At last Torcy was so annoyed with the interference of Chamillart, that he called the latter to account for it, and made him sign an agreement by which he bound himself to enter into no negotiations for peace and to mix himself in no foreign affairs; and so this absurdity came to an end.

In Italy, early this year, we received a check of no small importance.  I have mentioned that we were invited to join in an Italian league, having for its object to oppose the Emperor.  We joined this league, but not before its existence had been noised abroad, and put the allies on their, guard as to the danger they ran of losing Italy.  Therefore the Imperialists entered the Papal States, laid them under contribution, ravaged them, lived there in true Tartar style, and snapped their fingers at the Pope, who cried aloud as he could obtain no redress and no assistance.  Pushed at last to extremity by the military occupation which desolated his States, he yielded to all the rashes of the Emperor, and recognised the Archduke as King of Spain.  Philip V. immediately ceased all intercourse with Rome, and dismissed the nuncio from Madrid.  The Imperialists, even after the Pope had ceded to their wishes, treated him with the utmost disdain, and continued to ravage, his territories.  The Imperialist minister at Rome actually gave a comedy and a ball in his palace there, contrary to the express orders of the Pope, who had forbidden all kinds of amusement in this period of calamity.  When remonstrated with by the Pope, this minister said that he had promised a fete to the ladies, and could not break his word, The strangest thing is, that after this public instance of contempt the nephews of the Pope went to the fete, and the Pope had the weakness to suffer it.

In Spain, everything went wrong, and people began to think it would be best to give up that country to the house of Austria, under the hope that by this means the war would be terminated.  It was therefore seriously resolved to recall all our troops from Spain, and to give orders to Madame des Ursins to quit the country.  Instructions were accordingly sent to this effect.  The King and Queen of Spain, in the greatest alarm at such a violent determination, cried aloud against it, and begged that the execution of it might at least be suspended for a while.

At this, our King paused and called a Council to discuss the subject.  It was ultimately agreed to leave sixty-six battalions of our troops to the King of Spain, but to withdraw all the rest.  This compromise satisfied nobody.  Those who wished to support Spain said this assistance was not enough.  The other party said it was too much.

This determination being arrived at, it seemed as though the only thing to be done was to send M. d’Orleans to Spain to take command there.  But now will be seen the effect of that mischievous pleasantry of his upon Madame de Maintenon and Madame des Ursins, the “she-captain,” and the “she-lieutenant”—­as he called them, in the gross language to which I have before alluded.  Those two ladies had not forgiven him his witticism, and had determined to accomplish his disgrace.  His own thoughtless conduct assisted them it bringing about this result.