There arrived at Versailles a farrier, from the little town of Salon, in Provence, who asked to see the King in private.  In spite of the rebuffs he met with, he persisted in his request, so that at last it got to the ears of the King.  The King sent word that he was not accustomed to grant such audiences to whoever liked to ask for them.  Thereupon the farrier declared that if he was allowed to see the King he would tell him things so secret and so unknown to everybody else that he would be persuaded of their importance, demanding, if the King would not see him, to be sent to a minister of state.  Upon this the King allowed him to have an interview with one of his secretaries, Barbezieux.  But Barbezieux was not a minister of state, and to the great surprise of everybody, the farrier, who had only just arrived from the country, and who had never before left it or his trade, replied, that not being a minister of state he would not speak with him.  Upon this he was allowed to see Pomponne, and converse with him; and this is the story he told: 

He said, that returning home late one evening he found himself surrounded by a great light, close against a tree and near Salon.  A woman clad in white—­but altogether in a royal manner, and beautiful, fair, and very dazzling—­called him by his name, commanded him to listen to her, and spake to him more than half-an-hour.  She told him she was the Queen, who had been the wife of the King; to whom she ordered him to go and say what she had communicated; assuring him that God would assist him through all the journey, and that upon a secret thing he should say, the King, who alone knew that secret, would recognise the truth of all he uttered.  She said that in case he could not see the King he was to speak with a minister of state, telling him certain things, but reserving certain others for the King alone.  She told him, moreover, to set out at once, assuring him he would be punished with death if he neglected to acquit himself of his commission.  The farrier promised to obey her in everything, and the queen then disappeared.  He found himself in darkness near the tree.  He lay down and passed the night there, scarcely knowing whether he was awake or asleep.  In the morning he went home, persuaded that what he had seen was a mere delusion and folly, and said nothing about it to a living soul.

Two days afterwards he was passing by the same place when the same vision appeared to him, and he was addressed in the same terms.  Fresh threats of punishment were uttered if he did not comply, and he was ordered to go at once to the Intendant of the province, who would assuredly furnish him with money, after saying what he had seen.  This time the farrier was convinced there was no delusion in the matter; but, halting between his fears and doubts, knew not what to do, told no one what had passed, and was in great perplexity.  He remained thus eight days, and at last had resolved not to make the journey; when,