SECTION XXIII.—­THE CHEVALIER DE LORRAINE.

The Chevalier de Lorraine looked very ill, but it was in consequence of his excessive debauchery, for he had once been a handsome man.  He had a well-made person, and if the interior had answered to the exterior I should have had nothing to say against him.  He was, however, a very bad man, and his friends were no better than he.  Three or four years before my husband’s death, and for his satisfaction, I was reconciled with the Chevalier, and from that time he did me no mischief.  He was always before so much afraid of being sent away that he used to tell Monsieur he ought to know what I was saying and doing, that he might be apprised of any attempt that should be made against the Chevalier or his creatures.

He died so poor that his friends were obliged to bury him; yet he had 100,000 crowns of revenue, but he was so bad a manager that his people always robbed him.  Provided they would supply him when he wanted them with a thousand pistoles for his pleasures or his play, he let them dispose of his property as they thought fit.  That Grancey drew large sums from him.  He met with a shocking death.  He was standing near Madame de Mare, Grancey’s sister, and telling her that he had been sitting up at some of his extravagant pleasures all night, and was uttering the most horrible expressions, when suddenly he was stricken with apoplexy, lost the power of speech, and shortly afterwards expired.

     [He died suddenly in his own house, playing at ombre, as many of his
     family had done, and was regretted by no person except Mdlle. de
     Lillebonne, to whom he was believed to have been privately married.

—­Note to Dangeau’s Journal.  This man, who was suspected of having poisoned the King’s sister-in-law, was nevertheless in possession of four abbeys, the revenues of which defrayed the expenses of his debaucheries.]

SECTION XXIV.—­PHILIP V., KING OF SPAIN.

Louis XIV. wept much when his grandson set out for Spain.  I could not help weeping, too.  The King accompanied him as far as Sceaux.  The tears and lamentations in the drawing-room were irresistible.  The Dauphin was also deeply affected.

The King of Spain is very hunchbacked, and is not in other respects well made; but he is bigger than his brothers.  He has the best mien, good features, and fine hair.  What is somewhat singular, although his hair is very light, his eyes are quite black; his complexion is clear red and white; he has an Austrian mouth; his voice is deep, and he is singularly slow in speaking.  He is a good and peaceable sort of a person, but a little obstinate when he takes it in his head.  He loves his wife above all things, leaves all affairs to her, and never interferes in anything.  He is very pious, and believes he