Next day he passed an hour with the King at Madame de Maintenon’s.  He remained eight or ten days at Versailles or at Meudon, and never went to the Duchesse de Bourgogne’s.  This was nothing new for him.  The mixture of grandeur and irregularity which he had long affected seemed to him to have freed him from the most indispensable duties.  His Abbe Alberoni showed himself at the King’s mass in the character of a courtier with unparalleled effrontery.  At last they went to Anet.  Even before he went he perceived some diminution in his position, since he lowered himself so far as to invite people to come and see him, he, who in former years made it a favour to receive the most distinguished persons.  He soon perceived the falling-off in the number of his visitors.  Some excused themselves from going; others promised to go and did not.  Every one made a difficulty about a journey of fifteen leagues, which, the year before, was considered as easy and as necessary as that of Marly.  Vendome remained at Anet until the first voyage to Marly, when he came; and he always came to Marly and Meudon, never to Versailles, until the change of which I shall soon have occasion to speak.

The Marechal de Boufflers returned to Court from his first but unsuccessful defence of Lille, and was received in a triumphant manner, and overwhelmed with honours and rewards.  This contrast with Vendome was remarkable:  the one raised by force of trickery, heaping up mountains like the giants, leaning on vice, lies, audacity, on a cabal inimical to the state and its heirs, a factitious hero, made such by will in despite of truth;—­the other, without cabal, with no support but virtue and modesty, was inundated with favours, and the applause of enemies was followed by the acclamations of the public, so that the nature of even courtiers changed, and they were happy in the recompenses showered upon him!

Some days after the return of the Duc de Bourgogne Cheverny had an interview with him, on leaving which he told me what I cannot refrain from relating here, though it is necessarily with confusion that I write it.  He said that, speaking freely with him on what had been circulated during the campaign, the Prince observed that he knew how and with what vivacity I had expressed myself, and that he was informed of the manner in which the Prince de Conti had given his opinion, and added that with the approval of two such men, that of others might be dispensed with.  Cheverny, a very truthful man, came full of this to tell it to me at once.  I was filled with confusion at being placed beside a man as superior to me in knowledge of war as he was in rank and birth; but I felt with gratitude how well M. de Beauvilliers had kept his word and spoken in my favour.

The last evening of this year (1708) was very remarkable, because there had not yet been an example of any such thing.  The King having retired after supper to his cabinet with his family, as usual, Chamillart came without being sent for.  He whispered in the King’s ear that he had a long despatch from the Marechal de Boufflers.  Immediately the King said good-night to Monseigneur and the Princesses, who went out with every one else; and the King actually worked for an hour with his minister before going to bed, so excited was he by the great project for retaking Lille!