found impossible to restore it sufficiently to send it back to Italy, not at least before the following spring.  M. d’Orleans returned therefore to Versailles, on Monday, the 8th of November, and was well received by the King.  La Feuillade arrived on Monday, the 13th of December, having remained several days at Paris without daring to go to Versailles.  He was taken to the King by Chamillart.  As soon as the King saw them enter he rose, went to the door, and without giving them time to utter a word, said to La Feuillade, “Monsieur, we are both very unfortunate!” and instantly turned his back upon him.  La Feuillade, on the threshold of the door that he had not had time to cross, left the place immediately, without having dared to say a single word.  The King always afterwards turned his eye from La Feuillade, and would never speak to him.  Such was the fall of this Phaeton.  He saw that he had no more hope, and retired from the army; although there was no baseness that he did not afterwards employ to return to command.  I think there never was a more wrong-headed man or a man more radically dishonest, even to the marrow of his bones.  As for Marsin, he died soon after his capture, from the effect of his wounds.

CHAPTER XXXVI

Such was our military history of the year 1706—­history of losses and dishonour.  It may be imagined in what condition was the exchequer with so many demands upon its treasures.  For the last two or three years the King had been obliged, on account of the expenses of the war, and the losses we had sustained, to cut down the presents that he made at the commencement of the year.  Thirty-five thousand louis in gold was the sum he ordinarily spent in this manner.  This year, 1707, he diminished it by ten thousand Louis.  It was upon Madame de Montespan that the blow fell.  Since she had quitted the Court the King gave her twelve thousand Louis of gold each year.  This year he sent word to her that he could only give her eight.  Madame de Montespan testified not the least surprise.  She replied, that she was only sorry for the poor, to whom indeed she gave with profusion.  A short time after the King had made this reduction, that is, on the 8th of January, Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne gave birth to a son.  The joy was great, but the King prohibited all those expenses which had been made at the birth of the first-born of Madame de Bourgogne, and which had amounted to a large sum.  The want of money indeed made itself felt so much at this time, that the King was obliged to seek for resources as a private person might have done.  A mining speculator, named Rodes, having pretended that he had discovered many veins of gold in the Pyrenees, assistance was given him in order that he might bring these treasures to light.

He declared that with eighteen hundred workmen he would furnish a million (francs’ worth of gold) each week.  Fifty-two millions a-year would have been a fine increase of revenue.  However, after waiting some little time, no gold was forthcoming, and the money that had been spent to assist this enterprise was found to be pure loss.