CHAPTER LXXII

The King’s Health Declines.—­Bets about His Death.—­Lord Stair.—­My New Friend.—­The King’s Last Hunt.—­And Last Domestic and Public Acts.—­ Doctors.—­Opium.—­The King’s Diet.—­Failure of His Strength.—­His Hopes of Recovery.—­Increased Danger.—­Codicil to His Will.—­Interview with the Duc d’Orleans.—­With the Cardinal de Noailles.—­Address to His Attendants.—­The Dauphin Brought to Him.—­His Last Words.—­ An Extraordinary Physician.—­The Courtiers and the Duc d’Orleans.—­ Conduct of Madame de Maintenon.—­The King’s Death.

CHAPTER LXXIII

Early Life of Louis XIV.—­His Education.—­His Enormous Vanity.—­His
Ignorance.—­Cause of the War with Holland.—­His Mistakes and Weakness in
War.—­The Ruin of France.—­Origin of Versailles.—­The King’s Love of
Adulation, and Jealousy of People Who Came Not to Court.—­His Spies.—­
His Vindictiveness.—­Opening of Letters.—­Confidence Sometimes Placed in
Him—­A Lady in a Predicament.

CHAPTER LXXIV

Excessive Politeness.—­Influence of the Valets.—­How the King Drove
Out.—­Love of magnificence.—­His Buildings. —­Versailles.—­The Supply of
Water.—­The King Seeks for Quiet.—­Creation of Marly.—­Tremendous
Extravagance.

CHAPTER LXXV

Amours of the King.—­La Valliere.—­Montespan.—­Scandalous Publicity.—­
Temper of Madame de Montespan.—­Her Unbearable Haughtiness.—­Other
Mistresses.—­Madame de Maintenon.—­Her Fortunes.—­Her Marriage with
Scarron.—­His Character and Society.—­How She Lived After His Death.—­
Gets into Better Company.—­Acquaintance with Madame de Montespan.—­
The King’s Children.—­His Dislike of Widow Scarron.—­Purchase of the
Maintenon Estate.—­Further Demands.—­M. du Maine on His Travels.—­
Montespan’s Ill—­humour.—­Madame de Maintenon Supplants Her.—­Her Bitter
Annoyance.—­Progress of the New Intrigue.—­Marriage of the King and
Madame de Maintenon.

CHAPTER LXXVI

Character of Madame de Maintenon.—­Her Conversation.—­Her Narrow-mindedness.—­Her Devotion.—­Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.—­Its Fatal Consequences.—­Saint Cyr.—­Madame de Maintenon Desires Her Marriage to be Declared.—­Her Schemes.—­Counterworked by Louvois.—­His Vigorous Conduct and Sudden Death.—­Behaviour of the King.—­Extraordinary Death of Seron.

CHAPTER LXXVII

Daily Occupations of Madame de Maintenon.—­Her Policy—­How She Governed the King’s Affairs.—­Connivance with the Ministers.—­Anecdote of Le Tellier.—­Behaviour of the King to Madame de Maintenon.—­ His Hardness.—­Selfishness.—­Want of Thought for Others.—­Anecdotes.—­ Resignation of the King.—­Its Causes.—­The Jesuits and the Doctors.—­The King and Lay Jesuits.