The King, Monseigneur, the Chancellor, the Duc de Brinvilliers, Torcy, and Madame de Maintenon, were the only persons who deliberated upon this affair.  Madame de Maintenon preserved at first a modest silence; but the King forced her to give her opinion after everybody had spoken except herself.  The council was divided.  Two were for keeping to the treaty that had been signed with King William, two for accepting the will.  Monseigneur, drowned as he was in fat and sloth, appeared in quite another character from his usual ones at these councils.  To the great surprise of the King and his assistants, when it was his turn to speak he expressed himself with force in favour of accepting the testament.  Then, turning towards the King in a respectful but firm manner, he said that he took the liberty of asking for his inheritance, that the monarchy of Spain belonged to the Queen his mother, and consequently to him; that he surrendered it willingly to his second son for the tranquillity of Europe; but that to none other would he yield an inch of ground.  These words, spoken with an inflamed countenance, caused excessive surprise, The King listened very attentively, and then said to Madame de Maintenon, “And you, Madame, what do you think upon all this?” She began by affecting modesty; but pressed, and even commanded to speak, she expressed herself with becoming confusion; briefly sang the praises of Monseigneur, whom she feared and liked but little—­sentiments perfectly reciprocated—­and at last was for accepting the will.

[Illustration:  Madame Maintenon In Conferance—­Painted by Sir John Gilbert—­front1]

The King did not yet declare himself.  He said that the affair might well be allowed to sleep for four-and-twenty hours, in order that they might ascertain if the Spaniards approved the choice of their King.  He dismissed the council, but ordered it to meet again the next evening at the same hour and place.  Next day, several couriers arrived from Spain, and the news they brought left no doubt upon the King’s mind as to the wishes of the Spanish nobles and people upon the subject of the will.  When therefore the council reassembled in the apartments of Madame de Maintenon, the King, after fully discussing the matter, resolved to accept the will.

At the first receipt of the news the King and his ministers had been overwhelmed with a surprise that they could not recover from for several days.  When the news was spread abroad, the Court was equally surprised.  The foreign ministers passed whole nights deliberating upon the course the King would adopt.  Nothing else was spoken of but this matter.  The King one evening, to divert himself, asked the princesses their opinion.  They replied that he should send M. le Duc d’Anjou (the second son of Monseigneur), into Spain, and that this was the general sentiment.  “I am sure,” replied the King, “that whatever course I adopt many people will condemn me.”