brought back to Paris, where the Countess, who denied that she had ever made the least Proposal of Marriage to the Stripling, was preparing to swinge him; but the Electoral Prince of Saxony, by whom he was protected, put a stop to all further Prosecution, and caus'd the Jewels to be restor'd to Madam de Wartemberg, who did not insist upon his Promise of Marriage; for being of a Temper that did not permit her to be idle, she had already contracted a clandestine Marriage with F——. These various Intrigues happening so soon one after another, were so much talk'd of, that the Countess did not think fit to stay any longer in France, but set out for Holland, where she remains to this day[54].

Towards the Close of the Year, viz. on the 1st of September 1715, France lost Lewis XIV. He died a Death truly Christian, for which he had been some time before preparing himself; so that when Notice was given him, that he must make ready to go out of this World, he was not at all surpriz'd. He took his last Farewel of his Family with a Courage worthy of Admiration. He gave his Blessing to the young Dauphin, the Heir of his Crown; which he accompanied with several important Advices and Exhortations, especially not to go to War without a just Cause, and not to be so fond of it as he had been. Then he ordered what Mourning the young Monarch should wear, adding, that what he prescrib'd to him was the same that he wore at the Death of the King his Father. This Monarch express'd a vast Affection for the Princes of his Family, and strongly recommended his Successor to the Duke of Orleans. They say

that he stretch'd forth his Hand to the Marshal de Villeroy, and said to him, Adieu, my Friend, we must part. Madame de Maintenon staid with the King all the Time of his Illness, because he desir'd it, except one Day, when the King being so ill that they thought he could not recover it, she return'd to St. Cyr; but as soon as the Monarch came to himself, and found Madame de Maintenon gone, he sent for her, and begg'd her not to forsake him. Accordingly she continu'd with him till his Death, upon which she went back to St. Cyr, where she liv'd mightily retir'd till 1719, when she died.

'Tis astonishing to think what a Change there was at Court upon the Death of Lewis XIV. The Courtiers stuck fast to him, to the very last Moment of his Life, not at all minding the Princes; no, not even the Duke of Orleans: but the very Moment that the King died, the Face of every thing was alter'd; and all the Court was made to the Duke of Orleans, as the sole Dispenser of Favors, who went, accompanied by all the Princes and Courtiers, to the young Monarch, and paid him the due Homage.

Lewis XIV. had appointed the Duke of Orleans Regent of the Kingdom by his last Will; but at the same time he nominated several Noblemen for Associates in the Government, without whom he could conclude nothing. He also depriv'd him of the Guardianship of the young King, and gave it to the Duke de Maine; in a word, he bound his Hands in such a manner, that this Prince had nothing but the Shadow of the Regency. The Duke, however, artfully procur'd that Honor to be paid to him, which he claim'd as his due. He conducted the young King to Parliament with a great Train. The

French and Swiss Guards being drawn up in a Line in the Streets, to the very Gates of the Palais or Parliament-House, the Gens d'Arms, Musketeers, Light-Horse and Life-Guards attended his Majesty to the Palais, where he was receiv'd with the usual Ceremonies, and conducted to the Court, which they call his Bed of Justice. When every body had taken their Seats, the Duke of Orleans broke silence and said, That tho' the Regency belonged to him by Birth-right, yet he was very glad he could produce the Codicil of the late King to them in proof of it; which having caus'd to be read, together with the Will, he shew'd the Inconveniencies that might arise from the little Authority which was given to him; and that his Rank and Birth had always intitled him to hope for more. And having said this, he demanded of the Parliament, Whether they did not own him for the Sovereign Administrator of the Kingdom. He added, That whatever Authority should be given him, he should be glad to follow the Advice of the Parliament; that he would share his Authority with the Grandees of the Kingdom; and that if there should happen to be a Failure of Justice in his Administration, it would then be a Pleasure to him to bear their Remonstrances. He clos'd all with saying, That he should like well enough to have his Hands restrained from doing wrong, but that he wish'd they might be at entire Liberty to do good. The Votes ran in his Favor; the late King's Will was annull'd, the Duke of Orleans declared Regent of the Kingdom, and Guardian of the King; and the Superintendancy of his Majesty's Education was given to the Duke of Maine. The Regent return'd his Thanks to the Parliament; and at the same

time told them, that he was for pursuing a Plan of Government that was found among the Papers of the Duke of Burgundy, Father to the present King; according to which Plan it appeared that the said Prince had a Design to establish Councils for every Province, whether of the Finances, War, Admiralty, &c. and to be governed entirely by what the Majority of the Voices therein should determine.

The Duke du Maine had no reason to be satisfy'd with this Assembly; for besides being depriv'd of the Guardianship of the King, he had much ado to preserve the Prerogatives which the late King had annex'd to the Quality of a legitimated Prince of the Blood. The Dukes and Peers declared immediately against the Precedency that had been granted to those Princes, and carried their Complaints to the Bed of Justice, where they demanded that they might only be considered as a Part of their Body; and that they might be allow'd no other Rank than what they deriv'd from their Peerages. Hereafter we shall also find the Princes of the Blood declaring against those Princes that had been legitimated.

This Demand of the Dukes did not take place at that time, no more than another which they also made upon the same Day, viz. that the first President, when he ask'd their Opinion in Parliament, should veil the Bonnet to them, in the same manner as to the Princes of the Blood. The Duke of Orleans desir'd them to permit the Usages of Parliament to be observ'd on that Day, and assured them that he would decide that Affair very shortly. The President de Novion, afterwards the first President, then spoke, and answered the Regent, that his Royal Highness had no Right to make a Decision in an Affair which

related directly to the Person of the King, whom the Parliament had the Honor of representing in his Majesty's Absence; and that consequently nothing could be alter'd in the Usage of Parliament, but by the King himself when he came of Age.