[609] The Duke de Chartres (1674-1723), only seventeen years old when this paragraph appeared, was reputed very clever for his age; he afterwards became the Regent dʼOrléans. By Condé, either the great Condé, who died in 1686, or his son Henri-Jules, the father of La Bruyèreʼs pupil, was meant. For François-Louis, Prince de Conti (1634-1709), see page [273], note 533; his father, Armand de Bourbon (1629-1666), had first been an admirer and then an antagonist of Molière. For Bourbon and Vendôme see page [221], note 449; there was also a celebrated general, the Duke de Vendôme (1654-1712). The Duke de Maine (1670-1736), the eldest of the children of Louis XIV. and Madame de Montespan, was twenty years old when his name appeared in the above paragraph, and was considered a prodigy of learning.
[610] The Cardinal dʼOssat (1536-1604) became an able diplomatist and statesman, after having been professor of rhetoric and philosophy at the University of Paris; Cardinal Ximenes (1437-1517) published several works of Aristotle, founded the University of Alcala, and promoted the publishing of a polyglot Bible before becoming prime minister of Charles V. of Spain. Richelieu (see page [261], note 512) wrote several theological works, some tragedies, and founded the French Academy.
[611] The original has grimaud, also used by Trissotin in addressing Vadius in Molièreʼs Femmes Savantes, act iii, scene 5: “Allez, petit grimaud, barbouilleur de papier.”
[612] Jérôme Bignon (1589-1656) was a celebrated magistrate; his son was also a scholar, and his grandson, the Abbé Jean-François (1662-1743), was a member of the French Academy. For the Lamoignons see page [333], note 608.
[613] Plato expresses this idea in the seventh book of his “Republic,” but it was often in the mouth of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180), called Antoninus, as being the adopted son of Antoninus Pius.
[614] Henri III. of France is said to have fainted if he caught sight of a cat, and some commentators state a certain Abbé de Drubec (see page [112], note 217) had this weakness. Shakespeare, in the Merchant of Venice (act iv. scene 1) also says, “Some that are mad, if they behold a cat.”
[615] In our authorʼs time there were only feather beds or straw palliasses, but no flock beds.
[616] The original has praticien. See page [153], note 304.
[617] A footman. We have already seen in the chapter “Of the Town” (page 137, note 1) how many footmen became financiers of the highest order.
[618] This stands for Antoine Benoît, the royal waxwork maker, who had a gallery of waxworks called cercle royal.