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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Louis XIV., Volume 14
+by Duc de Saint-Simon
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Memoirs of Louis XIV., Volume 14
+       And His Court and of The Regency
+
+Author: Duc de Saint-Simon
+
+Release Date: December 3, 2004 [EBook #3873]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV., ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+          MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV AND HIS COURT AND OF THE REGENCY
+
+                        BY THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON
+
+
+
+VOLUME 14
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CV
+
+For a long time a species of war had been declared between the King of
+England and his son, the Prince of Wales, which had caused much scandal;
+and which had enlisted the Court on one side, and made much stir in the
+Parliament.  George had more than once broken out with indecency against
+his son; he had long since driven him from the palace, and would not see
+him.  He had so cut down his income that he could scarcely subsist.  The
+father never could endure this son, because he did not believe him to be
+his own.  He had more than suspected the Duchess, his wife, to be in
+relations with Count Konigsmarck.  He surprised him one morning leaving
+her chamber; threw him into a hot oven, and shut up his wife in a chateau
+for the rest of her days.  The Prince of Wales, who found himself ill-
+treated for a cause of which he was personally innocent, had always borne
+with impatience the presence of his mother and the aversion of his
+father.  The Princess of Wales, who had much sense, intelligence, grace,
+and art, had softened things as much as possible; and the King was unable
+to refuse her his esteem, or avoid loving her.  She had conciliated all
+England; and her Court, always large, boasted of the presence of the most
+accredited and the most distinguished persons.  The Prince of Wales
+feeling his strength, no longer studied his father, and blamed the
+ministers with words that at least alarmed them.  They feared the credit
+of the Princess of Wales; feared lest they should be attacked by the
+Parliament, which often indulges in this pleasure.  These considerations
+became more and more pressing as they discovered what was brewing against
+them; plans such as would necessarily have rebounded upon the King.  They
+communicated their fears to him, and indeed tried to make it up with his
+son, on certain conditions, through the medium of the Princess of Wales,
+who, on her side, felt all the consciousness of sustaining a party
+against the King, and who always had sincerely desired peace in the royal
+family.  She profited by this conjuncture; made use of the ascendency she
+had over her husband, and the reconciliation was concluded.  The King
+gave a large sum to the Prince of Wales, and consented to see him.  The
+ministers were saved, and all appeared forgotten.
+
+The excess to which things had been carried between father and son had
+not only kept the entire nation attentive to the intestine disorders
+ready to arise, but had made a great stir all over Europe; each power
+tried to blow this fire into a blaze, or to stifle it according as
+interest suggested.  The Archbishop of Cambrai, whom I shall continue to
+call the Abbe Dubois, was just then very anxiously looking out for his
+cardinal's hat, which he was to obtain through the favour of England,
+acting upon that of the Emperor with the Court of Rome.  Dubois,
+overjoyed at the reconciliation which had taken place, wished to show
+this in a striking manner, in order to pay his court to the King of
+England.  He named, therefore, the Duc de la Force to go to England, and
+compliment King George on the happy event that had occurred.
+
+The demonstration of joy that had been resolved on in France was soon
+known in England.  George, annoyed by the stir that his domestic
+squabbles had made throughout all Europe, did not wish to see it
+prolonged by the sensation that this solemn envoy would cause.  He begged
+the Regent, therefore, not to send him one.  As the scheme had been
+determined on only order to please him, the journey of the Duc de la
+Force was abandoned almost as soon as declared.  Dubois had the double
+credit, with the King of England, of having arranged this demonstration
+of joy, and of giving it up; in both cases solely for the purpose of
+pleasing his Britannic Majesty.
+
+Towards the end of this year, 1720, the Duc de Brissac married Mlle.
+Pecoil, a very rich heiress, whose father was a 'maitre des requetes',
+and whose mother was daughter of Le Gendre, a very wealthy merchant of
+Rouen.  The father of Mlle. Pecoil was a citizen of Lyons, a wholesale
+dealer, and extremely avaricious.  He had a large iron safe, or strong-
+box, filled with money, in a cellar, shut in by an iron door, with a
+secret lock, and to arrive at which other doors had to be passed through.
+He disappeared so long one day, that his wife and two or three valets or
+servants that he had sought him everywhere.  They well knew that he had a
+hiding-place, because they had sometimes seen him descending into his
+cellar, flat-candlestick in hand, but no one had ever dared to follow
+him.
+
+Wondering what had become of him, they descended to the cellar, broke
+open the doors, and found at last the iron one.  They were obliged to
+send for workmen to break it open, by attacking the wall in which it was
+fixed.  After much labour they entered, and found the old miser dead in
+his strong-box, the secret spring of which he had apparently not been
+able to find, after having locked himself in; a horrible end in every
+respect.
+
+The Brissacs have not been very particular in their alliances for some
+time, and yet appear no richer.  The gold flies away; the dross remains.
+
+I had almost forgotten to say that in the last day of this year, 1720, a
+Prince of Wales was born at Rome.
+
+The Prince was immediately baptised by the Bishop; of Montefiascone, and
+named Charles.  The event caused a great stir in the Holy City.  The Pope
+sent his compliments to their Britannic Majesties, and forwarded to the
+King of England (the Pretender) 10,000 Roman crowns, gave him, for his
+life, a country house at Albano, which until then, he had only lent him,
+and 2000 crowns to furnish it.  A Te Deum was sung in the chapel of the
+Pope, in his presence, and there were rejoicings at Rome.  When the Queen
+of England was able to see company, Cardinal Tanora came in state, as
+representative of the Sacred College, to congratulate her.
+
+The birth of the Prince also made much stir at the Court of England, and
+among the priests and Jacobites of that country.  For very different
+reasons, not only the Catholics and Protestants, enemies of the
+government, were ravished at it, but nearly all the three realms showed
+as much joy as they dared; not from any attachment to the dethroned
+house, but for the satisfaction of seeing a line continue with which they
+could always menace and oppose their kings and the royal family.
+
+
+[Illustration: Jacobites Drinking To The Pretender--Painted by F. Willems--1208]
+
+
+In France we were afraid to show any public feeling upon the event.  We
+were too much in the hands of England; the Regent and Dubois too much the
+humble servants of the house of Hanover; Dubois especially, waiting, as
+he was, so anxiously for his cardinal's hat.  He did not, as will be
+seen, have to wait much longer.
+
+The new Pope had given, in writing, a promise to Dubois, that if elected
+to the chair of St. Peter he would make him cardinal.  Time had flown,
+and the promise was not yet fulfilled.  The impatience of Dubois
+increased with his hopes, and gave him no repose.  He was much bewildered
+when he learnt that, on the 16th of June, 1721, the Pope had elevated to
+the cardinalship; his brother, who for ten years had been Bishop of
+Terracine and Benedictine monk of Mount Cassini.  Dubois had expected
+that no promotion would be made in which he was not included.  But here
+was a promotion of a single person only.  He was furious; this fury did
+not last long, however; a month after, that is to say, on the 16th of
+July, the Pope made him cardinal with Dion Alexander Alboni, nephew of
+the deceased Pope, and brother of the Cardinal Camarlingue.
+
+Dubois received the news and the compliment that followed with extreme
+joy, but managed to contain himself with some little decency, and to give
+all the honour of his nomination to M. le Duc d'Orleans, who, sooth to
+say, had had scarcely anything to do with it.  But he could not prevent
+himself from saying to everybody that what honoured him more than the
+Roman purple was the unanimous eagerness of all the European powers to
+procure him this distinction; to press the Pope to award it; to desire
+that his promotion would be hastened without waiting for their
+nominations.  He incessantly blew these reports about everywhere without
+ever being out of breath; but nobody was the dupe of them.
+
+Shortly after this, that is, on the last day of July, the King, who had
+until then been in perfect health, woke with headache and pain in the
+throat; shivering followed, and towards afternoon, the pains in the head
+and throat being augmented, he went to bed.  I repaired the next day
+about twelve to inquire after him.  I found he had passed a bad night,
+and that within the last two hours he had grown worse.  I saw everywhere
+consternation.  I had the grandes entrees, therefore I went into his
+chamber.  I found it very empty.  M. le Duc d'Orleans, seated in the
+chimney corner, looked exceedingly downcast and solitary.  I approached
+him for a moment, then I went to the King's bed.  At this moment Boulduc,
+one of the apothecaries, gave him something to take.  The Duchesse de la
+Ferme, who, through the Duchesse de Ventadour, her sister, had all the
+entrees as godmother to the King, was at the heels of Boulduc, and
+turning round to see who was approaching, saw me, and immediately said in
+a tone neither high nor low, "He is poisoned!  he is poisoned!"
+
+"Hold your tongue, Madame," said I.  "This is terrible."
+
+But she kept on, and spoke so loudly that I feared the King would hear
+her.  Boulduc and I looked at each other, and I immediately withdrew from
+the bed and from this mad woman, with whom I was in no way familiar.
+During this illness, which lasted only five days (but of which the first
+three were violent) I was much troubled, but at the same time I was
+exceedingly glad that I had refused to be the King's governor, though the
+Regent had over and over again pressed me to accept the office.  There
+were too many evil reports in circulation against M. le Duc d'Orleans for
+me to dream of filling this position.  For was I not his bosom friend
+known to have been on the most intimate terms with him ever since his
+child hood--and if anything had happened to excite new suspicions against
+him, what would not have been said?  The thought of this so troubled me
+during the King's illness, that I used to wake in the night with a start,
+and, oh, what joy was mine when I remembered that I had not this duty on
+my head!
+
+The malady, as I have said, was not long, and the convalescence was
+prompt, which restored tranquillity and joy, and caused an overflow of Te
+Deums and rejoicing.  Helvetius had all the honour of the cure; the
+doctors had lost their heads, he preserved his, and obstinately proposed
+bleeding at the foot, at a consultation at which M. le Duc d'Orleans was
+present; his advice prevailed, change for the better immediately took
+place, cure soon after.
+
+The Marechal de Villeroy (the King's governor) did not let slip this
+occasion for showing all his venom and his baseness; he forgot nothing,
+left nothing undone in order to fix suspicion upon M. le Duc d'Orleans,
+and thus pay his court to the robe.  No magistrate, however unimportant,
+could come to the Tuileries whom he did not himself go to with the news
+of the King and caresses; whilst to the first nobles he was inaccessible.
+The magistrates of higher standing he allowed to enter at all times into
+the King's chamber, even to stand by his bed in order to see him, while
+they who had the 'grandes entrees' with difficulty enjoyed a similar
+privilege.
+
+He did the same during the first days of convalescence, which he
+prolonged as much as possible, in order to give the same distinction to
+the magistrates, come at what time they might, and privately to the great
+people of the Court and the ambassadors.  He fancied himself a tribune of
+the people, and aspired to their favour and their dangerous power.  From
+this he turned to other affectations which had the same aim against M. le
+Duc d'Orleans.  He multiplied the Te Deums that he induced the various
+ranks of petty officers of the King to have sung on different days and in
+different churches; he attended all, took with him as many people as he
+could, and for six weeks continued this game.  A Te Deum was sung in
+every church in Paris.  He spoke of nothing else, and above the real joy
+he felt at the King's recovery, he put on a false one which had a party
+smell about it, and which avowed designs not to be mistaken.
+
+The King went in state to Notre Dame and Saint Genevieve to thank God.
+These mummeries, thus prolonged, extended to the end of August and the
+fete Saint-Louis.  Each year there, is on that day a concert in the
+garden.  The Marechal de Villeroy took care that on this occasion, the
+concert should become a species of fete, to which he added a display of
+fireworks.  Less than this would have been enough to draw the crowd.
+It was so great that a pin could not have fallen to the ground through
+the mass of people wedged against each other in the garden.  The windows
+of the Tuileries were ornamented, and were filled with people.  All the
+roofs of the Carrousel, as well as the Place, were covered with
+spectators.
+
+The Marechal de Villeroy was in; his element, and importuned the King,
+who tried to hide himself in the corners at every moment.  The Marechal
+took him by the arm, and led him, now to the windows where he could see
+the Carrousel, and the houses covered with people; now to those which
+looked upon the garden, full of the innumerable crowd waiting for the
+fete.  Everybody cried 'Vive le Roi!'  when he appeared, but had not the
+Marechal detained him, he would have run away and hid himself.
+
+"Look, my master," the Marechal would say, "all that crowd, all these
+people are yours, all belong to you; you are the master of them: look at
+them a little therefore, to please them, for they are all yours, they are
+all devoted to you."
+
+A nice lesson this for a governor to give to a young King, repeating it
+every time he leads him to the windows, so fearful is he lest the boy-
+sovereign shall forget it!  I do not know whether he received similar
+lessons from those who had the charge of his education.  At last the
+Marechal led him upon the terrace, where, beneath a dais, he heard the
+end of the concert, and afterwards saw the fireworks.  The lesson of the
+Marechal de Villeroy, so often and so publicly repeated, made much stir,
+and threw but little honour upon him.  He himself experienced the first
+effect of is fine instruction.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans conducted himself in a manner simple, so prudent,
+that he infinitely gained by it. His cares and his reasonable anxiety
+were measured; there was much reserve in his conversation, an exact and
+sustained attention in his language, and in his countenance, which
+allowed nothing to escape him, and which showed as little as possible
+that he was the successor to the crown; above all, he never gave cause
+for people to believe that he thought the King's illness more or less
+serious than it was, or that his hopes were stronger than his fears.
+
+He could not but feel that in a conjuncture so critical, all eyes were
+fixed upon him, and as in truth he never wished for the crown (however
+unlikely the statement may seem), he had no need to constrain himself in
+any way, but simply to be measured in his bearing.  His conduct was, in
+fact, much remarked, and the cabal opposed to him entirely reduced to
+silence.  Nobody spoke to him upon the event that might happen, not even
+his most familiar friends and acquaintances, myself included; and at this
+he was much pleased.  He acted entirely upon the suggestions of his own
+good sense.
+
+This was not the first time, let me add, that the Marechal de Villeroy,
+in his capacity of governor of the King, had tacitly insulted M. le Duc
+d'Orleans.  He always, in fact, affected, in the discharge of his duties,
+a degree of care, vigilance, and scrutiny, the object of which was
+evident.  He was particularly watchful of the food of the King, taking it
+up with his own hands, and making a great show of this precaution; as
+though the King could not have been poisoned a thousand times over in
+spite of such ridiculous care.  'Twas because M. le Duc d'Orleans was
+vexed with this childish behaviour, so calculated to do him great injury,
+that he wished me to supersede the Marechal de Villeroy as governor of
+the King.  This, as before said, I would never consent to.  As for the
+Marechal, his absurdities met with their just reward, but at a date I
+have not yet come to.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVI
+
+Before this illness of the King, that is to say, at the commencement of
+June, I went one day to work with M, le Duc d'Orleans, and found him
+alone, walking up and down the grand apartment.
+
+"Holloa!  there," said he, as soon as he saw me; then, taking me by the
+hand, "I cannot leave you in ignorance of a thing which I desire above
+all others, which is of the utmost importance to me, and which will cause
+you as much joy as me; but you must keep it profoundly secret."  Then
+bursting out laughing, "If M. de Cambrai knew that I had told it to you,
+he would never pardon me."  And he proceeded to state that perfect
+reconciliation had been established between himself and the King and
+Queen of Spain; that arrangements had been made by which our young King
+was to marry the Infanta of Spain, as soon as he should be old enough;
+and the Prince of the Asturias (the heir to the Spanish throne) was to
+marry Mademoiselle de Chartres, the Regent's daughter.
+
+If my joy at this was great, my astonishment was even greater; M. le Duc
+d'Orleans embraced me, and the first surprise over, I asked him how he
+had contrived to bring about these marriages; above all, that of his
+daughter.  He replied that it had all been done in a trice by the Abbe
+Dubois, who was a regular devil when once he had set his mind upon
+anything; that the King of Spain had been transported at the idea of the
+King of France marrying the Infanta; and that the marriage of the Prince
+of the Asturias had been the 'sine qua non' of the other.
+
+After we had well talked over the matter and rejoiced thereon, I said to
+the Regent that the proposed marriage of his daughter must be kept
+profoundly secret until the moment of her departure for Spain; and that
+of the King also, until the time for their execution arrived; so as to
+prevent the jealousy of all Europe.  At this union, so grand and so
+intimate, of the two branches of the royal family, such a union having
+always been the terror of Europe and disunion the object of all its
+policy--this policy having only too well succeeded--I urged that the
+sovereigns must be left as long as possible in the confidence they had
+acquired, the Infanta above all, being but three years old (she was born
+at Madrid on the morning of the 30th of March, 1718), by which means the
+fears of Europe upon the marriage of Mademoiselle de Chartres with the
+Prince of the Asturias would be coloured--the Prince could wait, he
+having been born in August, 1707, and being accordingly only fourteen
+years of age.  "You are quite right," replied M. le Duc d'Orleans, "but
+this can't be, because in Spain they wish to make public the declarations
+of marriage at once, indeed, as soon as the demand is made and the
+declaration can be signed."
+
+"What madness!"  cried I; "what end can this tocsin have except to arouse
+all Europe and put it in movement!  They must be made to understand this,
+and we must stick to it; nothing is so important."
+
+"All this is true," said M. le Duc d'Orleans.  "I think exactly like you,
+but they are obstinate in Spain; they have wished matters to be arranged
+thus, and their wishes have been agreed to.  Everything is arranged,
+fixed, finished.  I am so much interested in the matter that you surely
+would not have advised me to break off for this condition."
+
+I said of course not, shrugging my shoulders at his unseasonable
+impatience.
+
+During the discussion which followed, I did not forget to think of
+myself, the occasion being so opportune for making the fortunes of my
+second son.  I remembered then, that as matters were advanced to this
+point, a special ambassador must be sent to Spain, to ask the hand of the
+Infanta for the King, and to sign the compact of marriage; that the
+ambassador must be a nobleman of mark and title, and thus I begged the
+Duke to give me this commission, with a recommendation to the King of
+Spain, so as to make my second son, the Marquis of Ruffec, grandee of
+Spain.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans scarcely allowed me to finish, immediately accorded
+me what I had asked, promised me the recommendation with many expressions
+of friendship, and asked me to keep the whole matter secret, and make no
+preparation that would disclose it.
+
+I knew well enough why he enjoined me to secrecy.  He wished to have the
+time to make Dubois swallow this pill.  My thanks expressed, I asked him
+two favours; first, not to pay me as an ambassador,  but to give me a
+round sum sufficient to provide for all my expenses without ruining
+myself; second, not to entrust any business to me which might necessitate
+a long stay in Spain, inasmuch as I did not wish to quit him, and wanted
+to go to Spain simply for the purpose of obtaining the honour above
+alluded to for my second son.  The fact is, I feared that Dubois, not
+being able to hinder my embassy, might keep me in Spain in a sort of
+exile, under pretence of business, in order to get rid of me altogether.
+Events proved that my precaution was not altogether useless.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans accorded both the favours I asked, with many obliging
+remarks, and a hope that my absence would not be long.  I thought I had
+then done great things for my family, and went home much pleased.  But,
+mon Dieu!  what are the projects and the successes of men!
+
+Dubois, as I expected, was vexed beyond measure at my embassy, and
+resolved to ruin me and throw me into disgrace.  I was prepared for this,
+and I soon saw it was so.  At first, I received from him nothing but
+professions of friendship and of attachment for me, congratulations that
+M. le Duc d'Orleans had accorded to me an embassy my merit deserved, and
+which would be productive of such useful results for my children.  He
+took care, however, in the midst of these fine phrases, to introduce not
+one word upon my arrangements, so that he might be able to drive me into
+a corner at the last moment, and cause me all the inconvenience possible.
+He slipped through my hands like an eel until the moment for my departure
+drew near.  As he saw it approach, he began to preach to me of
+magnificence, and wished to enter into details respecting my suite.  I
+described it to him, and everybody else would have been satisfied, but as
+his design was to ruin me, he cried out against it, and augmented it by a
+third.  I represented to him the excessive expense this augmentation
+would cause, the state of the finances, the loss upon the exchange: his
+sole reply was that the dignity of the King necessitated this expense and
+show; and that his Majesty would bear the charge.  I spoke to M. le Duc
+d'Orleans, who listened to me with attention, but being persuaded by the
+Cardinal, held the same language.
+
+This point settled, the Cardinal must needs know how many coats I should
+take, and how many I should give to my sons.--in a word, there was not a
+single detail of table or stable that he did not enter into, and that he
+did not double.  My friends exhorted me not to be obstinate with a man so
+impetuous, so dangerous, so completely in possession of M. le Duc
+d'Orleans, pointing out to me that when once I was away he might profit
+by my absence, and that, meanwhile, everything relating to my embassy
+must pass through his hands.  All this was only too true.  I was obliged,
+therefore, to yield, although I felt that, once embarked, the King's
+purse would be spared at the expense of mine.
+
+As soon as the marriages were declared, I asked to be declared as
+ambassador, so that I might openly make my preparations, which, it will
+be remembered, I had been forbidden to do.  Now that there was no secret
+about the marriage, I fancied there need be no secret as to the
+ambassador by whom they were to be conducted.  I was deceived: Whatever I
+might allege, the prohibition remained.  The Cardinal wished to put me to
+double the necessary expense, by compelling me to have my liveries,
+dresses, etc., made in the utmost precipitation; and this happened.  He
+thought, too, I should not be able to provide myself with everything in
+time; and that he might represent this to M. le Duc d'Orleans, and in
+Spain, as a fault, and excite envious cries against me.
+
+Nevertheless, I did not choose to press him: to announce my embassy, at
+the same time trying to obtain from him the instructions I was to
+receive, and which, passing through him and the Regent done, told nothing
+to the public, as my preparations would have done.  But I could not
+obtain them.  Dubois carelessly replied to me, that in one or two
+conversations the matter would be exhausted.  He wished me to know
+nothing, except vaguely; to leave no time for reflection, for questions,
+for explanations; and to throw me thus into embarrassments, and to cause
+me to commit blunders which he intended to make the most of.
+
+At last, tired of so many and such dangerous postponements, I went on
+Tuesday, the 23rd of September, to M. le Duc d'Orleans, arranging my
+visit so that it took place when he was in his apartments at the
+Tuileries; there I spoke with such effect, that he said I had only to
+show myself to the King.  He led me to his Majesty at once, and there and
+then my embassy was announced.  Upon leaving the King's cabinet, M. le
+Duc d'Orleans made me jump into his coach, which was waiting for him, and
+took me to the Palais Royal, where we began to speak seriously upon the
+affairs of my embassy.
+
+I fancy that Cardinal Dubois was much annoyed at what had been done, and
+that he would have liked to postpone the declaration yet a little longer.
+But this now was impossible.  The next day people were sent to work upon
+my equipments, the Cardinal showing as much eagerness and impatience
+respecting them, as he had before shown apathy and indifference.  He
+urged on the workmen; must needs see each livery and each coat as it was
+finished; increased the magnificence of each; and had all my coats and
+those of my children sent to him.  At last, the hurry to make me set out
+was so great, that such of the things as were ready he sent on by rapid
+conveyance to Bayonne, at a cost by no means trifling to me.
+
+The Cardinal next examined the list of persons I intended to have with
+me, and approved it.  To my extreme surprise he said, however, that I
+must add forty officers of cavalry and infantry, from the regiments of my
+sons.  I cried out against the madness and the expense of such a numerous
+military accompaniment.  I represented that it was not usual for
+ambassadors, with a peaceful mission, to take with them such an imposing
+force by way of escort; I showed that these officers, being necessarily
+gay men, might be led away into indiscreet gallantries, which would give
+me more trouble than all the business of my embassy.  Nothing could be
+more evident, true, and reasonable than my representations, nothing more
+useless or worse received.
+
+The Cardinal had resolved to ruin me, and to leave me in Spain with all
+the embarrassment, business, and annoyances he could.  He rightly thought
+that nothing was more likely to make him succeed than to charge me with
+forty officers.  Not finding them, I took only twenty-nine, and if the
+Cardinal succeeded as far as concerned my purse, I was so fortunate, and
+these gentlemen were so discreet, that he succeeded in no other way.
+
+Let me add here, before I give the details of my journey to Spain, in
+what manner the announcement of these two marriages was received by the
+King and the public.
+
+His Majesty was by no means gratified when he heard that a wife had been
+provided for him.  At the first mention of marriage he burst out crying.
+The Regent, M. le Duc, and M. de Frejus, had all the trouble in the world
+to extract a "yes" from him, and to induce him to attend the Regency
+Council, in which it was necessary that he should announce his consent to
+the proposed union, or be present while it was announced for him.  The
+council was held, and the King came to it, his eyes swollen and red, and
+his look very serious.
+
+Some moments of silence passed, during which M. le Duc d'Orleans threw
+his eyes over all the company (who appeared deeply expectant), and then
+fixed them on the King, and asked if he might announce to the council the
+marriage of his Majesty.  The King replied by a dry "yes," and in a
+rather low tone, but which was heard by the four or five people on each
+side of him, and the Regent immediately announced the marriage.  Then,
+after taking the opinions of the council, which were for the most part
+favorable, he turned towards the King with a smiling air, as though
+inviting him to assume the same, and said, "There, then, Sire, your
+marriage is approved and passed, and a grand and fortunate matter
+finished."  The council then broke up.
+
+The news of what had taken place immediately ran over all Paris.  The
+Tuileries and the Palais Royal were soon filled with people who came to
+present themselves before the King to compliment him and the Regent on
+the conclusion of this grand marriage, and the crowd continued the
+following days.  The King had much difficulty in assuming some little
+gaiety the first day, but on the morrow he was less sombre, and by
+degrees he quite recovered himself.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans took care not to announce the marriage of his
+daughter with the Prince of the Asturias at the same time that the other
+marriage was announced.  He declared it, however, the next day, and the
+news was received with the utmost internal vexation by the cabal opposed
+to him.  Men, women, people of all conditions who belonged to that cabal,
+lost all countenance.  It was a pleasure to me, I admit, to look upon
+them.  They were utterly disconcerted.  Nevertheless, after the first few
+days of overthrow, they regained courage, and set to work in order to
+break off both the marriages.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVII
+
+I have already said that Dubois looked most unfavourably upon my embassy
+to Spain, and that I saw he was determined to do all in his power to
+throw obstacles in its way.  I had fresh proofs of this.  First, before
+my departure: when he gave me my written instructions, he told me that in
+Spain I must take precedence of everybody during the signing of the
+King's contract of marriage, and at the chapel, at the two ceremonies of
+the marriage of the Prince of the Asturias, allowing no one to be before
+me!
+
+I represented to him that the Pope's nuncio would be present, and that to
+him the ambassadors of France gave place everywhere, and even the
+ambassadors of the Emperor also, who, without opposition, preceded those
+of the King.  He replied that that was true, except in special cases like
+the present, and that his instructions must be obeyed:  My surprise was
+great at so strange an order.  I tried to move him by appealing to his
+pride; asking him how I should manage with a cardinal, if one happened to
+be present, and with the majordomo-major, who corresponds, but in a very
+superior degree, with our grand master of France.  He flew in a rage, and
+declared that I must precede the majordomo-major also; that there would
+be no difficulty in doing so; and that, as to the cardinals, I should
+find none.  I shrugged my shoulders, and begged him to think of the
+matter.  Instead of replying, to me, he said he had forgotten to acquaint
+me with a most essential particular: it was, that I must take care not to
+visit anybody until I had been first visited.
+
+I replied that the visiting question had not been forgotten in my
+instructions, and that those instructions were to the effect that I
+should act in this respect as the Duc de Saint-Aignan had acted, and that
+the usage he had followed was to pay the first visit to the Minister of
+Foreign Affairs, and to the Councillors of State (when there were any),
+who are the same as are known here under the name of ministers.
+Thereupon he broke out afresh, prated, talked about the dignity of the
+King, and did not allow me the opportunity of saying another word.  I
+abridged my visit, therefore, and went away.
+
+However strange might appear to me these verbal orders of such a new
+kind, I thought it best to speak to the Duc de Saint-Aignan and Amelot on
+the subject, so as to convince myself of their novelty.  Both these
+ambassadors, as well as those who had preceded them, had visited in an
+exactly opposite manner; and they thought it extravagant that I should
+precede the nuncio, no matter where.  Amelot told me, moreover, that I
+should suffer all sorts of annoyances, and succeed in nothing, if I
+refused the first visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; that as for
+the Councillors of State, they existed only in name, the office having
+fallen into desuetude; and that I must pay other visits to certain
+officers he named (three in number), who would be justly offended and
+piqued if I refused them what every one who had preceded me had rendered
+them.  He added that I had better take good care to do so, unless I
+wished to remain alone in my house, and have the cold shoulder turned
+upon me by every principal person of the Court.
+
+By this explanation of Amelot I easily comprehended the reason of these
+singular verbal orders.  The Cardinal wished to secure my failure in
+Spain, and my disgrace in France: in Spain by making me offend at the
+outset all the greatest people and the minister through whose hands all
+my business would pass; draw upon myself thus complaints here, which, as
+I had no written orders to justify my conduct, he (Dubois) would
+completely admit the justice of, and then disavow me, declaring he had
+given me exactly opposite orders.  If I did not execute what he had told
+me, I felt that he would accuse me of sacrificing the King's honour and
+the dignity of the Crown, in order to please in Spain, and obtain thus
+honours for myself and my sons, and that he would prohibit the latter to.
+accept them.  There would have been less uproar respecting the nuncio;
+but if I preceded him, Dubois felt persuaded that the Court of Rome would
+demand justice; and this justice in his hands would have been a shameful
+recall.
+
+My position appeared so difficult, that I resolved to leave nothing
+undone in order to change it.  I thought M. le Duc d'Orleans would not
+resist the evidence I should bring forward, in order to show the
+extraordinary nature of Dubois' verbal instructions: I deceived myself.
+It was in vain that I spoke to M. le Duc d'Orleans.  I found nothing but
+feebleness under the yoke of a master; by which I judged how much I could
+hope for during my absence.  Several times I argued with him and the
+Cardinal; but in vain.  They both declared that if preceding ambassadors
+had paid the first visits, that was no example for me, in an embassy so
+solemn and distinguished as that I was about to execute.  I represented
+that, however solemn and however distinguished might be my embassy, it
+gave me no rank superior to that of extraordinary ambassadors, and that I
+could claim none.  Useless!  useless!  To my arguments there was no
+reply, but obstinacy prevailed; and I clearly saw the extreme malignity
+of the valet, and the unspeakable weakness of the master.  It was for me
+to manage as I could.
+
+The Cardinal now began ardently to press my departure; and, in fact,
+there was no more time to lose.  He unceasingly hurried on the workmen
+who were making all that I required,--vexed, perhaps, that being in such
+prodigious number, he could not augment them.  There was nothing more for
+him to do but to give me the letters with which I was to be charged.  He
+delayed writing them until the last moment previous to my departure, that
+is to say; the very evening before I started; the reason will soon be
+seen.  The letters were for their Catholic Majesties, for the Queen
+Dowager at Bayonne, and for the Prince of the Asturias; letters from the
+King and from the Duc d'Orleans.  But before giving them to me, the
+Regent said he would write two letters to the Prince of the Asturias,
+both alike, except in this respect, that in the one he would address the
+Prince as "nephew," and in the other as "brother and nephew," and that I
+was to try and deliver the latter, which he passionately wished; but that
+if I found too much difficulty in doing so, I must not persevere but
+deliver the former instead.
+
+I had reason to believe that here was another plot of Dubois, to cause me
+trouble by embroiling me with M. le Duc d'Orleans.  The Regent was the
+last man in the world to care for these formalities.  The Prince of the
+Asturias was son of the King and heir to the Crown, and, in consequence,
+of the rank of a son of France.  In whatever way regarded, M. le Duc
+d'Orleans was extremely inferior in rank to him; and it was something new
+and adventurous to treat him on terms of equality.  This, however, is
+what I was charged with, and I believe, in the firm hope of Cardinal
+Dubois that I should fail, and that he might profit by my failure.
+
+Finally, on the morning of the day before my departure, all the papers
+with which I was to be charged were brought to me.  I will not give the
+list of them.  But among these letters there was none from the King to
+the Infanta!  I thought they had forgotten to put it with the others.
+I said so to the persons who brought them to me.  What was my surprise
+when they told me that the letter was not written, but that I would have
+it in the course of the day.
+
+This appeared so strange to me, that my mind was filled with suspicion.
+I spoke of the letter to the Cardinal and to M. le Duc d'Orleans, who
+assured me that I should have it in the evening.  At midnight it had not
+arrived.  I wrote to the Cardinal.  Finally I set out without it.  He
+wrote to me, saying I should receive it before arriving at Bayonne; but
+nothing less.  I wrote him anew.  He replied to me, saying that I should
+have it before I arrived at Madrid.  A letter from the King to the
+Infanta was not difficult to write; I could not doubt, therefore, that
+there was some design in this delay.  Whatever it might be, I could not
+understand it, unless the intention was to send the letter afterwards,
+and make me pass for a heedless fellow who had lost the first.
+
+Dubois served me another most impudent turn, seven or eight days before
+my departure.  He sent word to me, by his two devoted slaves, Le Blanc
+and Belleisle, that as he had the foreign affairs under his charge, he
+must have the post, which he would not and could not any longer do
+without; that he knew I was the intimate friend of Torcy (who had the
+post in his department), whose resignation he desired; that he begged me
+to write to Torcy, and send my letter to him by an express courier to
+Sable (where he had gone on an excursion); that he should see by my
+conduct on this occasion, and its success, in what manner he could count
+upon me, and that he should act towards me accordingly.  To this his two
+slaves added all they could to persuade me to comply, assuring me that
+Dubois would break off my embassy if I did not do as he wished.  I did
+not for a moment doubt, after what I had seen of the inconceivable
+feebleness of M. le Duc d'Orleans, that Dubois was really capable of thus
+affronting and thwarting me, or that I should have no aid from the
+Regent.  At the same time I resolved to run all hazards rather than lend
+myself to an act of violence against a friend, so sure; so sage, and so
+virtuous, and who had served the state with such reputation, and deserved
+so well of it.
+
+I replied therefore to these gentlemen that I thought the commission very
+strange, and much more so their reasoning of it; that Torcy was not a man
+from whom an office of this importance could be taken unless he wished to
+give it up; that all I could do was to ask him if he wished to resign,
+and if so, on what conditions; that as to exhorting him to resign, I
+could do nothing of the kind, although I was not ignorant of what this
+refusal might cost me and my embassy.  They tried in vain to reason with
+me; all they could obtain was this firm resolution.
+
+Castries and his brother, the Archbishop, were intimate friends of Torcy
+and of myself.  I sent for them to come to me in the midst of the tumult
+of my departure.  They immediately came, and I related to them what had
+just happened.  They were more indignant at the manner and the moment,
+than at the thing itself; for Torcy knew that sooner or later the
+Cardinal would strip him of the post for his own benefit.  They extremely
+praised my reply, exhorted me to send word to Torcy, who was on the point
+of departing from Sable, or had departed, and who would make his own
+terms with M. le Duc d'Orleans much more advantageously, present, than
+absent.  I read to them the letter I had written to Torcy, while waiting
+for them, which they much approved, and which I at once despatched.
+
+Torcy of himself, had hastened his return.  My courier found him with his
+wife in the Parc of Versailles, having passed by the Chartres route.  He
+read my letter, charged the courier with many compliments for me (his
+wife did likewise), and told me to say he would see me the next day.  I
+informed M. Castries of his arrival.  We all four met the next day.
+Torcy warmly appreciated my conduct, and, to his death, we lived on terms
+of the greatest intimacy, as may be imagined when I say that he committed
+to me his memoirs (these he did not write until long after the death of
+M. le Duc d'Orleans), with which I have connected mine.  He did not seem
+to care for the post, if assured of an honourable pension.
+
+I announced then his return to Dubois, saying it would be for him and M.
+le Duc d'Orleans to make their own terms with him, and get out of the.
+matter in this way.  Dubois, content at seeing by this that Torcy
+consented to resign the post, cared not how, so that the latter made his
+own arrangements, and all passed off with the best grace on both sides.
+Torcy had some money and 60,000 livres pension during life, and 20,000
+for his wife after him.  This was arranged before my departure and was
+very well carried out afterwards.
+
+A little while after the declaration of the marriage, the Duchesse de
+Ventadour and Madame de Soubise, her granddaughter, had been named, the
+one governess of the Infanta, the other successor to the office; and they
+were both to go and meet her at the frontier, and bring her to Paris to
+the Louvre, where she was to be lodged a little while after the
+declaration of my embassy: the Prince de Rohan, her son-in-law, had
+orders to go and make the exchange of the Princesses upon the frontier,
+with the people sent by the King of Spain to perform the same function.
+I had never had any intimacy with them, though we were not on bad terms.
+But these Spanish commissions caused us to visit each other with proper
+politeness.  I forgot to say so earlier and in the proper place.
+
+At last, viz., on the 23rd of October, 1721, I set out, having with me
+the Comte de Lorge, my children, the Abbe de Saint-Simon, and his
+brother, and many others.  The rest of the company joined me at Blaye.
+We slept at Orleans, at Montrichard; and at Poictiers.  On arriving at
+Conte my berline broke down.  This caused a delay of three hours, and I
+did not arrive at Ruffec until nearly midnight.  Many noblemen of the
+neighbourhood were waiting for me there, and I entertained them at dinner
+and supper during the two days I stayed.  I experienced real pleasure in
+embracing Puy-Robert, who was lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Roussillon
+Regiment when I was captain.
+
+From Ruffec I went in two days to La Cassine, a small house at four
+leagues from Blaye, which my father had built on the borders of his
+marshes of Blaye, and which I felt much pleasure in visiting; I stopped
+there during All Saints' Day and the evening before, and the next day I
+early betook myself to Blaye again, where I sojourned two days.  I found
+several persons of quality there, many of the nobility of the country and
+of the adjoining provinces, and Boucher, Intendant of Bordeaux, brother-
+in-law of Le Blanc, who was waiting for me, and whom I entertained with
+good cheer morning and evening during this short stay.
+
+We crossed to Bordeaux in the midst of such bad weather that everybody
+pressed me to delay the trip; but I had so few, days at my command that I
+did not accede to their representations.  Boucher had brought his
+brigantine magnificently equipped, and boats enough to carry over all my
+company, most of whom went with us.  The view of the port and the town of
+Bordeaux surprised me, with more than three hundred ships of all nations
+ranged in two lines upon my passage, decked out in all their finery, and
+with a great noise from their cannons and those of the Chateau Trompette.
+
+Bordeaux is too well known to need description at my hands: I will simply
+say that after Constantinople it presents the finest view of any other
+port.  Upon landing we received many compliments, and found many
+carriages, which conducted us to the Intendant's house, where the Jurats
+came to compliment me in state dress.  I invited them to supper with.
+me, a politeness they did not expect, and which they appeared to highly
+appreciate.  I insisted upon going to see the Hotel de Ville, which is
+amazingly ugly, saying to the Jurats that it was not to satisfy my
+curiosity, but in order to pay a visit to them, that I went.  This
+extremely pleased.
+
+After thanking M. and Madame Boucher for their attention, we set out
+again, traversed the great Landes, and reached in due time Bayonne.  The
+day after my arrival there, I had an audience with the Queen Dowager of
+Spain.  I was astonished upon arriving at her house.  It had only two
+windows in front, looked upon a little court, and had but trifling depth.
+The room I entered was very plainly furnished.  I found the Queen, who
+was waiting for me, accompanied by the Duchesse de Linorez and very few
+other persons.  I complimented her in the name of the King, and presented
+to her his letter.  Nothing could be more polite than her bearing towards
+me.
+
+Passing the Pyrenees, I quitted with France, rain and bad weather, and
+found a clear sky, a charming temperature, with views and perspectives
+which changed at each moment, and which were not less charming.  We were
+all mounted upon mules, the pace of which is good but easy.  I turned a
+little out of my way to visit Loyola, famous by the birth of Saint
+Ignatius, and situated all alone in a narrow valley.  We found there four
+or five Jesuits, very polite and instructed, who took care of the
+prodigious building erected there for more than a hundred Jesuits and
+numberless scholars.  A church was there nearly finished, of rotunda
+shape, of a grandeur and size which surprised me.  Gold, painting,
+sculpture, the richest ornaments of all kinds, are distributed everywhere
+with prodigality but taste.  The architecture is correct and admirable,
+the marble is most exquisite; jasper, porphyry, lapis, polished,
+wreathed, and fluted columns, with their capitals and their ornaments of
+gilded bronze, a row of balconies between each altar with little steps of
+marble to ascend them, and the cage encrusted; the altars and that which
+accompanied them admirable.  In a word, the church was one of the most
+superb edifices in Europe, the best kept up, and the most magnificently
+adorned.  We took there the best chocolate I ever tasted, and, after some
+hours of curiosity and admiration, we regained our road.
+
+On the 15th, we arrived at Vittoria, where I found a deputation of the
+province, whom I invited to supper, and the next day to breakfast.  They
+spoke French and I was surprised to see Spaniards so gay and such good
+company at table.  Joy on account of my journey burst out in every place
+through which I passed in France and Spain, and obtained for me a good
+reception.  At Salinas, among other towns which I passed through without
+stopping, ladies, who, to judge by their houses and by themselves,
+appeared to me to be quality folks, asked me with such good grace to let
+them see the man who was bringing happiness to Spain, that I thought it
+would only be proper gallantry to enter their dwellings.  They appeared
+ravished, and I had all the trouble in the world to get rid of them, and
+to continue my road.
+
+I arrived on the 18th at Burgos, where I meant to stay at least one day,
+to see what turn would take a rather strong fever which had seized my
+eldest son; but I was so pressed to hasten on that I was obliged to leave
+my son behind with nearly all his attendants.
+
+I left Burgos therefore on the 19th.  We found but few relays, and those
+ill-established.  We travelled night and day without going to bed, until
+we reached Madrid, using such vehicles as we could obtain.  I performed
+the last twelve leagues on a posthorse, which cost twice as much as in
+France.  In this manner we arrived in Madrid on Friday, the 21st, at
+eleven o'clock at night.
+
+We found at the entrance of the town (which has neither gates nor walls,
+neither barriers nor faubourgs,) people on guard, who asked us who we
+were, and whence we came.  They had been placed there expressly so as to
+know the moment of my arrival.  As I was much fatigued by travelling
+incessantly from Burgos without stopping, I replied that we were the
+people of the Ambassador of France, who would arrive the next day.
+
+I learnt afterwards, that the minister had calculated that I could not
+reach Madrid before the 22d.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVIII
+
+Early the next morning I received a visit from Grimaldo, Minister of
+Foreign Affairs, who, overjoyed at my arrival, had announced it to their
+Catholic Majesties before coming to me.  Upon his example, apparently,
+the three other ministers, whom, according to usage, I ought to have
+visited first, came also; so that one infamous difficulty which Cardinal
+Dubois had placed in my path was happily overcome without effort on my
+part.
+
+Grimaldo at once conducted me to the palace, and introduced me to the
+King.  I made a profound reverence to him; he testified to me his joy at
+my arrival, and asked me for news of the King, of M. le Duc d'Orleans, of
+my journey, and of my eldest son, whom, as he knew, I had left behind at
+Burgos.  He then entered alone into the Cabinet of the Mirrors.  I was
+instantly surrounded by all the Court with compliments and indications of
+joy at the marriages and union of the crowns.  Nearly all the seigneurs
+spoke French, and I had great difficulty in replying to their numberless
+compliments.
+
+A half quarter of an hour after the King had entered his cabinet, he sent
+for me.  I entered alone into the Hall of Mirrors, which is very vast,
+but much less wide than long.  The King, with the Queen on his left, was
+nearly at the bottom of the salon, both their Majesties standing and
+touching each other.  I approached with three profound reverences, and I
+will remark, once for all, that the King never covers himself except at
+public audiences, and when he goes to and comes from his mass.  The
+audience lasted half an hour, and was principally occupied, on the part
+of the King and Queen, with compliments and expressions of joy at the
+marriages that were to take place.  At its close, the Queen asked me if I
+would like to see the children, and conducted me to them.
+
+I never saw prettier boys than Don Carlos and Don Ferdinand, nor a
+prettier babe than Don Philip.  The King and Queen took pleasure in
+making me look at them, and in making them turn and walk before me with
+very good grace.  Their Majesties entered afterwards into the Infanta's
+chamber, where I tried to exhibit as much gallantry as possible.  In
+fact, the Infanta was charming-like a little woman--and not at all
+embarrassed.  The Queen said to me that she already had begun to learn
+French, and the King that she would soon forget Spain.
+
+"Oh!" cried the Queen, "not only Spain, but the King and me, so as to
+attach herself to the King, her husband, alone."  Upon this I tried not
+to remain dumb, and to say what was appropriate.  Their Majesties
+dismissed me with much goodness, and I was again encircled by the crowd
+with many compliments.
+
+A few moments after the King recalled me, in order to see the Prince of
+the Asturias, who was with their Majesties in the same Hall of Mirrors.
+I found him tall, and really made to be painted; fine light-brown hair,
+light fresh-coloured complexion, long face, but agreeable; good eyes, but
+too near the nose.  I found in him also much grace and politeness.  He
+particularly asked after the King, M. le Duc d'Orleans, and Mademoiselle
+de Montpensier, to whom he was to be betrothed.
+
+Their Catholic Majesties testified much satisfaction to me at the
+diligence I had used; said that a single day would be sufficient for the
+ceremonies that had to be gone through (demanding the hand of the
+Infanta, according it, and signing the marriage contract).  Afterwards
+they asked me when all would be ready.  I replied it would be any day
+they pleased; because, as they wished to go into the country, I thought
+it would be best to throw no delay in their path.  They appeared much
+pleased at this reply, but would not fix the day, upon which I proposed
+the following Tuesday.  Overjoyed at this promptness, they fixed the
+Thursday for their departure, and left me with the best possible grace.
+
+I had got over one difficulty, as I have shown, that connected with the
+first visits, but I had others yet to grapple with.  And first, there was
+my embarrassment at finding no letter for the Infanta.  I confided this
+fact to Grimaldo, who burst out laughing, was to have my first audience
+with the Infanta the next day, and it was then that the letter ought to
+be produced.  Grimaldo said he would arrange so that when I--went, the
+governess should come into the antechamber, and say that the Infanta was
+asleep, and upon offering to awake her, I should refuse to allow her,
+take my leave, and wait until the letter from the King arrived before I
+visited her again.  Everything happened just as it had been planned, and
+thus the second obstacle which the crafty and malicious Cardinal had put
+in my path, for the sake of overturning me, was quietly got over.
+Grimaldo's kindness encouraged me to open my heart under its influence.
+I found that the Spanish minister knew, quite as, well as I did, what
+manner of person Dubois was.
+
+On Sunday, the 23rd, I had in the morning my first private audience of
+the King and Queen, together, in the Hall of Mirrors, which is the place
+where they usually give it.  I was accompanied by Maulevrier, our
+ambassador.  I presented to their Catholic Majesties the Comte de Lorge,
+the Comte de Cereste, my second son, and the Abbe de Saint-Simon and his
+bother.  I received many marks of goodness from the Queen in this
+audience.
+
+On Tuesday, the 25th of November, I had my solemn audience.  I went to
+the palace in a magnificent coach, belonging to the King, drawn by eight
+grey horses, admirably dappled.  There were no postillions, and the
+coachman drove me, his hat under his arm.  Five of my coaches filled with
+my suite followed, and about twenty others (belonging to noblemen of the
+Court, and sent by them in order to do me honour), with gentlemen in
+each.  The King's coach was surrounded by my musicians, liveried servants
+on foot, and by officers of my household.  On arriving at the open place
+in front of the palace, I thought myself at the Tuileries.  The regiments
+of Spanish guards, clad, officers and soldiers, like the French guards,
+and the regiment of the Walloon guards, clad, officers and, soldiers,
+like the Swiss guards, were under arms; the flags waved, the drums beat,
+and the officers saluted with the half-pike.  On the way, the streets
+were filled with people, the shops with dealers and artisans, all the
+windows were crowded.  Joy showed itself on every face, and we heard
+nothing but benedictions.
+
+The audience passed off admirably.  I asked the hand of the Infanta in
+marriage on the part of the King; my request was graciously complied
+with, compliments passed on both sides, and I returned to my house, well
+pleased with the reception I had met with from both their Catholic
+Majesties.
+
+There was still the marriage contract to be signed, and this was to take
+place in the afternoon.  Here was to be my great trial, for the
+majordomo-major and the nuncio of the Pope were to be present at the
+ceremony, and, according to the infamous and extraordinary instructions
+I had received from Dubois, I was to precede them!  How was this to be
+done?  I had to bring all my ingenuity to bear upon the subject in order
+to determine.  In the embarrassment I felt upon this position, I was
+careful to affect the most marked attention to the nuncio and the
+majordomo-major every time I met them and visited them; so as to take
+from them all idea that I wished to precede them, when I should in
+reality do so.
+
+The place the majordomo-major was to occupy at this ceremony was behind
+the King's armchair, a little to the right, so as to allow room for the
+captain of the guards on duty; to put myself there would be to take his
+place, and push the captain of the guards away, and those near him.  The
+place of the nuncio was at the side of the King, his face to the
+armchair; to take it would have been to push him beyond the arm of the
+chair, which assuredly he would no more have submitted to than the
+majordomo-major on the other side.  I resolved, therefore, to hazard a
+middle term; to try and introduce myself at the top of the right arm of
+the chair, a little sideways, so as to take the place of neither,
+entirely; but, nevertheless, to drive them out, and to cover this with an
+air of ignorance and of simplicity; and, at the same time, of eagerness,
+of joy, of curiosity, of courtier-like desire to speak to the King as
+much as possible: and all this I exactly executed, in appearance
+stupidly, and in reality very successfully!
+
+When the time for the audience arrived, I took up my position,
+accordingly, in the manner I have indicated.  The majordomo-major and the
+nuncio entered, and finding me thus placed, and speaking to the King,
+appeared much surprised.  I heard Signor and Sefor repeated right and
+left of me, and addressed to me--for both expressed themselves with
+difficulty in French--and I replied with bows to one and to the other
+with the smiling air of a man entirely absorbed in joy at his functions,
+and who understands nothing of what is meant; then I recommenced my
+conversation with the King, with a sort of liberty and enthusiasm, so
+that the nuncio and majordomo-major: soon grew tired of appealing to a
+man whose spirit was so transported that he no longer knew where he was,
+or what was said to him.  In this manner I defeated the craft, cunning,
+and maliciousness of Dubois.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, I
+accompanied the King and Queen to the door of the Hall of Mirrors, taking
+good care then to show every deference to the majordomo-major and the
+nuncio, and yielding place to them, in order to remove any impression
+from their minds that I had just acted in a contrary manner from design.
+As soon as their Catholic Majesties had departed, and the door of the
+salon was closed upon them, I was encircled and, so to speak, almost
+stifled by the company present, who, one after the other, pressed upon me
+with the greatest demonstrations of joy and a thousand compliments.
+I returned home after the ceremony, which had lasted a long time.  While
+I occupied my stolen position I was obliged, in order to maintain it, to
+keep up an incessant conversation with the King, and at last, no longer
+knowing what to talk about, I asked him for an audience the next day,
+which he readily accorded me.  But this direct request was contrary to
+the usage of the Court, where the ambassadors, the other foreign
+ministers, and the subjects of the country of, whatever rank, address
+their requests to an officer who is appointed to receive them, who
+communicates with the King, and names the day and the hour when his
+Majesty will grant the interview.
+
+Grimaldo, a little after the end of ceremony, had gone to work with the
+King and Queen, as was customary.--I was surprised, an hour after
+returning home, to receive a letter from this minister, asking me if I
+had anything to say to the King I did not wish the Queen to hear,
+referring to the audience I had asked of the King for the morrow, and
+begging me to tell him what it was for.  I replied to him instantly, that
+having found the opportunity good I had asked for this audience; but if I
+had not mentioned the Queen, it was because I had imagined she was so
+accustomed to be present that there was no necessity to allude to her:
+but as to the rest, I had my thanks to offer to the King upon what had
+just passed, and nothing to say to him that I should not wish to say to
+the Queen, and that I should be very sorry if she were not present.
+
+As I was writing this reply, Don Gaspard Giron invited me to go and see
+the illuminations of the Place Mayor.  I quickly finished my letter; we
+jumped into a coach, and the principal people of my suite jumped into
+others.  We were conducted by detours to avoid the light of the
+illuminations in approaching them, and we arrived at a fine house which
+looks upon the middle of the Place, and which is that where the King and
+Queen go to see the fetes that take place.  We perceived no light in
+descending or in ascending the staircase.  Everything had been closed,
+but on entering into the chamber which looks upon the Place, we were
+dazzled, and immediately we entered the balcony speech failed me, from
+surprise, for more than seven or eight minutes.
+
+This Place is superficially much vaster than any I had ever seen in Paris
+or elsewhere, and of greater length than breadth.  The five stories of
+the houses which surround it are all of the same level; each has windows
+at equal distance, and of equal size, with balconies as deep as they are
+long, guarded by iron balustrades, exactly alike in every case.  Upon
+each of these balconies two torches of white wax were placed, one at each
+end of the balcony, supported upon the balustrade, slightly leaning
+outwards, and attached to nothing.  The light that this--gives is
+incredible; it has a splendour and a majesty about it that astonish you
+and impress you.  The smallest type can be read in the middle of the
+Place, and all about, though the ground-floor is not illuminated.
+
+As soon as I appeared upon the balcony, all the people beneath gathered
+round and began to cry, Senor!  tauro!  tauro!  The people were asking me
+to obtain for them a bull-fight, which is what they like best in the
+world, and what the King had not permitted for several years from
+conscientious principles.  Therefore I contented myself the next day with
+simply telling him of these cries, without asking any questions thereon,
+while expressing to him my astonishment at an illumination so surprising
+and so admirable.
+
+Don Gaspard Giron and the Spaniards who were with me in the house from
+which I saw the illumination, charmed with the astonishment I had
+displayed at this spectacle, published it abroad with all the more
+pleasure because they were not accustomed to the admiration of the
+French, and many noblemen spoke of it to me with great pleasure.
+Scarcely had I time to return home and sup after this fine illumination
+than I was obliged to go to the palace for the ball that the King had
+prepared there, and which lasted until past two in the morning.
+
+The salon was very vast and splendid;'the dresses of the company were
+sumptuous; the appearance of our finest fancy-dress balls did not
+approach the appearance of this.
+
+What seemed strange to me was to see three bishops in lawn sleeves and
+cloaks in the ball-room, remaining, too, all the evening, and to see the
+accoutrement of the camerara-mayor, who held exposed in her hand a great
+chaplet, and who, while talking and criticising the ball and the dancers,
+muttered her prayers, and continued to do so while the ball lasted.  What
+I found very strange was, that none of the men present (except six
+special officers and Maulevrier and myself) were allowed to sit, not even
+the dancers; in fact, there was not a single seat in the whole salon, not
+even at the back, except those I have specified.
+
+In Spain, men and women of all ages wear all sorts of colours, and dance
+if they like, even when more than sixty years old, without exciting the
+slightest ridicule or astonishment.  I saw several examples of this among
+men and women.
+
+Amongst the company present was Madame Robecque, a Frenchwoman, one of
+the Queen's ladies, whom I had known before she went to Spain.  In former
+days we had danced together at the Court.  Apparently she said so to the
+Queen, for after having danced with one of the children, she traversed
+the whole length of the salon, made a fine curtsey to their Catholic
+Majesties, and came to dislodge me from my retreat, asking me with a
+curtsey and a smile to dance.  I replied to her by saying she was
+laughing at me; dispute, gallantries; finally, she went to the Queen, who
+called me and told me that the King and she wished me to dance.
+
+I took the liberty to represent to her that she wished to divert herself
+at my expense; that this order could not be serious; I alleged my age, my
+position, the number of years since I had danced; in a word, I did all I
+could to back out.  But all was useless.  The King mixed himself in the
+matter; both he and the Queen begged me to comply, tried to persuade me
+I danced very well; at last commanded me, and in such a manner that I was
+obliged to obey.  I acquitted myself, therefore, as well as I could.
+
+The ball being finished, the Marquis de Villagarcias, one of the
+majordomos, and one of the most honest and most gracious of men I ever
+saw (since appointed Viceroy of Peru), would not let me leave until I had
+rested in the refreshment-room, where he made me drink a glass of
+excellent neat wine, because I was all in a sweat from the minuets and
+quadrilles I had gone through, under a very heavy coat.
+
+This same evening and the next I illuminated my house within and without,
+not having a moment's leisure to give any fete in the midst of the many
+functions I had been so precipitately called upon to fulfil.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CIX
+
+On Thursday, the 27th of November, the King and Queen were to depart from
+Madrid to Lerma, a pretty hamlet six leagues from Burgos, where they had
+a palace.  On the same day, very early in the morning, our ambassador,
+Maulevrier, came to me with despatches from Cardinal Dubois, announcing
+that the Regent's daughter, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, had departed on
+the 18th of November for Spain, and giving information as to the places
+she would stop at, the people she would be accompanied by, the day she
+would arrive at the frontier, and the persons charged with the exchange
+of the Princesses.
+
+Maulevrier and I thought this news so important that we felt there was no
+time to lose, and at once hastened away to the palace to communicate it
+to their Majesties, who we knew were waiting for it most impatiently.  We
+arrived at such an early hour that all was deserted in the palace, and
+when we reached the door of the Hall of Mirrors, we were obliged to knock
+loudly in order to be heard.  A French valet opened the door, and told us
+that their Catholic Majesties were still in bed.  We did not doubt it,
+and begged him to apprise them that we wished to have the honour of
+speaking to them.  Such an honour was unheard of, except under
+extraordinary circumstances; nevertheless the valet quickly returned,
+saying that their Majesties would receive us, though it was against all
+rule and usage to do so while they were in bed.
+
+We traversed therefore the long and grand Hall of Mirrors, turned to the
+left at the end into a large and fine room, then short off to the left
+again into a very little chamber, portioned off from the other, and
+lighted by the door and by two little windows at the top of the partition
+wall.  There was a bed of four feet and a half at most, of crimson
+damask, with gold fringe, four posts, the curtains open at the foot and
+at the side the King occupied.  The King was almost stretched out upon
+pillows with a little bed-gown of white satin; the Queen sitting upright,
+a piece of tapestry in her hand, at the left of the King, some skeins of
+thread near her, papers scattered upon the rest of the bed and upon an
+armchair at the side of it.  She was quite close to the King, who was in
+his night-cap, she also, and in her bed-gown, both between the sheets,
+which were only very imperfectly hidden by the papers.
+
+They made us abridge our reverences, and the King, raising himself a
+little impatiently, asked us our business.  We were alone, the valet
+having retired after showing us the door.
+
+"Good news, Sire," replied I.  "Mademoiselle de Montpensier set out on
+the 18th; the courier has this instant brought us the news, and we have
+at once come to present ourselves to you and apprise your Majesties of
+it."
+
+Joy instantly painted itself on their faces, and immediately they began
+to question us at great length upon the details the courier had brought
+us.  After an animated conversation, in which Maulevrier took but little
+part, their Catholic Majesties dismissed us, testifying to us the great
+pleasure we had caused them by not losing a minute in acquainting them
+with the departure of Mademoiselle de Montpensier, above all in not
+having been stopped by the hour, and by the fact that they were in bed.
+
+We went back to my house to dine and returned to the palace in order to
+see the King and Queen depart.  I again received from them a thousand
+marks of favour.  Both the King and Queen, but especially the latter,
+several times insisted that I must not lose any time in following them to
+Lerma; upon which I assured them they would find me there as they
+alighted from their coach.
+
+I set out, in fact, on the 2nd of December, from Madrid, to join the
+Court, and was to sleep at the Escurial, with the Comtes de Lorges and de
+Cereste, my second son, the Abbe de Saint-Simon and his brother, Pacquet,
+and two principal officers of the King's troops, who remained with me as
+long as I stayed in Spain.  In addition to the orders of the King of
+Spain and the letters of the Marquis de Grimaldo, I was also furnished
+with those of the nuncio for the Prior of the Escurial, who is, at the
+same time, governor, in order that I might he shown the marvels of this
+superb and prodigious monastery, and that everything might be opened for
+me that I wished to visit; for I had been warned that, without the
+recommendation of the nuncio, neither that of the King and his minister,
+nor any official character, would have much served me.  It will be seen
+that, after all, I did not fail to suffer from the churlishness and the
+superstition of these coarse Jeronimites.
+
+They are black and white monks, whose dress resembles that of the
+Celestins; very idle, ignorant, and without austerity, who, by the number
+of their monasteries and their riches, are in Spain much about what the
+Benedictines are in France, and like them are a congregation.  They elect
+also, like the Benedictines, their superiors, local and general, except
+the Prior of the Escurial, who is nominated by the King, remains in
+office as long as the King likes and no more, and who is yet better
+lodged at the Escurial than his Catholic Majesty.  'Tis a prodigy, this
+building, of extent, of structure, of every kind of magnificence, and
+contains an immense heap of riches, in pictures, in ornaments, in vases
+of all kinds, in precious stones, everywhere strewn about, and the
+description of which I will not undertake, since it does not belong to my
+subject.  Suffice it to say that a curious connoisseur of all these
+different beauties might occupy himself there for three months without
+cessation, and then would not have examined all.  The gridiron (its form,
+at least) has regulated all the ordonnance of this sumptuous edifice in
+honour of Saint-Laurent, and of the battle of Saint-Quentin, gained by
+Philippe II., who, seeing the action from a height, vowed he would erect
+this monastery if his troops obtained the victory, and asked his
+courtiers, if such were the pleasures of the Emperor, his father, who in
+fact did not go so far for them as that.
+
+There is not a door, a lock, or utensil of any kind, or a piece of plate,
+that is not marked with a gridiron.
+
+The distance from Madrid to the Escurial is much about the same as that
+from Paris to Fontainebleau.  The country is very flat and becomes a
+wilderness on approaching the Escurial, which takes its name from a large
+village you pass, a league off.  It is upon an eminence which you ascend
+imperceptibly, and upon which you see endless deserts on three sides; but
+it is backed, as it were, by the mountain of Guadarama, which encircles
+Madrid on three sides, at a distance of several leagues, more or less.
+There is no village at the Escurial; the lodging of their Catholic
+Majesties forms the handle of the gridiron.  The principal grand
+officers, and those most necessary, are lodged, as well as the Queen's
+ladies, in the monastery; on the side by which you arrive all is very
+badly built.
+
+The church, the grand staircase, and the grand cloister, surprised me.
+I admired the elegance of the surgery, and the pleasantness of the
+gardens, which, however, are only a long and wide terrace.  The Pantheon
+frightened me by a sort of horror and majesty.  The grand-altar and the
+sacristy wearied my eyes, by their immense opulence.  The library did not
+satisfy me, and the librarians still less: I was received with much
+civility, and invited to a good supper in the Spanish style, at which the
+Prior and another monk did the honours.  After this fast repast my people
+prepared my meals, but this fat monk always supplied one or two things
+that it would not have been civil to refuse, and always ate with me; for,
+in order that he might conduct us everywhere, he never quitted our sides.
+Bad Latin supplied the place of French, which he did not understand; nor
+even Spanish.
+
+In the sanctuary at the grand altar, there are windows behind the seats
+of the priest and his assistants, who celebrate the grand mass.  These
+windows, which are nearly on a level with the sanctuary (very high),
+belong to the apartment that Philippe II.  had built for himself, and in
+which he died.  He heard service through these windows.  I wished to see
+this apartment, which was entered from behind.  I was refused.  It was in
+vain that I insisted on the orders of the King and of the nuncio,
+authorising me to see all I wished.  I disputed uselessly.  They told me
+this apartment had been closed ever since the death of Philippe II., and
+that nobody had entered it.  I maintained that King Philippe V.  and his
+suite had seen it.  They admitted the fact, but at the same time told me
+that he had entered by force as a master, threatening to break in the
+doors, that he was the only King who had entered since Philippe II., and
+that they would not open the apartment to anybody.  I understood nothing
+of all this superstition, but I was forced to rest content in my
+ignorance.  Louville, who had entered with the King, had told me that the
+place contained only five or six dark chambers, and some holes and
+corners with wainscots plastered with mud; without tapestry, when he saw
+it, or any kind of furniture; thus I did not lose much by not entering.
+
+In the Rotting-Room, which I have elsewhere described, we read the
+inscriptions near us, and the monk read others as we asked him.  We
+walked thus, all round, talking and discoursing thereon.  Passing to the
+bottom of the room, the coffin of the unhappy Don Carlos offered itself
+to our sight.
+
+"As for him," said I, "it is well known why, and of what he died."  At
+this remark, the fat monk turned rusty, maintained he had died a natural
+death, and began to declaim against the stories which he said had been
+spread abroad about him.  I smiled, saying, I admitted it was not true
+that his veins had been opened.  This observation completed the
+irritation of the monk, who began to babble in a sort of fury.  I
+diverted myself with it at first in silence; then I said to him, that the
+King, shortly after arriving in Spain; had had the curiosity to open the
+coffin of Don Carlos, and that I knew from a man who was present ('twas
+Louville), that his head had been found between his legs; that Philippe
+II., his father, had had it cut off before him in the prison.
+
+"Very well!" cried the monk in fury, "apparently he had well deserved it;
+for Philippe II., had permission from the Pope to do so!"  and,
+thereupon, he began to cry with all his might about the marvels of piety
+and of justice of Philippe II., and about the boundless power of the
+Pope, and to cry heresy against any one who doubted that he could not
+order, decide, and dispose of all.
+
+Such is the fanaticism of the countries of the Inquisition, where science
+is a crime, ignorance and superstition the first of virtues.  Though my
+official character protected me, I did not care to dispute, and cause a
+ridiculous scene with this bigot of a monk.  I contented myself with
+smiling, and by making a sign of silence as I did so to those who were
+with me.  The monk, therefore, had full swing, and preached a long time
+without giving over.  He perceived, perhaps, by our faces, that we were
+laughing at him, although without gestures or words.  At last he showed
+us the rest of the chamber, still fuming; then we descended to the
+Pantheon.  They did me the singular favour to light about two-thirds of
+the immense and admirable chandelier, suspended from the middle of the
+roof, the lights of which dazzled us, and enabled us to distinguish in
+every part of the Rotting-Room; not only the smallest details of the
+smallest letter, but the minutest features of the place.
+
+I passed three days in the Escurial, lodged in a large and fine
+apartment, and all that were with me well lodged also.  Our monk, who had
+always been in an ill-humour since the day of the Rotting-Room, did not
+recover himself until the parting breakfast came.  We quitted him without
+regret, but not the Escurial, which would pleasantly occupy a curious
+connoisseur during more than a three months' stay.  On the road we met
+the Marquis de Montalegre, who invited, us to dinner with him.  The meal
+was so good that we little regretted the dinner my people had prepared
+for us.
+
+At last we arrived on the 9th, at our village of Villahalmanzo, where I
+found most comfortable quarters for myself and all who were with me.  I
+found there, also, my eldest son, still merely, convalescent, with the
+Abbe de Monthon, who came from Burgos.  We supped very gaily, and I
+reckoned upon taking a good excursion the next day, and upon amusing
+myself in reconnoitring the village and the environs; but fever seized me
+during the night, augmented during the day, became violent the following
+night, so that there was no more talk of going on the 11th to meet the
+King and Queen at Lerma, as they alighted from their coach, according to
+arrangement.
+
+The malady increased with such rapidity that I was found to be in great
+danger, and immediately after, on the point of death.  I was bled shortly
+after.  The small-pox, with which the whole country was filled, appeared.
+The climate was such this year that it froze hard twelve or fourteen
+hours every day, while from eleven o'clock in 'the morning till nearly
+four, the sun shone as brightly as possible, and it was too hot about
+mid-day for walking!  Yet in the shade it did not thaw for an instant.
+This cold weather was all the more sharp because the air was purer and
+clearer, and the sky continually of the most perfect serenity.
+
+The King of Spain, who was dreadfully afraid of the small-pox, and who
+with reason had confidence only in his chief doctor, sent him to me as
+soon as he was informed of my illness, with orders not to quit me until I
+was cured.  I had, therefore, five or six persons continually around me,
+in addition to the domestics who served me, one of the best and most
+skilful physicians in Europe, who, moreover, was capital company, and who
+did not quit me night or day, and three very good surgeons.  The small-
+pox came out very abundantly all over me; it was of a good kind, and I
+had no dangerous accident.  Every one who waited upon me, master or man,
+was cut off from all intercourse with the rest of the world; even those
+who cooked for us, from those who did not.
+
+The chief physician nearly every day provided new remedies in case of
+need, and yet administered none to me, except in giving me, as my sole
+beverage, water, in which, according to its quantity, oranges were
+thrown, cut in two with their skins on, and which gently simmered before
+my, fire; occasionally some spoonful of a gentle and agreeable cordial
+during the height of the suppuration, and afterwards a little Rota wine,
+and some broth, made of beef and partridge.
+
+Nothing was wanting, then, on the part of those who had charge of me.  I
+was their only patient, and they had orders not to quit me, and nothing
+was wanting for my amusement, when I was in a condition to take any, so
+much good company being around me, and that at a time when convalescents
+of this malady experience all the weariness and fretfulness of it.  At
+the end of my illness I was bled and purged once, after which I lived as
+usual, but in a species of solitude.
+
+During the long interval in which this illness shut me out from all
+intercourse with the world, the Abbe de Saint-Simon corresponded for me
+with Cardinal Dubois, Grimaldo, Sartine, and some others.
+
+The King and Queen, not content with having sent me their chief
+physician, M. Hyghens, to be with me night and day, wished to hear how I
+was twice a day, and when I was better, unceasingly showed to me a
+thousand favours, in which they were imitated by all the Court.
+
+But I was six weeks ill in all.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CX
+
+Here I think will be the fitting place to introduce an account of the
+daily life of the King and Queen of Spain, which in many respects was
+entitled to be regarded as singular.  During my stay at the Court I had
+plenty of opportunity to mark it well, so that what I relate may be said
+to have passed under my own eyes.  This, then, was their daily life
+wherever they were, and in all times and seasons.
+
+The King and Queen never had more than one apartment, and one bed between
+them, the latter exactly as I have described it when relating my visit
+with Maulevrier to their Catholic Majesties to carry to them the news of
+the departure from Paris of the future Princess of the Asturias.  During
+fevers, illness, no matter of what kind, or on whose side, childbirth
+even,--never were they a single night apart, and even when the deceased
+Queen was eaten up with the scrofula, the King continued to sleep with
+her until a few nights before her death!
+
+About nine o'clock in the morning the curtains were drawn by the Asafeta,
+followed by a single valet carrying a basin full of caudle.  Hyghens,
+during my convalescence, explained to me how this caudle was made, and in
+fact concocted some for me to taste.  It is a light mixture of broth,
+milk, wine (which is in the largest quantity), one or two yolks of eggs,
+sugar, cinnamon, and a few cloves.  It is white; has a very strong taste,
+not unmixed with softness.  I should not like to take it habitually,
+nevertheless it is not disagreeable.  You put in it, if you like, crusts
+of bread, or, at times, toast, and then it becomes a species of soup;
+otherwise it is drunk as broth; and, ordinarily, it was in this last
+fashion the King took it.  It is unctuous, but very warm, a restorative
+singularly good for retrieving the past night, and, for preparing you for
+the next.
+
+While the King partook of this brief breakfast, the Asafeta brought the
+Queen some tapestry to work at, passed bed-gowns to their Majesties, and
+put upon the bed some of the papers she found upon the adjoining seats,
+then withdrew with the valet and what he had brought.  Their Majesties
+then said their morning prayers.  Grimaldo afterwards entered.  Sometimes
+they signalled to him to wait, as he came in, and called him when their
+prayer was over, for there was nobody else, and the bedroom was very
+small.  Then Grimaldo displayed his papers, drew from his pocket an
+inkstand, and worked with the King; the Queen not being hindered by her
+tapestry from giving her opinion.
+
+This work lasted more or less according to the business, or to the
+conversation.  Grimaldo, upon leaving with his papers, found the
+adjoining room empty, and a valet in that beyond, who, seeing him pass,
+entered into the empty room, crossed it, and summoned the Asafeta, who
+immediately came and presented to the King his slippers and his dressing-
+gown; he at once passed across the empty room and entered into a cabinet,
+where he dressed himself, followed by three valets (never changed) and by
+the Duc del Arco, or the Marquis de Santa Cruz, and after by both, nobody
+else ever being present at the ceremony.
+
+The Queen, as soon as the King had passed into his cabinet, put on her
+stockings and shoes alone with the Asafeta, who gave her her dressing-
+gown.  It was the only moment in which this person could speak to the
+Queen, or the Queen to her; but this moment did not stretch at the most
+to more than half a quarter of an hour.  Had they been longer together
+the King would have known it, and would have wanted to hear what kept
+them.  The Queen passed through the empty chamber and entered into a fine
+large cabinet, where her toilette awaited her.  When the King had dressed
+in his cabinet--where he often spoke to his confessor--he went to the
+Queen's toilette, followed by the two seigneurs just named.  A few of the
+specially--privileged were also admitted there.  This toilette lasted
+about three-quarters of an hour, the King and all the rest of the company
+standing.
+
+When it was over, the King half opened the door of the Hall of Mirrors,
+which leads into the salon where the Court assembled, and gave his
+orders; then rejoined the Queen in that room which I have so often called
+the empty room.  There and then took place the private audiences of the
+foreign ministers, and of, the seigneurs, or other subjects who obtained
+them.  Once a week, on Monday, there was a public audience, a practice
+which cannot be too much praised where it is not abused.  The King,
+instead of half opening the door, threw it wide open, and admitted
+whoever liked to enter.  People spoke to the King as much as they liked,
+how they liked, and gave him in writing what they liked.  But the
+Spaniards resemble in nothing the French; they are measured, discreet,
+respectful, brief.
+
+After the audiences, or after amusing himself with the Queen--if there
+are none, the King went to dress.  The Queen accompanied him, and they
+took the communion together (never separately) about once a week, and
+then they heard a second mass.  The confession of the King was said after
+he rose, and before he went to the Queen's toilette.
+
+Upon returning from mass, or very shortly after, the dinner was served.
+It was always in the Queen's apartment, as well as the supper, but the
+King and Queen had each their dishes; the former, few, the latter, many,
+for she liked eating, and ate of everything; the King always kept to the
+same things--soup, capon, pigeons, boiled and roast, and always a roast
+loin of veal--no fruit; or salad, or cheese; pastry, rarely, never
+maigre; eggs, often cooked in various fashion; and he drank nothing but
+champagne; the Queen the same.  When the dinner was finished, they prayed
+to God together.  If anything pressing happened, Grimaldo came and gave
+them a brief account of it.
+
+About an hour after dinner, they left the apartment by a short passage
+accessible to the court, and descended by a little staircase to their
+coach, returning by the same way.  The seigneurs who frequented the court
+pretty constantly assembled, now one, now another, in this passage, or
+followed their Majesties to their coaches.  Very often I saw them in this
+passage as they went or returned.  The Queen always said something
+pleasant to whoever was there.  I will speak elsewhere of the hunting-
+party their Majesties daily made.
+
+Upon returning, the King gave his orders.  If they had not partaken of a
+collation in the coach, they partook of one upon arriving.  It was for
+the King, a morsel of bread, a big biscuit, some water and wine; and for
+the Queen, pastry and fruit in season, sometimes cheese.  The Prince and
+the Princess of the Asturias, and the children, followed and waited for
+them in the inner apartment.  This company withdrew in less than half a
+quarter of an hour.  Grimaldo came and worked ordinarily for a long time;
+it was the time for the real work of the day.  When the Queen went to
+confession this also was the time she selected.  Except what related to
+the confession, she and her confessor had no time to say anything to each
+other.  The cabinet in which she confessed to him was contiguous to the
+room occupied by the King, and when the latter thought the confession too
+long, he opened the door and called her.  Grimaldo being gone, they
+prayed together, or sometimes occupied themselves with spiritual reading
+until supper.  It was served like the dinner.  At both meals there were
+more dishes in the French style than in the Spanish, or even the Italian.
+
+After supper, conversation or prayers conducted them to the hour for bed,
+when nearly the same observances took place as in the morning.  Finally,
+their Catholic Majesties everywhere had but one wardrobe between them,
+and were never in private one from another.
+
+These uniform days were the same in all places, and even during the
+journeys taken by their Majesties, who were thus never separated, except
+for a few minutes at a time.  They passed their lives in one long tete-a-
+tete.  When they travelled it was at the merest snail's pace, and they
+slept on the road, night after night, in houses prepared for them.  In
+their coach they were always alone; when in the palace it was the same.
+
+The King had been accustomed to this monotonous life by his first queen,
+and he did not care for any other.  The new Queen, upon arriving, soon
+found this out, and found also that if she wished to rule him, she must
+keep him in the same room, confined as he had been kept by her
+predecessor.  Alberoni was the only person admitted to their privacy.
+This second marriage of the King of Spain, entirely brought about by
+Madame des Ursins, was very distasteful to the Spaniards, who detested
+that personage most warmly, and were in consequence predisposed to look
+unfavourably upon anyone she favoured.  It is true, the new Queen, on
+arriving, drove out Madame des Ursins, but this showed her to be
+possessed of as much power as the woman she displaced, and when she began
+to exercise that power in other directions the popular dislike to her was
+increased.  She made no effort to mitigate it--hating the Spaniards as
+much as they hated her--and it is incredible to what an extent this
+reciprocal aversion stretched.
+
+When the Queen went out with the King to the chase or to the atocha, the
+people unceasingly cried, as well as the citizens in their shops, "Viva
+el Re y la Savoyana, y la Savoyana," and incessantly repeated, with all
+their lungs, "la Savoyana," which is the deceased Queen (I say this to
+prevent mistake), no voice ever crying "Viva la Reina."  The Queen
+pretended to despise this, but inwardly raged (as people saw), she could
+not habituate herself to it.  She has said to me very frequently and more
+than once: "The Spaniards do not like me, and in return I hate them,"
+with an air of anger and of pique.
+
+These long details upon the daily life of the King and Queen may appear
+trivial, but they will not be judged so by those who know, as I do, what
+valuable information is to be gained from similar particulars.  I will
+simply say in passing, that an experience of twenty years has convinced
+me that the knowledge of such details is the key to many others, and that
+it is always wanting in histories, often in memoirs the most interesting
+and instructive, but which would be much more so if they had not
+neglected this chapter, regarded by those who do not know its price, as a
+bagatelle unworthy of entering into a serious recital.  Nevertheless, I
+am quite certain, that there is not a minister of state, a favourite, or
+a single person of whatever rank, initiated by his office into the
+domestic life of sovereigns, who will not echo my sentiments.
+
+And now let me give a more distinct account of the King of Spain than I
+have yet written.
+
+Philip V. was not gifted with superior understanding or with any stock of
+what is called imagination.  He was cold, silent, sad, sober, fond of no
+pleasure except the chase, fearing society, fearing himself, unexpansive,
+a recluse by taste and habits, rarely touched by others, of good sense
+nevertheless, and upright, with a tolerably good knowledge of things,
+obstinate when he liked, and often then not to be moved; nevertheless,
+easy at other times to govern and influence.
+
+He was cold.  In his campaigns he allowed himself to be led into any
+position, even under a brisk fire, without budging in the slightest; nay,
+amusing himself by seeing whether anybody was afraid.  Secured and
+removed from danger he was the same, without thinking that his glory
+could suffer by it.  He liked to make war, but was indifferent whether he
+went there or not; and present or absent, left everything to the generals
+without doing anything himself.
+
+He was extremely vain; could bear no opposition in any of his
+enterprises; and what made me judge he liked praise, was that the Queen
+invariably praised him--even his face; and asked me one day, at the end
+of an audience which had led us into conversation, if I did not think him
+very handsome, and more so than any one I knew?--His piety was only
+custom, scruples, fears, little observances, without knowing anything of
+religion: the Pope a divinity when not opposed to him; in fact he had the
+outside religion of the Jesuits, of whom he was passionately fond.
+
+Although his health was very good, he always feared for it; he was always
+looking after it.  A physician, such as the one Louis XI.  enriched so
+much at the end of his life; a Maitre Coythier would have become a rich
+and powerful personage by his side; fortunately his physician was a
+thoroughly good and honourable man, and he who succeeded him devoted to
+the Queen.  Philip V. could speak well--very well, but was often hindered
+by idleness and self-mistrust.  To the audiences I had with him, however,
+he astonished me by the precision, the grace, the easiness of his words.
+He was good, easy to serve, familiar with a few.  His love of France
+showed itself in everything.  He preserved much gratitude and veneration
+for the deceased King, and tenderness for the late Monsieur; above all
+for the Dauphin, his brother, for whose loss he was never consoled.
+I noticed nothing in him towards any other of the royal family, except
+the King; and he never asked me concerning anybody in the Court, except,
+and then in a friendly manner, the Duchesse de Beauvilliers.
+
+He had scruples respecting his crown, that can with difficulty be
+reconciled with the desire he had to return, in case of misfortune, to
+the throne of his fathers, which he had more than once so solemnly
+renounced.  He believed himself an usurper!  and in this idea nourished
+his desire to return to France, and abandon Spain and his scruples at one
+and the same time.  It cannot be disguised that all this was very ill-
+arranged in his head, but there it was, and he would have abandoned Spain
+had it been possible, because he felt compelled by duty to do so.  It was
+this feeling which principally induced him, after meditating upon it long
+before I arrived in Spain, to abdicate his throne in favour of his son.
+It was the same usurpation in his eyes, but not being able to obey his
+scruples, he contented himself by doing all he could in abdicating.  It
+was still this feeling which, at the death of his son, troubled him so
+much, when he saw himself compelled to reascend the throne; though,
+during his abdication, that son had caused him not a little vexation.
+As may well be imagined, Philip V. never spoke of these delicate matters
+to me, but I was not less well informed of them elsewhere.
+
+The Queen desired not less to abandon Spain, which she hated, and to
+return into France and reign, where she hoped to lead a life of less
+seclusion, and much more agreeable.
+
+Notwithstanding all I have said, it is perfectly true that Philip V. was
+but little troubled by the wars he made, that he was fond of enterprises,
+and that his passion was to be respected and dreaded, and to figure
+grandly in Europe.
+
+But let me now more particularly describe the Queen.
+
+This princess had much intellect and natural graces, which she knew how
+to put to account.  Her sense, her reflection, and her conduct, were
+guided by that intellect, from which she drew all the charms and, all the
+advantages possible.  Whoever knew her was astonished to find how her
+intelligence and natural capacity supplied the place of her want of
+knowledge of the world, of persons, of affairs, upon all of which
+subjects, her garret life in Parma, and afterwards her secluded life with
+the King of Spain, hindered her from obtaining any real instruction.  The
+perspicuity she possessed, which enabled her to see the right side of
+everything that came under her inspection, was undeniable, and this
+singular gift would have become developed in her to perfection if its
+growth had not been interrupted by the ill-humour she possessed; which it
+must be admitted the life she led was more than enough to give her.  She
+felt her talent and her strength, but did not feel the fatuity and pride
+which weakened them and rendered them ridiculous.  The current of her
+life was simple, smooth, with a natural gaiety even, which sparkled
+through the eternal restraint of her existence; and despite the ill-
+temper and the sharpness which this restraint without rest gave her, she
+was a woman ordinarily without pretension, and really charming.
+
+When she arrived in Spain she was sure, in the first place, of driving
+away Madame des Ursins, and of filling-her place in the government at
+once.  She seized that place, and took possession also of the King's
+mind, which she soon entirely ruled.  As to public business, nothing
+could be hidden from her.  The King always worked in her presence, never
+otherwise; all that he saw alone she read and discussed with him.  She
+was always present at all the private audiences that he gave, whether to
+his subjects or to the foreign ministers; so that, as I have before
+remarked, nothing possibly could escape her.
+
+As for the King, the eternal night and day tete-a-tete she had with him
+enabled her to sound him thoroughly, to know him by heart, so to speak.
+She knew perfectly the time for preparatory insinuations, their success;
+the resistance, when there was any, its course and how to overcome it;
+the moments for yielding, in order to return afterwards to the charge,
+and those for holding firm and carrying everything by force.  She stood
+in need of all these intrigues, notwithstanding her credit with the King.
+If I may dare to say it, his temperament was her strong point, and she
+sometimes had recourse to it.  Then her coldness excited tempests.  The
+King cried and menaced; now and then went further; she held firm, wept,
+and sometimes defended herself.  In the morning all was stormy.  The
+immediate attendants acted towards King and Queen often without
+penetrating the cause of their quarrel.  Peace was concluded at the first
+opportunity, rarely to the disadvantage of the Queen, who mostly had her
+own way.
+
+A quarrel of this sort arose when I was at Madrid; and I was advised,
+after hearing details I will not repeat, to mix myself up in it, but I
+burst out laughing and took good care not to follow this counsel.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CXI.
+
+The chase was every day the amusement of the King, and the Queen was
+obliged to make it hers.  But it was always the same.  Their Catholic
+Majesties did me the singular honour to invite me to it once, and I went
+in my coach.  Thus I saw this pleasure well, and to see it once is to see
+it always.  Animals to shoot are not met with in the plains.  They must
+be sought for among the mountains,--and there the ground is too rugged
+for hunting the stag, the wild boar, and other beasts as we hunt the
+hare,--and elsewhere.  The plains even are so dry, so hard, so full of
+deep crevices (that are not perceived until their brink is reached), that
+the best hounds or harriers would soon be knocked up, and would have
+their feet blistered, nay lamed, for a long time.  Besides, the ground is
+so thickly covered with sturdy vegetation that the hounds could not
+derive much help from their noses.  Mere shooting on the wing the King
+had long since quitted, and he had ceased to mount his horse; thus the
+chase simply resolved itself into a battue.
+
+The Duc del Orco, who, by his post of grand ecuyer, had the
+superintendence of all the hunting arrangements, chose the place where
+the King and Queen were to go.  Two large arbours were erected there, the
+one against the other, entirely shut in, except where two large openings,
+like windows, were made, of breast-height.  The King, the Queen, the
+captain of the guards, and the grand ecuyer were in the first arbour with
+about twenty guns and the wherewithal to load them.  In the other arbour,
+the day I was present, were the Prince of the Asturias, who came in his
+coach with the Duc de Ponoli and the Marquis del Surco, the Marquis de
+Santa Cruz, the Duc Giovenazzo, majordomo, major and grand ecuyer to the
+Queen, Valouse, two or three officers of the body-guard, and I myself.
+We had a number of guns, and some men to load them.  A single lady of the
+palace followed the Queen all alone, in another coach, which she did not
+quit; she carried with her, for her consolation, a book or some work, for
+no one approached her.  Their Majesties and their suite went to the chase
+in hot haste with relays of guards and of coach horses, for the distance
+was at least three or four leagues; at the least double that from Paris
+to Versailles.  The party alighted at the arbours, and immediately the
+carriages, the poor lady of the palace, and all the horses were led away
+far out of sight, lest they should frighten the beasts.
+
+Two, three, four hundred peasants had early in the morning beaten the
+country round, with hue and cry, after having enclosed it and driven all
+the animals together as near these arbours as possible.  When in the
+arbour you were not allowed to stir, or to make the slightest remarks, or
+to wear attractive colours; and everybody stood up in silence.
+
+This period of expectation lasted an hour and a half, and did not appear
+to me very amusing.  At last we heard loud cries from afar, and soon
+after we saw troops of animals pass and repass within shot and within
+half-shot of us; and then the King and the Queen banged away in good
+earnest.  This diversion, or rather species of butchery, lasted more than
+half an hour, during which stags, hinds, roebucks, boars, hares, wolves,
+badgers, foxes, and numberless pole-cats passed; and were killed or
+lamed.
+
+We were obliged to let the King and Queen fire first, although pretty
+often they permitted the grand ecuyer and the captain of the guard to
+fire also; and as we did not know from whom came the report, we were
+obliged to wait until the King's arbour was perfectly silent; then let
+the Prince shoot, who very often had nothing to shoot at, and we still
+less.  Nevertheless, I killed a fox, but a little before I ought to have
+done so, at which, somewhat ashamed, I made my excuses to the Prince of
+the Asturias, who burst out laughing, and the company also, I following
+their example and all passing very politely.
+
+In proportion as the peasants approach and draw nearer each other, the
+sport advances, and it finishes when they all come close to the arbours,
+still shouting, and with nothing more behind them.  Then the coaches
+return, the company quits the arbours, the beasts killed are laid before
+the King.  They are placed afterwards behind the coaches.  During all
+this, conversation respecting the sport rolls on.  We carried away this
+day about a dozen or more beasts, some hares, foxes, and polecats.  The
+night overtook us soon after we quitted the arbours.
+
+And this is the daily diversion of their Catholic Majesties.
+
+It is time now, however, to resume the thread of my narrative, from which
+these curious and little-known details have led me.
+
+I have shown in its place the motive which made me desire my embassy; it
+was to obtain the 'grandesse' for my second son, and thus to "branch" my
+house.  I also desired to obtain the Toison d'Or for my eldest son, that
+he might derive from this journey an ornament which, at his age, was a
+decoration.  I had left Paris with full liberty to employ every aid, in
+order to obtain these things; I had, too, from M. le Duc d'Orleans, the
+promise that he would expressly ask the King of Spain for the former
+favour, employing the name of the King, and letters of the strongest kind
+from Cardinal Dubois to Grimaldo and Father Aubenton.  In the midst of
+the turmoil of affairs I spoke to both of these persons, and was
+favourably attended to.
+
+Grimaldo was upright and truthful.  He conceived a real friendship for
+me, and gave me, during my stay at Madrid, all sorts of proofs of it.
+He said that this union of the two Courts by the two marriages might
+influence the ministers.  His sole point of support, in order to maintain
+himself in the post he occupied, so brilliant and so envied, was the King
+of Spain.  The Queen, he found, could never be a solid foundation on
+which to repose.  He wished, then, to support himself upon France, or at
+least to have no opposition from it, and he perfectly well knew the
+duplicity and caprices of Cardinal Dubois.  The Court of Spain, at all
+times so watchful over M. le Duc d'Orleans, in consequence of what had
+passed in the time of the Princesse des Ursins, and during the Regency,.
+was not ignorant of the intimate and uninterrupted confidence of this
+prince in me, or of the terms on which I was with him.  These sort of
+things appear larger than they are, when seen from afar, and the choice
+that had been made of me for this singular embassy confirmed it still
+more!  Grimaldo, then, might have thought to assure my friendship in his
+behalf, and my influence with M. le Duc d'Orleans, occasion demanding it;
+and I don't think I am deceiving myself in attributing to him this policy
+while he aided me to obtain a favour, at bottom quite natural, and which
+could cause him no inconvenience.
+
+I regarded the moment at which the marriage would be celebrated as that
+at which I stood most chance of obtaining what I desired, and I
+considered that if it passed over without result to me, all would grow
+cold, and become uncertain, and very disagreeable.  I had forgotten
+nothing during this first stay in Madrid, in order to please everybody,
+and I make bold to say that I had all the better succeeded because I had
+tried to give weight and merit to my politeness, measuring it according
+to the persons I addressed, without prostitution and without avarice, and
+that's what made me hasten to learn all I could of the birth, of the
+dignities, of the posts, of the alliances, of the reputation of each, so
+as to play my cards well, and secure the game.
+
+But still I needed the letters of M. le Duc d'Orleans, and of Cardinal
+Dubois.  I did not doubt the willingness of the Regent, but I did doubt,
+and very much too, that of his minister.  It has been seen what reason I
+had for this.
+
+These letters ought to have arrived at Madrid at the same time that I
+did, but they had not come, and there seemed no prospect of their
+arriving.  What redoubled my impatience was that I read them beforehand,
+and that I wished to have the time to reflect, and to turn round, in
+order to draw from them, in spite of them, all the help I could.  I
+reckoned that these letters would be in a feeble spirit, and this opinion
+made me more desirous to fortify my batteries in Spain in order to render
+myself agreeable to the King and Queen, and to inspire them with the
+desire to grant me the favours I wished.
+
+A few days before going to Lerma I received letters from Cardinal Dubois
+upon my affair.  Nobody could be more eager or more earnest than the
+Cardinal, for he gave me advice how to arrive at my aim, and pressed me
+to look out for everything which could aid me; assuring me that his
+letters, and those of M. le Duc d'Orleans, would arrive in time.  In the
+midst of the perfume of so many flowers, the odour of falsehood could
+nevertheless be smelt.  I had reckoned upon this.  I had done all in my
+power to supply the place of these letters.  I received therefore not as
+gospel, all the marvels Dubois sent me, and I set out for Lerma fully
+resolved to more and more cultivate my affair without reckoning upon the
+letters promised me; but determined to draw as much advantage from them
+as I could.
+
+Upon arriving at Lerma I fell ill as I have described, and the small-pox
+kept me confined forty days: The letters so long promised and so long
+expected did not arrive until the end of my quarantine.  They were just
+what I expected.  Cardinal Dubois explained himself to Grimaldo in turns
+and circumlocution, and if one phrase displayed eagerness and desire, the
+next destroyed it by an air of respect and of discretion, protesting he
+wished simply what the King of Spain would himself wish, with all the
+seasoning necessary for the annihilation of his good offices under the
+pretence that he did not wish to press his Majesty to anything or to
+importune him.
+
+This written stammering savoured of the bombast of a man who had no
+desire to serve me, but who, not daring to break his word, used all his
+wits to twist and overrate the little he could not hinder himself from
+saying.  This letter was simply for Grimaldo, as the letter of M. le Duc
+d'Orleans was simply for the King of Spain.  The last was even weaker
+than the first.  It was like a design in pencil nearly effaced by the
+rain, and in which nothing, connected appeared.  It scarcely touched upon
+the real point, but lost itself in respects, in reservations, in
+deference, and would propose nothing that was not according to the taste
+of the King!  In a word, the letter withdrew rather than advanced, and
+was a sort of ease-conscience which could not be refused, and which did
+not promise much success.
+
+It is easy to understand that these letters much displeased me.  Although
+I had anticipated all the malice of Cardinal Dubois, I found it exceeded
+my calculations, and that it was more undisguised than I imagined it
+would be.
+
+Such as the letters were I was obliged to make use of them.  The Abbe de
+Saint-Simon wrote to Grimaldo and to Sartine, enclosing these letter, for
+I myself did not yet dare to write on account of the precautions I was
+obliged to use against the bad air.  Sartine and Grimaldo, to whom I had
+not confided my suspicions that these recommendations would be in a very
+weak tone, were thrown into the utmost surprise on reading them.
+
+They argued together, they were indignant, they searched for a bias to
+strengthen that which had so much need of strength, but this bias could
+not be found; they consulted together, and Grimaldo formed a bold
+resolution, which astonished me to the last degree, and much troubled me
+also.
+
+He came to the conclusion that these letters would assuredly do me more
+harm than good; that they must be suppressed, never spoken of to the
+King, who must be confirmed without them in the belief that in according
+me these favours he would confer upon M. le Duc d'Orleans a pleasure, all
+the greater, because he saw to what point extended all his reserve in not
+speaking to him about this matter, and mine in not asking for these
+favours through his Royal Highness, as there was every reason to believe
+I should do.  Grimaldo proposed to draw from these circumstances all the
+benefit he proposed to have drawn from the letters had they been written
+in a fitting spirit, and he said he would answer for it; I should have
+the 'grandesse' and the 'Toison d'Or' without making the slightest
+allusion to the cold recommendations of M. le Duc d'Orleans to the King
+of Spain, and of Dubois to him.
+
+Sartine, by his order, made this known to the Abbe de Saint-Simon, who
+communicated it to me, and after having discussed together with Hyghens,
+who knew the ground as well as they, and who had really devoted himself
+to me, I blindly abandoned myself to the guidance and friendship of
+Grimaldo, with full success, as will be seen.
+
+In relating here the very singular fashion by which my affair succeeded,
+I am far indeed from abstracting from M. le Duc d'Orleans all gratitude.
+If he had not confided to me the double marriage, without the knowledge
+of Dubois, and in spite of the secrecy that had been asked for, precisely
+on my account, I should not have been led to beg of him the embassy.
+
+I instantly asked for it, declaring that my sole aim was the grandesse
+for my second son, and he certainly accorded it to me with this aim, and
+promised to aid me with his recommendation in order to arrive at it, but
+with the utmost secrecy on account of the vexation Dubois would feel, and
+in order to give himself time to arrange with the minister and induce him
+to swallow the pill.
+
+If I had not had the embassy in this manner, it would certainly have
+escaped me; and thus would have been lost all hope of the grandesse, to
+obtain which there would have been no longer occasion, reason, or means.
+
+The friendship and the confidence of this prince prevailed then over the
+witchery which his miserable preceptor had cast upon him, and if he
+afterwards yielded to the roguery, to the schemes, to the folly which
+Dubois employed in the course of this embassy to ruin and disgrace me,
+and to bring about the failure of the sole object which had made me
+desire it, we must only blame his villainy and the deplorable feebleness
+of M. le Duc d'Orleans, which caused me many sad embarrassments, and did
+so much harm, but which even did more harm to the state and to the prince
+himself.
+
+It is with this sad but only too true reflection that I finish the year
+1721.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CXII
+
+The Regent's daughter arrived in Spain at the commencement of the year
+1722, and it was arranged that her marriage with the Prince of the
+Asturias should be celebrated on the 30th of January at Lerma, where
+their Catholic Majesties were then staying.  It was some little distance
+from my house.  I was obliged therefore to start early in the morning in
+order to arrive in time.  On the way I paid a visit of ceremony to the
+Princess, at Cogollos, ate a mouthful of something, and turned off to
+Lerma.
+
+As soon as I arrived there, I went to the Marquis of Grimaldo's
+apartments.  His chamber was at the end of a vast room, a piece of which
+had been portioned off, in order to serve as a chapel.  Once again I had
+to meet the nuncio, and I feared lest he should remember what had passed
+on a former occasion, and that I should give Dubois a handle for
+complaint.  I saw, therefore, but very imperfectly, the reception of the
+Princess; to meet whom the King and Queen (who lodged below) and the
+Prince precipitated themselves, so to speak, almost to the steps of the
+coach.  I quietly went up again to the chapel.
+
+The prie-dieu of the King was placed in front of the altar, a short
+distance from the steps, precisely as the King's prie-dieu is placed at
+Versailles, but closer to the altar, and with a cushion on each side of
+it.  The chapel was void of courtiers.  I placed myself to the right of
+the King's cushion just beyond the edge of the carpet, and amused myself
+there better than I had expected.  Cardinal Borgia, pontifically clad,
+was in the corner, his face turned towards me, learning his lesson
+between two chaplains in surplices, who held a large book open in front
+of him.  The good prelate did not know how to read; he tried, however,
+and read aloud, but inaccurately.  The chaplains took him up, he grew
+angry, scolded them, recommenced, was again corrected, again grew angry,
+and to such an extent that he turned round upon them and shook them by
+their surplices.  I laughed as much as I could; for he perceived nothing,
+so occupied and entangled was he with his lesson.
+
+Marriages in Spain are performed in the afternoon, and commence at the
+door of the church, like baptisms.  The King, the Queen, the Prince, and
+the Princess arrived with all the Court, and the King was announced.
+"Let them wait," said the Cardinal in choler, "I am not ready."  They
+waited, in fact, and the Cardinal continued his lesson, redder than his
+hat, and still furious.  At last he went to the door, at which a ceremony
+took place that lasted some time.  Had I not been obliged to continue at
+my post, curiosity would have made me follow him.  That I lost some
+amusement is certain, for I saw the King and Queen laughing and looking
+at their prie-dieu, and all the Court laughing also.  The nuncio arriving
+and seeing by the position I had taken up that I was preceding him, again
+indicated his surprise to me by gestures, repeating, "Signor, signor;"
+but I had resolved to understand nothing, and laughingly pointed out the
+Cardinal to him, and reproached him for not having better instructed the
+worthy prelate for the honour of the Sacred College.  The nuncio
+understood French very well, but spoke it very badly.  This banter and
+the innocent air with which I gave it, without appearing to notice his
+demonstrations, created such a fortunate diversion, that nobody else was
+thought of; more especially as the poor cardinal more and more caused
+amusement while continuing the ceremony, during which he neither knew
+where he was nor what he was doing, being taken up and corrected every
+moment by his chaplains, and fuming against them so that neither the King
+nor the Queen could; contain themselves.  It was the same with everybody
+else who witnessed the scene.
+
+I could see nothing more than the back of the Prince and the Princess as
+they knelt each upon a cushion between the prie-dieu and the altar, the
+Cardinal in front making grimaces indicative of the utmost confusion.
+Happily all I had to think of was the nuncio, the King's majordomo-major
+having placed himself by the side of his son, captain of the guards.  The
+grandees were crowded around with the most considerable people: the rest
+filled all the chapel so that there was no stirring.
+
+Amidst the amusement supplied to us by the poor Cardinal, I remarked
+extreme satisfaction in the King and Queen at seeing this grand marriage
+accomplished.  The ceremony finished, as it was not long, only the King,
+the Queen, and, when necessary, the Prince and Princess kneeling, their
+Catholic Majesties rose and withdrew towards the left corner of their
+footcloth, talked together for a short time, after which the Queen
+remained where she was, and the King advanced to me, I being where I had
+been during all the ceremony.
+
+The King did me the honour to say to me, "Monsieur, in every respect I am
+so pleased with you, and particularly for the manner in which you have
+acquitted yourself of your embassy, that I wish to give you some marks of
+my esteem, of my satisfaction; of my friendship.  I make you Grandee of
+Spain of the first class; you, and, at the same time, whichever of your
+sons you may wish to have the same distinction; and your eldest son I
+will make chevalier of the Toison d'Or."
+
+I immediately embraced his knees, and I tried to testify to him my
+gratitude and my extreme desire to render myself worthy of the favour he
+deigned to spread upon me, by my attachment, my very humble services, and
+my most profound respect.  Then I kissed his hand, turned and sent for
+my, children, employing the moments which had elapsed before they came in
+uttering fresh thanks.  As soon as my sons appeared, I called the younger
+and told him, to embrace the knees of the King who overwhelmed us with
+favours, and made him grandee of Spain with me.  He kissed the King's
+hand in rising, the King saying he was very glad of what he had just
+done.  I presented the elder to him afterwards, to thank him for the
+Toison.  He simply bent very low and kissed the King's hand.  As soon as
+this was at an end, the King went towards the Queen, and I followed him
+with my children.  I bent very low before the Queen, thanked her, then
+presented to her my children, the younger first, the elder afterwards.
+The Queen received us with much goodness, said a thousand civil things,
+then walked away with the King, followed by the Prince, having upon his
+arm the Princess, whom we saluted in passing; and they returned to their
+apartments.  I wished to follow them, but was carried away, as it were,
+by the crowd which pressed eagerly around me to compliment me.  I was
+very careful to reply in a fitting manner to each, and with the utmost
+politeness, and though I but little expected these favours at this
+moment, I found afterwards that all this numerous court was pleased with
+me.
+
+A short time after the celebration of the marriage between the Regent's
+daughter and the Prince of the Asturias, the day came on which my eldest
+son was to receive the Toison d'Or.  The Duc de Liria was to be his,
+godfather, and it was he who conducted us to the place of ceremony.  His
+carriage was drawn by four perfectly beautiful Neapolitan horses; but
+these animals, which are often extremely fantastical, would not stir.
+The whip was vigorously applied; results--rearing, snorting, fury, the
+carriage in danger of being upset.  Time was flying; I begged the Duc de
+Liria, therefore, to get into my carriage, so that we might not keep the
+King and the company waiting for us.  It was in vain I represented to him
+that this function of godfather would in no way be affected by changing
+his own coach for mine, since it would be by necessity.  He would not
+listen to me.  The horses continued their game for a good half hour
+before they consented to start.
+
+All my cortege followed us, for I wished by this display to show the King
+of Spain how highly I appreciated the honours of his Court.  On the way
+the horses again commenced their pranks.  I again pressed the Duc de
+Liria to change his coach, and he again refused.  Fortunately the pause
+this time was much shorter than at first; but before we reached the end
+of our journey there came a message to say that the King was waiting for
+us.  At last we arrived, and as soon as the King was informed of it he
+entered the room where the chapter of the order was assembled.  He
+straightway sat himself down in an armchair, and while the rest of the
+company were placing themselves in position; the Queen, the Princess of
+the Asturias, and their suite, seated themselves as simple spectators at
+the end of the room.
+
+All the chapter having arranged themselves in order, the door in front of
+the King, by which we had entered, was closed, my son remaining outside
+with a number of the courtiers.  Then the King covered himself, and all
+the chevaliers at the same time, in the midst of a silence, without sign,
+which lasted as long as a little prayer.  After this, the King very
+briefly proposed that the Vidame de Chartres should be received into the
+order.  All the chevaliers uncovered themselves, made an inclination,
+without rising, and covered themselves again.  After another silence, the
+King called the Duc de Liria, who uncovered himself, and with a reverence
+approached the King; by whom he was thus addressed: "Go and see if the
+Vidame de Chartres is not somewhere about here."
+
+The Duc de Liria made another reverence to the King, but none to the
+chevaliers (who, nevertheless, were uncovered at the same time as he),
+went away, the door was closed upon him, and the chevaliers covered
+themselves again.  The reverences just made, and those I shall have
+occasion to speak of in the course of my description, were the same as
+are seen at the receptions of the chevaliers of the Saint-Esprit, and in
+all grand ceremonies.
+
+The Duc de Liria remained outside nearly a quarter of an hour, because it
+is assumed that the new chevalier is ignorant of the proposition made for
+him, and that it is only by chance he is found in the palace, time being
+needed in order to look for him.  The Duc de Liria returned, and
+immediately after the door was again closed, and he advanced to the King,
+as before, saying that the Vidame de Chartres was in the other room.
+
+Upon this the King ordered him to go and ask the Vidame if he wished to
+accept the Order of the Toison d'Or, and be received into it, and
+undertake to observe its statutes, its duties, its ceremonies, take its
+oaths, promise to fulfil all the conditions submitted: to every one who
+is admitted into it, and agree to conduct himself in everything like a
+good, loyal, brave, and virtuous chevalier.  The Duc de Liria withdrew as
+he had before withdrawn.  The door was again closed.  He returned after
+having been absent a shorter time than at first.  The door was again
+closed, and he approached the King as before, and announced to him the
+consent and the thanks of the Vidame.  "Very well," replied the King.
+"Go seek him, and bring him here."
+
+The Duc de Liria withdrew, as on the previous occasions, and immediately
+returned, having my son on his left.  The door being open, anybody was at
+liberty to enter, and see the ceremony.
+
+The Duc de Liria conducted my son to the feet of the King, and then
+seated himself in his place.  My son, in advancing, had lightly inclined
+himself to the chevaliers, right and left; and, after having made in the
+middle of the room a profound bow, knelt before the King, without
+quitting his sword, and having his hat under his arm, and no gloves on.
+The chevaliers, who had uncovered themselves at the entry of the Duc de
+Liria, covered themselves when he sat down; and the Prince of the
+Asturias acted precisely as they acted.
+
+The King repeated to my son the same things, a little more lengthily,
+that had been said to him by the Duc de Liria, and received his promise
+upon each in succession.  Afterwards, an attendant, who was standing in
+waiting behind the table, presented to the King, from between the table
+and the chair, a large book, open, and in which was a long oath, that my
+son repeated to the King, who had the book upon his knees, the oath in
+French, and on loose paper; being in it.  This ceremony lasted rather a
+long time: Afterwards, my son kissed the King's hand, and the King made
+him rise and pass, without reverence; directly before the table, towards
+the middle of which he knelt, his back to the Prince of the Asturias, his
+face to the attendant, who showed him (the table being between them) what
+to do.  There was upon this table a great crucifix of enamel upon a
+stand, with a missal open at the Canon, the Gospel of Saint-John, and
+forms, in French, of promises and oaths to be made, whilst putting the
+hand now upon the Canon, now upon the Gospel.  The oath-making took up
+some time; after which my son came back and knelt before the King again
+as before.
+
+Then, the Duc del Orco, grand ecuyer, and Valouse, premier ecuyer, who
+have had the Toison since, and who were near me, went away, the Duke
+first, Valouse behind him, carrying in his two hands, with marked care
+and respect, the sword of the Grand Captain, Don Gonzalvo de Cordova, who
+is never called otherwise.  They walked, with measured step, outside the
+right-hand seats of the chevaliers, then entered the chapter, where the
+Duc de Liria had entered with my son, marched inside the left-hand seats
+of the chevaliers, without reverence, but the Duke inclining himself;
+Valouse not doing so on account of the respect due to the sword; the
+grandees did not incline themselves.
+
+The Duke on arriving between the Prince of the Asturias and the King,
+knelt, and Valouse knelt behind him.  Some moments after, the King made a
+sign to them; Valouse drew the sword from its sheath which he put under
+his arm, held the naked weapon by the middle of the blade, kissed the
+hilt, and presented it to the King, who, without uncovering himself,
+kissed the pommel, took the sword in both hands by the handle, held it
+upright some moments; then held it with one hand, but almost immediately
+with the other as well, and struck it three times upon each shoulder of
+my son, alternately, saying to him, "By Saint-George and Saint-Andrew I
+make you Chevalier."  And the weight of the sword was so great that the
+blows did not fall lightly.  While the King was striking them, the grand
+ecuyer and the premier remained in their places kneeling.  The sword was
+returned as it had been presented, and kissed in the same manner.
+Valouse put it back into its sheath, after which the grand ecuyer and the
+premier ecuyer returned as they came.
+
+This sword, handle included, was more than four feet long; the blade four
+good digits wide, thick in proportion, insensibly diminishing in
+thickness and width to the point, which was very small.  The handle
+appeared to me of worked enamel, long and very large; as well as the
+pommel; the crossed piece long, and the two ends wide, even, worked,
+without branch.  I examined it well, and I could not hold it in the air
+with one-hand, still less handle it with both hands except with much
+difficulty.  It is pretended that this is the sword the Great Captain
+made use of, and with which he obtained so many victories.
+
+I marvelled at the strength of the men in those days, with whom I believe
+early habits did much.  I was touched by the grand honour rendered to the
+Great Captain's memory; his sword becoming the sword of the State,
+carried even by the King with great respect.  I repeated, more than once,
+that if I were the Duc de Scose (who descends in a direct line from the
+Great Captain by the female branch, the male being extinct), I would
+leave nothing undone to obtain the Toison, in order to enjoy the honour
+and the sensible pleasure of being struck by this sword, and with such
+great respect for my ancestor.  But to return to the ceremony from which
+this little digression has taken me.
+
+The accolade being given by the King after the blows with the sword,
+fresh oaths being taken at his feet, then before the table as at first,
+and on this occasion at greater length, my son returned and knelt before
+the King, but without saying anything more.  Then Grimaldo rose and,
+without reverence, left the chapter by the left, went behind the right-
+hand seats of the chevaliers, and took the collar of the Toison which was
+extended at the end of the table.  At this moment the King told my son to
+rise, and so remain standing in the same place.  The Prince of the
+Asturias, and the Marquis de Villena then rose also, end approached my
+son, both covered, all the other chevaliers remaining seated and covered.
+Then Grimaldo, passing between the table and the empty seat of the Prince
+of the Asturias, presented; standing, the collar to the King, who took it
+with both hands, and meanwhile Grimaldo, passing behind the Prince of the
+Asturias, went and placed himself behind my son.  As soon as he was
+there, the King told my son to bend very low, but without kneeling, and
+then leaning forward, but without rising, placed the collar upon him, and
+made him immediately after stand upright.  The King then took hold of the
+collar, simply holding the end of it in his hand.  At the same time, the
+collar was attached to the left shoulder by the Prince of the Asturias,
+to the right shoulder by the Marquis de Villena, and behind by Grimaldo;
+the King still holding the end.
+
+When the collar was attached, the Prince of the Asturias, the Marquis de
+Villena, and Grimaldo, without making a reverence and no chevalier
+uncovering himself, went back to their places, and sat down; at, the same
+moment my son knelt before the King, and bared, his head.  Then the Duc
+de Liria, without reverence, and uncovered (no chevalier uncovering
+himself), placed himself before the King at the left, by the side of my,
+son, and both made their reverences to the King; turned round to the
+Prince of the Asturias, did the same to him, he rising and doing my son
+the honour to embrace him, and as soon as he was reseated they made a
+reverence to him; then, turning to the King, made him one; afterwards
+they did the same to the Marquis de Villena, who rose and embraced my
+son.  Then he reseated himself; upon which they made a reverence to him,
+then turning again towards the King, made another to him; and so an from
+right to left until every chevalier had been bowed to in a similar
+manner.  Then my son sat down, and the Duc de Liria returned to his
+place.
+
+After this long series of bows, so bewildering for those who play the
+chief part in it, the King remained a short time in his armchair, them
+rose, uncovered himself, and retired into his apartment as he came.  I
+had instructed my son to hurry forward and arrive before him at the door
+of his inner apartment.  He was in time, and I also, to kiss the hand of
+the King, and to express our thanks, which were well received.  The Queen
+arrived and overwhelmed us with compliments.  I must observe that the
+ceremony of the sword and the accolade are not performed at the reception
+of those who, having already another order, are supposed to have received
+them; like the chevaliers of the Saint-Esprit and of Saint-Michel, and
+the chevaliers of Saint-Louis.
+
+Their Catholic Majesties being gone, we withdrew to my house, where a
+very grand dinner was prepared.  The usage is, before the reception, to
+visit all the chevaliers of the Toison, and when the day is fixed, to
+visit all those invited to dinner on the day of the ceremony; the
+godfather, with the other chevalier by whom he is accompanied, also
+invites them at the palace before they enter the chapter, and aids the
+new chevalier to do the honours of the repast.  I had led my son with me
+to pay these visits.  Nearly all the chevaliers came to dine with us, and
+many other nobles.  The Duc d'Albuquerque, whom I met pretty often, and
+who had excused himself from attending a dinner I had previously given,
+on account of his stomach (ruined as he said in the Indies), said he,
+would not refuse me twice, on condition that I permitted him to take
+nothing but soup, because meat was too solid for him.  He came, and
+partook of six sorts of soup, moderately of all; he afterwards lightly
+soaked his bread in such ragouts as were near him, eating only the end,
+and finding everything very good.  He drank nothing but wine and water.
+The dinner was gay, in spite of the great number of guests.  The
+Spaniards eat as much as, nay more than, we, and with taste, choice, and
+pleasure: as to drink, they are very modest.
+
+On the 13th of March, 1722, their Catholic Majesties returned from their
+excursion to the Retiro.  The hurried journey I had just made to the
+former place, immediately after the arrival of a courier, and in spite of
+most open prohibitions forbidding every one to go there, joined to the
+fashion, full of favour and goodness, with which I had been distinguished
+by their Majesties ever since my arrival in Spain, caused a most
+ridiculous rumour to obtain circulation, and which, to my great surprise,
+at once gained much belief.
+
+It was reported there that I was going to quit my position of ambassador
+from France, and be declared prime minister of Spain!  The people who had
+been pleased, apparently, with the expense I had kept up, and to whom not
+one of my suite had given the slightest cause of complaint, set to crying
+after me in the streets; announcing my promotion, displaying joy at it,
+and talking of it even in the shops.  A number of persons even assembled
+round my house to testify to me their pleasure.  I dispersed them as
+civilly and as quickly as possible, assuring them the report was not
+true, and that I was forthwith about to return to France.
+
+This was nothing more than the truth.  I had finished all my business.
+It was time to think about setting out.  As soon, however, as I talked
+about going, there was nothing which the King and the Queen did not do to
+detain me.  All the Court, too, did me the favour to express much
+friendship for me, and regret at my departure.  I admit even that I could
+not easily make up my mind to quit a country where I had found nothing
+but fruits and flowers, and to which I was attached, as I shall ever be,
+by esteem and gratitude.  I made at once a number of farewell visits
+among the friends I had been once acquainted with; and on the 21st of
+March I had my parting state audiences of the King and Queen separately.
+I was surprised with the dignity, the precision, and the measure of the
+King's expressions, as I had been surprised at my first audience.  I
+received many marks of personal goodness, and of regret at my departure
+from his Catholic Majesty, and from the Queen even more; from the Prince
+of the Asturias a good many also.  But in another direction I met with
+very different treatment, which I cannot refrain from describing, however
+ridiculous it may appear.
+
+I went, of course, to say my adieux to the Princess of the Asturias, and
+I was accompanied by all my suite.  I found the young lady standing under
+a dais, the ladies on one side, the grandees on the other; and I made my
+three reverences, then uttered my compliments.  I waited in silence her
+reply, but 'twas in vain.  She answered not one word.
+
+After some moments of silence, I thought I would furnish her with matter
+for an answer; so I asked her what orders she had for the King; for the
+Infanta, for Madame, and for M. and Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans.  By way
+of reply, she looked at me and belched so loudly in my face, that the
+noise echoed throughout the chamber.  My surprise was such that I was
+stupefied.  A second belch followed as noisy as the first.
+
+I lost countenance at this, and all power of hindering myself from
+laughing.  Turning round, therefore, I saw everybody with their hands
+upon their mouths, and their shoulders in motion.  At last a third belch,
+still louder than the two others, threw all present into confusion, and
+forced me to take flight, followed by all my suite, amid shouts of
+laughter, all the louder because they had previously been kept in.  But
+all barriers of restraint were now thrown down; Spanish gravity was
+entirely disconcerted; all was deranged; no reverences; each person,
+bursting with laughter, escaped as he could, the Princess all the while
+maintaining her countenance.  Her belches were the only answers she made
+me.  In the adjoining room we all stopped to laugh at our ease, and
+express our astonishment afterwards more freely.
+
+The King and Queen were soon informed of the success of this audience,
+and spoke of it to me after dinner at the Racket Court.  They were the
+first to laugh at it, so as to leave others at liberty to do so too; a
+privilege that was largely made use of without pressing.  I received and
+I paid numberless visits; and as it is easy to flatter one's self, I
+fancied I might flatter myself that I was regretted.
+
+I left Madrid on the 24th of March, after having had the honour of paying
+my court to their Catholic Majesties all the afternoon at the Racket
+Court, they overwhelming me with civilities, and begging me to take a
+final adieu of them in their apartments.  I had devoted the last few days
+to the friends whom, during my short stay of six months, I had made.
+Whatever might be the joy and eagerness I felt at the prospect of seeing
+Madame de Saint-Simon and my Paris friends again, I could not quit Spain
+without feeling my heart moved, or without regretting persons from whom I
+had received so many marks of goodness, and for whom, all I had seen of
+the nation, had made me conceive esteem, respect, and gratitude.  I kept
+up, for many years, a correspondence with Grimaldo, while he lived, in
+fact, and after his fall and disgrace, which occurred long after my
+departure, with more care and attention than formerly.  My attachment,
+full of respect and gratitude for the King and Queen of Spain, induced me
+to do myself the honour of writing to them on all occasions.  They often
+did me the honour to reply to me; and always charged their new ministers
+in France and the persons of consideration who came there, to convey to
+me the expression of their good feeling for me.
+
+After a journey without particular incident, I embarked early one morning
+upon the Garonne, and soon arrived at Bordeaux.  The jurats did me the
+honour to ask, through Segur, the under-mayor, at what time they might
+come and salute me.  I invited them to supper, and said to Segur that
+compliments would be best uttered glass in hand.  They came, therefore,
+to supper, and appeared to me much pleased with this civility: On the
+morrow, the tide early carried me to Blaye, the weather being most
+delightful.  I slept only one night there, and to save time did not go to
+Ruffec.
+
+On the 13th of April, I arrived, about five o'clock in the afternoon, at
+Loches.  I slept there because I wished to write a volume of details to
+the Duchesse de Beauvilliers, who was six leagues off, at one of her
+estates.  I sent my packet by an express, and in this manner I was able
+to say what I liked to her without fearing that the letter would be
+opened.
+
+On the morrow, the 14th, I arrived at Etampes, where I slept, and the
+15th, at ten o'clock in the morning, I reached Chartres, where Madame de
+Saint-Simon was to meet me, dine, and sleep, so that we might have the
+pleasure of opening our hearts to each other, and of finding ourselves
+together again in solitude and in liberty, greater than could be looked
+for in Paris during the first few days of my return.  The Duc d'Humieres
+and Louville came with her.  She arrived an hour after me, fixing herself
+in the little chateau of the Marquis d'Arpajan, who had lent it to her,
+and where the day appeared to us very short as well as the next morning,
+the 16th of April.
+
+To conclude the account of my journey, let me say that I arrived in Paris
+shortly after, and at once made the best of my way to the Palais Royal,
+where M. le Duc d'Orleans gave me a sincere and friendly welcome.
+
+
+
+
+ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
+
+Countries of the Inquisition, where science is a crime
+Ignorance and superstition the first of virtues
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Louis XIV., Volume 14
+by Duc de Saint-Simon
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+The Project Gutenberg Memoirs Louis XIV., His Court and The Regency, v14
+#14 in our series by The Duc de Saint-Simon
+#36 in our series Historic Court Memoirs
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+Title: The Memoirs of Louis XIV., His Court and The Regency, v14
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+
+          MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV AND HIS COURT AND OF THE REGENCY
+
+                        BY THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON
+
+
+                                VOLUME 14
+
+CHAPTER CV
+
+Quarrel of the King of England with His Son.--Schemes of Dubois.--
+Marriage of Brissac.--His Death.--Birth of the Young Pretender.--
+Cardinalate of Dubois.--Illness of the King.--His Convalescence.--
+A Wonderful Lesson.--Prudence of the Regent.--Insinuations against Him.
+
+
+CHAPTER CVI
+
+Projected Marriages of the King and of the Daughter of the Duc d'Orleans_
+--How It Was Communicated to Me.--I Ask for the Embassy to Spain.--It Is
+Granted to Me.--Jealousy of Dubois.--His Petty Interference.--
+Announcement of the Marriages.
+
+
+CHAPTER CVII
+
+Interview with Dubois.--His Singular Instructions to Ale.--His Insidious
+Object.--Various Tricks and Manoeuvres.--My Departure for Spain.--Journey
+by Way of Bordeaux and Bayonne.--Reception in Spain.--Arrival at Madrid.
+
+
+CHAPTER CVIII
+
+Interview in the Hall of Mirrors.--Preliminaries of the Marriages.--
+Grimaldo.--How the Question of Precedence Was Settled.--I Ask for an
+Audience.--Splendid Illuminations.--A Ball.--I Am Forced to Dance.
+
+
+CHAPTER CIX
+
+Mademoiselle de Montpensier Sets out for Spain.--I Carry the News to the
+King.--Set out for Lerma.--Stay at the Escurial.--Take the Small--pox.--
+Convalescence.
+
+
+CHAPTER CX
+
+Mode of Life of Their Catholic Majesties.--Their Night.--Morning.--
+Toilette.--Character of Philippe V.--And of His Queen.--How She Governed
+Him.
+
+
+CHAPTER CXI
+
+The King's Taste for Hunting.--Preparations for a Battue.--Dull Work.--
+My Plans to Obtain the Grandesse.--Treachery of Dubois.--Friendship of
+Grimaldo.--My Success.
+
+
+CHAPTER CXII
+
+Marriage of the Prince of the Asturias.--An Ignorant Cardinal.--I Am Made
+Grandee of Spain.--The Vidame de Chartres Named Chevalier of the Golden
+Fleece.--His Reception--My Adieux.--A Belching Princess.--
+Return to France.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CV
+
+For a long time a species of war had been declared between the King of
+England and his son, the Prince of Wales, which had caused much scandal;
+and which had enlisted the Court on one side, and made much stir in the
+Parliament.  George had more than once broken out with indecency against
+his son; he had long since driven him from the palace, and would not see
+him.  He had so cut down his income that he could scarcely subsist.  The
+father never could endure this son, because he did not believe him to be
+his own.  He had more than suspected the Duchess, his wife, to be in
+relations with Count Konigsmarck.  He surprised him one morning leaving
+her chamber; threw him into a hot oven, and shut up his wife in a chateau
+for the rest of her days.  The Prince of Wales, who found himself ill-
+treated for a cause of which he was personally innocent, had always borne
+with impatience the presence of his mother and the aversion of his
+father.  The Princess of Wales, who had much sense, intelligence, grace,
+and art, had softened things as much as possible; and the King was unable
+to refuse her his esteem, or avoid loving her.  She had conciliated all
+England; and her Court, always large, boasted of the presence of the most
+accredited and the most distinguished persons.  The Prince of Wales
+feeling his strength, no longer studied his father, and blamed the
+ministers with words that at least alarmed them.  They feared the credit
+of the Princess of Wales; feared lest they should be attacked by the
+Parliament, which often indulges in this pleasure.  These considerations
+became more and more pressing as they discovered what was brewing against
+them; plans such as would necessarily have rebounded upon the King.  They
+communicated their fears to him, and indeed tried to make it up with his
+son, on certain conditions, through the medium of the Princess of Wales,
+who, on her side, felt all the consciousness of sustaining a party
+against the King, and who always had sincerely desired peace in the royal
+family.  She profited by this conjuncture; made use of the ascendency she
+had over her husband, and the reconciliation was concluded.  The King
+gave a large sum to the Prince of Wales, and consented to see him.  The
+ministers were saved, and all appeared forgotten.
+
+The excess to which things had been carried between father and son had
+not only kept the entire nation attentive to the intestine disorders
+ready to arise, but had made a great stir all over Europe; each power
+tried to blow this fire into a blaze, or to stifle it according as
+interest suggested.  The Archbishop of Cambrai, whom I shall continue to
+call the Abbe Dubois, was just then very anxiously looking out for his
+cardinal's hat, which he was to obtain through the favour of England,
+acting upon that of the Emperor with the Court of Rome.  Dubois,
+overjoyed at the reconciliation which had taken place, wished to show
+this in a striking manner, in order to pay his court to the King of
+England.  He named, therefore, the Duc de la Force to go to England, and
+compliment King George on the happy event that had occurred.
+
+The demonstration of joy that had been resolved on in France was soon
+known in England.  George, annoyed by the stir that his domestic
+squabbles had made throughout all Europe, did not wish to see it
+prolonged by the sensation that this solemn envoy would cause.  He begged
+the Regent, therefore, not to send him one.  As the scheme had been
+determined on only order to please him, the journey of the Duc de la
+Force was abandoned almost as soon as declared.  Dubois had the double
+credit, with the King of England, of having arranged this demonstration
+of joy, and of giving it up; in both cases solely for the purpose of
+pleasing his Britannic Majesty.
+
+Towards the end of this year, 1720, the Duc de Brissac married Mlle.
+Pecoil, a very rich heiress, whose father was a 'maitre des requetes',
+and whose mother was daughter of Le Gendre, a very wealthy merchant of
+Rouen.  The father of Mlle. Pecoil was a citizen of Lyons, a wholesale
+dealer, and extremely avaricious.  He had a large iron safe, or strong-
+box, filled with money, in a cellar, shut in by an iron door, with a
+secret lock, and to arrive at which other doors had to be passed through.
+He disappeared so long one day, that his wife and two or three valets or
+servants that he had sought him everywhere.  They well knew that he had a
+hiding-place, because they had sometimes seen him descending into his
+cellar, flat-candlestick in hand, but no one had ever dared to follow
+him.
+
+Wondering what had become of him, they descended to the cellar, broke
+open the doors, and found at last the iron one.  They were obliged to
+send for workmen to break it open, by attacking the wall in which it was
+fixed.  After much labour they entered, and found the old miser dead in
+his strong-box, the secret spring of which he had apparently not been
+able to find, after having locked himself in; a horrible end in every
+respect.
+
+The Brissacs have not been very particular in their alliances for some
+time, and yet appear no richer.  The gold flies away; the dross remains.
+
+I had almost forgotten to say that in the last day of this year, 1720, a
+Prince of Wales was born at Rome.
+
+The Prince was immediately baptised by the Bishop; of Montefiascone, and
+named Charles.  The event caused a great stir in the Holy City.  The Pope
+sent his compliments to their Britannic Majesties, and forwarded to the
+King of England (the Pretender) 10,000 Roman crowns, gave him, for his
+life, a country house at Albano, which until then, he had only lent him,
+and 2000 crowns to furnish it.  A Te Deum was sung in the chapel of the
+Pope, in his presence, and there were rejoicings at Rome.  When the Queen
+of England was able to see company, Cardinal Tanora came in state, as
+representative of the Sacred College, to congratulate her.
+
+The birth of the Prince also made much stir at the Court of England, and
+among the priests and Jacobites of that country.  For very different
+reasons, not only the Catholics and Protestants, enemies of the
+government, were ravished at it, but nearly all the three realms showed
+as much joy as they dared; not from any attachment to the dethroned
+house, but for the satisfaction of seeing a line continue with which they
+could always menace and oppose their kings and the royal family.
+
+In France we were afraid to show any public feeling upon the event.  We
+were too much in the hands of England; the Regent and Dubois too much the
+humble servants of the house of Hanover; Dubois especially, waiting, as
+he was, so anxiously for his cardinal's hat.  He did not, as will be
+seen, have to wait much longer.
+
+The new Pope had given, in writing, a promise to Dubois, that if elected
+to the chair of St. Peter he would make him cardinal.  Time had flown,
+and the promise was not yet fulfilled.  The impatience of Dubois
+increased with his hopes, and gave him no repose.  He was much bewildered
+when he learnt that, on the 16th of June, 1721, the Pope had elevated to
+the cardinalship; his brother, who for ten years had been Bishop of
+Terracine and Benedictine monk of Mount Cassini.  Dubois had expected
+that no promotion would be made in which he was not included.  But here
+was a promotion of a single person only.  He was furious; this fury did
+not last long, however; a month after, that is to say, on the 16th of
+July, the Pope made him cardinal with Dion Alexander Alboni, nephew of
+the deceased Pope, and brother of the Cardinal Camarlingue.
+
+Dubois received the news and the compliment that followed with extreme
+joy, but managed to contain himself with some little decency, and to give
+all the honour of his nomination to M. le Duc d'Orleans, who, sooth to
+say, had had scarcely anything to do with it.  But he could not prevent
+himself from saying to everybody that what honoured him more than the
+Roman purple was the unanimous eagerness of all the European powers to
+procure him this distinction; to press the Pope to award it; to desire
+that his promotion would be hastened without waiting for their
+nominations.  He incessantly blew these reports about everywhere without
+ever being out of breath; but nobody was the dupe of them.
+
+Shortly after this, that is, on the last day of July, the King, who had
+until then been in perfect health, woke with headache and pain in the
+throat; shivering followed, and towards afternoon, the pains in the head
+and throat being augmented, he went to bed.  I repaired the next day
+about twelve to inquire after him.  I found he had passed a bad night,
+and that within the last two hours he had grown worse.  I saw everywhere
+consternation.  I had the grandes entrees, therefore I went into his
+chamber.  I found it very empty.  M. le Duc d'Orleans, seated in the
+chimney corner, looked exceedingly downcast and solitary.  I approached
+him for a moment, then I went to the King's bed.  At this moment Boulduc,
+one of the apothecaries, gave him something to take.  The Duchesse de la
+Ferme, who, through the Duchesse de Ventadour, her sister, had all the
+entrees as godmother to the King, was at the heels of Boulduc, and
+turning round to see who was approaching, saw me, and immediately said in
+a tone neither high nor low, "He is poisoned!  he is poisoned!"
+
+"Hold your tongue, Madame," said I.  "This is terrible."
+
+But she kept on, and spoke so loudly that I feared the King would hear
+her.  Boulduc and I looked at each other, and I immediately withdrew from
+the bed and from this mad woman, with whom I was in no way familiar.
+During this illness, which lasted only five days (but of which the first
+three were violent) I was much troubled, but at the same time I was
+exceedingly glad that I had refused to be the King's governor, though the
+Regent had over and over again pressed me to accept the office.  There
+were too many evil reports in circulation against M. le Duc d'Orleans for
+me to dream of filling this position.  For was I not his bosom friend
+known to have been on the most intimate terms with him ever since his
+child hood--and if anything had happened to excite new suspicions against
+him, what would not have been said?  The thought of this so troubled me
+during the King's illness, that I used to wake in the night with a start,
+and, oh, what joy was mine when I remembered that I had not this duty on
+my head!
+
+The malady, as I have said, was not long, and the convalescence was
+prompt, which restored tranquillity and joy, and caused an overflow of Te
+Deums and rejoicing.  Helvetius had all the honour of the cure; the
+doctors had lost their heads, he preserved his, and obstinately proposed
+bleeding at the foot, at a consultation at which M. le Duc d'Orleans was
+present; his advice prevailed, change for the better immediately took
+place, cure soon after.
+
+The Marechal de Villeroy (the King's governor) did not let slip this
+occasion for showing all his venom and his baseness; he forgot nothing,
+left nothing undone in order to fix suspicion upon M. le Duc d'Orleans,
+and thus pay his court to the robe.  No magistrate, however unimportant,
+could come to the Tuileries whom he did not himself go to with the news
+of the King and caresses; whilst to the first nobles he was inaccessible.
+The magistrates of higher standing he allowed to enter at all times into
+the King's chamber, even to stand by his bed in order to see him, while
+they who had the 'grandes entrees' with difficulty enjoyed a similar
+privilege.
+
+He did the same during the first days of convalescence, which he
+prolonged as much as possible, in order to give the same distinction to
+the magistrates, come at what time they might, and privately to the great
+people of the Court and the ambassadors.  He fancied himself a tribune of
+the people, and aspired to their favour and their dangerous power.  From
+this he turned to other affectations which had the same aim against M. le
+Duc d'Orleans.  He multiplied the Te Deums that he induced the various
+ranks of petty officers of the King to have sung on different days and in
+different churches; he attended all, took with him as many people as he
+could, and for six weeks continued this game.  A Te Deum was sung in
+every church in Paris.  He spoke of nothing else, and above the real joy
+he felt at the King's recovery, he put on a false one which had a party
+smell about it, and which avowed designs not to be mistaken.
+
+The King went in state to Notre Dame and Saint Genevieve to thank God.
+These mummeries, thus prolonged, extended to the end of August and the
+fete Saint-Louis.  Each year there, is on that day a concert in the
+garden.  The Marechal de Villeroy took care that on this occasion, the
+concert should become a species of fete, to which he added a display of
+fireworks.  Less than this would have been enough to draw the crowd.
+It was so great that a pin could not have fallen to the ground through
+the mass of people wedged against each other in the garden.  The windows
+of the Tuileries were ornamented, and were filled with people.  All the
+roofs of the Carrousel, as well as the Place, were covered with
+spectators.
+
+The Marechal de Villeroy was in; his element, and importuned the King,
+who tried to hide himself in the corners at every moment.  The Marechal
+took him by the arm, and led him, now to the windows where he could see
+the Carrousel, and the houses covered with people; now to those which
+looked upon the garden, full of the innumerable crowd waiting for the
+fete.  Everybody cried 'Vive le Roi!'  when he appeared, but had not the
+Marechal detained him, he would have run away and hid himself.
+
+"Look, my master," the Marechal would say, "all that crowd, all these
+people are yours, all belong to you; you are the master of them: look at
+them a little therefore, to please them, for they are all yours, they are
+all devoted to you."
+
+A nice lesson this for a governor to give to a young King, repeating it
+every time he leads him to the windows, so fearful is he lest the boy-
+sovereign shall forget it!  I do not know whether he received similar
+lessons from those who had the charge of his education.  At last the
+Marechal led him upon the terrace, where, beneath a dais, he heard the
+end of the concert, and afterwards saw the fireworks.  The lesson of the
+Marechal de Villeroy, so often and so publicly repeated, made much stir,
+and threw but little honour upon him.  He himself experienced the first
+effect of is fine instruction.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans conducted himself in a manner simple, so prudent,
+that he infinitely gained by it. His cares and his reasonable anxiety
+were measured; there was much reserve in his conversation, an exact and
+sustained attention in his language, and in his countenance, which
+allowed nothing to escape him, and which showed as little as possible
+that he was the successor to the crown; above all, he never gave cause
+for people to believe that he thought the King's illness more or less
+serious than it was, or that his hopes were stronger than his fears.
+
+He could not but feel that in a conjuncture so critical, all eyes were
+fixed upon him, and as in truth he never wished for the crown (however
+unlikely the statement may seem), he had no need to constrain himself in
+any way, but simply to be measured in his bearing.  His conduct was, in
+fact, much remarked, and the cabal opposed to him entirely reduced to
+silence.  Nobody spoke to him upon the event that might happen, not even
+his most familiar friends and acquaintances, myself included; and at this
+he was much pleased.  He acted entirely upon the suggestions of his own
+good sense.
+
+This was not the first time, let me add, that the Marechal de Villeroy,
+in his capacity of governor of the King, had tacitly insulted M. le Duc
+d'Orleans.  He always, in fact, affected, in the discharge of his duties,
+a degree of care, vigilance, and scrutiny, the object of which was
+evident.  He was particularly watchful of the food of the King, taking it
+up with his own hands, and making a great show of this precaution; as
+though the King could not have been poisoned a thousand times over in
+spite of such ridiculous care.  'Twas because M. le Duc d'Orleans was
+vexed with this childish behaviour, so calculated to do him great injury,
+that he wished me to supersede the Marechal de Villeroy as governor of
+the King.  This, as before said, I would never consent to.  As for the
+Marechal, his absurdities met with their just reward, but at a date I
+have not yet come to.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVI
+
+Before this illness of the King, that is to say, at the commencement of
+June, I went one day to work with M, le Duc d'Orleans, and found him
+alone, walking up arid down the grand apartment.
+
+"Holloa!  there," said he, as soon as he saw me; then, taking me by the
+hand, "I cannot leave you in ignorance of a thing which I desire above
+all others, which is of the utmost importance to me, and which will cause
+you as much joy as me; but you must keep it profoundly secret."  Then
+bursting out laughing, "If M. de Cambrai knew that I had told it to you,
+he would never pardon me."  And he proceeded to state that perfect
+reconciliation had been established between himself and the King and
+Queen of Spain; that arrangements had been made by which our young King
+was to marry the Infanta of Spain, as soon as he should be old enough;
+and the Prince of the Asturias (the heir to the Spanish throne) was to
+marry Mademoiselle de Chartres, the Regent's daughter.
+
+If my joy at this was great, my astonishment was even greater; M. le Duc
+d'Orleans embraced me, and the first surprise over, I asked him how he
+had contrived to bring about these marriages; above all, that of his
+daughter.  He replied that it had all been done in a trice by the Abbe
+Dubois, who was a regular devil when once he had set his mind upon
+anything; that the King of Spain had been transported at the idea of the
+King of France marrying the Infanta; and that the marriage of the Prince
+of the Asturias had been the 'sine qua non' of the other.
+
+After we had well talked over the matter and rejoiced thereon, I said to
+the Regent that the proposed marriage of his daughter must be kept
+profoundly secret until the moment of her departure for Spain; and that
+of the King also, until the time for their execution arrived; so as to
+prevent the jealousy of all Europe.  At this union, so grand and so
+intimate, of the two branches of the royal family, such a union having
+always been the terror of Europe and disunion the object of all its
+policy--this policy having only too well succeeded--I urged that the
+sovereigns must be left as long as possible in the confidence they had
+acquired, the Infanta above all, being but three years old (she was born
+at Madrid on the morning of the 30th of March, 1718), by which means the
+fears of Europe upon the marriage of Mademoiselle de Chartres with the
+Prince of the Asturias would be coloured--the Prince could wait, he
+having been born in August, 1707, and being accordingly only fourteen
+years of age.  "You are quite right," replied M. le Duc d'Orleans, "but
+this can't be, because in Spain they wish to make public the declarations
+of marriage at once, indeed, as soon as the demand is made and the
+declaration can be signed."
+
+"What madness!"  cried I; "what end can this tocsin have except to arouse
+all Europe and put it in movement!  They must be made to understand this,
+and we must stick to it; nothing is so important."
+
+"All this is true," said M. le Duc d'Orleans.  "I think exactly like you,
+but they are obstinate in Spain; they have wished matters to be arranged
+thus, and their wishes have been agreed to.  Everything is arranged,
+fixed, finished.  I am so much interested in the matter that you surely
+would not have advised me to break off for this condition."
+
+I said of course not, shrugging my shoulders at his unseasonable
+impatience.
+
+During the discussion which followed, I did not forget to think of
+myself, the occasion being so opportune for making the fortunes of my
+second son.  I remembered then, that as matters were advanced to this
+point, a special ambassador must be sent to Spain, to ask the hand of the
+Infanta for the King, and to sign the compact of marriage; that the
+ambassador must be a nobleman of mark and title, and thus I begged the
+Duke to give me this commission, with a recommendation to the King of
+Spain, so as to make my second son, the Marquis of Ruffec, grandee of
+Spain.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans scarcely allowed me to finish, immediately accorded
+me what I had asked, promised me the recommendation with many expressions
+of friendship, and asked me to keep the whole matter secret, and make no
+preparation that would disclose it.
+
+I knew well enough why he enjoined me to secrecy.  He wished to have the
+time to make Dubois swallow this pill.  My thanks expressed, I asked him
+two favours; first, not to pay me as an ambassador,  but to give me a
+round sum sufficient to provide for all my expenses without ruining
+myself; second, not to entrust any business to me which might necessitate
+a long stay in Spain, inasmuch as I did not wish to quit him, and wanted
+to go to Spain simply for the purpose of obtaining the honour above
+alluded to for my second son.  The fact is, I feared that Dubois, not
+being able to hinder my embassy, might keep me in Spain in a sort of
+exile, under pretence of business, in order to get rid of me altogether.
+Events proved that my precaution was not altogether useless.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans accorded both the favours I asked, with many obliging
+remarks, and a hope that my absence would not be long.  I thought I had
+then done great things for my family, and went home much pleased.  But,
+mon Dieu!  what are the projects and the successes of men!
+
+Dubois, as I expected, was vexed beyond measure at my embassy, and
+resolved to ruin me and throw me into disgrace.  I was prepared for this,
+and I soon saw it was so.  At first, I received from him nothing but
+professions of friendship and of attachment for me, congratulations that
+M. le Duc d'Orleans had accorded to me an embassy my merit deserved, and
+which would be productive of such useful results for my children.  He
+took care, however, in the midst of these fine phrases, to introduce not
+one word upon my arrangements, so that he might be able to drive me into
+a corner at the last moment, and cause me all the inconvenience possible.
+He slipped through my hands like an eel until the moment for my departure
+drew near.  As he saw it approach, he began to preach to me of
+magnificence, and wished to enter into details respecting my suite.  I
+described it to him, and everybody else would have been satisfied, but as
+his design was to ruin me, he cried out against it, and augmented it by a
+third.  I represented to him the excessive expense this augmentation
+would cause, the state of the finances, the loss upon the exchange: his
+sole reply was that the dignity of the King necessitated this expense and
+show; and that his Majesty would bear the charge.  I spoke to M. le Duc
+d'Orleans, who listened to me with attention, but being persuaded by the
+Cardinal, held the same language.
+
+This point settled, the Cardinal must needs know how many coats I should
+take, and how many I should give to my sons.--in a word, there was not a
+single detail of table or stable that he did not enter into, and that he
+did not double.  My friends exhorted me not to be obstinate with a man so
+impetuous, so dangerous, so completely in possession of M. le Duc
+d'Orleans, pointing out to me that when once I was away he might profit
+by my absence, and that, meanwhile, everything relating to my embassy
+must pass through his hands.  All this was only too true.  I was obliged,
+therefore, to yield, although I felt that, once embarked, the King's
+purse would be spared at the expense of mine.
+
+As soon as the marriages were declared, I asked to be declared as
+ambassador, so that I might openly make my preparations, which, it will
+be remembered, I had been forbidden to do.  Now that there was no secret
+about the marriage, I fancied there need be no secret as to the
+ambassador by whom they were to be conducted.  I was deceived: Whatever I
+might allege, the prohibition remained.  The Cardinal wished to put me to
+double the necessary expense, by compelling me to have my liveries,
+dresses, etc., made in the utmost precipitation; and this happened.  He
+thought, too, I should not be able to provide myself with everything in
+time; and that he might represent this to M. le Duc d'Orleans, and in
+Spain, as a fault, and excite envious cries against me.
+
+Nevertheless, I did not choose to press him: to announce my embassy, at
+the same time trying to obtain from him the instructions I was to
+receive, and which, passing through him and the Regent done, told nothing
+to the public, as my preparations would have done.  But I could not
+obtain them.  Dubois carelessly replied to me, that in one or two
+conversations the matter would be exhausted.  He wished me to know
+nothing, except vaguely; to leave no time for reflection, for questions,
+for explanations; and to throw me thus into embarrassments, and to cause
+me to commit blunders which he intended to make the most of.
+
+At last, tired of so many and such dangerous postponements, I went on
+Tuesday, the 23rd of September, to M. le Duc d'Orleans, arranging my
+visit so that it took place when he was in his apartments at the
+Tuileries; there I spoke with such effect, that he said I had only to
+show myself to the King.  He led me to his Majesty at once, and there and
+then my embassy was announced.  Upon leaving the King's cabinet, M. le
+Duc d'Orleans made me jump into his coach, which was waiting for him, and
+took me to the Palais Royal, where we began to speak seriously upon the
+affairs of my embassy.
+
+I fancy that Cardinal Dubois was much annoyed at what had been done, and
+that he would have liked to postpone the declaration yet a little longer.
+But this now was impossible.  The next day people were sent to work upon
+my equipments, the Cardinal showing as much eagerness and impatience
+respecting them, as he had before shown apathy and indifference.  He
+urged on the workmen; must needs see each livery and each coat as it was
+finished; increased the magnificence of each; and had all my coats and
+those of my children sent to him.  At last, the hurry to make me set out
+was so great, that such of the things as were ready he sent on by rapid
+conveyance to Bayonne, at a cost by no means trifling to me.
+
+The Cardinal next examined the list of persons I intended to have with
+me, and approved it.  To my extreme surprise he said, however, that I
+must add forty officers of cavalry and infantry, from the regiments of my
+sons.  I cried out against the madness and the expense of such a numerous
+military accompaniment.  I represented that it was not usual for
+ambassadors, with a peaceful mission, to take with them such an imposing
+force by way of escort; I showed that these officers, being necessarily
+gay men, might be led away into indiscreet gallantries, which would give
+me more trouble than all the business of my embassy.  Nothing could be
+more evident, true, and reasonable than my representations, nothing more
+useless or worse received.
+
+The Cardinal had resolved to ruin me, and to leave me in Spain with all
+the embarrassment, business, and annoyances he could.  He rightly thought
+that nothing was more likely to make him succeed than to charge me with
+forty officers.  Not finding them, I took only twenty-nine, and if the
+Cardinal succeeded as far as concerned my purse, I was so fortunate, and
+these gentlemen were so discreet, that he succeeded in no other way.
+
+Let me add here, before I give the details of my journey to Spain, in
+what manner the announcement of these two marriages was received by the
+King and the public.
+
+His Majesty was by no means gratified when he heard that a wife had been
+provided for him.  At the first mention of marriage he burst out crying.
+The Regent, M. le Duc, and M. de Frejus, had all the trouble in the world
+to extract a "yes" from him, and to induce him to attend the Regency
+Council, in which it was necessary that he should announce his consent to
+the proposed union, or be present while it was announced for him.  The
+council was held, and the King came to it, his eyes swollen and red, and
+his look very serious.
+
+Some moments of silence passed, during which M. le Duc d'Orleans threw
+his eyes over all the company (who appeared deeply expectant), and then
+fixed them on the King, and asked if he might announce to the council the
+marriage of his Majesty.  The King replied by a dry "yes," and in a
+rather low tone, but which was heard by the four or five people on each
+side of him, and the Regent immediately announced the marriage.  Then,
+after taking the opinions of the council, which were for the most part
+favorable, he turned towards the King with a smiling air, as though
+inviting him to assume the same, and said, "There, then, Sire, your
+marriage is approved and passed, and a grand and fortunate matter
+finished."  The council then broke up.
+
+The news of what had taken place immediately ran over all Paris.  The
+Tuileries and the Palais Royal were soon filled with people who came to
+present themselves before the King to compliment him and the Regent on
+the conclusion of this grand marriage, and the crowd continued the
+following days.  The King had much difficulty in assuming some little
+gaiety the first day, but on the morrow he was less sombre, and by
+degrees he quite recovered himself.
+
+M. le Duc d'Orleans took care not to announce the marriage of his
+daughter with the Prince of the Asturias at the same time that the other
+marriage was announced.  He declared it, however, the next day, and the
+news was received with the utmost internal vexation by the cabal opposed
+to him.  Men, women, people of all conditions who belonged to that cabal,
+lost all countenance.  It was a pleasure to me, I admit, to look upon
+them.  They were utterly disconcerted.  Nevertheless, after the first few
+days of overthrow, they regained courage, and set to work in order to
+break off both the marriages.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVII
+
+I have already said that Dubois looked most unfavourably upon my embassy
+to Spain, and that I saw he was determined to do all in his power to
+throw obstacles in its way.  I had fresh proofs of this.  First, before
+my departure: when he gave me my written instructions, he told me that in
+Spain I must take precedence of everybody during the signing of the
+King's contract of marriage, and at the chapel, at the two ceremonies of
+the marriage of the Prince of the Asturias, allowing no one to be before
+me!
+
+I represented to him that the Pope's nuncio would be present, and that to
+him the ambassadors of France gave place everywhere, and even the
+ambassadors of the Emperor also, who, without opposition, preceded those
+of the King.  He replied that that was true, except in special cases like
+the present, and that his instructions must be obeyed:  My surprise was
+great at so strange an order.  I tried to move him by appealing to his
+pride; asking him how I should manage with a cardinal, if one happened to
+be present, and with the majordomo-major, who corresponds, but in a very
+superior degree, with our grand master of France.  He flew in a rage, and
+declared that I must precede the majordomo-major also; that there would
+be no difficulty in doing so; and that, as to the cardinals, I should
+find none.  I shrugged my shoulders, and begged him to think of the
+matter.  Instead of replying, to me, he said he had forgotten to acquaint
+me with a most essential particular: it was, that I must take care not to
+visit anybody until I had been first visited.
+
+I replied that the visiting question had not been forgotten in my
+instructions, and that those instructions were to the effect that I
+should act in this respect as the Duc de Saint-Aignan had acted, and that
+the usage he had followed was to pay the first visit to the Minister of
+Foreign Affairs, and to the Councillors of State (when there were any),
+who are the same as are known here under the name of ministers.
+Thereupon he broke out afresh, prated, talked about the dignity of the
+King, and did not allow me the opportunity of saying another word.  I
+abridged my visit, therefore, and went away.
+
+However strange might appear to me these verbal orders of such a new
+kind, I thought it best to speak to the Duc de Saint-Aignan and Amelot on
+the subject, so as to convince myself of their novelty.  Both these
+ambassadors, as well as those who had preceded them, had visited in an
+exactly opposite manner; and they thought it extravagant that I should
+precede the nuncio, no matter where.  Amelot told me, moreover, that I
+should suffer all sorts of annoyances, and succeed in nothing, if I
+refused the first visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; that as for
+the Councillors of State, they existed only in name, the office having
+fallen into desuetude; and that I must pay other visits to certain
+officers he named (three in number), who would be justly offended and
+piqued if I refused them what every one who had preceded me had rendered
+them.  He added that I had better take good care to do so, unless I
+wished to remain alone in my house, and have the cold shoulder turned
+upon me by every principal person of the Court.
+
+By this explanation of Amelot I easily comprehended the reason of these
+singular verbal orders.  The Cardinal wished to secure my failure in
+Spain, and my disgrace in France: in Spain by making me offend at the
+outset all the greatest people and the minister through whose hands all
+my business would pass; draw upon myself thus complaints here, which, as
+I had no written orders to justify my conduct, he (Dubois) would
+completely admit the justice of, and then disavow me, declaring he had
+given me exactly opposite orders.  If I did not execute what he had told
+me, I felt that he would accuse me of sacrificing the King's honour and
+the dignity of the Crown, in order to please in Spain, and obtain thus
+honours for myself and my sons, and that he would prohibit the latter to.
+accept them.  There would have been less uproar respecting the nuncio;
+but if I preceded him, Dubois felt persuaded that the Court of Rome would
+demand justice; and this justice in his hands would have been a shameful
+recall.
+
+My position appeared so difficult, that I resolved to leave nothing
+undone in order to change it.  I thought M. le Duc d'Orleans would not
+resist the evidence I should bring forward, in order to show the
+extraordinary nature of Dubois' verbal instructions: I deceived myself.
+It was in vain that I spoke to M. le Duc d'Orleans.  I found nothing but
+feebleness under the yoke of a master; by which I judged how much I could
+hope for during my absence.  Several times I argued with him and the
+Cardinal; but in vain.  They both declared that if preceding ambassadors
+had paid the first visits, that was no example for me, in an embassy so
+solemn and distinguished as that I was about to execute.  I represented
+that, however solemn and however distinguished might be my embassy, it
+gave me no rank superior to that of extraordinary ambassadors, and that I
+could claim none.  Useless!  useless!  To my arguments there was no
+reply, but obstinacy prevailed; and I clearly saw the extreme malignity
+of the valet, and the unspeakable weakness of the master.  It was for me
+to manage as I could.
+
+The Cardinal now began ardently to press my departure; and, in fact,
+there was no more time to lose.  He unceasingly hurried on the workmen
+who were making all that I required,--vexed, perhaps, that being in such
+prodigious number, he could not augment them.  There was nothing more for
+him to do but to give me the letters with which I was to be charged.  He
+delayed writing them until the last moment previous to my departure, that
+is to say; the very evening before I started; the reason will soon be
+seen.  The letters were for their Catholic Majesties, for the Queen
+Dowager at Bayonne, and for the Prince of the Asturias; letters from the
+King and from the Duc d'Orleans.  But before giving them to me, the
+Regent said he would write two letters to the Prince of the Asturias,
+both alike, except in this respect, that in the one he would address the
+Prince as "nephew," and in the other as "brother and nephew," and that I
+was to try and deliver the latter, which he passionately wished; but that
+if I found too much difficulty in doing so, I must not persevere but
+deliver the former instead.
+
+I had reason to believe that here was another plot of Dubois, to cause me
+trouble by embroiling me with M. le Duc d'Orleans.  The Regent was the
+last man in the world to care for these formalities.  The Prince of the
+Asturias was son of the King and heir to the Crown, and, in consequence,
+of the rank of a son of France.  In whatever way regarded, M. le Duc
+d'Orleans was extremely inferior in rank to him; and it was something new
+and adventurous to treat him on terms of equality.  This, however, is
+what I was charged with, and I believe, in the firm hope of Cardinal
+Dubois that I should fail, and that he might profit by my failure.
+
+Finally, on the morning of the day before my departure, all the papers
+with which I was to be charged were brought to me.  I will not give the
+list of them.  But among these letters there was none from the King to
+the Infanta!  I thought they had forgotten to put it with the others.
+I said so to the persons who brought them to me.  What was my surprise
+when they told me that the letter was not written, but that I would have
+it in the course of the day.
+
+This appeared so strange to me, that my mind was filled with suspicion.
+I spoke of the letter to the Cardinal and to M. le Duc d'Orleans, who
+assured me that I should have it in the evening.  At midnight it had not
+arrived.  I wrote to the Cardinal.  Finally I set out without it.  He
+wrote to me, saying I should receive it before arriving at Bayonne; but
+nothing less.  I wrote him anew.  He replied to me, saying that I should
+have it before I arrived at Madrid.  A letter from the King to the
+Infanta was not difficult to write; I could not doubt, therefore, that
+there was some design in this delay.  Whatever it might be, I could not
+understand it, unless the intention was to send the letter afterwards,
+and make me pass for a heedless fellow who had lost the first.
+
+Dubois served me another most impudent turn, seven or eight days before
+my departure.  He sent word to me, by his two devoted slaves, Le Blanc
+and Belleisle, that as he had the foreign affairs under his charge, he
+must have the post, which he would not and could not any longer do
+without; that he knew I was the intimate friend of Torcy (who had the
+post in his department), whose resignation he desired; that he begged me
+to write to Torcy, and send my letter to him by an express courier to
+Sable (where he had gone on an excursion); that he should see by my
+conduct on this occasion, and its success, in what manner he could count
+upon me, and that he should act towards me accordingly.  To this his two
+slaves added all they could to persuade me to comply, assuring me that
+Dubois would break off my embassy if I did not do as he wished.  I did
+not for a moment doubt, after what I had seen of the inconceivable
+feebleness of M. le Duc d'Orleans, that Dubois was really capable of thus
+affronting and thwarting me, or that I should have no aid from the
+Regent.  At the same time I resolved to run all hazards rather than lend
+myself to an act of violence against a friend, so sure; so sage, and so
+virtuous, and who had served the state with such reputation, and deserved
+so well of it.
+
+I replied therefore to these gentlemen that I thought the commission very
+strange, and much more so their reasoning of it; that Torcy was not a man
+from whom an office of this importance could be taken unless he wished to
+give it up; that all I could do was to ask him if he wished to resign,
+and if so, on what conditions; that as to exhorting him to resign, I
+could do nothing of the kind, although I was not ignorant of what this
+refusal might cost me and my embassy.  They tried in vain to reason with
+me; all they could obtain was this firm resolution.
+
+Castries and his brother, the Archbishop, were intimate friends of Torcy
+and of myself.  I sent for them to come to me in the midst of the tumult
+of my departure.  They immediately came, and I related to them what had
+just happened.  They were more indignant at the manner and the moment,
+than at the thing itself; for Torcy knew that sooner or later the
+Cardinal would strip him of the post for his own benefit.  They extremely
+praised my reply, exhorted me to send word to Torcy, who was on the point
+of departing from Sable, or had departed, and who would make his own
+terms with M. le Duc d'Orleans much more advantageously, present, than
+absent.  I read to them the letter I had written to Torcy, while waiting
+for them, which they much approved, and which I at once despatched.
+
+Torcy of himself, had hastened his return.  My courier found him with his
+wife in the Parc of Versailles, having passed by the Chartres route.  He
+read my letter, charged the courier with many compliments for me (his
+wife did likewise), and told me to say he would see me the next day.  I
+informed M. Castries of his arrival.  We all four met the next day.
+Torcy warmly appreciated my conduct, and, to his death, we lived on terms
+of the greatest intimacy, as may be imagined when I say that he committed
+to me his memoirs (these he did not write until long after the death of
+M. le Duc d'Orleans), with which I have connected mine.  He did not seem
+to care for the post, if assured of an honourable pension.
+
+I announced then his return to Dubois, saying it would be for him and M.
+le Duc d'Orleans to make their own terms with him, and get out of the.
+matter in this way.  Dubois, content at seeing by this that Torcy
+consented to resign the post, cared not how, so that the latter made his
+own arrangements, and all passed off with the best grace on both sides.
+Torcy had some money and 60,000 livres pension during life, and 20,000
+for his wife after him.  This was arranged before my departure and was
+very well carried out afterwards.
+
+A little while after the declaration of the marriage, the Duchesse de
+Ventadour and Madame de Soubise, her granddaughter, had been named, the
+one governess of the Infanta, the other successor to the office; and they
+were both to go and meet her at the frontier, and bring her to Paris to
+the Louvre, where she was to be lodged a little while after the
+declaration of my embassy: the Prince de Rohan, her son-in-law, had
+orders to go and make the exchange of the Princesses upon the frontier,
+with the people sent by the King of Spain to perform the same function.
+I had never had any intimacy with them, though we were not on bad terms.
+But these Spanish commissions caused us to visit each other with proper
+politeness.  I forgot to say so earlier and in the proper place.
+
+At last, viz., on the 23rd of October, 1721, I set out, having with me
+the Comte de Lorge, my children, the Abbe de Saint-Simon, and his
+brother, and many others.  The rest of the company joined me at Blaye.
+We slept at Orleans, at Montrichard; and at Poictiers.  On arriving at
+Conte my berline broke down.  This caused a delay of three hours, and I
+did not arrive at Ruffec until nearly midnight.  Many noblemen of the
+neighbourhood were waiting for me there, and I entertained them at dinner
+and supper during the two days I stayed.  I experienced real pleasure in
+embracing Puy-Robert, who was lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Roussillon
+Regiment when I was captain.
+
+From Ruffec I went in two days to La Cassine, a small house at four
+leagues from Blaye, which my father had built on the borders of his
+marshes of Blaye, and which I felt much pleasure in visiting; I stopped
+there during All Saints' Day and the evening before, and the next day I
+early betook myself to Blaye again, where I sojourned two days.  I found
+several persons of quality there, many of the nobility of the country and
+of the adjoining provinces, and Boucher, Intendant of Bordeaux, brother-
+in-law of Le Blanc, who was waiting for me, and whom I entertained with
+good cheer morning and evening during this short stay.
+
+We crossed to Bordeaux in the midst of such bad weather that everybody
+pressed me to delay the trip; but I had so few, days at my command that I
+did not accede to their representations.  Boucher had brought his
+brigantine magnificently equipped, and boats enough to carry over all my
+company, most of whom went with us.  The view of the port and the town of
+Bordeaux surprised me, with more than three hundred ships of all nations
+ranged in two lines upon my passage, decked out in all their finery, and
+with a great noise from their cannons and those of the Chateau Trompette.
+
+Bordeaux is too well known to need description at my hands: I will simply
+say that after Constantinople it presents the finest view of any other
+port.  Upon landing we received many compliments, and found many
+carriages, which conducted us to the Intendant's house, where the Jurats
+came to compliment me in state dress.  I invited them to supper with.
+me, a politeness they did not expect, and which they appeared to highly
+appreciate.  I insisted upon going to see the Hotel de Ville, which is
+amazingly ugly, saying to the Jurats that it was not to satisfy my
+curiosity, but in order to pay a visit to them, that I went.  This
+extremely pleased.
+
+After thanking M. and Madame Boucher for their attention, we set out
+again, traversed the great Landes, and reached in due time Bayonne.  The
+day after my arrival there, I had an audience with the Queen Dowager of
+Spain.  I was astonished upon arriving at her house.  It had only two
+windows in front, looked upon a little court, and had but trifling depth.
+The room I entered was very plainly furnished.  I found the Queen, who
+was waiting for me, accompanied by the Duchesse de Linorez and very few
+other persons.  I complimented her in the name of the King, and presented
+to her his letter.  Nothing could be more polite than her bearing towards
+me.
+
+Passing the Pyrenees, I quitted with France, rain and bad weather, and
+found a clear sky, a charming temperature, with views and perspectives
+which changed at each moment, and which were not less charming.  We were
+all mounted upon mules, the pace of which is good but easy.  I turned a
+little out of my way to visit Loyola, famous by the birth of Saint
+Ignatius, and situated all alone in a narrow valley.  We found there four
+or five Jesuits, very polite and instructed, who took care of the
+prodigious building erected there for more than a hundred Jesuits and
+numberless scholars.  A church was there nearly finished, of rotunda
+shape, of a grandeur and size which surprised me.  Gold, painting,
+sculpture, the richest ornaments of all kinds, are distributed everywhere
+with prodigality but taste.  The architecture is correct and admirable,
+the marble is most exquisite; jasper, porphyry, lapis, polished,
+wreathed, and fluted columns, with their capitals and their ornaments of
+gilded bronze, a row of balconies between each altar with little steps of
+marble to ascend them, and the cage encrusted; the altars and that which
+accompanied them admirable.  In a word, the church was one of the most
+superb edifices in Europe, the best kept up, and the most magnificently
+adorned.  We took there the best chocolate I ever tasted, and, after some
+hours of curiosity and admiration, we regained our road.
+
+On the 15th, we arrived at Vittoria, where I found a deputation of the
+province, whom I invited to supper, and the next day to breakfast.  They
+spoke French and I was surprised to see Spaniards so gay and such good
+company at table.  Joy on account of my journey burst out in every place
+through which I passed in France and Spain, and obtained for me a good
+reception.  At Salinas, among other towns which I passed through without
+stopping, ladies, who, to judge by their houses and by themselves,
+appeared to me to be quality folks, asked me with such good grace to let
+them see the man who was bringing happiness to Spain, that I thought it
+would only be proper gallantry to enter their dwellings.  They appeared
+ravished, and I had all the trouble in the world to get rid of them, and
+to continue my road.
+
+I arrived on the 18th at Burgos, where I meant to stay at least one day,
+to see what turn would take a rather strong fever which had seized my
+eldest son; but I was so pressed to hasten on that I was obliged to leave
+my son behind with nearly all his attendants.
+
+I left Burgos therefore on the 19th.  We found but few relays, and those
+ill-established.  We travelled night and day without going to bed, until
+we reached Madrid, using such vehicles as we could obtain.  I performed
+the last twelve leagues on a posthorse, which cost twice as much as in
+France.  In this manner we arrived in Madrid on Friday, the 21st, at
+eleven o'clock at night.
+
+We found at the entrance of the town (which has neither gates nor walls,
+neither barriers nor faubourgs,) people on guard, who asked us who we
+were, and whence we came.  They had been placed there expressly so as to
+know the moment of my arrival.  As I was much fatigued by travelling
+incessantly from Burgos without stopping, I replied that we were the
+people of the Ambassador of France, who would arrive the next day.
+
+I learnt afterwards, that the minister had calculated that I could not
+reach Madrid before the 22d.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CVIII
+
+Early the next morning I received a visit from Grimaldo, Minister of
+Foreign Affairs, who, overjoyed at my arrival, had announced it to their
+Catholic Majesties before coming to me.  Upon his example, apparently,
+the three other ministers, whom, according to usage, I ought to have
+visited first, came also; so that one infamous difficulty which Cardinal
+Dubois had placed in my path was happily overcome without effort on my
+part.
+
+Grimaldo at once conducted me to the palace, and introduced me to the
+King.  I made a profound reverence to him; he testified to me his joy at
+my arrival, and asked me for news of the King, of M. le Duc d'Orleans, of
+my journey, and of my eldest son, whom, as he knew, I had left behind at
+Burgos.  He then entered alone into the Cabinet of the Mirrors.  I was
+instantly surrounded by all the Court with compliments and indications of
+joy at the marriages and union of the crowns.  Nearly all the seigneurs
+spoke French, and I had great difficulty in replying to their numberless
+compliments.
+
+A half quarter of an hour after the King had entered his cabinet, he sent
+for me.  I entered alone into the Hall of Mirrors, which is very vast,
+but much less wide than long.  The King, with the Queen on his left, was
+nearly at the bottom of the salon, both their Majesties standing and
+touching each other.  I approached with three profound reverences, and I
+will remark, once for all, that the King never covers himself except at
+public audiences, and when he goes to and comes from his mass.  The
+audience lasted half an hour, and was principally occupied, on the part
+of the King and Queen, with compliments and expressions of joy at the
+marriages that were to take place.  At its close, the Queen asked me if I
+would like to see the children, and conducted me to them.
+
+I never saw prettier boys than Don Carlos and Don Ferdinand, nor a
+prettier babe than Don Philip.  The King and Queen took pleasure in
+making me look at them, and in making them turn and walk before me with
+very good grace.  Their Majesties entered afterwards into the Infanta's
+chamber, where I tried to exhibit as much gallantry as possible.  In
+fact, the Infanta was charming-like a little woman--and not at all
+embarrassed.  The Queen said to me that she already had begun to learn
+French, and the King that she would soon forget Spain.
+
+"Oh!" cried the Queen, "not only Spain, but the King and me, so as to
+attach herself to the King, her husband, alone."  Upon this I tried not
+to remain dumb, and to say what was appropriate.  Their Majesties
+dismissed me with much goodness, and I was again encircled by the crowd
+with many compliments.
+
+A few moments after the King recalled me, in order to see the Prince of
+the Asturias, who was with their Majesties in the same Hall of Mirrors.
+I found him tall, and really made to be painted; fine light-brown hair,
+light fresh-coloured complexion, long face, but agreeable; good eyes, but
+too near the nose.  I found in him also much grace and politeness.  He
+particularly asked after the King, M. le Duc d'Orleans, and Mademoiselle
+de Montpensier, to whom he was to be betrothed.
+
+Their Catholic Majesties testified much satisfaction to me at the
+diligence I had used; said that a single day would be sufficient for the
+ceremonies that had to be gone through (demanding the hand of the
+Infanta, according it, and signing the marriage contract).  Afterwards
+they asked me when all would be ready.  I replied it would be any day
+they pleased; because, as they wished to go into the country, I thought
+it would be best to throw no delay in their path.  They appeared much
+pleased at this reply, but would not fix the day, upon which I proposed
+the following Tuesday.  Overjoyed at this promptness, they fixed the
+Thursday for their departure, and left me with the best possible grace.
+
+I had got over one difficulty, as I have shown, that connected with the
+first visits, but I had others yet to grapple with.  And first, there was
+my embarrassment at finding no letter for the Infanta.  I confided this
+fact to Grimaldo, who burst out laughing, was to have my first audience
+with the Infanta the next day, and it was then that the letter ought to
+be produced.  Grimaldo said he would arrange so that when I--went, the
+governess should come into the antechamber, and say that the Infanta was
+asleep, and upon offering to awake her, I should refuse to allow her,
+take my leave, and wait until the letter from the King arrived before I
+visited her again.  Everything happened just as it had been planned, and
+thus the second obstacle which the crafty and malicious Cardinal had put
+in my path, for the sake of overturning me, was quietly got over.
+Grimaldo's kindness encouraged me to open my heart under its influence.
+I found that the Spanish minister knew, quite as, well as I did, what
+manner of person Dubois was.
+
+On Sunday, the 23rd, I had in the morning my first private audience of
+the King and Queen, together, in the Hall of Mirrors, which is the place
+where they usually give it.  I was accompanied by Maulevrier, our
+ambassador.  I presented to their Catholic Majesties the Comte de Lorge,
+the Comte de Cereste, my second son, and the Abbe de Saint-Simon and his
+bother.  I received many marks of goodness from the Queen in this
+audience.
+
+On Tuesday, the 25th of November, I had my solemn audience.  I went to
+the palace in a magnificent coach, belonging to the King, drawn by eight
+grey horses, admirably dappled.  There were no postillions, and the
+coachman drove me, his hat under his arm.  Five of my coaches filled with
+my suite followed, and about twenty others (belonging to noblemen of the
+Court, and sent by them in order to do me honour), with gentlemen in
+each.  The King's coach was surrounded by my musicians, liveried servants
+on foot, and by officers of my household.  On arriving at the open place
+in front of the palace, I thought myself at the Tuileries.  The regiments
+of Spanish guards, clad, officers and soldiers, like the French guards,
+and the regiment of the Walloon guards, clad, officers and, soldiers,
+like the Swiss guards, were under arms; the flags waved, the drums beat,
+and the officers saluted with the half-pike.  On the way, the streets
+were filled with people, the shops with dealers and artisans, all the
+windows were crowded.  Joy showed itself on every face, and we heard
+nothing but benedictions.
+
+The audience passed off admirably.  I asked the hand of the Infanta in
+marriage on the part of the King; my request was graciously complied
+with, compliments passed on both sides, and I returned to my house, well
+pleased with the reception I had met with from both their Catholic
+Majesties.
+
+There was still the marriage contract to be signed, and this was to take
+place in the afternoon.  Here was to be my great trial, for the
+majordomo-major and the nuncio of the Pope were to be present at the
+ceremony, and, according to the infamous and extraordinary instructions
+I had received from Dubois, I was to precede them!  How was this to be
+done?  I had to bring all my ingenuity to bear upon the subject in order
+to determine.  In the embarrassment I felt upon this position, I was
+careful to affect the most marked attention to the nuncio and the
+majordomo-major every time I met them and visited them; so as to take
+from them all idea that I wished to precede them, when I should in
+reality do so.
+
+The place the majordomo-major was to occupy at this ceremony was behind
+the King's armchair, a little to the right, so as to allow room for the
+captain of the guards on duty; to put myself there would be to take his
+place, and push the captain of the guards away, and those near him.  The
+place of the nuncio was at the side of the King, his face to the
+armchair; to take it would have been to push him beyond the arm of the
+chair, which assuredly he would no more have submitted to than the
+majordomo-major on the other side.  I resolved, therefore, to hazard a
+middle term; to try and introduce myself at the top of the right arm of
+the chair, a little sideways, so as to take the place of neither,
+entirely; but, nevertheless, to drive them out, and to cover this with an
+air of ignorance and of simplicity; and, at the same time, of eagerness,
+of joy, of curiosity, of courtier-like desire to speak to the King as
+much as possible: and all this I exactly executed, in appearance
+stupidly, and in reality very successfully!
+
+When the time for the audience arrived, I took up my position,
+accordingly, in the manner I have indicated.  The majordomo-major and the
+nuncio entered, and finding me thus placed, and speaking to the King,
+appeared much surprised.  I heard Signor and Sefor repeated right and
+left of me, and addressed to me--for both expressed themselves with
+difficulty in French--and I replied with bows to one and to the other
+with the smiling air of a man entirely absorbed in joy at his functions,
+and who understands nothing of what is meant; then I recommenced my
+conversation with the King, with a sort of liberty and enthusiasm, so
+that the nuncio and majordomo-major: soon grew tired of appealing to a
+man whose spirit was so transported that he no longer knew where he was,
+or what was said to him.  In this manner I defeated the craft, cunning,
+and maliciousness of Dubois.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, I
+accompanied the King and Queen to the door of the Hall of Mirrors, taking
+good care then to show every deference to the majordomo-major and the
+nuncio, and yielding place to them, in order to remove any impression
+from their minds that I had just acted in a contrary manner from design.
+As soon as their Catholic Majesties had departed, and the door of the
+salon was closed upon them, I was encircled and, so to speak, almost
+stifled by the company present, who, one after the other, pressed upon me
+with the greatest demonstrations of joy and a thousand compliments.
+I returned home after the ceremony, which had lasted a long time.  While
+I occupied my stolen position I was obliged, in order to maintain it, to
+keep up an incessant conversation with the King, and at last, no longer
+knowing what to talk about, I asked him for an audience the next day,
+which he readily accorded me.  But this direct request was contrary to
+the usage of the Court, where the ambassadors, the other foreign
+ministers, and the subjects of the country of, whatever rank, address
+their requests to an officer who is appointed to receive them, who
+communicates with the King, and names the day and the hour when his
+Majesty will grant the interview.
+
+Grimaldo, a little after the end of ceremony, had gone to work with the
+King and Queen, as was customary.--I was surprised, an hour after
+returning home, to receive a letter from this minister, asking me if I
+had anything to say to the King I did not wish the Queen to hear,
+referring to the audience I had asked of the King for the morrow, and
+begging me to tell him what it was for.  I replied to him instantly, that
+having found the opportunity good I had asked for this audience; but if I
+had not mentioned the Queen, it was because I had imagined she was so
+accustomed to be present that there was no necessity to allude to her:
+but as to the rest, I had my thanks to offer to the King upon what had
+just passed, and nothing to say to him that I should not wish to say to
+the Queen, and that I should be very sorry if she were not present.
+
+As I was writing this reply, Don Gaspard Giron invited me to go and see
+the illuminations of the Place Mayor.  I quickly finished my letter; we
+jumped into a coach, and the principal people of my suite jumped into
+others.  We were conducted by detours to avoid the light of the
+illuminations in approaching them, and we arrived at a fine house which
+looks upon the middle of the Place, and which is that where the King and
+Queen go to see the fetes that take place.  We perceived no light in
+descending or in ascending the staircase.  Everything had been closed,
+but on entering into the chamber which looks upon the Place, we were
+dazzled, and immediately we entered the balcony speech failed me, from
+surprise, for more than seven or eight minutes.
+
+This Place is superficially much vaster than any I had ever seen in Paris
+or elsewhere, and of greater length than breadth.  The five stories of
+the houses which surround it are all of the same level; each has windows
+at equal distance, and of equal size, with balconies as deep as they are
+long, guarded by iron balustrades, exactly alike in every case.  Upon
+each of these balconies two torches of white wax were placed, one at each
+end of the balcony, supported upon the balustrade, slightly leaning
+outwards, and attached to nothing.  The light that this--gives is
+incredible; it has a splendour and a majesty about it that astonish you
+and impress you.  The smallest type can be read in the middle of the
+Place, and all about, though the ground-floor is not illuminated.
+
+As soon as I appeared upon the balcony, all the people beneath gathered
+round and began to cry, Senor!  tauro!  tauro!  The people were asking me
+to obtain for them a bull-fight, which is what they like best in the
+world, and what the King had not permitted for several years from
+conscientious principles.  Therefore I contented myself the next day with
+simply telling him of these cries, without asking any questions thereon,
+while expressing to him my astonishment at an illumination so surprising
+and so admirable.
+
+Don Gaspard Giron and the Spaniards who were with me in the house from
+which I saw the illumination, charmed with the astonishment I had
+displayed at this spectacle, published it abroad with all the more
+pleasure because they were not accustomed to the admiration of the
+French, and many noblemen spoke of it to me with great pleasure.
+Scarcely had I time to return home and sup after this fine illumination
+than I was obliged to go to the palace for the ball that the King had
+prepared there, and which lasted until past two in the morning.
+
+The salon was very vast and splendid;'the dresses of the company were
+sumptuous; the appearance of our finest fancy-dress balls did not
+approach the appearance of this.
+
+What seemed strange to me was to see three bishops in lawn sleeves and
+cloaks in the ball-room, remaining, too, all the evening, and to see the
+accoutrement of the camerara-mayor, who held exposed in her hand a great
+chaplet, and who, while talking and criticising the ball and the dancers,
+muttered her prayers, and continued to do so while the ball lasted.  What
+I found very strange was, that none of the men present (except six
+special officers and Maulevrier and myself) were allowed to sit, not even
+the dancers; in fact, there was not a single seat in the whole salon, not
+even at the back, except those I have specified.
+
+In Spain, men and women of all ages wear all sorts of colours, and dance
+if they like, even when more than sixty years old, without exciting the
+slightest ridicule or astonishment.  I saw several examples of this among
+men and women.
+
+Amongst the company present was Madame Robecque, a Frenchwoman, one of
+the Queen's ladies, whom I had known before she went to Spain.  In former
+days we had danced together at the Court.  Apparently she said so to the
+Queen, for after having danced with one of the children, she traversed
+the whole length of the salon, made a fine curtsey to their Catholic
+Majesties, and came to dislodge me from my retreat, asking me with a
+curtsey and a smile to dance.  I replied to her by saying she was
+laughing at me; dispute, gallantries; finally, she went to the Queen, who
+called me and told me that the King and she wished me to dance.
+
+I took the liberty to represent to her that she wished to divert herself
+at my expense; that this order could not be serious; I alleged my age, my
+position, the number of years since I had danced; in a word, I did all I
+could to back out.  But all was useless.  The King mixed himself in the
+matter; both he and the Queen begged me to comply, tried to persuade me
+I danced very well; at last commanded me, and in such a manner that I was
+obliged to obey.  I acquitted myself, therefore, as well as I could.
+
+The ball being finished, the Marquis de Villagarcias, one of the
+majordomos, and one of the most honest and most gracious of men I ever
+saw (since appointed Viceroy of Peru), would not let me leave until I had
+rested in the refreshment-room, where he made me drink a glass of
+excellent neat wine, because I was all in a sweat from the minuets and
+quadrilles I had gone through, under a very heavy coat.
+
+This same evening and the next I illuminated my house within and without,
+not having a moment's leisure to give any fete in the midst of the many
+functions I had been so precipitately called upon to fulfil.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CIX
+
+On Thursday, the 27th of November, the King and Queen were to depart from
+Madrid to Lerma, a pretty hamlet six leagues from Burgos, where they had
+a palace.  On the same day, very early in the morning, our ambassador,
+Maulevrier, came to me with despatches from Cardinal Dubois, announcing
+that the Regent's daughter, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, had departed on
+the 18th of November for Spain, and giving information as to the places
+she would stop at, the people she would be accompanied by, the day she
+would arrive at the frontier, and the persons charged with the exchange
+of the Princesses.
+
+Maulevrier and I thought this news so important that we felt there was no
+time to lose, and at once hastened away to the palace to communicate it
+to their Majesties, who we knew were waiting for it most impatiently.  We
+arrived at such an early hour that all was deserted in the palace, and
+when we reached the door of the Hall of Mirrors, we were obliged to knock
+loudly in order to be heard.  A French valet opened the door, and told us
+that their Catholic Majesties were still in bed.  We did not doubt it,
+and begged him to apprise them that we wished to have the honour of
+speaking to them.  Such an honour was unheard of, except under
+extraordinary circumstances; nevertheless the valet quickly returned,
+saying that their Majesties would receive us, though it was against all
+rule and usage to do so while they were in bed.
+
+We traversed therefore the long and grand Hall of Mirrors, turned to the
+left at the end into a large and fine room, then short off to the left
+again into a very little chamber, portioned off from the other, and
+lighted by the door and by two little windows at the top of the partition
+wall.  There was a bed of four feet and a half at most, of crimson
+damask, with gold fringe, four posts, the curtains open at the foot and
+at the side the King occupied.  The King was almost stretched out upon
+pillows with a little bed-gown of white satin; the Queen sitting upright,
+a piece of tapestry in her hand, at the left of the King, some skeins of
+thread near her, papers scattered upon the rest of the bed and upon an
+armchair at the side of it.  She was quite close to the King, who was in
+his night-cap, she also, and in her bed-gown, both between the sheets,
+which were only very imperfectly hidden by the papers.
+
+They made us abridge our reverences, and the King, raising himself a
+little impatiently, asked us our business.  We were alone, the valet
+having retired after showing us the door.
+
+"Good news, Sire," replied I.  "Mademoiselle de Montpensier set out on
+the 18th; the courier has this instant brought us the news, and we have
+at once come to present ourselves to you and apprise your Majesties of
+it."
+
+Joy instantly painted itself on their faces, and immediately they began
+to question us at great length upon the details the courier had brought
+us.  After an animated conversation, in which Maulevrier took but little
+part, their Catholic Majesties dismissed us, testifying to us the great
+pleasure we had caused them by not losing a minute in acquainting them
+with the departure of Mademoiselle de Montpensier, above all in not
+having been stopped by the hour, and by the fact that they were in bed.
+
+We went back to my house to dine and returned to the palace in order to
+see the King and Queen depart.  I again received from them a thousand
+marks of favour.  Both the King and Queen, but especially the latter,
+several times insisted that I must not lose any time in following them to
+Lerma; upon which I assured them they would find me there as they
+alighted from their coach.
+
+I set out, in fact, on the 2nd of December, from Madrid, to join the
+Court, and was to sleep at the Escurial, with the Comtes de Lorges and de
+Cereste, my second son, the Abbe de Saint-Simon and his brother, Pacquet,
+and two principal officers of the King's troops, who remained with me as
+long as I stayed in Spain.  In addition to the orders of the King of
+Spain and the letters of the Marquis de Grimaldo, I was also furnished
+with those of the nuncio for the Prior of the Escurial, who is, at the
+same time, governor, in order that I might he shown the marvels of this
+superb and prodigious monastery, and that everything might be opened for
+me that I wished to visit; for I had been warned that, without the
+recommendation of the nuncio, neither that of the King and his minister,
+nor any official character, would have much served me.  It will be seen
+that, after all, I did not fail to suffer from the churlishness and the
+superstition of these coarse Jeronimites.
+
+They are black and white monks, whose dress resembles that of the
+Celestins; very idle, ignorant, and without austerity, who, by the number
+of their monasteries and their riches, are in Spain much about what the
+Benedictines are in France, and like them are a congregation.  They elect
+also, like the Benedictines, their superiors, local and general, except
+the Prior of the Escurial, who is nominated by the King, remains in
+office as long as the King likes and no more, and who is yet better
+lodged at the Escurial than his Catholic Majesty.  'Tis a prodigy, this
+building, of extent, of structure, of every kind of magnificence, and
+contains an immense heap of riches, in pictures, in ornaments, in vases
+of all kinds, in precious stones, everywhere strewn about, and the
+description of which I will not undertake, since it does not belong to my
+subject.  Suffice it to say that a curious connoisseur of all these
+different beauties might occupy himself there for three months without
+cessation, and then would not have examined all.  The gridiron (its form,
+at least) has regulated all the ordonnance of this sumptuous edifice in
+honour of Saint-Laurent, and of the battle of Saint-Quentin, gained by
+Philippe II., who, seeing the action from a height, vowed he would erect
+this monastery if his troops obtained the victory, and asked his
+courtiers, if such were the pleasures of the Emperor, his father, who in
+fact did not go so far for them as that.
+
+There is not a door, a lock, or utensil of any kind, or a piece of plate,
+that is not marked with a gridiron.
+
+The distance from Madrid to the Escurial is much about the same as that
+from Paris to Fontainebleau.  The country is very flat and becomes a
+wilderness on approaching the Escurial, which takes its name from a large
+village you pass, a league off.  It is upon an eminence which you ascend
+imperceptibly, and upon which you see endless deserts on three sides; but
+it is backed, as it were, by the mountain of Guadarama, which encircles
+Madrid on three sides, at a distance of several leagues, more or less.
+There is no village at the Escurial; the lodging of their Catholic
+Majesties forms the handle of the gridiron.  The principal grand
+officers, and those most necessary, are lodged, as well as the Queen's
+ladies, in the monastery; on the side by which you arrive all is very
+badly built.
+
+The church, the grand staircase, and the grand cloister, surprised me.
+I admired the elegance of the surgery, and the pleasantness of the
+gardens, which, however, are only a long and wide terrace.  The Pantheon
+frightened me by a sort of horror and majesty.  The grand-altar and the
+sacristy wearied my eyes, by their immense opulence.  The library did not
+satisfy me, and the librarians still less: I was received with much
+civility, and invited to a good supper in the Spanish style, at which the
+Prior and another monk did the honours.  After this fast repast my people
+prepared my meals, but this fat monk always supplied one or two things
+that it would not have been civil to refuse, and always ate with me; for,
+in order that he might conduct us everywhere, he never quitted our sides.
+Bad Latin supplied the place of French, which he did not understand; nor
+even Spanish.
+
+In the sanctuary at the grand altar, there are windows behind the seats
+of the priest and his assistants, who celebrate the grand mass.  These
+windows, which are nearly on a level with the sanctuary (very high),
+belong to the apartment that Philippe II.  had built for himself, and in
+which he died.  He heard service through these windows.  I wished to see
+this apartment, which was entered from behind.  I was refused.  It was in
+vain that I insisted on the orders of the King and of the nuncio,
+authorising me to see all I wished.  I disputed uselessly.  They told me
+this apartment had been closed ever since the death of Philippe II., and
+that nobody had entered it.  I maintained that King Philippe V.  and his
+suite had seen it.  They admitted the fact, but at the same time told me
+that he had entered by force as a master, threatening to break in the
+doors, that he was the only King who had entered since Philippe II., and
+that they would not open the apartment to anybody.  I understood nothing
+of all this superstition, but I was forced to rest content in my
+ignorance.  Louville, who had entered with the King, had told me that the
+place contained only five or six dark chambers, and some holes and
+corners with wainscots plastered with mud; without tapestry, when he saw
+it, or any kind of furniture; thus I did not lose much by not entering.
+
+In the Rotting-Room, which I have elsewhere described, we read the
+inscriptions near us, and the monk read others as we asked him.  We
+walked thus, all round, talking and discoursing thereon.  Passing to the
+bottom of the room, the coffin of the unhappy Don Carlos offered itself
+to our sight.
+
+"As for him," said I, "it is well known why, and of what he died."  At
+this remark, the fat monk turned rusty, maintained he had died a natural
+death, and began to declaim against the stories which he said had been
+spread abroad about him.  I smiled, saying, I admitted it was not true
+that his veins had been opened.  This observation completed the
+irritation of the monk, who began to babble in a sort of fury.  I
+diverted myself with it at first in silence; then I said to him, that the
+King, shortly after arriving in Spain; had had the curiosity to open the
+coffin of Don Carlos, and that I knew from a man who was present ('twas
+Louville), that his head had been found between his legs; that Philippe
+II., his father, had had it cut off before him in the prison.
+
+"Very well!" cried the monk in fury, "apparently he had well deserved it;
+for Philippe II., had permission from the Pope to do so!"  and,
+thereupon, he began to cry with all his might about the marvels of piety
+and of justice of Philippe II., and about the boundless power of the
+Pope, and to cry heresy against any one who doubted that he could not
+order, decide, and dispose of all.
+
+Such is the fanaticism of the countries of the Inquisition, where science
+is a crime, ignorance and superstition the first of virtues.  Though my
+official character protected me, I did not care to dispute, and cause a
+ridiculous scene with this bigot of a monk.  I contented myself with
+smiling, and by making a sign of silence as I did so to those who were
+with me.  The monk, therefore, had full swing, and preached a long time
+without giving over.  He perceived, perhaps, by our faces, that we were
+laughing at him, although without gestures or words.  At last he showed
+us the rest of the chamber, still fuming; then we descended to the
+Pantheon.  They did me the singular favour to light about two-thirds of
+the immense and admirable chandelier, suspended from the middle of the
+roof, the lights of which dazzled us, and enabled us to distinguish in
+every part of the Rotting-Room; not only the smallest details of the
+smallest letter, but the minutest features of the place.
+
+I passed three days in the Escurial, lodged in a large and fine
+apartment, and all that were with me well lodged also.  Our monk, who had
+always been in an ill-humour since the day of the Rotting-Room, did not
+recover himself until the parting breakfast came.  We quitted him without
+regret, but not the Escurial, which would pleasantly occupy a curious
+connoisseur during more than a three months' stay.  On the road we met
+the Marquis de Montalegre, who invited, us to dinner with him.  The meal
+was so good that we little regretted the dinner my people had prepared
+for us.
+
+At last we arrived on the 9th, at our village of Villahalmanzo, where I
+found most comfortable quarters for myself and all who were with me.  I
+found there, also, my eldest son, still merely, convalescent, with the
+Abbe de Monthon, who came from Burgos.  We supped very gaily, and I
+reckoned upon taking a good excursion the next day, and upon amusing
+myself in reconnoitring the village and the environs; but fever seized me
+during the night, augmented during the day, became violent the following
+night, so that there was no more talk of going on the 11th to meet the
+King and Queen at Lerma, as they alighted from their coach, according to
+arrangement.
+
+The malady increased with such rapidity that I was found to be in great
+danger, and immediately after, on the point of death.  I was bled shortly
+after.  The small-pox, with which the whole country was filled, appeared.
+The climate was such this year that it froze hard twelve or fourteen
+hours every day, while from eleven o'clock in 'the morning till nearly
+four, the sun shone as brightly as possible, and it was too hot about
+mid-day for walking!  Yet in the shade it did not thaw for an instant.
+This cold weather was all the more sharp because the air was purer and
+clearer, and the sky continually of the most perfect serenity.
+
+The King of Spain, who was dreadfully afraid of the small-pox, and who
+with reason had confidence only in his chief doctor, sent him to me as
+soon as he was informed of my illness, with orders not to quit me until I
+was cured.  I had, therefore, five or six persons continually around me,
+in addition to the domestics who served me, one of the best and most
+skilful physicians in Europe, who, moreover, was capital company, and who
+did not quit me night or day, and three very good surgeons.  The small-
+pox came out very abundantly all over me; it was of a good kind, and I
+had no dangerous accident.  Every one who waited upon me, master or man,
+was cut off from all intercourse with the rest of the world; even those
+who cooked for us, from those who did not.
+
+The chief physician nearly every day provided new remedies in case of
+need, and yet administered none to me, except in giving me, as my sole
+beverage, water, in which, according to its quantity, oranges were
+thrown, cut in two with their skins on, and which gently simmered before
+my, fire; occasionally some spoonful of a gentle and agreeable cordial
+during the height of the suppuration, and afterwards a little Rota wine,
+and some broth, made of beef and partridge.
+
+Nothing was wanting, then, on the part of those who had charge of me.  I
+was their only patient, and they had orders not to quit me, and nothing
+was wanting for my amusement, when I was in a condition to take any, so
+much good company being around me, and that at a time when convalescents
+of this malady experience all the weariness and fretfulness of it.  At
+the end of my illness I was bled and purged once, after which I lived as
+usual, but in a species of solitude.
+
+During the long interval in which this illness shut me out from all
+intercourse with the world, the Abbe de Saint-Simon corresponded for me
+with Cardinal Dubois, Grimaldo, Sartine, and some others.
+
+The King and Queen, not content with having sent me their chief
+physician, M. Hyghens, to be with me night and day, wished to hear how I
+was twice a day, and when I was better, unceasingly showed to me a
+thousand favours, in which they were imitated by all the Court.
+
+But I was six weeks ill in all.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CX
+
+Here I think will be the fitting place to introduce an account of the
+daily life of the King and Queen of Spain, which in many respects was
+entitled to be regarded as singular.  During my stay at the Court I had
+plenty of opportunity to mark it well, so that what I relate may be said
+to have passed under my own eyes.  This, then, was their daily life
+wherever they were, and in all times and seasons.
+
+The King and Queen never had more than one apartment, and one bed between
+them, the latter exactly as I have described it when relating my visit
+with Maulevrier to their Catholic Majesties to carry to them the news of
+the departure from Paris of the future Princess of the Asturias.  During
+fevers, illness, no matter of what kind, or on whose side, childbirth
+even,--never were they a single night apart, and even when the deceased
+Queen was eaten up with the scrofula, the King continued to sleep with
+her until a few nights before her death!
+
+About nine o'clock in the morning the curtains were drawn by the Asafeta,
+followed by a single valet carrying a basin full of caudle.  Hyghens,
+during my convalescence, explained to me how this caudle was made, and in
+fact concocted some for me to taste.  It is a light mixture of broth,
+milk, wine (which is in the largest quantity), one or two yolks of eggs,
+sugar, cinnamon, and a few cloves.  It is white; has a very strong taste,
+not unmixed with softness.  I should not like to take it habitually,
+nevertheless it is not disagreeable.  You put in it, if you like, crusts
+of bread, or, at times, toast, and then it becomes a species of soup;
+otherwise it is drunk as broth; and, ordinarily, it was in this last
+fashion the King took it.  It is unctuous, but very warm, a restorative
+singularly good for retrieving the past night, and, for preparing you for
+the next.
+
+While the King partook of this brief breakfast, the Asafeta brought the
+Queen some tapestry to work at, passed bed-gowns to their Majesties, and
+put upon the bed some of the papers she found upon the adjoining seats,
+then withdrew with the valet and what he had brought.  Their Majesties
+then said their morning prayers.  Grimaldo afterwards entered.  Sometimes
+they signalled to him to wait, as he came in, and called him when their
+prayer was over, for there was nobody else, and the bedroom was very
+small.  Then Grimaldo displayed his papers, drew from his pocket an
+inkstand, and worked with the King; the Queen not being hindered by her
+tapestry from giving her opinion.
+
+This work lasted more or less according to the business, or to the
+conversation.  Grimaldo, upon leaving with his papers, found the
+adjoining room empty, and a valet in that beyond, who, seeing him pass,
+entered into the empty room, crossed it, and summoned the Asafeta, who
+immediately came and presented to the King his slippers and his dressing-
+gown; he at once passed across the empty room and entered into a cabinet,
+where he dressed himself, followed by three valets (never changed) and by
+the Duc del Arco, or the Marquis de Santa Cruz, and after by both, nobody
+else ever being present at the ceremony.
+
+The Queen, as soon as the King had passed into his cabinet, put on her
+stockings and shoes alone with the Asafeta, who gave her her dressing-
+gown.  It was the only moment in which this person could speak to the
+Queen, or the Queen to her; but this moment did not stretch at the most
+to more than half a quarter of an hour.  Had they been longer together
+the King would have known it, and would have wanted to hear what kept
+them.  The Queen passed through the empty chamber and entered into a fine
+large cabinet, where her toilette awaited her.  When the King had dressed
+in his cabinet--where he often spoke to his confessor--he went to the
+Queen's toilette, followed by the two seigneurs just named.  A few of the
+specially--privileged were also admitted there.  This toilette lasted
+about three-quarters of an hour, the King and all the rest of the company
+standing.
+
+When it was over, the King half opened the door of the Hall of Mirrors,
+which leads into the salon where the Court assembled, and gave his
+orders; then rejoined the Queen in that room which I have so often called
+the empty room.  There and then took place the private audiences of the
+foreign ministers, and of, the seigneurs, or other subjects who obtained
+them.  Once a week, on Monday, there was a public audience, a practice
+which cannot be too much praised where it is not abused.  The King,
+instead of half opening the door, threw it wide open, and admitted
+whoever liked to enter.  People spoke to the King as much as they liked,
+how they liked, and gave him in writing what they liked.  But the
+Spaniards resemble in nothing the French; they are measured, discreet,
+respectful, brief.
+
+After the audiences, or after amusing himself with the Queen--if there
+are none, the King went to dress.  The Queen accompanied him, and they
+took the communion together (never separately) about once a week, and
+then they heard a second mass.  The confession of the King was said after
+he rose, and before he went to the Queen's toilette.
+
+Upon returning from mass, or very shortly after, the dinner was served.
+It was always in the Queen's apartment, as well as the supper, but the
+King and Queen had each their dishes; the former, few, the latter, many,
+for she liked eating, and ate of everything; the King always kept to the
+same things--soup, capon, pigeons, boiled and roast, and always a roast
+loin of veal--no fruit; or salad, or cheese; pastry, rarely, never
+maigre; eggs, often cooked in various fashion; and he drank nothing but
+champagne; the Queen the same.  When the dinner was finished, they prayed
+to God together.  If anything pressing happened, Grimaldo came and gave
+them a brief account of it.
+
+About an hour after dinner, they left the apartment by a short passage
+accessible to the court, and descended by a little staircase to their
+coach, returning by the same way.  The seigneurs who frequented the court
+pretty constantly assembled, now one, now another, in this passage, or
+followed their Majesties to their coaches.  Very often I saw them in this
+passage as they went or returned.  The Queen always said something
+pleasant to whoever was there.  I will speak elsewhere of the hunting-
+party their Majesties daily made.
+
+Upon returning, the King gave his orders.  If they had not partaken of a
+collation in the coach, they partook of one upon arriving.  It was for
+the King, a morsel of bread, a big biscuit, some water and wine; and for
+the Queen, pastry and fruit in season, sometimes cheese.  The Prince and
+the Princess of the Asturias, and the children, followed and waited for
+them in the inner apartment.  This company withdrew in less than half a
+quarter of an hour.  Grimaldo came and worked ordinarily for a long time;
+it was the time for the real work of the day.  When the Queen went to
+confession this also was the time she selected.  Except what related to
+the confession, she and her confessor had no time to say anything to each
+other.  The cabinet in which she confessed to him was contiguous to the
+room occupied by the King, and when the latter thought the confession too
+long, he opened the door and called her.  Grimaldo being gone, they
+prayed together, or sometimes occupied themselves with spiritual reading
+until supper.  It was served like the dinner.  At both meals there were
+more dishes in the French style than in the Spanish, or even the Italian.
+
+After supper, conversation or prayers conducted them to the hour for bed,
+when nearly the same observances took place as in the morning.  Finally,
+their Catholic Majesties everywhere had but one wardrobe between them,
+and were never in private one from another.
+
+These uniform days were the same in all places, and even during the
+journeys taken by their Majesties, who were thus never separated, except
+for a few minutes at a time.  They passed their lives in one long tete-a-
+tete.  When they travelled it was at the merest snail's pace, and they
+slept on the road, night after night, in houses prepared for them.  In
+their coach they were always alone; when in the palace it was the same.
+
+The King had been accustomed to this monotonous life by his first queen,
+and he did not care for any other.  The new Queen, upon arriving, soon
+found this out, and found also that if she wished to rule him, she must
+keep him in the same room, confined as he had been kept by her
+predecessor.  Alberoni was the only person admitted to their privacy.
+This second marriage of the King of Spain, entirely brought about by
+Madame des Ursins, was very distasteful to the Spaniards, who detested
+that personage most warmly, and were in consequence predisposed to look
+unfavourably upon anyone she favoured.  It is true, the new Queen, on
+arriving, drove out Madame des Ursins, but this showed her to be
+possessed of as much power as the woman she displaced, and when she began
+to exercise that power in other directions the popular dislike to her was
+increased.  She made no effort to mitigate it--hating the Spaniards as
+much as they hated her--and it is incredible to what an extent this
+reciprocal aversion stretched.
+
+When the Queen went out with the King to the chase or to the atocha, the
+people unceasingly cried, as well as the citizens in their shops, "Viva
+el Re y la Savoyana, y la Savoyana," and incessantly repeated, with all
+their lungs, "la Savoyana," which is the deceased Queen (I say this to
+prevent mistake), no voice ever crying "Viva la Reina."  The Queen
+pretended to despise this, but inwardly raged (as people saw), she could
+not habituate herself to it.  She has said to me very frequently and more
+than once: "The Spaniards do not like me, and in return I hate them,"
+with an air of anger and of pique.
+
+These long details upon the daily life of the King and Queen may appear
+trivial, but they will not be judged so by those who know, as I do, what
+valuable information is to be gained from similar particulars.  I will
+simply say in passing, that an experience of twenty years has convinced
+me that the knowledge of such details is the key to many others, and that
+it is always wanting in histories, often in memoirs the most interesting
+and instructive, but which would be much more so if they had not
+neglected this chapter, regarded by those who do not know its price, as a
+bagatelle unworthy of entering into a serious recital.  Nevertheless, I
+am quite certain, that there is not a minister of state, a favourite, or
+a single person of whatever rank, initiated by his office into the
+domestic life of sovereigns, who will not echo my sentiments.
+
+And now let me give a more distinct account of the King of Spain than I
+have yet written.
+
+Philip V. was not gifted with superior understanding or with any stock of
+what is called imagination.  He was cold, silent, sad, sober, fond of no
+pleasure except the chase, fearing society, fearing himself, unexpansive,
+a recluse by taste and habits, rarely touched by others, of good sense
+nevertheless, and upright, with a tolerably good knowledge of things,
+obstinate when he liked, and often then not to be moved; nevertheless,
+easy at other times to govern and influence.
+
+He was cold.  In his campaigns he allowed himself to be led into any
+position, even under a brisk fire, without budging in the slightest; nay,
+amusing himself by seeing whether anybody was afraid.  Secured and
+removed from danger he was the same, without thinking that his glory
+could suffer by it.  He liked to make war, but was indifferent whether he
+went there or not; and present or absent, left everything to the generals
+without doing anything himself.
+
+He was extremely vain; could bear no opposition in any of his
+enterprises; and what made me judge he liked praise, was that the Queen
+invariably praised him--even his face; and asked me one day, at the end
+of an audience which had led us into conversation, if I did not think him
+very handsome, and more so than any one I knew?--His piety was only
+custom, scruples, fears, little observances, without knowing anything of
+religion: the Pope a divinity when not opposed to him; in fact he had the
+outside religion of the Jesuits, of whom he was passionately fond.
+
+Although his health was very good, he always feared for it; he was always
+looking after it.  A physician, such as the one Louis XI.  enriched so
+much at the end of his life; a Maitre Coythier would have become a rich
+and powerful personage by his side; fortunately his physician was a
+thoroughly good and honourable man, and he who succeeded him devoted to
+the Queen.  Philip V. could speak well--very well, but was often hindered
+by idleness and self-mistrust.  To the audiences I had with him, however,
+he astonished me by the precision, the grace, the easiness of his words.
+He was good, easy to serve, familiar with a few.  His love of France
+showed itself in everything.  He preserved much gratitude and veneration
+for the deceased King, and tenderness for the late Monsieur; above all
+for the Dauphin, his brother, for whose loss he was never consoled.
+I noticed nothing in him towards any other of the royal family, except
+the King; and he never asked me concerning anybody in the Court, except,
+and then in a friendly manner, the Duchesse de Beauvilliers.
+
+He had scruples respecting his crown, that can with difficulty be
+reconciled with the desire he had to return, in case of misfortune, to
+the throne of his fathers, which he had more than once so solemnly
+renounced.  He believed himself an usurper!  and in this idea nourished
+his desire to return to France, and abandon Spain and his scruples at one
+and the same time.  It cannot be disguised that all this was very ill-
+arranged in his head, but there it was, and he would have abandoned Spain
+had it been possible, because he felt compelled by duty to do so.  It was
+this feeling which principally induced him, after meditating upon it long
+before I arrived in Spain, to abdicate his throne in favour of his son.
+It was the same usurpation in his eyes, but not being able to obey his
+scruples, he contented himself by doing all he could in abdicating.  It
+was still this feeling which, at the death of his son, troubled him so
+much, when he saw himself compelled to reascend the throne; though,
+during his abdication, that son had caused him not a little vexation.
+As may well be imagined, Philip V. never spoke of these delicate matters
+to me, but I was not less well informed of them elsewhere.
+
+The Queen desired not less to abandon Spain, which she hated, and to
+return into France and reign, where she hoped to lead a life of less
+seclusion, and much more agreeable.
+
+Notwithstanding all I have said, it is perfectly true that Philip V. was
+but little troubled by the wars he made, that he was fond of enterprises,
+and that his passion was to be respected and dreaded, and to figure
+grandly in Europe.
+
+But let me now more particularly describe the Queen.
+
+This princess had much intellect and natural graces, which she knew how
+to put to account.  Her sense, her reflection, and her conduct, were
+guided by that intellect, from which she drew all the charms and, all the
+advantages possible.  Whoever knew her was astonished to find how her
+intelligence and natural capacity supplied the place of her want of
+knowledge of the world, of persons, of affairs, upon all of which
+subjects, her garret life in Parma, and afterwards her secluded life with
+the King of Spain, hindered her from obtaining any real instruction.  The
+perspicuity she possessed, which enabled her to see the right side of
+everything that came under her inspection, was undeniable, and this
+singular gift would have become developed in her to perfection if its
+growth had not been interrupted by the ill-humour she possessed; which it
+must be admitted the life she led was more than enough to give her.  She
+felt her talent and her strength, but did not feel the fatuity and pride
+which weakened them and rendered them ridiculous.  The current of her
+life was simple, smooth, with a natural gaiety even, which sparkled
+through the eternal restraint of her existence; and despite the ill-
+temper and the sharpness which this restraint without rest gave her, she
+was a woman ordinarily without pretension, and really charming.
+
+When she arrived in Spain she was sure, in the first place, of driving
+away Madame des Ursins, and of filling-her place in the government at
+once.  She seized that place, and took possession also of the King's
+mind, which she soon entirely ruled.  As to public business, nothing
+could be hidden from her.  The King always worked in her presence, never
+otherwise; all that he saw alone she read and discussed with him.  She
+was always present at all the private audiences that he gave, whether to
+his subjects or to the foreign ministers; so that, as I have before
+remarked, nothing possibly could escape her.
+
+As for the King, the eternal night and day tete-a-tete she had with him
+enabled her to sound him thoroughly, to know him by heart, so to speak.
+She knew perfectly the time for preparatory insinuations, their success;
+the resistance, when there was any, its course and how to overcome it;
+the moments for yielding, in order to return afterwards to the charge,
+and those for holding firm and carrying everything by force.  She stood
+in need of all these intrigues, notwithstanding her credit with the King.
+If I may dare to say it, his temperament was her strong point, and she
+sometimes had recourse to it.  Then her coldness excited tempests.  The
+King cried and menaced; now and then went further; she held firm, wept,
+and sometimes defended herself.  In the morning all was stormy.  The
+immediate attendants acted towards King and Queen often without
+penetrating the cause of their quarrel.  Peace was concluded at the first
+opportunity, rarely to the disadvantage of the Queen, who mostly had her
+own way.
+
+A quarrel of this sort arose when I was at Madrid; and I was advised,
+after hearing details I will not repeat, to mix myself up in it, but I
+burst out laughing and took good care not to follow this counsel.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CXI.
+
+The chase was every day the amusement of the King, and the Queen was
+obliged to make it hers.  But it was always the same.  Their Catholic
+Majesties did me the singular honour to invite me to it once, and I went
+in my coach.  Thus I saw this pleasure well, and to see it once is to see
+it always.  Animals to shoot are not met with in the plains.  They must
+be sought for among the mountains,--and there the ground is too rugged
+for hunting the stag, the wild boar, and other beasts as we hunt the
+hare,--and elsewhere.  The plains even are so dry, so hard, so full of
+deep crevices (that are not perceived until their brink is reached), that
+the best hounds or harriers would soon be knocked up, and would have
+their feet blistered, nay lamed, for a long time.  Besides, the ground is
+so thickly covered with sturdy vegetation that the hounds could not
+derive much help from their noses.  Mere shooting on the wing the King
+had long since quitted, and he had ceased to mount his horse; thus the
+chase simply resolved itself into a battue.
+
+The Duc del Orco, who, by his post of grand ecuyer, had the
+superintendence of all the hunting arrangements, chose the place where
+the King and Queen were to go.  Two large arbours were erected there, the
+one against the other, entirely shut in, except where two large openings,
+like windows, were made, of breast-height.  The King, the Queen, the
+captain of the guards, and the grand ecuyer were in the first arbour with
+about twenty guns and the wherewithal to load them.  In the other arbour,
+the day I was present, were the Prince of the Asturias, who came in his
+coach with the Duc de Ponoli and the Marquis del Surco, the Marquis de
+Santa Cruz, the Duc Giovenazzo, majordomo, major and grand ecuyer to the
+Queen, Valouse, two or three officers of the body-guard, and I myself.
+We had a number of guns, and some men to load them.  A single lady of the
+palace followed the Queen all alone, in another coach, which she did not
+quit; she carried with her, for her consolation, a book or some work, for
+no one approached her.  Their Majesties and their suite went to the chase
+in hot haste with relays of guards and of coach horses, for the distance
+was at least three or four leagues; at the least double that from Paris
+to Versailles.  The party alighted at the arbours, and immediately the
+carriages, the poor lady of the palace, and all the horses were led away
+far out of sight, lest they should frighten the beasts.
+
+Two, three, four hundred peasants had early in the morning beaten the
+country round, with hue and cry, after having enclosed it and driven all
+the animals together as near these arbours as possible.  When in the
+arbour you were not allowed to stir, or to make the slightest remarks, or
+to wear attractive colours; and everybody stood up in silence.
+
+This period of expectation lasted an hour and a half, and did not appear
+to me very amusing.  At last we heard loud cries from afar, and soon
+after we saw troops of animals pass and repass within shot and within
+half-shot of us; and then the King and the Queen banged away in good
+earnest.  This diversion, or rather species of butchery, lasted more than
+half an hour, during which stags, hinds, roebucks, boars, hares, wolves,
+badgers, foxes, and numberless pole-cats passed; and were killed or
+lamed.
+
+We were obliged to let the King and Queen fire first, although pretty
+often they permitted the grand ecuyer and the captain of the guard to
+fire also; and as we did not know from whom came the report, we were
+obliged to wait until the King's arbour was perfectly silent; then let
+the Prince shoot, who very often had nothing to shoot at, and we still
+less.  Nevertheless, I killed a fox, but a little before I ought to have
+done so, at which, somewhat ashamed, I made my excuses to the Prince of
+the Asturias, who burst out laughing, and the company also, I following
+their example and all passing very politely.
+
+In proportion as the peasants approach and draw nearer each other, the
+sport advances, and it finishes when they all come close to the arbours,
+still shouting, and with nothing more behind them.  Then the coaches
+return, the company quits the arbours, the beasts killed are laid before
+the King.  They are placed afterwards behind the coaches.  During all
+this, conversation respecting the sport rolls on.  We carried away this
+day about a dozen or more beasts, some hares, foxes, and polecats.  The
+night overtook us soon after we quitted the arbours.
+
+And this is the daily diversion of their Catholic Majesties.
+
+It is time now, however, to resume the thread of my narrative, from which
+these curious and little-known details have led me.
+
+I have shown in its place the motive which made me desire my embassy; it
+was to obtain the 'grandesse' for my second son, and thus to "branch" my
+house.  I also desired to obtain the Toison d'Or for my eldest son, that
+he might derive from this journey an ornament which, at his age, was a
+decoration.  I had left Paris with full liberty to employ every aid, in
+order to obtain these things; I had, too, from M. le Duc d'Orleans, the
+promise that he would expressly ask the King of Spain for the former
+favour, employing the name of the King, and letters of the strongest kind
+from Cardinal Dubois to Grimaldo and Father Aubenton.  In the midst of
+the turmoil of affairs I spoke to both of these persons, and was
+favourably attended to.
+
+Grimaldo was upright and truthful.  He conceived a real friendship for
+me, and gave me, during my stay at Madrid, all sorts of proofs of it.
+He said that this union of the two Courts by the two marriages might
+influence the ministers.  His sole point of support, in order to maintain
+himself in the post he occupied, so brilliant and so envied, was the King
+of Spain.  The Queen, he found, could never be a solid foundation on
+which to repose.  He wished, then, to support himself upon France, or at
+least to have no opposition from it, and he perfectly well knew the
+duplicity and caprices of Cardinal Dubois.  The Court of Spain, at all
+times so watchful over M. le Duc d'Orleans, in consequence of what had
+passed in the time of the Princesse des Ursins, and during the Regency,.
+was not ignorant of the intimate and uninterrupted confidence of this
+prince in me, or of the terms on which I was with him.  These sort of
+things appear larger than they are, when seen from afar, and the choice
+that had been made of me for this singular embassy confirmed it still
+more!  Grimaldo, then, might have thought to assure my friendship in his
+behalf, and my influence with M. le Duc d'Orleans, occasion demanding it;
+and I don't think I am deceiving myself in attributing to him this policy
+while he aided me to obtain a favour, at bottom quite natural, and which
+could cause him no inconvenience.
+
+I regarded the moment at which the marriage would be celebrated as that
+at which I stood most chance of obtaining what I desired, and I
+considered that if it passed over without result to me, all would grow
+cold, and become uncertain, and very disagreeable.  I had forgotten
+nothing during this first stay in Madrid, in order to please everybody,
+and I make bold to say that I had all the better succeeded because I had
+tried to give weight and merit to my politeness, measuring it according
+to the persons I addressed, without prostitution and without avarice, and
+that's what made me hasten to learn all I could of the birth, of the
+dignities, of the posts, of the alliances, of the reputation of each, so
+as to play my cards well, and secure the game.
+
+But still I needed the letters of M. le Duc d'Orleans, and of Cardinal
+Dubois.  I did not doubt the willingness of the Regent, but I did doubt,
+and very much too, that of his minister.  It has been seen what reason I
+had for this.
+
+These letters ought to have arrived at Madrid at the same time that I
+did, but they had not come, and there seemed no prospect of their
+arriving.  What redoubled my impatience was that I read them beforehand,
+and that I wished to have the time to reflect, and to turn round, in
+order to draw from them, in spite of them, all the help I could.  I
+reckoned that these letters would be in a feeble spirit, and this opinion
+made me more desirous to fortify my batteries in Spain in order to render
+myself agreeable to the King and Queen, and to inspire them with the
+desire to grant me the favours I wished.
+
+A few days before going to Lerma I received letters from Cardinal Dubois
+upon my affair.  Nobody could be more eager or more earnest than the
+Cardinal, for he gave me advice how to arrive at my aim, and pressed me
+to look out for everything which could aid me; assuring me that his
+letters, and those of M. le Duc d'Orleans, would arrive in time.  In the
+midst of the perfume of so many flowers, the odour of falsehood could
+nevertheless be smelt.  I had reckoned upon this.  I had done all in my
+power to supply the place of these letters.  I received therefore not as
+gospel, all the marvels Dubois sent me, and I set out for Lerma fully
+resolved to more and more cultivate my affair without reckoning upon the
+letters promised me; but determined to draw as much advantage from them
+as I could.
+
+Upon arriving at Lerma I fell ill as I have described, and the small-pox
+kept me confined forty days: The letters so long promised and so long
+expected did not arrive until the end of my quarantine.  They were just
+what I expected.  Cardinal Dubois explained himself to Grimaldo in turns
+and circumlocution, and if one phrase displayed eagerness and desire, the
+next destroyed it by an air of respect and of discretion, protesting he
+wished simply what the King of Spain would himself wish, with all the
+seasoning necessary for the annihilation of his good offices under the
+pretence that he did not wish to press his Majesty to anything or to
+importune him.
+
+This written stammering savoured of the bombast of a man who had no
+desire to serve me, but who, not daring to break his word, used all his
+wits to twist and overrate the little he could not hinder himself from
+saying.  This letter was simply for Grimaldo, as the letter of M. le Duc
+d'Orleans was simply for the King of Spain.  The last was even weaker
+than the first.  It was like a design in pencil nearly effaced by the
+rain, and in which nothing, connected appeared.  It scarcely touched upon
+the real point, but lost itself in respects, in reservations, in
+deference, and would propose nothing that was not according to the taste
+of the King!  In a word, the letter withdrew rather than advanced, and
+was a sort of ease-conscience which could not be refused, and which did
+not promise much success.
+
+It is easy to understand that these letters much displeased me.  Although
+I had anticipated all the malice of Cardinal Dubois, I found it exceeded
+my calculations, and that it was more undisguised than I imagined it
+would be.
+
+Such as the letters were I was obliged to make use of them.  The Abbe de
+Saint-Simon wrote to Grimaldo and to Sartine, enclosing these letter, for
+I myself did not yet dare to write on account of the precautions I was
+obliged to use against the bad air.  Sartine and Grimaldo, to whom I had
+not confided my suspicions that these recommendations would be in a very
+weak tone, were thrown into the utmost surprise on reading them.
+
+They argued together, they were indignant, they searched for a bias to
+strengthen that which had so much need of strength, but this bias could
+not be found; they consulted together, and Grimaldo formed a bold
+resolution, which astonished me to the last degree, and much troubled me
+also.
+
+He came to the conclusion that these letters would assuredly do me more
+harm than good; that they must be suppressed, never spoken of to the
+King, who must be confirmed without them in the belief that in according
+me these favours he would confer upon M. le Duc d'Orleans a pleasure, all
+the greater, because he saw to what point extended all his reserve in not
+speaking to him about this matter, and mine in not asking for these
+favours through his Royal Highness, as there was every reason to believe
+I should do.  Grimaldo proposed to draw from these circumstances all the
+benefit he proposed to have drawn from the letters had they been written
+in a fitting spirit, and he said he would answer for it; I should have
+the 'grandesse' and the 'Toison d'Or' without making the slightest
+allusion to the cold recommendations of M. le Duc d'Orleans to the King
+of Spain, and of Dubois to him.
+
+Sartine, by his order, made this known to the Abbe de Saint-Simon, who
+communicated it to me, and after having discussed together with Hyghens,
+who knew the ground as well as they, and who had really devoted himself
+to me, I blindly abandoned myself to the guidance and friendship of
+Grimaldo, with full success, as will be seen.
+
+In relating here the very singular fashion by which my affair succeeded,
+I am far indeed from abstracting from M. le Duc d'Orleans all gratitude.
+If he had not confided to me the double marriage, without the knowledge
+of Dubois, and in spite of the secrecy that had been asked for, precisely
+on my account, I should not have been led to beg of him the embassy.
+
+I instantly asked for it, declaring that my sole aim was the grandesse
+for my second son, and he certainly accorded it to me with this aim, and
+promised to aid me with his recommendation in order to arrive at it, but
+with the utmost secrecy on account of the vexation Dubois would feel, and
+in order to give himself time to arrange with the minister and induce him
+to swallow the pill.
+
+If I had not had the embassy in this manner, it would certainly have
+escaped me; and thus would have been lost all hope of the grandesse, to
+obtain which there would have been no longer occasion, reason, or means.
+
+The friendship and the confidence of this prince prevailed then over the
+witchery which his miserable preceptor had cast upon him, and if he
+afterwards yielded to the roguery, to the schemes, to the folly which
+Dubois employed in the course of this embassy to ruin and disgrace me,
+and to bring about the failure of the sole object which had made me
+desire it, we must only blame his villainy and the deplorable feebleness
+of M. le Duc d'Orleans, which caused me many sad embarrassments, and did
+so much harm, but which even did more harm to the state and to the prince
+himself.
+
+It is with this sad but only too true reflection that I finish the year
+1721.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER CXII
+
+The Regent's daughter arrived in Spain at the commencement of the year
+1722, and it was arranged that her marriage with the Prince of the
+Asturias should be celebrated on the 30th of January at Lerma, where
+their Catholic Majesties were then staying.  It was some little distance
+from my house.  I was obliged therefore to start early in the morning in
+order to arrive in time.  On the way I paid a visit of ceremony to the
+Princess, at Cogollos, ate a mouthful of something, and turned off to
+Lerma.
+
+As soon as I arrived there, I went to the Marquis of Grimaldo's
+apartments.  His chamber was at the end of a vast room, a piece of which
+had been portioned off, in order to serve as a chapel.  Once again I had
+to meet the nuncio, and I feared lest he should remember what had passed
+on a former occasion, and that I should give Dubois a handle for
+complaint.  I saw, therefore, but very imperfectly, the reception of the
+Princess; to meet whom the King and Queen (who lodged below) and the
+Prince precipitated themselves, so to speak, almost to the steps of the
+coach.  I quietly went up again to the chapel.
+
+The prie-dieu of the King was placed in front of the altar, a short
+distance from the steps, precisely as the King's prie-dieu is placed at
+Versailles, but closer to the altar, and with a cushion on each side of
+it.  The chapel was void of courtiers.  I placed myself to the right of
+the King's cushion just beyond the edge of the carpet, and amused myself
+there better than I had expected.  Cardinal Borgia, pontifically clad,
+was in the corner, his face turned towards me, learning his lesson
+between two chaplains in surplices, who held a large book open in front
+of him.  The good prelate did not know how to read; he tried, however,
+and read aloud, but inaccurately.  The chaplains took him up, he grew
+angry, scolded them, recommenced, was again corrected, again grew angry,
+and to such an extent that he turned round upon them and shook them by
+their surplices.  I laughed as much as I could; for he perceived nothing,
+so occupied and entangled was he with his lesson.
+
+Marriages in Spain are performed in the afternoon, and commence at the
+door of the church, like baptisms.  The King, the Queen, the Prince, and
+the Princess arrived with all the Court, and the King was announced.
+"Let them wait," said the Cardinal in choler, "I am not ready."  They
+waited, in fact, and the Cardinal continued his lesson, redder than his
+hat, and still furious.  At last he went to the door, at which a ceremony
+took place that lasted some time.  Had I not been obliged to continue at
+my post, curiosity would have made me follow him.  That I lost some
+amusement is certain, for I saw the King and Queen laughing and looking
+at their prie-dieu, and all the Court laughing also.  The nuncio arriving
+and seeing by the position I had taken up that I was preceding him, again
+indicated his surprise to me by gestures, repeating, "Signor, signor;"
+but I had resolved to understand nothing, and laughingly pointed out the
+Cardinal to him, and reproached him for not having better instructed the
+worthy prelate for the honour of the Sacred College.  The nuncio
+understood French very well, but spoke it very badly.  This banter and
+the innocent air with which I gave it, without appearing to notice his
+demonstrations, created such a fortunate diversion, that nobody else was
+thought of; more especially as the poor cardinal more and more caused
+amusement while continuing the ceremony, during which he neither knew
+where he was nor what he was doing, being taken up and corrected every
+moment by his chaplains, and fuming against them so that neither the King
+nor the Queen could; contain themselves.  It was the same with everybody
+else who witnessed the scene.
+
+I could see nothing more than the back of the Prince and the Princess as
+they knelt each upon a cushion between the prie-dieu and the altar, the
+Cardinal in front making grimaces indicative of the utmost confusion.
+Happily all I had to think of was the nuncio, the King's majordomo-major
+having placed himself by the side of his son, captain of the guards.  The
+grandees were crowded around with the most considerable people: the rest
+filled all the chapel so that there was no stirring.
+
+Amidst the amusement supplied to us by the poor Cardinal, I remarked
+extreme satisfaction in the King and Queen at seeing this grand marriage
+accomplished.  The ceremony finished, as it was not long, only the King,
+the Queen, and, when necessary, the Prince and Princess kneeling, their
+Catholic Majesties rose and withdrew towards the left corner of their
+footcloth, talked together for a short time, after which the Queen
+remained where she was, and the King advanced to me, I being where I had
+been during all the ceremony.
+
+The King did me the honour to say to me, "Monsieur, in every respect I am
+so pleased with you, and particularly for the manner in which you have
+acquitted yourself of your embassy, that I wish to give you some marks of
+my esteem, of my satisfaction; of my friendship.  I make you Grandee of
+Spain of the first class; you, and, at the same time, whichever of your
+sons you may wish to have the same distinction; and your eldest son I
+will make chevalier of the Toison d'Or."
+
+I immediately embraced his knees, and I tried to testify to him my
+gratitude and my extreme desire to render myself worthy of the favour he
+deigned to spread upon me, by my attachment, my very humble services, and
+my most profound respect.  Then I kissed his hand, turned and sent for
+my, children, employing the moments which had elapsed before they came in
+uttering fresh thanks.  As soon as my sons appeared, I called the younger
+and told him, to embrace the knees of the King who overwhelmed us with
+favours, and made him grandee of Spain with me.  He kissed the King's
+hand in rising, the King saying he was very glad of what he had just
+done.  I presented the elder to him afterwards, to thank him for the
+Toison.  He simply bent very low and kissed the King's hand.  As soon as
+this was at an end, the King went towards the Queen, and I followed him
+with my children.  I bent very low before the Queen, thanked her, then
+presented to her my children, the younger first, the elder afterwards.
+The Queen received us with much goodness, said a thousand civil things,
+then walked away with the King, followed by the Prince, having upon his
+arm the Princess, whom we saluted in passing; and they returned to their
+apartments.  I wished to follow them, but was carried away, as it were,
+by the crowd which pressed eagerly around me to compliment me.  I was
+very careful to reply in a fitting manner to each, and with the utmost
+politeness, and though I but little expected these favours at this
+moment, I found afterwards that all this numerous court was pleased with
+me.
+
+A short time after the celebration of the marriage between the Regent's
+daughter and the Prince of the Asturias, the day came on which my eldest
+son was to receive the Toison d'Or.  The Duc de Liria was to be his,
+godfather, and it was he who conducted us to the place of ceremony.  His
+carriage was drawn by four perfectly beautiful Neapolitan horses; but
+these animals, which are often extremely fantastical, would not stir.
+The whip was vigorously applied; results--rearing, snorting, fury, the
+carriage in danger of being upset.  Time was flying; I begged the Duc de
+Liria, therefore, to get into my carriage, so that we might not keep the
+King and the company waiting for us.  It was in vain I represented to him
+that this function of godfather would in no way be affected by changing
+his own coach for mine, since it would be by necessity.  He would not
+listen to me.  The horses continued their game for a good half hour
+before they consented to start.
+
+All my cortege followed us, for I wished by this display to show the King
+of Spain how highly I appreciated the honours of his Court.  On the way
+the horses again commenced their pranks.  I again pressed the Duc de
+Liria to change his coach, and he again refused.  Fortunately the pause
+this time was much shorter than at first; but before we reached the end
+of our journey there came a message to say that the King was waiting for
+us.  At last we arrived, and as soon as the King was informed of it he
+entered the room where the chapter of the order was assembled.  He
+straightway sat himself down in an armchair, and while the rest of the
+company were placing themselves in position; the Queen, the Princess of
+the Asturias, and their suite, seated themselves as simple spectators at
+the end of the room.
+
+All the chapter having arranged themselves in order, the door in front of
+the King, by which we had entered, was closed, my son remaining outside
+with a number of the courtiers.  Then the King covered himself, and all
+the chevaliers at the same time, in the midst of a silence, without sign,
+which lasted as long as a little prayer.  After this, the King very
+briefly proposed that the Vidame de Chartres should be received into the
+order.  All the chevaliers uncovered themselves, made an inclination,
+without rising, and covered themselves again.  After another silence, the
+King called the Duc de Liria, who uncovered himself, and with a reverence
+approached the King; by whom he was thus addressed: "Go and see if the
+Vidame de Chartres is not somewhere about here."
+
+The Duc de Liria made another reverence to the King, but none to the
+chevaliers (who, nevertheless, were uncovered at the same time as he),
+went away, the door was closed upon him, and the chevaliers covered
+themselves again.  The reverences just made, and those I shall have
+occasion to speak of in the course of my description, were the same as
+are seen at the receptions of the chevaliers of the Saint-Esprit, and in
+all grand ceremonies.
+
+The Duc de Liria remained outside nearly a quarter of an hour, because it
+is assumed that the new chevalier is ignorant of the proposition made for
+him, and that it is only by chance he is found in the palace, time being
+needed in order to look for him.  The Duc de Liria returned, and
+immediately after the door was again closed, and he advanced to the King,
+as before, saying that the Vidame de Chartres was in the other room.
+
+Upon this the King ordered him to go and ask the Vidame if he wished to
+accept the Order of the Toison d'Or, and be received into it, and
+undertake to observe its statutes, its duties, its ceremonies, take its
+oaths, promise to fulfil all the conditions submitted: to every one who
+is admitted into it, and agree to conduct himself in everything like a
+good, loyal, brave, and virtuous chevalier.  The Duc de Liria withdrew as
+he had before withdrawn.  The door was again closed.  He returned after
+having been absent a shorter time than at first.  The door was again
+closed, and he approached the King as before, and announced to him the
+consent and the thanks of the Vidame.  "Very well," replied the King.
+"Go seek him, and bring him here."
+
+The Duc de Liria withdrew, as on the previous occasions, and immediately
+returned, having my son on his left.  The door being open, anybody was at
+liberty to enter, and see the ceremony.
+
+The Duc de Liria conducted my son to the feet of the King, and then
+seated himself in his place.  My son, in advancing, had lightly inclined
+himself to the chevaliers, right and left; and, after having made in the
+middle of the room a profound bow, knelt before the King, without
+quitting his sword, and having his hat under his arm, and no gloves on.
+The chevaliers, who had uncovered themselves at the entry of the Duc de
+Liria, covered themselves when he sat down; and the Prince of the
+Asturias acted precisely as they acted.
+
+The King repeated to my son the same things, a little more lengthily,
+that had been said to him by the Duc de Liria, and received his promise
+upon each in succession.  Afterwards, an attendant, who was standing in
+waiting behind the table, presented to the King, from between the table
+and the chair, a large book, open, and in which was a long oath, that my
+son repeated to the King, who had the book upon his knees, the oath in
+French, and on loose paper; being in it.  This ceremony lasted rather a
+long time: Afterwards, my son kissed the King's hand, and the King made
+him rise and pass, without reverence; directly before the table, towards
+the middle of which he knelt, his back to the Prince of the Asturias, his
+face to the attendant, who showed him (the table being between them) what
+to do.  There was upon this table a great crucifix of enamel upon a
+stand, with a missal open at the Canon, the Gospel of Saint-John, and
+forms, in French, of promises and oaths to be made, whilst putting the
+hand now upon the Canon, now upon the Gospel.  The oath-making took up
+some time; after which my son came back and knelt before the King again
+as before.
+
+Then, the Duc del Orco, grand ecuyer, and Valouse, premier ecuyer, who
+have had the Toison since, and who were near me, went away, the Duke
+first, Valouse behind him, carrying in his two hands, with marked care
+and respect, the sword of the Grand Captain, Don Gonzalvo de Cordova, who
+is never called otherwise.  They walked, with measured step, outside the
+right-hand seats of the chevaliers, then entered the chapter, where the
+Duc de Liria had entered with my son, marched inside the left-hand seats
+of the chevaliers, without reverence, but the Duke inclining himself;
+Valouse not doing so on account of the respect due to the sword; the
+grandees did not incline themselves.
+
+The Duke on arriving between the Prince of the Asturias and the King,
+knelt, and Valouse knelt behind him.  Some moments after, the King made a
+sign to them; Valouse drew the sword from its sheath which he put under
+his arm, held the naked weapon by the middle of the blade, kissed the
+hilt, and presented it to the King, who, without uncovering himself,
+kissed the pommel, took the sword in both hands by the handle, held it
+upright some moments; then held it with one hand, but almost immediately
+with the other as well, and struck it three times upon each shoulder of
+my son, alternately, saying to him, "By Saint-George and Saint-Andrew I
+make you Chevalier."  And the weight of the sword was so great that the
+blows did not fall lightly.  While the King was striking them, the grand
+ecuyer and the premier remained in their places kneeling.  The sword was
+returned as it had been presented, and kissed in the same manner.
+Valouse put it back into its sheath, after which the grand ecuyer and the
+premier ecuyer returned as they came.
+
+This sword, handle included, was more than four feet long; the blade four
+good digits wide, thick in proportion, insensibly diminishing in
+thickness and width to the point, which was very small.  The handle
+appeared to me of worked enamel, long and very large; as well as the
+pommel; the crossed piece long, and the two ends wide, even, worked,
+without branch.  I examined it well, and I could not hold it in the air
+with one-hand, still less handle it with both hands except with much
+difficulty.  It is pretended that this is the sword the Great Captain
+made use of, and with which he obtained so many victories.
+
+I marvelled at the strength of the men in those days, with whom I believe
+early habits did much.  I was touched by the grand honour rendered to the
+Great Captain's memory; his sword becoming the sword of the State,
+carried even by the King with great respect.  I repeated, more than once,
+that if I were the Duc de Scose (who descends in a direct line from the
+Great Captain by the female branch, the male being extinct), I would
+leave nothing undone to obtain the Toison, in order to enjoy the honour
+and the sensible pleasure of being struck by this sword, and with such
+great respect for my ancestor.  But to return to the ceremony from which
+this little digression has taken me.
+
+The accolade being given by the King after the blows with the sword,
+fresh oaths being taken at his feet, then before the table as at first,
+and on this occasion at greater length, my son returned and knelt before
+the King, but without saying anything more.  Then Grimaldo rose and,
+without reverence, left the chapter by the left, went behind the right-
+hand seats of the chevaliers, and took the collar of the Toison which was
+extended at the end of the table.  At this moment the King told my son to
+rise, and so remain standing in the same place.  The Prince of the
+Asturias, and the Marquis de Villena then rose also, end approached my
+son, both covered, all the other chevaliers remaining seated and covered.
+Then Grimaldo, passing between the table and the empty seat of the Prince
+of the Asturias, presented; standing, the collar to the King, who took it
+with both hands, and meanwhile Grimaldo, passing behind the Prince of the
+Asturias, went and placed himself behind my son.  As soon as he was
+there, the King told my son to bend very low, but without kneeling, and
+then leaning forward, but without rising, placed the collar upon him, and
+made him immediately after stand upright.  The King then took hold of the
+collar, simply holding the end of it in his hand.  At the same time, the
+collar was attached to the left shoulder by the Prince of the Asturias,
+to the right shoulder by the Marquis de Villena, and behind by Grimaldo;
+the King still holding the end.
+
+When the collar was attached, the Prince of the Asturias, the Marquis de
+Villena, and Grimaldo, without making a reverence and no chevalier
+uncovering himself, went back to their places, and sat down; at, the same
+moment my son knelt before the King, and bared, his head.  Then the Duc
+de Liria, without reverence, and uncovered (no chevalier uncovering
+himself), placed himself before the King at the left, by the side of my,
+son, and both made their reverences to the King; turned round to the
+Prince of the Asturias, did the same to him, he rising and doing my son
+the honour to embrace him, and as soon as he was reseated they made a
+reverence to him; then, turning to the King, made him one; afterwards
+they did the same to the Marquis de Villena, who rose and embraced my
+son.  Then he reseated himself; upon which they made a reverence to him,
+then turning again towards the King, made another to him; and so an from
+right to left until every chevalier had been bowed to in a similar
+manner.  Then my son sat down, and the Duc de Liria returned to his
+place.
+
+After this long series of bows, so bewildering for those who play the
+chief part in it, the King remained a short time in his armchair, them
+rose, uncovered himself, and retired into his apartment as he came.  I
+had instructed my son to hurry forward and arrive before him at the door
+of his inner apartment.  He was in time, and I also, to kiss the hand of
+the King, and to express our thanks, which were well received.  The Queen
+arrived and overwhelmed us with compliments.  I must observe that the
+ceremony of the sword and the accolade are not performed at the reception
+of those who, having already another order, are supposed to have received
+them; like the chevaliers of the Saint-Esprit and of Saint-Michel, and
+the chevaliers of Saint-Louis.
+
+Their Catholic Majesties being gone, we withdrew to my house, where a
+very grand dinner was prepared.  The usage is, before the reception, to
+visit all the chevaliers of the Toison, and when the day is fixed, to
+visit all those invited to dinner on the day of the ceremony; the
+godfather, with the other chevalier by whom he is accompanied, also
+invites them at the palace before they enter the chapter, and aids the
+new chevalier to do the honours of the repast.  I had led my son with me
+to pay these visits.  Nearly all the chevaliers came to dine with us, and
+many other nobles.  The Duc d'Albuquerque, whom I met pretty often, and
+who had excused himself from attending a dinner I had previously given,
+on account of his stomach (ruined as he said in the Indies), said he,
+would not refuse me twice, on condition that I permitted him to take
+nothing but soup, because meat was too solid for him.  He came, and
+partook of six sorts of soup, moderately of all; he afterwards lightly
+soaked his bread in such ragouts as were near him, eating only the end,
+and finding everything very good.  He drank nothing but wine and water.
+The dinner was gay, in spite of the great number of guests.  The
+Spaniards eat as much as, nay more than, we, and with taste, choice, and
+pleasure: as to drink, they are very modest.
+
+On the 13th of March, 1722, their Catholic Majesties returned from their
+excursion to the Retiro.  The hurried journey I had just made to the
+former place, immediately after the arrival of a courier, and in spite of
+most open prohibitions forbidding every one to go there, joined to the
+fashion, full of favour and goodness, with which I had been distinguished
+by their Majesties ever since my arrival in Spain, caused a most
+ridiculous rumour to obtain circulation, and which, to my great surprise,
+at once gained much belief.
+
+It was reported there that I was going to quit my position of ambassador
+from France, and be declared prime minister of Spain!  The people who had
+been pleased, apparently, with the expense I had kept up, and to whom not
+one of my suite had given the slightest cause of complaint, set to crying
+after me in the streets; announcing my promotion, displaying joy at it,
+and talking of it even in the shops.  A number of persons even assembled
+round my house to testify to me their pleasure.  I dispersed them as
+civilly and as quickly as possible, assuring them the report was not
+true, and that I was forthwith about to return to France.
+
+This was nothing more than the truth.  I had finished all my business.
+It was time to think about setting out.  As soon, however, as I talked
+about going, there was nothing which the King and the Queen did not do to
+detain me.  All the Court, too, did me the favour to express much
+friendship for me, and regret at my departure.  I admit even that I could
+not easily make up my mind to quit a country where I had found nothing
+but fruits and flowers, and to which I was attached, as I shall ever be,
+by esteem and gratitude.  I made at once a number of farewell visits
+among the friends I had been once acquainted with; and on the 21st of
+March I had my parting state audiences of the King and Queen separately.
+I was surprised with the dignity, the precision, and the measure of the
+King's expressions, as I had been surprised at my first audience.  I
+received many marks of personal goodness, and of regret at my departure
+from his Catholic Majesty, and from the Queen even more; from the Prince
+of the Asturias a good many also.  But in another direction I met with
+very different treatment, which I cannot refrain from describing, however
+ridiculous it may appear.
+
+I went, of course, to say my adieux to the Princess of the Asturias, and
+I was accompanied by all my suite.  I found the young lady standing under
+a dais, the ladies on one side, the grandees on the other; and I made my
+three reverences, then uttered my compliments.  I waited in silence her
+reply, but 'twas in vain.  She answered not one word.
+
+After some moments of silence, I thought I would furnish her with matter
+for an answer; so I asked her what orders she had for the King; for the
+Infanta, for Madame, and for M. and Madame la Duchesse d'Orleans.  By way
+of reply, she looked at me and belched so loudly in my face, that the
+noise echoed throughout the chamber.  My surprise was such that I was
+stupefied.  A second belch followed as noisy as the first.
+
+I lost countenance at this, and all power of hindering myself from
+laughing.  Turning round, therefore, I saw everybody with their hands
+upon their mouths, and their shoulders in motion.  At last a third belch,
+still louder than the two others, threw all present into confusion, and
+forced me to take flight, followed by all my suite, amid shouts of
+laughter, all the louder because they had previously been kept in.  But
+all barriers of restraint were now thrown down; Spanish gravity was
+entirely disconcerted; all was deranged; no reverences; each person,
+bursting with laughter, escaped as he could, the Princess all the while
+maintaining her countenance.  Her belches were the only answers she made
+me.  In the adjoining room we all stopped to laugh at our ease, and
+express our astonishment afterwards more freely.
+
+The King and Queen were soon informed of the success of this audience,
+and spoke of it to me after dinner at the Racket Court.  They were the
+first to laugh at it, so as to leave others at liberty to do so too; a
+privilege that was largely made use of without pressing.  I received and
+I paid numberless visits; and as it is easy to flatter one's self, I
+fancied I might flatter myself that I was regretted.
+
+I left Madrid on the 24th of March, after having had the honour of paying
+my court to their Catholic Majesties all the afternoon at the Racket
+Court, they overwhelming me with civilities, and begging me to take a
+final adieu of them in their apartments.  I had devoted the last few days
+to the friends whom, during my short stay of six months, I had made.
+Whatever might be the joy and eagerness I felt at the prospect of seeing
+Madame de Saint-Simon and my Paris friends again, I could not quit Spain
+without feeling my heart moved, or without regretting persons from whom I
+had received so many marks of goodness, and for whom, all I had seen of
+the nation, had made me conceive esteem, respect, and gratitude.  I kept
+up, for many years, a correspondence with Grimaldo, while he lived, in
+fact, and after his fall and disgrace, which occurred long after my
+departure, with more care and attention than formerly.  My attachment,
+full of respect and gratitude for the King and Queen of Spain, induced me
+to do myself the honour of writing to them on all occasions.  They often
+did me the honour to reply to me; and always charged their new ministers
+in France and the persons of consideration who came there, to convey to
+me the expression of their good feeling for me.
+
+After a journey without particular incident, I embarked early one morning
+upon the Garonne, and soon arrived at Bordeaux.  The jurats did me the
+honour to ask, through Segur, the under-mayor, at what time they might
+come and salute me.  I invited them to supper, and said to Segur that
+compliments would be best uttered glass in hand.  They came, therefore,
+to supper, and appeared to me much pleased with this civility: On the
+morrow, the tide early carried me to Blaye, the weather being most
+delightful.  I slept only one night there, and to save time did not go to
+Ruffec.
+
+On the 13th of April, I arrived, about five o'clock in the afternoon, at
+Loches.  I slept there because I wished to write a volume of details to
+the Duchesse de Beauvilliers, who was six leagues off, at one of her
+estates.  I sent my packet by an express, and in this manner I was able
+to say what I liked to her without fearing that the letter would be
+opened.
+
+On the morrow, the 14th, I arrived at Etampes, where I slept, and the
+15th, at ten o'clock in the morning, I reached Chartres, where Madame de
+Saint-Simon was to meet me, dine, and sleep, so that we might have the
+pleasure of opening our hearts to each other, and of finding ourselves
+together again in solitude and in liberty, greater than could be looked
+for in Paris during the first few days of my return.  The Duc d'Humieres
+and Louville came with her.  She arrived an hour after me, fixing herself
+in the little chateau of the Marquis d'Arpajan, who had lent it to her,
+and where the day appeared to us very short as well as the next morning,
+the 16th of April.
+
+To conclude the account of my journey, let me say that I arrived in Paris
+shortly after, and at once made the best of my way to the Palais Royal,
+where M. le Duc d'Orleans gave me a sincere and friendly welcome.
+
+
+
+
+ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
+
+Countries of the Inquisition, where science is a crime
+Ignorance and superstition the first of virtues
+
+
+
+
+End of this Project Gutenberg Etext Memoirs of Louis XIV. and The Regency,
+v14, by the Duc de Saint-Simon
+
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