“No, no, by Heaven,” replied he, “you cannot deny these;” and forthwith he began to sing to me a street song in his praise, the chorus of which was:  ‘Our Regent is debonnaire, la la, he is debonnaire,’ with a burst of laughter.

“What!” said I, “you remember it still!” and smiling, I added also, “since you are revenged for it, remember it in good earnest.”  He kept on laughing a long time before going to the Council, and could not hinder himself.  I have not been afraid to write this trifle, because it seems to me that it paints the man.

M. d’Orleans loved liberty, and as much for others as for himself.  He extolled England to me one day on this account, as a country where there are no banishments, no lettres de cachet, and where the King may close the door of his palace to anybody, but can keep no one in prison; and thereupon related to me with enjoyment, that besides the Duchess of Portsmouth, Charles the Second had many subordinate mistresses; that the Grand Prieur, young and amiable in those days, driven out of France for some folly, had gone to England to pass his exile and had been well received by the King.  By way of thanks, he seduced one of those mistresses, by whom the King was then so smitten, that he sued for mercy, offered money to the Grand Prieur, and undertook to obtain his reconciliation in France.  The Grand Prieur held firm.  Charles prohibited him the palace.  He laughed at this, and went every day to the theatre, with his conquest, and placed himself opposite the King.  At last, Charles, not knowing what to do to deliver himself from his tormentor, begged our King to recall him, and this was done.  But the Grand Prieur said he was very comfortable in England and continued his game.  Charles, outraged, confided to the King (Louis XIV.) the state he was thrown into by the Grand Prieur, and obtained a command so absolute and so prompt, that his tormentor was afterwards obliged to go back into France.

M. d’Orleans admired this; and I know not if he would not have wished to be the Grand Prieur.  He always related this story with delight.  Thus, of ambition for reigning or governing, he had none.  If he made a false move in Spain it was because he had been misdirected.  What he would have liked best would have been to command armies while war lasted, and divert himself the rest of the time without constraint to himself or to others.  He was, in fact, very fit for this.  With much valour, he had also much foresight, judgment, coolness, and vast capacity.  It may be said that he was captain, engineer, and army purveyor; that he knew the strength of his troops, the names and the company of the officers, and the most distinguished of each corps; that he knew how to make himself adored, at the same time keeping up discipline, and could execute the most difficult things, while unprovided with everything.  Unfortunately there is another side of this picture, which it will be as well now to describe.