but had jest gone down to his own room from the King’s cabinet, and was about to undress himself, when all at once he lost consciousness.  His valets, frightened out of their wits, and some courtiers who were near, ran to the King’s chambers, to his chief physician and his chief surgeon with the hubbub which I have mentioned above.  The King, all unbuttoned, started to his feet immediately, and descended by a little dark, narrow, and steep staircase towards the chamber of Monseigneur.  Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne arrived at the same time, and in an instant the chamber, which was vast, was filled.

They found Monseigneur half naked:  his servants endeavouring to make him walk erect, and dragging rather than leading him about.  He did not know the King, who spoke to him, nor anybody else; and defended himself as long as he could against Felix, who, in this pressing necessity, hazarded bleeding him, and succeeded.  Consciousness returned.  Monseigneur asked for a confessor; the King had already sent for, the cure.  Many emetics were given to him:  but two hours passed before they operated.  At half-past two in the morning, no further danger appearing, the King, who had shed tears, went to bed, leaving orders that he was to be awakened if any fresh accident happened.  At five o’clock, however, all the effect having passed, the doctors went away, and made everybody leave the sick chamber.  During the night all Paris hastened hither.  Monseigneur was compelled to keep his room for eight or ten days; and took care in future not to gorge himself so much with food.  Had this accident happened a quarter of an hour later, the chief valet de chambre, who slept in his room, would have found him dead in his bed.

Paris loved Monseigneur, perhaps because he often went to the opera.  The fish-fags of the Halles thought it would be proper to exhibit their affection, and deputed four stout gossips to wait upon him:  they were admitted.  One of them took him round the neck and kissed him on both cheeks; the others kissed his hand.  They were all very well received.  Bontems showed them over the apartments, and treated them to a dinner.  Monseigneur gave them some money, and the King did so also.  They determined not to remain in debt, and had a fine Te Deum sung at Saint Eustache, and then feasted.

For some time past Monsieur had been sorely grieved that his son, M. le Duc de Chartres, had not been appointed to the command of an army.  When M. de Chartres married, the King, who had converted his nephew by force into a son-in-law, promised him all kinds of favours; but except those which were written down in black and white had not given him any.  M. de Chartres, annoyed at this, and at the manner m which the illegitimate children were promoted over his head, had given himself up to all kinds of youthful follies and excesses.  The King was surprised to find Monsieur agree with his son’s ambition; but gave a flat refusal when overtures were made to