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THE MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV. - HIS COURT AND THE REGENCY - V3
THE MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV. - HIS COURT AND THE REGENCY - V3 DUC DE SAINT-SIMON [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks or pointers at the end of the
file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an
entire meal of them. D.W.]
MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XIV AND HIS COURT AND OF THE REGENCY
BY THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON
VOLUME 3.
CHAPTER XVIII
Settlement of the Spanish Succession.--King William III.--New Party in
Spain.--Their Attack on the Queen.--Perplexity of the King.--His Will.--
Scene at the Palace.--News Sent to France.--Council at Madame de
Maintenon's.--The King's Decision.--A Public Declaration.--Treatment of
the New King.--His Departure for Spain.--Reflections.--Philip V. Arrives
in Spain.--The Queen Dowager Banished.
CHAPTER XIX
Marriage of Phillip V.--The Queen's Journey.--Rival Dishes.--
A Delicate Quarrel.--The King's journey to Italy.--The Intrigues against
Catinat.--Vaudemont s Success.--Appointment of Villeroy.--The First
Campaign.--A Snuffbox.--Prince Eugene's Plan.--Attack and Defence of
Cremona.--Villeroy Made Prisoner.--Appointment of M. de Vendome.
CHAPTER XX
Discontent and Death of Barbezieux.--His Character.--Elevation of
Chamillart.--Strange Reasons of His Success.--Death of Rose.--Anecdotes.
--An Invasion of Foxes.--M. le Prince.--A Horse upon Roses.--Marriage of
His Daughter: His Manners and Appearance
CHAPTER XXI
Monseigneur's Indigestion.--The King Disturbed.--The Ladies of the
Halle.--Quarrel of the King and His Brother.--Mutual Reproaches.--
Monsieur's Confessors.--A New Scene of Wrangling.--Monsieur at Table.--
He Is Seized with Apoplexy.--The News Carried to Marly.--How Received by
the King.--Death of Monsieur.--Various Forms of Grief.--The Duc de
Chartres.
CHAPTER XXII
The Dead Soon Forgotten.--Feelings of Madame de Maintenon.--And of the
Duc de Chartres.--Of the Courtiers.--Madame's Mode of Life.--Character of
Monsieur.--Anecdote of M. le Prince.--Strange Interview of Madame de
Maintenon with Madame.--Mourning at Court.--Death of Henriette
d'Angleterre.--A Poisoning Scene.--The King and the Accomplice.
CHAPTER XXIII
Scandalous Adventure of the Abbesse de la Joye.--Anecdote of Madame de
Saint-Herem.--Death of James II. and Recognition of His Son.--Alliance
against France.--Scene at St. Maur.--Balls and Plays.--The "Electra" of
Longepierre--Romantic Adventures of the Abbe de Vatterville.
CHAPTER XXIV
Changes in the Army.--I Leave the Service.--Annoyance of the King.--The
Medallic History of the Reign.--Louis XIII.--Death of William III.--
Accession of Queen Anne.--The Alliance Continued.--Anecdotes of Catinat.
--Madame de Maintenon and the King.
CHAPTER XVIII
For the last two or three years the King of Spain had been in very weak
health and in danger of his life several times. He had no children and
no hope of having any. The question therefore of the succession to his
vast empire began now to agitate every European Court. The King of
England (William III.) who since his usurpation had much augmented his
credit by the grand alliance he had formed against France and of which
he had been the soul and the chief up to the Peace of Ryswick undertook
to arrange this question in a manner that should prevent war when the
King of Spain died. His plan was to give Spain the Indies the Low
Countries and the title of King of Spain to the Archduke second son of
the Emperor; Guipuscoa Naples Sicily and Lorraine to France; and the
Milanese to M. de Lorraine as compensation for taking away from him his
territory.
The King of England made this proposition first of all to our King; who
tired of war and anxious for repose as was natural at his age made few
difficulties and soon accepted. M. de Lorraine was not in a position to
refuse his consent to a change recommended by England France and
Holland. Thus much being settled the Emperor was next applied to. But
he was not so easy to persuade: he wished to inherit the entire
succession and would not brook the idea of seeing the House of Austria
driven from Italy as it would have been if the King of England's
proposal had been carried out. He therefore declared it was altogether
unheard of and unnatural to divide a succession under such circumstances
and that he would hear nothing upon the subject until after the death of
the King of Spain. The resistance he made caused the whole scheme to
come to the ears of the King of Spain instead of remaining a secret as
was intended.
The King of Spain made a great stir in consequence of what had taken
place as though the project had been formed to strip him during his
lifetime of his realm. His ambassador in England spoke so insolently
that he was ordered to leave the country by William and retired to
Flanders. The Emperor who did not wish to quarrel with England
intervened at this point and brought about a reconciliation between the
two powers. The Spanish ambassador returned to London.
The Emperor next endeavoured to strengthen his party in Spain. The
reigning Queen was his sister-in-law and was all-powerful. Such of the
nobility and of the ministers who would not bend before her she caused to
be dismissed; and none were favoured by her who were not partisans of the
House of Austria. The Emperor had therefore a powerful ally at the
Court of Madrid to aid him in carrying out his plans; and the King was so
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