The Audience which the King gave him was a very magnificent Scene. Lewis XIV. appeared at it in all the Majesty of a great King; and be the Audiences of the Great Mogul, describ'd to us by Tavernier, ever so brilliant, I can scarce think they are to compare with the Ceremony I am now speaking of, and whereof I was an Eye-witness, which was performed in the Great Gallery at Versailles. The King's Throne, which was at one end, and rais'd very high, was of a Gold Ground, with Flowers and the Arms of France embroider'd on it. The King was dress'd in a Suit of Coffee-color'd Velvet, adorn'd with Jewels, to the Value of several Millions. The young Dauphin was at his Majesty's Right Hand in a Robe of Gold Brocade, adorn'd with Diamonds and Pearls. The Duke of Orleans was on his Left, dress'd in a Suit of blue Velvet, adorn'd with a Gold Spanish Point, seeded with very beautiful Diamonds and Pearls. The Princes of the Blood, the legitimated Princes, the Prince of Dombes and the Count d'Eu, both Sons to the Duke of Maine, sat in the same Row, on the Right and Left of the King, all observing the Rank due to their Birth. All along the Gallery
on the Right-Side of the Throne, there were several Rows of Steps, on which stood the Ladies richly dress'd. The Duchess of Berry and Madame were next to the Throne, and next to them stood the Electoral Prince of Saxony, who was then at the Court of France with the Title of the Count of Lusatia. That Side of the Gallery which fronts the Garden was taken up by Noblemen richly apparell'd, and the Space which serv'd for the Passage, from the Entrance of the Gallery to the Throne, was cover'd with a magnificent Tapestry, as were the rest of the Apartments from the Stair-Case of Marble to the Gallery. In the Courts below, the Regiments of the French and Swiss Guards, newly cloath'd, were rang'd in Order of Battle: And the Life-Guards, the Musketeers, and all the King's Houshold Troops were also drawn up in the same Order. But the Splendor of the Soldiery was very much lessen'd by a great Quantity of Rain which pour'd down almost all day long.
The Ambassador with all his Attendance pass'd thro' all those Troops to the Gallery; and when he was advanc'd near to the Throne, he there deliver'd his Credentials to M. de Torcy, Minister and Secretary of State, by whom they were given to the Interpreter, who read them. He afterwards gave his Majesty the Presents that the Sophy sent him, which were so inconsiderable, that at first sight one could hardly imagine they were sent from one of the most powerful Monarchs of Asia. The Whole consisted of Turquoise Stones, a Scymitar garnish'd with precious Stones, a Box of Balm to which he ascribed wonderful Virtues, and some other things of no great Value. After the Audience was over,
the Ambassador was regal'd, and then reconducted to the House of the Ambassadors, where he was defray'd at the Expence of the Court, all the time that he staid at Paris. He was furnish'd at first with the King's Horses for himself and his Retinue; but as his Stay was long, and as besides he spoil'd all the King's Horses, he was accommodated afterwards with Horses that were hir'd.
Some time after this Audience, the Ambassador went to the Opera, where the Benches in the Amphitheatre were taken away, to make it more commodious to hold him and his Retinue. Tho' there was an incredible number of People of the first Quality, he seem'd to be under no manner of Constraint, and smoak'd his Pipe there a good while, with as much Freedom, as if he had been in his Chamber. The Eagerness of the People to run after him was soon abated; they began in a short time after his Arrival, to be indifferent whether they saw him or not; and at length, they were so weary of him, that every body wish'd publickly that he was gone.
I have had the Honor to acquaint you, that the Electoral Prince of Saxony was at the Persian's Audience. This Prince had been for some time in France; and tho' he was incog. by the Name or Title of the Count of Lusatia, he had the Retinue of a King's Son. The Count de Coste, who died Bishop of Warmia, was his Governor, and the Baron de Hagen his Sub-Governor. He had also several Gentlemen with him, besides Pages, and a number of Officers. His Equipage was magnificent, and his Table as elegant as could be desir'd. He was presented to the King by Madame,
who gave him out to be a German Gentleman of a good Family.
This Prince gave a sumptuous Ball at the Hotel de Soissons, in the Apartment where Dumont the Envoy of Holstein liv'd. There was an amazing Croud of Masqueraders, and among the rest your humble Servant, who had good Diversion there with a Lady who trusted me with a Secret, by mistake, for another Person. As she is a Lady of some Distinction, you'll excuse me from telling her Name. All that I shall do my self the Honor to acquaint you of at present is, that she was a Duchess who was fond of R—— to Distraction; but he had abandon'd her for Mademoiselle de S——. The Duchess saw him enter the Ball-Room with V——, who was formerly a Confident of their Amours, and an intimate Friend of R——. The Duchess, as disguis'd as she was, was presently known by her faithless Lover; so that when she went to lay hold of him, he slily stole away with his Friend, and secreted himself in the Croud. Being afraid of Reproaches from the Duchess, he thought fit also to change his Domino. V—— likewise exchang'd his for mine. R—— shew'd me the Place where he had seen the Duchess, and desir'd me to pass by her, but not to speak to her, in case that she offered to talk with me. I promis'd every thing he ask'd, yet was resolv'd to have a Parley with her, if I found a proper Opportunity, which soon presented. You must know, that I so much resembled M. de V—— in Stature, that the Duchess readily took me for him, and beckoning me aside, at the Instant that she was in high Wrath with R——, for refusing to speak to her, she made a general Confession to me of all her Intrigue. While she was going on thus,
without Reserve, to make a Variety of Confessions to me, of which I thought she might repent when she knew that she had been speaking to the wrong Person; I interrupted her by saying, She was mistaken in her Man, and that I was not V——. She reply'd hastily, What need all these Grimaces? Hear me out to the End of my Tale. This is not a Place to play the fool in. You know, continu'd she, that I have granted the ungrateful Man but every thing. I broke in upon her again, and said to her, By my Troth, Madame, I did not know one word of the Matter till now. She jeer'd me for pretending to be ignorant of what she had been telling me, and continu'd her Discourse to me with all the Plainness and True-heartedness that is seldom found in Narratives of this nature. After she had run on a good while, she said, Alas! Sir, What say you, Speak, now is your Time to speak, and justify your Friend, if you can. I really think, replied I, that R—— is a Scoundrel to set so little a Value upon the Kindness you have for him; and instead of justifying him, when I see him, I shall certainly rattle him for it. I shall tell him every Tittle that you have now done me the Honor to divulge to me; and tho' I am not V——, nor very intimate with R——, I am persuaded that he will give Attention to what I shall say to him. Ah, Sir! replied the Duchess, Why do ye go to alter the natural Tone of your Voice? How can you deny your self? What have I done to be thus treated? Upon my Honor, Madam I said, I don't impose on you; let your own Eyes be Witness. At the same Moment I pull'd off my Mask. The Lady was so astonish'd that I can't express it. She cou'd not speak; and I perceiv'd, by her Confusion for having made such an open Confession to me, that she did not know, whether she
had best say on, or retire? I really pitied her, and did all I could to hearten her. I begg'd her to be assur'd that I would keep every thing she had said to me inviolably secret; and that I was as sensible as she could be, of the Consequence of revealing Things of that nature. The good Lady began to pluck up her Spirits; and after some farther Discourse she desir'd me to hand her out, and to help her to find her Coach. It was impossible to discover her Coach or mine either in the Croud; and therefore she chose to take a Hack. I went with her to her House, where she desir'd me to go back to the Ball, and tell the Ladies whom I had seen in her Company that she was taken very ill. I obey'd her Orders punctually, and did not fail next Day to pay her a Visit, and this Visit pav'd the way for others, which gave me an Opportunity to contract a most intimate Acquaintance with her. I had the Honor, in short, of being her most esteemed Friend, and found her possess'd of a thousand good Qualities, which render'd her the best Companion in the World.