual victim. She was
disgustingly ugly, virtuous, and foolish, a little humpbacked, and stunk
like a skunk, even from a distance. All these things did not hinder M. le
Prince from being jealous of her even to fury up to the very last. The
piety, the indefatigable attention of Madame la Princesse, her sweetness,
her novice-like submission, could not guarantee her from frequent
injuries, or from kicks, and blows with the fist, which were not rare.
She was not mistress even of the most trifling things; she did not dare
to propose or ask anything. He made her set out from one place to
another the moment the fancy took him. Often when seated in their
coach he made her descend, or return from the end of the street, then
recommence the journey after dinner, or the next day. This see-sawing
lasted once fifteen days running, before a trip to Fontainebleau. At
other times he sent for her from church, made her quit high mass, and
sometimes sent for her the moment she was going to receive the
sacrament; she was obliged to return at once and put off her
communion to another occasion. It was not that he wanted her, but it
was merely to gratify his whim that he thus troubled her.
He was always of, uncertain habits, and had four dinners ready for him
every day; one at Paris, one at Ecouen, one at Chantilly, and one where
the Court was. But the expense of this arrangement was not great; he
dined on soup, and the half of a fowl roasted upon a crust of bread; the
other half serving for the next day. He rarely invited anybody to dinner,

but when he did, no man could be more polite or attentive to his guests.
Formerly he had been in love with several ladies of the Court; then,
nothing cost too much. He was grace, magnificence, gallantry in
person-- a Jupiter transformed into a shower of gold. Now he disguised
himself as a lackey, another time as a female broker in articles for the
toilette; and now in another fashion. He was the most ingenious man in
the world. He once gave a grand fete solely for the purpose of retarding
the journey into Italy of a lady with whom he was enamoured, with
whom he was on good terms,