CHAPTER LXXII
The King’s Health Declines.—Bets about His Death.—Lord Stair.—My New Friend.—The King’s Last Hunt.—And Last Domestic and Public Acts.— Doctors.—Opium.—The King’s Diet.—Failure of His Strength.—His Hopes of Recovery.—Increased Danger.—Codicil to His Will.—Interview with the Duc d’Orleans.—With the Cardinal de Noailles.—Address to His Attendants.—The Dauphin Brought to Him.—His Last Words.— An Extraordinary Physician.—The Courtiers and the Duc d’Orleans.— Conduct of Madame de Maintenon.—The King’s Death.
CHAPTER LXXIII
Early Life of Louis XIV.—His Education.—His
Enormous Vanity.—His
Ignorance.—Cause of the War with Holland.—His
Mistakes and Weakness in
War.—The Ruin of France.—Origin
of Versailles.—The King’s Love of
Adulation, and Jealousy of People Who Came Not to
Court.—His Spies.—
His Vindictiveness.—Opening of Letters.—Confidence
Sometimes Placed in
Him—A Lady in a Predicament.
CHAPTER LXXIV
Excessive Politeness.—Influence of the
Valets.—How the King Drove
Out.—Love of magnificence.—His
Buildings. —Versailles.—The Supply
of
Water.—The King Seeks for Quiet.—Creation
of Marly.—Tremendous
Extravagance.
CHAPTER LXXV
Amours of the King.—La Valliere.—Montespan.—Scandalous
Publicity.—
Temper of Madame de Montespan.—Her Unbearable
Haughtiness.—Other
Mistresses.—Madame de Maintenon.—Her
Fortunes.—Her Marriage with
Scarron.—His Character and Society.—How
She Lived After His Death.—
Gets into Better Company.—Acquaintance
with Madame de Montespan.—
The King’s Children.—His Dislike
of Widow Scarron.—Purchase of the
Maintenon Estate.—Further Demands.—M.
du Maine on His Travels.—
Montespan’s Ill—humour.—Madame
de Maintenon Supplants Her.—Her Bitter
Annoyance.—Progress of the New Intrigue.—Marriage
of the King and
Madame de Maintenon.
CHAPTER LXXVI
Character of Madame de Maintenon.—Her Conversation.—Her Narrow-mindedness.—Her Devotion.—Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.—Its Fatal Consequences.—Saint Cyr.—Madame de Maintenon Desires Her Marriage to be Declared.—Her Schemes.—Counterworked by Louvois.—His Vigorous Conduct and Sudden Death.—Behaviour of the King.—Extraordinary Death of Seron.
CHAPTER LXXVII
Daily Occupations of Madame de Maintenon.—Her Policy—How She Governed the King’s Affairs.—Connivance with the Ministers.—Anecdote of Le Tellier.—Behaviour of the King to Madame de Maintenon.— His Hardness.—Selfishness.—Want of Thought for Others.—Anecdotes.— Resignation of the King.—Its Causes.—The Jesuits and the Doctors.—The King and Lay Jesuits.