FOOTNOTES:
[1] This portrait is the frontispiece of the present translated edition.—Tr.
[2] Correspondance Complète de Madame la Duchesse d’Orléans, née Princesse Palatine, Mère du Régent; traduction entièrement nouvelle, par M. G. Brunet. Paris: Charpentier, 1891.
[3] Madame’s own spelling could hardly be worse; she always spells Saint-Cloud “Saint-Clou.”—Tr.
[4] Monsieur had died on the 9th of June, and the scene between Madame and Mme. de Maintenon had taken place in the interim.—Tr.
[5] Curious details as to these satirical medals will be found in a work by Klotz: Historia numorum Contumeliosorum, Attenbury, 1765. (French editor.)
[6] Madame here refers to the Lorraines, whose scandalous relations to Monsieur are matters of history.—Tr.
[7] We remember Saint-Simon’s account of Madame who “arrived howling, in full-dress.” Madame will tell us herself that she never owned a dressing-gown; and as she had nothing but “full-dress” or a riding habit, her costume on this occasion seems the best she could choose.—Tr.
[8] This appears to be the only letter contemporaneous with the deaths of the Duc and Duchesse de Bourgogne (to which it alludes) that has been preserved.—Tr.
[9] As to this tale see the “Memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon, which gives Mme des Ursins own account of the affair.”—Tr.
[10] She was married in 1722 to Luis, Prince of the Asturias. See the “Memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon.”—Tr.
[11] So-called from her height; she was his half-sister, the daughter of Mme. de la Vallière. Mme. la Duchesse was the daughter of Mme. de Montespan.—Tr.
[12] Charles-Louis Baudelot de Dairval devoted his life to the study of antiquity; was a member of the Académie des Inscriptions, and wrote a book on “The Utility of Travelling.” (French editor.)
[13] Boudins. Littré defines them as guts filled with blood and pork fat.—Tr.
[14] Louise-Élisabeth, born 1709, married January 20, 1722, to Louis, Prince of the Asturias; see Saint-Simon’s account of the marriage, and her behaviour. Philippe V. abdicated in favour of Louis in 1724, but the latter dying within six months, Philippe resumed the crown. The young queen then returned to France, where she lived unnoticed and died in 1742. In Spain she had shown “the sulky, sullen temper of a dull and silly child,” and continued to do so after her return to Paris.—Tr.
[15] Daughter of Philippe V., brought to France to be educated and married to Louis XV.; see “Saint-Simon.” The marriage never took place, and the infanta was sent back to Spain, April 5, 1725, when the treaty of alliance between Spain and Austria was signed, and France, England, and Prussia formed a counter treaty.—Tr.
[16] Sainte-Beuve does not mention that this letter was written by Mme. de Maintenon to the Comte d’Ayen to soothe him for the part of Josabeth being taken from his wife. Mme. de Maintenon’s diplomacy is visible.—Tr.
[17] Sainte-Beuve has selected the harshest terms in which Madame has mentioned the dauphine’s change of conduct. The reader will have read, earlier in this volume, Madame’s other and much fuller comments, which are kind and evidently just.—Tr.
[18] Saturday, September 13th, was the day of the assault of the town and of the singular scene with Mme. de Maintenon, described by Saint-Simon. See vol. i. of translated edition.—Tr.
[19] This was the miscarriage which caused the memorable scene at the carp basin.—Tr.
[20] “Esther,” and “Athalie,” of Racine; “Absalon” and “Jonathas,” by Duché; “Jephté,” by the Abbé Boyer.
[21] This is a confidence made at Saint-Cyr to Mme. de Glapion, one of the Dames de Saint-Cyr, whose zeal, modesty, tenderness of soul, intelligence and devotion to duty had won for her the friendship of the foundress. She narrates the conversation. (French editor.)