He was thirty-three years of age, with a striking and expressive countenance, and much wit and aptitude for labour.  He was remarkable for grace, fine manners, and winning ways; but his pride and ambition were excessive, and when his fits of ill-temper came, nothing could repress them.  Resistance always excited and irritated him.  He had accustomed the King—­whenever he had drunk too much, or when a party of pleasure was toward—­to put off work to another time.  It was a great question, whether the State gained or lost most by his death?

As soon as he was dead, Saint-Pouange went to Marly to tell the news to the King, who was so prepared for it that two hours before, starting from Versailles, he had left La Vrilliere behind to put the seals everywhere.  Fagon, who had condemned him at once, had never loved him or his father, and was accused of over-bleeding him on purpose.  At any rate he allowed, at one of his last visits, expressions of joy to escape him because recovery was impossible.  Barbezieux used to annoy people very much by answering aloud when they spoke to him in whispers, and by keeping visitors waiting whilst he was playing with his dogs or some base parasite.

Many people, especially divers beautiful ladies, lost much by his death.  Some of the latter looked very disconsolate in the salon at Marly; but when they had gone to table, and the cake had been cut (it was Twelfth Night), the King manifested a joy which seemed to command imitation.  He was not content with exclaiming “The Queen drinks,” but as in a common wine-shop, he clattered his spoon and fork on his plate, and made others do so likewise, which caused a strange din, that lasted at intervals all through the supper.  The snivellers made more noise than the others, and uttered louder screams of laughter; and the nearest relatives and best friends were still more riotous.  On the morrow all signs of grief had disappeared.

Chamillart was appointed in the place of Barbezieux, as Secretary of State; and wanted to give up the Finance, but the King, remembering the disputes of Louvois and Colbert, insisted on his occupying both posts.  Chamillart was a very worthy man, with clean hands and the best intentions; polite, patient, obliging, a good friend, and a moderate enemy, loving his country, but his King better; and on very good terms with him and Madame de Maintenon.  His mind was limited and; like all persons of little wit and knowledge, he was obstinate and pig-headed—­ smiling affectedly with a gentle compassion on whoever opposed reasons to his, but utterly incapable of understanding them—­consequently a dupe in friendship, in business, in everything; governed by all who could manage to win his admiration, or on very slight grounds could claim his affection.  His capacity was small, and yet he believed he knew everything, which was the more pitiable, as all this came to him with his places, and arose more from stupidity than presumption—­not