When it was over, the King half opened the door of the Hall of Mirrors, which leads into the salon where the Court assembled, and gave his orders; then rejoined the Queen in that room which I have so often called the empty room.  There and then took place the private audiences of the foreign ministers, and of, the seigneurs, or other subjects who obtained them.  Once a week, on Monday, there was a public audience, a practice which cannot be too much praised where it is not abused.  The King, instead of half opening the door, threw it wide open, and admitted whoever liked to enter.  People spoke to the King as much as they liked, how they liked, and gave him in writing what they liked.  But the Spaniards resemble in nothing the French; they are measured, discreet, respectful, brief.

After the audiences, or after amusing himself with the Queen—­if there are none, the King went to dress.  The Queen accompanied him, and they took the communion together (never separately) about once a week, and then they heard a second mass.  The confession of the King was said after he rose, and before he went to the Queen’s toilette.

Upon returning from mass, or very shortly after, the dinner was served.  It was always in the Queen’s apartment, as well as the supper, but the King and Queen had each their dishes; the former, few, the latter, many, for she liked eating, and ate of everything; the King always kept to the same things—­soup, capon, pigeons, boiled and roast, and always a roast loin of veal—­no fruit; or salad, or cheese; pastry, rarely, never maigre; eggs, often cooked in various fashion; and he drank nothing but champagne; the Queen the same.  When the dinner was finished, they prayed to God together.  If anything pressing happened, Grimaldo came and gave them a brief account of it.

About an hour after dinner, they left the apartment by a short passage accessible to the court, and descended by a little staircase to their coach, returning by the same way.  The seigneurs who frequented the court pretty constantly assembled, now one, now another, in this passage, or followed their Majesties to their coaches.  Very often I saw them in this passage as they went or returned.  The Queen always said something pleasant to whoever was there.  I will speak elsewhere of the hunting-party their Majesties daily made.

Upon returning, the King gave his orders.  If they had not partaken of a collation in the coach, they partook of one upon arriving.  It was for the King, a morsel of bread, a big biscuit, some water and wine; and for the Queen, pastry and fruit in season, sometimes cheese.  The Prince and the Princess of the Asturias, and the children, followed and waited for them in the inner apartment.  This company withdrew in less than half a quarter of an hour.  Grimaldo came and worked ordinarily for a long time; it was the time for the real work of the day.  When the Queen went to confession this also was the