Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 03 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 88 pages of information about Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 03.

Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 03 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 88 pages of information about Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 03.

On Thursday, the 8th of June, he went from Saint Cloud to dine with the King at Marly; and, as was his custom, entered the cabinet as soon as the Council of State went out.  He found the King angry with M. de Chartres for neglecting his wife, and allowing her to seek consolation for this neglect in the society of others.  M. de Chartres was at that time enamoured of Mademoiselle de Sary, maid of honour to Madame, and carried on his suit in the most open and flagrant manner.  The King took this for his theme, and very stiffly reproached Monsieur for the conduct of his son.  Monsieur, who needed little to exasperate him, tartly replied, that fathers who had led certain lives had little authority over their children, and little right to blame them.  The King, who felt the point of the answer, fell back on the patience of his daughter, and said that at least she ought not to be allowed to see the truth so clearly.  But Monsieur was resolved to have his fling, and recalled, in the most aggravating manner, the conduct the King had adopted towards his Queen, with respect to his mistresses, even allowing the latter to accompany him in his journeys—­the Queen at his side, and all in the same coach.  This last remark drove the King beyond all patience, and he redoubled his reproaches, so that presently both were shouting to each other at the top of their voices.  The door of the room in which they wrangled was open, and only covered by a curtain, as was the custom at Marly, and the adjoining room was full of courtiers, waiting to see the King go by to dinner.  On the other side was a little salon, devoted to very private purposes, and filled with valets, who could hear distinctly every word of what passed.  The attendant without, upon hearing this noise, entered, and told the King how many people were within hearing, and immediately retired.  The conversation did not stop, however; it was simply carried on in a lower tone.  Monsieur continued his reproaches; said that the King, in marrying his daughter to M. de Chartres, had promised marvels, and had done nothing; that for his part he had wished his son to serve, to keep him out of the way of these intrigues, but that his demands had been vain; that it was no wonder M. de Chartres amused himself, by way of consolation, for the neglect he had been treated with.  Monsieur added, that he saw only too plainly the truth of what had been predicted, namely, that he would have all the shame and dishonour of the marriage without ever deriving any profit from it.  The King, more and more carried away by anger, replied, that the war would soon oblige him to make some retrenchments, and that he would commence by cutting down the pensions of Monsieur, since he showed himself so little accommodating.

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Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 03 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.