Chapter LXVI

Sudden Illness of the Duc de Berry--Suspicious Symptoms.--The Duchess Prevented from Seeing Him.--His Death.--Character.--Manners of the Duchesse de Berry.

CHAPTER LXVII

Maisons Seeks My Acquaintance.--His Mysterious Manner.--Increase of the Intimacy.--Extraordinary News.--The Bastards Declared Princes of the Blood.--Rage of Maisons and Noailles.--Opinion of the Court and Country.

CHAPTER LXVIII

The King Unhappy and Ill at Ease.--Court Paid to Him.--A New Scheme to Rule Him.--He Yields.--New Annoyance.--His Will.--Anecdotes Concerning It.--Opinions of the Court.--M. du Maine

CHAPTER LXIX

A New Visit from Maisons.--His Violent Project.--My Objections.--He Persists.--His Death and That of His Wife.--Death of the Duc de Beauvilliers.--His Character.--Of the Cardinal d'Estrees.--Anecdotes.-- Death of Fenelon.

VOLUME 10.

CHAPTER LXX

Character and Position of the Duc d'Orleans--His Manners, Talents, and Virtues.--His Weakness.--Anecdote Illustrative Thereof.-- The "Debonnaire"--Adventure of the Grand Prieur in England.--Education of the Duc d'Orleans.--Character of Dubois.--His Pernicious Influence.-- The Duke's Emptiness.--His Deceit.--His Love of Painting.--The Fairies at His Birth.--The Duke's Timidity.--An Instance of His Mistrustfulness.

CHAPTER LXXI

The Duke Tries to Raise the Devil.--Magical Experiments.--His Religious Opinions.--Impiety.--Reads Rabelais at Church.--The Duchesse d'Orleans.-- Her Character.--Her Life with Her Husband.--My Discourses with the Duke on the Future.--My Plans of Government.--A Place at Choice Offered Me.-- I Decline the Honour.--My Reason.--National Bankruptcy.--The Duke's Anger at My Refusal.--A Final Decision.

CHAPTER LXXII

The King's Health Declines.--Bets about His Death.--Lord Stair.--My New Friend.--The King's Last Hunt.--And Last Domestic and Public Acts.-- Doctors.--Opium.--The King's Diet.--Failure of His Strength.--His Hopes of Recovery.--Increased Danger.--Codicil to His Will.--Interview with the Duc d'Orleans.--With the Cardinal de Noailles.--Address to His Attendants.--The Dauphin Brought to Him.--His Last Words.-- An Extraordinary Physician.--The Courtiers and the Duc d'Orleans.-- Conduct of Madame de Maintenon.--The King's Death.

CHAPTER LXXIII

Early Life of Louis XIV.--His Education.--His Enormous Vanity.--His Ignorance.--Cause of the War with Holland.--His Mistakes and Weakness in War.--The Ruin of France.--Origin of Versailles.--The King's Love of Adulation, and Jealousy of People Who Came Not to Court.--His Spies.-- His Vindictiveness.--Opening of Letters.--Confidence Sometimes Placed in Him--A Lady in a Predicament.

CHAPTER LXXIV

Excessive Politeness.--Influence of the Valets.--How the King Drove Out.--Love of magnificence.--His Buildings.--Versailles.--The Supply of Water.--The King Seeks for Quiet.--Creation of Marly.--Tremendous Extravagance.

CHAPTER LXXV

Amours of the King.--La Valliere.--Montespan.--Scandalous Publicity.-- Temper of Madame de Montespan.--Her Unbearable Haughtiness.--Other Mistresses.--Madame de Maintenon.--Her Fortunes.--Her Marriage with Scarron.--His Character and Society.--How She Lived After His Death.-- Gets into Better Company.--Acquaintance with Madame de Montespan.-- The King's Children.--His Dislike of Widow Scarron.--Purchase of the Maintenon Estate.--Further Demands.--M. du Maine on His Travels.-- Montespan's Ill--humour.--Madame de Maintenon Supplants Her.--Her Bitter Annoyance.--Progress of the New Intrigue.--Marriage of the King and Madame de Maintenon.

CHAPTER LXXVI

Character of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Conversation.--Her Narrow- mindedness.--Her Devotion.--Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.--Its Fatal Consequences.--Saint Cyr.--Madame de Maintenon Desires Her Marriage to be Declared.--Her Schemes.--Counterworked by Louvois.--His Vigorous Conduct and Sudden Death.--Behaviour of the King.--Extraordinary Death of Seron.

CHAPTER LXXVII

Daily Occupations of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Policy--How She Governed the King's Affairs.--Connivance with the Ministers.--Anecdote of Le Tellier.--Behaviour of the King to Madame de Maintenon.-- His Hardness.--Selfishness.--Want of Thought for Others.--Anecdotes.-- Resignation of the King.--Its Causes.--The Jesuits and the Doctors.--The King and Lay Jesuits.

VOLUME 11.

CHAPTER LXXVIII

External Life of Louis XIV.--At the Army.--Etiquette of the King's Table.--Court Manners and Customs.--The Rising of the King.--Morning Occupations.--Secret Amours.--Going to Mass.--Councils.--Thursdays.-- Fridays.--Ceremony of the King's Dinner.--The King's Brother.--After Dinner.--The Drive.--Walks at Marly and Elsewhere.--Stag--hunting.--Play- tables.--Lotteries.--Visits to Madame de Maintenon.--Supper.--The King Retires to Rest.--Medicine Days.--Kings Religious Observances.--Fervency in Lent.--At Mass.--Costume.--Politeness of the King for the Court of Saint-Germain.--Feelings of the Court at His Death.--Relief of Madame de Maintenon.--Of the Duchesse d'Orleans.--Of the Court Generally.--Joy of Paris and the Whole of France.--Decency of Foreigners.--Burial of the King.

CHAPTER LXXIX

Surprise of M. d'Orleans at the King's Death.--My Interview with Him.-- Dispute about Hats.--M. du Maine at the Parliament.--His Reception.-- My Protest.--The King's Will.--Its Contents and Reception.--Speech of the Duc d'Orleans.--Its Effect.--His Speech on the Codicil.--Violent Discussion.--Curious Scene.--Interruption for Dinner.--Return to the Parliament.--Abrogation of the Codicil.--New Scheme of Government.-- The Regent Visits Madame de Maintenon.--The Establishment of Saint-Cyr.-- The Regent's Liberality to Madame de Maintenon.

CHAPTER LXXX

The Young King's Cold.--'Lettres des Cachet' Revived.--A Melancholy Story.--A Loan from Crosat.--Retrenchments.--Unpaid Ambassadors.--Council of the Regency.--Influence of Lord Stair.--The Pretender.--His Departure from Bar.--Colonel Douglas.--The Pursuit.--Adventure at Nonancourt.--Its Upshot.--Madame l'Hospital.--Ingratitude of the Pretender.

CHAPTER LXXXI

Behaviour of the Duchesse de Berry.--Her Arrogance Checked by Public Opinion.--Walls up the Luxembourg Garden.--La Muette.--Her Strange Amour with Rion.--Extraordinary Details.--The Duchess at the Carmelites.-- Weakness of the Regent.--His Daily Round of Life.--His Suppers.-- How He Squandered His Time.--His Impenetrability.--Scandal of His Life.-- Public Balls at the Opera.

CHAPTER LXXXII

First Appearance of Law.--His Banking Project Supported by the Regent.-- Discussed by the Regent with Me.--Approved by the Council and Registered. --My Interviews with Law.--His Reasons for Seeking My Friendship.-- Arouet de Voltaire.

CHAPTER LXXXIII

Rise of Alberoni.--Intimacy of France and England.--Gibraltar Proposed to be Given Up.--Louville the Agent.--His Departure.--Arrives at Madrid.-- Alarm of Alberoni.--His Audacious Intrigues.--Louville in the Bath.-- His Attempts to See the King.--Defeated.--Driven out of Spain.--Impudence of Alberoni.--Treaty between France and England.--Stipulation with Reference to the Pretender.

CHAPTER LXXXIV

The Lieutenant of Police.--Jealousy of Parliament.--Arrest of Pomereu Resolved On.--His Imprisonment and Sudden Release.--Proposed Destruction of Marly.--How I Prevented It.--Sale of the Furniture.--I Obtain the 'Grandes Entrees'.--Their Importance and Nature.--Afterwards Lavished Indiscriminately.--Adventure of the Diamond called "The Regent."--Bought for the Crown of France.

CHAPTER LXXXV

Death of the Duchesse de Lesdiguieres.--Cavoye and His Wife.--Peter the Great.--His Visit to France.--Enmity to England.--Its Cause.--Kourakin, the Russian Ambassador.--The Czar Studies Rome.--Makes Himself the Head of Religion.--New Desires for Rome--Ultimately Suppressed.--Preparations to Receive the Czar at Paris.--His Arrival at Dunkerque.--At Beaumont.-- Dislikes the Fine Quarters Provided for Him.--His Singular Manners, and Those of His Suite.

CHAPTER LXXXVI

Personal Appearance of the Czar.--His Meals.--Invited by the Regent.-- His Interview with the King--He Returns the Visit.--Excursion in Paris.-- Visits Madame.--Drinks Beer at the Opera.--At the Invalides.--Meudon.-- Issy.--The Tuileries.--Versailles.--Hunt at Fontainebleau.--Saint--Cyr.-- Extraordinary Interview with Madame de Maintenon.--My Meeting with the Czar at D'Antin's.--The Ladies Crowd to See Him.--Interchange of Presents.--A Review.--Party Visits.--Desire of the Czar to Be United to France.

CHAPTER LXXXVII

Courson in Languedoc.--Complaints of Perigueux.--Deputies to Paris.-- Disunion at the Council.--Intrigues of the Duc de Noailles.--Scene.-- I Support the Perigueux People.--Triumph.--My Quarrel with Noailles.-- The Order of the Pavilion.

VOLUME 12.

CHAPTER LXXXVIII

Policy and Schemes of Alberoni.--He is Made a Cardinal.--Other Rewards Bestowed on Him.--Dispute with the Majordomo.--An Irruption into the Royal Apartment.--The Cardinal Thrashed.--Extraordinary Scene.

CHAPTER LXXXIX

Anecdote of the Duc d'Orleans.--He Pretends to Reform--Trick Played upon Me.--His Hoaxes.--His Panegyric of Me.--Madame de Sabran.--How the Regent Treated His Mistresses.

CHAPTER XC

Encroachments of the Parliament.--The Money Edict.--Conflict of Powers-- Vigorous Conduct of the Parliament.--Opposed with Equal Vigour by the Regent.--Anecdote of the Duchesse du Maine.--Further Proceedings of the Parliament.--Influence of the Reading of Memoirs.--Conduct of the Regent.--My Political Attitude.--Conversation with the Regent on the Subject of the Parliament.--Proposal to Hang Law.--Meeting at My House.-- Law Takes Refuge in the Palais Royal.

CHAPTER XCI

Proposed Bed of Justice.--My Scheme.--Interview with the Regent.-- The Necessary Seats for the Assembly.--I Go in Search of Fontanieu.-- My Interview with Hini.--I Return to the Palace.--Preparations.-- Proposals of M. le Duc to Degrade M. du Maine.--My Opposition.--My Joy and Delight.--The Bed of Justice Finally Determined On.--A Charming Messenger.--Final Preparations.--Illness of the Regent.--News Given to M. du Maine.--Resolution of the Parliament.--Military Arrangements.--I Am Summoned to the Council.--My Message to the Comte de Toulouse.

CHAPTER XCII

The Material Preparations for the Bed of Justice--Arrival of the Duc d'Orleans:--The Council Chamber.--Attitude of the Various Actors.--The Duc du Maine.--Various Movements.--Arrival of the Duc de Toulouse.-- Anxiety of the Two Bastards.--They Leave the Room.--Subsequent Proceedings.--Arrangement of the Council Chamber.--Speech of the Regent. --Countenances of the Members of Council.--The Regent Explains the Object of the Bed of Justice.--Speech of the Keeper of the Seals.--Taking the Votes.--Incidents That Followed.--New Speech of the Duc d'Orleans.-- Against the Bastards.--My Joy.--I Express My Opinion Modestly.--Exception in Favour of the Comte de Toulouse.--New Proposal of M. le Duc.--Its Effect.--Threatened Disobedience of the Parliament.--Proper Measures.-- The Parliament Sets Out.

CHAPTER XCIII

Continuation of the Scene in the Council Chamber.--Slowness of the Parliament.--They Arrive at Last.--The King Fetched.--Commencement of the Bed of Justice.--My Arrival.--Its Effect.--What I Observed.--Absence of the Bastards Noticed.--Appearance of the King. The Keeper of the Seals.-- The Proceedings Opened.--Humiliation of the Parliament.--Speech of the Chief-President.--New Announcement.--Fall of the Duc du Maine Announced. --Rage of the Chief-President.--My Extreme joy.--M. le Duc Substituted for M. du Maine.--Indifference of the King.--Registration of the Decrees.

CHAPTER XCIV

My Return Home.--Wanted for a New Commission.--Go to the Palais Royal.-- A Cunning Page.--My journey to Saint-Cloud.--My Reception.--Interview with the Duchesse d'Orleans.--Her Grief.--My Embarrassment.--Interview with Madame.--Her Triumph.--Letter of the Duchesse d'Orleans.--She Comes to Paris.--Quarrels with the Regent.

CHAPTER XCV

Intrigues of M. du Maine.--And of Cellamare, the Spanish Ambassador.-- Monteleon and Portocarrero.--Their Despatches.--How Signed.--The Conspiracy Revealed.--Conduct of the Regent.--Arrest of Cellamare.--His House Searched.--The Regency Council.--Speech of the Duc d'Orleans.-- Resolutions Come To.--Arrests.--Relations with Spain.--Alberoni and Saint-Aignan.--Their Quarrel.--Escape of Saint-Aignan.

CHAPTER XCVI

The Regent Sends for Me.--Guilt of the Duc de Maine.--Proposed Arrest.-- Discussion on the Prison to Be Chosen.--The Arrest.--His Dejection.-- Arrest of the Duchess.--Her Rage.--Taken to Dijon.--Other Arrests.-- Conduct of the Comte de Toulouse.--The Faux Sauniers.--Imprisonment of the Duc and Duchesse du Maine.--Their Sham Disagreement.--Their Liberation.--Their Reconciliation.

VOLUME 13.

CHAPTER XCVII

Anecdote of Madame de Charlus.--The 'Phillippaques'.--La Grange.-- Pere Tellier.--The Jesuits.--Anecdote----Tellier's Banishment.--Death of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Life at Saint-Cyr.