the King eat, he would make most amusing grimaces, without daring however to say anything except now and then to Livry and Benoist, who replied that it was their business to feed the King, and his to doctor him.  The King never ate any kind of venison or water-fowl, but otherwise partook of everything, fete days and fast days alike, except that during the last twenty years of his life he observed some few days of Lent.

This summer he redoubled his regime of fruits and drinks.  At last the former clogged his stomach, taken after soup, weakened the digestive organs and took away his appetite, which until then had never failed him all his life, though however late dinner might be delayed he never was hungry or wanted to eat.  But after the first spoonfuls of soup, his appetite came, as I have several times heard him say, and he ate so prodigiously and so solidly morning and evening that no one could get accustomed to see it.  So much water and so much fruit unconnected by anything spirituous, turned his blood into gangrene; while those forced night sweats diminished its strength and impoverished it; and thus his death was caused, as was seen by the opening of his body.  The organs were found in such good and healthy condition that there is reason to believe he would have lived beyond his hundredth year.  His stomach above all astonished, and also his bowels by their volume and extent, double that of the ordinary, whence it came that he was such a great yet uniform eater.  Remedies were not thought of until it was no longer time, because Fagon would never believe him ill, or Madame de Maintenon either; though at the same time she had taken good care to provide for her own retreat in the case of his death.  Amidst all this, the King felt his state before they felt it, and said so sometimes to his valets:  Fagon always reassured him, but did nothing.  The King was contented with what was said to him without being persuaded:  but his friendship for Fagon restrained him, and Madame de Maintenon still more.

On Wednesday, the 14th of August, the King was carried to hear mass for the last time; held the Council of State, ate a meat dinner, and had music in Madame de Maintenon’s rooms.  He supped in his chamber, where the Court saw him as at his dinner; was with his family a short time in his cabinet, and went to bed a little after ten.

On Thursday, the Festival of the Assumption, he heard mass in his bed.  The night had been disturbed and bad.  He dined in his bed, the courtiers being present, rose at five and was carried to Madame de Maintenon’s, where music was played.  He supped and went to bed as on the previous evening.  As long as he could sit up he did the same.

On Friday, the 16th of August, the night had been no better; much thirst and drink.  The King ordered no one to enter until ten.  Mass and dinner in his bed as before; then he was carried to Madame de Maintenon’s; he played with the ladies there, and afterwards there was a grand concert.