“For my own part, I never loved her, and in truth I was to blame, for she deserved our affection. Madame de Rochechouart’s death was the cause of my first wish to leave the Convent.”
Here the Memoirs written by the young Princess during her stay at the Abbaye-aux-Bois come to an end. Henceforth we shall have ourselves to relate the history of her life; drawing the materials of our story from her own correspondence and that of her family, from her notebook, and other sources of information discovered by diligent and patient research.
FOOTNOTES:
[77] Louise-Adélaïde de Chartres, grand-daughter of Louis XIV. and of Madame de Montespan, second daughter of the Regent Philippe d’Orléans, and of Mademoiselle de Blois, born the 13th August 1698, died the 20th February 1743. She was eighteen years of age when she became Abbess of the Abbaye-aux-Bois, and one-and-twenty when made Abbess of Chelles. (Vide the Correspondence of Madame la Duchesse d’Orléans née Princesse Palatine.)
[78] Hélène’s account differs from that of Madame, the Regent’s mother. She was fond of her grand-daughter, and does not describe her in such dark colours. She never mentions her stay at the Abbaye-aux-Bois, and only speaks of her installation at Chelles. The perfect accuracy of those portions of Hélène’s narrative which we have been able to verify gives great weight to her account of the facts.
[79] Christophe de Beaumont, Archbishop of Paris, Peer of the Realm, Duc de Saint Cloud (this latter title belonged to that of the Archbishopric of Paris). His archbishopric brought him in a hundred and eighty thousand francs a year, and he had in his gift four hundred and ninety-two livings. This prelate, whose conduct towards the Jansenists was so harsh and even sometimes so violent, was admirable in private life for his gentleness, his equanimity of character, and for his liberality. Born the 26th July 1703 in the Château de la Roque, in Périgord, he died on the 12th December 1781.
[80] By the agreement signed between the Pope Leon X. and Francis I. the nominations to all the Abbeys of France belonged to the King, with the exception of those of Cluny, Cîteaux, Prémontré, and Grandmont, which were reserved and their abbots appointed by the Pope.
[81] An écu was worth five shillings.
[82] This curious mixture of the prologue of Esther and other lines of Racine was arranged by M. de la Harpe.
[83] The dispensary. This department consisted of—(1) A large room lined with shelves on which were the medicines; (2) Two immense rooms with two chimneys and four alembics.