[These dismissed comedians had, as appears by the edition of 1788,
     renounced their profession, and had been admitted to the communion. 
     After that, Madame de Maintenon no longer saw any sin in them.]

she had the Dauphine, my son, the Duc de Berri, and her own nieces, to play; in her opinion this was much better than the real comedians.  The King, instead of occupying his usual place, was seated behind me in a corner, near Madame de Maintenon.  This arrangement spoilt all, for the consequence was that few people saw him, and the Court was almost deserted.

Maintenon told me that the King said to her, “Now that I am old my children get tired of me and are delighted to find any opportunity of fixing me here and going elsewhere for their own amusement; Madame alone stays, and I see that she is glad to be with me still.”  But she did not tell me that she had done all in her power to persuade him of the contrary, and that the King spoke thus by way of reproaching her for the lies she had invented about me.  I learned that afterwards from others.  If the King had been my father I could not have loved him more than I did; I was always pleased to be with him.

He was fond of the German soldiers, and said that the German horsemen displayed more grace in the saddle than those of any other nation.

When the King had a design to punish certain libertines, Fagon—­[Guy Crescent Fagon, appointed the King’s chief physician in 1693, died in 1718.]—­had an amusing conversation with him.  He said,—­

“Folks made love long before you came into the world, and they will always continue to do so.  You cannot prevent them; and when I hear preachers talking in the pulpit and railing against such as yield to the influence of passion, I think it is very much as if I should say to my phthisical patients, ‘You must not cough; it is very wrong to spit.’  Young folks are full of humours, which must be dispersed by one way or another.”

The King could not refrain from laughing.

He was only superstitious in religious matters; for example, with respect to the miracles of the Virgin, etc.

He had been taught to believe that to make friends with his brother was a great political stroke and a fine State device; that it made a part of what is called to reign well.

Since the time of this King it has not been the custom for ladies to talk of the affairs of the State.

If the King heard that any one had spoken ill of him, he displayed a proud resentment towards the offender; otherwise it was impossible to be more polite and affable than he was.  His conversation was pleasing in a high degree.  He had the skill of giving an agreeable turn to everything.  His manner of talking was natural, without the least affectation, amiable and obliging.  Although he had not so much courage as Monsieur, he was still no coward.  His brother said that he had always behaved well in occasions of danger; but his chief fault lay in being soon tired of war, and wishing to return home.