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.