CHAPTER XVI

The year 1700 commenced by a reform.  The King declared that he would no longer bear the expense of the changes that the courtiers introduced into their apartments.  It had cost him more than sixty thousand francs since the Court left Fontainebleau.  It is believed that Madame de Mailly was the cause of this determination of the King; for during the last two or three years she had made changes in her apartments every year.

A difficulty occurred at this time which much mortified the King.  Little by little he had taken all the ambassadors to visit Messieurs du Maine and de Toulouse, as though they were Princes of the blood.  The nuncio, Cavallerini, visited them thus, but upon his return to Rome was so taken to task for it, that his successor, Delfini, did not dare to imitate him.  The cardinals considered that they had lowered themselves, since Richelieu and Mazarm, by treating even the Princes of the blood on terms of equality, and giving them their hand, which had not been customary m the time of the two first ministers just named.  To do so to the illegitimate offspring of the King, and on occasions of ceremony, appeared to them monstrous.  Negotiations were carried on for a month, but Delfini would not bend, and although in every other respect he had afforded great satisfaction during his nunciature, no farewell audience was given to him; nor even a secret audience.  He was deprived of the gift of a silver vessel worth eighteen hundred francs, that it was customary to present to the cardinal nuncios at their departure:  and he went away without saying adieu to anybody.

Some time before, M. de Monaco had been sent as ambassador to Rome.  He claimed to be addressed by the title of “Highness,” and persisted in it with so much obstinacy that he isolated, himself from almost everybody, and brought the affairs of his embassy nearly to a standstill by the fetters he imposed upon them in the most necessary transactions.  Tired at last of the resistance he met with, he determined to refuse the title of “Excellence,” although it might fairly belong to them, to all who refused to address him as “Highness.”  This finished his affair; for after that determination no one would see him, and the business of the embassy suffered even more than before.  It is difficult to comprehend why the King permitted such a man to remain as his representative at a foreign Court.

Madame de Navailles died on the 14th of February:  Her mother, Madame de Neuillant, who became a widow, was avarice itself.  I cannot say by what accident or chance it was that Madame de Maintenon in returning young and poor from America, where she had lost her father and mother, fell in landing at Rochelle into the hands of Madame de Neuillant, who lived in Poitou.  Madame de Neuillant took home Madame de Maintenon, but could not resolve to feed her without making her do something in return.  Madame de Maintenon was charged therefore with the key of the granary, had to measure out the corn and to see that it was given to the horses.  It was Madame de Neuillant who brought Madame de Maintenon to Paris, and to get rid of her married her to Scarron, and then retired into Poitou.