But let me, before going further, describe the last days of the King, his illness, and death, adding to the narrative a review of his life and character.

CHAPTER LXXII

Louis XIV. began, as I have before remarked, sensibly to decline, and his appetite, which had always been good and uniform, very considerably diminished.  Even foreign countries became aware of this.  Bets were laid in London that his life would not last beyond the first of September, that is to say, about three months, and although the King wished to know everything, it may be imagined that nobody was very eager to make him acquainted with the news.  He used to have the Dutch papers read to him in private by Torcy, often after the Council of State.  One day as Torcy was reading, coming unexpectedly—­for he had not examined the paper—­upon the account of these bets, he stopped, stammered, and skipped it.  The King, who easily perceived this, asked him the cause of his embarrassment; what he was passing over, and why?  Torcy blushed to the very whites of his eyes, and said it was a piece of impertinence unworthy of being read.  The King insisted; Torcy also:  but at last thoroughly confused, he could not resist the reiterated command he received, and read the whole account of the bets.  The King pretended not to be touched by it, but he was, and profoundly, so that sitting down to table immediately afterwards, he could not keep himself from speaking of it, though without mentioning the gazette.

This was at Marly, and by chance I was there that day.  The King looked at me as at the others, but as though asking for a reply.  I took good care not to open my mouth, and lowered my eyes.  Cheverny, (a discreet man,) too, was not so prudent, but made a long and ill-timed rhapsody upon similar reports that had come to Copenhagen from Vienna while he was ambassador at the former place seventeen or eighteen years before.  The King allowed him to say on, but did not take the bait.  He appeared touched, but like a man who does not wish to seem so.  It could be seen that he did all he could to eat, and to show that he ate with appetite.  But it was also seen that the mouthfuls loitered on their way.  This trifle did not fail to augment the circumspection of the Court, above all of those who by their position had reason to be more attentive than the rest.  It was reported that an aide-decamp of Lord Stair, who was then English ambassador to our Court, and very much disliked for his insolent bearing and his troublesome ways, had caused these bets by what he had said in England respecting the health of the King.  Stair, when told this, was much grieved, and said ’twas a scoundrel he had dismissed.

As the King sensibly declined I noticed that although terror of him kept people as much away from M. d’Orleans as ever, I was approached even by the most considerable.  I had often amused myself at the expense of these prompt friends; I did so now, and diverted M. d’Orleans by warning him beforehand what he had to expect.