The last time Madame de Montespan went to Bourbon she paid all her charitable pensions and gratuities two years in advance and doubled her alms.  Although in good health she had a presentiment that she should return no more.  This presentiment, in effect, proved correct.  She felt herself so ill one night, although she had been very well just before, that she confessed herself, and received the sacrament.  Previous to this she called all her servants into her room and made a public confession of her public sins, asking pardon for the scandal she had caused with a humility so decent, so profound, so penitent, that nothing could be more edifying.  She received the last sacrament with an ardent piety.  The fear of death which all her life had so continually troubled her, disappeared suddenly, and disturbed her no more.  She died, without regret, occupied only with thoughts of eternity, and with a sweetness and tranquillity that accompanied all her actions.

Her only son by Monsieur de Montespan, whom she had treated like a mother-in-law, until her separation from the King, but who had since returned to her affection, D’Antin, arrived just before her death.  She looked at him, and only said that he saw her in a very different state to what he had seen her at Bellegarde.  As soon as she was dead he set out for Paris, leaving orders for her obsequies, which were strange, or were strangely executed.  Her body, formerly so perfect, became the prey of the unskilfulness and the ignorance of a surgeon.  The obsequies were at the discretion of the commonest valets, all the rest of the house having suddenly deserted.  The body remained a long time at the door of the house, whilst the canons of the Sainte Chapelle and the priests of the parish disputed about the order of precedence with more than indecency.  It was put in keeping under care of the parish, like the corpse of the meanest citizen of the place, and not until a long time afterwards was it sent to Poitiers to be placed in the family tomb, and then with an unworthy parsimony.  Madame de Montespan was bitterly regretted by all the poor of the province, amongst whom she spread an infinity of alms, as well as amongst others of different degree.

As for the King, his perfect insensibility at the death of a mistress he had so passionately loved, and for so many years, was so extreme, that Madame de Bourgogne could not keep her surprise from him.  He replied, tranquilly, that since he had dismissed her he had reckoned upon never seeing her again, and that thus she was from that time dead to him.  It is easy to believe that the grief of the children he had had by her did not please him.  Those children did not dare to wear mourning for a mother not recognised.  Their appearance, therefore, contrasted with that of the children of Madame de la Valliere, who had just died, and for whom they were wearing mourning.  Nothing could equal the grief which Madame la Duchesse d’Orleans, Madame