The Memoirs of Madame de Montespan, vol 3 | Page 8

were finally driven to seclusion in the Isle of Candia, part
of the quondam Minos territory. Venice had allowed Candia to fall
before Mahomet's bloody sword. Europe lost her bulwark, the Cross of

the Saviour was thrown down, and the Candian Christians have been
massacred or forced to flee. I have left in the hands of the conqueror
my fields and forests, my summer palace, my winter palace, and my
gardens filled with the produce of America, Asia, and Europe. From
this overwhelming disaster I managed to save my son; and as my sole
fortune I brought away with me the large jewels of Andronicus, his
ivory and sapphire sceptre, his scimitar of Lemnos, and his ancient gold
crown, which once encircled Theseus's brow.
"These noble relics I shall present to the King of France. They say that
he is humane, generous, fond of glory, and zealous in the cause of
justice. When before his now immovable throne he sees laid down
these last relics of an ancient race, perhaps he will be touched by so
lamentable a downfall, and will not suffer distress to trouble my last
days, and darken the early years of this my child."
During this speech I kept watching the King's face. I saw that he was
interested, then touched, and at last was on the point of forgetting his
incognito and of appearing in his true character.
"Prince," said he to the Greek traveller, "my duties and my devotion
make it easy for me to approach the King of France's person very
closely. In four or five days he will be leaving Fontainebleau for his
palace at Saint Germain. I will tell him without modification all that I
have just heard from you. Without being either prophet or seer, I can
guarantee that you will be well received and cordially welcomed,
receiving such benefits as kings are bound to yield to kings.
"Madame, who respects and is interested in you, is desirous, I feel
certain, for me to persuade you to stay here until her departure; she
enjoys royal favour, and it is my sister herself who shall present you at
Court. You shall show her, you shall show us all, the golden crown of
Theseus, the sceptre of Adronicus, and this brow which I gaze upon
and revere, for it deserves a kingly diamond.
"As for you, my lord," said his Majesty to the English nobleman, "if the
misfortune of last night prove disastrous in more ways than one, pray
wait for a while before you go back to the smouldering ashes of a half-
extinguished fire. My sister takes pleasure in your company; indeed,
the Marquise is charmed to be able to entertain three such distinguished
guests, and begs to place her chateau at your disposal until such time as
your own shall be restored. We shall speak of you to the King, and he

will certainly endeavour to induce King Charles, his cousin, to recall
you to your native country."
Then, after saying one or two words to me in private, he bowed to the
gentlemen and withdrew. We went out on to the balcony to see him get
into his coach, when, to the surprise and astonishment of my guests, as
the carriage passed along the avenue, about a hundred peasants,
grouped near the gateway, threw off their hats and cried, "Long live the
King!"
Prince Comnenus and his son were inconsolable; I excused myself by
saying that it was at the express desire of our royal visitor, and my lord
admitted that at last he recollected his features, and recognised him by
his grand and courtly address.
Before I end my tale, do not let me forget to say that the King strongly
recommended Prince Comnenus to the Republic of Genoa, and
obtained for him considerable property in Corsica and a handsome
residence at Ajaccio. He accepted five or six beautiful jewels that had
belonged to Andronicus, and caused the sum of twelve hundred
thousand francs to be paid to the young Comnenus from his treasury.

CHAPTER XXXVII
The Universal Jubilee.--Court Preachers.--King David.--Madame de
Montespan is Obliged to go to Clagny.--Bossuet's
Mission.--Mademoiselle de Mauleon.--An Enemy's Good Faith.
I do not desire to hold up to ridicule the rites of that religion in which I
was born and bred. Neither would I disparage its ancient usages, nor its
far more modern laws. All religions, as I know, have their peculiarities,
all nations their contradictions, but I must be suffered to complain of
the abuse sometimes made in our country of clerical and priestly
authority.
A general jubilee was held soon after the birth of my second son, and
among Christian nations like ours, a jubilee is as if one said, "Now all
statutes, divine and earthly, are repealed; by means of