He always slept in the Queen’s bed, but did not always accommodate himself to the Spanish temperament of that Princess; so that the Queen knew he had been elsewhere.  The King, nevertheless, had always great consideration for her, and made his mistresses treat her with all becoming respect.  He loved her for her virtue, and for the sincere affection she bore to him, notwithstanding his infidelity.  He was much affected at her death; but four days afterwards, by the chattering of old Maintenon, he was consoled.  A few days afterwards we went to Fontainebleau, and expected to find the King in an ill-humour, and that we should be scolded; but, on the contrary, he was very gay.

When the King returned from a journey we were all obliged to be at the carriage as he got out, for the purpose of accompanying him to his apartments.

While Louis XIV. was young all the women were running after him; but he renounced this sort of life when he flattered himself that he had grown devout.  His motive was, Madame de Maintenon watched him so narrowly that he could not, dare not, look at any one.  She disgusted him with everybody else that she might have him to herself; and this, too, under the pretext of taking care of his soul.

Madame de Colonne had a great share of wit, and our King was so much in love with her, that, if her uncle, the Cardinal, had consented, he would certainly have married her.  Cardinal Mazarin, although in every other respect a worthless person, deserved to be praised for having opposed this marriage.  He sent his niece into Italy.  When she was setting out, the King wept violently.  Madame de Colonne said to him, “You are a King; you weep, and yet I go.”  This was saying a great deal in a few words.  As to the Comtesse de Soissons, the King had always more of friendship than of love for her.  He made her very considerable presents, the least of which was to the amount of 2,000 louis.

Madame de Ludres, the King’s mistress, was an agreeable person; she had been Maid of Honour to Monsieur’s first wife,—­[Henrietta of England.]—­and after her death she entered the Queen’s service, but when these places were afterwards abolished, Monsieur took back Ludres and Dampierre, the two Ladies of Honour he had given to the Queen.  The former was called Madame, because she was canoness of a chapter at Lorraine.

It is said that the King never observed her beauty while she was with the Queen, and that it was not until she was with me that he fell in love with her.  Her reign lasted only two years.  Montespan told the King that Ludres had certain ringworms upon her body, caused by a poison that had been given her in her youth by Madame de Cantecroix.  At twelve or thirteen years of age, she had inspired the old Duc de Lorraine with so violent a passion that he resolved to marry her at all events.  The poison caused eruptions, covered her with ringworms from head to foot, and prevented the marriage.  She was