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AUTHOR: 
 
 ORLEANS, CHARLOTTE 
 
 ELIZABETH 
 
 TITLE: 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF 
 CHARLOTTE... 
 
 PLACE: 
 
 LONDON 
 
 DA TE : 
 
 1889 
 
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 Orleans, .Charlotte-Elisabeth,^ duchgsse d« , ;.1 6,52- 
 
 ^Se'and letters of Charlotte Elizabeth, princess Pala- 
 tine and mother of Philippe d'Orleans, regent of France 
 1652-1722, comp., tr., and gathered from various pub- 
 lished and unpublished sources, comprising the archives 
 of the French foreign office, the archives of the house 
 of France, and the manuscripts in the Bibliotheque na- 
 tionale, Paris. London, Chapman and Hall, limited, 1889. 
 
 viii, 341 p. front, (port) 2U 
 
 cm 
 
 1. France— Court and courtiers. 
 
 Library of Congress 
 
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 LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH, 
 
 MOTH Eli OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEAyS. 
 
James I. of Exf;LA\i» 
 
 Fre<lorick V.^pElizabeth JStuart 
 
 Electrcss Sopliia 
 
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 Karl LiidwiLT 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth. 
 
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 LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH 
 
 riUNCESS PALATINE 
 
 AND 
 
 MOTHER OF PIIILIPrE D'ORLEANS, REGENT OF FRANCE 
 
 1652—1^22 
 
 Compiled, Tramhited, and Gathered from various Published and 
 
 Unpublished Sources, 
 
 COMPRISING 
 
 THE ARCHIVES OF THE FRENCH FOREIGN OFFICE 
 
 THE ARCHIVES OF THE HOUSE OF FRANCE, AND THE MANUSCRIPTS 
 
 IN THE BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALS, PARIS. 
 
 LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 
 
 Limited. 
 
 1880. 
 
 ^•CT'""**- . 
 
i 
 
 WE.STMIXSTEU: 
 
 PRINTED BY NICHOLS AND SONS. 
 
 2r>, PARMAMEST STREET. 
 
 
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 C\ 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth was the eldest child of the 
 Elector Palatine Karl Ludwig, and of Charlotte of 
 Hesse Cassel, his wife. She Avas born in the Castle 
 of Heidelburg on the 7th of July, 1652. 
 
 Married, on the 16th of November, 1672, to Mon- 
 sieur, Philippe d'Orleans, Louis the Fourteenth's 
 only brother. By him she had three children:— 
 the Due de Valois, born 1673— died 1676; the 
 Due de Chartres, who afterwards became" the 
 Regent, born 1674-died 1721 ; the Duchesse de 
 Chartres, born 1676 — married to the Due de 
 Lorraine 1698— died 1744. 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth's official title at the Court of 
 Louis the Fourteenth was Madame, Duchesse 
 d'Orleans, but siie was generally styled Madame 
 by her contemporaries, whilst liistorically she is 
 known as " tlie Princess Palatine, mother of the 
 Regent." 
 
 She died on the 8th of December, 1722. 
 A selection of her letters, addressed to the Duke 
 of Brunswick and Caroline of Anspach, then 
 
 158098 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ) 
 
 f 
 
 'J 
 
 Princess of Wales, were first published by Viewieg, 
 at Brunswick, in 1789. A Prencli translation, 
 published l)y Maradon, attracted considerable at- 
 tention in Paris. Another and somewhat fuller 
 selection appeared in 1807. Since then divers 
 collections and translations of parts of Madame' s 
 truly enormous correspondence have been brou^^ht 
 out both in France and Germany, generally styling 
 themselves, " Complete and Unabridged Corres- 
 pondence of Charlotte Elizabeth, etc." 
 
 This, on the face of it, is clearly an impossible 
 and absurd assertion, for the Princess Palatine is 
 known to have written hundreds of letters to every 
 Court in Europe. Many of her letters, specially 
 those addressed to her German relations, never 
 reached those to whom they Avere written, having 
 been stopped at the frontiers as containing com- 
 promising political news of Prance. Others were 
 probably destroyed on the death of the recipients, 
 and many must even now be lying buried in the 
 national archives of Spain, Sivoy, Austria, and 
 Italy, without speaking of what must have become 
 of the Ions: epistles Madame wrote to her friends in 
 the French provinces, and to every small German 
 principality. Till comparatively lately it was sur- 
 mised that Madame's letters to her aunt, the Elec- 
 tress Sojihia, had been destroyed by George I., 
 who greatly disliked his cousin, but fortunately a 
 volume of them was found and permission obtained 
 to publish a selection of them. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 vu 
 
 Among Madame's correspondents were the Elec- 
 tress Sophia, her father's sister; her two step- 
 daughters, the Queens of Spain and Sardinia; the 
 Duchess of Modena ; the Queen of Prussia, her first 
 cousin; Mme. Von Harling, her old governess; and, 
 later in life, Leibnitz, the famous German savant; 
 the llaugravine Louise, her half-sister; her own 
 daughter, the Duchesse of Lorraine and Ear ; and 
 Caroline of Anspach, at that time Princess of 
 AVales. She wrote a large clear hand, and often 
 spelt, both in German and French, the same word 
 in five different ways. Keenly alive to the laws 
 of courtesy and etiquette, her letters begin and 
 end with innumerable protestations of friendship, 
 respect, and assurances of her aff'ection. Writin^»- 
 to her inferiors in rank, she generally signed her- 
 self, '' your faithful friend, Charlotte Elizabeth." 
 
 Her letters reflect the life, not only of the Court 
 of France, but of the English, German, and Spanish 
 Courts of her time, and of the society which com- 
 posed them. They also gave a vivid picture of the 
 religious world, both Huguenot, Philosophical, and 
 Eoman Catholic. 
 
 We cannot do better than refer the reader to 
 the account written of Madame by one of her 
 contemporaries, the Due de Saint Simon, and to 
 the few admirably- chosen words in which Mr. 
 Thackeray sums up her personality and character. 
 Saint Simon says : ''Madame tenalt heaucoup plus 
 de Vliomme que de la femme^ elle etait forte cou- 
 
 r-« ■ V » 
 
/ 
 
 re v^ 
 
 1) 
 
 Vlll 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 rageuse^ Allemande au dernier point, franche, 
 droit e, bonne, bienfaisante, noble et grande en 
 toutes ses manieres; petite au dernier point sur 
 tout ce qui regardait ce qui lui etait du. Elle etait 
 sauvage, tonjours enfermee a ecrire ; dure, rude, 
 
 se prenant aisement d' aversion Capable 
 
 avee cela d'une amitie tendre et inviolable. . , . ." 
 And Thackeray, in the first chapter of his Ristortj 
 of the Four Georges : *' A woman wliose honest 
 heart was always with her friends and dear old 
 Deutschland, though her fat little body was con- 
 fined at Paris, Marly, or Versailles " 
 
 May, 1889. 
 
 I 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH, 
 
 MADAME, MOTHER OF THE REGENT PHILIPRE D'ORLEANS. 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1652 TO 1G86. 
 
 To arrive at a just conception of Charlotte Eliza- 
 beth's character, it is necessary to understand from 
 whence she derived her peculiar and strongly- 
 marked individualities. 
 
 Her father, Karl Ludwig, was the second son of 
 Frederick V., Elector Palatine and sometime King 
 of Bohemia, and Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of 
 
 James I. 
 
 Frederick V.'s strange mixture of weakness 
 and combativeness, aided by his wife's ambition, 
 involved liim in the Thirty Years War, and 
 destroyed the Palatinate, which was ravaged by 
 Spinola and his Spanish troops. 
 
 The then Elector's children went out into the 
 world to seek their fortune: among them was Prince 
 Kupert, the well-known admiral and general under 
 Charles I. 
 
 s - 
 

 1 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 At the Peace of Westphalia a new Electorate 
 was created in favour of Karl Ludwig, to whom 
 the Palatine States were delivered over. He imme- 
 diately set to work to bring back prosperity and 
 wealth to the Palatinate; and succeeded so well 
 that soon he became known as the Regenerator* 
 He had begun by recalling the families who liad 
 emigrated to Holland, England, and the neighbour- 
 ing German states ; and rebuilt Heidelburg Castle, 
 which had fallen into a frightful state of rain and 
 neglect during the Thirty Years War. The new 
 Elector also issued decrees that any one who 
 restored one of the old town-houses in Manheim or 
 Heidelbur:? should be freed from all taxation for 
 two years; those who built new houses were exempt 
 for tiirce years, and those who planted vineyards 
 for six years. 
 
 The University of Heidelburg, founded in 13SG 
 by the Elector Ruprecht I., one of the oldest 
 centres of learning in Germany, had also gone 
 completely down during the Thirty Years War, and 
 its splendid library was scattered to the four corners 
 of the earth. Karl Ludwig reconstituted it as far as 
 he was able, and Heidelburg became once agaiu 
 celebrated for its learning. Amongst those whom 
 the Elector called to his aid was Spinoza, the great 
 Jewish philosopher and metaphysician. 
 
 As religious differences had greatly contributed 
 to the disasters which had fallen upon his states, 
 
 * Wiodeihersteller. 
 
 ^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 3 
 
 he practised unlimited tolerance. The Calvinists 
 were recalled, Roman Catholics and Lutherans dwelt 
 in peace together, and even the Anabaptists arrived 
 from Holland and formed themselves into a com- 
 munity at Manheim, where some of their descend- 
 ants are now highly-respected citizens. 
 
 There exists a fine portrait of Madame's father, 
 by Van Dyke, which shows the Elector as a power- 
 ful-looking man in the prime of life, his wonderfully- 
 handsome countenance strongly resembling that of 
 his mother, the unhappy Queen of Bohemia, whose 
 beauty won her the title of the Queen of Hearts. 
 
 Having stated the excellencies of Karl Ludwig 
 as a ruler, we must now turn to his private charac- 
 ter as a man. He married on the 12th of February, 
 1650, Princess Charlotte of Hesse Cassel, a strange 
 reserved woman, passionately fond of hunting and 
 every sort of outdoor amusement, and quite indif- 
 ferent to her husband's life and interests. Their 
 quarrels began during the honeymoon. 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth was born on the 7th of 
 September, 1652, in the Castle of Heidelburg. 
 Her infancy and childhood were passed amidst the 
 constant quarrels of her father and mother, for 
 shortly after Charlotte Elizabeth's birth the Elector 
 fell violently in love with a certain Maria Susanna 
 Louisa von Degenfeld, a beautiful girl of eighteen, 
 and his own wife's maid of honour. His cor- 
 respondence with the lady, which has been 23re- 
 served, is extremely curious. Evidently finding 
 
 B 2 
 
 I 
 
fi 
 
 z^ 
 
 4 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 some difficulty in cxi)rcssing liis sentiments by 
 writing, he simply copied, almost word for word, 
 the love-letters contained in a romance which dealt 
 of the loves of a certain Lucretia, whose knight 
 wrote her long* and passionate epistles in Latin. 
 
 Louise von Degenfeld's answers, although couched 
 in indifferent Latin, show a far brighter wit tlian do 
 tlie letters of her royal lover, or rather than those 
 he borrowed from Lucretia's knight. 
 
 This Fraulein von Degenfeld, who was destined 
 to play such an important part in Charlotte Eliza- 
 betli's history, does not seem to have been possessed 
 of the commonest principles of honour. She began 
 by showing Karl Ludwig's letters to the Electress, 
 and when the latter, greatly incensed, upbraided her 
 husband, the young maid of honour seemed to wisli 
 to play the part of peacemaker, though keeping up 
 a secret correspondence meanwhile with the Elector. 
 
 After some time the Electress began to suspect 
 the truth; waiting for a favourable occasion to 
 publicly reproach the Elector, slie invited one of her 
 brothers to come and see her, and in the middle of 
 a great banquet given in his honour she suddenly 
 disclosed to him her griefs and boxed her husband's 
 ears. After this things went from bad to worse till 
 1657, when the Elector applied for a divorce, which 
 was granted after some hesitation by the Diet of 
 Ratisbonne on the 17th of April, 1657. 
 
 Till the divorce liad been actually notified to 
 her, Charlotte of Hesse Cassel does not seem to 
 
 r 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS. 5 
 
 have realised her position, but to have gone on 
 Imnting, driving, and leading a solitary life, seeing 
 little of her children, and indifferent to her 
 husband's way of life. But we hear of her writ- 
 ing the Elector a letter almost immediately after 
 tlie divorce had been pronounced, which ended 
 with these words, " Tliis is from the most ill- 
 used princess in Christendom, Charlotte, legitimate 
 Electress Palatine." 
 
 Her relations advised her to appeal to the Em- 
 peror, who, as lord of Germany, had a right to 
 interfere, but he refused to do anything for her, 
 and would only counsel lier to go back to Heidel- 
 burg and live there quietly with her three children 
 as though nothing untoward had occurred. 
 
 This she made up her mind to do, but in the mean- 
 time the Elector had married Louise von Degenfeld, 
 and refused to allow his late wife access to her chil- 
 dren unless she would promise to live on good terms 
 with her supplanter. This the unliappy Charlotte 
 of Hesse Cassel agreed to do, but her fortitude 
 gave way after a short time, and resolving on one 
 last effort she placed herself, '^ soberly dressed, 
 though not in widow's weeds," close to where the 
 Elector and his new wife were to pass in to supper. 
 We are told that she held the little Charlotte 
 Elizabeth by the hand, having bade her cry with 
 all her strength when she saw her father approach, 
 " Mercy ! Mercy ! '' 
 
 AVhen the Elector came forward Charlotte of 
 
6 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Hesse Cassel threw herself at his feet, begging him 
 to have pity upon her, and, if only for the sake of 
 their children and the probable effect on the succes- 
 sion, to recognise her for his lawful wife. The 
 Elector seemed greatly troubled and half turned 
 towards her, but Louise von Degenfeld murmured, 
 *^ Remember your promises to me," and drew him 
 away. Then Charlotte of Hesse Cassel hurried to 
 her own apartments, and took up a pistol, intending 
 to shoot her rival as she sat at supper, but Count 
 Hohenlohe, one of the Elector's gentlemen, sus- 
 pecting her intention, snatched it out of her hand 
 and called his master. 
 
 After this last appeal to her husband the Electress 
 entirely disappeared from Court, and was never 
 spoken of. Charlotte Elizabeth seems to have quite 
 forgotten her mother, who lived on a sad and soli- 
 tary existence till death relieved her of her life. 
 
 Karl Ludwig lived with Louise von Degenfeld for 
 over twenty years. They had thirteen children, 
 in whose favour the Elector revived the old title of 
 Margrave and Margravine Palatines. To these half- 
 brothers and sisters Charlotte Elizabeth became 
 and remained warmly attached, remarking quaintly 
 in more than one of her letters to them : *' It is not 
 your fault that we did not have the same mother." 
 
 When Louise von Degenfeld died * the Elector 
 was inconsolable, and spoke of his loss in piteous 
 
 • On the 18tli of ^Vlarcli, 167B. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 
 
 terms to his sister the Electress Sophia of Hanover, 
 with whom he kept up a constant correspondence. 
 He wrote a curious account of '^his beloved 
 Louise," celebrating her manifold virtues, her 
 beauty, cleanliness, intelligence, etc., but having 
 thus praised her good qualities he says that he is 
 bound to recall that ''she did not always follow my 
 advice, and often saddened me by her ill- temper 
 and melancholy. But I am consoled," adds the 
 worthy Elector, '^ by the thought that during her 
 last illness neither care, nor physic, was spared to 
 make her well again." 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth's first governess was a certain 
 Fraulein Offeln, to whom she became much 
 attached. One of the earliest letters known to 
 have been written by Madame is addressed to this 
 lady, and dated Amsterdam, March 9th, 1661, when 
 the Princess was only nine years old, and in which 
 she tells her that she often thinks of her, has had a 
 pleasant journey, and only complains of the way in 
 Avhich the gnats have bitten her. 
 
 We know comparatively little of Charlotte 
 Elizabeth's early youth excepting through the 
 constant references in her after letters to the 
 dear old town of Heidelburg, the w^oods above 
 the castle, the town catechism, the simple fare, 
 and her happy, careless youth. She was brought 
 up till she w£^s twelve years old by the Electress 
 Sophia, her father's sister, and in 1601 spent 
 gome nionths in Holland. It was during this 
 
8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 sojourn in Amsterdam that she became ncquaintcd 
 vvitli William of Orange. 
 
 Once the Elector gave Charlotte Elizabeth two 
 hundred florins as a Christmas-box ; a present 
 never renewed, for Karl Ludwig was a careful 
 man, and was not ashamed of the fact. His house- 
 hold expenses were not based on the number of 
 persons, but of appetites which had to be provided 
 for, less being given to those known to care but 
 little for food. 
 
 A letter addressed to Madame von Harlino-,* 
 Charlotte Elizabeth's late governess, gives us a 
 glimpse of the life led by the Princess at the age 
 of eighteen, shortly before the proposition of mar- 
 riage with Monsieur : 
 
 "March 4tl], 1670. 
 
 '' I ought to tell you, dear Madame Harling, that 
 my brother Charles f and myself had intended to 
 disguise ourselves for Shrove Tuesday as gods and 
 goddesses, but as the Vvreather proved to be too 
 cold the fete was put off, and yesterday was the 
 day chosen. Our costumes were quite ready, and 
 very handsome ; my brother was to represent 
 Mercury, and I, Aurora ; Fraulein Kolb being Ceres, 
 and another young lady Diana ; there were also 
 many shepherds and nymphs. The triumphal 
 
 * Mdllo. von Offeln mnrried M. de Harling in 1GG9. Afadamo 
 kept up an active correspondence in lier after-life with both husbiiud 
 and wife. 
 
 t Charlotte Elizabeth's half-brother. 
 
 
 \\ 
 
 ■'• 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 9 
 
 chariots were splendid. Just as w^e were going to 
 begin arrived the news of the king of Denmark's 
 death. We had to put everything off for six weeks, 
 hoping that nothing else will occur in the interval. 
 You must allow, dear Madame Harling, that your 
 getting up early entirely depends on me, for am I 
 nut Aurora, and have I not the gate of the morn 
 under my charge ? Be sure that I shall only open 
 them at the hour which suits me ! " 
 
 NotwithstandingtheElector'sscandalous behaviour 
 to her mother, and his many oddities, Charlotte 
 Elizabeth seemed to have heartily loved and ad- 
 mired her father, and she submitted to her fate 
 without a murmur when told that she must leave 
 her home, and the younger brothers and sisters 
 to whom she had become so much attached, to be 
 the second wife of Philippe d' Orleans, the King of 
 France's only brother. Monsieur, the widower of 
 the beautiful Henrietta of England, whoso mys- 
 terious death by poison had been discussed by 
 every Court in Europe, including, we may be sure, 
 that of the Elector Palatine. 
 
 Charlotte Elizabeth gave in with a good grace to 
 wdiat was after all one of the clearest marlages de 
 convenances the world has ever known. Owin^'- to 
 Louise von Degenfeld being but a morganatic wife, 
 Charlotte Elizabeth presently remained the Elector's 
 only legitimate child. By her marriage to his 
 brother, Louis XIV. secured a principal right to the 
 Palatinate and Bavaria. On the other hand, Karl 
 
10 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Ludwiir was extreinely glad to many liis daughter 
 to the King of France's only brother. 
 
 Notwithstanding the Elector's liberal views, re- 
 ligious dissensions were still the order of the day 
 in the Palatinate, and the Protestants felt keenly 
 their young Princess's change of religion, though it 
 is probable that the Electress Sophia's pupil held 
 anvthin<:i: but Calvinistic views. 
 
 We are told that a Jesuit Pere Jourdin was sent 
 from Paris to assure himself of the bride's orthodoxy, 
 for a certain Urbain Chevreau, believing that he 
 would please the French Court, had already at- 
 tempted to convert the young princess to the 
 Roman Catholic religion. Curiously enough she 
 had been neither brought up Calvinist nor Lutheran, 
 but a mixture of the two, which resolved itself into 
 something resembling the French Reformed Faith, 
 or that held by the Huguenots. 
 
 When all was settled Charlotte Elizabeth bade 
 good-bye for ever to her beloved Heidelbufg and 
 was brought by her father to Strasbourg, Avliere she 
 was delivered up into the hands of Anne of Gon- 
 saga, who had been sent from Paris to meet her 
 and send a description of the young German girl to 
 her future home. As Anne of Gonsaga was 
 Charlotte Elizabeth's own aunt, we may suppose 
 that the rapport was not unfavourable. In ex- 
 change for the bride. Monsieur gave the Elector a 
 receipt for 32,000 German florins, which constituted 
 her dowry. 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. ii 
 
 At Metz, where the marriage by proxy was to be 
 celebrated, Charlotte Elizabeth read and signed her 
 abjuration in presence of the bishop and of a noble 
 company of noblemen and ladies, as it is set forth in 
 a curious document,* in which '^ I, George d'Abus- 
 son la Feuillade, Bishop of Metz, testify that Char- 
 lotte Elizabeth, daughter of the Elector Karl Ludwiir 
 Palatine, and of Charlotte of Hesse Cassel, his 
 wife, abjured the heresy in which she had been in- 
 structed, before a mighty company of nobles in my 
 cathedral of Metz, being at that time aged nineteen 
 years." 
 
 This is signed by several of the great nobles of 
 the time, and by Charlotte Elizabeth's own upright 
 large hand. Monsieur was represented at the mar- 
 riage ceremony which followed by the Mar^chal 
 Due de Plessy Praslin. 
 
 In the inventory f of the things brought by 
 Madame, as she was henceforward to be called, 
 we find many strange signs of her father's avarice, 
 and yet affection for the young daughter. Thus 
 she is j)rovided with four watches, a mirror, and 
 several jewel-boxes, but none of the costly o-old 
 plate with which foreign princesses generally en- 
 riched the royal families to whom they became 
 allied. 
 
 Madame's four watches were thus described: 
 ^^One watch, contained in a gold filigree box, round 
 the dial is a row of small rubies. One watch backed 
 
 * French National Archives. f Idem, 
 
^MSiiaHe 
 
 12 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 with blue enamel, contained in a gold case studded 
 with turquoises and small diamonds. Two other 
 watches, plain gold, contained in black chagreen 
 cases studded with small gold nails." 
 
 Among her ornaments, the new Madame could 
 show one object which was only fair to look upon, 
 not useful ; this was a little gold Cupid, studded all 
 over with small rubies, diamonds, and pearls. Mon- 
 sieur settled on her the Chateau of Montargis as her 
 dower-house in case of his death ; she afterwards 
 constantly refers to Montargis with the dread of being 
 exiled there both before and after Monsieur's death. 
 This old chateau had been sold to liouis XIV. by 
 the Due de Guise, who had allowed it to fall into a 
 half -ruined condition ; and when it was settled on 
 Madame her father never took the trouble to find 
 out in what state the castle was, in which was to 
 be his daughter's probable home in case of her 
 becoming a widow. But the Elector's conduct 
 with regard to the marriage- contract was far more 
 culpable, for it left Madame penniless in case her 
 husband happened to die before the birth of her 
 child, or if she became a childless widow. Among 
 the curious stipulations in the contract was one 
 that Monsieur reserved the right of wearing all his 
 late wife's jewels and ornaments. 
 
 Again, that anything Charlotte Elizabeth brought 
 with her from Heidelburg would become half 
 her husband's property. And that in case of her 
 death he should appropriate all her jewels, gems, 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 
 
 13 
 
 robes and chattels to console him for the loss of 
 his dear wife. 
 
 This strange document * was signed at Stras- 
 bourg, the representatives of Philippe d' Orleans 
 refusing to proceed with the marriage till the 
 Elector and his daughter had agreed to all its 
 clauses. But Madame in after years often and 
 justly complained in her letters of the way in 
 which her father had allowed the marriage-con- 
 tract to be drawn up without any reference to her 
 interest. 
 
 A portrait taken of Madame just after her mar- 
 i^iage shows us a short, stout madcJien^ with a sen- 
 sible, good-humoured face, innocent of the powder 
 ? • and cosmetics which were then tlie fashion at Louis 
 
 XlV.'s court, having been brought there by Anne 
 of Austria, who had preserved her title of a fair 
 beauty till the end. 
 
 And Monsieur? Saint Simon, one of the shrewd- 
 est and most impartial chroniclers of the time, says 
 of Louis XIV.'s brother, Pliilippe d'Orleans: *' Mon- 
 sieur was greatly attached to this mortal life, owing 
 to his always iiaving led an agreeable, lazy exist- 
 ence. He w^as incapable of serious work or study 
 of any sort. He was always dressed up in many- 
 coloured garments, covered with jewels of all sorts, 
 
 '^ Now preserved at tlie Frencli National xVrchives, where we 
 were allowed to consult all the papers relative to the Princess 
 Palatine, by the courtesy of the Director, to whom all our thanks 
 are due. 
 
 b^i-iBi^riAi«tfH 
 
 I <i»"ri'1mT'1 ---— 
 
 ^^MOMiMli 
 
H 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 \ 
 
 ring's, Ijracclets, ))recious stones and ribbons ; using 
 many kinds of perfume and cosmetic. He was even 
 said to rouge himself ! " 
 
 Madame also mentions in more than one of her 
 letters her husband's love for rouge, and he always 
 applied it to her cheeks himself whenever she would 
 suffer it. 
 
 Although speaking French very imperfectly, 
 knowing little or nothing of the family into which 
 she had married, Madame immediately became 
 Somebody, who must be considered, watched, con- 
 sulted, and feared, both as being the first lady in 
 the kingdom after the queen, and because of her 
 own marked individuality. 
 
 She succeeded to the title, honours, and perils 
 which had been borne by Henrietta of England, a 
 graceful and melancholy figure who flitted through 
 Louis XIV. 's brilliant Court, leaving the awful sus- 
 picion on her husband of having connived at her 
 sudden death. And we are made to feel by the Court 
 chronicles that all stood looking on with a certain 
 interest and cold curiosity at the drama in which 
 they believed the second Madame must also neces- 
 sarily play the part of victim. 
 
 But soon it became clear to the onlookers that 
 this Madame was made of sterner stuft'than Charles 
 I.'s unhappy daughter, and had her own ideas on 
 every possible subject. Louis XIV., ''Our Great 
 Man," as she constantly designates him in her 
 letters, was the only person powerful enough to 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 15 
 
 cope with her determined and sturdy character. 
 Her almost brutal sincerity produced a great im- 
 pression on a pleasure-loving Court, where the pro- 
 verb " Toiite verite n' est pas bonne a dire'^ was 
 foUow^ed in its widest signification. Madame took 
 exactly the opposite view, and thought that as long 
 as one was quite sure of the truth of a thing one 
 might of course say it and write it to anybody, 
 far and near. 
 
 Saint Simon and M. Walckenaer* both give an 
 interesting and clear account of Madame. Saint 
 Simon says : " Madame would have made a perfect 
 gentleman. She was strong, courageous, frank, fair 
 in her dealings and benevolent to all .... ; yet 
 extremely susceptible as to the honours which she 
 considered due to her rank. She was reserved, 
 always shut up in her own apartment writing, 
 taking strong aversions to those round her, yet not 
 wanting in wit, and capable of a true and faithful 
 
 friendship." 
 
 M. Walckenaer's description is, we should imagine, 
 less just. '' The Duchess d'Orleans was distin- 
 guished by a startling originality which no one 
 felt inclined to imitate. She lived apart from every- 
 body. . . . Though frightfully ugly she made no 
 attempt to conciliate those round her, but disgusted 
 them by her sullen pride .... Though heartily de- 
 spising her husl)and she treated him with courtesy. 
 
 * Mcmoires aiir Mnie. de Sevigne, 
 
 ■■■■■■■■-"'- ■'■»ltlJ!»- ^J^^-M. ■ . 
 
i6 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Louis XIV. esteemed highly her virtue, loyalty, 
 and rough sincerity. He also sympathised with her 
 love of outdoor life, dogs, horses, and the chase. 
 The King never approved of her lonely and re- 
 served way of life. Wlien not occupied in hunting 
 or going to the play she wrote long letters to her 
 noble German relatives." 
 
 When Madame arrived in France Louis XIV. had 
 just decided on making the chateau of Versailles 
 one of his official residences, and a great part of 
 Monsieur's life was necessarily spent with his 
 brother, although Saint Cloud was supposed to be 
 his own peculiar property. Madame's whole life 
 was tlierefore passed in the small though beautiful 
 belt of country near Paris in which Versailles, Saint 
 Cloud, Marly, and St. Germains are situated. We 
 hear of her living sometimes at Fontainebleau, and 
 often in Paris, but most of her letters are dated 
 from Versailles. 
 
 Like her mother, Charlotte of Hesse Cassel, Ma- 
 dame became passionately fond of hunting. Her 
 father had never allowed her to learn riding, and 
 she tells us that she must have had at least twenty 
 tumbles before she learnt to stick on properly. As 
 Louis XIV. hunted several times a w^eek Madame 
 was able often to enjoy her favourite diversion in 
 the beautiful woods of Marly, St. Germains (Avhere 
 lived James II. and ]\Iary of Modena), and the 
 forest of Le Vesinet. 
 
 In the following passage of a letter addressed to 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 17 
 
 the Electress Sophia, Madame gives a touching 
 account of her grief when leaving her father at 
 Strasbourg : 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Saint Germain, Feb. 3rd, 1672. 
 
 ^' Madame de Wurtemburg spoke the truth when 
 she described my grief to DorndorfF. I cried all 
 night from Strasbourg to Chalons. I showed myself 
 far more indifferent than I really was in feeling. 
 I cannot forgive myself for the manner with which 
 I parted from my relatives in Strasbourg. 
 
 ^^ I will tell you one thing about Monsieur : he is 
 the best man in the world, and we get on very well 
 together. None of his portraits resembled him in 
 the least." 
 
 By this we see that the second Madame instinct- 
 ively upheld her husband, and through all her letters 
 during his lifetime she constantly mentions him with 
 praise and a certain affection, as contrasted to his 
 evil councillors and those about the Court. 
 
 Madame, through her marriage to Monsieur, be- 
 came step-mother to Henrietta of England's daugh- 
 ters, whom she entirely adopted as her own children, 
 taking great pains with their education, and caring 
 after their health. But early in the year 1673 
 Madame's eldest child was born, and the title of 
 Duke de Valois given him by Louis XIV., to her 
 great satisfaction, for Madame held to etiquette and 
 the honour she considered due to her rank with all 
 the strength of her German nature. 
 
i8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To Madame von Harling. 
 
 "July 6th, 1G73. 
 '*I often think of the joy you must have felt on 
 being told of my safe deliverance of a boy. As I 
 have always been like your own child it is as 
 though you had heard of the birth of a grandson. 
 I feel sure that he has your heartiest good wishes. 
 As soon as he has had his j^ortrait taken I will send 
 it to you ; but I hope that you will see him some 
 day and find him all that you could wish. Thank 
 God he is a fine and healthy child, and has been so 
 since the day of his birth. His size and beauty 
 give me great pleasure " 
 
 This child of whom Madame wrote so proudly 
 to lier old governess was not destined to survive his 
 third year, but died a few months after the birtli of 
 the Due de Chartres, her second son. 
 
 To Madame von Harling. 
 
 '« April 20th, 1676. 
 
 " The terrible blow with which the Almighty has 
 seen fit to overwhelm me so troubled me that I was 
 not able to answer your letter before. You see 
 now how right I was in wishing that my children 
 could be under your care ; I always foresaw what 
 would happen to me. They manage children in 
 the strangest way in this country Unfor- 
 tunately 1 know nothing about them, never having 
 had any experience, so I am obliged to do what 
 they tell me. The more I think of this the more 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 19 
 
 wretched I become. I am now quite alone in my 
 grief, for Monsieur started last Thursday with the 
 King to join the army. I fear that all this will in- 
 jure the child I am awaiting. ... I do not think 
 that grief can kill — were it so I should certainly 
 have died before now. I cannot describe to you the 
 terrible sufferings I have endured " 
 
 The death of the infant Due de Valois made a 
 permanent impression on Madame's mind as re- 
 garded the doctors to whom the royal children 
 were confided. 
 
 '' May 30th, 1676. 
 
 '' I wish that I could send you the Due de 
 Chartres in a letter. I should then feel sure of 
 his life. I fear greatly for him, and would wish 
 him to be three or four years older than he is, and 
 past the dangers of early infancy. They, the 
 doctors, have no idea of the care that children 
 require ; they will never listen to anything, and 
 have already dispatched a heap of children into the 
 next world " 
 
 Shortly after, the Duchess de Chartres, Madam e's 
 only daughter and youngest child, was born, and 
 in a letter written ten days after to Madame von 
 Harling, Madame says : '' Thank God, the Due de 
 Chartres is in good health, as is also his little sister, 
 who is as fat as a stuff'ed goose, and very big for 
 her age. Last Monday they were both christened ; 
 they have been given my name and that of Mon- 
 
 c2 
 
20 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 sieur : thus the rogue is Philippe, and tlie little girl 
 Charlotte Elizabeth." 
 
 Wo hear that Madame sent for a nurse from 
 
 Heidelburg for the two children, and stoutly in- 
 
 sisted that they should be brought up and physicked 
 
 German fashion. Keeping herself, during these 
 
 early years of married life, away from the Court 
 
 and Court intrigues, Madame led a comparatively 
 
 happy existence, and her letters during this period 
 
 are not specially interesting. In 1679 her eldest 
 
 step-daughter, Marie Louise d'Orldans, married 
 
 Charles II. of Spain, and was thus added to the 
 
 already considerable list of people with whom 
 
 Madame considered it her duty to correspond every 
 week. '^ 
 
 In some of Madame's letters to the Kaugravine 
 Louise some side-light is thrown on the existence 
 and deatli of Henrietta of England's unhappy 
 daughter. It is well known that Marie Louise had 
 wished to marry the Dauphin. When she was com- 
 plaining to the King of having to leave France he 
 IS said to have observed, ^^ What could I do more 
 for my own daughter than make her Queen of 
 Spain?" Whereupon Madame's step-daughter 
 answered, -But you could do more for your niece " 
 
 Till the last moment she hoped that the marriac^e 
 would be broken off. Mme. de Sevigne mentions 
 m more tlian one letter the Princess's great grief at 
 having to leave France. After leading a most un- 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 21 
 
 happy existence she died in 1689, many thought 
 poisoned by the Comtesse de Soissons, in order that 
 the King of Spain might marry a German Princess. 
 In the autumn the Court generally migrated to 
 Fontainebleau for a few weeks. From there Ma- 
 dame writes in September, 1677. to the Marquise 
 de Sable, a lady much esteemed by her ; and such 
 were the precautions considered necessary against 
 letters being opened by the messenger that took 
 them that Madame fastened the letter with a black 
 seal across a piece of blue wool. The following 
 proves Madame to have been an accomplished and 
 dignified scribe when writing a ceremonious letter: 
 
 " On leaving the chapel this morning I was given 
 your letter, and to prove to you, madame, how greatly 
 I lay store by a faithful and kindly friend, I am 
 going to give up my walk this fine nriorning in order 
 to answer your letter. The thanks with which you 
 overwhelm me for the poor portrait I sent you, 
 and also all the fine things you are pleased to say 
 to me, causes me to remind you that it makes 
 one feel ashamed to be praised for virtues that 
 one does not really possess however greatly one 
 may long for them. Therefore I beg of you 
 when you gaze at my portrait to remember only 
 this — that the woman before you is your very 
 good friend, and sends you her portrait because 
 she truly loves you. 
 
 ^' Charlotte Elizabeth." 
 
 I 
 
22 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 On the 28th of August, 1680,* the worthy 
 Elector Karl Ludwig departed this life, and 
 was much mourned by the good people of 
 Heidelburg and Manheim to whom he had been 
 a better father than to his own children. He 
 was succeeded by Madame's only brother, who 
 married, 1681, a Danish princess, and died with- 
 out posterity in 1685. A Prince of the House of 
 Neubourg succeeded him, to Madame's great indig- 
 nation ; she had hoped that the claims of one of 
 her half-brothers (Louise von Degenfeld's eldest 
 son) would be recognised. 
 
 Madame begins writing about what went on at 
 Court in the year 1688, just after the death of the 
 Queen Marie Therese; for the event necessarily 
 raised the wife of Monsieur to the position of first 
 lady in the kingdom, and obliged her to mix in 
 Court circles and intrigues. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, Aug. 1st, 1683. 
 
 " I am convinced that you were much surprised 
 on receiving the sad news of Her Majesty the 
 Queen's f sudden death. I own that this event 
 has grieved me much, for the good Queen was 
 always my faithful friend through all my troubles, 
 so you may imagine the pain it has been to me to 
 see her give up the ghost, after only four days' 
 illness. Last Monday night she became feverish, 
 
 • Eight years after his daughter's marriage. 
 
 I Marie Therese, a Spanish princess, married to Louis XIV. 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 23 
 
 and at three o'clock on Friday afternoon she died. 
 Her death is entirely due to the ignorance of the 
 doctors, who killed her as surely as though a sword 
 had been run through her heart. . . 
 
 ?? 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Aug. 29th, 1683. 
 
 ^^ As for our King I cannot say whether or not he 
 will marry again, but to tell the truth I believe 
 that he will do so. I am not, unfortunately, as 
 much in favour as you have been informed ; if it 
 were so, I should have immediately have put for- 
 ward my god-daughter * and tried to arrange for 
 
 her according to her own wishes But I 
 
 frankly own that my lord and master is more in 
 favour than myself; this is rendered evident by the 
 daily good offices of the King to the Chevalier de 
 Lorraine, for whom (as I have already informed 
 you) Monsieur uses all his influence and credit 
 
 jj 
 
 '* FoNTAiNEBLEAU, Sept. 25th, 1683. 
 
 '^ During the last fifteen days we hear nothing 
 but anecdotes and mots about the death of M. 
 Colbert. I will tell you those that I can call to 
 mind. No doubt you have seen a book, printed 
 this year, entitled Dialogues of the Dead, The 
 departed, modern and ancient, are made to dis- 
 course together. This has given rise to the follow- 
 ing story : The Queen on her way to Heaven was 
 
 * Sophia Charlotte, daughter of the Electress Sophia, and 
 afterwards Queen of Prussia. 
 
II 
 
 M 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 stopped by the Devil, who wished to hear what was 
 going on in France. She replied, ' Alas ! I know 
 no news of that kingdom, and never was told any.' 
 Just then up rushes another devil, who cries eagerly, 
 * Let the Queen pursue her way, I bring somebody 
 who can inform us of everything ; ' so saying he 
 produces M. Colbert. I tried to learn what he said, 
 but nobody has been able to tell me. 
 
 *' The populace were so incensed with him that 
 they wished to tear his dead body to pieces, and 
 guards had to be placed all the way from his house 
 to the church where they buried him ; but they 
 have not been able to prevent a hundred skits and 
 satires being written on the walls of the chapel 
 where he reposes " 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 25 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 1686 TO 1692. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 26tli. 1686. 
 
 " There is an old German proverb which says 
 that when the Devil cannot himself go to a place he 
 sends an old woman ; the truth of this is patent 
 to all we members of the royal family, but I will 
 say no more " 
 
 In this letter Madame first alludes to Mme. de 
 Maintenon, who quickly developed into her pet 
 aversion. Till Louis XIV.'s death they cordially 
 hated one another, and tried in everyway to injure 
 one another's credit near the King. Strangely 
 enough neither succeeded; Louis XIV. married 
 Mme. de Maintenon, yet never omitted to show his 
 brother's wife the respect and affection which he 
 considered her due both before and after Mon- 
 sieur's death. 
 
 Madame was perhaps the most aggressive in their 
 quarrels, for she particularly detested the Due du 
 Maine, Louis XIV. and Mme. de Montespan's son, 
 whom Mme. de Maintenon regarded as her own 
 
26 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 
 
 9»» 
 
 child, and persuaded the King to legitimise in a 
 formal manner. This, as Madame well knew, 
 might have led to great complications should tlic 
 Dauphin die and the King be obliged to declare the 
 Due de Chartres his heir. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 *' My son likes copying the mannei's of grown-up 
 people, thus the ceremony of the Insignia quite 
 suited his taste ... 
 
 *' As for ceremonies, my son is exceedingly unlike 
 me, yet he pretends to like them less than Mon- 
 sieur, for when asked lately whether he cared for 
 ceremonies and fine clothes he answered, ' I do not 
 hate them as does Madame, but then neither do I 
 share Monsieur's love for them.' " 
 
 " Versailles, Aug. lltli, 1686. 
 
 " That old wretch, the Maintenon, takes pleasure 
 in making the King detest all the members of the 
 royal family with the exception of Monsieur, whom 
 she praises to him ; she manages so that the latter 
 lives on good terms with his brother, and gives him 
 all that he asks for. But the moment that Monsieur's 
 back is turned the old woman fears that she may 
 be thought to esteem him, so when he is mentioned 
 she speaks ill of him, saying that he is the most 
 debauched and false man in the world 
 
 " All the Ministers have placed themselves under 
 the heel of this woman,* and try with the lowest 
 
 * Mmc. de Maintenon. 
 
 arts to gain her favour. All reasonable and honest 
 persons are dissatisfied, but can change nothing in 
 the existing state of things. Young men are fright- 
 fully vicious and do not deprive themselves of the 
 pleasures of lying and cheating ; they think that 
 to be a man of honour is a ridiculous thing " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Oct. lOtli, 1686. 
 
 '^ The Queen of Spain possesses all her husband's 
 affection, and would not certainly lead an unhappy 
 existence but for the hatred entertained for her by 
 the Count of Mansfeld, the Emperor's Ambassador; 
 he tries to draw down misfortunes on her in every 
 possible manner " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sept. 2nd, 1687. 
 
 " It seems to me quite curious to think of the 
 Prince,* and our Margrave,f being in that land of 
 Greece famed in all the comedies and novels. I 
 do not know whether a poetic spirit will descend 
 upon them now that they are so close to Parnassus 
 and the Helicon. I am pleased that they should 
 attain to all tliis honour and glor}^ without risking 
 their lives. You are quite right in saying that one 
 escapes death more easily out there than here^ be- 
 tween the doctor's hands. His Majesty has had 
 four attacks of fever, but quinine entirely cured 
 him. Just now tlie Dauphin's two eldest, the Due 
 de Bourgoyne and the Due d'Anjou, are very ill 
 
 * Maximilian, the son of the Electress. 
 t Charles Louis, Madame's half-brother. 
 
28 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 with fever ; this morning the poor little things were 
 bled— I cannot think it a good tiling for such little 
 cliildren ; the eldest is only five years old. 
 
 **I do not think that Charles Louis would find it 
 advantageous to wed a rich French widow and 
 change his religion. No one here cares to see 
 foreigners become Catholic as long as the conver- 
 sion of the King's subjects is assured. As for 
 taking service in France, I must tell you that the 
 King declared to me that he would not give promo- 
 tion to any more strangers. Therefore I do not 
 think that Charles Louis can make his way here." 
 
 *' Versailles, Jan. 26th, J688. 
 
 ^* It is quite true that diamond crosses are worn, 
 but not from a feeling of devotion. At Court no 
 one is wearing cross-overs, but coiffures are be- 
 coming higher every day. The King told us at 
 dinner to-day that a hairdresser, named Allast, 
 dresses the English ladies' hair so high that they 
 can no longer sit upright in their sedan chairs, and 
 so all the ladies now in England are having tlie 
 top of their chairs altered so as to follow the 
 fashion " 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, April 14tli, 1G88. 
 
 " I have been informed secretly that the true 
 reason why the King treats the Marquis d'Effiat and 
 the Chevalier de Lorraine so well is that they have^ 
 promised him to bring round Monsieur to the idea 
 of soliciting him to allow my children's marrying 
 those of the Montespan. My daughter would thus 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 29 
 
 have the crippled Due du Maine, and my son 
 Mdlle. de Blois. In this matter the Maintenon is 
 quite against me, and for the Montespan, for she 
 brought up these wretches, and loves the cripple 
 
 as much as if she was his own mother Now 
 
 you may imagine what I feel when I think of my 
 daughter being so badly settled in life whilst her 
 sisters * have been so well married. Even were 
 the Due du Maine t a legitimate Prince of the 
 blood I still would not have him for my son-in- 
 law nor his sister for my daughter-in-law, for she 
 is frightfully ugly and full of other defects. He is 
 
 as stingy as the devil, and very spiteful 
 
 The worst of it is that I dare not speak frankly to 
 Monsieur, for he has the habit when I tell him any- 
 thing of going straight to the King and exaggerating 
 greatly whatever I said. He has thus got me into 
 trouble at least a hundred times. I hear that d'Effiat 
 will be given a dukedom, and that the Chevalier 
 
 will have a large sum of money I myself 
 
 may be exiled — Monsieur speaks of it to me quite 
 seriously. I have never been able to find out 
 whether or not the King is really married to the 
 Maintenon. Many declare that she is his wife, 
 married to him by the Archbishop of Paris in the 
 presence of the King's confessor and the Main- 
 tenon's brother ; others say that it is impossible, 
 so it is difficult to know the truth. But it is 
 
 ♦ The daughters of Henrietta of England. 
 
 t The son of Jjouis XIV. and jVInie. de Montespan. 
 
30 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ■ 
 
 certain that the King never cared for any of his 
 former mistresses with the same intensity that ho 
 does for this woman " 
 
 There is now no doubt that Louis XIV. was 
 married to Mme. de Maintenon by Monseigneur 
 Harlai, Archbishop of Paris, in 16S5, in the 
 presence of Pere la Chaise and the Marquis de 
 Montchevruil, not the brotlier, but an old friend 
 of both Scarron and his widow. 
 
 Mme. de Maintenon was extremely anxious 
 that she should be acknowledged Queen Consort 
 before the King's death, but this he always re- 
 fused to do, acting, it is said, by F(5n^ Ion's advice, 
 but Madame de 31amtenaiit, as her old friend 
 Ninon de I'Enclos nicknamed her, had unbounded 
 influence. The Pope frequently wrote to her, and 
 she had spies and correspondents in every Euro- 
 pean Court, and knew all that was going on far 
 better than the King's Ministers. Madame and 
 she had rival ^ inquiry offices,' so between the two 
 the French Court was kept well supplied with 
 news. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 '< Saint Cloud, Aug. 2nd, 1G88. 
 
 " The grande Mademoiselle has gone to Eu, 
 where she is to spend two months. I do not know 
 what the King can have said to her, but she looks 
 far from pleased. When I bade her good-bye last 
 Saturday she wished to tell me, but I pretended 
 not to understand what she was alluding to. One 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 31 
 
 cannot trust this worthy Mademoiselle in the least. 
 To-day she tries to pleasure you ; to-morrow she 
 seeks to do you an injury. She repeats everything 
 said to her with amplifications ; for these reasons I 
 thought it most prudent to remain silent." 
 
 '' Saixt Cloud, Sept. 26th, 1688. 
 '^ In the meanwhile our Dauphin has become a 
 warrior. As I have already told you he started 
 yesterday to besiege and take possession of Phillips- 
 bourg. He told me that after accomplishing that 
 he would take Manheim and Frankanthal, and 
 generally speaking defend my interests, but I 
 answered, ' If you take my advice you will remain 
 at home, for I own to you that I feel grieved, not 
 pleased, at the thought that my name will be used 
 to ruin my poor country.' * On this we parted." 
 
 To Madame's great anger France set up a claim 
 to the Palatinate on her behalf, Louvois persuad- 
 ing the King and the royal family that with a 
 few vigorous measures the Palatinate would be 
 abandoned by the Neubourgs and annexed to France 
 as part of Madame's dowry. This led to the 
 devastation of the states, to which Madame so often 
 and so bitterly alludes during the next ten years. 
 Obliged by Louis XIV's policy to represent 
 herself as desirous to recover her rights over her 
 father's and brother's succession, in many docu- 
 ments which she was never even shown, Madame 
 
 * The I^alatinate. 
 
32 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 protested in all her private letters against France's 
 action in the matter, and made every one at court 
 thoroughly aware of her grief and disapproval of 
 what the King was doing on her behalf. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, NoV. 19tll, 1688. 
 
 ** I deferred writing to you till I received your 
 honoured letter of the 18th-28th October, then I 
 understood how you shared my grief for our loss. 
 Although I weep less than at first, I feel a great 
 interior sadness and melancholy. I see that it will 
 be a long time before I shall console myself for the 
 loss of that good Charles Louis.* My troubles are 
 increased by hearing all those round me discuss 
 incessantly the preparations that are being made 
 to burn and bombard the good town of Manheim, 
 which my father, the late Elector, built with so 
 much care. It makes my heart bleed, yet they are 
 
 angry at my grief Although Monsieur 
 
 asked the King to allow homage to be rendered 
 him, his petition was refused. Now the King is sole 
 master in the Palatinate. But I am far from think- 
 ing that he will give anything to the Margrave's 
 children, for the virtue of charity is rarely practised 
 
 here. 
 
 ** During the ten days that I lay ill in Paris, the 
 King never sent for news of me. I wrote to him ; 
 he has not yet answered. When I returned here, I 
 
 ♦ Madame's half-brother, killed at the siege of Negrepont. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 33 
 
 tried to find out the meaning of all this, and I have 
 been secretly informed that the King is angry 
 because of a conversation that I had with the Due 
 de Montausier. I will tell you what passed. 
 
 ^^M. de Montausier camo towards me in the 
 Dauphin's chamber, saying, ^ Madame, the Dau- 
 phin is your sworn servant, he is going to conquer 
 your rights and your land.' I answered nothing, so 
 he continued, ' I think that you receive what I 
 say coldly, madame.' ' Monsieur,' answered I, ' it 
 is true that I receive your news coldly, for you 
 speak of things of which I wish above all not to 
 hear; I see no profit accruing to myself by my 
 name serving to ruin my country, and far from 
 feeling overjoyed I am very sorry; I know not 
 the art of deceit, but I can hold my tongue, so if 
 you do not wish to learn my thoughts I must be 
 asked no questions.' 
 
 ^^I hear that the old Duke took this by the wrong 
 end, and told many, who reported it to the King ; 
 but I cannot help it. Why do they act in so strange 
 a fashion towards me r If Monsieur, his own brother, 
 will not open his eyes to the manner in which we 
 are being deprived of our rights, I cannot help 
 allowing my friends to hear the truth, and not be 
 imposed upon." 
 
 " Versailles, March 20th, 1G89. 
 
 ''Should they kill me for it, I cannot help bitterly 
 regretting and deploring my share in my country's 
 
 ruin I am seized witli sucli a horror when 
 
 p 
 
I 
 
 34 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I think of all that has been destroyed, that every 
 night I tliink myself at Heidelburg or Manheim, 
 in the middle of the desolation. I wake up with a 
 start and do not go to sleep again for two hours. I 
 think of it all as I once knew it, and as it is now ; 
 also of the change in my own life, and then I can- 
 not prevent myself weeping. What is also painful 
 is that the King actually waited before reducing 
 them to wliere thev are now, for my intreaties in 
 
 favour of Heidelburg and Manheim I felt 
 
 sure that you would be much grieved at the death 
 of our good Queen of Spain ;* so to speak, I cannot 
 yet digest it. Although following the example of 
 all her Majesty's near and liigli relatives, I have 
 resumed going to all the Court festivities, I come 
 back from them as sad as I went " 
 
 ** Saint Cloud, May 20th, 1G89. 
 
 *^ I see that Monsieur is thinking of appointhig 
 the Marquis d'Effiat governor to my son. He is 
 my worst enemy, and will set my son against mo 
 as he has already done my husband 
 
 ^'Our Raugravest are very unfortunate in thus 
 losing all their rights. If I had any money I would 
 send them some with all my heart, but you cannot 
 think how poor I am myself. I have only a hundred 
 pistoles a month, and I can never give less than 
 a pistole for anything ; at the end of eight days all 
 
 * ^Iadame*s step-daugliter, Marie Louise d'Orleans. 
 I Madame's half-brothers. 
 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 35 
 
 is spent— everything has passed in fruit, flowers, and 
 stamps. When the King gives me anything I have 
 to pay up old debts, and he only gives presents 
 for the new year. Monsieur has never given me a 
 groat. If I wish to buy the least little thing I have 
 to borrow; this renders it impossible for me to give 
 gifts. Even if I sent for Charles Maurice * and 
 made an abbe of him he would never obtain any 
 benefices. They are rare just now. Quite lately 
 the Prince de Talmont, son of the Princesse de 
 Tarente, had to resign orders and become a soldier 
 because they allowed him to starve." 
 
 " Saint Clouu, June 5th, IGSD. 
 
 '^ Our Dauphiness becomes feebler every day. 
 At first the doctors, to please certain old women 
 whom I refrain from nan\ing, for you will guess 
 to whom I refer, declared that the Dauphine was 
 hypochondriacal, and that her illness only existed 
 in her own imagination ; they have allow^ed the 
 disease to increase to such a degree that I fear 
 nothing will save her. Now that she has to lie 
 abed they are obliged to own that she is really 
 ill, but they are extremely ignorant. . . 
 
 >j 
 
 " Versailles, June 30th, 1689. 
 
 ^^ M. de Behenac is not wrong in thinking that 
 the good Queen of Spain was poisoned. The fact 
 was plain when they opened her ; immediately 
 after death she became purple, which is, they sav, 
 
 * One of Madame's half-brothers. 
 
 d2 
 

 36 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 a r^rtat proof of poison. What again makes some 
 believe tliat she was poisoned by oysters, is, that 
 one of her maids, wishing also to swallow one, was 
 hurriedly prevented from doing so by some grandee, 
 who snatched it from her, saying that she would 
 fall ill if she partook of it. 
 
 '' I hear that one of the Princesses Palatine * 
 is going to be the new Queen of Spain. They have 
 made a fine story of it here, saying that she is 
 in love with Prince Louis of Baden, and that it 
 is for this reason that she is reluctant to become 
 Queen of Spain." 
 
 " Versailles, July 21st, 1G89. 
 
 ^^Last year the Dauphiness called me into her 
 boudoir, and informed me with tears in her eyes 
 that everyone was talking of the love my cousin, 
 de la Tremouille, entertained for her, and that all 
 blamed her much for allowing it. She begged 
 me to tell my cousin to abstain from coming so 
 frequently into her presence, and to leave off cer- 
 tain of his ways I told her that it would 
 
 be better if she would despise that sort of talk, 
 but she still asked me to do as she wished. I 
 did so, and also scolded him well, but he answered 
 that he was unhappy, not guilty, and that as soon 
 as he had finished his service he would ask leave 
 to absent himself to go to his mother t in Ger- 
 
 * Olio ot:' the I'riiicesses beloiiijing to the Neuburg branch. 
 I The Princpsse de Tarente, nee Princess of Hesse. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 37 
 
 many ; or, if the Dauphiness judged it necessary, 
 he would sell his commission and live on his pro- 
 perty. I told her all this ; she replied that all she 
 asked was that he should only come into her 
 apartments with the King, have less free manners, 
 and be careful as to his expression when looking 
 at her. I heard nothing more for some time, but 
 a fortnight since he came to me sajang that the 
 Duchesse d'Arpajon, lady-in-waiting to the Dau- 
 phiness, had caused him to be fetched, and had 
 ordered him from her mistress never to approach 
 
 her again You cannot imagine how 
 
 much the Dauphiness has been blamed in this 
 matter." 
 
 « Saint Cloud, Oct. 30th, 1G89. 
 *' I was told yesterday a thing that touched me 
 so deeply that I could not help shedding tears. 
 The poor inhabitants of Manheim have retired 
 into their cellars, living there entirely, even hold- 
 ing their market there daily as though the town 
 was still in its old state. When a Frenchman 
 visits Heidelburg the poor people rusli at him and 
 ask for news of me, speaking eagerly of my father 
 and brother " 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. 8th, 1C90. 
 
 *^ The poor Dauphiness is again very ill. Slie is 
 now under the care of a Capuchin monk, who goes 
 by the name of Frere Ange. It is said tliat he 
 cured the Duke of Bavaria and his wife of very 
 
38 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ' 
 
 (lano-erous diseases. Would to God that lie succeeds 
 equally well in this case, but up to the present 
 time there is no sign of it. They are killing her 
 with ^vorry. Everything was once done to reduce 
 me to a like state ; but I am a harder nut to crack 
 than the Dauphiness, and before they have come to 
 tlie end of me the old women will break some of 
 their teeth." 
 
 " Versailles, June 12th, 1690. 
 
 '' It was quite impossible for me to reply to your 
 second letter at Saint Cloud. I wept so bitterly at 
 the funeral* of the poor Dauphiness that for two 
 days I could see to do nothing. Not only was I 
 grieved at the loss of the Dauphiness, whom I was 
 very fond of, but the sight of our arms f every- 
 where — on the coffin, on the hangings of the church, 
 etc. — recalled to me so vividly the death of His 
 Highness, my father, that of my mother, and of my 
 brother, that I feared I should burst with emotion. 
 
 *^ The Wednesday after this terrible ceremony 
 we went to Marly, and stayed there till Saturday. 
 My grief ought to have been lightened, for every- 
 thing went on as usual — the apartments full of 
 gamblers, hunting every afternoon, and music in 
 the evening ; yet all this only increased my 
 melancholy." 
 
 ♦ Tliis ceremony lasted six hours. 
 
 f The Palatinate and Bavarian royal families both possessed the 
 same arms. The Dauphiness was a Bavnrian Princess. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 
 
 39 
 
 " Versailles, July 30th, 1G90. 
 
 '' When the King of England * had got into his 
 coach to go back to Saint Germains, he found, when 
 only a few yards from the gates of the chateau, 
 one of his servants, who announced to him that it 
 was reported all through Ireland that Marshal 
 Schomberg had been badly wounded, and the young 
 Prince of Orange had died from the effect of his 
 wounds. We have since learnt that what was said 
 about the poor Marshal was quite true, but that the 
 Prince was only slightly wounded. You can form 
 no idea of the joy provoked by the news of his 
 death ; guards had to be sent to calm the tumult, 
 but they found themselves powerless ; it lasted about 
 forty-eight hours, during which the populace did 
 nothing but eat and drink. The Cordeliers f did 
 light a great bonfire in front of their convent, and 
 danced singing round it. It is strange that the 
 King with all his power could not hinder this. . . . 
 '^The King of England is not quick in repartee— 
 sometimes he would be wiser if he kept silence. 
 All the same, I must tell you of a conversation 
 
 that he held with my gentleman-in-waiting 
 
 '' ' Sire,' said M. de la Rougere, 'what became 
 of the French who were with your Majesty?' 
 ' I know nothing of them,' replied the King. 
 'How so?' said La Rougere, 'Your Majesty 
 knows nothing of them ? were they not with you?' 
 'Pardon me,' answered the King, 'but I am going 
 
 * James II. t ^ monastic order. . 
 
4^ 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to tell you all. The Prince of Orange arrived 
 with 40,000 men, I had only half that number ; he 
 had forty cannons, I only sixteen ; I saw that he was 
 placing his left wing towards Dublin, and that he 
 was going to cut off my road, and hem me in ; so 
 I came away, and returned here.' ' But,' said 
 La Rougere, ' I have heard tell of a certain bridge 
 that your Majesty abandoned to the enemy. I 
 suppose that you had no need of it.' * Oh ! as 
 for that bridge,' replied the King, ' I had de- 
 fended it very well, but the enemy sent troops and 
 a cannon, and this same cannon forced my troops to 
 retire, so the Prince of Orange passed over it.' " 
 
 From this and much that follows it is easy to 
 gather that Madame bore no great liking to James 
 II., who had taken refuge in France the year be- 
 fore * with his Queen, Mary of Modena. 
 
 Madame de Sevigne speaks of the splendid recep- 
 tion given the royal couple by Louis XIV. and his 
 Court, who appear to have been much struck with 
 the beauty and grace of the young Prince of Wales, 
 
 The King gave James II. the palace of Saint 
 Germains, Anne of Austria's favourite chateau, as a 
 residence, and began by sending him a present of 
 
 ten thousand gold louis — about eight thousand 
 pounds. 
 
 Mme. de Maintenon became very fond of Mary 
 of Modena, and took the exiled Court under her 
 
 * In 1689. 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHH^IPPE D^ORLEANS 41 
 
 special protection. This was enough to incense 
 Madame against them, but as time went on her 
 feelings greatly altered, and she finished by having 
 a hearty affection for le hon roy and his sensible, 
 courageous wife. 
 
 Encouraged by Louis XIV., James II. made a 
 futile attempt to recover his lost throne, but Fate 
 proved unkind, and James left Ireland a sadder 
 and a wiser man, to live and die in the home 
 offered to him by the King of France. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 (< 
 
 Saint Cloud, Aug. 20th, 1690. 
 
 '^ Herewith I send you all the ditties that are 
 being sung ; they are not exactly complimentary 
 to our worthy King of England, and you will see 
 on reading them that although the King is beloved 
 and the Prince of Orange hated, yet the people 
 here hold the latter in most respect. Last Thurs- 
 day we received a visit from the poor King and 
 Queen ; she was serious, he very gay. I over- 
 heard a dialogue which greatly diverted me. Mon- 
 sieur, as usual, was talking of his jewels and fur- 
 niture, and ended by saying to the King : ^ And 
 your Majesty who has so much money, have you 
 built some fine palace ? ' ' Money 1 ' observed the 
 Queen, ^ he never had any. I never saw him with 
 a halfpenny.' The King answered, ^ I once had 
 some, but I did not purchase gems and furniture, 
 neither did I build palaces, all mine went in 
 
'' 
 
 42 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 making fine ships, cannons and muskets.' ' Yes,' 
 said the Queen, ' and much good it did you. 
 Everything has gone ill with us.' Thus ended the 
 conversation. If the prophecy of the late King 
 of England comes true, King James will not even 
 make a good saint. Mme. de Portsmouth, whom 
 we had here a short time since, told me that the 
 late King used to say, 'You see my brother? When 
 he becomes King he will surely lose his kingdom 
 through religious zeal, and his soul through ugly 
 queans, for he has too bad taste to choose fine 
 ones.' This prophecy is already coming true; his 
 kingdom is lost, and I heard that it is said in 
 Dublin that he brought there two ugly things 
 
 whom he never left 
 
 ^* The more one sees of this King, and the more 
 one hears about the Prince of Orange, the more 
 one feels bound to excuse the latter and find him 
 worthy of esteem. No doubt you are now saying 
 to yourself that one always comes back to one's 
 first love,* but it is certain that an intelligence 
 such as his pleases me more than a handsome 
 
 face 
 
 Madame was very fond of William III. So 
 much so that after the death of Queen Mary she 
 hoped that he would marry her daughter the young 
 Duchess de Chartres, and so prevent the latter 
 
 * William of Orange was Madame's cousin ; she became ac- 
 quainted with him hi her youth, when she spent some time in 
 Holland during the year 1661. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 43 
 
 marrying the Due du Maine, Mme. de Montespan's 
 son and Mme. de Maintenon's pupil. But the 
 question of religion proved an insurmountable 
 obstacle to any thought being entertained as to 
 William of Orange choosing a French Princess 
 for his second wife, and Louis XIV. had practi- 
 cally pledged himself to James II., so much so 
 that years passed before William and Mary were 
 ever spokqn of as King and Queen of England. 
 
 ''Versailles, Sept. Gth, 1690. 
 
 ^ a hunted when at Marly with the good King ; * 
 our King followed with the Queen of England. I 
 think that she would be well pleased if her hus- 
 band only saw ladies like myself ; for in that case 
 she would feel no jealousy, her heart would be at 
 rest, and good King James would receive no more 
 boxes on the ear. His valet declares that he had 
 two mistresses in Dublin, but here his conduct is 
 most exemplary. I do not know whether it is 
 from fear of his wife or from a desire to follow 
 the present fashion by becoming pious, for lie 
 frequents sermons and church services assiduously. 
 
 55 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sept. 13th, 1690. 
 
 " It is certain that a strange meaning is given in 
 this country to piety and religion. I do not agree 
 with it the least in the world, and I am tempted 
 
 * James II, 
 
J 
 
 44 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to do like that Englishman named Fildin (Field- 
 ing). It happened in this wise some years ago. 
 Wendt asked him once at Fontainebleau, ' Are you 
 a Hugnenot, monsiem^ ? ' ' No/ said he. ' So you 
 are Catholic,' observed Wendt. ' Even less,' replied 
 the Englishman. ' Ah ! ' said Wendt again, ' then 
 you are a Lutheran.' ' Not at all,' replied Fildin. 
 ' What are you then ? ' says Wendt. ' I will in- 
 form you,' replied the Englishman. ' I have a 
 little religion apart for myself.' Good King James 
 would also have been wiser had he thus acted 
 instead of losing three kingdoms * through bigotry 
 
 ?7 
 
 " Fontainebleau, Oct. 20th, 1690. 
 
 " Since I have learnt to know the good King 
 well I have become very fond of him. He is the 
 best man in the world, and I pity him with all my 
 heart, for sometimes he sighs in a heartrending 
 fashion. He took me aside and put me through a 
 reo-ular examination as to whether it was true that 
 his daughter, the Princess of Orange, had taken his 
 misfortune so much to heart that she had refused 
 to dance on the occasion of the Electress of Bran- 
 
 deburg's visit to the Hague. 
 
 j> 
 
 "Versailles, Dec. 5tli, 1C90. 
 
 '' I am somewhat more in favour this year than 
 last. I do not know to whom I owe this happiness, 
 
 ♦ England, Scotland, and Ireland. 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 45 
 
 for I have not altered, but continue to walk along 
 
 the straight road If the Cardinal Azolin 
 
 really poisoned Queen Christina he quite deserved 
 his wretched death. The chamber-woman must 
 know the truth, for she doubtless saw what oc- 
 curred. The fashion of poisoning people is getting 
 too common : it is said that they silenced the poor 
 Infanta of Spain in the same manner " 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 7tli, 1691. 
 
 ^^ After vespers the King was good enough to 
 send me two thousand pistoles. Although it will 
 but little profit me, as I shall have to pay my old 
 debts with it, yet it gave me great pleasure; firstly, 
 because I see that I am less in disgrace than I was 
 last year ; and secondly, because it upholds my credit 
 with those that advance me money, to see that I 
 pay my debts " 
 
 " Versailles, July 22nd, 1691. 
 
 *' M. de Louvois' habit of drinking cold water 
 has brought him no good, but I do not know 
 whether it is mineral or spring water which hurt 
 him. All the doctors who attended him have de- 
 clared in writing that he died from some frightful 
 poison. In one little quarter of an hour he passed 
 from glowing health to death. I met and spoke to 
 him only a half-hour before. He looked so well and 
 fresh-coloured that I said to him, '. So you find the 
 Forges waters agree with you? . . . .' It seems 
 that they have arrested one of liis servants, who is 
 
\' 
 
 46 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 suspected of liaving instilled poison into a silver 
 vessel from which M. de Louvois drank that after- 
 noon. We shall soon know the truth about it. . . . 
 As he was destined to die I could wish that he 
 could have done so three years ago ; the poor 
 Palatine States would have benefited." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 23rd, 1691. 
 
 " I have already informed you of the death of 
 M. de Louvois. If it is true that he died from 
 poison, I do not believe that it is from the act 
 of his sons, bad as they may be. I am more in- 
 clined to think that it is the work of some doctor 
 who wished to please a certain old woman,* whom 
 M. de Louvois greatly offended, and of whom he 
 spoke with great freedom to the King on his way 
 to Mons. The King looks far from being dis- 
 pleased by this death; I have seldom seen him 
 so merry as now. . 
 
 j> 
 
 " FoNTAiNEBLEAU, Sept. 28tll, 1G91. 
 
 '* M. de Louvois is so forgotten that no one 
 now cares whether he was poisoned or not. His 
 son, M. de Barbezieux, is going to be married 
 soon, and to a lady that once was to be married 
 to his eldest brother, M. de Courtenveau. The 
 lady, Mdlle. d'Uzes, preferred the youngest, in 
 which matter she showed judgment, for the elder 
 one is stupid and very ugly, whilst Barbezieux is 
 
 * Allusion to Madame de Mainteuon. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 47 
 
 very clever and amiable. They are equally well 
 off. Although the eldest one had seemed much 
 in love he immediately resigned himself to his 
 brother's desire, but I fancy that the latter had 
 better abstain from eating with him, for he poi- 
 soned his governor in Rome. Our great man* 
 is incapable of such things. I know that certain 
 people have offered to assassinate the Prince of 
 Orange for him, but he never consented ; but I 
 feel sure that many are animated by this indiscreet 
 zeal. All the same the Prince of Orange must have 
 a great deal of moral courage to be so little afraid of 
 death ; no one can deny that he is a worthy man." 
 
 Madame had three half-sisters, to whom she was 
 greatly attached, and with whom she corresponded 
 constantly. After the Elector Karl Ludwig's 
 death his daughters were obliged to leave Heidel- 
 burg. The Electress Sophia, who had always 
 accepted Louise von Degenfeld as a sister-in-law, 
 took them in, and the Raugra vines Caroline, 
 Louise, and Amelia followed their aunt from 
 Hanover to England, where the eldest, Caroline, 
 married the son of Marshal Schomberg. To this 
 lady Madame wrote but rarely; with the two 
 others, who returned to Germany shortly after 
 their sister's marriage, she kept up an active cor- 
 respondence, which increased greatly after the 
 Electress Sophia's death. But long before that 
 event took place Madame wrote every week to the 
 
 * Louis XIV. 
 
48 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Raugravinc Louise, sending frequent messages to 
 Lady Schomberg, with whom Monsieur had desired 
 her not to correspond, as she was the wife of one 
 of William of Orange's supporters. Through the 
 Rauo-ravine Louise, Madame heard all the news of 
 the small German Courts. 
 
 To THE Rauguavine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, Dec. 22ik1, IGOl. 
 
 *' When you write to Caroline tell her that I 
 should have answered her letter some time since 
 had I known what I ought to put on the address. 
 She is now a Duchess, but I am not allowed to 
 give her that title, for here the Prince of Orange 
 is not acknowledged King of England. Equally of 
 course his Duchess would here take no rank. I, 
 on my side, do not wish to call her Countess of 
 Schomberg, for I am charmed to know her a 
 Duchess " 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 49 
 
 CHAPTER in. 
 
 1692 TO 1696. 
 
 Mme. de Maintenon persuaded the King to give 
 Mdlle. de Blois* in marriage to the Due de 
 Chartres, Monsieur's son, representing to him that 
 he would thus secure a hold over his somewhat 
 flighty nephew. Although Madame must have 
 been well aware of this plot against her most 
 cherished ideas and feelings she said but little about 
 it in her letters. When Monsieur cautiously proposed 
 the thing to her on behalf of the King, she burst into 
 tears and declared that nothing would induce her 
 to give her consent to her son's thus disgracing him- 
 self by marrying the King's illegitimate daughter, 
 but on Louis XIV. sending for her she gave in. 
 Saint Simon gives a strange picture of the Due de 
 Chartres coming up to his mother in the great 
 gallery at Versailles and being received with a 
 smart box on the ear before the whole Court, 
 assembled together to have the marriage officially 
 announced, 
 
 * Daughter of Mme. de Montespan. 
 
 £ 
 
Z-C. 
 
 \ 
 
 50 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. 21st, 1692. 
 
 " You were ill-informed by those who told you 
 that I had behaved like a child on the occasion of 
 my son's marriage. I am no longer of an age to 
 
 indulge in childish conduct As for my 
 
 daughter-in-law I shall not be much troubled by 
 her, as we shall not be so often together as to get 
 tired of one another. She is in the King's set, 
 which is a sanctum sanctorum^ where simple mortals 
 such as myself do not enter. As for the advan- 
 tages that will accrue to my son, I only hope that 
 they will be as brilliant as you have been told 
 they will be; but as everything consists as yet 
 in promises and hopes, I am not charmed with 
 the whole affair ; I own that I have never been 
 able to understand how it is that Monsieur, who 
 gets on so admirably with his brother, was not 
 able to persuade the King to give his nephew 
 enough to uphold his rank without forcing him 
 to make such an unequal marriage. . . 
 
 jj 
 
 '' Paris, March 5th, 1G92. 
 
 " Thank God for all his mercies ! M. du Maine's 
 marriage is a settled thing, so one of my troubles 
 is thus lifted from me. I fancy that they have 
 informed the King's old wretch* what was being 
 said in Paris, and that it frightened her. The 
 people were saying that although it was a disgrace 
 
 * Allusion to Mme. de Maiutenon. 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 51 
 
 for the King to arrange a marriage between one of 
 his bastards and a Prince of the blood belonging to 
 his family, yet, as the husband confers rank on the 
 woman he weds, they would allow that marriage 
 to take place, though much against their feelings ; 
 but that if the old woman took it into her head to 
 give my daughter to M. du Maine, they would 
 strangle him before the wedding, and that the old 
 woman whom they still style his governess should 
 not be sure of her life. Whilst all this was being 
 said, the rumour arose of the other marriage with 
 the Prince's daughter, which pleases everybody in 
 Paris. I am grateful to the worthy Parisians for 
 their having thus felt an interest in me. 
 
 ^^ I am going to tell you what I have learnt of 
 the sayings of Mme. Cornuel. I do not know if 
 you ever heard of this lady. She is more than 
 ^igh^y years old, but is as lively as though she 
 was only twenty-five. She it is who said once 
 of our King of England, after having seen His 
 Majesty, 'Let our King do what he will, and*^ 
 behave well to the King of England, he will never 
 make anything better of him than poor man's 
 sauce.' Lately she came to Court and saw Mme. 
 de Maintenon and M. de Barbezieux. ' I saw,' said 
 she, ' the most singular thing in the world when 
 at Court— Love in the grave and the Ministry in the 
 cradle.'" 
 
 u 
 
 " Versailles, April 12th, 1G92. 
 
 It is to be hoped that after all our waiting 
 
 E 2 
 
 \ 
 
I 
 
 ill 
 
 52 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 we shall finally be able to catcli the Due de Bour- 
 ^ogne; * he would not be a bad morsel. You are 
 too good to look tlius at the monkey-cat-bear visage 
 of my daughter, but her figure is far from being a 
 bad one " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, May 1st, 1C02. 
 
 " Time alone will show us what will be the 
 result of this descent upon England, but it is 
 difficult to suppose that the Prince of Orange 
 will allow the three kingdoms to be taken from 
 him, as easily as he contrived to take them from 
 his father-in-law " 
 
 '* Paris, May 15tli, 1G92. 
 
 "I hear that the King of England can only 
 have embarked last Sunday. Tourville has an 
 order, signed by the King's own hand, to attack the 
 enemy as soon as they find them. So we shall 
 soon receive the news of a naval battle " 
 
 «' Saint Cloud, May 22na, 1692. 
 
 *^ Although these good people are my neigh- 
 bours, I cannot love them as myself, and when I 
 examine my conscience I can only see one thing 
 — which is that I care for those that love me or at 
 least who do not hate me. In this matter I find 
 it most diflicult to follow the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 j> 
 
 • • 
 
 "Paris, June 8th, 1692. 
 
 " The King's old monster has enjoyed this great 
 power for a long time. She is not such a fool as 
 
 * For her daughter. 
 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 53 
 
 to get herself acknowledged Queen ; she knows her 
 good man's temper too well. If she did such a 
 thing she would soon fall into disgrace and be 
 utterly lost. 
 
 " The Venetian Ambassador has spread about in 
 the King's army that my uncle * had given a 
 million (of francs) to the Emperor to be made Prince 
 Elector. It seems to me that my uncle might have 
 made a better bargain. 
 
 ''King William and our people are now close 
 upon one another. Would to God that there be 
 no battle! The great manf is in bed; he is ill 
 with an attack of gout. I think that the naval 
 battle will not prove a soothing remedy for his 
 ills " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 12th, 1692. 
 
 *' The news of a great battle will soon be here. 
 My heart beats when I think of it; to tell the 
 truth, a river flows between our people and the 
 enemy, but I hear that the Prince of Orange is 
 making bridges. I am in great trouble on account 
 of my boy." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 19th, 1692. 
 
 " To tell the truth, and nothing but the truth, 
 our good King James is an honest and worthy man, 
 but one of the silliest that I have ever seen ; a 
 child of seven years old would not make such piti- 
 ful mistakes — piety renders him idiotic 
 
 * The Duke of Hanover. 
 
 t Louis XIV. 
 
54 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 
 
 55 
 
 i 
 
 '^ I would lay my head that our King neither 
 approved nor ordered the assassination,* he is in- 
 capable of such a thing. But what makes me think 
 tliat it is the old woman's doing is that I have 
 heard that she told the King that she had learnt 
 from a sure source, that the Prince of Orange had 
 sent someone to Philippeville to poison the foun- 
 tains .... You see by this what she is capable of, 
 for I am sure tliat the Prince thought as little of 
 poisoning the fountains as I do of going to hang 
 myself " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 9th, 1692. 
 
 '^ I must tell you about the fright I had last 
 Monday, which thank God soon became changed 
 into joy. I was already undressed and just getting 
 into bed at midnight, when I suddenly heard Mon- 
 sieur's voice in my antechamber. Knowing that lie 
 was already gone to bed, I got up and ran to meet 
 him to see what was the matter. In his hand he 
 held an open letter, and he said to me, * Do not be 
 frightened, your son has been wounded, but only 
 slightly ; there has been a great battle in Flanders ; 
 the King's infantry defeated that of the Prince of 
 Orange ; all this is only just known; the King tells 
 me that no further details have yet arrived.' I 
 leave you to imagine the anguish given me by this 
 news. I stayed on my balcony till three o'clock in 
 the morning to see if any messenger came from 
 
 * Grandval's plot, See Macaulay's William III. vol. 3, chap. i. 
 
 my son; one arrived about every half -hour; once 
 was brought the news of the Marquis de Bellefond's 
 death ; again the announcement that M. de Turenne 
 was wounded to death ; his mother and his mother- 
 in-law, Mnie. de Ventadour, who loves him like a 
 son, are here ; they are just above my chamber 
 and I can hear their cries. . . . 
 
 ^' At last, the next day after lunch, a gentleman 
 arrived who had once been sub-governor to my son — 
 he is called La Berticre. He told us that my son had 
 been shot twice, once his cloak had been shattered, 
 but he not touched, thank God ! the other ball 
 penetrated into his left arm, but he got it out him- 
 self. His arm bound up and the wound attended 
 to, he returned to the scene of action and remained 
 there till all was over. ... At first our people gave 
 way, the English and Dutch were getting over the 
 hedges and ditches, they had already taken three 
 cannons, when M. de Luxembourg arrived with the 
 guards, the Prince de Conti, the Duke, and my son. 
 They rallied the hussars and led them forward 
 themselves towards the enemy. This inspired the 
 soldiers with fresh courage, so much so that they 
 broke down everything and threw the enemy so 
 far back that they not only regained their own 
 cannons but took seven from the others . . . ." 
 
 '< Saint Cloud, Sept. 18th, 1G92. 
 
 ^^ Apropos of letters opened at the poste, allow 
 me to tell you the story of a thing which happened 
 several years ago. The Grande Mademoiselle re- 
 
 i • 
 
S6 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 ceives several letters from her business people, and 
 perceives clearly that they have been opened,. 
 When answering them she adds, 'As M. de Louvois 
 is Yery clever, and as he will see this letter be- 
 fore it reaches you, I beg of him, when opening it, 
 to add a little advice on my affairs, which will cer- 
 tainly be the better for it ; ' since then they have 
 not opened her letters." 
 
 ** Versailles, Jan. 1st, 1093. 
 *' There is more stealing than ever going on in 
 Paris. The other day some thieves saw a coach 
 in which sat two ladies, who had diamond ornaments 
 stuck into their headdresses. They began to call 
 out, ' Stop, stop ! the wheel of your coach is 
 broken, you will be upset.' The coachman stops, 
 wishing to sec what has happened ; the ladies also, 
 they put their heads out of the window, the robbers 
 seize the headdresses, diamonds and all, and make 
 off " 
 
 '« Marly, April 9tli, 1693. 
 
 " Our worthy Grande Mademoiselle has at last 
 come to the end of her troubles. She died Sunday 
 at six o'clock in the evening, and Monday the 
 First President opened her will. Monsieur is 
 universal legatee. She leaves the Dauphin her 
 fine house at Choisy, founds several hospitals, and 
 leaves something to all her servants. Tliis is what 
 is embodied in her will. Yesterday we rendered 
 her the last honours, giving her holy water, in 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, $7 
 
 long cloaks and hoods. She died from the igno- 
 rance of her doctors; they did not know from 
 what she was suffering, and stuffed her so with 
 emetics that the inflammation set in which carried 
 her off. 
 
 '' To make people think that he was really 
 married to her, Lauzun asked a lady in marriage 
 immediately after her death, although he knew 
 the former was engaged, and that the King had 
 already signed the contract. The day after the 
 will was opened, that is to say Tuesday, he showed 
 himself before the King and royal family in a 
 long cloak. After having stayed three-quarters 
 of an hour with Monsieur, he left the chamber, 
 returning a moment afterwards with a large 
 packet, sealed six times with Mademoiselle's own 
 seal. This he presented to Monsieur, saying, 'Apro- 
 pos, I forgot to give you this paper, which Made- 
 moiselle gave six years ago to Madame de Noguet 
 to keep for her' (she is Lauzun's sister). Mon- 
 sieur replied that he could not open the packet, 
 that it must be sent to the First President. This 
 packet greatly troubled the Dauphin and Mon- 
 sieur, for if it had been another will made six 
 years ago they would have inherited nothing, as 
 the one opened just after Mademoiselle's death was 
 dated eight years ago, in 1685. At midnight 
 Monsieur was told that the packet had been opened, 
 and had contained a will dated 1670. Lauzun, who 
 must have known this, probably wished to amuse 
 
 i 
 
« I 
 
 58 
 
 LIFE JND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 II 
 
 f 
 
 .11 
 
 111 
 
 111 
 
 himself ; this shows him to be wicked — an ungrate- 
 ful animal." 
 
 " CoLOMTiEs, An,G:. 22ncl, 1G93. 
 
 " My son led the cavalry he commands five 
 different times at the enemy, and during two hours 
 he stood under fire .... If my son did not serve in 
 a campaign every year he would be despised and 
 lose all consideration." 
 
 "Paris, 23 Dec, 1694. 
 
 " We nearly lost our theatre lately. The Sor- 
 bonne, to please the King, tried to forbid it, but 
 the Archbishop of Paris and Father La Chaise must 
 have told them that it would be too dangerous to 
 put an end to innocent amusements, as it would 
 lead to the young falling into real vices. ... I shall 
 continue to go to the theatre till they put an end 
 to it. A fortnight ago there was a sermon against 
 theatres, saying that play-acting revived evil pas- 
 sions. The King turned to me and said, ' He is not 
 preaching at me who no longer go to the theatre, 
 but at you others who go and approve.' ^Although 
 I am fond of comedies,' I answered, ' and go there 
 frequently, M. d'Agen is not thinking of me, for he 
 only speaks of those who go there to revive their 
 passions, which I do not do. The theatre simply 
 amuses me, there is no harm in that.' The King 
 did not say a word more. . . P 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 16th, 1695. 
 
 " The theatre is always so full in Paris that the 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 59 
 
 spectators are mixed up with the actors, which is 
 very disagreeable. Then again nothing can be 
 more dull than our evenings in Paris; Monsieur 
 plays at lansquenet at a large table ; but I am not 
 allowed to approach or show myself, for Monsieur 
 thinks that I bring him ilMuck, yet he obliges me 
 to stay in the apartment, so all the old women who 
 do not play have to be entertained by me. This 
 goes on from seven to ten, and makes me yawn 
 frightfully. Every two days I have to go after 
 dinner to Port-Royal, so as not to break one of my 
 oldest customs, but I no longer go with the same 
 pleasure as before." 
 
 ''■ Versailles, Feb. 3rd, 1695. 
 
 " The cold is so intense that one hardly knows 
 what to do. Yesterday, during high mass, I thought 
 that my feet were becoming frozen, for when with 
 the King no one is allowed foot-warmers. I had 
 a very funny conversation with our King. He 
 was scolding me for wearing a scarf. 'No one 
 has ever been in the procession with a scarf,' said 
 he. ' Perhaps so/ replied I ; * but we have never 
 had such cold weather before.' ' Before this time 
 you never wore one,' said the King. ' Before this 
 time I was younger and more able to bear the 
 cold,' I observed. ' There were many older than 
 you are who did not wear any scarves,' said he. 
 'In that case,' I replied, 'those old women pre- 
 ferred to be frozen to putting on an ugly thing, 
 and I prefer to be badly dressed than that my chest 
 
 I 
 
J 
 
 60 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 sliould freeze, for I do not go in for vanities.' To 
 this he answered naught." 
 
 Madame had many similar passages-at-arms with 
 tlie King. His extreme piety greatly troubled her, 
 for as she grew older she found great pleasure in 
 going to the play, one of the things Louis XIV. 
 took to disliking in his old age, and she feared lest 
 he might prevail on the Archbishop of Paris to 
 forbid the playhouses as scandalous and frivolous. 
 As (lie following will prove, Madame could not be 
 accused of vanity by her contemporaries. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Versailles, March 5th, 1G95. 
 
 " I do not understand why people require so 
 many different costumes ; my only habiliments 
 consist of my grand State robe, and my riding- 
 habit when I hunt on horseback ; nothing else. I 
 never in my whole life wore a dressing-gown or 
 mantle, and in my wardrobe there is but one bed- 
 crown in which I ffet in and out of bed. 
 
 " I felt sure that Caroline * would take much to 
 heart Queen Mary's t death. All those who knew 
 her praised her exceedingly. King James of 
 England, whom we have here, did not wish us to 
 go into mourning for his daughter ; indeed, he 
 begged us not to do so. This greatly surprised me, 
 for I think that one cannot forget one's own children 
 
 • Madame's half-sister, married to Marshal Schomberg. 
 
 t Mary, daughter of James II., married to William of Orange. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 61 
 
 however badly they have behaved ; surely blood is 
 thicker than water. After the description given 
 me of Prince William I should not have thought 
 him so attached to his wife ; I grieve for him with 
 all my heart. If I had been allowed to I should 
 have written to Caroline charging her with my 
 compliments and condolences. It is so bitterly 
 cold that the wine as well as water freezes in the 
 glasses at the King's table." 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Marly, March 16th, 1695. 
 " 6 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 '^ The most important thing is that King Wil- 
 liam's health is re-established ; his grief will pass 
 away in the course of time. Just now the King 
 allows me to sleep all through the sermon " 
 
 " Choisy, April 7th, 1695. 
 
 *^ The Amadis * greatly amused me. This is the 
 reason why I remember it all so well, but I had 
 not the patience to read the whole twenty-four 
 
 volumes as did my uncle I do not believe 
 
 that the Abbe de Locume will soon attain his wish 
 of uniting together all the sects of the Christian 
 relioion, for where material interests are at stake 
 people do not easily give way. I do not think that 
 M. de Meaux * wishes it ; if everyone was of the 
 same faith, bishops and priests would have no- 
 thing left to say. . . 
 
 J) 
 
 * A much-read romance. 
 
 f Bossuet. 
 
\\ ! 
 
 62 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Paris, May Ist, 1C95. 
 
 *'! think that since piety has become the fashion 
 at Court, dramatic authors imagine that their 
 pieces would be more welcome if they added in 
 a little devotion. At first their plan succeeded, 
 but now no one can bear their comedies. When 
 the actors announced that they were going to give 
 another f)lay of this sort, the pit called out, ' We 
 don't want any more of that sort ! ' ' Why so ? ' 
 replied the others, ' it has been much applauded.' 
 The pit replied, ' This play * was not hissed 
 because it was acted during Lent, and we were all 
 occupied in hissing the Abbe Boileau's sermon at 
 Versailles.' This was an amusing answer." 
 
 To THE Raxtoravine Louise. 
 
 ** Paris, May 14th, 1695. 
 
 ^^ Dancing is no longer the fashion. Here as 
 soon as a few find themselves together they begin 
 to play at lansquenet ; it is the game most in vogue ; 
 young men no longer care to dance. As for me I 
 do neither the one nor the other, being much too 
 old for dancing, having indeed given it up on our 
 father's death. I never play for two very good 
 reasons : firstly, that I have no money ; secondly, 
 that I do not care for gambling. Enormous sums are 
 played for here, the players being as those pos- 
 sessed ; one yells, another strikes the table so hard 
 with his fist that the whole room shakes, a third 
 swears in such a manner as to cause one's hair to 
 
 * Judith y a tragedy by the Abbe Boyer. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 
 
 63 
 
 stand on end— all seem not themselves, and are 
 fearful to w^itness. 
 
 '' In Paris one does not enjoy very fine weather, 
 yet I go out in my coach when I can ; twice I 
 rode at a stag-hunt ; perhaps you will say that I 
 am too old to go a-hunting, and I quite agree, still I 
 prefer to be ridiculous to being ill, and there is 
 nothing better for my pains than violent exercise 
 and riding, so I bravely continue to hunt." 
 
 '* FONTAINEBLEAU, Oct. 8th, 1695. 
 
 ''I am very grateful to you for rejoicing witli 
 me on my son's arrival. He was ill some little 
 time, but since he is here he has got better, through 
 playing and hunting, and is quite well now, thank 
 God. 
 
 '' Marshal de BoufHers has certainly been cele- 
 brated in song here. Here are some verses composed 
 in his honour — they are sung on the tune of 
 JoGonde : 
 
 * Quoy Bouffier due (?) on a grand tord, 
 C'cst insiilter la France. 
 Guillaume I'aurait fait milord 
 C'est sa vray recompense, etc' 
 
 ^^ You see by this that everything is here put 
 into verse. 
 
 *^ You speak of your face, which you style old- 
 fashioned: you forget that I am ten years older 
 than you are. It is not my place to speak of 
 others' faces — I neither like nor liate people on 
 
*! 
 
 M 
 
 64 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 account of their ugliness or beauty. We ought to say 
 with Jodelet,* ' Sir, if we were our own creators, 
 nothhig but fine persons would exist.' 
 
 " As far as I can see, Francfort is now the 
 rendezvous of all German Princes, and the great 
 world meets at the Countess Hohenlohe's. I have a 
 portrait of the Count Palatine, Charles the Third's 
 wife, done when she was still Margravine of 
 Brandebourg. She does not look pretty, and unless 
 she has improved in looks since has no call to be 
 vain. It seems to me that the Elector Palatine 
 would do better to help the poor inhabitants of 
 the Palatinate who are in extreme misery rather 
 than spend his substance in the amusements of the 
 carnivals— it would add more to his consideration 
 both in the sight of God and of men." 
 
 About this time Madame seriously applied her- 
 self to the task of getting her daughter married to 
 William III. She wrote to the Electress Sophia that 
 the Dauphin had greatly wished to wed the Duchesse 
 de Chartres, but that Mme. de Maintenon had 
 
 prevented it. 
 
 We know little of the young Charlotte Elizabeth 
 whom her mother hoped to see Queen of England, 
 but we hear that though not handsome she had a 
 pretty figure, and was very well and strictly 
 brought up, differing in every way from her sister- 
 in-law, Mme. de Maintenon's foster- daughter. 
 
 * Le Jodelet, comedy by Scarron. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 65 
 
 To THE Electress SoniiA. 
 
 '' FoNTAiNEBLEAU, Oct. 22nd, 1695. 
 
 '^ The tone has quite changed about King Wil- 
 liam ; * one hears everywhere, ' He is a great King, 
 and worthy of his position. His is a master 
 mind,' and similar things. You are indeed right 
 when you say that only those in luck ever get 
 the world's praise— this is why King William is so 
 much thought of. Everything here is settled by 
 fashion, they speak only too freely of both friends 
 and foes. Royal blood does not shield one— indeed 
 lampoons are generally written about crowned 
 heads ;" 
 
 To THE Raugravine LouisE. 
 
 *' Marly, Dec. 1st, 1605. 
 
 ^' Herr Fabricius writes me that he intends 
 coming to Saint Cloud when peace is declared. I 
 have not time to-day to answer his epistle ; pray 
 tliank him for me, and say that I shall be delighted 
 to see him at Saint Cloud. Between ourselves, if he 
 comes here he must never call me your Highness ; 
 this title is good for the Princes of the blood; we and 
 our children are styled * Royal Highness ; ' only the 
 children of France have right to this title " 
 
 "Versailles, Dec. lltli, 1695. 
 
 ^^ I feel greatly pleased on being told that I am 
 said to have a German heart, and that I love my 
 country. I shall try with God's help to merit this 
 
 William III. of En.i'land. 
 
f 
 
 66 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 account till the day of my death. My heart is 
 still German, for I cannot console myself for Avhat 
 has happened in the poor Palatinate ; when I think 
 of it I am sad the whole day. . 
 
 ^'Nothing can be more wretched than tlie fate 
 destined to Queens in Spain. I know this from 
 the late Queen, who recounted to me the life she 
 led day by day. In Portugal it is even worse, 
 and shows the truth of that saying, 'All that 
 glitters is not gold.' " 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 67 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1G96 TO 1608. 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 1st, 1C96. 
 
 *'The messenger Lasalle would indeed have 
 given me pleasure by bringing your portraits. I 
 will try and find out which way the rogue came. 
 I will send you mine (portrait) in my hunting- 
 habit, because this likeness is, or rather was, the 
 best of me ever done; for since I had the small 
 pox I have not cared to be painted — just now I am 
 uglier than ever." 
 
 To THE ElECTKESS Soi'lllA. 
 
 ''Versailles, Feb. 5th, 1G9G. 
 
 ^' During the last two days that I spent in Paris 
 two different persons came and asked me whether 
 I was aware of what was being said about me ; 
 the Chevalier de Bouillon seems to have boasted 
 pul)licly, both at the theatre and at the opera, that 
 I was greatly in love with him, and this lie said 
 in such insolent terms that no one dared to re2)eat 
 them to me. I answered that anything said by the 
 Chevalier de Bouillon could injure nobody, as owing 
 
 f2 
 
68 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to his being a drunkard and a liar his word is 
 never taken, but that if he continued these ami- 
 able discourses about me I should cover him with 
 such ridicule as should last him his lifetime. After 
 this I neither saw nor thought of the Chevalier dc 
 Bouillon, till last Monday, going into our theatre 
 here, I perceived some young men laughing at mc, 
 and pointing to the Chevalier. This aroused my 
 anger. We were talking of the word ' to accost,' 
 sol said aloud, ' Tliere is a fellow up there that I 
 shall soon accost.' ' Wlio ? ' asked the Dauphin. 
 ' The Chevalier de Bouillon,' I replied ; ' I hear 
 from all sides that he boasts of my affection for 
 him : as this is news to me I mean to ask him 
 which are the great and good qualities that have so 
 touched me ; and if he continues his amiabilities 
 I shall be forced to ask the King to send far away 
 tlic torch which is reducing my heart to ashes,' I 
 
 ended laughing. 
 
 « The Dauphin immediately told my son to com- 
 mand the Chevalier never to find himself in my 
 presence again. That same evening his father, 
 M. de Bouillon, came to me and said how grieved 
 he was to think of his son being falsely accused 
 of insulting me. He asked me to inform him of 
 the people who had told me : if men, his son 
 should fight them ; if women, he would cut off their 
 nosei. I began to laugh and replied, ' The King 
 has forbidden all forms of duelling, but your son 
 would have plenty to do for some time to come 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 69 
 
 if lie fou"-ht with all those who heard his im- 
 pcrtiiicnt speeches at the opera and at the theatre.' 
 .... Tliis affair has been much talked about and 
 discussed at Court. More than half the folk say 
 that I was quite right, considering the times we 
 have at present, to frighten the young man and 
 force Iiim to respect me; others think that I 
 ought to have complained privately to the King. 
 
 >> 
 
 It is strange that Madame's first and last love- 
 affair should have occurred two years after she 
 was a grandmother,* and that a courtier should 
 have so utterly mis-estimated her character as to 
 suppose that she would tolerate, much less encour- 
 age, such an absurdity. In this matter the Dauphin 
 seems to have acted properly, the truth being 
 that all the members of the royal family, with 
 the exception of the King, stood in great awe of 
 her. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Loui«e. 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. lltli, 1G9G. 
 
 '^ Sometimes marriages turn out well, but quite 
 as exceptions— not two in a thousand. It may be 
 said of happy marriages as of the phoenix— there is 
 
 but one a century By what you tell me 
 
 of German youths I see that they resemble those 
 here— there is but little to hope for from them. I 
 
 * The Regent's son, born 1694. 
 
MMMWB 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 I I 
 
 70 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 think that war is the cause, for it gives them the 
 tone and manners of common soldiers " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Marly, March 1st, 1096. 
 
 ^^ We are soon going to have a weary time here, 
 for a Jubilee is due. This is ill-named, as nothing 
 can be more wearisome. One must be perpetually 
 stuck in church, eat fish, always fast, and com- 
 municate. Again, all the time the thing continues, 
 no amusements, operas, or plays are allowed. King 
 James will celebrate his Jubilee on sea, for he 
 went off yesterday to Calais, where he will embark 
 with an army for England. Sal den tied lerm"^ 
 what will come of it. . . 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 
 
 71 
 
 * 
 
 r 
 
 To THE Kaugravine Louise. 
 
 " Versailles, March 25th, 1G9G. 
 
 " I was already too old when I came to France 
 to change my character. This is not surjmsing, 
 for the base of it was laid before I arrived. But 1 
 should be indeed inexcusable were I deceitful and 
 double-faced, and if I did not love those for whom 
 I ought to feel aflection. You are right in saying 
 that I write what I feel to be the truth " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, April 1st, 1G9G. 
 
 *' The French cannot forego the pleasure of 
 making fun of others. They must laugh at all 
 they hear. Now that they see that King James 
 
 « li 
 
 Time must show hs." (Dutch.) 
 
 'II 
 
 does not return, and that there Is nothing further 
 to be done, they have chalked this up over Paris : 
 ' One hundred florins reward to anyone who can 
 invent a good reason to make the King of England 
 come back to Saint Germains.' This amused me 
 so that I could not help laughing, although I am 
 heartily sorry for the good King. 
 
 " I have already told you that the attempted 
 assassination Is entirely disowned here. The King 
 said, ' The Prince of Orange must do me the justice 
 of disbelieving that I wished to have him assassl- 
 nated, for he Is aware that I kept some persons two 
 years Imprisoned for having simply proposed to rid 
 me of him.' You can see by this that our King 
 had nothing to do with It. No doubt the con- 
 spirators settled everything among themselves. 
 Perhaps the Duke of Berwick, who Is somewhat 
 brutal, proposed this thing In the name of the two 
 Kings without their having thought of it, for I 
 have" learnt lately that the said Duke Is somewhat 
 out of favour here " 
 
 To TiiR Eaucravise LorisE. 
 
 "Versailles, April 8tli, 1C90. 
 
 " A most annoying thing has occurred to me. I 
 had had my portrait taken to give to Caroline, and 
 ordered one of my daughter from a good painter, 
 who promised to do it. When I thought It was 
 finished I sent to him for It ; he replied that he 
 had not done the portrait, for as he bad once done 
 
J 
 
 
 I r 
 I 
 
 iii 
 
 )l 
 
 72 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 one for Jlonsiciir and liad not been paid, lie Imagined 
 that I should not pay either, and so avoided obey- 
 
 ing me. 
 
 57 
 
 " Yersaim.es, May lotli, lOOG. 
 
 <' I have found another pointer now, and hope 
 to be able to send you and Caroline the three por- 
 traits in time 
 
 <^ It seems that King "William is not at all cruel, 
 for he himself took care to give his father-in-law time 
 to escape with his family. I think that he does 
 not wish harm to come to the Duke of Berwick on 
 account of the latter's extraordinary likeness to his 
 wife (Queen Mary). Our Queen of England* here 
 has a portrait of her late daughter-in-law ; when 
 she showed it me I thought that it was the Duke 
 of Berwick in petticoats. Of course they are such 
 near relations that this likeness is not surprising. 
 Now it is evident here that King William is a man 
 of heart, and I was in the right when I said so.'' 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Marly, May 16th, i69G. 
 
 " One cannot image how silly the great man is 
 where religion is concerned— he is so in nothing 
 else. It is because he has never read anything 
 treating of religion, or the Bible, so he believes any- 
 thincr told liim on tliese matters. Then, when he 
 had a mistress who was not pious, he gave up piety 
 
 ♦ Mary of ^fodena. 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 73 
 
 too, but since he has fallen in love with a woman 
 who talks of nothing but penance, he believes all 
 that she says, to such a point that when the lady 
 and the confessor disagree he puts more faith in 
 her than in the other." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, May 20tb, 1G9G. 
 
 ^' I must own that when I hear the great man 
 praised in a sermon for his persecution of the re- 
 formed, I am always impatient ; I cannot hear bad 
 actions being praised." 
 
 ^' JSaint Cloud, IMay 23r(l, 1090. 
 ^a do not like kings thinking that they please 
 the Lord much by prayer. It is not for that that 
 He has placed them on thrones, but to do good— ad- 
 minister justice fairly and rightly. In these actions 
 ought we to see kings' devotions. Also they ought 
 to see that priests keep to their prayers, and not 
 meddle with anything else. When a king says his 
 morning and evening prayers, he has done all he 
 need; again, he ought to make his subjects as 
 happy as he can. ..." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 3rcl, 1096. 
 
 *' King James himself owns that if they had been 
 in Holland instead of invading the Palatine States 
 he would still be on his throne ; I once talked with 
 him about it. Yet there is one thing that I have 
 never been able to understand and which I have 
 never dared ask liim, Why did he not employ the 
 thirty thousand pistoles that he had in England to 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
.^1 
 
 III 
 
 ( 
 
 74 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 do good and gain the hearts of his subjects so that 
 tliey should remain loyal to him ? Also, why did 
 he not take away this money with him, instead of 
 leaving it beliind in his business-room? This 
 appears to me to have been a very foolish piece of 
 business " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June lltli, 1G96. 
 
 ^af my aunt had not told me that you were 
 going to Holland I should have been indeed sur- 
 prised to have received a letter from you dated the 
 Hague. My health is now fairly good— as usual I 
 got rid of my fever by hunting. I have had the 
 joy of being able to be of service to some of the 
 prisoners sent to this country. I cannot do much, 
 but I would spare notliing to be of use to my own 
 country -people. I remember the Hague perfectly, 
 and found it a very good town, but the air there is 
 not equal to that of the Palatine States ; and every- 
 thing has become very dear in Holland. King 
 William is no longer at Loo— he is at the head of 
 his army. I hope to God that there will be no 
 battle ; ' I cannot think of such a thing without 
 trembling on account of my son. The fate of the 
 poor Palatine people goes to my heart, but I can 
 do nothing. Let us both hope for peace, for it is 
 indeed necessary just now." 
 
 Peace was declared at llyswick somewhat later. 
 Madame trembled for the life of her son, who was 
 extremely brave and always exposing himself, and 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 75 
 
 that of William III. whom she was already seeking 
 for a son-inlaw. 
 
 Doctor Fagon, of whom Madame gives so 
 graphic a description in her next letter, played an 
 important part at Court. As the King's own phy- 
 sician he knew a great deal of what went on. His 
 curious diary, which was published some years ago, 
 excited much interest, being the only medical diary 
 of that date which has been preserved. Madame, 
 who intensely disliked all doctors, specially de- 
 tested Fagon, thinking him ''capable of anything." 
 And in an age when poison played such an impor- 
 tant part in the history of European Courts, le 
 Jledicm du Boy literally held life and death in 
 his hands. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Port Royal, Sunday, July loth, 1G06. 
 
 '' All that is being said as to the other world 
 is incomprehensible to me. Iletemssycosus would 
 not displease me, provided one could recollect what 
 one had already been previously. .... 
 
 '* Doctor Fagon is a character of which it is 
 difficult to give you an idea. His legs are as thin 
 as those of a bird, his mouth is filled with black 
 teeth, his large lips cause his mouth to have habit- 
 ually a pouting expression; he has sunken eyes, 
 dark yellow skin, a long face, and looks as spiteful 
 as he is in reality. But he is very intelligent 
 and polite. By this description you may see how 
 
76 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 difficult it is to gain an idea of tliis personage. I 
 liope with all niv heart that what the Duchesse of 
 Ostfriesland wrote 3'ou may come to pass, namely, 
 that a general peace will be declared, and that my 
 daiu'-hter will Aved the Due de Lorraine, for by 
 what I observe she would be happier with this 
 Duke than with the King of Germany " 
 
 To THE RaUi; RAVINE LoUISE. 
 
 ^' Saint Cloud, July 22nd, 1G9G. 
 
 ^^ My very dear Louise,— I learnt last evening by 
 the Gazette de Hollande that Almighty God has 
 seen fit to call Caroline to Himself. Believe me, I 
 feel all the gravity of this loss, and I grieve for 
 you from the bottom of my heart. I can imagine 
 the trouble this sad event must have thrown you 
 into. May the All-powerful God console you, and 
 send you many joys when your grief is ended. . . . 
 I only beg of you to send the enclosed letter to the 
 Duke of Schomberg. I am writing to him in 
 French, not knowing how to treat him in German, 
 nor what title to name him by. 
 
 '^ Remain assured of all the affection I bear to 
 you all ; you would certainly not doubt of it if 
 you had witnessed all the tears I shed on hearing 
 of Caroline's death. Present also my sympathies 
 to Charles iVFaurice and embrace him for me.'' 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July 2Gtli, 1696. 
 
 1 ^^ They were saying the other day at Saint Ger- 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 77 
 
 mains before the little English Princess that the 
 Due de Bourgogne is to wed the Princess of Savoy. 
 The good child began crying bitterly, exclaiming 
 that she had always believed that the Due de 
 BourffOffne would wed none but herself, and that 
 if he was really going to wed a Princess of Savoy 
 she would never marry, but retire into a convent. 
 Since she has been told the news she has remained 
 mournful and cannot be consoled " 
 
 The little English Princess here mentioned was 
 Louisa Stuart, James IL's favourite child, and the 
 only daughter of Mary of Modena. She was born 
 at Saint Germains, and never saw England, for she 
 died at the age of twenty-one, much regretted by 
 all the members of the French royal family, to 
 whom she had endeared herself by her sweetness 
 and kindliness of heart. A charming portrait, now 
 in the small gallery of Versailles, shows us the little 
 English Princess playing with her brother at hide- 
 and-seek in the gardens of the chateau. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sunday morning, July 29tli, 1696. 
 
 ''It is easy for you to understand that I hope 
 with all my heart for my daughter's marriage 
 with the King of the Romans,* but I hear that 
 the Emperor is far from desiring it, and I much 
 doubt whether our King will really bestir himself ; 
 for by what I am told the old wretch has still the 
 
 ^ King of Germany. 
 
?• 
 
 78 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 dirty little beggar * in her mind, and wislies my 
 dauditcr to wed him. But this would not suit me, 
 so I should be very glad could she soon marry tlie 
 King of the Romans and put an end to this annoy- 
 ance T doubt whether the Princess of 
 
 Savoy will be happy here, for the Due de Bour- 
 gogne is horribly reserved and ill-tempered; and 
 she is certain to fall into the hands of bigotted old 
 women, who will disapprove of any pleasures or 
 happiness that she may be given " 
 
 •• PuUT lioYAL, Alls;-, 'iml, IG'JG. 
 
 *' M. Helmont's opinion cannot make any im- 
 pression upon me, for I cannot figure the soul to 
 myself or understand how it can pass into another 
 body. If I reasoned according to my humble 
 judgment, I should be more inclined to think that 
 when we die all disappears, that nothing remains 
 of what we were, and that each element of which 
 we were composed flies off" to form part of another 
 
 whole It seems to me that only Divine 
 
 grace can persuade us that the soul is immortal, for 
 the idea does not naturally present itself to our 
 minds " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Saixt Cloud, Aug. 12tli, 1G90. 
 
 *' Would that we all could meet our end as Caro- 
 line has done. I think that she died with real 
 courage. Whoever can truly believe in a future 
 
 ♦ Due du Maine. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 79 
 
 life is certainly hajDj^y, for it is not in this world 
 that one nmst seek consolation or joy ; neither are 
 those called awav the first the least fortunate. It 
 seems to me that we, the children of His Highness, 
 the late Elector, cannot boast of having been happy 
 in this world. I hope to God that we shall enjoy 
 eternal life ! . . . 
 
 ^' P.S. You would render me a service by send- 
 ing me the stockings and pins that our late Caroline 
 ordered for me. Write and tell me the price. I 
 also owed her for a pair of stockings ; she never 
 told me what they had cost her " 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Versailles, Sept. 20tli, 101)6. 
 
 ^^ The Prince of Wales is the nicest child in the 
 world ; he knows French now, and talks willingly. 
 He is neither like his father or mother, but bears a 
 great resemblance to all the portraits of the late 
 King of England,^' his uncle; and I feel sure that 
 if the English could see this child they could not 
 doubt that he is a member of the royal family. . ." 
 
 " FONTAINEIJLEAU, Oct. aOtll, 1G90. 
 
 "I beg of you to thank M. Leibnitz from me. 
 I think that he has written his theory very well, 
 and I admire the clearness and ease with which he 
 expounds so diificult a subject. It is a great con- 
 solation for me to know that animals do not entirely 
 perish, on account of my dear little dogs. . . ." 
 
 * Charles II. 
 
 / 
 
8o 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Versailles, Nov. 8tli, 1G96. 
 '' Before answering your gracious letter of the 
 10-29tli October, I must talk to you a little about 
 our future Duchesse cle Bourgogne, who arrived at 
 Fontainebleau last ]\Ionday. The King, Mon- 
 seigneur,* Monsieur, and my son, went Sunday to 
 meet her at Montargis. I waited in her apartment 
 at Fontainebleau till she arrived, where I received 
 lier laughing — I feared to die of amusement ; tliere 
 was such a crowd, all pressing one another so that 
 poor Mme. de Nemours and the Marechale de la 
 Mothe were so violently j^ushed that they came on 
 the top of us, walking backwards the whole length of 
 the room, and finally fell against Mme. deMaintenon. 
 If I had not seized the latter by the arm the whole 
 three would have rolled the one on the top of the 
 other like a pack of cards. It was exceedingly 
 funny. As for the Princess, she is not very tall for 
 her age, but she has a pretty figure as slender as a 
 doll's, beautiful light hair, dark eyes and eyebrows, 
 long beautiful lashes, very smooth skin, but not 
 very white, her little nose is neither pretty nor ugly, 
 her mouth is large with thick li^DS, in short, she has 
 an Austrian mouth and chin. She walks grace- 
 fully, looks well, and has a gracious manner — for a 
 child of her age she is very serious and politic. 
 She pays no attention to her grandfather,! and 
 
 * The Due de IJourgogiie. 
 
 f Monsieur, whui.e daughter, by Henrietta of Eughind, n:arried 
 to bavoy. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 8i 
 
 Iiardly looks at my son and myself; but as soon 
 as she sees Mme. de Maintenon she smiles and runs 
 to meet her ; equally when she perceives the Prin- 
 cesse de Conti. By this you can see how politic 
 she is already. Those who speak with her say that 
 she is very intelligent. She takes the full rank of 
 Duchesse de Bourgogne, but she is generally styled 
 ' the Princess.' She dines alone, not with the 
 King. The whole world is returning to childhood 
 here; the day before yesterday the Princesse d'Har- 
 court and Mme. de Pontchartrin played at ' blind 
 man's buff.' Yesterday it was the turn of Mon- 
 sieur, the Dauphin, the Prince and Princesse de 
 Conti and myself. (What do you think of the 
 company?) To tell the truth I was not sorry to 
 move about a little " 
 
 " At Port Royal, Nov. 14th, 1696. 
 ^^ I find that many things are spoilt in this life 
 by religion — specially since my daughter cannot 
 wed King William. I cannot blame this King 
 for not wishing to re-marry, for matrimony is a 
 great plague, and one cannot be always sure that 
 it will turn out a good thing each time " 
 
 "Paris, Nov. 25th, 1696. 
 
 ^' No doubt you have heard by now how our 
 little new Princess was received, and that she has 
 been given the full rank of a Duchesse de Bour- 
 gogne, although she does not yet. bear the title. 
 Since she is to have precedence over me, it 
 
82 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 matters little whether it is to be now or a year 
 later. With the exception of having precedence 
 over the other Princesses I never had any joy or 
 honour in being first. ... The passion that the 
 King has for that woman * is incredible. Every 
 one in Paris says that as soon as peace is con- 
 cluded the marriage will be declared, and that 
 the lady will assume rank. This is another reason 
 why I should esteem myself fortunate in having 
 no longer precedence ; at least, I shall walk behind 
 some one who is worthy, and I shall not be 
 obliged to hand the chemise and gloves to this 
 lady. If it is to be done, I wish it were all over, 
 
 for then there would again be a Court 
 
 '^1 do not know whether the Duchesse de 
 Bourgogne will be more fortunate than the Dau- 
 phiness, the Grand-Duchesse, and myself. When 
 we first arrived we also were thought wonder- 
 ful, one after the other, but they soon got tired 
 of us. But then, we had not the advantage of 
 everyone wishing to stand well at Court being 
 obliged to behave well to us, which is the case 
 
 with this little Princess 
 
 ^< It is impossible to be more politic than she 
 is— they say that her father brought her up to be 
 so. She is not at all stupid, and I do not think 
 her as ugly as the others. She is certainly in- 
 telligent, one can see that in her eyes. . . 
 
 ♦ Mme. de Maiiitenon. 
 
 )> 
 
 ^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 83 
 
 (( 
 
 Versailles, Dec. 16th, 1C9G. 
 
 *' The fiancee of the Due de Bourgogne is kept 
 greatly shut up ; the King has forbidden us to 
 ever mention tlie opera, the play, or gambling 
 before her ; I am quite sorry for the poor child. 
 
 »9 
 
 "Versailles, Jan. 2nd, 1697. 
 
 *'By what I remember. King James used to 
 pass as being brave and firm, but never for 
 being clever. I can remember Mme. de Fiennes 
 saying to me, ' The King of England is very 
 witty and agreeable, but feeble in character; the 
 Duke of York is courageous and fierce, but perish- 
 ingly dull, and uninteresting in conversation.' " 
 
 Ma dame's religious theories and opinions must 
 have greatly shocked her contemporaries. She 
 went through every phase of religious thought. 
 -Almost entirely unbelieving at one time of her 
 life, she returned to the early catechism of Heidel- 
 burg as the best rule to follow before her death. 
 But she inherited her father's breadth of view as 
 regarded other people's opinions, and she had friends 
 amongst Jesuits, Jansenists, Huguenots, and nuns ; 
 whilst she was always ready to discuss with 
 interest any new theory proposed to her by her 
 friends or enemies. Through her letters one can 
 follow every variation, for Madame constantly 
 alluded to religion, and some of the bitterness she 
 felt against Mme. de Maintenon may be attributed 
 to the latter's intense though narrow piety. 
 
 g2 
 
 I 
 
84 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE Raugravixe Louise. 
 
 « Versailles, Jan. 22nd, 1C97 
 
 ^* It is a very unfortunate thing that the clergy 
 try to set Christians against one another. If they 
 followed my advice the three Christian religions 
 should join together and become one, and not 
 trouble us as to what each thought individually, and 
 only care as to whether all lived according to the 
 law of the Gospel— those who led evil lives would 
 then alone be rebuked by the preachers. Chris- 
 tians ought also to be allowed to contract marriage 
 together in any church without being blamed by 
 their fellows. If all this were done they would be 
 more united than they are now. 
 
 ^a think so highly of King William that I 
 could rather have him for a son-in-law than the 
 Emperor of Germany. I can truly say that my 
 daughter never thinks of coquetry or gallantry, so 
 from those things I have nothing to fear ; she is 
 not handsome, but full of good feeling, and very 
 amiable. I feel sure that she will remain an old 
 maid, for I fancy that your King will wed the 
 Princess of Denmark ; the Emperor, a Princess of 
 Savoy ; and the Due de Lorraine, the Emperor's 
 daughter. In that case there will be no one left 
 for my daughter '' 
 
 " Versailles, Feb. 18th, 1697. 
 
 "You were right not to visit the Princess of 
 Denmark* if she refused to bow to you. She is 
 
 * Afterwards Quesn Anne. 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 85 
 
 foolish to be so proud, for her mother came of a 
 rank far below yours. 
 
 "It will produce a good effect abroad to hear 
 that you refused to give up in England the 
 honours that you considered as due to you " 
 
 *' Paris, March 14th, 1G97. 
 
 '^I feel sure that my daughter is going to remain 
 an old maid — at least it seems so. No doubt your 
 
 King* will wed the Princess of Denmark The 
 
 Plenipotentiaries have gone to Holland. We shall 
 soon know whether or not they have done any- 
 thing. I do not think that a man could now be 
 found who does not hold King William in esteem ; 
 I, for my part, never made any secret of my 
 feeling for him " 
 
 " Versailles, March 17th, 1697. 
 
 ^' As far as I can understand, the great English 
 nobles come from a stock as mixed as do our 
 Dukes here, there are barely two or three who can 
 
 boast of four quarterings 
 
 ^' I did not know that music figured in English 
 plays, with the exception of the orchestra per- 
 forming between the acts. Going to the theatre 
 is my favourite amusement. His Highness, our 
 late father, used to say tliat English comedies were 
 better than any others, therefore I hope that you 
 derive amusement from them " 
 
 j 
 
 
 * Kinc: William, 
 
86 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 II 
 
 I 
 
 '<■ Saint Cloud, May 15tli, 1697. 
 
 ''' I wish that you coukl give mc more details of 
 the ceremony at which you assisted at Windsor, for 
 such topics, indifferent in themselves, are a great 
 lielp in conversations. I often find that I have 
 
 nothing left to say 
 
 ''li you understood the state of things here, you 
 would not wonder at my lack of gaiety. Any one 
 else in my place, who was not of a fundamentally 
 cheerful nature, would have died of grief long ago, 
 but I only wax fat on my troubles. I see few 
 people, and live apart 'like a free burg.' I 
 cannot claim four friends in the whole of France." 
 
 Amonir Madame's ^4our friends" must be reck- 
 oned, Fraulein von Rathsamhausen, whom she 
 brought with her from Germany. This worthy 
 lady lived with her mistress for more than forty 
 years, notwithstanding Monsieur's constant efforts 
 to make her return to her own country. She 
 always remained a true German liausfrau^ and 
 never even learnt the French language. Madame 
 was greatly attached to this worthy lady, and often 
 refers to her in her letters to the Raugravine 
 
 Louise. 
 
 Early in the spring of 1697, Madame had a bad 
 accident whilst riding at a wolf-hunt. Her horse 
 stumbled and she fell heavily on to the ground, 
 putting out her elbow. On being taken to the 
 nearest village, the Daupliin, who was with her, 
 was told that a very skilful bonesetter, famous for 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 87 
 
 his cures all round Paris, lived there. Madame 
 declared that he and no other should set her elbow. 
 This he accordingly did, and she records with great 
 satisfaction that her enemies, the King's physician 
 and Monsieur's druggist, were disgusted to see how 
 well the poor peasant bonesetter had managed to 
 rid her of her ill. 
 
 After this accident Madame gave up hunting, 
 thou^^i she still rode whenever she had a chance 
 of doing so. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise.* 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July I9th, 1697. 
 
 '' It speaks ill for a country where those wishing 
 to marry first inform themselves of the lady's 
 wealth, for it proves that virtue is held of small 
 account. I fancy that England is not the only 
 place where married folks disagree, and where 
 there are bad husbands. If one does not care to 
 meet with such cases, one must quit this world. 
 Those wishing to enter the marriage state had 
 better not come to me for advice, for I disapprove 
 of it altogether " 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 '' Saint Cloud, Aug. 18th, 1C97. 
 
 '' Although many about the Court declare that 
 King William thought of my daughter, I cannot 
 
 really believe it The old wretch would 
 
 prevent such a thing ever coming to pass. I can- 
 not believe that King William thinks of marrying 
 
 * Then living in England with her nieces, the ladies Schomberg. 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 88 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 again. And if he does so, the English Parliament 
 would not allow him to wed a Catholic, and a 
 
 Frenchwoman I always said to myself 
 
 that there would be no difficulty made as to recog- 
 nising him King. He has a right to the title, and 
 since a long time everyone here says ' King Wil- 
 Ham.' . . . ." 
 
 '* Saint Cloud, Aug. 15th, 1G97. 
 
 '* Last Monday I was dining with my aunt at 
 Maubuisson. At first she seemed silent and absent- 
 minded. I feared that she was not well, but in 
 the afternoon she became quite gay. We began 
 to build castles in the air ; I only wished for one 
 thing, namely, that my daughter should become 
 Queen of England, and that King William should 
 take her to the Hague ; then, that you should 
 meet me there, and that we should spend some 
 time together, you and I. Alas ! I know that it 
 cannot be, yet I like to speak as if it could come 
 to pass. But my aunt, the Abbess, and I talked 
 together in a low voice ; she had warned me that 
 the nuns believed that I had come to Maubuisson 
 to be consoled because my daughter was going to 
 be married to a Huguenot. They would there- 
 fore have been terribly scandalised had they heard 
 how much I desired the thing " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Sept. 4th, 1G97. 
 
 *'It is indeed true that to live single is to 
 choose the better part ; the best of husbands is 
 
 j 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 89 
 
 good for nothing. Amelia's* reflections made me 
 laugh heartily — they certainly would be true if 
 our marrying only depended on ourselves, and if we 
 had our entire personal freedom ; but I am con- 
 vinced that all is settled by Fate, and that we 
 
 are not free to act as we wish Love in 
 
 marriage is no longer the fashion ; married folk who 
 love one another are thought ridiculous " 
 
 To the Eleotress Sophia. 
 
 '* Saint Cloud, Sept. 15th, 1G97. 
 
 ''I love this child (the Prince of Wales t) with 
 all my heart. It is impossible to see him and 
 not love him. He is very good, and will in time 
 I think become a great king, for, although he is 
 only nine years old, I feel sure that he would 
 even now be able to govern better than his 
 father " 
 
 "Paris, Nov. 3rd, 1697. 
 
 ^' The Prince de Conti will divert the Poles 
 when they see him drunk, for he is very funny 
 when in that state. He then imagines that not 
 he, but some other, is drunk. Last year at one 
 of the receptions I found him half-seas over ; he 
 came towards me and said, ' I have been talking 
 to the Nuncio ; he is quite drunk, so much so that 
 I fear he will forget all the fine things that I 
 said to him,* and he laughed, sang, and made 
 compliments in the same breath. He made me 
 
 * Another of Madame's half-sisters. 
 
 t The Pretender. 
 
 / 
 
QO 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 laugh heartily. ^ But, cousin,' I observed, * is it 
 not ratlier you who have been drinking, for you 
 seem very gay ? ' He answered laughing, ' Ah ! 
 you also share the opinion of Monseigneur, M. do 
 Chartres, and the Princesse de Conti, who all will 
 have it that it is I that am drunk, not the 
 Nuncio.' And if my son and myself had not 
 prevented him he would have gone and asked 
 the Nuncio where the latter had been to drink. 
 
 )) 
 
 • • • 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *^ Paris, Nov. loth, 1697. 
 
 '^No doubt you are aware that peace has been 
 declared, and signed with the Emperor. . . . 
 
 ^'I do not believe that there will be war in 
 Poland either, for I hear that our Prince de Conti's 
 affairs there are getting on very indifferently, and 
 that he will soon return here. To my thinking 
 this would be better for him than to become King 
 of Poland, for that country is a dirty and savage 
 place, full of selfish nobles. I see that you care 
 as little for play as I do. Hombre is very fashion- 
 able here ; it and lansquenet are the only games 
 played in this country. Dancing has gone out, 
 but it may come in again soon, for the future 
 Duchesse de Jiourgogne is passionately fond of it. 
 I am in bed ; this need not surprise you for I am 
 
 never well in Paris 
 
 '' I nmst now prepare to go to church for it is 
 Sunday; after mass the Dauphin will come and 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 91 
 
 dine with us and play at lansquenet. We shall 
 spend tlie evening at the opera, viewing a new 
 ballet, named VEurope Galante* in which we 
 sliall be shown the manner in which the French, 
 Spaniards, Italians, and Turks make love to their 
 lady-loves, each in their own fashion " 
 
 About this time Madame seems to have given 
 up the thought of William III. as a son-in-law, 
 and to have turned her attention to the Duke of 
 Lorraine, who was in every way a more suitable 
 parti for Monsieur's daughter than the King of Eng- 
 land, a widower and a Protestant, could possibly be. 
 It is instructive to note how Madame's feelings 
 about William of Orange altered when she gave 
 up the thought of his making her daughter Queen 
 of England. 
 
 The King and Mme. de Maintenon had no time 
 to waste over the marriage of Mdlle. de Chartres, 
 for, apart from settling the King's legitimatised 
 children, they had the wedding ceremonies of the 
 Due de Bourgogne, Fenelon's intelligent and 
 kindly pupil, to attend to. His bride, Marie 
 Adelaide de Savoie, was far from being a favourite 
 of Madame, for she had been brought up, since 
 the age of eleven, by Mme. de Maintenon, and 
 had always behaved but with scant courtesy to 
 her step-grandmother. 
 
 So Madame had to actually bestir herself about 
 
 * By La Motte-Huuar. Campni's score. 
 
 / 
 
92 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 
 her daughter's marriage, and what she thought of 
 capital importance — the character of her future 
 Imsband. In one of the letters written about this 
 time to her sister she says, -^ Write me, I pray, 
 dear Louise, what sort of fellow is the Duke of 
 Lorraine, and inform me of his temper. . . ." 
 
 To THE Electrers Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 8th, 1G97. 
 
 ''Your gracious letter consoled me for all the 
 annoyances I had to endure during the wedding- 
 ceremonies.* There was such a crowd that I had 
 to wait a quarter of an hour in front of each door 
 before I could pass through. I had on such a 
 heavy gown and under-skirt that I could hardly 
 stand upright: this gown was composed of gold 
 fringe and black chenille flowers, my ornaments 
 were pearls and diamonds. Monsieur wore black 
 velvet embroidered with gold, and all his largest 
 diamonds. My son wore a coat of many colours, 
 embroidered with gold and covered with gems. 
 My daughter, a gown and skirt of gold-embroidered 
 velvet, the bodice being covered with rubies and 
 diamonds. The King had on a coat made of cloth 
 of gold, with silver embroideries on the side. Mon- 
 seigneur also wore cloth of gold, embroidered with 
 gold thread in relief. The bridegroom looked fine 
 in a black and gold cloak, a white stomacher em- 
 broidered with gold and trimmed with diamond 
 buttons. The cloak was lined with pink silk, em- 
 
 * Wedding of the Due de Bourgogne and Princess of Savoy. 
 
 \ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 93 
 
 broidered with gold and silver thread. The bride 
 wore a cloth of silver mantle, and skirt trimmed 
 with silver ribbons, rubies, and diamonds. All the 
 diamonds there and elsewhere were Crown jewels. 
 
 At a quarter to twelve we went to mass 
 
 — only a low mass said by the Cardinal de Coislin 
 as first chaplain. Before mass commenced the be- 
 trothal took place, the King, Monseigneur, Mon- 
 sieur and myself stood round the betrothed. When 
 came the moment to say ' yes,' the lady made four 
 curtsies, the Due only two, because he had only to 
 ask for the consent of his grandfather and father, 
 whilst the bride had also to ask that of Monsieur's 
 and mine, as being her grandparents. When mass 
 began, the King and we others went back to our 
 places, only the betrothed remained kneeling before 
 
 the altar When all was over the bride 
 
 took her place as Duchesse de Bourgogne behind 
 the King, but the bridegroom led her all the same. 
 We went immediately to lunch. The table was 
 in the form of a horseshoe. Only the royal family 
 and the King's illegitimate children were present. 
 I did not spend a weary time, for I sat next to my 
 dear Due de Berri, who made me laugh by saying : 
 ' I see my brother winking at his little wife, but 
 if I cared to I could wink at her too, for I have 
 learnt to wink the right way, fixedly and sideways,' 
 and then he mimicked his brother so funnily that 
 I could not help laughing. After this repast every- 
 one went to the Duchesse de Bourgogne's apart- 
 
 / 
 
:sK 
 
 94 
 
 LIFE 4ND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS, 95 
 
 I 
 
 (' 
 
 ment and stayed a quarter of an hour without 
 sitting down, then each went to his own rooms. 
 At seven o'clock we again met in the King's apart- 
 ment. There was such a crowd that the King, who 
 had been with Madame de Maintenon, had to wait a 
 quarter of an hour at the door before he could pass 
 through. In the King's drawing-room we waited 
 for the Englisli royal family for three-quarters of 
 an hour. When they arrived, the King, the bride, 
 and I, went as far as the ante-chamber to meet 
 them. The Queen had on a cloth-of-gold gown, 
 trimmed with black flowers, her jewels being dia- 
 monds ; the King wore a hair-coloured velvet cloak 
 with gold buttons. Everyone passed into the grand 
 apartment where play went on for three-quarters of 
 an hour ; from there we went into the gallery to 
 see the fireworks, which were splendid. Then 
 Ave went to dinner. The two Kings placed the 
 Queen between them, everyone else taking the 
 same place as at lunch " 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 1698 TO 1700. 
 
 Shortly after, Madame had the satisfaction of 
 aimouncing to her aunt and sister the engagement 
 of her daughter to Leopold Charles, Duke of Lor- 
 raine and Bar. 
 
 Madame's two children were strangely unlike, 
 though both were destined to play so great a part 
 in the history of the Europe of that date ; for 
 Charlotte Elizabeth became the mother of the 
 husband of Maria Theresa,* and after the Duke of 
 Lorraine's death was appointed Eegent of the 
 Duchy of Lorraine and Bar, her strong indivi- 
 duality coming out in several of her grandchil- 
 dren. It is strange to think this Madame was the 
 great-grandmother of Marie Antoinette— fated to 
 live in the self-same rooms that Monsieur's second 
 wife had occupied at Versailles during the life of 
 Le Grand Monarque. 
 
 The Duchesse de Chartres had an unusually long 
 engagement, the wedding being arranged to take 
 
 * Francis I. Emperor of Germany. 
 
 / 
 
96 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 w 
 
 ])lacc in October, 1G98, nearly a year after tlic be- 
 trothal had been formally declared. We may be sure 
 that Madame was pleased with this delay, which 
 enabled her to instruct her daughter in the mysteries 
 of German housekeeping. In the meanwhile the 
 question of the dowry was of considerable impor- 
 tance, for the Due de Lorraine was not wealthy. So 
 it was settled that the bride's uncle Louis XIV. 
 should give her 1)00,000 francs, and her father and 
 mother 400,000 francs, payable immediately after 
 their death, the bridegroom sending the lady a 
 large quantity of precious stones. Just after the 
 betrothal, Madame wrote to her sister, ^^ What makes 
 me hope that this marriage will turn out well and 
 make my daughter's happiness is, that she is not 
 afraid of the poverty of her future husband. She 
 believes that she will be happy in spite of it." 
 
 "Paris, Feb. IGth, 1698. 
 
 '' I had the pleasure last evening of holding a 
 long conversation with my Lord Portland.* He 
 told me that he had often had the honour of 
 seeing you, and that he admired exceedingly the 
 perfection with which you speak English and 
 Dutch 
 
 ^' Monsieur, who, as you are aware, dislikes any- 
 one to take notice of me, does not approve of 
 my Lord Portland's coming to see me so often, and 
 as he cannot forbid him to he tried to set me against 
 
 * English Ambassador. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 97 
 
 him. ' This my lord,' says he, ' only comes to see 
 you that he may get information out of you.' 
 ' That would be more to be feared with you,' I 
 replied, ' who know all the State secrets, but I, who 
 know nothing, cannot be made to say anything, 
 and I much enjoy his company, for he talks to me 
 of those I love and honour; this cannot injure any- 
 body, and you know, Monsieur, how willingly I 
 listen to those who speak to me of my aunt, my 
 uncle, and the Duke of Zell.' To this he replied 
 nought, but soon after he observed, ' This will 
 much disi)lease the King and Queen of England at 
 Saint Germains.' ' I cannot help that,' I answered. 
 ' I pity them and would willingly do anything for 
 them, but I cannot help esteeming King William, 
 for he deserves it, and I do not hide this from them! 
 I cannot refuse to see the ambassador of a King re- 
 cognised as such, and one that the King and yourself 
 received with every courtesy, and who comes with 
 many kind messages from the King his master to 
 me, asking for my friendship. All this makes me 
 treat him well, and reply to his courtesies suitably, 
 and the King and Queen at Saint Germains are 
 wrong if they find fault with it.' " 
 
 I 
 
 
 " Versailles, March 18th, 1698. 
 
 " Last Sunday my Lord Portland made his entry 
 
 into Paris. His equipaj?es and liveries were very 
 
 magnificent. He had six coaches, twelve outriders, 
 
 twelve pages, fifty couriers, and a great following of 
 
 H 
 
i«B 
 
 98 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 English my lords. Last Tuesday he was received in 
 audience here, and as they turn everything into verse 
 they have composed a ditty about his entry. I send 
 you the song. What amuses me is that in it they 
 sing the praises of the Ambassador sent by the same 
 King, whom they burnt and dragged through the 
 streets in (i^^y some years ago " 
 
 "Marly, April 24th, 1698. 
 
 *' My son told me that whilst they were speaking 
 of Holland and England, M. de Wassenacr said, 
 apropos of King William, ' He is King of England 
 and Stadholder of Holland.' ' Say rather,' replied 
 a my lord, ' that he is King of Holland and Stad- 
 holder of England.' Wassenaer rejoined, ' If you go 
 by favour it is quite true that the King reigns in 
 all Dutch hearts, and that is what you intended to 
 say.' ' Nay,' answered the Englishman, ' I simply 
 meant that he is absolute lord and master in Hol- 
 land, which he is not in England, for there he has 
 a Parliament who know how to clip his wings 
 should he wish to go too far.' . . . 
 
 » 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, May lOlh, 1098. 
 
 " My very dear Louise,— Coming back last night 
 at eight o'clock from Paris I was given your letter 
 of the 23rd April-3rd May. I read with pleasure 
 that your health was quite re-established 
 
 *^ I am not at all surprised to hear that you were 
 too ill to think of the Lord God as much as you 
 
 > 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 99 
 
 would have liked to. It is of no conquesence, for 
 anything 3/ou may have uttered during the time 
 that you were delirious was independent of your 
 will, and you have led such a virtuous life that 
 God, who is very just, would have remembered it, 
 and you would certainly have gone to Heaven if 
 you had died. For, as says the Heidelburg cate- 
 chism, as long as we feel sincere repentance and 
 sorrow for our sins, and truly believe that Jesus 
 suffered for us, all our other weaknesses will be 
 annulled by the passion and death of Christ. So 
 you have nothing to fear, dear Louise. Still, it is 
 better to reach Heaven later than sooner. The 
 world, it is true, is not worth much, but to die is 
 an awful thing, and unhappily we do not exactly 
 know what will happen to us after this life " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Saixt Cloud, May 18tb, 1698. 
 
 " I am glad that my story about Ninon * amused 
 you. She can lead the life she likes, no one will 
 ever say anything to her, for she is one of the Panto- 
 crate's t best friends ; they have known each other 
 for years. Since MdUe. de I'Enclos has become an 
 
 old woman she leads a very good life My 
 
 son is one of her friends ; she is very fond of him. 
 I could wish that he went to see her oftener, and 
 left aside some of his own friends. She inspires 
 him with more noble and worthy thouglits than the 
 
 Mdlle. de I'Enclos. 
 
 t Mme. de Maintenon. 
 
 h2 
 

 !l 
 
 100 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 latter do. She is capable of this, for her friends 
 praise her, saying, ' Tliere is not an honcstcr man 
 in the world than Mdlle. de TEnclos.' She is said 
 to be very modest in her manner and speech ; in 
 this my son does not follow her example " 
 
 To THE RaUG RAVINE LoUISE. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 17tli, 1G98. 
 
 *^I do not need any consolation to be given me 
 about dying; I neither fear nor desire death. One 
 does not require the catechism of Heidelburg to 
 teach one to detach one's self from this world, 
 
 especially in this country But to long for 
 
 death is quite against human nature. 
 
 ^' In the midst of this great Court I live retired 
 as in a desert ; there are but few people whom I 
 see frequently ; I spend long days shut up in my 
 apartment, writing and reading. If anyone comes 
 to pay me a visit I only receive them for a 
 moment ; I talk of the weather or of any Court 
 gossip, and then retire again. Four times a week 
 come my letter days : Monday, Savoy ; Wednesday, 
 Modena ; Thursday and Sunday I write long letters 
 to my aunt in Hanover ; from six to eight I drive 
 with Monsieur and our ladies of honour; three 
 times a week I go to Paris, and every day I write 
 to my friends there ; I hunt once or twice a week. 
 This is how my life is spent " 
 
 "Marly, July 4tli, 1698. 
 
 ** Those who do not know the state of things 
 here imagine that the King and tlie Court are as 
 
 ! i 
 
 -^>-* — ■» ->■ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. lot 
 
 they were before, but everything is sadly changed. 
 If someone had left Court at the time of the Queen's 
 death and came back here now he would think 
 himself in another world. I might say much more 
 about this, but there are things that one cannot put 
 on paper, for all letters may be opened. My aunt 
 often says that ' everyone is a devil sent into the 
 world to torment another devil,' and I think that 
 it is true. We of course know that everything has 
 been ordered by the will of Grod, and as He has 
 settled for all eternity ; but the All-Powerf ul not 
 having consulted us on what He meant to do, we 
 ignore the reasons for what we see happen around 
 us. I have already told you my opinion as to the 
 clergy who forbid plays, so shall say no more, 
 excepting that if they saw an inch beyond their 
 noses, they would see that what people spend in 
 going to the play is not ill-employed, for firstly 
 the actors are poor devils who thus earn their 
 livelihood, and again comedies inspire joy, joy 
 gives health, health gives strength, and strength 
 enables us to work. The theatre ought rather to 
 be encouraged than blamed ; you are quite right, 
 dear Louise, not to make a case of conscience of 
 this matter " 
 
 To THE Electress SorHiA. 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Sept. 18th, 1698. 
 
 ^^ The Pantocrate is very powerful, but I hear 
 that she is not at all gay, and often weeps bitterly ; 
 she also speaks frequently of death, only, I believe, 
 
102 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to see what answer she will receive. They* 
 spoil the Duchesse de Bourgogne terribly. When 
 driving she does not remain quiet one moment, 
 but sits on the knees of those present, and leaps 
 about like a little monkey. Everyone finds this 
 charming. She is entirely mistress in her own 
 apartment ; everything she wishes is done. Some- 
 times she takes it into her head to run out of 
 doors at five o'clock in the morning. They allow 
 her to do everything, and admire her taste. Any- 
 one else would give their child a good whipping if 
 she behaved so. I think however that thev will 
 repent in time of having allowed this child to do 
 everything that came into her head " 
 
 '' Paris, Oct. 15th, 1G98. 
 
 ^ *' I do not know whether my daughter's mar- 
 riage will turn out well in the end, but it has 
 had a sad beginning. Whilst they were being 
 married, everyone was weeping in the chapel, the 
 King, the King and Queen of England, all the 
 Princesses, all the clergy, all the courtiers, even 
 the guards and soldiers, all the ambassadors — in 
 fact everybody was shedding tears ; the Dauphin 
 alone remained calm, he assisted at the ceremony 
 as though it had been a play. The Duchesse de 
 Burgogne has at last proved that she is kind- 
 hearted, for she was too sad to eat, and did 
 nothing but weep bitterly after she had bidden 
 adieu to her aunt. 
 
 * The King and Mme. de Maintenon. 
 
 si 
 
 \ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 103 
 
 '' Yesterday I saw the present the King gave my 
 daucrhter ; it is a suite of bedroom furniture worth 
 forty thousand crowns. Nothing finer has ever been 
 seen. It is made of thick Venetian cloth of gold, 
 lined with cloth of gold. The flowers would be 
 better for a touch of flame colour. The suite is 
 composed of a bed, a table-cover, six armchairs, and 
 twenty -four chairs ; the celebrated Losn^ designed 
 it. I hope that they will think my daughter well 
 provided for in Lorraine ; she has twenty thousand 
 crowns' worth of linen, lace and point, very fine, 
 and in great quantities, filling four immense cases." 
 
 " FoNTAiNEBLEAU, Oct. 22nd, 1698, 
 
 " A quarter past two in the morning. 
 
 " How badly they are bringing up the Duchesse 
 de Bourgogne ! The child inspires me with pity. 
 She begins singing in the middle of dinner, jumps 
 up and down on her chair, pretends to bow to those 
 present, makes the most frightful faces, and eats 
 with her fingers ; in fact it is impossible to be more 
 badly and ill-brought up than she is, yet those 
 standing behind her call out, 'What grace! Ah! 
 how pretty she is.' She treats her father-in-law* 
 very disrespectfully ; he imagines by that that he 
 is in favour, and seems quite pleased. I hear t;hat 
 she treats the King with even more familiarity. 
 
 jj 
 
 » • 
 
 The Danphln. 
 
104 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Madame seems to have felt her daughter's mar- 
 riage extremely; writing shortly before the Duchesse 
 de Lorraine's departure she says : *' We had never 
 quitted each other — now we are going to be sepa- 
 rated altogether. I cry all day long, but I am 
 obliged to hide my grief else I should be lauglied 
 at, for here it is not fasliionable to be attached to 
 one's children." 
 
 But the letters she constantly wrote to the 
 Duchesse de Lorraine have unfortunately never 
 been published, having either been destroyed by 
 the recipient after Madame's death, or called in by 
 the Regent, who sent to all his mother's correspond- 
 ents begging them to return her letters, as they 
 contained so many facts injurious to the dignity 
 and well-being of the French Court. 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Nov. 5th, 1698. 
 
 " The Due de Lorraine seems very much in love 
 with my daughter. Would that this state of things 
 could last ; how happy they both would be ! But 
 alas, ' No tree is eternal,' as they say in Clelie, 
 and generally speaking there are always wicked 
 people in Courts only too ready to make the master 
 and mistress disagree. So I cannot believe that 
 my daughter's happiness is assured " 
 
 "Marly, Jan. 8th, 1699. 
 
 "11 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 '' Mme. de Chartres died heroically, witliout fear, 
 thinking little of death, ordering everything to be 
 
 W 
 
 f \ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 105 
 
 settled as though she was about to start on a 
 journey. The Due de Brissac, who during his life 
 disbelieved in God, and led a depraved and evil 
 existence, had on the contrary a great fear of 
 
 death He made a public confession, and 
 
 began to preach and declare his great repentance 
 for the sins of his past life. He died in the midst 
 of great terrors. Everyone grieved for Mme. de 
 Chartres ; no one for the Due de Brissac. His 
 own parents rejoiced at his death. . . 
 
 ?j 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 15th, 1699. 
 '^ The Pantocrate has not yet returned me my 
 visit. Does she imagine that one can do every 
 possible injury to me without my taking it to those 
 I love the most in the world ? She must get used 
 to this. Let her do me as much good as she has 
 done me harm, and she will no longer find any- 
 tliing in my letters but praise and gratitude. But 
 so far I have only seen dogs lick the hand that 
 beat them ; men are not like that." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Marly, March 16th, 1699. 
 
 ^' The two hundred thousand crowns which Mon- 
 sieur received from the Palatine States he wasted 
 without even giving me a farthing of it, and if any 
 other money came to him from there, he would 
 spend it in the same fashion 
 
 *' Those who inarry must expect to have many 
 
io6 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 misfortunes ; the higher the rank the greater the 
 miseries, for one has less consolation than other 
 people. I much fear that the worthy Queen of 
 the Romans will soon find this out. Were I to 
 get in exchange her youth, rank, and fortune, I 
 would not change places with her if the condition 
 was made that I had to spend my life as she has 
 hers, in perpetual ceremonies, for I should have 
 died of dulness at the end of a week. . . . ." 
 
 " Versailles, April 3rd, 1699. 
 
 " The play amuses me more now than hunting, 
 but I hunt for my health's sake, for if I do not 
 take violent exercise I have terrible heartache. It 
 is far less dangerous to hunt wolves than stags, 
 for they never attack. You know that our father 
 could not bear that we should hunt or ride ; it is 
 here that I first learnt. I fell twenty-four or 
 twenty-five times, but that did not frighten me. 
 
 " You are fortunate in being still able to laugh. 
 It is a long time since I have done so. One who 
 no longer wishes to laugh had best marry in 
 France ; they will soon find that it is no laughing 
 matter.' Unfortunately I was mai-ried according 
 to Paris custom. Although I am said to have a 
 considerate fortune, it is quite possible that I 
 shall find myself reduced to live entirely on the 
 King's bounty, for if Monsieur wastes my substance 
 and dies before I do, I shall receive nothing from 
 anywhere ; and should my son die without an heir. 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 107 
 
 his fortune will return to the Kins: as the male head 
 of the family. In any ease tlie fortune * will 
 descend to my son ; I have no rij^lit to the smallest 
 part of it " 
 
 "Port Royal, April 14th, 1699. 
 ^^ A councillor had been to see one of his friends, 
 and as he lived close to him he wislied to return 
 home on foot. He meets a great tall fellow dressed 
 in light grey, who peers at him and says, ' Ah ! so 
 you are M. Tiquet ; t I have been waiting for you 
 for some time,' and then shoots him with a pistol, 
 but the ball passed through his hair without touch- 
 ing him. He, thinking that it would be wise to 
 seem hurt, falls to the ground crying, ^ T am dead ! ' 
 The other replies, ^ Thou art not dead, for thou 
 speakest,' and darts, together with another, dressed 
 in brown, towards him. They struck the poor man 
 twenty-six times with a sword, four times in his 
 body, the rest only in his clothes. Neighbours 
 run out, and they bring back M. Tiquet in to his 
 fri(3nd's house. They hope that he will recover 
 from his injuries. When asked, ' Who are your 
 enemies ? ' he replies that he has none excepting 
 his wife and house-porter. The day before yester- 
 day the latter was arrested. He must have made 
 some sort of confession, for yesterday the woman 
 was also arrested " 
 
 * Monsieur's fortune. 
 
 t This murder was one of the causes celehres of the seven- 
 teenth century. 
 
 ^1 
 
io8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Paris, April 24th, 1699. 
 '^ You have seen by my letter the anguish I have 
 suffered about my aunt, the Electress of Bruns- 
 wick's, illness. Thank God she is well again. I 
 hope that He will spare her yet many years. I 
 would rather die myself than lose my beloved 
 aunt ; she is the person I love the most on this 
 earth !...." 
 
 " Paris, April 26th, 1699. 
 ^* Many thanks for the engraving of the Czar, 
 dear Louise. I shall insert it into my book of 
 engravings. I think tliat the Czar has a good 
 nature ; he is only cruel because it is the custom to 
 be so in his country '' 
 
 " Port Royal, June 12th, 1699. 
 
 *^ I do not believe that the King of England is in 
 a hurry to remarry. That Sovereign is certainly, 
 on account of his great worth, one of the greatest 
 Kinofs who ever wore a crown ; but between our- 
 selves, I assure you, that were I a maid or widow, 
 and he did me the honour of asking for my baud, 
 I would rather spend the rest of my life in a lonely 
 condition than become the greatest Queen in the 
 world, for I have got to detest the marriage 
 stare. • • • 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 14th, 1699. 
 
 '* It is said that my Lord Portland is not going 
 to leave King William's service, but only to retire 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 109 
 
 from his Chamberlalnship and his other offices near 
 the King's person ; he will keep his post in Hol- 
 land all the same. Had he resigned everything, 
 I do not suppose that he would have led a contented 
 existence notwithstanding his great wealth, for 
 those who have held important posts find time 
 pass very wearily when they have retired ; but to 
 remain great, be rich, and yet out of the claws 
 of the English, is a far from unhappy fate. It 
 must be a wicked nation that can assassinate its 
 own Sovereigns, and I much fear that King 
 William will come to a bad end with these 
 people." 
 
 To the Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, June 23rd, 1699. 
 ^' Every one is talking here of the woman who 
 had her husband, the councillor, assassinated, and 
 of the courageous fashion in w^hich she bore her 
 frightful death, for the executioner struck her five 
 or six times before her head became separated 
 from her body. So many people wished to assist at 
 the sight, that windows were let at fifty pieces of 
 gold. She was called Mme. liquet, and had had 
 her fortune told some years ago. It predicted that 
 she would live to an extraordinary old age, and 
 would lead a happy life, if she avoided a man 
 bearing her own name. Her maiden name was 
 Cartier, and it happened that the executioner who 
 beheaded her had the same name. This is really a 
 curious thing." 
 
no 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July 17th, 1699. 
 
 ^'This country is worse than England, inasmuch 
 as all the bad people also mix up in politics and 
 Court intrigues. . . . Once married, in whatever 
 country one may happen to be, one must not be 
 jealous, for it serves no purpose. One must lead a 
 good life oneself, and wash one's hands of the 
 rest ; but then one has no pleasures in life, and may 
 spend long dull hours. ... I do not trouble myself 
 as to the way the world is going. I am bcf^-inninf^* 
 to despise it, and care little for its society. Nothing 
 has been heard of lately but tragedies ; five women 
 have just been tried and condemned for murderiii'*' 
 their husbands ; others have committed suicide. 
 
 '* Nothing can be becoming rarer here than 
 Christian faith ; they are not ashamed of any vice. 
 If the King punished all those that are vicious as 
 they deserve, he would be left without Princes, 
 nobles, or courtiers, and every great house in 
 France would be plunged into mourning." 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Oct. Ist, 1699. 
 
 " I am indeed grieved to hear of Charles 
 Maurice's bad conduct. If he behaves in this 
 manner we shall not remain friends long. I am 
 very angry to hear that he is dead drunk nearly 
 all day long ; it is a shameful thing. If I thought 
 that it would make any difference I would write 
 and tell him what I thought of it. Whence comes 
 this habit of his ? Papa was never drunk in his 
 life. I am bitterly sorry that the only remaining 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, in 
 
 son of our father should be a drunkard. I saw in 
 the Dutch Gazette that they have begun rebuilding 
 at Heidelburg. Is this indeed a fact ? 
 
 '' I greatly doubt whether I shall ever see my 
 grandson * in the flesh, but my daughter is going 
 to send me a waxen image of him. . . ." 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 1st, 1699, 
 
 "11 o'clock in the morning". 
 
 " In truth the Queen of England does not treat 
 the Maintenon as an equal ; she herself does not 
 wish to be treated as Queen, but desires the same 
 consideration to be shown her — ay, even more than 
 if she was really Queen ; she expects to be con- 
 sulted in everything, and wishing naught to be 
 done without her advice or command. This is not 
 at all my idea of what ought to be " 
 
 " Paris, Dec. 27th, 1699. 
 '' The Sultan of Morocco has written an extra- 
 ordinary letter to the King, proposing to form an 
 offensive and defensive alliance with him. He 
 adds, that his envoys have told him of a beautiful 
 French Princess, whose name has escaped him, but 
 it is the one who sat on the left side of the Uuc 
 de Chartres at Monsieur's ball at the Palais Royal. 
 He has been told that she is the daughter and 
 widow of Kings, and that, therefore, he hopes our 
 
 * The son of the Duchess of Lorraine. 
 
112 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 King will not refuse her to liim. As to lier reli- 
 gion, the King need have no fear; he will leave 
 her every sort of liberty, and provide for as many 
 monks as she desires. As soon as he has received 
 tlie King's reply, he will embark on a vessel and 
 come himself to fetch the Princess, for, from his 
 envoy's description, he has fallen madly in love 
 with her. You see by this that it is the Princess 
 de Conti. Her life has been a very romantic one, 
 and to be quite complete it only needs that the 
 Sultan of Morocco should run away with her, and 
 that love-lorn French chevaliers should briiiir her 
 back again." 
 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 113 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 1700 TO 1702. 
 
 To THE Raugravine LouiSE. 
 
 u 
 
 " Marly, 21st Jan., 1700. 
 It is really quite true that the Sultan of 
 Morocco has asked the Princesse de Conti in mar- 
 riage, but the King instantly refused to hear of 
 such a thing. The Princess was exceedingly 
 beautiful before she had the small-pox, but this 
 illness greatly changed her ; she still has her 
 perfect figure, and dances admirably. I never 
 saw a portrait of her which resembled her " 
 
 "Versailles, April 23rd, 1700. 
 
 '^ The old lady, who is in great favour, detests 
 me as though I was the devil, and opposes me in 
 everything. This woman is also a pitiless enemy 
 of the Huguenots 
 
 " My daughter is in great grief from the loss of 
 her little boy ; she has also had this week to wit- 
 ness a sad ceremony. Her father-in-law left orders 
 to his son in his will to take up his body as soon 
 as he had regained possession of the Duchy of 
 
ti4 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Lorraine, and bury it at Nancy. Thus tlie grand- 
 father and little grandson were laid to rest toge- 
 ther. This is a sad thing; my poor daughter is 
 much to be pitied. This proves that no one is com- 
 pletely happy in this life, for she is, thank God, in 
 other ways the happiest woman in the world." 
 
 Madame had been looking forward to paying 
 her daughter a visit in Lorraine during the course 
 of the winter, but a trifling question of etiquette, 
 raised by the Due de Lorraine, caused her to be 
 disappointed. The Due declared that he had tlie 
 right to sit in the presence of his mother-in-law 
 in an armchair, by permission of the Emperor of 
 Germany. Louis XIV., hearing of the affair, had 
 the Due de Lorraine informed that the Emperor of 
 Germany could do as he liked in his own Court, 
 but that at Versailles things were managed differ- 
 ently. For instance, in Germany, Cardinals were 
 allowed to seat themselves in armchairs in the 
 Eoyal presence ; in France they were not even 
 allowed to sit down before the King. 
 
 Then Monsieur joined in the discussion, and 
 recalled that the old Due de Lorraine, whose 
 daughter had wedded Gaston d'Orleans, had never 
 sat on anything higher than a stool before his own 
 son-in-law. Madame all this time was waiting 
 anxiously to know whether or not she was going 
 to be allowed to visit her daughter. At last the 
 King decided that the Due de Lorraine might sit 
 down in a high-backed chair before his father or 
 
 
 « 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 115 
 
 mother-in-law. But to this the Due would not 
 consent, declaring that, having been raised to the 
 rank of Elector by the Emperor, he had certainly 
 a right to the armchair. 
 
 Then Monsieur suggested a heroic remedy. 
 Why should any of them ever sit down at all ? 
 Or again. Why should they not all sit on stools, as 
 was the fashion followed at the English Court ? 
 
 But the King would have none of this trifling 
 with proper etiquette, and so Madame had to give 
 up her cherished plan. 
 
 This is not the only strange case of etiquette 
 which arose about this time. In 1685, when 
 the Princes de Conti went to join the army in 
 Hungary, they were not received by the Emperor 
 because they had insisted on their right to sit in 
 his presence in an armchair, and, though every 
 other honour was accorded them, thev refused to 
 waive the point, and left without even seeing the 
 personage they had come to see. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Versailles, May 9th, 1700. 
 
 ''My son, apart from his marriage, has often 
 ])ained me by his disobedience. When I begged 
 him not to do a thing he did it immediately, many 
 times before my eyes. When I tell him that I 
 cannot bear to see him mix with certain people, he 
 speaks to them more than before ; he once told the 
 King that I was the cause of his bad conduct, 
 because I hate those that he bears in affection.'' 
 
 I 2 
 
,it..r:^-i ssia^JiaAi 
 
 ii6 
 
 Zy/'^ ^iVZ) LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July 18tb, 1700. 
 
 " King James is unfortunate in not having his 
 true sentiments recognised. We are on good 
 terms with the royal family,* but King William's 
 wishes are followed. . . . Our King, thank God ! 
 is wonderfully well just now, and looks better in 
 health than he did two years ago. He walks a 
 great deal on foot, at Marly, when he has not 
 the gout, and this, I think, keeps him in good 
 health. ..." 
 
 ** Saint Cloud, June 12th, 1700. 
 
 '*You make me laugh by saying tliat France, 
 England, and Holland, wish to govern the world 
 together. It is easy to believe in a Trinity so 
 plainly visible. . . ." 
 
 Now that her daughter was married Madame 
 withdrew more and more from the Court receptions 
 and gaieties, but she always managed to hear of all 
 that went on, through her son, who often came to 
 see her, and Monsieur, who was a great gossip, 
 although he rarely seems to have spent an hour 
 with his wife, unless he happened to be in tem- 
 porary disgrace with the King or Madame de 
 Maintenon. He spent most of his time in gambling, 
 and as Madame disliked that amusement, and, as 
 he believed, brought him ill-luck, she never saw 
 him after dinner. 
 
 Monsieur was singularly fond of bells, and would 
 
 • James II., lils Queen and cliildrcu. 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 117 
 
 often go to Paris the evening before some great 
 feast to hear them ring out, and in this Madame 
 sympathised, although she so disliked going to 
 Paris that she generally made Monsieur go alone 
 to hear his favourite music. 
 
 Madame was naturally much interested in the 
 Spanish Succession difficulty which occurred at this 
 time, and concerned all Europe, and specially^ 
 Germany, or rather Austria, and France, for in the 
 case of Charles II. of Spain dying without heirs, 
 both Louis XIV. and the Emperor of Germany 
 claimed the right to the Spanish throne for one of 
 their children. 
 
 For the two daughters of Philip IV., Charles 
 II. 's predecessor, had married respectively to 
 France and Austria, the eldest, Maria Theresa, 
 becoming the wife of Louis XIV., the youngest, 
 Marguerite, Empress of Germany. Maria Theresa, 
 however, had entirely renounced all her rights to 
 the throne of Spain when she married the King of 
 France. 
 
 Louis XIV. had always been determined that 
 sooner or later France should make good her claim ; 
 partly to achieve this, Madame's step-daughter, 
 Marie Louise, had been sacrificed, and became 
 virtually a French spy in her husband's Court. 
 
 After her death, said to have been caused by 
 poison, and which occurred in 1689, Charles 11. 
 married Maria Anne of Neuburg, a sister of the 
 Emperor of Germany. She was naturally entirely 
 
I ! 
 
 ii8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 in the German and Austrian interest, and violent 
 anti-French intrigues caused the feeling between 
 the Spanish and French Courts to become very- 
 strained. But Louis XIV. had faithful friends and 
 spies in Madrid. These continuallv tried to work 
 on the weak intellect of the King and make him 
 distrust his wife and her German advisers. He 
 was actually at one time brought to believe that 
 they meant to bewitch him and turn him into a 
 candied orange. Again, he was constantly being 
 w^arned that he would be poisoned as had been 
 his unfortunate first wife. In the meantime, and 
 with the greatest secrecy, Louis XIV. proposed to 
 William of Orange to join him in a treaty settling a 
 partition of the Spanish kingdom after Charles II.'s 
 death, avoiding thus difficulties and probably wars 
 in the future. William III., perhaps fearing lest 
 Louis XIV. should make a better bargain with 
 some one else, agreed. The negotiations were 
 conducted with the utmost secrecy by Comte 
 Tallard and Lord Portland, and the first Treaty of 
 Partition was signed at the Hague, ] 1th October, 
 1698. By this treaty it was agreed that France 
 should take Sicily and Naples as her portion 
 of the spoil, the kingdom of Spain and the 
 Spanish Netherlands be handed to the Prince of 
 Bavaria, and Milan to the Archduke Charles, second 
 son of the Emperor of Germany. 
 
 Notwithstanding the secrecy with which the 
 whole affair had been carried out, the Partition 
 
 N 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS, 119 
 
 Treaty was soon talked of all over Europe as a 
 fait accompli; but Charles II., acting by the advice 
 of Cardinal Portocanero, made a will declaring the 
 Prince of Bavaria his rightful heir, hoping thus 
 to put an end to his enemies' plots, for all acknow- 
 ledged that the youthful Prince of Bavaria had a 
 certain right to Spain through his grandmother, 
 the Empress Marguerite, youngest daughter of 
 Philip IV. This will was executed in December, 
 1698, and the Prince of Bavaria died suddenly on 
 the 6tli of February, 1699, it being openly stated 
 in France that he had been poisoned by order of 
 the Emperor of Germany. 
 
 Louis XIV. now proposed another and a slightly 
 different treaty to William III. This was signed 
 in March, 1700, and assigned Spain, the Indies, 
 and the Spanish Netherlands, to the Archduke 
 Charles, w^iilst France was to receive Louvaine in 
 addition to Sicily and Naples, persuading the Duke 
 (Madame's son-in-law) to accept Milan as an ex- 
 change. 
 
 Meanwhile, the German party were triumphing 
 in secret, believing that Anne of Neuburg, who 
 was known to have great influence over her weak 
 husband, would persuade him to make a final will 
 in favour of the Archduke Charles, her nephew. 
 But Louis XIV., aided by Madame de Maintenon's 
 counsels and secret correspondence, was working 
 steadily for the end which was actullay accom- 
 plished. About three weeks before his death 
 
120 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 (November 1st, 1700) Charles II. of Spain signed 
 a will instituting Philippe, Due d'Anjou, Louis 
 XIV.'s second grandson, his heir. 
 
 It was thought at the time that Louis XIV. had 
 always had this end in view, and that his offers 
 and treaties with William III. were only entered 
 into to conceal his real design for the Due d'Anjou. 
 But since the publication of certain State papers 
 and the De Forey* Memoirs, it has been recognised 
 that when the offer was brought from Spain ho 
 really hesitated as to whether it would not be wiser 
 to annex Sicily and Naples, extending the French 
 frontier on the Spanish border, than to entrust so 
 great an inheritance to the Due d'Anjou, then little 
 more than a child. However, he finally decided 
 in favour of his grandson, acting on Mme. de 
 Main tenon's advice, and throwing over William III., 
 to the Court of St. Germain's great satisfaction. 
 And the Due d'Anjou was proclaimed Philip V. of 
 Spain. 
 
 The news of Charles II.'s death did not arrive, 
 till eight days after it had actually taken place, at 
 the French Court. For he died on the 1st of 
 November, and on the 10th Madame wrote as 
 follows to the Electress Sophia :— 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU. 
 
 ''To-day I have a great piece of news to 
 announce to you. The King of Spain is dead. 
 
 ♦ Nephew of Colbert. 
 
 fi 
 
 ■' 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 121 
 
 The messengers arrived yesterday morning. They 
 say that the event had been expected for some 
 time, and that his Queen is ill from grief. Our 
 King has been sent a copy of the will. The Due 
 d'Anjou is named as being the heir. One of the 
 Spanish grandees started immediately with the 
 will to come and ask the Due to accept the Crown 
 of Spain. In case our King refuses for the Due, 
 the grandee has received orders to go on to Vienna 
 and offer the Crown to the Emperor. I fancy that 
 the treaty which was made with England and 
 Holland is causing us great embarrassment here. 
 I hear that the King brought the Pantocrate into 
 the Council yesterday, much to the Ministers' 
 astonishment " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, NoV. loth, 1700. 
 
 ^'Everyone yesterday was whispering to one 
 another, '• Don't repeat it, but the King has 
 accepted the crown of Spain for the Due d'Anjou ! ' 
 
 *^ I kept silence ; but when hunting I heard the 
 Due d'Anjou behind me. I stopped and said, 
 ' Pass, great King ! Let your Majesty pass.' I 
 should have liked you to have seen how astonished 
 the good child looked at my knowing the news . . . 
 
 ^^ They say that the King had him told yesterday 
 privately that he was to be King, but that he was 
 to say nothing about it. . . . He is not so quick 
 and intelligent as his youngest brother, but he has 
 other excellent qualities ; he has a warm heart, is 
 generous (a rare quality in this family), and truth- 
 
 II lit 
 
I 
 
 II 
 
 { ) 
 
 h I 
 
 122 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ful— nothing can persuade him to tell a lie. He 
 will also be a man of his word ; he is merciful and 
 courageous, and looks very Austrian. He always 
 keeps his mouth open. I have told him of it a 
 hundred times ; at the time he is told of it he shuts 
 it, being very obedient, but when he forgets again, 
 he re-opens it " 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 19th, 1700. 
 
 " Tuesday morning the King sent for the good 
 Due d'Anjou into his study and said to him, ' You 
 are King of Spain.' Immediately the Spanish 
 Ambassador and all the Spaniards here came in and 
 threw themselves at their new Sovereign's feet and 
 kissed his hand, one after the other, placing them- 
 selves behind him. After this the King led the 
 young King of Spain to where all the Court was 
 assembled and said, ^ Messieurs, salute the King of 
 Spain ! 
 
 » 
 
 • • • • 
 
 In the following letter to her sister Madame 
 gives a curious account of how one week of her 
 existence was passed in the winter of 1700 : — 
 
 " Versailles, March 8th. 
 
 ^^ On Sunday we had a long sermon, and I wrote 
 to my aunt, the Electress of Brunswick ; Monday 
 I went wolf-hunting with Monseigneur, but we did 
 not find ; Tuesday we attended a stag-hunt in the 
 forest of St. Germains, and in the evening went to 
 the play ; Wednesday I wrote to Louvaine and 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 123 
 
 Modena, and attended the sermon ; Thursday I 
 again went wolf-hunting, and after I came home 
 finished a long letter to my aunt ; Friday there 
 was another sermon, and I had a very busy day, 
 for my first gentleman is just dead, and he who 
 takes his place will have to pay the widow 42,000 
 francs. This occupied me the whole day, and I 
 also received a great number of letters. Saturday 
 we again went wolf-hunting ; on my return I wrote 
 to my daughter. Sunday I wrote to Hanover, and 
 attended the sermon, which was remarkably long. 
 I also wrote to Paris. Monday 1 write to you. . . ." 
 
 By this it is easy to see how great a place 
 hunting and letter-writing occupied in Madame's 
 life. Although well aware that her correspondence 
 was tampered with, she wrote with the greatest 
 freedom. '^ Every letter which arrives in or goes 
 out of France is opened and read. But this is a 
 matter of indifference to me ; I go on writing all 
 that comes into my head all the same," she wrote 
 once to her sister when some letter had been 
 evidently read before reaching the latter in 
 Germany. 
 
 To THE Raugrave Charles Maurice. 
 
 " Versailles, April 17th, 1701. 
 
 " I have known since a long time that my aunt 
 will succeed to the English crown, and I wrote and 
 told her so. I am very glad of it. King William 
 is a valetudinarian, and Princess Anne is not 
 
124 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 III 
 
 I 
 
 strong. She is said to drink too many hot wines. 
 So I hope that our dear Electress will not have to 
 wait too long before ascending her grandfather's 
 throne." 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 *' Versailles, April 19tli, 1701. 
 
 *' Since his accident (an attack of apoplexy) 
 Monseigneur is afraid of dying. He has become 
 quite serious, and has sent away his actress. He 
 makes her an allowance of a thousand pistoles, and 
 she will leave the theatre at the time of the Jubilee. 
 I am sorry for this, as she is an excellent actress, 
 
 "I hear that the King of Spain has taken 
 Telemaque as model. I daresay that he will find a 
 Minerva in time who will govern him and Spain 
 entirely. The Due de Berri is as merry as 
 ever, and troubles himself about nothing. The 
 Duchesse de Burgogne is very intelligent; but 
 she is what any other young girl would be who 
 had been allowed entire liberty of action— vain and 
 frivolous. . . P 
 
 To the Raugravine Louise. 
 
 ''Port Royal, May 15th, 1701. 
 
 ^* All my life I have regretted being a woman, 
 and, to tell the truth, it would have suited me 
 better to have become Elector than Madame. I 
 should not have taxed the poor people as does the 
 present Elector,* and I should have allowed free- 
 dom of worship to all Faiths. I should even prefer 
 
 * Of the Palatinate. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 125 
 
 being Elector to being King of England, for 
 neither the temper nor the Parliament of those 
 English would suit me. I do not envy my aunt 
 her birthright, though no doubt she will manage 
 them better than I should have done " 
 
 Madame here alludes to the Electress Sophia's 
 claim to the throne of England, which she herself 
 had forfeited by her marriage to Monsieur. Had 
 her brother lived he would have been King of 
 England and Elector Palatine, but owing to his 
 death and Madame's marriage to a French Prinne, 
 the claim passed on to the Electress Sophia and her 
 son, who afterwards became George I. 
 
 We now come to the great event in Madame's 
 life -in more senses than one— Monsieur's death, 
 which occurred on the 6th of June, 1701, probably 
 from what would now be called a fit of apoplexy. 
 
 It has been reported that on learning the news 
 Madame's only comment was, ''Fas de convent, 
 pas de couvent ! " 
 
 Be that as it may, Madame was allowed to remain 
 at Court, and was not forced to retire to her dower- 
 house of Montargis, or into a convent, as was the 
 custom with other royal widows. We have seen a 
 curious manuscript book* presented to her by a 
 convent shortly after Monsieur's death, and con- 
 taining the lives of all the saints and widows 
 supposed to 1)0 related to "Madame, Princesse 
 Palatine, Duchesse de Baviere et d'Orl^ans." 
 
 * Now at the Bibliotheque Rationale. 
 
 ■^S^^S$^m^i^'- 
 
126 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 This was evidently meant as a gentle hint as to 
 Madame's widowed vocation. Among her ^^rela- 
 tives " figure Saint Monica, mother of Saint 
 Augustine ! but Madame did not follow the good 
 nun's advice. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Versailles, June 12th, 1701. 
 *' Monsieur was still hale and hearty last Wed- 
 nesday morning. He went to Marly and dined 
 with the King. After dinner he went to St. 
 Germains, coming back here at six o'clock. He 
 was in a very good temper, and told us about the 
 company he had met at the Queen of England's. 
 Towards nine o'clock I was told that supper was 
 ready, but I could eat nothing, feeling feverish. 
 Monsieur said to me, * I am going to supper ; 
 I shall not do like you, for I am very hungry,' 
 and then he went to table. Half an hour after 
 I heard a great noise. Mme. de Ventadour entered 
 my apartment, as pale as death. ' Monsieur feels 
 ill,' says she. I immediately ran into his room ; 
 he recognised me, but could not speak plainly 
 enough to be understood. I could only make out 
 these words, ' You are ill ; go away.' He was 
 bled three times, given eleven ounces of emetics, 
 SchafEhouse water, and two bottles of English drops. 
 But nothing was of any good. Towards six o'clock 
 in the morning they saw that the end was approach- 
 ing, and forced me to leave the room. I was in a 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 127 
 
 fainting condition. They put me to bed, but I 
 could not stay still, and got up. 
 
 '^ The King came to see me; he was very touched, 
 and did his best to console me, and was very 
 gracious; Mme. de Maintenon was also touched, 
 and condoled with me. The King left. At twelve 
 o'clock Monsieur died. I immediately got into a 
 coach and came here. The King sent to know 
 how I was— fright had driven away my feverish- 
 ness. Mme. de Maintenon sent my son to tell me 
 that now was the best time for a reconciliation with 
 the King. Whereupon I reflected deeply. I remem- 
 bered how many times I had been advised to make 
 friends with the lady herself. So I asked the Duke 
 de Noailles to tell her from me that I was so 
 touched by the manner in which she had expressed 
 sympathy for me that I begged her to come and 
 see me. This she did towards six o'clock. I imme- 
 diately said how pleased I was to see her, and 
 asked her to be my friend. I owned that I had 
 been angry with her because I iiad tliought that 
 she injured me in the King's estimation, but that 
 I would willingly forget everything if she would be 
 my friend in future. Thereupon she made me 
 many charming and eloquent speeches, and pro- 
 mised to be my friend, and we embraced one 
 another. 
 
 " ' But it is not enough,' I continued, ^ to tell 
 me that the King is displeased with me— you must 
 also tell me the way in which I can re-enter into 
 
 ^B» 
 
128 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS. 129 
 
 1| 
 
 II 
 
 his favour.' She advised me to speak openly to 
 him. I followed this counsel. The King embraced 
 me, begged me to forget the past, and promised 
 me his affection in the future. He also laughed 
 when I said to him in the most natural fashion, 
 * If I did not love you I should not so have hated 
 Mme. de Maintenon when I thought that she injured 
 me with you.' 
 
 " So all ended happily , . . . 
 
 *' 1 shall spend another sad day, for at three 
 o'clock the King will go back to Versailles to open 
 Monsieur's will " 
 
 The following passages in a letter written to 
 Madame de Maintenon immediately after Mon- 
 sieur's death, and when Madame probably felt a 
 real fear of being exiled to Montargis, throw a 
 strange light on her character : — 
 
 " This Wednesday, July 1st, 
 
 "At eleren o'clock in the morning. 
 
 " Had I not been employed, madame, in the 
 sad task of looking over Monsieur's papers and 
 boxes, which made me quite faint, so violent were 
 the perfumes contained therein, you should have 
 had news of mo before ; but I cannot express to 
 you how touched I was by the King's kindness to 
 my son yesterday ; as I know that this is owing 
 to your advice, madame, I beg to assure you of my 
 thanks and friendship, and I pray of you to con- 
 tinue your good counsel. Rest assured that my 
 
 i 
 
 '"^ 
 
 \ I 
 
 gratitude towards you will only end with my 
 life. . 
 
 j> 
 
 Again, 
 
 " This Saturday morning, half-past eleven. 
 
 " As I have only had the honour of seeing the 
 King in public I was not able to inform him that I 
 had received another letter from the Queen of 
 Spain, and, though she begs me to keep it secret, I 
 do not wish to hide anything from the King. 
 Therefore I thought it well, Madame, to send you 
 the letter, and the answer I wrote to it. Should he 
 approve of what I have written I should be glad to 
 receive it back to-night, for the man who brought 
 the letter from the Queen is waiting for the answer. 
 Be kind enough to tell me what are the King's 
 wishes, and remain assured, Madame, that I shall 
 always desire to hear them expressed through you, 
 for whom I entertain so great a friendship, founded 
 on esteem." 
 
 Madame must have written these letters to her 
 enemy in hopes of conciliating the King, for 
 shortly before Monsieur's death one of her letters 
 to the Electress Sophia had been intercepted and 
 brought to the King. Sending for her he sternly 
 upbraided her with the various epithets with 
 which she had designated Madame de Maintenon, 
 and after a painful scene she promised never to 
 repeat the offence. Again, her son often implored 
 her to keep on good terms with '^ the King's old 
 
130 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ii 
 
 !| 
 
 woman," warning her that she was in danger of 
 banishment. 
 
 However, in this matter Madame de Maintenon 
 proved a generous enemy. On the 29th of July, 
 Madame says mournfully : ''I really wish that I 
 could find something diverting to do; but just 
 now I am allowed to do nothing, excepting to take 
 walks by myself. The King's kindness is my 
 great consolation. He came to see me, and took me 
 out walking with him. Saturday was the day of 
 Monsieur's funeral. I cried all day, although I 
 did not actually assist at the ceremony. Madame 
 de Maintenon is still kind to me ; if she continues 
 so I shall certainly remain her friend." 
 
 Again, writing in August to the Raugravine 
 Louise, ^^ The King is very kind to me, and has 
 raised my son's rank. This pleases me much, for 
 he is a good fellow, and we get on very well 
 together." 
 
 "Versailles, 8th Sept., 1701. 
 ^^ I found King James in a pitiful state. He can 
 still speak and knows everybody, but he looks very 
 ill and had a long beard. Last Sunday, after 
 having received the last Sacrament, he sent for his 
 children and servants, gave them all his blessing, 
 and made a long discourse to the Prince of 
 Wales " 
 
 On James IL's death, which occurred in a 
 country-house near Saint Germains, where he liad 
 been spending the summer, Louis XIV. committed 
 
 \ 
 
 >\ 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 131 
 
 the mistake of recognising his son, the Pretender, 
 as King of England. By doing this he broke the 
 Treaty of the Peace of Ryswick, and greatly 
 incensed William III. 
 
 The old question of the Spanish Succession 
 came up again, and a Treaty of Alliance was 
 signed at the Hague between England, Holland^ 
 Germany, and the Elector Palatine, for the pur- 
 })ose of upholding William III. and preventing the 
 ultimate union of the crowns of France and Spain 
 in the person of the same Prince. 
 
 Madame began by having a secret sympathy 
 for the '' Grand Alliance," but as time went on she 
 became quite French in feeling. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Fontainebleau, Sept. 28th, 1701. 
 ^' You were quite right in guessing that King 
 James's last discourse to his son was about religion. 
 He told him to endure death rather than give up 
 his Faith 
 
 "' You can hardly believe how foolish people are 
 in Paris. Everyone wishes to pass as being able to 
 call up the spirits of the dead, and indulge in other 
 devilish tricks; in fact, they are becoming mad. 
 You are quite right in saying that these insane 
 practices are the outcome of the thirst for luxury 
 and wealth " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Versailles, Oct. 12tli, 1701. 
 '^ The death of King James has quite saddened 
 
 k2 
 
^32 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 me. His widow's state would melt a stone. Good 
 King James met his death with a firmness impos- 
 sible to describe, and as though he was preparing 
 for sleep. The eve of his death he said, ^ I forgive 
 my daugliter with all my heart for the injury she 
 has done me, and I pray God to forgive her ; also 
 the Prince of Orange and all my enemies.' " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Oct. 13, 1701. 
 
 *^ The Queen of England cannot be consoled for 
 the death of her husband, although she bears her 
 loss with much Christian resignation. ... I have 
 nothing new to tell you. I walk out here a little, I 
 read, I write, and sometimes the King drives me 
 to the hunt. . . . Twice a week there is the play, 
 but, of course, I can go nowhere. This annoys me 
 very much, for I must own the going to the play 
 is still my greatest pleasure in life " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Nov. 3rd, 1701. 
 
 '^ I believe that King James is now in Heaven. 
 The Parisians go even further, and declare that he 
 works miracles ; but my faith does not carry me 
 thus far 
 
 ^^They care little in France what sort of life 
 men lead. As long as they do not rob others, or 
 bear false witness, they are allowed to do any- 
 thing, and everyone keeps up with them, however 
 debauched and wicked they may happen to be. . . . 
 I have written to my aunt that she spoils Charles 
 Maurice by laughing at him when drunk ; it will 
 make him think that drinking is in good taste.'' 
 
 5 
 
 ,\ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS, 133 
 
 To THE ElECTRESS SOPIIIA. 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 29th, 1701. 
 ^' I am convinced that you are not so wrinkled 
 as I am, but I do not mind — having never been 
 handsome I lose nothing; and I see those that I 
 once knew as beauties have lost more than mvself ; 
 none would recognise Mme. de la Valliere ; Madame 
 de Montespan's skin resembles a piece of paper that 
 children have twisted about, her face is covered 
 with innumerable little wrinkles, her beautiful hair 
 has become as white as snow, and her face is 
 red " 
 
 " Versailles, March 26th, 1702. 
 ^' On arriving here, one of my son's people 
 informed me that a Paris banker, Samuel Bernard, 
 had received a letter from England informing him 
 of King William's death. This brings you a step 
 nearer to the Throne. ..." 
 
 The following letter, written about this time to 
 Herr von Harling, shows Madame in the character 
 of a truly faithful and grateful friend : — 
 
 '^ The sad news of your wife's death has greatly 
 grieved me, and although, considering the state 
 illness had brought her to, death was a release from 
 suffering, I wept for her with all my heart. . . . 
 I can assure you that none can sympathise with 
 you as I do, who can remember what care she took 
 of me in my childhood ; and all the trouble that I 
 must have given her makes me feel truly grateful 
 to her memory. . . ." 
 
1 1 
 
 34 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Madame does not seem to have been much 
 troubled by the death of William III. As will 
 soon be perceived Madame detested her first cousin 
 George, Elector of Brunswick, the more so that he 
 had married Sophia of Zell, whose mother, Elinore 
 d'Esmier, she had known in her youth, and 
 greatly disliked. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Marly, April 29th, 1702. 
 
 " The Elector of Hanover is selfish and false. 
 I have known that this was so for some time, for 
 although I gave him several marks of my affection, 
 he never showed any confidence in me, and would 
 hardly speak to me. I was obliged to force the 
 words one by one out of him. This was very un- 
 pleasant 
 
 **The Queen of England* behaved in a truly 
 Christian and generous manner on hearing of King 
 William's death. Many of the English had wished, 
 on the arrival of the news, to testify their joy. 
 The Queen forbade them to do this, and speaks of 
 him without bitterness. I greatly admire this 
 woman ; she has certainly never done anything to 
 merit her misfortunes. I feel sure that my aunt 
 is happier as she now is than were she Queen of 
 England, for the English are a false and singular 
 people. . . . ." 
 
 Madame had a special horror of inesalliances, 
 whicli neither time, nor much experience of the 
 
 * Mary of Modena, widow of James II. 
 
 li!^ i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 135 
 
 thing she so disliked, abated. Her son's marriage 
 to Mdlle. de Blois she felt a deep disgrace; 
 Louis XIV.'s to Mme. de Maintenon a strange 
 eccentricity ; and much of her dislike to George I. 
 may be ascribed to his having wedded the unfor- 
 tunate Sophia of Zell, daughter of Elinore d'Esmier. 
 Writing of the Koenigsmark scandal to the Rau- 
 gravine Louise, Madame alludes bitterly to the 
 Duchess of Zell's obscure extraction in several 
 of her letters, for she felt heartily sorry for her 
 aunt, the Electress Sophia, who was necessarily 
 mixed up in the whole story. 
 
 This year Madame lost one of her half brothers- 
 Charles Maurice, to whom she was greatly attached. 
 She constantly wrote to him begging him to give 
 up the habits of intoxication to which he had early 
 become addicted; but it was of no use, and he 
 died, to quote Madame's own words ^ literally con- 
 sumed by drink'' at Berlin, where he had lived 
 a solitary existence for some years. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, April 29th, 1702. 
 
 ''1 can quite believe that King William died 
 with great firmness, for one generally dies as one 
 
 has lived 
 
 ^^I think that Princess Anne soon became con- 
 soled for her brother-in-law and cousin's death. I 
 cannot understand how she can have an easy con- 
 science, after having persecuted her father till his 
 
136 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 i . 
 
 I 
 
 death. I hope that she will, at any rate, not act 
 badly by you " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 ," Marly, April 29th, 1702. 
 " The marriage * of my cousin, the Elector of 
 Brunswick, has done more ill than good, and will, 
 in any case, result in eternal shame. The Duchess f 
 ought more than any one else to take to heart her 
 daughter's misfortune, for it is owing to the evil 
 way in which she brought her up that this trouble 
 has fallen upon her. There are some here who 
 
 declare her innocent This Duchess was of 
 
 low birth, and would have been honoured had my 
 first gentleman-in-waiting consented to marry her. 
 Think how ill-assorted she must have been with a 
 Duke of Brunswick ! '' 
 
 " Marly, Aug. 9th, 1702. 
 
 ''News has been received that the King of Sweden 
 with two thousand men have put to rout the army 
 of the King of Poland, which was twice as strong 
 as his own. . . . Yesterday we went out into the 
 garden after dinner to see the two fine statues that 
 the King has lately caused to be put up ... . 
 
 "Believe me, dear Louise, if we had nothing 
 to grieve over but our sins we should be very 
 merry. . . ." 
 
 Louis XIV's campaign against the Allies, whose 
 
 * George I. married, when Elector of Brunswick, Sophia of 
 Zell in 1682. 
 
 t Sophia of Zell's mother, the Duchess of Zelle-Lunebourg. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. ii^'j 
 
 army was commanded by Marlborough, proved 
 most disastrous to France. During the year 1702 
 Bouffleurs was compelled to abandon the whole lino 
 of the Meuse. And on the 22nd of October Admiral 
 Chateau Renaud had to set fire to his ships in the 
 Bay of Vigo to prevent their falling into the hands 
 of Admiral Roche, who was commanding the Allies. 
 
 In the meantime the Archduke Charles had been 
 declared King of Spain in Austria, Germany, 
 Holland, and England. 
 
 Of all this we find little mention in Madame's 
 letters. The probability is that even she felt the 
 impropriety of the King of France's sister-in-law 
 discussing these matters, or again her letters may 
 have been stopped at the frontiers. So, with the 
 exception of light references to the existing state of 
 things, politics were banished for a time from her 
 letters. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Versailles, April 8th, 1703. 
 
 "I do not know whether wars and fires have 
 altered the atmosphere of the Palatinate, but in 
 my time there were many people at Heidelburg, 
 Manheim, and in the mountains, who were more 
 than a hundred years old. Walking one day near 
 the Neuburg Convent I saw a man who was more 
 than a hundred and two. At Manheim there was 
 a man of a hundred and two whose wife was a 
 hundred. My brother told me that he had seen a 
 peasant at Myssinnheim w^ho was a hundred and 
 
»38 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 twenty-four years old. You see by this that long- 
 lived people are not rare." 
 
 During the course of this spring and summer 
 Madame had a severe illness. '' I was twice sup- 
 posed to be at the point of death/' she writes in 
 September to her sister. But, with the exception of 
 her son and daughter, probably few cared this year 
 as to whether the widow of Monsieur lay dying or was 
 well, for all eyes were fixed on Marshal Vi liars and 
 the army, who really seemed to be reconquering 
 the place that France had lost the year before 
 among the nations of Europe. 
 
 Unfortunately Villars' successes were more than 
 counterbalanced by the defeats of tlie Duke of 
 Savoy and the adhesion of Portugal to the Allies. 
 We are not told what Madame felt or said when 
 she was told of the way in which Montrevel tried 
 to subdue the Protestant insurrection in the 
 Cevennes, but we may be quite sure that she 
 rejoiced when Villars was sent to re])lace him, 
 and by his firm and wise handling of their leader, 
 Cavalier, imposed peace and order. 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. 17th, 1704. 
 
 '* One finds few women here who are not born 
 coquettes. They flatter themselves that as Our 
 Lord behaved most charitably to women of their 
 sort, he will have compassion on them; the thought 
 of Mary Magdalene, and the woman of Samaria, con- 
 soles them. It is a mistake to think that one gets 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 139 
 
 tired of coquetry ; far from getting tired of it, one 
 at last finds that one cannot live without it " 
 
 " Versailles, March 30th, 1704. 
 
 ^'I could not fast, being unable to eat fish, 
 and I am convinced that one can do many better 
 things than spoil one's stomach by eating too much 
 fish. 
 
 *^ As I have the honour of knowing the King of 
 Poland I feel sorry for him, but one must admit 
 that he did a foolisli thing in becoming sovereign 
 of that country." 
 
 " Versailles, April 29th, 1704. 
 
 *' Your dislike to putting French words in your 
 letters makes me laugh ; yet it is a very silly 
 habit that people have adopted, as if one could 
 not express everything in German. I fear that in 
 time German will leave off being a language at all, 
 through being corrupted by foreign idioms. 
 
 '^ Are you so simple as to think that Catholics 
 have none of the fundamental beliefs of Chris- 
 tianity ? Believe me, the end to be attained being 
 the same with all Christians, the differences among 
 them are only priests' business, and do not concern 
 honest people ; but we ought to live worthily and 
 in a Christian manner, being merciful, charitable, 
 and virtuous, Preachers ought to try to inculcate 
 this into Christians, and not quarrel among them- 
 selves on a quantity of small matters ; but to do 
 so would greatly diminish the authority of these 
 
140 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 gentry, so they continue quarrelling, leaving aside 
 the most important and essential things " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Versailles, Jan. lltli, 1705. 
 
 ^^ I know Prince Eugene even better than Prince 
 Louis ; the latter has a long nose, the former one 
 much too short. Although first cousins, they do 
 not resemble one another in the least. Prince 
 Eugene wished to enter into holy orders. If our 
 King had given him an abbey, or only a pension, 
 he would have remained here 
 
 " You cannot imagine the piety of the Due de 
 Bourgogne ; it is not hypocrisy but really heart- 
 felt devotion ; he is melancholy, and goes about 
 dreaming " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. 14th, 1705. 
 
 " I do not know how to tell you the impression 
 made on me by the death of our dear Queen of 
 Prussia.* My eyes ache so that I cannot keep 
 them open, my head also, for since this morning I 
 have done nothing but weep. I cannot think of 
 my aunt's state without fear; my heart aches when 
 
 I think of her Why did not God take 
 
 me instead of that dear Queen, who might have 
 long remained the joy and consolation of my aunt, 
 whilst I am good for nothing and have lived long 
 enough? But one must resign one's self to His 
 holy will " 
 
 * Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, grandmother of Frederick the 
 Great and daughter to the Electress Sophia. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 141 
 
 " Versailles, March 7th, 1705. 
 
 ^' The King of Prussia is far from ugly ; I have 
 his portrait. I also think that he will marry 
 again; no doubt he will wed the Queen Dowager 
 of Sweden " 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, March 8th, 1705. 
 
 " The late Queen had conquered everyone's 
 esteem and affection, so be persuaded that she 
 will live in eternal glory. But had she lived 
 longer, considering her bad health, she would 
 certainly have suffered greatly, whilst now she 
 is free from all pain, and, as we are bound to be- 
 lieve as Christians, in possession of the beatific 
 
 vision. 
 
 9> 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Marly, April 18th, 1705. 
 
 ^^ You will have been told by my aunt why we 
 are still here, and that the poor little Due de 
 Bretagne died last Monday. I am convinced that 
 the doctors sent the poor little Prince into the next 
 world with their bleedings and remedies. But no 
 one shares this opinion here, so I leave everyone 
 alone and keep my thoughts to myself 
 
 *^I never miss reading the Bible. Yesterday I 
 read the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth psalms, the four- 
 teenth and fifteenth chapters of the gospel according 
 to Saint Matthew, and the third and fourth of Saint 
 John's, because I had to read for yesterday and 
 
142 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to-day, as I could not do so this morning as we 
 hunted " 
 
 '< Marly, May 2nd, 1705. 
 
 ^•When I choose a doctor I warn him that he 
 must not expect blind obedience from me. I 
 allow him to tell me his opinion, but not to get 
 angry if I do not follow liis advice ; I tell him that 
 as my health and body belong to me I mean to 
 manage them myself " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "■ Trianon, June 11th, 1705. 
 
 " I am very well lodged here ; my windows look 
 out on the Springs, for so is named a little wood, 
 so leafy that at noon the sun cannot penetrate into 
 it. There are over fifty springs, forming little 
 brooks, all on an incline " 
 
 " Marly, Thursday, July 9th, 1705. 
 
 ^*Allow me to tell you the absurdity they have 
 invented in Paris to account for my lord Marl- 
 borough not having given battle to Marshal Villars. 
 They say that he believes in and consults wise 
 men and fortune-tellers. Well, there is one at 
 Frankfort who has a great reputation ; he sent for 
 her and tried to force her into telling him whether 
 he would have a successful campaign. She is said 
 to have told him tliat Fortune would favour him, 
 provided that he avoided giving battle to a general 
 who wore on his sword a knot of ribbons given 
 him by a beautiful princess. Thereupon he sent 
 a spy to Villars' camp to find out whether he had 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 143 
 
 a knot of ribbons on his sword. The answer was 
 that he had not. So everything was prepared for 
 the attack. But next day my lord Marlborough 
 sent another spy to the French camp, who returned 
 saying that this time Villars had ribbons on his 
 sword. Immediately others were sent to find out 
 from whence they came, and his valet declared that 
 they had been given him by the Princesse de 
 Conti; so my lord went away without giving battle. 
 If Villars' people had been quicker they would 
 have declared that he held those ribbons from me, 
 and so, thanks to the deceit my lord would have 
 been beaten according to the prophecy." 
 
 " Marly, Thursday, July IGth, 1705. 
 
 ''" Something also happened to M. de Louvois, 
 which has given him an active faith in fortune- 
 tellers. He was told of a child who could see and 
 foresee in a glass of water. At first he refused to 
 beUeve it, and made fun of everything told him. 
 They offered to prove it to him. At that time he 
 was in love with Mme. Dufr(5noy, and that very 
 morning being alone with her, he had taken an 
 emerald bracelet of hers, and caused her to search 
 everywhere for it. None having seen him take it, 
 the matter was quite unknown excepting to himself. 
 
 '' The child who was gazing into the glass of 
 water, and whom M. de Louvois had told to ask the 
 spirit of what he was thinking, replied that he 
 was doubtless thinking of a very beautiful lady, 
 wearing such and such a gown, and just now 
 
144 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 searching for a certain object with great anguish. 
 'Ask him for what she is searching/ said he. 'An 
 emerald bracelet,' answered the child, ' Make the 
 spirit show us the person who took it, and tell us 
 what he did with it,' said M. de Louvois. The 
 child suddenly began to laugh. * But I can see the 
 man/ he answered ; ' he is dressed like yourself, 
 and is as like 3^ou as two drops of water ; he takes 
 the bracelet off the lady's dressing-table, and puts 
 it into his pocket with a gold box.' Hearing this 
 M. de Louvois became as pale as death ; he pulled 
 the box from his pocket, and has since believed 
 sorcerers and all kinds of fortune-tellers' pro- 
 phecies." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Versailles, Aug. 13th, 1705. 
 
 ^* My aunt has announced the marriage to me of 
 her grandson,* the Elector of Brunswick, with the 
 Princess of Anspach.f I am glad of it, for I hear 
 that she is very agreeable. I hope to God that 
 this marriage will turn out all well ! " 
 
 " Marly, Sept. 17th, 1705. 
 
 ^' The Count of Zell's death caused me real pain, 
 for I was sincerely attached to him. I do not ask 
 after his wife, for she was far from being an honour 
 to us. . , . ." 
 
 "Nov. 5th, 1705. 
 '*Do not imagine that those who are always 
 
 * Son of George I. 
 
 t Caroline Wilhelmina, afterwards Princess of Wales. To her 
 are addressed many of Madame's later letters. 
 
 / 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 145 
 
 talking of piety and fear of God are the most 
 worthily pious. They often use religion as a cloak 
 to cover many iniquities; true devotion is a special 
 grace which God does not give to all men, and it 
 consists I think in charity and love of God." 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 <' Marly, Nov. 8th, 1705. 
 
 '^ Sappho must certainly have been crazy not- 
 withstanding all her art, else she would not have 
 killed herself for love of Phaon. 1 imagine that 
 Mdlle. de Scud^ry * only wished to resemble her as to 
 learning, for she has always been a model of virtue. 
 
 ^'M. Pelisson's affection for her was not ill 
 thought of. He was a frightfully ugly man, with a 
 square visage deeply pitted with smallpox, red eyes, 
 a mouth stretching from one ear to another, thick 
 white lips, and black teeth. You can guess by this 
 that Mdlle. de Scudery was allowed to be intimate 
 with him without the fact giving rise to any scan- 
 dal. His figure was not handsome either, for he 
 
 had large shoulders, no neck, and no calves 
 
 Indeed a thorough monster, but very intelligent 
 and learned " 
 
 * Mdlle. de Scudery appears to have been nicknamed Sappho. 
 
 L 
 
146 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 170G TO 1708. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Versailles, April 11th, 1706. 
 
 " I know that you are too strict to go to the play 
 on Sunday ; but to my thinking paying and receiv- 
 ing visits is more dangerous than doing so, for dur- 
 ing the course of a visit it is difficult not to speak 
 ill of one's neighbours, and this is a far graver sin 
 than going to the play. I do not approve of people 
 going to the play instead of to church, but after 
 having fulfilled one's religious duties I consider that 
 the playhouse is better than a visit to one's friends." 
 
 It was currently reported, and in some cases be- 
 lieved, that a doubt hung over James Stuart's * 
 birth ; some said that the Queen's child had been a 
 girl, others that the infant had died, but all agreed 
 that a strange child had been brought into the 
 palace, hidden in a warming pan, and palmed off 
 upon the public as the only son of James II. and 
 Mary of Modena. Alluding to this in a letter to 
 
 * The Old Pretender. 
 
 w^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 147 
 
 the Raugravine, Madame says, ^* Is it possible that 
 you believe the young King of England not to be 
 the Queen's son ? I would lay my head that he is 
 what he seems to be. To begin with, he is the 
 image of his mother ; and I know a lady who was 
 present at his birth, not at all as the Queen's friend, 
 but, as she owned to me since, to see that all was 
 
 as it should be and she declares that he is 
 
 certainly the Queen's child. As the English have 
 a fashion of behaving strangely to their sovereigns, 
 it is not surprising that they have not yet seen 
 many foreigners on the throne." 
 
 Owing to the terrible defeat of the French army 
 at Eamillies by the Duke of Marlborough on the 
 23rd of May, 1706, France had to abandon Brabant 
 and a great part of Flanders. The Allies entered 
 Brussels, where the Archduke Charles was pro- 
 claimed King of Spain. During the Italian cam- 
 paign the French army fared no better than in the 
 Low Countries ; the Duke of Orleans was sent by 
 the King, his uncle, to command the army co- jointly 
 with Marechal Marsin. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Marly, June 24th, 170G. 
 
 '' My quiet life will soon be filled with anxieties 
 and fears, for my son starts in a week's time for 
 Italy to command the King's army ; he will be 
 over Marechal de Villars. M. de Vendome is going 
 to Flanders to take the command under the King 
 of Bavaria. 
 
 L 2 
 
148 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " It is to be hoped that good fortune will favour 
 the King and that Marlborough will be beaten. 
 Should the King sustain some defeat through the 
 agency of a woman, Queen Anne will be blameless 
 in the matter, another, whose name I will not 
 divulge, being guilty. t Therefore let us pray for 
 peace. . . 
 
 » 
 
 Madame was in great favour with the King 
 about this time, but her fears as to her son's safety 
 drove everything but the army out of her head. 
 News arrived very irregularly, and the wildest 
 rumours were circulated. On the 12th of August 
 she writes: *^My son is before Turin, and I greatly 
 fear that Prince Eugene is even now advancing to- 
 wards him, and will give him much trouble. I am 
 in great anguish about him, and this news which 
 arrived yesterday kept me awake the greater part 
 of the night ; " and on the 12th of September to 
 the Electress Sophia : ^^ My son is not thinking 
 effecting love-conquests. Turin is the place he 
 wishes to conquer." Then on the 16th, news of 
 the defeat had arrived, although it had taken place 
 on the 7th, and resulted in the death of Marsin, 
 the severe wounding of the Due d'Orldans, and 
 the dispersion of the French army. "The last 
 two days I have spent in anguish ; although they 
 assure me that my son is out of danger, I cannot 
 
 t Allusion either to Mme. de Maintenon or to the Duchess of 
 Marlborough. 
 
 > 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 149 
 
 bear to think of his sufferings. My eyes are so 
 swollen that I cannot see out of them." 
 
 « Versailles, Sept. 30th, 1706. 
 
 ''The siege of Turin with its sad termination 
 nearly cost my son his life. He received a terrible 
 wound, but since the 24th he has been out of 
 danger. I was so distracted during three days 
 that I feared I was going to lose my wits. I have 
 always said that they ought to set the two kings 
 of Spain to wrestle together and award the king- 
 dom to the stronger of the two ; this would be 
 following a more Christian course than killing such 
 a number of men." 
 
 Madame was always extremely courteous to her 
 inferiors, reserving her right of plain speech for her 
 own family and friends. Writing to her sister she 
 says : ''The higher in rank one happens to be the 
 more one ought to be courteous on account of the 
 example one sets to those who copy your manners. 
 The King is extremely courteous, but his children 
 and grandchildren do not follow his example in this 
 
 respect Mme. von Pullwit shows her 
 
 wisdom by following Saint Paul's counsel. He 
 who marries does well, but he who remains single 
 does better. This is quite my belief ; had my life 
 been at my own disposal I should have followed 
 Saint Paul's advice." 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 22nd, 1706. 
 
 " When our King tried to convert the King of 
 Siam to Christianity the latter replied that he 
 
150 
 
 LIFE AND LEITERS OF THE 
 
 
 
 believed that one could find salvation in all reli- 
 gions, and that God, who had not made every leaf 
 the same green, wished also to he worshipped in 
 various fashions; so the King of France might 
 continue to serve God as he had always done, 
 whilst he on his side would adore God according 
 to his way, and that if God wished him to change he 
 would inspire the desire of it to him. I find that 
 this King was not altogether wrong. I think that 
 there is still a long time to run before the day 
 of the Last Judgment. We have not yet seen the 
 anti-Christ, and before he arrives I shall have time 
 to have assured you many times of my tender 
 affection for you, dear Louise." 
 
 *' Versailles, March 3rd, 1707. 
 
 "I lunch alone all the year round, but get it 
 over as quickly as possible, for nothing is so annoying 
 as to have twenty footmen round you who look at 
 every mouthful that you swallow, and stare per- 
 sistently at you. I do not spend half an hour at 
 table. I dine with the King. We are five or six 
 at table ; no one speaks a word ; all passes as though 
 we were in a convent — perhaps two words said in 
 a whisper to one's neighbour. We are rendered so 
 serious here by the endless plots which one cannot 
 
 discuss for instance, there is a madman in 
 
 Paris who believes that he can call up an angel 
 where he is. My son, wishing to amuse himself, 
 sent for him, and asked him, among other foolish 
 questions, how long the King had still to live! 
 
 ^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 151 
 
 This can enable you to form a judgment on the 
 rest. I have yet many things to tell you. but I 
 must stop, for it is half-past seven o'clock. I still 
 have five letters to write, and at a quarter to ten 
 I have to go to the concert " 
 
 " Marly, March 13th, 1707. 
 ^^ I am very glad that my aunt amused herself 
 at Brunswick. Amusement is good for the health, 
 
 and I hope that it will prolong her life It 
 
 is not wonderful that one no longer finds the gaiety 
 in Hanover that was once there, the Elector is so 
 cold that he turns everything into ice. His father 
 and uncle were not like him. It will be even worse 
 with the Prince Hereditary ; he does not at all 
 understand how a prince ought to act; at least 
 it seems so to me from what I know of his 
 actions " 
 
 " Marly, April 14th, 1707. 
 
 '^ I do not know whether English religious books 
 are livelier than those written in French and Ger- 
 man ; I find them all extremely dull, with the 
 exception of the Bible, of which I never tire. I 
 always go to sleep over the others " 
 
 ^' Marly, May 19th, 1707. 
 
 '^ I am not surprised that the Elector (of Han- 
 over) does not ask after you ; he cares for nobody ; 
 but then, as generally happens to those kind of 
 people, nobody cares for him. He does not pride 
 himself on his courtesy ; this is evident to those 
 belonging to his Court The late Monsieur 
 
mmm 
 
 «t 
 
 152 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF 7HE 
 
 never missed going to call on my ladies when they 
 were ill, and not only the ladies in waiting, but the 
 maids of honour also " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Marly, May 19th, 1707. 
 
 ^' An hour ago I received a letter from my son 
 commencing by these words, ^ The town and 
 country of Valencia, Madame, are at last conquered. 
 It is a beautiful country, full of orange-trees, jas- 
 mines, pomegranates, and all kinds of fruits, far 
 pleasanter than the horrible country by which we 
 passed before reaching it. Our enemies have re- 
 tired seven leagues from here and are going towards 
 Catalonia. I do not apprehend any difficult in 
 taking Aragon.' Nearly all his people are ill ; I 
 fear that he will end by becoming so also " 
 
 ** Marly, June 2nd, 1707. 
 
 " When I waked up last Tuesday, one of my 
 son's first valets had just arrived, bringing the good 
 news that the town of Saragossa and all the king- 
 dom of Aragon were taken. I am the more pleased 
 because the enemy were twice as strong, and pos- 
 sessed cannons, whilst my son had none 
 
 " May God continue to render us assistance." 
 
 When dealing with the social and even political 
 history of the eighteenth century, one cannot over- 
 look the importance assumed by the lampoons, 
 satires, and caricatures of the time. Generally 
 written in France but printed in Holland, they were 
 
 -■ ■! ■ ■ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 153 
 
 difficult to suppress, and even when the printed 
 sheets were seized, manuscript copies circulated 
 freely. Madame seems always to have managed to 
 see those that were most commented upon, and to 
 have sent copies of them to her sister and the Elec- 
 tress Sophia. It was well known at Court that one of 
 the most clever and by far the most bitter of the 
 chansoniers of the period was the Duchesse de 
 Bourbon, one of the King's illegitimate daughters. 
 In her verses she respected nobody. The King, Mme. 
 de Maintenon— whom she specially detested— the • 
 young Due de Bourgogne, all were pitilessly ridi- 
 culed^nd held up to public scorn. She is even said 
 to have been the author of the following lines :— 
 
 SuR LA Famille Royale, 
 « Le grandpere est un fanfaron, 
 Le ills un imbecile, 
 Le petit fils un grand poltron, 
 
 Oh, la belle famille ! 
 Que je vous plains, pauvre Francois, 
 
 Soumis u cet empire ! 
 Faites comme out fait les Anglois, 
 C'est assez vous en dire." 
 
 To Madame some other chansonier addressed the 
 following agreeable lines shortly after her son be- 
 came Regent : — 
 
 •' Vous n'etes pas, Madame, 
 La mere du Regent, 
 Ce scelerat infame 
 
 N'est pas de votre sang, 
 
T 
 
 154 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 C'est un nionstre cxc'crablo 
 
 Que Tenfer a vomi, 
 Un tyran detestable 
 
 Qui se croit tout permis." 
 
 Strangely enougli these lampoons rarely attacked 
 any real abuse. The state of the peasantry, etc , 
 seemed doubtless uninteresting to the Duchesse de 
 Bourbon and her fellow versifiers. On the other 
 hand the Court scandals both at home and abroad 
 afforded a rich field for satires and epigrams. 
 
 In sending the letters that follow to the Electress 
 Sophia, Madame showed herself characteristically 
 imprudent, for her son had specially begged her to 
 neither speak of his correspondence nor show it to 
 anybody, and the Electress was necessarily in con- 
 stant communication with the Allies through lier 
 son the Elector and her son-in-law the King of 
 Prussia. 
 
 Letters written by the Duke op Orleans * to Madame, and 
 
 SENT BY HER TO THE ElECTRESS SoPHIA, 
 
 1. 
 
 ** Saragossa, June 5th, 1707. 
 
 ^^ Tilly has arrived, Madame, and gave me your 
 letter which I had been waiting for with great 
 impatience. I am not surprised at the way they 
 greeted you, saying, ' I was not there,' but I am 
 much touched by the manner in which you have 
 gone into all this matter for my sake. Although 
 
 * Afterwards the Regent. 
 
 >! 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 155 
 
 accustomed to the marks of your affections, I 
 always receive them with renewed joy. There is 
 nothing here to tell. M. de Berwick is expected 
 immediately ; my artillery arrives slowly, or rather 
 does not arrive at all, wliich cruelly alters my 
 plans. Nothing remains for me to say, Madame, 
 but to assure you of my respect and tenderness, 
 due to you from everybody as well as from 
 myself." 
 
 2. 
 
 " At THE Camp, June 12th, 1707. 
 
 '* I have at last received, Madame, the letter 
 which you did me the honour to write, by Tilly. 
 Through some accident it went to Madrid, which 
 caused me at first some anxiety, but I have tho- 
 roughly examined the seal and satisfied myself that 
 it had not been opened. That of the 21st has 
 arrived, but rather later than it ought to have done. 
 I do not wonder at this, for our post is very 
 irregular. Madame, I beg of you to inform me 
 when you wish to play me the trick of showing my 
 letters, for then I shall be more careful than I now 
 am, confident as I am in your goodness to me. It 
 is not the kind manner in which Her Highness the 
 Electress speaks of me which frightens me, but her 
 praises are excessive, and trouble me the more 
 because I know that anything worthy in my letters 
 is that which comes straight from the heart, that is 
 to say the feelings I entertain for you " 
 
156 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 3. 
 
 " At Ballobar, this 2nd of July, 1707. 
 
 *^Coche has given me your letter, Madame. I am 
 not at all surprised at what you tell me of that 
 good lady. My year ends as it began, and I find 
 my big English mule * as dull, and against every- 
 thing I desire, as ever ; but there is but one month 
 from now to the 2nd of August, and it is little 
 probable, unless God or the Devil should interfere, 
 tliat some change should not occur by then. The 
 enemy has finally left Cinca, where they made mo 
 waste fifteen days to my great regret. Mequi- 
 nanca is not yet taken, even a saint would become 
 impatient, and I am not yet one. The post is 
 starting. I give this, Madame, to the first messenger, 
 wlio will inform you of many things. I content 
 myself with thanking you and asking you to con- 
 tinue your kindness to me. . . 
 
 V 
 
 Madame to the Electress Sophia. 
 
 ** So as to make you understand this last letter T 
 must tell you that last year, when my son was 
 starting for Italy, an astrologer made him two 
 prophecies ; ho predicted all the evil that has hap- 
 pened to him this year, but said that the year 
 beginning on this 2nd of August would be more 
 fortunate. So I wrote to him to think of this 
 coming year ; as all the harm predicted ensued, no 
 doubt the happiness will arrive too. He replied to 
 this what you have just read " 
 
 * Probably a reference to the Duke of Berwick. 
 
 i-] 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 157 
 
 " Versailles, July 28th, 1707. 
 
 ^^Villars is not wanting in wit, and is very 
 courageous, but he looks crazy and makes horrible 
 faces. This man is a living romance, although he 
 is horribly selfish. He is not wrong to be jealous 
 of his wife ; she is pretty, has a good figure, a 
 pleasant manner, and is a terrible coquette. She 
 pretends here to be very fond of her husband, but 
 no one believes in it " 
 
 Letter from the Duke of Orleans to Madame, and sent by 
 
 her to the Electress Sophia. 
 
 '- Algayle, July 30th, 1707. 
 
 *'I received your letter of the 17th, Madame, 
 the day before yesterday. The mule of whom I 
 spoke to you is but a donkey ; his obstinacy, joined 
 to the ignorance of a Spaniard born in Italy, to 
 whom he gives his full confidence, nearly starved 
 our army, and has prevented our doing anything; 
 but by dint of work I have put a little order into 
 all this. We are going to attack Monca. But I 
 fear that nothing better will occur unless God 
 should extend us his help. And I do not think 
 that the Provence affair helps me here with money 
 or food. If all this ends well I shall believe in the 
 existence of miracles and hail you as a prophetess. 
 In the meantime I am as they say, pulling the devil 
 by the tail, but 'Grod tempers the wind to the 
 shorn lamb,' and what would frighten another only 
 
 draws me on I have had the Balaquiver 
 
 bridge mended ; we shall soon enter our new quai- 
 
I 
 
 158 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I! 
 
 ters and I into my 31tli year. I hope to God that 
 it will differ from my last, but it will be certainly 
 the same in the sentiments of respect and tender- 
 ness which will always be equally graven on my 
 heart " 
 
 To THE RaUG RAVINE LoUISE. 
 
 " Versailles, Oct. 27tli, 1707. 
 
 " The son of the Princesse de Tarente, the Due 
 de la Tremouille, is in great grief, for he has lost 
 his wife ; the doctors killed her as they killed our 
 late Queen. She had an abscess ; they bled her so 
 often that it burst, and she died in a few days. 
 My aunt writes me that the Hereditary Prince will 
 not accompany his father to the army ; it is a ridi- 
 culous thing to stay with one's wife whilst the 
 whole world is fighting. The Due de Bourgogne 
 and his brother, the Due de Berri, start on the 25tli 
 to join the army fighting in Provence against the 
 Duke of Savoy. The youngest goes as a volunteer, 
 the eldest will command the army " 
 
 « Versailles, Oct. 27th, 1707. 
 
 " We received yesterday the good news of my 
 son's having taken the town of Lerida. It was 
 splendidly defended by the inhabitants ; the women 
 and priests came out on the walls and fought, but 
 our people managed to take the town. The garri- 
 son and townspeople took refuge in the castle. 
 The Prince of Darmstadt* begged my son to 
 
 * George of Hesse Darmstadt. 
 
 *- 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 159 
 
 allow the monks and women to pass out, but my 
 son replied tliat he did not wish to lose the sight 
 of such courageous deeds, and that as they had so 
 well defended the town he should be charmed to 
 also see them defend the castle. We hope that 
 hunger will force them to give in. It is not a little 
 honour for my son to have taken a town which has 
 successfully resisted two famous generals, the Prince 
 and the Due d'Harcourt " 
 
 *' Versailles, Nov. 24th, 1707. 
 
 ^^ I am ashamed of not having answered you 
 sooner, but I have received so many letters and 
 visits of congratulation on the taking of Lerida 
 that I hardly know what I am about 
 
 ^^ It is absurd that they wish to end our corre- 
 spondence in Germany ; we neither of us mix in 
 politics. I am very pleased to hear of the good 
 town of Heidelberg being so well rebuilt. I hope 
 that God will preserve it from new misfortunes. 
 Since M. de Louvois' death they burn less, so I 
 hope that the town will never again have that 
 xaie. . • • • 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 1st, 1707. 
 
 " I shall have to pay a visit to the all-powerful 
 lady when once at Marly. My nature is not all to 
 her taste. I am not flattering enough. Flattery 
 is a difficult art, and one that one does riot learn on 
 the Heidelberg hill. To be an adept in it one 
 must have been born in Prance or Italy '' 
 
 i 
 
i6o 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 « Versailles, Dec. 31st, 1707. 
 "Villars is not at all in disgrace ; the King treats 
 him well and often speaks to him. To ravage and 
 burn the enemy's country has quite gone out ot 
 
 fashion. No part of Italy was ransacked 
 
 "Marshal Catinat isnotin the leasta self-interested 
 man. He was owed several years' pay. M. de 
 Chamillart, wishing to give him a proof of his 
 friendship at this time, sent him the whole sum in 
 one lump. But he refused it, saying that he 
 had enough to live upon, and that the King wanted 
 it even more than himself. 
 
 • • • 
 
 ELlS'j^BE.TH CH.4RLOTE. , 
 
 C/itir/ej-L oirys Pruic^ PaliUin dtL 
 
 ^c t^ft/^ May tdji.e-ta^ej- iT.ijir fan 
 
 •^sfJonsa ie JLf*iiJenunn Son jHtessi'Bcr\/aie"<^ 
 .''HMue df I.i>ttur irCranr// ~ 
 
 THESSE. DORLEANS FiUe Jt' ■ 
 Hhyrt CJectfiw de /f moire SC.ct'Je 
 ue a^Hesj-e Cetf^Ptitirej^sc ^^T'JVi'ic>' 
 CUj^sr-atum d^- Son /ihrej'tc nAfi^tx^ 
 ^dUm^tui /e ijfdi' Nonemhre tO^jf/ie. 
 P/idlifje dfFratici'Dtu- dOt'h'ansjfrera.- 
 
--ir. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. i6i 
 
 It 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1708 TO 1710. 
 
 " FoNTAiNEBLEAU, July 21st, 1708. 
 
 " My son has taken Tortosa. after a long defence 
 ably conducted by the besieged, who made a final 
 sortie on the niglit of the ninth, which cost my son 
 three hundred of his men. He also was in the 
 trenches, and it is a wonder that he escaped with- 
 out hurt. On the tenth they built the scaling 
 tower. The governor, a certain d'Efferu, sent 
 hostages and a treaty of capitulation of which my 
 son did not approve. He therefore sent back the 
 hostages and told him that if the town did not 
 capitulate immediately without conditions lie would 
 take it by assault. The citizens became afraid and 
 all signed. One of my son's clauses in the treaty 
 was that they would also give up a stronghold in 
 the mountains named Alby, which is occupied by 
 two tliousand men, and cuts ofif the communication 
 between the kingdoms of Aragon and Valentia." 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Alig. Ist, 1708. 
 
 ii 
 
 I was aware that a battle had been lost, but 
 I know nothing in detail, for we are forbidden to 
 
 M 
 
,62 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 speak of it, and those with the army are forbidden 
 to write anything home in their letters " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Aug. lltll, 1708. 
 
 " I must own that the fall of Tortosa rejoiced me 
 to the bottom of my soul, particularly as all the 
 princes, the Due, the Prince de Conti, M. du 
 Maine, and the Comte do Toulouse had held tlie 
 thing impossible. The Due, before the King, said 
 mockingly to Mme. d'Orleans that my son had 
 begun wrongly, and would never take the town. 
 But the funniest part of the story is, that one day 
 they sent SI. Dangean to compliment me in an 
 ironical fashion on my son's conquest of the town. 
 The very evening of that same day the Marquis de 
 Lambert arrived with the news that the town had 
 indeed capitulated. I wish that you had been 
 witness of the Due's and the Prince de Conti s 
 annoyance ; they could not have looked more 
 troubled had they been warned that their own death 
 was near. This certainly increased my joy. I was 
 also happy to see that the King seemed pleased 
 and that this time he does not share the griet 
 caused to those round him by my son's success." 
 
 " FoxTAiNEiiLEAU, Aug. 18tli, 1708. 
 
 " Thank God my son is not wanting in wit. 
 He has also studied not a little and knows a 
 great deal more than the princes belonging to the 
 royal family. He is so attracted by difficulty of 
 any sort, that he neglects rather too much the 
 
 ; 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 163 
 
 smaller things of life. The taking of Lerida and 
 Tortosa was due to his determination ; the whole 
 of the council of war was against it. Then again 
 they left him quite unprovided, and he had some 
 difficulty to get food, etc., for his army ; but for 
 him they would all have died of Imnger " 
 
 (( 
 
 Versailles, Oct. 28tli, 1708. 
 
 " With the exception of knaves and business men 
 no one iiere can pretend to great riches. Villa rs 
 alone enriched himself in the Palatinate. Marshal 
 de Marsin said to him one day that his money 
 was goods badly acquired. ' It cannot be goods 
 badly acquired,' replied Villars, ' for the King gave 
 it to me.' ' The King cannot give you what is 
 not his to give,' answered de Marsin ; ' I should 
 be sorry to have that to reproach myself with.' " 
 
 "Versailles, Dec. IGtli, 1708. 
 
 " Our Queen of Spain is so angry at the 
 insolent manner with which her sister behaved to 
 me, that she sent a message to her by my son, 
 recommending her to make peace with me ; she 
 also wrote such an angry letter about this, that the 
 King asked my son what it was all about. He 
 added that he approved of the advice given to the 
 Princess as to her conduct with me, and hoped that 
 she would never more do anything to anger me. 
 Whereupon the Duchesse charged my son to tell 
 me that her only desire was to be friends with me. 
 I immediately went to her and said, ' Madame, 
 
 M 2 
 
(T 
 
 164 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 my son has just caused me great pleasure by tellin 
 me that you will behave more kindly to mo in 
 future. I also will try not to cause you any dis- 
 pleasure. I never intended to do so, so have been 
 more unfortunate than guilty.' She became as red 
 as fire, and seemed quite put out of countenance. 
 'You took my timidity for aversion,' said she. 
 'And why,' I replied, ' should you be timid with 
 one who only wishes to appease and honour you ? ' 
 • Let us forget the past,' said she, ' and I hope that 
 you will like me better in the future.' ' I certainly 
 shall,' I answered, ' if you behave better towards 
 me.' Whereupon we began talking of other things. 
 
 • • • • 
 
 "M. deVendome has coino back; he came to 
 see me to-day, having grown, to my eyes, greatly 
 
 stouter " 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. lOtli, 1709. 
 
 " I must thank you for those fine medals ; * you 
 
 cannot imagine what amusement they afford me. 
 
 I spend long days in looking at and sorting them. 
 
 Last Monday I bought a hundred and fifty, with 
 
 the money that the King gave me as a New Year's 
 
 gift. I now have a gold medal cabinet— all the 
 
 Koman emperors from Julius Cffisar to Heraclius. 
 
 There is not one missing, and amongst them are 
 
 some very rare coins that the King does not possess. 
 
 I obtained them very cheap, two hundred and sixty 
 
 • Madame was a great collector, and bad a remarkably perfect 
 set of old medals. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 165 
 
 of them I bought by weight. In all I have four 
 liundred and ten gold medals. I amuse myself by 
 hearing learned men discuss them, and I have the 
 inscripUons that are on the back translated to me. 
 Tills interests me greatly. You are right in think- 
 ing tliat Hanoverian medals are incomparably finer 
 than those of Nurembourg " 
 
 " Vkrsailles, Jan. 37tli, 1709. 
 
 "I cannot count upon the friendship of the 
 ' badly trained plant.' * The only things that I 
 insist upon from her is that she should not mock 
 me before my face, that she should answer when I 
 speak to her, not contradict me flatly, and behave 
 with politeness during my visits. I have such a 
 cough that I cannot go out. I owe this to the 
 Dauphin's courtesy. Last Sunday it was frightfully 
 cold, and a great fire had been lighted in the 
 chimney of the apartment where we dine. The 
 Dauphin and the Duchesse de Bourgogne sit on the 
 King's right ; the Due de Bourgogne and Due do 
 BeiTi at the other end of the table ; I sit next tlic 
 Duchesse de Bourgogne, and Mme. d'Orlcans near 
 the Princess; the King right in front of the 
 
 chimney. 
 
 "If no one places themselves before me I receive 
 the full brunt of the fire. It was all the more 
 spiteful on the Dauphin's part that he is perfectly 
 able to warm himself without annoying me, but as 
 
 » The Dnclicsso de Bowgogne. 
 
i66 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 soon as ho saw any one placing tliemselvos before 
 me he instantly signed to them to go away ; this 
 gave me a headache, a cough, and a cold 
 
 To THE EADOnAVISE LODISE. 
 
 " Versailles, Feb. 22nd, 1709. 
 
 " To-morrow a new doctor is going to be ap- 
 pointed to my especial service. He is a young 
 man, forty-two years old, and will be the fourth 
 doctor I have had since I have been in France. No 
 doubt he will bury me, for I am nearly fifteen years 
 older than he is. I do not know him, but I have been 
 told so much good of him that I took him." 
 
 " Vekkailles, March 2nrl, 1709. 
 
 " I never knew the times so bad as they are now ; 
 the poor are dying from cold like flies. The mills 
 have stopped working, and this has been the cause 
 of many people dying from hunger. I was told a 
 sad story yesterday about a woman who stole a 
 loaf in Paris from a baker's shop. The baker 
 wishes to have her arrested. She says crying, 'If my 
 misery were known you would not wish to deprive 
 me of this loaf. I have three little naked children 
 at home who asked for bread ; not being able to 
 bear it I stole'this.' The commissary before whom 
 she was brought made her take him to her home ; 
 there he found three little children covered with 
 rat^s and shivering in a corner. He said to the 
 eldest, ' Where is your father ? ' The child replied, 
 ' Ho is behind that door.' The commissary, wish- 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 167 
 
 ino- to know what the father was doing there, 
 looked, and started back seized with horror. The 
 poor wretch had hung himself in a fit of despair. 
 Similar things occur every day. They write me from 
 Paris that a young girl predicted the date of her 
 own death, and also that there would be a great 
 battle fought near Bethune, that the French would 
 win, and that a general peace would ensue. It 
 remains to be seen whether or not this will prove 
 a true prophecy, but it is certain that the young 
 girl died at the hour and date that she predicted. 
 I have also heard that certain Canadian savages 
 know the future. Ten years ago a French gentle- 
 man, who was once page to Marshal Humieres, 
 and who married one of my ladies -m-waitmg, 
 brought back a savage with him to France. One 
 day whilst at table, the latter began weeping and 
 making faces. Longueil (for that was the gentle- 
 man's name) asked him what was the matter. The 
 savao-c wept even more bitterly than before. Lon- 
 gueif insisting on knowing what was the matter, 
 the savage said, ' Force me not to tell thee, for it is 
 thee that it concerns, not I.' At last he continued : 
 ' I saw out of the window that thy brother has 
 been assassinated in such a place in Canada.' Lon- 
 gueil began to laugh, and said, ' Thou art crazy. 
 The savage answered, 'I am not crazy; writedown 
 what I have told thee and thou wilt see whether 
 or not I was mistaken.' Longueil wrote it down and 
 six months after, when the vessel arrived from 
 
^ 
 
 N 
 
 1 68 
 
 LIFE JND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Canada, he learned that his brother had been assas- 
 sinated at the exact time and at the place where 
 the savage had seen it in the sky through the 
 window. This is a true story." 
 
 "Versailles, March IGtli, 1709. 
 
 *^It is owing to bad people, and not to the bad 
 weather, that I do not receive my letters regularly 
 from Hanover. This is clearly proved to me by 
 the fact that sometimes they give me letters on 
 a certain day, which letters are not those due 
 at that particular date, and so as to show me 
 that they were opened, they take a page belonging 
 to one letter and put it into another. Indeed 
 they mix them all up so much together that it 
 often takes me a quarter of an hour to sort 
 them " 
 
 " Versailles, April 20th, 1709. 
 
 "What name do the doctors give to Amelia's * 
 illness? She might have made you the answer once 
 o-iven by a dying man to a monk who was exhorting 
 him to be patient. ' Father,' said he, ' nothing is 
 easier than to preach the virtue of patience ; but put 
 yourself in my place, ill as I am, and you will feel 
 whether patience is easy to practise.' • 
 
 *' Death, dear Louise, is the last absurdity that 
 we are capable of committing ; so we must put it off 
 as long as possible, particularly when we are of 
 some use in this world, as you are to your nephews 
 
 • Another of Madame's half-sisters. 
 
 mmm 
 
 rw^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 169 
 
 and nieces. Your nephew does not know me, and 
 probably cares little for my approbation, which he 
 entirely possesses, for I blame his father's conduct 
 to him. There is no reason in being cowardly 
 because one happens to be an only son ; and the 
 Lord God can take us under his protection any- 
 where So it is far better for your nephew 
 
 to go out and see the world than stop at home and 
 
 only think of perpetuating the family name 
 
 In this sort of case I think that a young man may 
 disobey his father ; all the world must admire him 
 for going off to fight, and although the Duke of 
 Schomberg seems very angry, no doubt he is 
 secretly proud of his son's energy and decision." 
 
 " Versailles, April 27th, 1709. 
 
 *^ Prince Eugene is witty and clever, but small 
 and ugly. His upper lip is so short that he cannot 
 shut his mouth. One perceives always two large long 
 teeth. He has a rather turned-up nose with wide 
 nostrils ; but his eyes are not ugly, and very bright. 
 .... We shall know to-day whether we shall 
 have war or peace ; I hope to God that we shall 
 have the latter " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Marly, May 2nd, 1709. 
 
 '^ Queen Anne is quite right in not wishing to 
 re-marry. From what I have heard of him I do 
 not fancy that she lost much in Prince George. 
 To shut oneself up in a darkened chamber is very 
 
 \ 
 
r fc i. -g 
 
 170 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 II 
 
 iinliealtliy. Perhaps slie does not always remain 
 
 in it. 
 
 *^ As far as I can judge by the accounts given 
 here, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene 
 come to Holland rather to make war than peace. 
 We are beginning to think that the latter will never 
 come to pass " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Marly, May.5tli, 1709. 
 
 '' Monday I have to write to the two Queens of 
 Spain, also to the Duchess of Savoy, and wish 
 with my business men to settle my bills and pay- 
 ments. Tuesday I shall receive the visit of the 
 ambassadors and envoys ; in the afternoon I must 
 write to my daughter and to three of her children 
 who already write to me. Wednesday I write to 
 the Electress and to Modena, and I reply to the 
 letters that I have not yet answered. Thursday I 
 write again to Hanover, and I sometimes attend 
 evening prayers and benediction on that day as 
 well as Sunday. Friday I write to Luneville. 
 Saturday is the only day I have no courier to send 
 out " 
 
 " Vrrsailles, June 8th, 1709. 
 
 '^ I am very glad that the Elector has resolved to 
 treat his subjects better. When those that have 
 o-one to Pennsylvania hear this, they will soon come 
 home. I also hope that the Elector pleases you ; it 
 is certain that had I hail the happiness to be a 
 man, and been Elector, I should have given you 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 171 
 
 full satisfaction, and my subjects also I live 
 
 a very forsaken life here ; every one, young and old, 
 runs after favourites. Madame de Maintenon can- 
 not hear me; the Duchesse de Bourgogne only likes 
 what this same lady likes. I have done my best to 
 conciliate this mighty personage, but have failed. 
 So I am excluded from everything, and only see the 
 King at supper. I can no longer do my will in 
 anything. I was less tied during Monsieur's life- 
 time. I do not dare sleep away from Versailles 
 without the King's permission ; so I can safely 
 wish tliat I was with you in our dear Palatinate. 
 But God does not wish us to be happy on this 
 earth. You and Amelia are free, but in ill health ; 
 I am tied, but quite well, thank God ! You are 
 strangely mistaken in thinking that we hear no 
 complaints ; night and day we hear nothing else. 
 There is such a famine that children have eaten one 
 another. The King is so determined to continue 
 the war that he has sent all his gold plate to the 
 Mint to be melted down into money." 
 
 "Marly, June 15th, 1709. 
 
 '' Many hoped that peace would be proclaimed, 
 but the Allies' terms were too hard to be complied 
 with. Better perish than give way to them ; I cannot 
 imagine how they can have thought that our King 
 would accede to them. As says the proverb, * Pride 
 goes before a fall,' so I hope that my Lord Marl- 
 borough and Prince Eugene will receive their due. 
 The latter ought not to forget that he was boi^n our 
 
 ■nir""iraii^'' .--•-Si-ffraa^!*' 
 
172 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 King s subjccf. I am very displeased with him for 
 liaving put obstacles in the way of peace, the more 
 so that he did it from self-interested motives, not 
 for the general good." 
 
 "Marly, June 22nJ, 1709. 
 
 '^ Peace is impossible, the terms are too iniquitous. 
 It is a wicked and pagan thing to wisli to force a 
 grandfather to fight against a grandson Avho has 
 always treated him properly and obediently. I am 
 sure that God will find some means of punishing 
 him who suggested this evil idea " 
 
 " Marly, June 29th, 1709. 
 
 ^' My cousin, de la Tremouille, was bled ten times 
 in so terrible a fashion that when he was opened 
 they discovered that it had caused his death ; he 
 had no longer a drop of blood i:i his veins. Two 
 years ago the same doctor finished Mme. de la 
 Tremouille in the same manner." 
 
 To THE Electress SorHiA. 
 
 « Versailles, July lltli, 1709. 
 
 '* The proverb which says, * Better find yourself 
 with lions and dragons than with a wicked woman,' 
 is only too true. The Princesse des Ursins, seeing 
 how popular my son became with the Spaniards, 
 got jealous of him, and tried to do him an injury. 
 Last year one of my son's gentlemen- in-waiting 
 fell from his horse and broke his leg. Still feeling 
 unhealed, he begged my son to allow him to go to 
 Bareges to take the waters On his way there he 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 173 
 
 passed through Spain. Hearing this, the Princess 
 persuaded the King of Spain to have him arrested 
 as a State prisoner, so as to have my son suspected 
 of plotting against this King, to whom he has 
 rendered such signal service. Imagine the utter 
 falseness of this woman. She writes a long letter 
 full of protestations of friendship to me, at the very 
 moment she is playing that trick on my son. 
 Perhaps I ought not to recount such things through 
 the post ; but my indignation is so great that I 
 cannot keep silent about the matter " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 '' Versailles, July 27tli, 1709. 
 
 '' Beloved Louise, I am greatly troubled about 
 your health since I have learnt your misfortune. 
 But you cannot doubt as to Amelia's being in 
 Heaven, good and pious as she always was 
 
 '* There is nothing fresh here, excepting that I 
 find myself placed in a disagreeable predicament 
 owing to my treasurer having gone off with over 
 a hundred thousand crowns, leaving my people 
 and myself without a farthing. I cannot live on 
 nothing during the time tliat they will spend trying 
 to bring him to account, but it has always been 
 my fate to meet with every kind of annoyance. 
 
 '' Songs and lampoons against the King and 
 Court are still being written and circulated, but 
 these things must not be mentioned through the 
 post " 
 
174 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE ElECTUESS SoPIIIA. 
 
 "Versailles, Aug. 12th, 17o9. 
 
 '^ Entering Paris by the Porte Saint Martin, I 
 saw every one running this way and that, some cry- 
 ing, ' Oh ! my God ! ' all having perturbed coun- 
 tenances. The windows were full of people, there 
 were even some on the roof tops. Down in the 
 streets shopmen were putting up their shutters, and 
 every one was closing his doors. Even the Palais 
 Royal was shut up. I could not imagine wliat all 
 this portended, but on entering the inner court, 
 and as I was stepping out of the coach, a citizeness 
 with whom I am acquainted came towards me and 
 said, ' Are you aware, Madame, that there is an 
 insurrection here which has lasted since four o'clock 
 this morning ? ' I thought her crazy, and began 
 to laugh, but — ' I am not crazy, Madame,' said she. 
 ' What I tell you is true, so true indeed that forty 
 people have already been killed.' ^ Is this really 
 so ? ' I asked, turning to some of my own people. 
 ' It is only too true,' they answered, ' and that is 
 why we shut the Palais Royal gates.' .... I asked 
 the cause of this rising. This is it. Work is going 
 on at the Porte Saint Martin; each workman is given 
 three halfpence and a loaf of bread; there were two 
 thousand working there. But this morning there 
 suddenly arrived four thousand crying for bread and 
 work. As this demand could not be acceded to, and a 
 woman behaved very insolently, they took her and 
 shut her up. Then began the tumult ; six thousand 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 175 
 
 others joined the four thousand first, and they 
 delivered the woman. Many servants out of place 
 joined the crowd, and cried out to the others to 
 come and pillage ; so saying they emptied several 
 bakers' shops. The guards were called, and told to 
 fire on the mob, but the latter quickly perceived 
 that this order had only been given to frighten 
 them, for the soldiers' muskets were not really 
 loaded. ' Let us attack them,' cried they, ' their 
 muskets are not loaded.' Hearing this, the guards 
 saw themselves obliged to &hoot several. All this 
 lasted from four to twelve, for at noon Marshal 
 Boufflers and the Due de Grrammont happened to 
 pass by the place where the tumult was greatest. 
 They sot down from their coach, harangued the mob, 
 threw them several handfuls of money, and declared 
 they would inform the King that although money 
 and bread had been promised, the people had 
 received nothing. The insurrection was immediately 
 calmed; the people threw their hats into the air 
 exclaiming, ' Long live the King and Bread ! ' All 
 the same, the Parisians are good ^ort of people to 
 be so easily calmed ; although the King is popular, 
 they hate Mme. de Maintenon. The heat being 
 excessive I wished to obtain a breath of fresh air. 
 .... On seeing me at the window a crowd 
 assembled calling out blessings on my head, but 
 they began saying such horrible things about a 
 certain lady that I had to withdraw and shut the 
 windows. None of my people can show them- 
 
«; IT it a • 
 
 IliSMBdBSil 
 
 wtr"mTm%, 
 
 176 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 selves, for as soon as one of them is seen at a 
 window they recommence their observations, say- 
 ing freely that had they their will she should be 
 cut to pieces and burnt as a witch " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 ''Maulv, Aug. 31st, 1709. 
 
 '^ You were quite right in not allowing a post- 
 mortem examination of Amelia Since they 
 
 have taken to opening everybody nothing good 
 
 has come of it In my will I have left 
 
 orders that I am not to be opened " 
 
 " Versailles, Sept. Utli, 1709. 
 
 *'We lost a battle* near Mons four days ago. 
 There were heavy losses on both sides, and nothing 
 but tears and despairing countenances are to be 
 seen. Mme. Dangean's son was terribly wounded; 
 his thigh had to be cut off ; they do not know 
 whether he will recover. I fear that Mme. de 
 
 Degenfelt also lost a son that terrible day 
 
 The Landgravine of Darmstadt is dead, and I do 
 not think that the Dowager Electress Palatine 
 will be long in following her. They had not an 
 ounce of sense between them 
 
 *' I never knew such v/retched times as those 
 we are having now. Would to God that a satis- 
 factory peace could be arranged to put an end to 
 this state of things ! '' 
 
 * The battle of Malplaquet. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 177 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, Sept. 19th, 1709. 
 
 " Misfortunes are here the rule ; one weeps for 
 a son, another for a son-in-law, a third for a 
 father or a nephew. Every one is lamenting at 
 the price of bread, which has risen to fourpence 
 a pound, and many are dying of hunger." 
 
 ''Versailles, Sept. 28th, 1709. ' 
 "As I am sending you this letter by private 
 hand instead of through the post, I add a few 
 songs which I do not think you can have yet 
 seen; I think the last one very wiity. Every 
 one here is in trouble through the lady. The 
 curious part of the affair is that she gives a 
 portion of her profits to the King, and to the 
 Duchesse de Bourgogno, to induce them to approve 
 of her ways. Tliis is the reason why she is so left 
 alone; in the meantime no one is paid in coin, 
 only in paper money. Even then one has a 
 certain difficulty to obtain money that one ought 
 to receive immediately, for many pay with bills 
 only payable at tw^o, three, or even five months. 
 .... Everywhere one sees people literally dying 
 of hunger, and all, from the highest to the lowest, 
 complain bitterly of the hard times " 
 
 "Marly, Sept. 29th, 1709. 
 
 '*' Among the four doctors in attendance on Villars, 
 no two agree on the course of treatment which ought 
 to be pursued. So the King has sent his surgeon, 
 Mareshal, to Flanders to see what can be done. 
 
 K 
 
II 
 
 178 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Villars himself is very anxious, for five years ago 
 everything which has happened to him since was 
 predicted to him, namely, that he would become 
 very rich, obtain the highest positions, become 
 Marshal of France, and be given a dukedom, but 
 that this year he would lose a battle, be wounded, 
 and die. He is always thinking of this, and it 
 troubles him greatly. It would be indeed a pity 
 were so good a man to die " 
 
 « Versailles, Oct. 17tb, 1709. 
 
 '^Marshal Boufflers will certainly not invent gun- 
 powder or start a new heresy, and there are many 
 wittier than he ; but he has a good heart, and is a 
 really honest and trustworthy man ; his word can 
 be taken for anything. He does all the good in 
 his power, is fearless at Court, tells the King the 
 truth, and is not a courtier ; this is why I esteem 
 him so highly 
 
 '' The French allow themselves to be blindly led 
 as long as they have confidence in their generals ; 
 
 the officers are worthy men on the whole 
 
 The Czar * has fine and great qualities, and his 
 
 actions provoke admiration I fear that 
 
 the Czarewitch is only too much his mother's son ; 
 if that be so the poor Princess of Wolfenbuttelf 
 will lead a very wretched life 
 
 ^* It is a good thing that the Prince Royal sprained 
 
 • Peter the Great. 
 
 t Sophici Charlotte, married to Alexis, son of Peter the Great, 
 in 1711, died 1715. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 179 
 
 his foot, for it will prevent his going to the siege of 
 Mens. If he had instantly plunged his foot into 
 iced water he would have been immediately cured. 
 The dancers at the opera have constantly these sort 
 of accidents, and employ that remedy ; behind the 
 scenes there are always basins filled with ice and 
 water " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 7th, 1709. 
 
 '' The all-powerful lady has always hated me. 
 She persecuted me always, but she does not dare 
 insult me openly, for she believes me as vindictive 
 
 as herself As she is aware that the King, 
 
 whom I love and greatly respect, has no dislike to 
 me, and that we get on well together, she is afraid 
 lest he should attach himself rather to me than to a 
 young princess such as the Duchesse de Bourgogne. 
 This is the reason why she keeps us as much apart 
 as possible from one another " 
 
 '' Marly, Dec. 14th, 1709. 
 
 '^ The Duchesse d' Orleans has presented us with 
 a fifth girl. I was quite sorry for the poor baby, 
 so little was she welcomed by anybody. She is 
 to be called Mdlle. de Montpensier. She is a big, 
 fine, healthy child ; would that it had been a 
 boy! " 
 
 n2 
 
li 
 
 i8o 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 a 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 1710 TO 1712. 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 5tli, 1710. 
 
 " My son has at last given up his dark friend. 
 He will never see her again. It has cost him a 
 real effort^ for he still loves her, but he had serious 
 reasons for breaking with her. Firstly, she was 
 horribly self-interested, never contented with what 
 she got ; secondly, she treated him like a servant, 
 even kicking him at times ; again, she insisted on 
 his entire devotion. If her son was not as well 
 provided with clothes as the Due de Chartres, she 
 visited her anger on my son ; she used to take him 
 into the worst company, and the whole business 
 became a public scandal 
 
 " My son did well in acting energetically, for the 
 King had long been annoyed by this matter, and 
 if my son's enemies had had their will, the King 
 would long ago have honoured the lady with a 
 lettre de cachet. This would of course have been 
 an affront, so all is for the best " 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. i8i 
 
 To the Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Versailles, Fob. 15tli, 1710. 
 
 '^ I fear that my grandson will not be long-lived, 
 
 for, although tall for his years, he is very delicate. 
 
 Children, to my thinking, are better self-willed than 
 
 otherwise, for it shows that they are intelligent. . . . 
 
 I never gave a box on the ear * to my son, but I 
 
 often gave him the birch ; indeed he still remembers 
 
 it well. Boxes on the ear are dangerous, for they 
 
 may injure the head." 
 
 Madame was extremely gratified by the marriage 
 of her eldest granddaughter, Marie Louise Elizabeth 
 d'Orleans to the Due de Berri, the Grand Dauphin's 
 second son. The second child of the Due d'Orleans 
 and Mdlle. de Blois, the bride was only fifteen 
 years of age, nine years younger than her husband. 
 This young princess is said to have greatly re- 
 sembled Madame in countenance, though not at all 
 in character or manner, being vain, frivolous, dissi- 
 pated, and heartless. She was, however, the Due 
 d'Orleans' favourite child, and her marriage to the 
 future King's brother delighted her father and 
 mother, who found in this a link of sympathy with 
 Madame. 
 
 To the Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Marly, June 5th, 1710. 
 
 " On Monday as I advanced towards the King, 
 he said to me, ^ You seemed very gay yesterday, 
 
 * Madame evidently forgot the sovfflet with which she greeted 
 her son after hearing of his intended marriage. 
 
 I 
 
i82 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Madame.' 'Monsieur/ I answered, 'no doubt T 
 seemed gay, for my son had just spoken to me on 
 the part of your Majesty.' ' I am delighted/ re- 
 plied the King, ' to have pleased you, and I hope 
 that this marriage * will unite us yet closer to one 
 another.' ' Nothing,' said I, ' could increase the 
 affection I bear to your Majesty and to my son, but 
 could anything increase it, tl)is marriage would 
 certainly do so, for it overwhelms me with joy and 
 pride.' 'Your joy increases mine,' answered the 
 King ; ' but do not mention this matter for two or 
 three days.' Just then some of my ladies entered 
 the apartment, so we changed the subject." 
 
 " Versailles, June 8tli, 1710. 
 
 '' Our King's countenance has strangely altered, 
 but he is still a fine and imposing-looking figure, 
 and when he speaks he is always agreeable. The 
 all-powerful lady and her pupil have really done 
 their best for us." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 '* Versailles, June 7th, 1710. 
 
 "I have to announce to you the approaching 
 marriage of my granddaughter with tlie Due de 
 Berri. The King came to my apartment last 
 Monday and told me that he would declare the 
 betrothal public the next day. I had been informed 
 of the matter Sunday, but begged not to mention 
 it to a soul. Tuesday I went to Saint Cloud to 
 congratulate the Princess; Wednesday she came 
 
 » The marriage of her gramUIaughter to his grandson. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 183 
 
 to Marly ; her mother and myself presented her to 
 the King, who, after embracing her, presented her 
 in his turn to her future husband. She will be 
 fifteen the 20th of August, and is already two 
 fingers taller than I am ; the Due is exactly nine 
 years older than she is. The necessary dispensa- 
 tions have been asked for at Rome, and as soon as 
 they arrive the wedding will take place. I must 
 own that this marriage pleases me greatly." 
 
 " Versailles, July 5th, 1710. 
 
 '' This time your ink is really good ; that manu- 
 factured in Lorraine is the worst. My daughter had 
 to procure some from Paris, for I could not de- 
 cipher her letters. In Lorraine all the ink is like 
 
 water This evening at five o'clock the 
 
 marriage contract will be signed in the King's 
 cabinet ; the wedding will take place on the 11th, 
 as quietly as possible, but there will be a reception, 
 and the King will receive the whole of the royal 
 family to supper. This marriage has been oddly 
 brought about. I cannot recount the thing to you 
 by post ; it has taken place rather owing to hatred 
 than to affection, though indeed this union is really 
 a better-assorted one than that which the Land- 
 gravine of Hombourg has just contracted, for here 
 we have a husband nine years older than the wife, 
 and there a wife older than the husband. I was 
 told that once at Metz an old lady had presented 
 herself in the Huguenot chapel to have her mar- 
 riage celebrated, and the bridegroom was so youth- 
 
I 
 III 
 
 t 
 
 184 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ful looking that the minister asked, 'Do you bring 
 this child to be baptized?' The Landgravine, with 
 her eighteen-years-old bridegroom, deserved to have 
 the same question asked of her." 
 
 " Versailles, Aug. 2nd, 1710. 
 
 ** I have received a letter from Mdlle. de Malaux 
 announcing your niece*s* death. I grieve with 
 you sincerely. How truly says the Lutheran hymn, 
 * Nothing is of any avail against death, Chris- 
 tians ! for all is mortal on this earth." There is 
 no place such as England for remedies against 
 the smallpox, yet one dies of it there as well as in 
 other countries." 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Marly, Ang. 21st, I.^IO. 
 
 '^ M. de Vendume came to take leave of me 
 yesterday. He is going to command the King's 
 army in Spain, but I do not know how he will 
 manage, for he is lame and can hardly stand, 
 through gout. His wife will feel very sad, for she 
 is said to be very attached to him. I think that 
 the speech he made to her at the time of their 
 marriage must have captivated her. 'Madame,' 
 said he, '' I am not gallant, so cannot make you 
 aiiy fine compliment ; all I can tell you is that as 
 you have had the goodness to consent to our mar- 
 riage I will never contradict you in anything ; you 
 shall always be your own mistress and mine.' I 
 find this speech really touching " 
 
 * A daughter of the Duke of Schomberg. 
 
 t 
 
 \ 
 
 
 \ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 185 
 
 " Marly, Sept. 7th, 1710. 
 
 ^^ The Duchesse de Berri comes often to see me 
 because such is the King's and my son's desire, but 
 she does not really care for me " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 ** Versailles, Oct. 6th, 1710. 
 
 ^^ Hanover must have become a smaller England, 
 through so many English having settled there 
 
 ^^ I also, dear Louise, cannot understand people 
 marrying again. Evidently one has either loved 
 or hated the defunct. Has one loved him ? Then 
 how can one put another in his place? Has one 
 been unhappy ? Then how can one expose one's 
 self to a renewal of one's wretchedness, unless one 
 is dying of hunger and marries for a piece of bread ? 
 Only in this last case is the thing admissible. . . ." 
 
 ''Marly, Feb. 5th, 1711. 
 
 '' I am grieved to learn, dear Louise, that you 
 have taken to coffee ; nothing is so unhealthy, and 
 I see many here who have had to give it up 
 because of the diseases it has brought upon them. 
 The Princess of Hanau died of it in frightful suf- 
 ferings. After her death they found the coffee 
 in her stomach, where it had caused several small 
 ulcers. Let this, then, be a warning to you, dear 
 Louise " 
 
 '* Versailles, Feb. 28th, 1711. 
 
 '^I send you a flacon of white balm. I know 
 many ladies here who put it on their faces. Mon- 
 sieur once wished to try some on mine, but I would 
 
^.iM— ^aa— aMMJ^irfi I fr 
 
 i86 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 not have it ; 1 prefer wrinkles to having grease on 
 my countenance, I detest every kind of shine lotion 
 and cannot bear rouge " 
 
 " Versailles, March 18th, 1711. 
 
 " God will punish the Elector for his unjust 
 conduct to you. I wish that I had been asked 
 about your silver plate, you would have had it 
 restored to you. His way of acting towards you 
 is shameful. I also have lost everything; your 
 liair would rise up from your head if I could tell 
 you the way I have been, and still am, treated by 
 those round me. But it is useless to speak of it ; 
 besides, I should gain nothing by it, and only be 
 thought fanciful and untruthful, so curious would 
 the things be I had to relate. My wings have been 
 so well clipped, that even were I my own lord and 
 master I could not travel " 
 
 '' Marly, April IGtli, 1711. 
 
 '^'A great misfortune has fallen upon us. The 
 Dauphin died last Friday at eleven o'clock at night, 
 just when he was supposed by all to be out of 
 danger. He had a violent fever which suddenly 
 changed into smallpox. The King spent the even- 
 ing with him, but forbade us to come near 
 
 The King is extremely moved; but shows great 
 firmness and submission to the will of God. He 
 speaks to everybody, and orders everything. He is 
 consoled by the thought that Jfonseigneur died in 
 a very good state. His confessor assures us that he 
 communicated at Easter, and he died with religious 
 
 i 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 187 
 
 sentiments on his lips. The King expresses him- 
 self in so Christian a manner that it went to my 
 heart, and I cried all yesterday " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 "Mabi.y, April 16tl), 1711. 
 
 "Until Tuesday morning hopes were entertained 
 
 as to the Dauphin. The Parisians, who were very 
 
 fond of him, sent a deputation of herring-women, 
 
 who embraced him, and said that they meant to 
 
 have the Te Detm sung. ' Wait till I am really well,' 
 
 replied Monseigneur, ' it is not yet time.' Whilst 
 
 I was at Versailles, the whole of the Court of 
 
 England came to see me, leaving at eight for 
 
 Saint Germains. At nine all was going on well, 
 
 but at ten they wrote to me that the Dauphin was 
 
 becoming anxious, that his face was swollen, and 
 
 that the disease* was specially attacking the eyes. 
 
 Even then no one was alarmed. I supped, and at 
 
 eleven undressed myself, and talked to Mme. de 
 
 Clerembault. Then I began saying my prayers. 
 
 As midnight struck I was surprised to see Mme. de 
 
 Clerembault enter hurriedly. ' His Royal High- 
 
 ness the Dauphin is dying ! ' she exclaimed ; ' even 
 
 now the King has left for Marly, and the Duchesse 
 
 de Bourgogne has sent for her coach to follow the 
 
 King.' t A moment after they came and told me 
 
 that the Dauphin had breathed his last. 
 
 * Smallpox. , , ii. I 
 
 t It was the custom for the royal family to leave the palace 
 cither just before or after the death of a member of tlieir family. 
 
i88 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 " You may imagine the emotion I felt at this news. 
 I immediately sent for my coach and hurriedly 
 dressed myself, then I went to the Ducliesse do 
 Bourgogne^s apartment, where I found the Due 
 and Ducliesse in a sad state. They were utterly 
 moved out of themselves, as pale as death and 
 silent. The Due and Duchesse de Berri lay on the 
 floor, crying and lamenting so loudly that they 
 could be heard three apartments off. My son and 
 Mme. d'Orleans wept silently, doing their Lest to 
 calm the Due and Duchesse de Berri. All tlie ladies 
 sat on the floor, weeping round the Duchesse de 
 Bourgogne. I accompanied the Due and Duchesse 
 de Berri to their apartment; they went to Led, 
 
 crying heartily all the time " 
 
 At seven I got up and came here (Marly) 
 
 When I arrived, the King was not yet visiLle, so 
 I went to Mme. de Maintenon's apartment. She 
 told me all that had occurred the evening Lefore. 
 'At ten o'clock,' said she, ^ there was still hope, 
 Lut at half-past ten things took an evil turn, and 
 they sent for extreme unction. The King was at 
 dessert when the news was Lrought him. You can 
 easily figure his grief to yourself. He wished to go 
 to the Dauphin, Lut we dissuaded him, saying that 
 he would only arrive in time to see him Lreathe his 
 last ; thereupon he had his coach fetched and de- 
 parted " 
 
 "Marly, May 9lh, 1711. 
 
 " It is indeed true that the King has every reason 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 189 
 
 for regretting the Dauphin's death. He was a very 
 good son, full of filial respect, oLedience, and love. 
 
 This was the Lest side of him 
 
 ^^ The present Dauphin and myself are not great 
 friends, Lut he is always courteous, which is all I 
 ask. He is more deformed than really ugly, for 
 his features are not Lad, although he is lame and 
 liunchLacked. He has fine intelligent eyes. He is 
 somewhat Ligoted, Lut does not preach. All our 
 three Princes are attached to their wives " 
 
 Saint Simon gives a graphic picture of the 
 Dauphin's death, and of the mixture of feelings 
 with which it was regarded Ly the Court, who hailed 
 with joy the accession of the young Due de Bour- 
 gogne to the title and dignity of Dauphin. Speak- 
 ing of Madame's conduct on hearing the news he 
 says, ^ Madame, who had redressed herself, arrived, 
 crying Litterly. She emLraced everyLody warmly, 
 evidently hardly aware of what she was doing, 
 the palace was filled with the sound of her 
 screams. . . . .* 
 
 Mme. de Maintenon was suspected Ly the popu- 
 lace of having contriLuted to the Grand Dauphin's 
 sudden death, and the following lines were written 
 on the event. 
 
 " Cl-git le Sire <ie Meudon,* 
 Qui vecut sans ambition, 
 Et mourut sans confession, 
 Depeclie par la Maintenon." 
 
 * The Dauphin's country house. 
 
 I 
 
190 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ''Marly, June 11th, 1711. 
 
 *^ There is perpetual war between the Jesuits and 
 Jansenists, but the Jesuits are upheld by the King, 
 which strengtliens them very much. They torment 
 tlie others in every possible way ; and here one 
 cannot get on better than by taking part against 
 them. As for myself I am sorry for all good people 
 who are in misfortune. Althougli I have many 
 personal friends among the Jesuits I must own that 
 tlie Jansenists live in a Christian fashion, and do 
 not deserve to be persecuted ; it grieves me also to 
 see those belonging to the same faith treat each 
 other as enemies " 
 
 ''Marly, July 5tli, 1711. 
 
 *' I cannot imagine why there should be such a 
 violent feeling against the Jansenists; it has injured 
 many worthy people. M. de Cambrai * is not 
 accused of being a Jansenist, but of being a 
 Quietist ; to tell you tl.e truth I have always taken 
 him for an lionest and intelligent man. He is very 
 ugly and has no flesh upon his bones. His eyes 
 are also sunk back into his head, but he converses 
 agreeably and in an interesting manner. He 
 is very polite and even cheerful; he laughs 
 willingly, and likes conversing in a simple, un- 
 affected manner; indeed, I liked him greatly. 
 Nothing is being said about Mme. Guyon. I never 
 saw her, but I have been told that she was a charm- 
 in f>* woman. M. de Cambrai's disgrace is not attri- 
 
 * Feneloii, Archbishop of Cambrai. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 191 
 
 buted at Court to his religious opinions, but to his 
 having confirmed the King in his hopes that to 
 keep one's marriage secret is no sin. I hear that 
 this advice did not suit everybody, so the Mme. 
 Guyon affair was taken up as a pretext '' 
 
 "Marly, July 20th, 1711. 
 
 '^ I have always understood that my Lord Marl- 
 borough's wife behaved with great insolence to 
 Queen Anne. The latter has therefore done well 
 to send her away. What business is it of Lord 
 Sunderland whether the Queen is well or badly 
 served by Mme. Masson ? * This same Sunderland 
 is a very dangerous fellow, the more so that from 
 his meek and gentle appearance one would suppose 
 him to be without guile. He was for a long time 
 ambassador here ; he gambled a great deal, and I 
 saw him very often " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Aug. 12th, 1711. 
 
 "I assure you that the Dauphin deserves the 
 praise awarded to him. Tlie Dauphiness is also 
 making herself very popular owing to her courtesy. 
 Last Monday they invited me to dinner; no one 
 could liave behaved more suitably than they did 
 on that occasion; they even waited on me personally. 
 A dozen duchesses were present and they spoke to 
 each of them.'' 
 
 "Versailles, Sept. 30th, 1711. 
 
 " Mme. de Maintenon looks considerably younger 
 than her age, although she has become much thinner 
 
 * Mrs. Masham. 
 
192 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 lately. I have not seen her face to face for nearly 
 six months " 
 
 "Marly, Oct. 14tli, 1711. 
 
 ^* Last Tuesday I went to see the all-powerful 
 lady. She told mo to send away my ladies. This 
 was serious ; my heart began beating, for I thought 
 that she was about to scold me. I quickly ex- 
 amined my conscience, but could find nothing to 
 reproach myself with ; this is wliat she said : the 
 King had told my son and liis wife to watch over 
 the conduct of their daughter;* ho had saidnotliing 
 to me thinking that I should do so naturally, but 
 hearing lately that I had said nothing to her, he 
 had ordered Mme. do Maintenon to tell me, from 
 him, that I was to speak severely to the young 
 woman. Then she told me what I was specially to 
 speak to lier about. 'Although it will be a painful 
 thing,' I replied ' yet I will do my best to please 
 His Majesty in this matter, this will show him 
 that I am always ready to obey him in all things, 
 but I hope that His Majesty will inform the 
 Duchesse de Berri that I speak to her by his desire ; 
 this will impress what I say more powerfully upon 
 her.' He did so. That same evening the father, 
 mother, and daughter, came to see me. I began 
 on the matter in hand immediately, thus, *My dear 
 child, you are aware that I have only scolded you 
 once since your marriage ; I had meant never to do 
 so again, but the King has ordered me to speak to 
 
 * The Duchesse de Berri. 
 
 ^" "*-*? - 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 193 
 
 you, and explain to you why he did not take you 
 to the hunt the other day ; the reason of it is that 
 you have seriously displeased him by your con- 
 duct " 
 
 "Versailles, Nov. 15th, 1711. 
 
 *^ 'I will not speak to you,' said I to the Duch- 
 esse de Berri, ' of the Lord God. I leave that to 
 your confessor. I will only remark that it is very 
 bad taste in a person of your age to boast of your 
 disbelief in the Divinity. You do not only arouse 
 God's anger, but cause men to despise you. I do 
 not tell you all this from ill-humour or from anger, 
 but only in obedience to the King, and because,' 
 I added, smiling, ' your father's kindness and your 
 mother's laziness prevent their reproving you when 
 you behave foolishly by drinking over much, con- 
 tradicting the King, ill-treating your husband, or 
 making him commit unwise actions, and quarrelling 
 Avith the Dauphine.' 
 
 '' My son often spoils the good I have been able 
 to effect with much difficulty and loss of time." 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 5th, 1711. 
 
 '' I hoar that it is believed by certain people that 
 Catholics are not yet allowed to read the Bible, 
 but in Paris the case is quite otherwise. When 
 I first came to France, it was not the fashion, but 
 now all that is changed, every one reads it now. 
 I do not know to what is due this sudden 
 
 change. 
 
 ?> 
 
 o 
 
^9+ 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 1712 TO 1715. 
 
 "Versailles, Jan. 14tli, 1712. 
 ^' How annoying and tiresome are obstinate 
 children ! After having spent the whole of Tuesday 
 morning scolding Mme. de Berri, and explaining 
 to her how to ask pardon of the King, she ended 
 by answering, *I should haveindeed a bad memory, 
 Madame, if I forgot all that you have told me.' 
 IVfy son exhorted her in a very proper manner, so 
 there wa^i every reason to hope that all would go 
 well, and that the King would be satisfied with her. 
 Already on Monday lier mother had begged him to 
 allow her daughter to come and see him again, for 
 he had forbidden her, through me, to appear in his 
 presence. My son also interceded for her, but the 
 King answered that he would say nothing till he 
 had consulted me. That evening I followed the 
 King into his cabinet. Seeing him somewhat sur- 
 prised, I said laughing, ^ I hope that your Majesty 
 will forgive my following you into your cabinet 
 without being invited. I will go away the moment 
 I have finished what I came to say My son 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 195 
 
 and Mme. d'Orleans both inform me that you will 
 not receive the Duchesse de Berri, nor allow her to 
 beg your forgiveness for having displeased you, till 
 I have joined my entreaties to theirs. This is what 
 I have come to do.' ^ What, Madame,' answered 
 the King, ' Do you advise me to already receive 
 Mme. de Berri ? ' 'It is not my place to advise 
 you,' I observed, laughing, ' but I beg of your 
 Majesty to afford that consolation to Mme. de Berri, 
 for she has been truly punished.' ' Your advice 
 is good,' replied he with great courtesy, ' and is 
 worthy of your good sense. I will receive Mme. 
 de Berri to-morrow evening; you can tell her this, 
 or send a message to her to that efi*ect.' I made 
 a low courtesy and went towards the door. ' I will 
 not make you a long answer,' I replied, ' for I 
 know that your Majesty is awaiting compaii}^, 
 otherwise I would thank your Majesty with suitable 
 length for your kindness,' and thereupon I de- 
 parted " 
 
 "Versailles, Feb. 11th, 1712. 
 
 ''No one can feel surprised at the hatred felt by 
 the Queen of England * for the Duchess of Marl- 
 borough and her husband. They have behaved 
 very insolently to her. Still, I think that she 
 should overlook this, for the Duke did his duty in 
 the battles and sieges, and I think that victorious 
 soldiers deserve rewards, not punishments. Unless, 
 indeed, that the Queen has — as they believe here — 
 
 '^ Queen Anne. 
 
 o2 
 
196 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 positive proof that he wished to unthrone her and 
 make himself Protector, like Cromwell. If that is 
 really the case, she has acted wisely in having him 
 seized and thrown into jirison, for he is said to be 
 already arrested " 
 
 Madam e's next letter contains the news of the 
 Daupliine's sudden death, immediately followed by 
 tliat of her husband, and, a month later, by that of 
 their eldest child. As was but natural, their death 
 was suspected to have been caused by poison, ad- 
 ministered by someone in their immediate entoii- 
 rage. Mme. de Maintenon being out of the question 
 —for she had been much attached to the young 
 couple— the Due d' Orleans was suspected, to Ma- 
 dame's great grief and indignation, of having 
 removed two out of the three of his obstacles to 
 the throne. 
 
 '' Marly, Feb. 12th. 1712. 
 
 "Naught can be relied upon in this world. Who 
 is there in existence who would not have prophesied 
 a long and happy life to the Dauphine ? Now she 
 is no more.t Great Grod, how sad must be the 
 good Duchess of Savoy ! I am indeed sorry for 
 her, and cannot bear to think of her affliction ; the 
 Dauphin is also much grieved, but he is still young ; 
 he can re-marry and repair his loss, but that of the 
 Duchess of Savoy and of the King is irremediable. 
 The King had brought her up entirely according 
 to his own ideas ; she was his only consolation and 
 
 * The Dauphine died from measles. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 197 
 
 joy, and of so cheerful a nature that she always 
 found means to brighten and chase away his sad- 
 ness. A hundred times a day she would run after 
 liim, each time enlivening him by some witty sally. 
 He will miss her in all ways, so there is nothing 
 strange in his great grief. . . . /' 
 
 ''Marly, Feb. 18th, 1712. 
 
 '' We are again overwhelmed l)y a terrible mis- 
 fortune. The good Dauphin has followed liis wife ; 
 he died this morning at half -past eight. . . . Tlie 
 King is in such grief that I fear for his health. 
 This is a terrible loss for the whole kingdom, for 
 
 he was a virtuous, just, and intelligent man 
 
 The King having a bad cold was not disturbed, but 
 immediately on waking he learnt the awful news. 
 As soon as we were told that he knew, we hurried 
 to him. His condition was most grievous, for the 
 King loses much in him, and since his father's death 
 he used to assist at the councils, and the Minister 
 worked with him. He spared the King when lie 
 could, w as mercif id, and gave greatly to the poor ; 
 he once sold all his mother's jewels and g ive the 
 money to some wounded officers. During his life 
 he did all the good he could and harmed nobody. 
 
 '^ For the first time, I believe, in the world's 
 history, a husband and wife will be laid to rest 
 together on the same day ! I have been so fright- 
 ened by these late events that I hardly know what 
 
 I am saying I feel as though we were all 
 
 going to die one after the other " 
 
198 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 *• Marly, Feb. 20tli, 1712. 
 
 ^^ Although not post flay to-day, I cannot resist 
 telling my troubles to my dearly beloved aunt. It 
 was not enough for me to feel sincerely grieved at 
 the Dauphin's and Dauphine's death, but there 
 must arrive something even more painful and which 
 cuts me to the heart. Some wicked people have 
 spread a rumour all over Paris that my son poisoned 
 the Daui^hin and Dauphine. Being sure of his 
 innocence I at first thought this a bad joke, not 
 believing for a moment that such a thing could be 
 said seriously; but the King has been informed of 
 it. He sent for my son, however, and assured him 
 with great kindness that he attached no belief or 
 importance to the report. But he advised my son 
 to send, in his own interest, his chemist, the poor 
 and learned Humberg, to the Bastille, to clear him 
 
 of this accusation I am quite crazy with 
 
 trouble Some think that this is a piece of 
 
 work arranged by Spain ; if so, the Princesse des 
 Ursins must be a very devil to revenge herself thus 
 on my son for his harmless joke " 
 
 *• Sunday, Feb. 21st, 10 o'clock. 
 
 '^ I must tell you the ending of yesterday's tale. 
 My son sent Humberg to be examined at the Bas- 
 tille. The King forbade them to receive him ; for, 
 firstly, he does not think my son to be capable of 
 such a wicked action, and secondly all the doctors 
 who assisted at the post-mortem aver that they saw 
 no trace of poison in either body, only that the 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 199 
 
 Dauphine died from the measles and the Dauphin 
 
 from close air and grief 
 
 '^ All the sciences interest my son; they suit his 
 intelligence. But when he tries to play the fop it 
 disgusts everybody ; the young fellows round him, 
 ay, his daughter herself, laugh at him, but he goes 
 on just the same. He is like the child in the fairy 
 tale whose parents invited six fairies to his christen- 
 ing; one gave him a fine figure, another eloquence 
 of speech, a third, knowledge of all the fine arts, 
 the fourth, all elegant exercises, namely, fencing, 
 dancing and riding, the. fifth that he should becoine 
 skilled in the art of war, and the sixth, that he 
 should exceed all others in courage. But a seventh 
 fairy, whom they had forgotten to invite, arrived 
 and said, ^ I cannot take away any of the gifts be- 
 stowed upon him by my sisters, but I shall pursue 
 him all his life with my hatred, and the favours be- 
 stowed upon him will avail him nothing. He will 
 walk in so ugly a fashion that people will take him 
 for a cripple ; I will cause his black beard to grow 
 so quickly and twist his countenance into such 
 hideous grimaces that he will be completely dis- 
 figured ; I shall fill him with dislike for elegant 
 exercises ; I shall so arrange his existence that he 
 will not find time nor courage for perfecting himself 
 in music, painting, and drawing; I shall inspire 
 him with a love of solitude and a hatred of good 
 company. ,...'" 
 
200 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF 7HE 
 
 "Versailles, March 5th, 1712. 
 
 ''I am filled with compassion for the King; 
 although he tries to be cheerful, it is evident that 
 lie suffers secretly. I hope that God ^\rill spare 
 him to us. Fears are already entertained as to 
 my son's possible share in a future government. 
 They are doing everything to make him unpopular 
 in Paris and at Court. The affair of the poisoning, 
 I spoke to you of, is being again spread about. 
 He is accused of causing the death of every one 
 who dies at Court, even of having poisoned M. de 
 Seignelay, who died suddenly lately " 
 
 "Versailles, March 10th, 1712. 
 ''Even you must be seized with terror cm hearing 
 of our new misfortune. The doctors have been 
 again to blame, for the little Dauphin being covcrod 
 with the eruption (from measles), they bled him 
 and administered a strong emetic ; in the middle of 
 this operation the poor child died. What proves 
 clearly that the doctors also killed him is, that his 
 little brother,* though equally ill from tlie same 
 disease, was left alone with the women, whilst the 
 nine doctors attended to the eldest; the women 
 attending to the younger one left him alone, only 
 giving him a biscuit and a little wine. Yesterday, 
 the child being very feverish, they (the doctors) 
 wished to bleed him, but Mme. de Ventadour and 
 Mme. de Villcfort opposed it strongly and absolutely 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 201 
 
 forbade its being done. They simply kept the 
 child warm, and so saved him, to the doctor's great 
 shame. If they had had their own way he would 
 certainly have died also. 
 
 ^' I shudder w^hen telling you of the spiteful 
 wickedness of people here. Although neither my 
 son nor any of his people approached that child, it 
 is being publicly said that he poisoned it, only 
 allowing the younger brother to live for fear that 
 the King of Spain, who is known to detest him, 
 should return here '' 
 
 " Versailles, this Saturday, 
 
 *' March the 19th, 1712. 
 
 '* I cannot imagine why my son is so hated in 
 Paris ; he has never done any one an injury. The 
 late Monsieur and myself were never disliked, 
 neither am I now " 
 
 '' Versailles, this Holy Thursday, 
 
 '' March 21st, 1712. 
 
 " We only talk of the jiast in the sanctuary.* 
 War, peace, anything relating to the present, is 
 not mentioned, neither are the three Dauphins nor 
 the Dauphine, for fear of saddening the King. 
 .... Would to God that nothing more serious 
 than recognising Queen Anne and the heirs she 
 
 may designate stood in the way of peace 
 
 I believe that even if Queen Anne had not chosen 
 the Elector of Brunswick for her heir, he would 
 
 * Afterwards Louis XV. 
 
 * 
 
 Madame's nickname for the King's circle. 
 
202 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 have been offered the crown of England all the 
 
 same. 
 
 J? 
 
 '* Marly, April 14th, 1712. 
 
 '^ The King of Denmark is indeed behaving in 
 a ridiculous manner in attempting to pose as a 
 gallant. T am sure that he hardly knows how to 
 set about it. I cannot think of him in that cha- 
 racter without laughing, for as he is deathly pale, 
 he must look far more like a dying man than a 
 lover. One can apply to him the French proverb, 
 ^The dead are never hungry.' Tlie King treats my 
 son in a proper manner. This makes me hope that 
 those lying tales made no impression on his 
 Majesty. 
 
 *' My son is not naturally given to drinking, but 
 when he is in bad company he fancies that he ought 
 to be ^Hail fellow, well met' with them; once 
 drunk, he completely loses his head, and is quite 
 unaware of what he says or does " 
 
 " Versailles, May 8tli, 1712. 
 
 '^ I am indeed glad to hear that Anthony Hamil- 
 ton's manuscript diverts you so much. I felt sure 
 that you would like it, so sent it to you. But if 
 you had known the Comto and Comtesse de Gram- 
 mont as we did here, you would have been even 
 more interested. The husband and wife's characters 
 are admirably delineated. I also knew Matta and 
 little Germain. Good King James is not badly 
 drawn either, but I think that the writer is unfair 
 towards his uncle Robert. . . . ," 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 203 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Marly, this Saturday, June 18th, 1712. 
 
 " What Herr Hassenburg brought my aunt was, 
 the model of a new sort of parasol, that can be 
 carried about and put up in case a shower should 
 surprise one during a walk " 
 
 "Marly, July 9th, 1712. 
 
 " My lady Kent's powder is an excellent thing, 
 
 and not by any means to be despised An 
 
 evil wind must be passing over Hanover, which 
 causes everyone to feel ill. Do you not think 
 that it may be due to excess of coffee drinking ? 
 They say that it is so bad for the stomach and 
 chest. I fancy that the drops which have done 
 you so much good are English ; they are composed 
 of one grain of opium added to the extract of the 
 roots of two plants named asarum and sassafras. 
 Nothing is so good for chest complaints " 
 
 " Fontainebleau, Sept. 10th, 1712. 
 
 ^' Our King of England ^ had hardly departed 
 when my Lord Bolingbroke arrived in Paris. They 
 met one another at the opera. Now the poor young 
 King has gone away, no one knows where he is ; I 
 grieve for the Queen f from the bottom of my heart, 
 she is inconsolable ; and she certainly deserved a 
 happier existence, for she is the most virtuous 
 princess in the whole world. Our King of Eng- 
 land, I mean the true one, no longer dislikes 
 
 * The old Pretender. 
 
 f Mary of Modena. 
 
204- 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Protestants, for he has taken many of them for his 
 servants " 
 
 To THE Electress SoriiiA. 
 
 '• Versaille>!, Oct. 1st, 1712. 
 
 '^ Our Duehesse de Berri is wilder than ever. 
 Yesterday she tried to be rude to me, but I instantly 
 told her what I thought of her conduct. She came 
 to see me in great state, gaudily attired, and with 
 fourteen beautiful diamond buckles. She looked 
 very handsome, although two patches placed on her 
 face did not suit her at all. As she advanced 
 towards me I said, * Madame, you are looking 
 very handsome, but you seem to me to have too 
 many patches for a person of your rank. You are 
 the first lady in this country, and ought to have a 
 more dignified demeanour, and not be covered with 
 patches like a play-actress.' She pouted and an- 
 swered, ' I know that you do not aff'ect patches, 
 and think them ugly, but I think them pretty and 
 mean to please myself.' ' That is owing to your 
 extreme youth,' I observed, ' for instead of thinking 
 to please yourself, you should consider the King's 
 wishes.' ^Oh!' said she ^ the King gets used to 
 anything in time, and I have made up my mind to 
 trouble myself about nobody, and to care for no- 
 thing.' * These sentiments,' I replied, laughing, 
 ^ will take you a long way. Listen to me, I only 
 speak for your own good, as your grandmother, 
 and because the King has commanded me to do so. 
 Were it not for this, I should remain silent.' ' To 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 205 
 
 keep silence is a good thing,' she answered, ^ for 
 talking is of no good; no one can prevent my doing 
 as I like.' ^ So much the worse for you,' said I, 
 ' but all I hear you say now comes from your youth 
 and great inexperience, so I hope that you wdll 
 alter in time. Cannot you remember the late 
 Dauphine saying that one did not always look at 
 life in the same way, and that she was very sorry 
 to have been so little reasonable ? ' 'As for myself,' 
 she replied, ' I see nothing to change, so will alter 
 nothing.' ' It is not enough,' I observed, ' for you 
 to be pleased with yourself ; everyone ought to be 
 so too.' Thereupon she got up. ' This is a little 
 head,' said I, 'which will cause you much pain.' 
 ' What do vou mean? ' she asked. ' You understand 
 what I mean,' I answered, ' and even if you don't, 
 experience will soon teach you.' After this she 
 
 left me 
 
 '' That same evening I told her father all that 
 had passed. ' Teach your daughter,' I added, ^ the 
 proper way to speak to me. I was patient this 
 time, but cannot promise to be always so in future, 
 and I shall certainly complain to the King of the 
 way in which she receives my advice.' My son, 
 frightened by this, begged me to say nothing, and 
 promised to give her a good scolding." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Versailles, Dec. 8tli, 1712. 
 
 " I cannot bear tea, coffee, or chocolate, and 
 cannot understand how any one can like that sort 
 
206 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 of thing. I find that tea tastes of liay and rotten 
 straw, coffee of soot, and chocolate is too sweet and 
 soft. What I would willingly partake of would be 
 a good dish of Biran brot, or beer soup ; these 
 things would do no harm to one's inside " 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 22nd, 1712. 
 
 "My health improves every day, and I no longer 
 cough at night. I attribute this to a certain drink 
 that they have made me take every night before 
 going to bed ; one takes an egg-yolk and boils it 
 in water with sugar candy ; then one beats it till it 
 becomes as white as milk ; I drink this up as hot 
 as possible " 
 
 To THE Electress Sophia. 
 
 " Versailles, Jan. 12t]i, 1713. 
 
 *^ Queen Anne must be well aware in hor heart 
 of hearts that our young King is her brother. No 
 doubt you remember that many wrote that it was 
 really so, from England, at the time. Again, the 
 young King has a strong family look. No one ought 
 to doubt of his legitimacy, and his mother is too 
 good a woman to have agreed to take part in such 
 a fraud. She has led the existence of an angel 
 here for the last twenty-four years under our eyes. 
 I feel certain that Queen Anne's conscience will 
 wake up before her death, and that she will do 
 justice to her brother " 
 
 " Marly, May 10th, 1713. 
 
 '' Generally when one marries for love, hate 
 follows after a short time spent in each other's com- 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 207 
 
 pany. Powder and paint utterly spoil the com- 
 plexion, as my mother * soon found out. I do not 
 care what happens to my complexion. Had I cared 
 a jot I should not have hunted in all weathers, as I 
 have been in the habit of doing the last thirty 
 years '* 
 
 The death of the Due de Berri, which occurred 
 in the spring of 1714, was a great misfortune for 
 France and his young wife, Madam e's giddy grand- 
 daughter, who on his death plunged into every 
 kind of extravagant folly. 
 
 Shortly after this event the Electress Sophia died 
 very suddenly from an attack of apoplexy whilst 
 walking in the park of Amuhausen. She was the 
 daughter of Elizabeth Stuart and the King of 
 Bohemia, and the favourite sister of the Elector 
 Karl Ludwig. She died at the age of eighty, on 
 the 8th of June, 1714, a few months before Queen 
 Anne. Madame felt her death extremely. Saint 
 Simon says, '^ This lady was a very worthy prin- 
 cess ; she had brought up Madame, who was much 
 attached to her. She always wrote to her twice a 
 week " 
 
 After the death of the Electress, Madame wrote 
 more frequently, and with greater confidence, to the 
 Eaugravine Louise. 
 
 * The only place in Madame's correspondence where her mother 
 is mentioned. 
 
 4 ' 
 
2o8 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Marly, May 10th, 1714. 
 
 '^ Wc liave lost the poor Due de Berri, who was 
 only twenty-seven years of age, and so stout and 
 healthy that one might have thought he would live 
 to be a hundred " 
 
 *' Versailles, May 27tli, 1711. 
 *• In one wav it is a fortunate thins: for me that 
 
 ^ CD 
 
 the Due de Berri ceased to care for me a long time 
 ago. otherwise I should have grieved too much. I 
 own that at first I was greatly moved, but after 
 having reflected that he would probably have 
 laughed on hearing of my death, I felt greatly con- 
 soled. 
 
 "Marly, July lOtli, 1714. 
 
 " I cannot express to you the grief I have been 
 plunged in since my aunt's death, and I also have 
 the misery of being obliged to hide my sorrow, for 
 the King cannot bear to see sad countenances round 
 him. I even have to go out hunting 
 
 '^Alas! my aunt often wrote to me that she 
 thought a sudden death the best, and that it must 
 be painful to die in one's bed, having on one side 
 the minister or priest, and on the other the doctor, 
 who can do nothing for you " 
 
 <•' Marly, July 29tli, 1714. 
 
 ^' I was told privately yesterday that the King of 
 Spain wishes to re-marry, and that he has sent the 
 Cardinal Acquaviva from Rome to Parma to ask for 
 the hand of tlie Princess of Parma. I do not 
 suppose that they will refuse it to him " 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 209 
 
 '« Versailles, Aug. 23rd, 1714. 
 
 '' I went to Sainte Marie de Chaillot, where our 
 Queen of England is spending the summer. There 
 I learnt that Queen Anne of England was certainly 
 dead, and that our Elector of Brunswick had been 
 proclaimed King of England, Scotland, and Ireland 
 some hours after her death 
 
 '' It is quite true that our King of Spain is about 
 to wed the Princess of Parma, but it is false that 
 this marriage has been arranged without the know- 
 ledge of the Princesse d'Ursins. I think that she 
 herself started this idea because she had promised 
 several people here that their daughters should be 
 the new Queen of Spain " 
 
 " FONTAINEBLEAU, Sept. 6tb, 1714. 
 
 ^'Have the goodness to thank the Princess oi 
 Wales for her kind remembrance of me. Between 
 ourselves no one has a good word to say for the 
 Prince of Wales. All those who have seen him say 
 that his manners recall those of the absurd marquis 
 
 who figures in most of Moliere's plays He 
 
 is also said to be a trifle crazy Our Elector's 
 
 prompt notification has been taken here in very 
 good part. He is already styled King George. ..." 
 
 " FoNTAiNEBLEAU, Sept. 20th, 1714. 
 
 *^You seem to think that I spend my life in 
 amusements and gaieties. To cure you of this idea 
 I will describe my life to you. I get up generally 
 at nine o'clock ; then I say my prayers and read 
 
 i^i 
 
210 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 M 
 
 three chapters of the Bible, one of the Old Testa- 
 ment, one of the New, and a Psalm. After this I 
 dress and receive those who wish to see me. At 
 eleven I enter my cabinet, where I write or read. 
 At twelve I go to chapel, lunching quite alone 
 afterwards, which I am far from enjoying, for I 
 think that nothing can be worse than being alone 
 at table, watched by a dozen servants, who stare all 
 the time, and although I have been here forty-three 
 years, I have not yet become used to this country's 
 detestable cooking. After lunch I generally begin 
 writing and continue till the King's supper ; some- 
 times my ladies come and play a game of cards 
 with me. Mme. d'Orleans, the Duchesse de Berri, 
 and sometimes my son, come to see me from nine 
 to ten. At a quarter to eleven we go to table and 
 await the King, wdio sometimes delays coming till 
 half -past eleven. During supper no one says a word ; 
 afterwards, we pass into the King's cabinet, Avliere 
 we stay during the time that it would take one to 
 say an ' Our Father.' .... Then the King bows 
 and goes into his apartment, where we follow him ; 
 there the King talks with us ; at half-past twelve 
 he bids us good-night, and each retires into his or 
 her chamber. I go to bed, the Duchesse begins 
 playing ; sometimes they sit up playing in her apart- 
 ments till the next morning. When the theatre is 
 going on I go there from seven till supper. The 
 hunts always start at one o'clock. If I go out I get 
 up at eight and go to chapel at eleven " 
 
 ; 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 211 
 
 " FoNTAiNEBLEAU, 22nd Scpt. 1714. 
 
 ^^1 have seen Lord Peterborough twice. He held 
 a singular kind of discourse, and is as witty as the 
 devil ; but he is very odd, and speaks in an extra- 
 ordinary fashion. 
 
 " I am really annoyed when I think that that 
 old and odious Duchesse of Zell is still alive, whilst 
 our dear Electress has departed this life." 
 
 " Versailles, Nov. 3rd, 1714. 
 
 '^The King of England* sent to tell me by M. 
 ]\lartini that he would write to me as soon as he 
 was settled in England. Yesterday M. Prior brought 
 me a letter from him, bat not written with his own 
 hand, but by a secretary. I ought not to feel 
 offended or surprised, remembering how this King- 
 has always treated me. He is just the opposite of 
 his mother. But whatever happens I shall always 
 remember that he is my aunt's son, and wish him 
 every happiness. I am writing to him to-day. I 
 am so sorry for the Princess of Wales. I esteem 
 her greatly, for I find that she has very good and 
 lofty sentiments ; rare things just now^" 
 
 "Marly, Nov. 8th, 1714. 
 " Half-past six o'clock. 
 
 •' I do not believe that the English, who are so 
 impatient, will put up for any time with a King 
 who cannot speak their language. They say that 
 he is only allowed to keep one German servant. 
 
 *' I live as though I were quite alone in the world. 
 
 * George I. 
 
 p2 
 
■g^^-J - -. -IS i 
 
 212 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I shall never see my daughter again. My son is 
 absorbed in his own family, and only comes to see 
 me when others are by, or when I have many letters 
 to write. He comes then so as to avoid seeing me 
 in private. But I am resigned at this state of 
 things. I allow him and his family to act according 
 to their fancy, and I meddle in nothing. I go to 
 visit his wife and daughters as though they were 
 foreign princesses." 
 
 " Versailles, Dec. 27tli, 1714. 
 
 ''After dinner I walked about my room for half- 
 an-hour, and amused myself with my pets, for I 
 have here with me two parrots, a canary, and eight 
 
 little dogs 
 
 '' No doubt your boat was a yacht.* I cannot 
 understand how any one can make up his mind 
 to venture on to the sea. You must be indeed 
 courageous not to have been frightened. Who 
 would not be sick, shaken about in such a fashion?" 
 
 * Tlie Rangravinc was returning to England to be with licr 
 nieces, the Ladies Schombcrg. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 213 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 1715 TO 1717. 
 
 "Versailles, this Friday, Jan. 14th, 1715. 
 
 ^' I have met many English men and women in 
 my life. They are very different one from the 
 other; some very courteous, others rude and boorisli. 
 The Duchess of Shrewsbury,* as they call lierhere, 
 makes friends easily. This is why she is intimate 
 with the Princesse de Conti and so many other 
 ladies. I am very cold with people tliat I do not 
 
 know 
 
 ^^From what I have heard of the air in London 
 I do not believe that I could stand it for four-and- 
 twenty hours without falling ill. They say that it 
 smells of coal and smoke. 
 
 ^' I think it very rude of the King of England to 
 take no notice of your presence in London. Even 
 were he not related to you, lie ought for his 
 mother's sake to seek you out and try to honour 
 you ; but I plainly see that this good King cares 
 little for those loved by his mother. What can one 
 
 * Written in Madame's letter, Schrosburig. 
 
II 
 
 214 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 say? Everyone has his own nature, and it is 
 certainly not at the age of fifty-four that people 
 
 change 
 
 ''Dear Louise, your brother-in-law *= evidently 
 wishes to marry his daughters like the Seigneur 
 Harpagon, that is to say, without a dowry. But to 
 do this is not an easy matter anywhere, the 
 gentlemen being more in love with the fair money 
 box than with tlie lovely ladies themselves. I am 
 sorry for your niece's sake that she is not going to 
 settle in our own dear country. A good German is 
 worth all the English put together " 
 
 "Jan. lOth, 1715. 
 
 ''I have just received the sad news of the Arch- 
 bishop of Cambrai's f death, wliich occurred some 
 days ago. He is much mourned, and was a sincere 
 friend of my son. 
 
 ''A certain Prince of Anhalt Zeits brought me 
 several kind messages from the Prince of Wales, 
 but not a word from the King. Our Duchesse of 
 Hanover, now residing at Modena, is not better 
 treated by him than myself. I do not know what 
 causes him to be so discourteous. But for my not 
 being Protestant I should be in his place, for I was 
 far nearer the English throne than himself, for it is 
 through a member of my family, his mother, that 
 he is King of England. 
 
 ''I beg of you, dear Louise, to thank the Prince 
 
 . * The Duke of Scbombcrg. 
 f Fenelon rtied Jan. 7th, 1715, at the age of sixty-four. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS. 215 
 
 of Wales from me, and tell him how much obliged 
 I feel to him for his kind thouglit. 
 
 '' Whilst King William was still living and 
 Princess Anne only the next in succession, she 
 often wrote to me through Lord Portland ; but I 
 can see that the present King is determined to 
 avoid corresponding with me " 
 
 a 
 
 Versailles, Jan. 25th, 1715. 
 
 ^'Thc weather has somewhat changed, but for 
 fourteen days we suffered frightfully from^ cold. 
 Paris was entirely frozen. No wood could arrive by 
 the Seine ; and the comical thing was that people 
 sent one another as New Year's presents little 
 bundles of wood instead of jewellery, etc., and 
 I assure you that they were most thankfully ac- 
 knowledged 
 
 ^' No doubt you have read in the gazettes all the 
 details of the Princesse d'Ursin's disgrace. I am 
 extremely annoyed to hear that she is coming here, 
 for die is my son's greatest enemy. The things that 
 she has done to him make one's hair bristle with 
 
 indignation, 
 
 )> 
 
 " Versailles, Feb. 7tb, 1715. 
 
 '' My Lord Stairs gave me yesterday the B^zoard 
 of Goa that the Princess of Wales was good enough 
 to send me. I am extremely obliged to her, and 
 beg of you to express my gratitude when next you 
 see her. Few things in this world have touched 
 me as much as this Princess's continual courtesy to 
 
■■*■ 
 
 ..2.:^ 
 
 rm w 
 
 ■^i^W 
 
 2l6 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Jl 
 
 me, for although I have not the honour of being 
 personally acquainted with her, it shows me 
 the affection she must have bc^rne to my aunt. 
 As for the Bezoard, the Jesuits make it at Goa. 
 My son has many boxes filled with it, given by 
 the Fathers to Monsieur. I am surprised that they 
 accept anything coming from a Jesuit, in England. 
 When I told Lord Stairs so, he laughed heartily." 
 
 '* Versailles, March 12tli, 1715. 
 
 " The Cardinal de Bouillon died last week at 
 Eome. He is no great loss, for he was as false as 
 the deviJ, thoroughly spiteful, and led an evil life; 
 in short, he was worth nothing 
 
 *^ I pass on to w^liat you tell me of your niece; 
 your trust in my judgment touches me greatly. I 
 must tell you that the marriage you speak of seems 
 to me highly suitable, provided that the gentleman 
 has enough to keep his wife in a proper manner in 
 her own rank of life. If that is the case, and the 
 young people love one another, all will go well ; 
 but if he is poor, give up the idea altogether ; for 
 as far as I know, dear Louise, love is only a 
 question of time ; afterwards comes bitterness and 
 quarrels ; and one gets a heap of children, with 
 nothing to bring them up on. In this case, instead 
 of a marriage uniting two lovers, it brings two 
 future enemies together. I have seen examples of 
 this, so I think I ouglit to give you this warn- 
 
 1 
 
 ing. 
 
 J» 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 217 
 
 "Versailles, April 23rcl, 1715. 
 
 '' They say here that the Prince of Wales has 
 quarrelled Avith his father to such an extent that 
 tliey no longer speak to one another, and that a 
 kind of petition was presented to the Princess of 
 Wales, setting forth that as she was pious and 
 good she must be aware that tlie kingdom belonged 
 rightly to him styled the Pretender, for that he was 
 as surely the son of James II. as that her husband 
 was the son of the Count von Koenigsmark ! If 
 such a thing was really said to the worthy Princess, 
 it was frio-htfully insolent 
 
 ^andeed England is a singular country. The 
 people there are quite different from those any- 
 where else. There is a Genoese envoy here who 
 dislikes them so greatly tliat he declares that not 
 only would he refuse to go to England, but he 
 would even dislike his portrait being there " 
 
 •' Versailles, May 3rd, 1715. 
 
 ^^ After dinner, my little grandson came to see 
 me. I provided an amusement for him suitable to 
 his age. This was a triumphal chariot drawn by a 
 large cat, in which sat a little dog named Adrienne; 
 a pigeon was coachman, two others pages, and a 
 dog as footman stood behind. This last is named 
 Piquart, and when Adrienne gets out of the chariot, 
 he puts down the step. The cat is named Castillo. 
 Piquart also allows himself to be harnessed. I 
 have a dog named Badine who knows all the cards, 
 and who brings anything she is asked for. . . . 
 
 .dmnaiaa^mm^mm 
 
2l8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ^^ England certainly owes much to the Duchess 
 of Portsmouth.* She is the best sort of woman I 
 have ever met. She is very polite, and converses 
 agreeably. During Monsieur's lifetime, we often 
 had her at Saint Cloud, so I saw a good deal of 
 her. . . . ." 
 
 ''Marly, July 12th, 1715. 
 
 ^^ I should bo very glad to enter into correspond- 
 ence with the Princess of Wales, for I am truly 
 attached to Her Royal Highness; but between our- 
 selves, they are very touchy here as to all that 
 concerns the English Court. If there should come 
 a change, I shall certainly write to her, for all who 
 know this Princess love her. She is too good not 
 to be beloved and honoured by all who approach 
 her. . . ." 
 
 These letters, written by Madame to the younger 
 cousin she was never destined to meet, show that 
 Caroline of Anspach must have taken a great 
 interest in the Court and courtiers of Le Grand 
 Monarqiie ; for Madame's letters to her deal almost 
 entirely with her past life. It is, of course, possible 
 that with age the mother of the Regent learnt pru- 
 dence, and abstained from sending news of what 
 went on from day to day in Paris to England, but 
 we incline to the belief that Madame loved to speak 
 of the good old days, and that the Prnicess of Wales 
 
 ♦ Louise do Kerouaille?, mistress of Charles H. 
 
 ( 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 219 
 
 took pleasure in her elderly relative's reminiscences 
 
 of a past age. 
 
 Naturally, when her son became Regent, Madame 
 was enabled to write far more freely and to whom 
 she liked, as will be seen. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "July 28th, 1715. 
 
 " The Dauphin (Louis XIV's son) was not want- 
 ing in wit. He was keenly aware of anything ridi- 
 culous in himself as well as in those round him, 
 and could tell a good story when he took the trouble, 
 but his great laziness made him neglect everything. 
 He would have fjreferred an indolent life to all 
 
 the kingdoms and empires of the world 
 
 What prevented the King acknowledging old 
 Maintenon as his queen, was the good reason given 
 him by the Archbishop of Cambrai, M. de Fenelon, 
 against such a step being taken. This is why she 
 persecuted this good and worthy prelate to the day 
 of his death " 
 
 To THE Eaugravine Louise. 
 
 "Marly, Aug. 8th, 1715. 
 
 '« Once back at Versailles I will have a copy 
 taken of my portrait by Rigaud, who made it extra- 
 ordinarily like me. You will see, my dear Louise, 
 how old I have grown. One must not be surprised 
 at the Pretender wishing to obtain a throne to 
 which he has every right, and from which his 
 religion alone excludes him. I cannot understand 
 why the English hate him so. He is one of the 
 
 If 
 
 ij^ 
 
220 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 best and worthiest personages ever created by God. 
 I only wish, as I have often said, that King George 
 were Emperor of Germany, and the Pretender 
 
 King of England, 
 
 >> 
 
 "Versailles, Aug. 27th, 1715. 
 
 '^ I am so much troubled, dear Louise, that I 
 hardly know what I am saying or doing; yet I 
 must answer your kind letter as well as I am able. 
 I must first tell you that yesterday we had the 
 saddest and most touching sight that it is possible 
 to conceive. After having prepared for deatli and 
 received the last sacraments the King sent for the 
 Dauphin, made him a short discourse, and then gave 
 him his blessing. After this he sent for me, tlie 
 Duchesse de Berri, and all his other children and 
 grandchildren. He bade me adieu in so touching 
 and tender a fashion that I wonder I did not faint 
 from emotion. He assured me that he had always 
 loved me more than I had thought, and that he 
 regretted ever having given me any pain. He asked 
 me to think of him sometimes, adding that he felt 
 sure I should do so, for that I liad always shown 
 him sincere affection. Then he gave me his blessing, 
 and wished me every happiness in my future life. 
 I threw myself on my knees, kissing his hand. He 
 embraced me and turned towards the others, tellino- 
 them to remain united one with the other. Think- 
 ing that he said this to me, I answered that I would 
 obey him as long as I lived. He smiled and said, 
 *I do not say this to you, rather to the otlier 
 
 / 
 
 • MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 221 
 
 Princesses, for you do not require such a recom- 
 mendation.' You may imagine my feelings on 
 hearing this. 
 
 ^' The King shows extraordinary firmness ; he 
 orders and settles everything as though he was only 
 going a journey. He has said good-bye to all his 
 faithful servants, recommending them to my son, 
 whom he has appointed Regent 
 
 ^'1 tliink that I shall be the first to follow the 
 King after his death. He still lives, but has become 
 so feeble that all hope is over. I say that I shall 
 probably be the first to follow him, because of my 
 advanced age, and, also, because once the King is 
 dead they will take the young King * to Vincennes, 
 whilst we shall all go to Paris, and the air there 
 makes me ill. Again, being in deep mourning, I 
 shall be deprived of air and exercise ; thus I am 
 certain to fall ill. 
 
 ''It is false that Mme. de Maintenon is dead. 
 She is in good health, and in the King's chamber, 
 where she stays all day and all night. . . 
 
 jj 
 
 "Versailles, Sept. 6th, 1715. 
 
 '' I have found it impossible to write to you 
 before, for I have been overwhelmed with trouble 
 and grief. The King died last Sanday,f at nine 
 o'clock in the morning. Since then I have had 
 many visits to receive and letters to send 
 
 '•T must tell you that I have been very pleased 
 
 * Louis XV. 
 
 t Sept. 1st. 
 
222 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to see that the army and the populace immediately 
 recognised my son as Regent 
 
 '' He made a speech to the Parliament, which was 
 very well received. The young King is very deli- 
 cate. The Ministers belonging to the last reign will 
 keep their posts, and as they are doubtless as prying 
 as before our letters will still be opened 
 
 ^^ I am glad to hear that King George and the 
 Roval familv are in good health 
 
 '*My Lord Stairs has brought me the two por- 
 traits of the little Princesses. Thank the Princess of 
 Wales from me for her charming gifts " 
 
 In the preceding letters Madame has given as 
 touching and remarkable a description of Louis XIV 
 on his deathbed, as did any writer, then or since. 
 Saint Simon tells us of the tramp of the courtiers' feet 
 hurrying away from the dying King, and of the 
 selfish conduct of Mme. de Maintenon, but Madame 
 for once saw the nobler and higher aspect of the 
 Grand Monarque's death, his firmness and last re- 
 commendation to those around him to agree and 
 sink their private spites in favour of the infant, so 
 soon to be proclaimed Louis XV. 
 
 The King's death made a change both for 
 the worse and for the better in Madame's condi- 
 tion. The King, although despotic and obstinate 
 in dealing with his brother's widow, had always 
 treated her with great consideration and respect. 
 In the Regent's Court, Madame, thougli feared for 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 223 
 
 her power of speaking bluntly to those over whom 
 she had any authority, was felt to be a kill- joy and 
 mar-sport. Still the Regent tried to show his mother 
 that he meant to do her honour by giving her a far 
 finer and more important suite of rooms both in 
 Paris and at Versailles. The little King was estab- 
 lished for the time being at Vincennes, and Mme. 
 de Berri persuaded Madame and her father to lend 
 her Saint Cloud, which was conveniently near 
 both to Paris and Versailles. 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Paris, Sept. 13tli, ]715. 
 
 '^ I am not surprised at your having felt grieved 
 at the King's death, dear Louise, but far stranger 
 things than those I wrote to you occurred 
 
 ^^ Yesterday the young King was taken to the 
 Parliament House, and the fact of my son's Regency 
 declared and registered ; so that is settled. I feel 
 sure that my son desires me to have every comfort, 
 and feel every happiness, but this is impossible in 
 my present condition of mind and body. . . . 
 
 '^ My son has other things to think about than my 
 happiness. He is greatly in need of progress ; but 
 seems determined to follow the late King's com- 
 mands and live on good terms with his family. . . . 
 I have made up my mind to keep out of politics 
 altogether, for France has, unfortunately for her- 
 self, been governed by too many women already ; 
 and I do not wish my son to be suspected of being 
 governed by his mother. I hope that he will take 
 
 i 
 
224 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 my example to heart, and not allow himself to be 
 
 led by any woman 
 
 *'Do not imagine, my dear Louise, that the 
 King's deatli makes my life any freer. I have to 
 live in just the same manner, for it is \\\q custom of 
 the country to do as I have hitherto done. .... 
 The King showed the greatest firmness to the end. 
 He said, laughing, to Mme. de Maintenon, ' I had 
 heard say that it was difficult to die ; I can assure 
 you that I find it a very easy matter.' He remained 
 twenty -four hours without speaking to anyone, only 
 murmuring to himself, ' My God, have pity on me! ' 
 < Lord, I am ready to be with thee.' Then he repeated 
 in the most devout manner the Pater Noster, and 
 died recommending his soul to God " 
 
 " Paris, Sept. 17tli, 1715. 
 
 " The Parliament has formally recognised my 
 son's right to the Regency. 
 
 ^^ The King had informed him that he would 
 have no reason to complain of the terms of his will. 
 When it was opened it was found to be entirely in 
 favour of the Due de Maine. It is easy to guess to 
 whom we owe this. . . 
 
 )> 
 
 Madame here alludes to Mme. de Maintenon, who 
 re"-arded the Due du Maine as her own child. 
 Even from Saint Cyr, where she lived retired from 
 the world, she continued to advise her foster son 
 politically till her death. 
 
 ^ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS, 225 
 
 "Paris, Oct. 15tb, 1715. 
 
 "I have just returned from a walk in a little 
 wood which goes by the name of Bois de Boulogne. 
 There is an old castle there, built by Francis I., 
 called Madrid, because that monarch had it built 
 exactly like the Castle of Madrid, where he was 
 confined as a prisoner 
 
 '' The English are indeed wicked to plot against 
 a king that they have themselves chosen, and 
 against so many harmless Germans. An English- 
 man, Lord Douglas, informed me that Harvey had 
 begun by denying everything till shown his own 
 letter; then he killed himself in despair. Thank 
 God that the King and Royal family escaped all 
 
 danger ! . . . . 
 
 '' Towards thelastthe old woman and the Ministers 
 did many things unknown to the King. One can- 
 not think it strange that the young King James 
 should wish to regain his throne, but those belong- 
 ing to his party ought to fight loyally, and not 
 have recourse to assassination. I am not surprised 
 to hear that the English think it possible to become 
 Mahometan, for they easily adopt the queerest 
 forms of religion. My late aunt was very fond of 
 the Turks, and used to say that they were worthy 
 people " 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 29tli, 1715. 
 '^ There is a rumour current this evening that 
 the Earl of Argyle has lost a battle somewhere in 
 Scotland, and that the rebels have obtained posses- 
 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 slon of Bristol. I own that I slicuU be better 
 pleased to know King George and the Koyal 
 
 family safe in Hanover When one has 
 
 attained the age of sixty-three years, one has 
 naturally one's religious opinions really settled. I 
 share Saint PauVs belief that it matters little 
 whether one is a disciple of Paul or of Cephas, so 
 that one belongs to Christ. I hope, with God's 
 help, to live and die in this persuasion ! " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 *' Paris, Nov. 5tli, 1715. 
 
 ^^ Mme. de Maintenon has retired to the establish- 
 ment of Saint Cyr, which she herself founded. She 
 was far more than the King's mistress. She had 
 been governess to Mme. de Montespan's children, 
 but ended by becoming a most important person- 
 age. No devil in Hell can have behaved in a more 
 wicked fashion. Her ambition ruined France. The 
 Fontange* was a worthy creature. I knew her 
 well. She had been one of my maids-of-honour. 
 She was beautiful from head to foot, but very 
 foolish, and wanting in judgment " 
 
 To THE KaUgravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 14tli, 1715. 
 
 " I think that many will declare themselves 
 against King George, for the Chevalier t has gone 
 to Scotland. I was told this evening all about his 
 
 * One of Louis XTV.'s early mistresses. 
 ■f The old Pretender. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 2^7 
 
 flight. He was at Commeray hunting with the 
 Prince of Vaudemont. After the hunt they sat at 
 table till past midnight. Going into his chamber 
 lie told his friends that he was very tired, and 
 asked to be allowed to sleep till he woke. At two 
 o'clock the next day he had not yet shown himself. 
 His servants were friglitened and entered into his 
 apartment. Not finding him there, they ran witli 
 the news to the Prince de Vaudemont. He pre- 
 tended to know nothing. After an hour's useless 
 search, the Prii^ce ordered the drawbridge to be 
 lifted, and forbade any one leaving the Castle for 
 three days. Whilst ail this was going on the Che- 
 valier was making the best of his way to Brittany. 
 Once there, he embarked in a fisherman's boat, whicli 
 took him to a Scotch vessel, where he found several 
 Scotch noblemen with whom he reached Scotland. . . 
 " No one knows how all this will end. I am 
 grieved for both rivals. King George is my dear 
 aunt's son, which endears him to me as though he 
 was my own child. On the other hand, the Pre- 
 tender is related to me, and is the best man in 
 the world. He and his mother have always behaved 
 towards me in the kindest manner possible. So I 
 cannot wish any harm to come to either of these 
 two Princes." 
 
 " Tuesday, Jan. 3rd, 1716. 
 
 *^ Thank God! Our young King is in good 
 health. He has not been ill one single moment. 
 He is very restless, and does not like sitting in the 
 
 q2 
 
 
228 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 same position two minutes together. To tell the 
 truth he Is a badly brought up child. They allow 
 him his own will In everything, for fear he should 
 
 fall 111 I hope that God will preserve us 
 
 from any fresh wars ! . . . . 
 
 ^'Warlike symptoms are showing themselves 
 in England, now that Scotland has acknowledged 
 the Pretender as King. Once upon a time were 
 there Kings of England and Kings of Scotland ? 
 If our King: Georo:e would content himself with 
 England, Ireland, and his German possessions, 
 he would still be a great king, and might leave 
 Scotland to the other " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "Paris, Jan. 8tli, 1716. 
 
 " There were never two brothers more unlike 
 than the late King and Monsieur; yet they were sin- 
 cerely attached to one another. The King was 
 tall, had light brown hair; he was manly, and 
 handsome. Monsieur was not unpleasant looking, 
 but he was very short, had jet black hair, thick 
 dark eyebrows, large brown eyes, a long thin face, 
 a big nose, and a very small mouth, filled with ugly 
 
 teeth The King loved hunting, going to the 
 
 play and hearing music ; Monsieur only cared for 
 large receptions and assemblies. The King was very 
 fond of the ladies ; I do not believe that Monsieur 
 was ever in love in his life " 
 
 " Paris, Jan. 9th, 1716. 
 
 " My son has a very good memory, and sees 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 229 
 
 everything very quickly and justly. He resembles 
 neither his father nor mother. Monsieur had a long 
 face ; my son's is square. He walks in the same 
 manner however, and makes the same gestures ; but 
 Monsieur had a small mouth and ugly teeth, whilst 
 my son has a large mouth and pretty teeth." 
 
 To THE R AUG RAVINE LoUISE. 
 
 *' Paris, Jan. 21st, 1710. 
 
 ^' I do not know, dear Louise, what the winter is 
 like in England, but I have never felt such cold in 
 my life here. It is five weeks since we have received 
 any news from England. This is not surprising, for 
 they say that the sea is covered with Ice at Calais, 
 and that English vessels cannot leave Dover. This 
 annoys me greatly, for I am longing to hear how the 
 Pretender's affairs are going on. The Queen of 
 England was Indeed pleased to hear of her son's 
 reception in Scotland. The poor woman is not used 
 to hearing good news ; it has taken away her fever. 
 
 ^^ You are indeed right in observing that my son 
 is just. He is only too good; this leads him on to do 
 many foolish actions. . . 
 
 7) 
 
 " Paris, Feb. 21st, 1716. 
 
 " I have been told that the Pope and the King 
 of Spain have provided the Pretender with money. 
 My son has given him absolutely nothing. . . . 
 The Pope gave him thirty thousand francs, the 
 King of Spain three hundred thousand florins." 
 
230 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, Marcli U)th, 171G. 
 
 ^^If doing anything could have prevented my 
 son's marriage, I should have done it ; but since it 
 has become a fact, I have done everything to con- 
 ciliate her." 
 
 *' Parts, April 2\u\, 1716. 
 
 ^' My son is no longer a youth of twenty. He is 
 forty-two years of age, so the Parisians cannot for- 
 give him for runnino- after the ladies and haunting 
 assemblies and balls as though he was still a young 
 man, whilst he ought to be occupying himself with 
 the affairs of State. When the late King ascended 
 the throne all went on so well that he had time to 
 amuse himself, but to-day all has changed ; they 
 have to work day and night to repair the harm the 
 King, or rather his faithless Ministers, caused. . . ," 
 
 *' Paris, April 14tli, 171G. 
 
 " I do not know whether it is true that Mme. de 
 Maintenon had M. de Louvois poisoned, but I have 
 heard that when he was dying, her doctor was 
 heard to say, ' I deserve death for having poisoned 
 my master, M. de Louvois, in the hopes of be- 
 coming the King's physician as Mme. de Maintenon 
 has promised me I shall.' . . . ." 
 
 <' Paris, May 1st, 1716. 
 
 ^'If my father had cared for me, as I cared for 
 him, he could never have sent me into such a 
 dangerous country. I only came here from obedi- 
 ence to him, and quite against my own desire. The 
 
 ' 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHHIPPE D^ ORLEANS. 231 
 
 first Dauphine died quietly, being quite resigned. 
 She was as surely sent into the next world as if a 
 pistol had been fired at her " 
 
 '' Paris, May 9th, 1710. 
 
 '^Long before his death the King became really 
 converted, and gave up all his gallantries. He even 
 exiled the Duchesse de la Ferte, because she pre- 
 tended to be wildly in love with him. She used to 
 have his portrait, even inside her coach when travel- 
 ling, always before her eyes. The King declared 
 that she made him seem ridiculous, and ordered 
 her to retire into her country-house " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 ^' Paris, June 20th, 1716. 
 
 '^ I once had a French correspondent in Holland 
 who used to inform me of the way in which the 
 Prince of Orange's affairs were going on. Think- 
 ino- that I should be rendering the King a service 
 by telling him what I had heard, I did so. The 
 Kino- thanked me, but in the morning he said, 
 laughing, 'My Ministers declare that you have 
 been misinformed, and that there is not a word of 
 truth in what you told me.' I replied, ^ Time will 
 show whether my correspondent or your Majesty's 
 Ministers were in the right. I only wished to 
 serve vou, Monsieur.' Some time after, when King 
 William's presence in England was an acknowledged 
 fact, M. de Torcy came and told me that I ought 
 always to tell him of any news I received. I an- 
 swered, ' You told the King that I only received 
 
232 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 false news, so I wrote to my correspondents to leave 
 off writing to me, for I do not care to receive un- 
 true tidings.' He laughed in his usual fashion, and 
 said, * Your tidings turned out to be quite true.' I 
 replied, ' A great and clever Minister must neces- 
 sarily hear more than myself.' Whereupon the 
 King observed that I was mocking his Ministers. 
 I answered that I was only paying them back for 
 their behaviour to me. 
 
 ^^ M. de Louvois was the only Minister ever really 
 well served by his spies ; but then he never spared 
 his money. Every Frenchman in Germany and 
 Holland was in his pay; dancing-masters, servants, 
 and grooms in every small court. This system was 
 allowed to drop after his death. This is why tlie 
 present Ministers are so ignorant of what goes on 
 in Germany and elsewhere " 
 
 "July 2nd, ITIG. 
 
 *' Procope's story of Theodora certainly recalls 
 that of the old toad. There was also a lady of 
 this description in Swedish history, a Dutchwoman 
 named Sigbritte, who became the wife of Christian 
 11.^ King of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Her 
 career recalled that of the old woman to such an 
 extent that it quite struck me. I am surprised that 
 they ever allowed it to be printed here. Happily 
 for the Abb(5 de Vertot, who compiled this history, 
 the King never cared for reading, otherwise the 
 poor Abbe would certainly have been sent to the 
 Bastille. Many believed that he had composed this 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS, 233 
 
 history out of his imagination as a joke, but he 
 earnestly declares that he really found it in the 
 annals of Sweden." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " July 7tli, 1716. 
 
 " Just as I was finishing my letter to the Princess 
 of Wales they came and announced to me that my 
 daughter-in-law was far from well. Knowing what 
 to expect, I started at eleven o'clock in my coach. 
 At a quarter to one I entered the ante-chamber, 
 where someone met me, informing me in a whisper 
 that Her Royal Highness had been happily brought 
 to bed about an hour previously. But this was said 
 so dolefully that I immediately suspected what 
 indeed turned out to be the truth. Mme. d'Orleans 
 had presented us with a seventh daughter. . . . 
 
 j> 
 
 "July 12th, 171G. 
 ^'Myson is very angry with my Lord Stairs, 
 because he suspected this lord of having injured 
 him in the King's * estimation, and prevented a 
 Franco-Dutch private alliance. My son has been 
 reproached with allowing the Pretender to leave 
 France ; but this was not in any way his fault. He 
 faithfully and loyally executed his part of the treaty, 
 that is to say, to assist the Pretender in no way, 
 neither with money nor arms. My son thinks that 
 the English are unwilling to see their King ally 
 himself with France " 
 
 * George I. 
 
234 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 To THE PniNCESS OF WaLES. 
 
 Xi 
 
 July 13th, 1710. 
 
 *'Many say licro tliat Madame * was not beautiful, 
 but she was so graceful that everything suited her. 
 She could never forgive anybody. She managed to 
 get the Chevalier de Lorraine banished, but he got 
 rid of her son. He sent the poison from Italy by a 
 man named Moul, whom he afterwards appointed 
 his steward 
 
 '^It is quite true that Madame was poisoned, 
 but without Monsieur's knowledge. Whilst these 
 wretches were discussing poor Madame's mode of 
 death, they hesitated as to whether they should in- 
 form Monsieur, but the Chevalier de Lorraine said, 
 * Do not let us tell him ; he will never hold his 
 tongue. If he says nothing the first year, he will 
 surely hang us ten years later.' .... 
 
 ^' They persuaded Monsieur that the Dutch had 
 given Madame a slow poison, administered in her 
 
 chocolate D'EfSat did not put the poison 
 
 into the chicory water, but into Madame's own cup. 
 This was intelligently done, for nobody but ourselves 
 drink out of our cup. This cup was, not found im- 
 mediately, but was supposed to be lost, or taken 
 away to be cleaned. One of Madame's servants 
 (who . is dead now) told me that very morning 
 whilst Monsieur and Madame were at Mass he had 
 seen d'Effiat come to the sideboard, take up the 
 cup, and rub it with a piece of paper. The servant 
 
 * Henrietta of Encrlancl, Monsieur's first wife. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 235 
 
 said to him, ^ What arc you doing, Monsieur, at our 
 side-board, and why do you touch Madame's own 
 cup ? ' He answered, ' I am terribly thirsty, and 
 wish to drink. Seeing this cup dirty I began clean- 
 ing it with a piece of paper.' That very evening 
 Madame asked for chicory water. The moment that 
 she had drunk it she cried out that she was poisoned. 
 Many present had drunk of this same water, but 
 
 not out of her cup She was immediately 
 
 put to bed, and, becoming worse and worse, she 
 died two hours after midnight, in the midst of 
 
 frightful sufferings. 
 
 J) 
 
 " July 21st, 1710. 
 
 ^' Monsieur was very jealous of his children. He 
 used to try and keep them away from me. He 
 allowed me more authority over the Queen of 
 Sicily and my daughter than over my son, but he 
 could not prevent my telling the latter the truth on 
 all occasions 
 
 ^' Monsieur did not care for hunting. Indeed, ex- 
 cepting, perhaps, when with the army, he could 
 never make up his mind to ride on horseback. He 
 wrote so badly tliat he often brought me his letters 
 to read, saying, laughing, ' Madame, you are used 
 to my Avriting ; read this to me so that I may know 
 what I have written.' We often laughed over this 
 together." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 4th, 1716. 
 
 ^^ The Kini? was so attached to all the old 
 customs followed by the House of France that 
 
236 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 he would never have anything changed in the 
 smallest particular. Madame de Fiennes used to 
 say that Royal families clung so to old traditions 
 that the Queen of England died with a toqiiet on 
 her head ; that is a little cap that children wear in 
 
 bed 
 
 " When the King desired a thing he never 
 allowed anything to interfere with his wishes. 
 What he had ordered was to be done immediately, 
 and without an observation. He was too much 
 accustomed to say and feel, ' This is our good 
 pleasure,' to suffer anyone to interfere. This made 
 him severe as to the laws of etiquette that he had 
 established " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 12th, 171G. 
 
 ^^ The old toad had but little leisure to spend in 
 reading, for she had to read private letters and 
 messages coming from all parts of France, contain- 
 ing special intelligence. Sometimes she received 
 as many as twenty or thirty sheets. She only 
 showed them to the King if it suited her, and 
 according to her love or dislike of certain per- 
 sons " 
 
 « Saint Cloud, August 17th, 171G. 
 
 " The old wretch is not wanting in cleverness. 
 She speaks with great eloquence occasionally ; she 
 could not bear to be styled Marquise^ preferring by 
 far to be addressed as Mme. de Maintenon 
 
 " She showed the hatred she bore me in a 
 thousand and one ways ; for instance, when the 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 237 
 
 Queen of England came to Marly, and walked or 
 drove with the King, the Princess of England, the 
 Dauphine, and the Princesses went to meet them ; 
 I Avas the only one never asked to go." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 18th, 171 G. 
 
 <^ The second Dauphine was very delicate and 
 weakly. Doctor Chirac declared that she would 
 get well to the last, and had they prevented her 
 rising and not bled her in the foot she would still 
 be among us. Immediately after being bled, from 
 bein"" as red as fire she turned as pale as death. 
 When they were lifting her out of bed to bleed her 
 I cried out that they ought to wait till she was 
 cooler. Chirac and Fagon laughed at me, and the 
 old toad said, 'Do you imagine yourself to be 
 wiser than all these doctors ? ' I answered, ' No, 
 Madame, but it requires no great amount of wisdom 
 to know that we ought to follow nature, and as in 
 this case nature inclines to a strong perspiration, it 
 would be far wiser to leave the patient alone, and 
 not force her to get up.' She shrugged her 
 shoulders, and smiled ironically. I passed over to 
 the other side of the apartment and did not inter- 
 fere again." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sept. 8th, 171G. 
 
 ^^The late King's mistresses injured him less 
 than did the old toad that he finally wedded. She 
 brought the most terrible misfortunes on France. 
 She persecuted the Huguenots, caused a famine by 
 raising the price of corn, helped the Ministers to 
 
 
 ,1 
 
238 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 thwart tlio King, and finally caused his death by 
 all the trouble slic gave him with the Constitution. 
 She made my son's marriage, and wished the bastards 
 to succeed their father ; in one word, she ruined 
 everything. . . 
 
 7> 
 
 '• Saint Cloud, Sept. 22ncl, 1716. 
 
 " I will tell you frankly why I prefer to remain 
 apart. I am noAv an old woman and want rest, so I 
 do not wish to bei^rin what I could never finish. I 
 never learnt to rule, and know nothing about the 
 affairs of State, and I am far too old to begin study- 
 ing such a difficult science I have been 
 
 much exercised about it, but I remain steadfast. 
 This kingdom has already been far too much led by 
 old and young women. It is time for the men to 
 have a word to say in the matter. I have therefore 
 made up my mind not to interfere in anything. In 
 England, the w^omen can govern, but in France if 
 things are to go well the men must have the com- 
 mand. Where would be the use of my troubling 
 myself ? I only ask for peace and rest. All my 
 old friends are dead ; so w^hy sliould I fret about 
 things that do not concern me ? My life is all but 
 ended. I have just the time to prepare myself for 
 death, and it is difficult to keep a good conscience 
 in the midst of public affairs." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, October 29th, 171 C. 
 
 ^' We have had few Queens of France really 
 happy. Marie of Medicis died in exile, the King 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 239 
 
 and Monsieur's mother* was wretched during her 
 husband's lifetime. Our Queen, t Marie Tlierese, 
 said, on her death-bed, that she had only had one 
 day of happiness since she was Queen." 
 
 '« Saint Cloud, Nov. ICth, 1716. 
 
 '' Our Queen was silly, but the best and most 
 virtuous woman in the world. She always believed 
 all that the King told her, true and false. It was 
 said that her ugly black teeth came from her eating 
 too much chocolate. She was also very fond of 
 garlic. She was stout and little in height, with a 
 very white skin. When neither w^alking nor 
 dancing she looked tall. She eat frequently, but 
 only a little each time, like a canary bird. She 
 retained many Spanish ways and notions. She was 
 extremely fond of gambling, preferring bassetfe, 
 reversi, and Iiomhre^ but she could never win, not 
 having been taught to play properly." 
 
 To the Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Paris, Dec. lltb, 171G. 
 
 " They say here that the Princess of Wales was 
 at the point of death because the English doctor 
 attending her would not allow a German midwife to 
 approach, and that during the discussion provoked 
 by this incident the Princess's life was all but sacri- 
 ficed. Is this tale true ?...." 
 
 '' Paris, March 4th, 1717. 
 
 " The Queen of England (widow of Charles I.) 
 
 * Anne of Austria. 
 
 t Maria Theresa of Spain. 
 
-^ t 
 
 240 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 was privately married to her first gentle man-in 
 waiting. He treated her very badly. Whilst the 
 poor Queen had neither food nor firewood, he gave 
 great dinners in his own apartment. He was 
 named my Lord Jermyn, Earl of Saint-Albans. 
 He never threw the Queen a kind word " 
 
 " Paris, May Utli, 1717. 
 
 ^^ Dearest Louise, I have received a visit to-day 
 from a great personage, to wit, my hero, the Czar.* 
 I think him well bred ; that is to say, what we used 
 to call well bred : easy in manner, and imafFected 
 in conversation. He is also very witty. Although 
 speaking German in an indifferent manner, he is so 
 intelligent that it is easy to understand his mean- 
 ing. He is courteous to all, and consequently be- 
 loved. T received him in a singular costume. Not 
 being able to wear stays I show myself exactly as 1 
 step out of my bed, that is to say, in my nightgown 
 and bed- jacket, and over all a dressing-gown, 
 fastened with a belt." 
 
 During the spring and summer of 1717 Madame 
 was so ill that she found it no longer possible 
 to write as long letters as she had been always 
 accustomed to do, and the Raugravine Louise had 
 also an illness about this time, but Madame still 
 wrote to her occasionally, complaining of the 
 frivolity and looseness of the Regent's Court. 
 Although much that went on was necessarily 
 
 * Peter the Great. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 241 
 
 hidden from her, she heard and saw enough to 
 cause her sincere pain. The conduct of her eldest 
 grand-daughter, the Duchesse de Berri, was far 
 from edifying, and Madame had reason to think 
 that her daughter-in-law was bringing up the 
 Regent's other dauglitcrs very badly. 
 
 The state of the national finances was getting 
 worse every day. Saint Simon says, " It would 
 take a vast knowledge of finance and a good 
 memory, and the will to write many volumes of 
 matter on the subject, to be able to describe all that 
 was attempted, all that failed, and all that succeeded 
 about this time." 
 
 When John Law, a Scottish adventurer, appeared 
 on the scene, the Regent was at his wits' end, and 
 fears were entertained of a national bankruptcy 
 being inevitable. Therefore, when Law propounded 
 his famous scheme of the paper currency, the Regent 
 clutched at the planche de salut thus extended to 
 liinij eagerly. Law obtained permission to estab- 
 lisli a private bank,* the Government promising to 
 accept its bills. But two years later this bank was 
 dissolved and the Royal Bank, with Law as manager, 
 began its career with a great flourish of trumpets. 
 
 At this time the interior of North America was 
 all but unknown. The traveller. La Salle, had 
 traversed huge tracts of country which he had 
 appropriated in the name of France, and styled 
 ^Louisiana, after the King. This country was said 
 
 * 1716. 
 
242 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to be rich In gold and silver mines and to possess a 
 marvellously rich and productive soil. Law obtained 
 a large grant of land, and started the famous 
 Mississippi, or West India, Company. The shares 
 were taken up wildly as soon as Issued, and for a 
 time a flood of commercial prosperity and security 
 set in. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, May 30tli, 1717. 
 
 " The marriage of the Bavarian Elector to the 
 Princess of Poland clearly proves that no one can 
 escape their destiny, for this Is a most unsuitable 
 alliance for that Prince. I hear that he was sent off 
 and married without being told anything about It. 
 His Ministers had been heavily bribed, and they 
 arranged the whole matter so promptly that It was 
 done, so to speak, without his consent being given 
 or asked for." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July 2nd, 1717. 
 
 '^When Cardinal Mazarin became aware that 
 Monsieur was more advanced In learning than the 
 King, he gave orders to their governor to allow the 
 former to be idle, for he much feared lest he should 
 become more learned than his brother. ^ What are 
 you thinking about, M. de la Mothe,' said he to the 
 governor; ^ do you Intend to make the King's 
 brother Into a clever man? If he becomes so 
 mighty learned he will find It hard later on to 
 adopt a habit of implicit obedience ' " 
 
 ANOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 243 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Sept. lltli, 1717. 
 
 '' The King had a better opinion of my capacity 
 than I deserved. He was most anxious to appoint 
 me Eegent with my son. But thank God that this 
 never came to pass, I should soon have become 
 
 ci^'^zy The King often said, 'Madame 
 
 cannot bear marriages between persons of un- 
 equal rank. She finds them absurd,' which was 
 true. . . 
 
 j> 
 
 '' Saint Cloud, Sept. 28tli, 1717. 
 
 ^^ Whoever bears a personal resemblance to Prince 
 Eugene must be far from liandsome. He is even 
 smaller than his eldest brother. All these brothers, 
 with the exception of Prince Eugene, were not worth 
 much. Prince Philip, also a most strange person- 
 age, was the second brother. He was fair and 
 very ugly, and died in Paris of smallpox. A third 
 brother, who went by the name of the Chevalier 
 de Savole, died from a fall off his horse. Prince 
 Eugene was the youngest of them all. He had 
 two sisters, both ugly ; one is dead, the other is 
 
 still in Savoy When a young man. Prince 
 
 Eugene was not very ugly; old age had altered him 
 for the worst. He never looked noble or imposing, 
 but his eyes were not unpleasing." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sept. 30tli, 1717. 
 
 '^'You have doubtless heard that the Pope has 
 caused Lord Peterborough to be arrested at Bologna 
 m Italy. No one here is aware of the reason. 
 
 r2 
 
 
^P-^IP" 
 
 244 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 For four days he walked about dressed in women's 
 clothes. Altliough clever the poor man is evidently 
 crazy. I hear that he was asked whether he had come 
 to assassinate the Chevalier Saint George by order 
 of the King of England. ' No/ replied he, ' the 
 King would be incapable of ordering such a thing 
 to be done.' He added, ^ I could not affirm the 
 same thing of the Prince of Wales.' . . . ." 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 22nd, 1717. 
 
 " My son is neither liandsome nor plain, but he 
 is not unattractive. He is inconstant, never feeling 
 an ardent affection for a long time. On the otlier 
 hand, his manners are not such as to render him 
 beloved. He is very indiscreet and cannot keep a 
 secret. I have told him hundreds of times how 
 surprised I was that all the women ran after liim 
 as they do ; they ought rather to fly from him. . ." 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 28tli, 1717. 
 
 *' Both in France and England the nobles are 
 excessively haughty, and place themselves above 
 everybody; a little more they would consider tliem- 
 selves superior to the Princes of the Blood, yet 
 many among them are not even noble. I once 
 gave one of our Dukes a good lesson. He was 
 pushing past the Prince de Deux-Ponts to seat him- 
 self at the King's table. I observed out loud, * Why 
 does the Due de Saint Simon elbow the Prince do 
 Deux-Ponts; is he thinking of taking one of his 
 sons for a page ? ' Everyone burst out laughing. 
 
 
 
 and so he found himself obliged to leave. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 245 
 
 Lord Peterborough refuses to go out of prison till 
 they have apologised for the affront they made him. 
 If I were in prison and they suddenly offered me 
 liberty I should go off as quickly as possible, and 
 make my remarks from a distance. This lord 
 is an extravagant and curious personage. He 
 would rather die than not say what he thinks of 
 other people, particularly his enemies. I hear that 
 he is in love with the Princess of Wales, and often 
 tells her so, but that he detests the Prince " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 28th, 1717. 
 
 '' I only take milk, beer, or wine soup, for I 
 
 cannot bear broth Sausages and ham suit 
 
 my stomach best 
 
 "Affection prevented my taking precedence of 
 the late Electress ; but with the Duchess of Meck- 
 lenbourg and our Duchess of Hanover the case was 
 quite different. Neither would I have passed before 
 Her Highness my mother. I would willingly have 
 even continued carrying her train, but she would 
 
 not suffer it On great occasions Monsieur 
 
 used to oblige me to put on rouge, greatly to my 
 disgust, for I never cared for dress, and cannot bear 
 anything that puts me out of my usual habits. . . ." 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Nov. 5tli, 1717. 
 
 '' The poor Princess (de Conti) was very badly 
 used by her husband. He was jealous as the devil, 
 although there was no sort of reason for it. She 
 never really knew where she would pass the night. 
 
246 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 When she was settled in at Versailles he would 
 suddenly take her off to Paris or Chantilly, tellinn^ 
 her that she was going to stay there some time, 
 then the next day back they would go to Versailles. 
 She was never at peace for two days together, yet 
 after his death, instead of enjoying the change, she 
 often irritated me extremely by talking of the happy 
 past, and grieving bitterly for the loss of him." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Nov. 13th, 1717. 
 
 " I wish that you could learn to play chess. The 
 first Dauphinc liad a page, aged twelve or thirteen, 
 who knew this game better than the most skilled 
 players. M. le Prince once sent for him, and began 
 a G-ame with him. believing that he would obtain an 
 easy victory. When the boy checkmated him, the 
 Prince went oft' into such a transport of rage that 
 he tore off his wig, and threw it at the boy's head. 
 
 '^I am indeed surprised to hear that no account 
 
 has been printed of the Elector's wedding 
 
 Thank you for the silver medal you sent me ; it 
 gave me great pleasure. I have Doctor Luther in 
 gold and silver now. I am convinced that Luther 
 would have done better to reform, and not set up a 
 new religion. He would thus have done a greater 
 
 amount of good 
 
 *^I assure you that my son has more enemies than 
 friends. His brother-in-law and the latter's wife 
 do everything in their power to injure him with 
 the people. AH Mmc. de Montespan's children are 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 247 
 
 wicked reptiles. The little King is a pretty child 
 and very intelligent, but he is spitefully inclined, 
 and cares for no one but his governess. He takes 
 sudden unreasonable dislikes to people, and loves 
 saying painfid and unpleasant things. I am not in 
 liis good graces, but this troubles me little, for 
 when he attains power, I shall have left this world, 
 and shall no longer be dependent for my comfort 
 on a King's caprice. 
 
 ^' When I warn my son against these wicked people 
 he replies laughingly,* ^ You know, Madame, that 
 no one can avoid the fate that God has ordained 
 for him : so if I am destined to die I cannot avoid 
 death, but I will do all that I judge reasonable to 
 ensure my safety, but nothing extraordinary.' My 
 son is very learned. He has a very good memory, 
 and exjiresses himself well in conversation, but he 
 speaks remarkably well in public. Being but a 
 man he has his faults ; but they only injure himself, 
 for he is kindly and good to all those round him." 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 29th, 1717. 
 
 ^^ I suppose that great rejoicings took place all 
 over England at the safe delivery of the Princess 
 of Wales, but the English are so false that I would 
 not trust them with a single hair. The Duke of 
 
 * 
 
 This is the original text and spelling : " Vous saves bien, 
 
 madame, qu'on ne peust evitter ce qne-Dieu vous a de tout tempg 
 
 destines ; ainsi, si je le suis a perir, je no le pourris evitter ; ainsi 
 
 jo feres que ce qui est raisonnabje pour ma conservation, mais rien 
 
 d 'extraordinaire." 
 
 i 
 
248 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Scliomberg must be greatly annoyed at only having 
 one daughter, but being still young lie may yet 
 have sons, and plenty of them. The Princess of 
 
 Wales has three sons and three daughters I 
 
 greatly pity the poor Saxons and their Queen. She 
 has, indeed, had a sad existence. I cannot bear the 
 falseness of the King of Poland. He acts without 
 any reference to the solemn engagements he has 
 taken. It is far from Christian to torment people 
 about religion, for when one examines the thing 
 seriously, one sees plainly that religion is made 
 the pretext for ambitious dealings and self-interest. 
 Each serves Mammon and not the Lord " 
 
 "Paris, Dec. lltli, 1717. 
 
 ^^ To trust God implicitly in all circumstances is 
 a great comfort. His wisdom is infinite; He alone 
 knows the reason of all that happens to us. We 
 must submit our Avills to His, and as He gave his 
 only Son to ensure us eternal life we ought to feel 
 content and at peace. If He sends us troubles in 
 this life it is to prevent our being chastised for our 
 sins in the next. This ought to afford us great con- 
 solation, for it allows us to meet the approach of 
 death without fear. Should He send us happiness, 
 why then let us rejoice and thank Hiir. for His 
 goodness. In this manner God trans all that hap- 
 pens to us to our own advantage as long as we know 
 
 how to receive His gifts Doctor Luther 
 
 behaved as all the clergy do. They all wish to 
 govern and be the head. Had he thought more of 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 249 
 
 the general profit of Christianity he would not have 
 made a schism. He and Calvin would have done 
 a thousand times more good had they simply taught, 
 without making such a scandal, and all that was 
 foolisli in the Eoman religion would have quietly 
 disappeared of itself " 
 
 *' Paris, Dec. lOtli, 1717. 
 
 '^ I do all the good that is in my power, as the 
 enclosed * will show you." 
 
 "Paris, Dec. 23ra, 1717. 
 
 '' Lord Stairs has been very ill, but he is now 
 better. His wife excited much admiration by the 
 devoted fashion in which she nursed him, never 
 leaving him day or night. Your praise of her, dear 
 Louise, was indeed merited. I am so troubled 
 about our dear Princess of Wales, that I cried about 
 it yesterday. Her leaving Saint James in the 
 manner described to me by the Countess of Bucken- 
 burg is really an unfortunate thing. When her 
 little boys said good-bye to her she fainted from 
 grief. This really moved me." 
 
 * This was a letter addressed to Madame by thirty Huguenots, 
 thanking lier for interceding for tliem with tlie Regent, who caused 
 them to be released from the prison where they had been shut up 
 on account of their faith. 
 
 t 
 
 4^i^^a»M 
 
 -'■ -^ 
 
 WM 
 
 M^ 
 
 ■H 
 
250 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 251 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 1718 TO 1719. 
 
 " Paris, Jan. Otli, 1718. 
 
 ^* Writino; docs mc no liarm. Were it otherwise I 
 should long since liave died, for I write every day. 
 A great number of letters get lost between England 
 and France. Four of mine to the Princess of Wales 
 never reached her, so you must not be surprised, 
 dear Louise, not to have received the Countess of 
 
 Buckenburg's epistle If our good Germans 
 
 were rich, they would probably get as luxurious 
 and wicked as are the nations round them. Love 
 of money and self-interest corrupts everybody 
 here. . . ." 
 
 "Paris, Feb. 3rd, 1718. 
 
 " The last letters I received from England were 
 dated the 16th January, and said that everything 
 was in a sad state. They say here that many are 
 doing their best to set the father and son * against 
 one another, in the hopes that Parliament w^ill 
 appoint a Eegent, This is very possible, althougli it 
 
 * George I. and the Prince of AVales. 
 
 seems to me that the King and his son ought to see 
 through this plan, and concert together to avoid so 
 great a misfortune. No motive can be serious 
 enough to cause a son to rebel against his father, 
 the more so that in this case the latter is also his 
 sovereign. There was never much love lost between 
 these two. Our dear Electress threw the blame on 
 the son " 
 
 " Paris, Feb. 10th, 1718. 
 
 " Half-past live in the morning. 
 
 '' I have just been to Chelles, where I did my best 
 to dissuade Mademoiselle * from becoming a nun. 
 But she is quite firm in her determination. I shall 
 let the thing take its course. Let tlie father and 
 mother try to do what they can with her ; we shall 
 see if they succeed better than I did in persuading 
 her to alter her determination. All the ponds are 
 frozen, people are skating close to the Bastille. 
 .... The King of England is really cruel to the 
 Princess of Wales. Although she has done nothing, 
 he has taken her children away from her. Where 
 could they be so well and carefully brought up as 
 with a virtuous mother ? 
 
 " There is not a word of truth in the report 
 circulated by the German gazettes a propos of the 
 Czar's granddaughter, although it would not be the 
 first time that a Kussian Princess became Queen of 
 France. Henri I., many hundreds of years ago, 
 married the daughter of a Muscovite Grandduke, 
 
 * Mdlle. d'Orleans, tlie Regent's second daughter. 
 
 m 
 
 MMftl 
 
 ii^itei^^ttWiiUiiaiiiiiHyaiiijLi^ 
 
252 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 because the Pope had not allowed his marriage witli 
 a near relation of his own." 
 
 •* Paris, Feb. 29th, 1718. 
 
 " 8 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 '^ The Princess of Wales assures me tliat lier 
 husband did all tliat lay in his power to conciliate 
 the King's good graces ; that he even begged his 
 pardon, and owned that he had been to blame as 
 humbly as if he had been addressing himself to 
 God Almighty. But the King did not relent. 
 Between ourselves I think that avarice rules all his 
 actions " 
 
 « Paris, March Gth, 1718. 
 
 " 8 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 '^ The news sent me from England is no better. 
 The poor Princess is greatly to be pitied. There must 
 be something else at the bottom of all this, where 
 everything is given a double meaning. They say 
 that the King is himself in love with the Princess. 
 I do not believe this, for I consider that the King 
 has in noways a loverlike nature. He only loves 
 himself.'' 
 
 " Paris, March 10th, 1718. 
 
 " I see that our Germans are beginning to adoj)t 
 the English fashion of making away with them- 
 selves. This is a fashion that they might quite as 
 
 .well leave alone The Princess of Wales 
 
 told me the story of a young man that the King- 
 caused to be killed. The lad was only eighteen 
 years of age, yet the King is not in the least 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 253 
 
 ashamed of what he has done ; on the contrary ho 
 seems to think that he did a noble action. I fear 
 that this King will come to a bad end. His quarrel 
 with the Prince of Wales gets worse every day. I 
 always thought him somewhat harsh when he was 
 in Germany. English air has hardened him even 
 more. At the time of his visit here I told him 
 frankly that he was too secret and reserved with his 
 fellows. I never saw him once look amiable. He 
 was polite, but cold in manner. All here, v/ise and 
 foolish alike, blame him much for his conduct to 
 his only son " 
 
 '' Paris, March 24th, 1718. 
 
 ''The Princess of Wales tells me that the Duchess 
 of Schoresburg (?) threw herself at the King's feet 
 to beg for her brothers life. He was condemned to 
 be hung. The King replied that if he forgave him 
 he would greatly enrage all the English, who would 
 say that the man was forgiven because he was a 
 foreigner; that had he been an Englishman he 
 would have been certainly hung. He deserves his 
 punishment, but still I am very sorry for his sister. 
 Lady Shrewsbury talks continually, sometimes say- 
 ing strange things. She used to say, 'You can all 
 see that my dear lord has but one eye. The reason 
 of it is that Providence felt unequal to creating two 
 as beautiful.' Many laughed on hearing her say 
 
 this She pretends that she is sister to the 
 
 King of England. I do not believe this, for she in 
 no ways resembles the Brunswicks."' 
 
254 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 "Paris, March 27th, 1718. 
 
 ^^ The Prince of Wales has acted in a noble 
 manner, and if his father does not acknowledge it, 
 nothing will make peace between them. Some 
 people came and begged him to place himself at 
 the head of their party. He replied that nothing 
 would induce him to head a party in the State 
 against the King, his father. You must not be 
 surprised at an Englishwoman behaving rudely to 
 you, for between ourselves that nation is worth 
 very little. The King of England is a bad fellow. 
 He never had any consideration for the mother who 
 loved him so tenderly ; yet without her he would 
 never have become King of England. All her 
 children, even the Queen of Prussia, whom she 
 loved so, never treated her as they ought to have 
 
 done 
 
 *'Iam glad that the Princess of Ussingen has 
 got a boy. I hope that the child will resemble his 
 irrandfather more than his father. The grandfather 
 was courteous, ao^reeable, and handsome ; tlie father 
 Ugly and foolish " 
 
 " Paris, March 31st, 1718. 
 
 ^'Historians are greatly given to inventing and 
 lying. I have read in the history of my grand- 
 father, the King of Bohemia,* that the Queen was 
 
 * Frederick V., Elector Palatine, married, in IGl 3, Elizabeth, 
 daughter of James I. He accepted the Crown of Bohemia 1019, 
 lost it 1G20, together with the Palatinate. After the Peace of 
 Westphaha his eldest son, Charles Louis, Madame's father, was 
 reinstated in the Palatinate, 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 255 
 
 so ambitious that she never gave him a moment' sf 
 rest till he got himself proclaimed King. There is 
 not a word of truth in all this. The Queen's whole 
 life was spent in going to the play, dancing, and 
 reading romances. The King's maternal uncle, the 
 Prince of Orange, set afoot this calumny. 
 
 ^^It is also said in the history of our late King 
 that he left Holland, and consented to make peace, 
 through generosity. The real truth is that Mme. 
 de Montespan, having been brought to bed of a 
 daughter (who is now Mme. d'Orleans), the King 
 wished to see her, and so arranged to come back to 
 Versailles. 
 
 '' The first war with Holland is attributed to the 
 King's great ambition. Now I am positively certain 
 that this war was only begun because M. de Lionne, 
 the then Minister, was jealous of his wife and Prince 
 William of Furstenberg. To make the latter leave 
 Paris he arranged the war. If such lies are told of 
 what happened comparatively lately, witnessed by 
 our own selves, what must we believe of things that 
 we are told happened many years ago ? I believe 
 that all histories, excepting the Holy Scriptures, to 
 be as false as any romance, the only difference being 
 that the latter are more diverting. 
 
 '' There is nothing fresh here. I was told that a 
 man here, before beating his wife, said this prayer, 
 ' Oh, Grod, render the correction that I am about to 
 administer to thy servant salutary to her, and cause 
 her to be cured of her naughtiness 1 ' " 
 
256 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 "Taris, April 28tli,171<S. 
 
 ''I received news of the Princess of Wales yester- 
 day. Slie wrote a most humble epistle to the King 
 of p]ngland. He answered with great harshness and 
 made remarks as to her conduct. He will make 
 liimsclf ridiculed by everybody by acting thus, for 
 the Princess has an intact reputation. I cannot 
 understand why the King acts in the manner ho 
 does." 
 
 «' Saint Cloud, May 8tL, 1718. 
 
 '• I have to tell you a sad piece of news. I have 
 been crying all the morning for the good and pious 
 Queen of England * who died yesterday morning at 
 St. Germains about seven o'clock. She is assuredly 
 in Heaven, for she gave all she had to the poor. 
 Whole families were kept from starvation by her. 
 She never spoke unkindly of any one, and if one 
 talked to her of others she always said, ' If you 
 know anything against them pray do not tell it to 
 me.' She bore her misfortunes with perfect resig- 
 nation, and was courteous and agreeable, although 
 she was far from being a beauty. She was always 
 gay, and often praised our Princess of Wales. I 
 had a sincere affection for her, and her death deeply 
 moves me " 
 
 (( 
 
 Saint Cloud, May i>9tli, 1718. 
 
 "' Yesterday being my birthday I w^ent to the 
 Carmelite convent to thank the good sisters for the 
 present they had sent me. It consisted of an em- 
 
 * Mary of Modena, widow of James II. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 257 
 
 broidered bag, trimmed with bows of ribbon, which 
 are now the fashion. Tell me, dear Louise, if you 
 [dso make these bags. Mme. d' Orleans does no- 
 thing else, by day or by night, even at the play, 
 indeed anywhere she happens to be. 
 
 '' The Queen of England met the approach of 
 death with sincere joy, thanking God for his good- 
 ness in taking her away from this world. I also 
 think as you do that one may think rather of her 
 than of her husband, as a saint ; but I think that 
 he is also in Heaven, for he bore his misfortunes 
 with great courage and resignation. The Queen 
 liad great firmness of character, and truly royal 
 qualities, much generosity, courtesy and judgmentc 
 She always used to laugh at my love of going to 
 the play. She used to say, laughing, that there 
 was once a time when she had to stay at home, for 
 her horses had died and she had not money to buy 
 others. She never complained of her misfortunes. 
 She was very thin, with a long face, bright eyes, 
 large white teeth, and a pale complexion which 
 showed all the more because she never used rouge. 
 She had an agreeable presence and was very clean. 
 My son has continued the pensions of most of her 
 poor old servants." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, May 31st, 1718. 
 
 '^ My son cares but little for the country. He only 
 likes town life. He is not unlike Mme. de Longue- 
 ville, who used to feel extremely dull in her hus- 
 band's castle in Normandy. Those with her said, 
 
 s 
 
258 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ^ Madame, will you not try to divert yourself some- 
 what? There are hounds and forests, will you hunt ? ' 
 
 * No,' answered she, ' I do not care for hunting. ' 
 
 * Do you care for embroidery ? ' ' No, I do not 
 care for work.' ^ Do you like walking or playing 
 at some game ? ' ' No, I like neither the one nor 
 the other.' ' What do you care for tlien ? ' they 
 asked her. She answered, ' Wliat would you have 
 me say? I do not care for innocent pleasures ! " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, tliis 9tli of June, 1718. 
 
 " Half-past eight in tlie morning. 
 
 " They say in Paris that it is M. de Bernstorf 
 who sets the King of England against the Prince 
 and Princess of Wales. He ought to be ashamed 
 of himself ! Born in Germany and yet falser than 
 any Englishman ! And how can the King allow 
 himself to be led by this Bernstorf ?...." 
 
 *' I am astonished at the lies some j^eople are 
 capable of spreading about others ! The poor 
 Queen of England could not save anything, for 
 all that she did not give to her son went to the 
 poor. The other lie told about her affairs is how- 
 ever the worst, namely, that she owned before her 
 death that the Chevalier was not her son. One has 
 only to look at his face to see who he is, so astonish- 
 ingly does he resemble all his relatives. He is really 
 the rightful heir of the Stuarts. The third lie is 
 that my Lord Mar caused the mother and son to 
 quarrel together " 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 259 
 
 '^ Saint Cloud, lOtli June, 1718. 
 
 " 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 " The Queen of England, as far as avarice was 
 concerned, was not in the least Italian, for she 
 never saved a fartliing. Indeed she had every 
 royal quality. Her only failing (no one is perfect 
 in this world) was her extreme piety. This was the 
 cause of all her misfortune. She could never save, 
 for she was never regularly paid; on the contrary, 
 she found herself obliged to borrow. It is not true 
 that her servants stole her furniture, for she was 
 lodged in the King's furnished apartments at Saint 
 Germains 
 
 ^' There have been but few Queens of England 
 who have led happy lives, neither have the Kings 
 of that country been particularly fortunate " 
 
 "Saint Cloud, June 30tli, 1718. 
 
 '* A quarter-past seven in the morning. 
 
 **' You ought not to doubt of my affection for you. 
 Are you not the daughter of the father I loved more 
 than my life ? It is not your fault that we did not 
 have the same mother. You repair the misfortune 
 of your birth by your many virtues, so how can I 
 help hol'^ing you in sincere affection? .... 
 
 **The King of England will not allow the Prince 
 of Wales to see his children ; he has not seen them 
 for six months. I do not think this at all reason- 
 able. Neither has the King allowed the children 
 to visit their mother. The other day the poor little 
 things gathered a basket full of cherries and sent 
 
 s2 
 
26o 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 it to tlieir father with a message that though they 
 were not allowed to go to him, their hearts, souls, 
 and thoughts were with their dear father always. 
 This brought the tears into my eyes " 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Aug. 4th, 1718. 
 
 " Yesterday I received a letter from the Princess 
 of Wales. She said nothing about a conspiration. 
 Talking of conspirations I must tell you that yester- 
 day at the play, my son told me that the Czar had 
 called a council composed of all the bishops and 
 State councillors ; then he sent for his son. On 
 the latter's appearing before them the Czar went 
 up and embraced him saying, ^ Is it possible that 
 after my having spared thy life thou still meant to 
 assassinate me ? ' The Prince denied everything. 
 Then the Czar gave the council some j^apers that 
 had been found in his son's possession and said, ^ I 
 cannot be my son's judge. Be merciful to him ! ' 
 He then retired. The council with one voice con- 
 demned the Prince to death. When the Czarewitch 
 was told the sentence he seemed greatly agitated, 
 and remained alone for some hours. Then he asked 
 whether he might see his father once more; this he 
 did in an interview during Avhich he avowed every- 
 thing, asking his forgiveness with tears. He died 
 repenting of his sins. Between ourselves I believe 
 that they gave him poison to avoid the shame of 
 his being placed in the hands of the public execu- 
 tioner. This is a terrible story and resembles some- 
 what a tragedy named Andronic, 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 261 
 
 '^ I thought that M. Law was English, not Scotch. 
 In any case he is extremely unpopular. He seems 
 to me an honest and clever man 
 
 '^ People are not kinder here to their children 
 than in England. They put them out to nurse in 
 the country and do not trouble themselves about 
 them for a year or two. I cannot help fancying 
 that many thus become changelings. . . 
 
 ?j 
 
 a 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 25th, 1718. 
 
 Parliament is a source of endless trouble to my 
 son, and excites the populace and citizens of Paris 
 against him more than ever. Every night I thank 
 God that nothing fresh has occurred during the 
 course of the day. Many here would like to have 
 the King of Spain on the throne, for he is feeble 
 and would be more easily led than is my son. 
 Each only thinks of himself. They say that the 
 King of Spain has a right to the throne of France, 
 and that he was unfairly dealt with when sent away 
 from his country. All this is discussed as though 
 the little King's death was a certainty. Should he 
 really die my son would be King, but he would not 
 find himself any surer of his position for that, so 
 the King's death would turn out greatly to his dis- 
 
 advantage. 
 
 j> 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 1st, 1718. 
 
 *• The King * was only superstitious as regarded 
 
 * Louis XIV. 
 
262 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 religion and miracles Unless to those he 
 
 disliked, he always spoke with great courtesy." 
 
 "Paris, Oct. 16th, 1718. 
 
 " The King forgot Mdlle. de la Valliere as com- 
 pletely as though he had never seen her 
 
 She had as many virtues as the Montespan had 
 vices. Her only weakness, her great Jove for tlie 
 King, was very excusable ; he was young, gallant 
 and handsome. She herself was but a girl, and 
 everyone conspired to ruin her. She was by nature 
 modest and virtuous, and very kind-hearted. I 
 sometimes told her that she had transposed her 
 love, and had given to God all the affection she 
 had once had in her heart for the King. 
 
 ^^ Whoever accused La Valliere of loving anyone 
 but the King did her the greatest injustice; but 
 the Montespan cared little how many lies slie told 
 to gain her ends." 
 
 ''Paris, Oct. 29th, 1718. 
 
 *^ Monsieur was so fond of the sound of bells that 
 he used to come to Paris for All Saints' night on 
 purpose to hear them ; yet he did not care for 
 
 music He always pretended to be very 
 
 pious. The soldiers used to say of him, ' He is 
 more afraid of the dust and sun than of beinc 
 shot,' and this was quite true." 
 
 " Paris, Nov, 1st, 1718. 
 
 " My son cannot deny that he is fickle and in- 
 discreet. Once when we saw together a scene in 
 a comedy where a loyer tires of his mistress, he 
 
 
 I 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 263 
 
 said to me, ^ That is exactly the position in which 
 I often find myself.' .... 
 
 *' He has begged my Lord Stanhope to speak to 
 the King of England in favour of your Highness. 
 He says that it is his most earnest wish to see your 
 Highness on good terms with the King, and that 
 he will do his best to bring a reconciliation about, 
 for he feels persuaded that both in your own 
 interest and that of the King's you ought to live 
 together on good terms. 
 
 ^'My son is certainly to be pitied for having such 
 
 a wife He goes to see her every day. If 
 
 she is in a good temper he stays some time, if other- 
 wise, which is oftener the case with her, he leaves 
 without a word " 
 
 '' Paris, Nov. 3rd, 1718. 
 
 '^ I feel wretched when I think of all that M. de 
 Louvois burnt in the Palatinate. I expect that he 
 is burning now in the other world, for he died so 
 suddenly that he had no time for repentance. He 
 was poisoned by his doctor, who was in his turn 
 poisoned, but before dying, he (the doctor) acknow- 
 ledged his crime, but as he was a friend of the old 
 toad's they pretended that he was delirious when 
 he said it. By all this one can see how marvellous 
 is God's justice. We are generally punished by 
 where we have sinned." 
 
 Madame was greatly afraid of the Due du Maine 
 and his treacherous wife, who were always plotting 
 
264 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to abolish the Regency, if not worse, for in Sep- 
 tember she writes to her half-sister — 
 
 '' The little dwarf has declared that if it can be 
 accomplished in no other way she will imitate Jael 
 and drive a nail through my son's head, thus as- 
 suring his death. My son is indifferent to her 
 threats. When I implore him to beware of them, 
 he bursts out laughing . . . ." 
 
 Then to Herr von Harling a few days later— 
 "As for what concerns M. and Mme. du Maine, 
 every day fresh plots are brought to light. It is 
 enough to make one's hair stand on one's head. I do 
 not think that the devil himself can be worse than 
 the old Maintenon, and her Due and Duchesse. 
 She says openly that she would like to ask the Regent 
 for an audience and in the course of it, stab him to 
 the heart. By this you see her i^leasing gentleness 
 of disposition. . . . They are greatly to be feared, 
 for many of the great Court nobles are with them 
 in sympathy, and have private dealings with the 
 Court of Spain. They want the King of Spain 
 here, for they find my son too clever a fellow. 
 They would prefer a sovereign whom they could lead 
 themselves. Therefore my son's life is not safe." 
 
 And on the 22nd of the same month, to the Rau- 
 gravine Louise — 
 
 "Thank God my son has escaped up to the present 
 time, but 1 fear the future. The individual against 
 whom my son has to take precautions, the Due du 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS, 265 
 
 Maine, was born and brought up in the most evil 
 fashion. His mother was one of the worst women 
 the world has ever seen. I know of three people 
 whom she poisoned, Mdlle. de Fontange* and her 
 child, and a young lady, a friend of the Fontanges. 
 No doubt she poisoned others whose names I do not 
 happen to know. He (the Due du Maine) was 
 brought up by the Maintenon. That old devil has 
 spent her whole existence struggling to get her 
 pupil placed on the throne, so as to reign with him. 
 She caused him to be legitimised, and would like 
 to see him at the head of the Government, and 
 my son deprived of life and liberty. She had with 
 her our great nobles and the King of Spain. All 
 this causes me to pass many a sleepless night, and 
 his Regency is anything but a happiness to me. . . . 
 I know only too well the wickedness of the old 
 woman " 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 10th, 1718. • 
 
 "Lord Stairs looks happy and well in health. 
 His wife would like him to be recalled to England. 
 Whilst he remains here she is frightfully jealous, 
 for her husband has a great passion for a pretty 
 woman named Mme. Raymond, who is not only 
 beautiful, but witty, learned, and well-bred. . . 
 
 j> 
 
 '' Paris, Nov. 24th, 1718. 
 
 '' We know now that the rumour of Prince 
 Eugene's death by poison was false news, and as 
 
 * A Mistress of Louis XIV, 
 
 •I 
 
 aauuj^j 
 
 .^l.-JU^ < f 
 
266 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 in Paris they jump from one extreme to the other, 
 there is now a report that he is going to be 
 
 married 
 
 '^ Louvois and siicli similar wicked people are one 
 mass of vice and falseness. I have often heard that 
 Louvois, the Montespan, and the old woman learnt 
 the art of poisoning from Brinvilliers * herself. 
 Let us hope that it will die with the last of them.t 
 This art is also known at the Court of Berlin, for 
 the Elector and his brother were both poisoned; the 
 youngest died immediately. When they opened 
 him they found in liis stomach, diamond powder. 
 
 >> 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, Dec. 5tL, 1718. 
 
 *^The King, Monsieur, the Dauphin, and the Due 
 de Berri were great eaters. I have often seen the 
 King eat four platefuls of different kinds of soup, a 
 whole pheasant, a plateful of salad, two large slices 
 of ham, mutton with garlic, a plateful of cakes, and 
 then some fruit and hard-boiled eggs. Both the 
 King and Monsieur were very fond of hard-boiled 
 eggs." 
 
 '' Paris, Dec. 9tb, 1718. 
 
 " All my life, and from early youtli I knew my- 
 self to be so ugly that I never took much trouble 
 about dress. Jewels and fine clothes draw attention 
 on those who wear them. It was fortunate that I 
 
 * A famous poisoner, Mnie. do Brinvilliers. 
 j" Mme. (Ic Maintenon. 
 
 I 
 
 A 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE UORLEANS, 267 
 
 felt this indifference about my attire, otherwise the 
 late Monsieur, who was extremely fond of jewelry, 
 would have been perpetually quarrelling with me as 
 
 to which of us should wear the best diamonds 
 
 He used to settle exactly what I should wear, and 
 even apply the rouge on my cheeks himself " 
 
 " Paris, Dec. 23rd, 1718. 
 
 " Mme. de Fiennes, who attended the Queen 
 (Anne of Austria) in her youth, used to say to the 
 late Monsieur, * The Queen, your mother, was a 
 foolish woman, God rest her soul.' My aunt, the 
 Abbesse de Maubuisson, told me that Queen Marie 
 had a man in her service who used to be called the 
 mender of the Queen's face ; for the Queen and all 
 her ladies, young and old, covered their faces with 
 powders and rouge. 
 
 ^^The King (Louis XIV.) had a fine figure, pretty 
 feet, and an agreeable countenance. He spoke 
 naturally, and had a charming voice, neither too 
 loud nor too soft. We shall never see his equal. 
 He remained charming till the day of his death. 
 Those of my ladies who saw him after, said that 
 they could not have recognised him." 
 
 To THE Kaugravine Louise. 
 
 "Paris, Dec. 29th, 1718. 
 
 " I am so troubled that my hand trembles as 
 I write. My son came . and told me that he 
 had decided to have his brother-in-law * and the 
 
 * The Due (lu Maine, Lis wife's brother, 
 
I WMB 
 
 i!^ 
 
 268 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Duchesse arrested! They are the heads of the 
 frightful Spanisli conspiracy. All lias been dis- 
 covered. Papers were seized at the Spanisli Em- 
 bassy, and those arrested have made complete 
 avowals. The Duchesse, as a Princess of the Blood, 
 was arrested by a Captain of the Guard ; her hus- 
 band, who was in the country, by a lieutenant. The 
 Duchesse was sent to Dijon, her husband to the 
 small castle of Doulens. All the others are in the 
 Bastille " 
 
 ''Paris, Jan. 7tli, 1719. 
 
 ^^Tlie Due and Duchesse du Maine have written 
 on all sides to try and justify themselves. The 
 thought of their wickedness makes me quite ill. 
 You cannot imagine what infamous libels they have 
 spread about my unfortunate son 
 
 ''All the Due de Maine's intrigues come from the 
 old Maintenon and the Princesse des Ursins ; they 
 are both incarnate fiends " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "Paris, Jan. SOtli, 1719. 
 
 " The Duchess of Zell belongs to a very common 
 family. She would have been lucky had she 
 married one of my gentlemen-in-waiting. . . 
 
 5J 
 
 "Paris, Feb. 3rd, 1719. 
 
 " There was once an old Princess of Schoeningen 
 at Berlin, who was greatly in love with Prince 
 Maurice of Nassau. Beino^ no lono:er able to walk 
 she had herself carried about in a sedan-chair after 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 269 
 
 him. This annoyed him greatly, and as she used 
 to torment him to give her his portrait, he asked her 
 what she saw in him that specially charmed her ? 
 She answered that it was his fine figure, broad back, 
 and fine legs. He replied, ' Very well, I will have 
 my portrait painted as soon as I get back to Holland 
 and send it to you.' Some time after his departure 
 his portrait arrived. Every one ran to see if it was a 
 o-ood likeness, but when it was unrolled thev saw 
 that he had been painted from the back ! He wrote 
 a letter saying that he sent that portion of him 
 which had most charmed the Princess ! " 
 
 "Paris, Feb. 14tli, 1719. 
 
 '^ When the old toad became aware that there 
 had been a bad harvest, she used to buy up all the 
 corn she could lay her hands upon. In this way she 
 got a great deal of money, but all the poor died of 
 hunger. She had not had granaries enough built 
 one year, so a great deal of the corn got spoilt, and 
 it had to be thrown into the Seine. The people said 
 that it was a judgment on her sent from God." 
 
 " Paris, Feb. 28th, 1719. 
 
 (( 
 
 We laughed heartily together yesterday. I 
 asked my son how Mme. de Maintenon was in 
 health. He replied thai she was very well. ' How 
 can that be, considering her age ? ' I observed. He 
 answered ' Are you not aware that to punish the 
 Devil, God has forced him to reside for a long time 
 in her ugly body ? ' " 
 
 .:i^ 
 
270 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 "Paris, March 5th, 1719. 
 
 " It is entirely owing to the Montespan that the 
 King fell in love with the old toad. Firstly, by 
 hiding from him the life that had been led by the 
 creature ; * again she told everyone to praise her 
 piety, and extol her virtue to tlie King ; in this 
 manner he became persuaded that anything said 
 against her was pure calumny. The Montespan 
 was very capricious, fond of amusement and hating 
 to be always alone with the King. Her feeling for 
 him partook more of the nature of self-interest and 
 ambition than of affection. To occupy his atten- 
 tion and prevent his seeing what she was about, she 
 sent for the Maintenon to amuse him. Yet the Kino-, 
 at first, was not pleased with this arrangement. 
 He often reproached his mistress with not really 
 loving him. They constantly quanelled violently. 
 This was the Scarron's oj3portunity. She made 
 peace between them, and consoled the poor King, 
 showing him how ill-tempered and disagreeable the 
 Montespan made herself. This woman had a cer- 
 tain eloquence and fine eyes, so the King grew 
 used to her and believed that, with her help, he 
 would soon become a saint. She, whilst makinir 
 him understand how greatly she loved him, yet 
 declared that nothing would induce her to sin or 
 break God's law. This filled him Avith admiration 
 for her, and disgust for the Montespan, wdio was 
 always ill-tempered when he came to see her. The 
 
 * Dieses Vieh. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHHIPPE D^ORLEANS. 271 
 
 Maintenon, on the contrary, was always as sweet as 
 honey, only blaming the King for neglecting the 
 Queen, and predicting that he would certainly be 
 damned did he continue his evil way of life with 
 the Montespan. The King repeated all this to the 
 Queen, who, worthy woman, thought herself under 
 great obligations to the Maintenon. She took her 
 into favour, and had her appointed lady-in-waiting 
 to the Dauphine. This made the Montespan 
 furiously angry. She told the King all about the 
 Maintenon's past life, but he, knowing what a spite- 
 ful devil she was, refused to believe anything of 
 what she told him. The Due du Maine t persuaded 
 his mother to retire from Court, for she loved her 
 son and believed what he told her, namely, that 
 once gone, the King would send for her back again. 
 But the Due du Maine had all her belongings pri- 
 vately moved to Paris, and caused her furniture to 
 be thrown out of the windows of her apartment at 
 Versailles, so it was rendered impossible for her to 
 come back. As for the King he had treated the 
 Montespan so harshly that he was only too glad to 
 get rid of her " 
 
 Although the Due du Maine's plots were 
 discovered, and the Kegent had him arrested to- 
 gether with his wife, Madame seems still to have 
 feared the latter greatly. The Princesse de Maine 
 was an exceedingly small woman, althougli slightly 
 
 t Son of Louis XIV. and Mme. de Montespan, but brought up 
 by Mme. de Maintenon. 
 
272 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 taller than her sisters. Saint Beuvc says that 
 instead of being called '' Les princesses d it scoiff," 
 tliey were nicknamed '^ Les poupees die sang.^^ 
 Madame often refers to her as the " the dwarf," 
 and writes about this time to the Princess of Wales, 
 ''The Due du Maine has just written to his sister 
 (Madame's daughter-in-law), 'Instead of putting 
 me in prison, they ought to have stripped me, and 
 arraved me in woman's apparel, for having thus 
 allowed myself to be led by my wife.' " 
 
 To THE Kaugravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, March lltli, 1719. 
 
 '' Here people no longer believe in sorcerers and 
 witches. You would not show yourself our father's 
 daughter if you believed in such things. He was 
 above such superstitions ; but when poison or sacri- 
 lege is mixed up with these matters, one cannot 
 punish too severely, and I should certainly have 
 such people burnt without mercy. But we ought 
 not to burn witches on the pretext that they fly 
 through the air on broomsticks, or change them- 
 selves into cats. Tf you know any other tales 
 about witches, I should be glad to hear them " 
 
 " Paris, March 16th, 1711). 
 
 " 8 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 '' At eleven o'clock, I shall go to a Lenten 
 course of sermons that are being given in a church 
 near here. The Abbe does not preach well. He is 
 very different to the Bishop of Clermont, who 
 preaches admirably well. The other says nothing 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 273 
 
 absurd, so one must needs be content with him. 
 Between ourselves no sermon gives me pleasure ; I 
 
 think the thing worthy, but not diverting " 
 
 " Before the second Princess * and the Prince of 
 Prussia are really married, I think that much 
 water will have flowed under the bridge, as they 
 used to say at Heidelburg. I do not think that a 
 queen's life is a happy one ; for my part I never 
 wished to be a queen. One is more shut off from 
 real life, and, like unto a pagan idol, must be content 
 in silence, and endure all that may occur without a 
 murmur. To be a queen means belonging to a 
 sad confraternity who spend their lives in unreal 
 vanities; nothing true or solid reaches them " 
 
 '' Paris, Marcli 25th, 1719. 
 
 ^' To-day is my Bible day. I have already read 
 four Psalms, four chapters of the Old Testament, 
 and three of the New. Apropos of Bibles, a Berlin 
 
 pastor has sent me a New Testament It 
 
 has been translated in an entirely impartial manner, 
 and pleases me for that reason ; for I cannot bear 
 translations influenced by the private feelings of 
 the translator Lord Stairs told me some- 
 thing yesterday that greatly troubled me, namely : 
 that there had arisen a rumour in England of my 
 son's assassination. This shows that his enemies 
 still mean to get rid of him, and spread a rumour 
 of his having been assassinated abroad, to see how 
 the news will be received." 
 
 * Second daughter of the Prince of Wales. 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Although the Regent gave his mother a large 
 present of money in the winter of 1719 rmnours of 
 financial difficulty began to be rife. As will be seen 
 in the next letter, Madame complained that every- 
 thing was getting much more expensive. The 
 offices of the Mississippi Company were situated in 
 the Rue Quincampoix and were already crowded 
 with shareholders eager to turn their paper into 
 gold and silver. The notes began to be looked 
 upon with suspicion by the same people who had 
 realised perhaps only a few weeks before enormous 
 sums by successful speculation with this same paper 
 money, which was at one time actually preferred to 
 specie ! It can be easily imagined that Madame 
 did not become aware of what was going on for 
 some time, but she was growing uneasy. 
 
 To THE Eaugravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris. March 30th, 1719. 
 
 " I cannot believe that the King of England is 
 really going to Hanover ; if he does not do so the 
 ladies there will have ordered their fine clothes to no 
 
 purpose I have just received your letter 
 
 of the 14th. Thank you for the fine ghost stories 
 contained in it. They will give me something to 
 talk about to Mme. d' Orleans, who is, as you may 
 guess, somewhat difficult to entertain. 
 
 '^Everything here has doubled in price during 
 the last year, furniture, clothes, food, and articles 
 
 of all sorts. 
 
 *^ Every day fresh plots are brought to light. 
 
 '■ 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 275 
 
 The Due de Richelieu goes to the Marquis de 
 Berri, who is faithful to my son, and assures him 
 of his loyalty, asking at the same time for leave to 
 go and join his regiment. Simultaneously, a letter, 
 written by the same Due to Alberoni, is intercepted, 
 which proves him to have been also mixed up in these 
 plots. My son had him immediately arrested and 
 taken to the Bastille. All the women in Paris are 
 plunged in deep grief, for all the ladies are in love 
 with him. I cannot see the reason of it, for he is an 
 ugly little toad, and far from agreeable in manner. 
 He is also a great coward, impertinent, unfaithful, 
 and indiscreet, yet a certain Royal Princess * is so 
 greatly in love with him that when he became a 
 widower she was determined to marry him, but 
 her grandmother and brother very properly forbade 
 the marriage, for independently of wedding below 
 lier rank she would have led a wretched life " 
 
 « Paris, April 13th, 1719. 
 
 '^ I was truly grieved to hear of the death of your 
 great-niece, but a woman's life is so seldom happy, 
 my dear Louise, that one ought rather to be glad 
 of the death of a little girl- child, for it is a brand 
 saved from the burning. I am more troubled than 
 ever by all that I see and hear round me. I wonder 
 that the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah does not 
 descend from Heaven on France. But these things 
 
 cannot be written about I am concerned 
 
 to hear that your niece is ill. Could you move her 
 
 * Madame's granddaughter, Mdlle. de Valois. 
 
 T 2 
 
276 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 away from England, and into our good German 
 atmospliere, she would soon recover. The air of 
 
 London must be making her ill. 
 
 >j 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 « Paris, April I4tli, 1719. 
 
 "La Montespan was fairer than La Valliere; she 
 had a pretty mouth and beautiful teeth, but a bold 
 exj)ression of countenance. One could perceive that 
 she was always intriguing. She had lovely fair 
 hair, and beautiful hands and arms which slie did 
 not always keep clean. La Valliere was scrupu- 
 lously clean. 
 
 ^' It is owing to the Montespan that the King 
 treated La Valliere so cruelly. Her heart was nearly 
 broken, but the poor creature believed that slie 
 would better please God by forcing herself to 
 remain in the Montespan's service. The latter, who 
 was full of spite and wit, publicly mocked at her, 
 obliging the King to treat her in the same manner. 
 His Majesty had a fine spaniel, named Malice. At 
 the instigation of the Montespan he used to pick 
 up the little dog and throw it at the Duchesse de 
 la Valliere, saying, ^ Here's your only fit compa- 
 nion,' . . . yet she suffered all this patiently. . . . 
 Her greatest charm lay in her expression of coun- 
 tenance. She had a slight, pretty figure, but ugly 
 teeth ; her eyes always seemed to me to be far 
 finer than those of the Montespan. She had a 
 modest demeanour, and was slightly lame, but this 
 did not detract from her charm." 
 
 . 
 
 
 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 277 
 
 ''Paris, April IStli, 1719. 
 
 " To-day I must begin my letter in the same strain 
 as Frau von Potikau of Saxony. When alone in 
 her room, shortly after one of her confinements, 
 she suddenly became aware of tlie presence of a 
 little old woman dressed in French style. This 
 personage begged her to allow a wedding party to 
 take place in her apartment. Frau von Potikau, 
 having consented to this, some days afterwards 
 there suddenly appeared a large company of dwarfs 
 of both sexes. They brought with them a tiny table, 
 on which were placed a great number of dishes. In 
 the middle of the feast one of their little women 
 ran in saying, ^ Thank God, part of our troubles are 
 over ; the old beast is dead ! ' This is what I must 
 announce to your Highness : the old beast is dead ! 
 She died at St. Cyr last Saturday, the 15th of April, 
 between four and five in the afternoon. On 
 hearing of the Due du Maine's arrest she fainted, 
 and to this may perhaps be attributed her death, 
 for since then she had not had a moment's peace. 
 The anger and disappointment she felt at losing all 
 hope of reigning with the Due du Maine turned her 
 blood and gave her the measles. For twenty days 
 the fever never left ]ier. A. terrible storm then 
 arose and drove in the eruption and finally stifled 
 her. She must have been about eighty-six years 
 of age. I feel sure that the things she most regretted 
 leaving behind her were my son and myself in good 
 health. . . ." 
 
^*. 
 
 278 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 "Paris, April 22nd, 1719. 
 
 " The late King was not so brave as Monsieur, 
 but he was not a coward. . . He was very fond of 
 the Comte de Gramont,* and even allowed him to 
 come to Marly, which was always considered as a 
 great favour. . . . The King often complained of 
 the way in which he had been forbidden to speak 
 to people in his youth, but he was naturally 
 reserved, for Monsieur, who had been brought up 
 in precisely the same way, always managed to 
 gossip with everybody. The King used to say 
 laughing that Monsieur's gossiping ways had dis- 
 gusted him with the art of conversation. ^ Ah ! ' 
 he would say, ^ Must I recount as many foolish 
 things as my brother to please those round me ? '" 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, May 4th, 1719. 
 
 *• Seven o'clock in the morning. . 
 
 " I never interfere with Papal matters. I have 
 never had anything to do with the Pope, so you 
 must not address yourself to me for a dispensation. 
 
 '^ It is quite untrue that I changed my name. My 
 only title in France is that of ^Madame,' my 
 husband being the King's brother. Kings' daughters 
 also bear this title, but to distinguish them their 
 christian name is added; thus Henri IV. 's three 
 daughters were known as Madame Elizabeth, after- 
 wards Queen of Spain ; Madame Henrietta, after- 
 
 * " The Comte de Gramont's Memoirs," by Hamilton, is one of 
 the best known books of the epoch. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 279 
 
 wards Queen of England ; and Madame Christine, 
 who became Duchess of Savoy. The daughters of 
 the King's brother were known as Mademoiselle, the 
 eldest taking the simple appellation, the other 
 adding some name, thus, Mdlle. de Chartres, Mdlle. 
 de Yalois, Mdlle. de Montpensier. The same rule 
 obtains with the King's sons. It is an abuse of 
 style to say the Due de Burgogne, the Due de 
 Berri ; one ought to say. Monsieur de Burgogne, 
 Monsieur de Berri." 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, May 10th, 1719. 
 
 ^^ TheMaintenon was less wicked in the beginning. 
 She grew worse and worse as time went on. It 
 would have sufficed to please me had she died 
 twenty years ago ; but for the honour of the late 
 King the event had better have occurred thirty- 
 three years ago, for, to the best of my belief, she 
 married the King two years after the Queen's 
 death, which occurred thirty-five years ago. . . . 
 Tlie great Princesse de Conti was not unfriendly to 
 the Maintenon. ... It was she who said, when 
 told that she was dying, ' Death will be to me the 
 least of all events.' " 
 
 To the Raugravine Louise. 
 
 «' Saint Cloud, May 13th, 1719. 
 
 " Nine o'clock in the morning. 
 
 '^ You asked me to tell you the cause of my late 
 trouble. I cannot tell you all the details, but 
 
28o 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 roughly speaking this is it— Mdllc. de Valois* has 
 had a terrible love affair with that wretched Due de 
 Richelieu,! who has shown all licr letters to his 
 friends. All i\\e young roues have read them. Her 
 mother wished me to talk to her, but I refused. I 
 am greatly disgusted with this affair, and cannot 
 bear the thought of seeing or receiving Mdlle. de 
 Valois, yet I must do so, or there will be a public 
 scandal. All this has been caused by the way in 
 which Madame d'Orlcans brought up her daughters. 
 ^' The Due is bold and impertinent ; he abuses 
 my son's kindness of heart. I am not cruel, yet 
 I would willingly see this rogue hung. I am really 
 
 angry with him, and hate him heartily I 
 
 fear that the Maintenon's death will turn out to 
 resemble that of the Gorgon's— many serpents will 
 continue to appear. If she had died thirty years 
 ago all the poor Huguenots would be still in 
 France, and their Charenton chapel would still be 
 
 standing 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 1st, 1719. 
 
 '' One day, when the Queen had been talking 
 for about half-an-hour to the Prince Egon of Furst- 
 emberg,t she drew me aside and said, 'Did you 
 
 I did not,' A 
 
 understand M. de Strasburo-'P 
 
 o * 
 
 * Mdlle. de Valois, daughter of the Eegent. 
 
 t The Due de Richelieu was the Due de Lauzun's nephew. 
 
 X Cardinal and Bishop of Strasbnrg. 
 
 T 
 
 MWHHWPH 
 
 .-- . 
 
 '. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 281 
 
 moment after the Bishop said to me, ^ Could your 
 Highness make out what the Queen was talking 
 about ? I did not understand a word.' I answered, 
 ' Then why did you answer her ?' He replied, ' I 
 thought I should be wanthig in courtesy if I showed 
 i\iii Queen that I did not understand her.' I began 
 to laugh so heartily that I had to go away." 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, June 4th, 1719. 
 
 ^^ There died in Paris yesterday, at the age 
 of eighty, a man, who, God forgive him! did 
 me great harm during my thirty years of married 
 life. The Marquis d'Effiat, who was Monsieur's 
 first equerry, and who also held this place 
 near my son's person. He has left my son a 
 fine house, but not wishing to accept it my son 
 is going to return it to d'Effiat's heirs. He 
 was an extraordinarily rich man. When his 
 house caught fire, six men could hardly carry the 
 large cases of gold and silver he had stored up. ... • 
 It is frightfully hot here. Yesterday a woman 
 died in a very strange manner. She became so 
 enormously fat that they feared she had the 
 dropsy, and gave her remedies suitable for this 
 complaint, but as she went on swelling they 
 brought her from Flanders to Paris to consult 
 Doctor Helvetius, who is a very remarkable phy- 
 sician. He said that he must watch the symptoms 
 for some days before pronouncing an opinion. 
 Two days after they found the woman dead in her 
 bed, stifled by her fat, which had melted from the 
 
-W J J » I 
 
 282 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 great heat. Was not this a strange thing? She 
 was named Mme. Don j at . . . ." 
 
 " Saint Cloud. June 6th, 1719. 
 
 " The Dauphine was as surely sent into the 
 next world as if a pistol had been fired at her 
 head. . . . She often said to me, ' We are both 
 wretched, but there is this difference between us, 
 your Highness did your best to avoid coming here, 
 whilst I did my best to come, so I deserve the 
 fate that has befallen me.' She cared for the 
 Dauphin more as a brother than a husband. When 
 she complained of feeling ill they treated her as 
 being a crazy woman. A couple of hours before 
 her death she said to me, ' They will see to-day 
 that I was not crazy when I complained of feeling 
 ill.' . . . ." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 14th, 1719. 
 
 ^' La Valliere had not retired from the world 
 when I first arrived in France; she stayed two 
 years longer at Court. We became really intimate 
 together, and her resolution gave me true grief. 
 I cried bitterly when I saw her charming head hid 
 under the pall.* 
 
 *^ After the ceremony was over she came to con- 
 sole me, saying that I ought to rejoice with her, for 
 now began her true happiness. She also thanked 
 me for my kindness and affection, and said that 
 she would never forget them. 
 
 ♦ One of the ceremonies connected with a Roman Catholic nun's 
 reception into a religious order. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 283 
 
 ^' Some time after I returned to see her. I was 
 curious to know why she had stayed so long in the 
 Montespan's service. She told me that God had 
 touched her heart, and had made her see how 
 greatly she had sinned ; then she had thought that 
 she had better do penance there where she had 
 so grievously offended Him. During those three 
 years she suffered the tortures of the damned, and 
 had offered them up to God as her expiation of her 
 sins, for as she had given great scandal, she thought 
 it only right that her penance should be public 
 also. She was thought to be a fool. This last was 
 what made her suffer the most after her jealousy of 
 Madame de Montespan. Then God inspired her 
 with the wish to retire from the world, yet she felt 
 how unworthy she was to live near and with pure 
 and pious women such as the other Carmelites. I 
 could see that all this sincerely came from her 
 soul . . 
 
 jj 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 25th, 1719. 
 
 " If my advice was followed there should be laws 
 made against Christians ever speaking ill of one 
 another. All religious differences would then be 
 abolished, and people would live together according 
 to the Gospel which recommends in so many places 
 the virtue of charity .... To speak of one's 
 neighbour as being certainly damned is to commit 
 an act against charity, and shows hatred instead of 
 love. This ought to be strictly forbidden ; but I 
 fear that my advice never will be followed." 
 
284 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 285 
 
 "Saint Cloud, July 17th. 1719. 
 
 ^' The Duclicsse de Berri died last night between 
 two and tln^e o'clock in the morning. She died 
 w^hilst sleeping. My son remained witli her till slie 
 had lost all consciousness; she was his favourite 
 child . . 
 
 J? 
 
 "Saint Cloud, July 18th, 1719. 
 
 " The poor Duchesse de Berri caused her own 
 death as surely as though she had shot herself througli 
 the head, for she secretly partook of some melon, 
 figs, and milk. She owned this to me herself. 
 My doctor told me how she had refused to see him 
 or anyone else for fourteen days, during which 
 time she did nothing but eat .... As soon as the 
 storm arose she became suddenly worse. Last 
 evening she said to me, ' Ah ! Madame, this clap 
 of thunder will greatly injure me.' This was 
 indeed true." 
 
 "Saint Cloud, July 20th, 1719. 
 
 '^ My son is plunged in such grief that he has 
 lost his sleep. The poor Duchesse de Berri could 
 not have recovered in any case . . . Slie was 
 buried quietly at night in Saint Denis. Not really 
 knowing how to preach her funeral oration, they 
 made up their minds to do without one.* She 
 declared that she died without regret, havino- made 
 
 * Saint Simon says of this granddaughter of Madame's, '' This 
 Princess was a prodigy of wit, pride, ingratitude, evil, obstinacy, 
 and looseness of conduct." 
 
 her peace with God, and that if her life were 
 j^rolonged she feared that she might offend Him 
 again. All this touched us deeply. At bottom, 
 she had a good nature, and if her mother had 
 taken more pains with her when young, there would 
 only have been good to tell of her. I own that her 
 death has truly grieved me. 
 
 ^' But allow me to pass on to another subject, all 
 this being really too sad. You could not read part 
 of my last letter because a piece of it was torn off 
 by one of my dogs. I know that you do not care 
 for dogs, if you did, you would easily overlook 
 their few faults. One of mine, named Queen, is as 
 sensible as a human being, and begins howling the 
 moment that I am out of sight. 
 
 ** During one of the first few months that I was 
 in France, I went out one night for a walk in the 
 park at Versailles. The Swiss guard on patrol 
 refusing to let me pass I said to him, 'Worthy 
 Swiss, allow me to pass, I am the wife of the 
 King's brother.' ' Has the King a brother ? ' he 
 answered. ' What ! ' said I ; ' did you not know 
 that? How long have you been in the King's 
 service ? ' ^ Thirty years.' * Then you must be 
 aware that the King has a brother,' I observed ; 
 ' for you have to present arms each time he passes.' 
 'Yes/ said he; 'whenever they beat the' drum I 
 present arms ; but I never ask why, or who for. 
 It is all one to me whether the King has a brother 
 or children.' 
 
286 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 I i 
 
 " I made the King laugh heartily by repeating 
 all this to him. ..." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, Aug. 10th, 1719. 
 
 ^^ As for the poor Duchesse de Berri's death, I 
 know well to what it is due. That wretched 
 Mouchy killed her as surely as though she had 
 plunged a dagger into her heart. The Duchesse 
 being consumed with slow fever, her favourite 
 brought her all sorts of things during the night, 
 meat patties, melons, salad, milk, prunes, and figs ; 
 she also gave her some bad iced beer. Eor fourteen 
 days she refused to see any doctors, but getting 
 worse and worse had to give way. ..." 
 
 Paris, Aug. 27th, 1719. 
 
 " Mme. de Berri had kept all her husband's 
 fortune, which now came back to the King, as well 
 as her pension. Yet she left many debts. My son 
 will have to pay more than four hundred thousand 
 francs. . . . 
 
 '^ Our dear Princess of Wales is very defective 
 in her spelling, but this is not surprising, for she 
 taught herself to read. I have got used to it now, 
 but at first I found it difficult to understand what 
 she meant. Otherwise she expresses herself in an 
 agreeable style." 
 
 1 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 287 
 
 To theCountess of Degenfelt.* 
 CoNDiD Street by Hanover Square, Pony Post, London. 
 
 " At Saint Cloud, Friday Sept. 1st, 1719. 
 
 ^- Some time has already past since I received 
 your ladyship's letter of the 20th July; but I 
 found it impossible to reply sooner owing to the 
 great number of letters and visits of condolence 
 that I received. Otherwise I should not have 
 failed to have thanked your ladyship sooner for 
 your kind sympathy during that time you were 
 yourself plunged in affliction. . . . 
 
 '' Two days ago I received a letter from your 
 ladyship's sister. Are you not afraid of allowing 
 your little daughter to travel so young ? The sea 
 must be indeed rough during the month of Sep- 
 tember. 
 
 '^ I do not write to your ladyship's husband 
 because I understand from the Princess of Wales 
 that he is already on his way hero. I should be 
 indeed pleased to see you both, and be able to 
 assure you personally that I am, 
 
 *' Your Ladyship's very good friend. 
 *^ Elizabeth Charlotte." 
 
 To the Princess of Wales- 
 
 **■ Saint Cloud, Sept. 8tli, 1719. 
 
 " The news of the Duchesse de Berri's marriasre 
 
 * Uaiigliter of Madame's half-sister Caroline, and of the Duke 
 of Schomberg, son of the Marshal of that name killed at the battle 
 of the Boyne. 
 
288 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS, 289 
 
 \ 
 
 with that toad* is only too true. He Is noble by 
 birth and allied to several noble families, but even 
 then he was not worthy of the honour done him, 
 for he was only a captain in the King's regiment. 
 All the women ran after him. I think him ugly 
 and repulsive-looking." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, September lOtli, 1719. 
 " The late King would willingly have employed 
 M. Law, but owing to the latter not being 
 Catholic, the King imagined that we could not 
 trust him." 
 
 *' Saint Cloud, September 23ril, 1719. 
 
 ^' I have only 456,000 francs,t but if God is 
 willing I shall not leave this world in debt. My 
 son has just increased my pension 150,000 francs. 
 The cause of all the financial difficulties here is the 
 increase of gambling. I have often been told, 
 * You do not care for gambling, therefore you are 
 good for nothing . . 
 
 » >> 
 
 *» Saint Cloud, September 29th, 1719. 
 " A certain person who was, during many years, 
 constantly near the King's person, and worked with 
 him every evening in the Maintenon's apartment, 
 owned to me lately that he had not dared say any- 
 thing during her lifetime, but that now the old 
 creature was dead, he could assure me that the late 
 King had a sincere affection and regard for me, for 
 he often heard the old witch tormenting the King 
 
 * M. de Eiom. 
 
 t £18,000 a year. 
 
 by telling him all sorts of stories about me, but the 
 King always took my part. 
 
 '^ No doubt it is owing to this that the King 
 said to me when dying : ^ Everything was done to 
 make me hate you, Madame, but without success.' 
 He added, after, that he had known me too well 
 to believe anything said against me. Whilst the 
 King was telling me all this, the old toad had such 
 a guilty look that it was evident to whom he was 
 referring." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, October 1st, 1719. 
 
 " M. Law is cried down from jealousy. Nothing 
 can be better conducted than his bank. He has 
 managed to clear off the late King's terrible debts, 
 and has diminished the taxes, thus relieving the 
 poor from one of their greatest miseries. Wood has 
 become considerably cheaper. The Town tax on 
 wine, meat, and everything coming into Paris has 
 been abolished. All this causes great joy, as you 
 may imagine, among the people. M. Law has very 
 good manners. I greatly esteem him. He does all 
 he can to be agreeable to me. Neither does he 
 act secretly as did those who used to manage the 
 public finances ; on the contrary, he does e very- 
 thing openly and honourably. It is quite untrue 
 that he has bought a palace which once belonged to 
 the Duchesse de Berri, for she never possessed one. 
 All the houses she lived in, at Meudon, Chaville, 
 and La Muette, now belong to the little King, who 
 
 u 
 
 V 
 
9 
 
 290 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 has established his menagery at La Muette. There 
 will be cows, sheep, fowls, goats, and pigeons . . ." 
 
 "• Saint Cloud, October 16th, 1719. 
 
 '^ M. Law is a very clever fellow. He is wonder- 
 fully courteous and civil to everybody, and has 
 very good manners. He speaks French much 
 better than most Englishmen do. . . ." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, October 20th, 1719. 
 
 ''The Doctor Chirac was called to the bedside of 
 a sick lady. Whilst he was with her some one said 
 that the shares (of Law's bank) were going down. 
 The doctor, who had a great many Mississippis, was 
 much startled, so even when feeling his patient's 
 pulse he muttered to himself, ' going down, down, 
 down ! ' Hearing this the sick woman began 
 screaming and lamenting, * Alas ! ' said she, ^ I 
 am surely dying. M. Chirac, when feeling my 
 pulse, whispered ' going down, down, down ! ' 
 The doctor waking out of his reverie, looked up on 
 hearing this and said, ' You are dreaming, your 
 pulse is regular, and you will soon be quite well. 
 I was thinking of the Mississippi Actions, which 
 are going down in price.' Thus he reassured the 
 sick lady." 
 
 Although Madame wrote to the Princess of 
 Wales in September that " The Prince de Conti 
 has at last come to see me, as there happened to be 
 very little doing that day in the Rue Quincampoix, 
 where he generally spends all his time," this very 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 291 
 
 same Prince de Conti shortly after went to the 
 bank and forced Law to pay him three cartloads of 
 silver in exchange for some of the Mississippi 
 shares, thereby greatly injuring the credit of the 
 Company. 
 
 But even at this advanced period the Regent 
 still upheld Law, and issued a degree forbidding 
 the payment of more than one hundred francs at a 
 time in specie, and making the currency of the 
 bank-notes obligatory. 
 
 Madame does not seem to have known of this 
 at the time it was done. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Oct. 20th, 1719. 
 
 '^ The Due de Sully was very absent-minded. 
 Dressing one day before going to chapel he forgot 
 to put on his breeches. It was in winter time, so, 
 going into chapel, he whispered, ' Is it not colder 
 than usual to-day ?' Someone answered, ' No, 
 not more than it generally is.' ^ Then I must be 
 ill,' said he. ' Perhaps you are lightly clad,' 
 they suggested. This made him lift up his coat 
 and he saw what was missing !" 
 
 « Saint Cloud, Oct. 22nd, 1719. 
 
 '* Nobody seems surprised to see me eating black- 
 pudding with pleasure. I have also brought raw 
 ham into fashion. Everyone takes it now; and 
 many of our other German dishes, such as sour- 
 crout, sweetened cabbage, beans and bacon, havQ 
 
 u2 
 
292 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 been adopted, they are rarely good here. But 
 little game was eaten before I came. I also taught 
 the King to like salted herrings. I have so accus- 
 tomed myself to German dishes that I cannot bear 
 any French concoction. I only take their roast 
 beef, veal, and sometimes mutton, partridge, or 
 chickens, never pheasants." 
 
 ** Saint Cloud, Oct. 26th, 1719. 
 
 " A Sovereign ought to understand that for him 
 true piety consists in wisely governing his people, 
 and being honourable and just. Whoever tells 
 him otherwise is a bad counsellor. This reminds 
 me of a conversation I once heard at Saint Cloud. 
 A very worthy but severe priest happened to be in 
 Monsieur's apartment. The latter, who dearly liked 
 to play the hypocrite, said, ' I am very thirsty. 
 Would it be breaking the fast to take the juice of 
 an orange ?' M. Peuillet,* for so was the abbe 
 named, answered, * Oh ! Monsieur, eat a whole ox, 
 if you like, but be a good Christian and pay your 
 debts !' " 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Oct. 28tb, 1719. 
 
 " Although he is so very clever, I would not be 
 in M. Law's place for all the gold in the world ; for 
 they torment him unceasingly, and his enemies 
 spread all sorts of stories and lies about him. . . ." 
 
 * The same abbe that attended the First Madame, Henrietta of 
 England, on her deathbed. 
 
 i 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS, 293 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Oct. 30th, 1719. 
 '^The Czar is not a madman; on the contrary, 
 he is very intelligent, but it is very unfortunate 
 that he was brought up in so brutal and savage a 
 fashion. I think that the manner in which he has 
 treated the Czarewitch is cruel beyond expression. 
 He gives his son his word of honour that if he comes 
 he will do nothing to him, and when he has come 
 has him poisoned in the Holy Sacrament. This is 
 such an abominable and frightful action that I 
 cannot forgive him. . . ." 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 8th, 1719. 
 "I at first thought well of the Abbe Dubois, 
 because I believed him to be sincerely attached to 
 my son ; but when I found out that he was a false 
 beast, only thinking of his own interests and quite 
 forgetting my son's honour and helping him to 
 become as vicious as himself, all my esteem changed 
 into liorror. ... I truly suspected him of having 
 been mixed up in my son's marriage. I know it 
 from my son himself and from friends of the old 
 toad's, to whom Dubois, it seems, used to go by 
 night to betray and sell the secrets of the master 
 who trusted him. ..." 
 
 "Paris, Nov. 21st, 1719. 
 " I am quite tired of hearing money and shares 
 Sf)oken of round me. . . People come from all the 
 corners of Europe. There are two hundred and 
 fifty thousand people more in Paris than there were 
 a month ago. Stories have had to be added on to 
 
294 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 houses, and the streets are so full of carriages that 
 many get run over. . . ." 
 
 People were beginning to arrive in the hope of 
 converting their paper into gold, but owing to the 
 stringent measure taken by Law and the Regent 
 this was rendered well-nigh impossible. Those who, 
 had realised fortunes earlier in the day, having had 
 the sense to reinvest in land or other solid property, 
 could now congratulate themselves upon having 
 made a narrow escape. 
 
 Thousands of families who had lived simply, 
 but at their ease, upon a modest competence, were 
 now hopelessly ruined. The following lines, com- 
 posed about this time, express more eloquently than 
 anything we can say, the past, the present, and the 
 future of Law's great scheme as viewed in 1720 by 
 the Parisians : — 
 
 " Lmidi j'aclietais des Actions, 
 Mardi je gagnais des millions, 
 Mercredi je pris equipage, 
 ■ Jeudi j'aranjais mon menage, 
 Vendredi je m'en vais au bal, 
 Et Samedi a Thopital." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Paris, Nov. 30tli, 1719. 
 
 " I have to announce to you a piece of very good 
 news, namely, the marriage of Mdlle. de Valois to 
 the Prince of Modena. Our envoy started for Rome 
 yesterday to ask for the necessary dispensations, 
 for they are second cousins. The future bride is 
 anything but pleased, for she hoped to wed her 
 
 \ 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 2Q5 
 
 cousin, the Comte de Charolais, but he was unwill- 
 ing, for in our Royal family they all hate each other 
 
 like the devil 
 
 '* The Prince de Conti is certainly somewhat crazy. 
 Sometimes he tells his wife that he detests her ; at 
 other times he will not leave her one moment, so 
 greatly does he pretend to love her. One day he 
 came towards her, a loaded pistol in his hand, and 
 told her that this time she should not escape him, 
 for he meant to kill her. As she is aware of his 
 peculiarities, she always has pistols under her pil- 
 low. Drawing one out she answered, ' Take good 
 care not to miss me then, for if you do not finish 
 me with one shot you are a dead man. Now, fire !' 
 She is an extremely determined and courageous 
 person. The Prince, who is somewhat of a coward, 
 as his conduct proved in the late war, became 
 frightened, and retired '' 
 
 «< Paris, Dec. 1st, 1719. • 
 
 '' Mdlle. de Valois is beginning to console herself 
 for her hard fate, since she has been shown the fine 
 clothes made for her. She is being presented witli 
 forty different Court gowns, and she has received 
 some fine diamonds from Modena." 
 
 " Paris, Dec. 14th, 1719. 
 
 " I hear that King George has arrived in Eng- 
 land. The poor Prince of Wales, thinking to please 
 his father, sent a page with his compliments and 
 felicitations on his safe arrival. But the King 
 refused to even hear the message, sending back 
 
296 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 the young page with bitter and scornful words ; and 
 he has also retired the permission he had accorded 
 the Prince to see occasionally his little girl. This 
 seems to me cruel and unfair conduct. One would 
 imagine this King to rather belong to the Czar than 
 to the House of Brunswick and the Palatinate." 
 
 "Paris, Dec. 28tli, 1719. 
 
 " The Prince of Modena is said to be a worthy 
 fellow, intelligent, and pious. He is not handsome, 
 but has been well brought up, and is very reason- 
 able. They say that tliis Prince fell greatly in love 
 with the portrait of his future wife. I am really 
 sorry for him ! Happy couples are things rarely 
 met with. I have seen people who have married 
 for love soon after fall to hating each other like the 
 very devil. Happy are they that are never mar- 
 ried ! How contented I should have been had tliey 
 left me alone, and allowed me to remain single. 
 I will tell you the true reason why Princes and 
 Princesses dislike one another so greatly; it is 
 because they are worth nothing " 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. ic^-j 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 1720 TO 1721. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "■ Paris, Jan. 9tli, 1720. 
 
 " I have often walked during night-time in the 
 great gallery of Fontainebleau, said to be haunted 
 by Francis I., but that worthy King never did me 
 the honour of appearing to me " 
 
 ^' I was a very lively child. This is why I used to 
 be styled in German Rausclien pet ten Jcnecht. I 
 can remember the King of England's birth as if it 
 had happened yesterday. . . . Whilst playing at 
 hide-and-seek with the little Bulow, I ran into my 
 aunt's room, and hid behind a large screen placed 
 near the door and chimney. When the new-born 
 infant was brought forward I darted out eagerly 
 from my hiding-place to look at it, and was con- 
 demned to a whipping for my curiosity, but in 
 honour of the happy event escaped with a good 
 scolding." 
 
 *' Paris, Jan. 24th, 1720. 
 
 '^ M. Law and his children have all become 
 
 ¥^^ 
 
298 
 
 LIFE JND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Catholic, to his wife's great grief He is 
 
 not at all grasping ; on the contrary, he distributes 
 much money among the poor, and helps many more 
 privately." 
 
 " Paris, Jan. 25tb, 1720. 
 " The bridal gifts have arrived from Modena, 
 and are composed of a very large jewel that the 
 bride is to wear on her wedding-day, some fine 
 diamonds, and the Duke's portrait. The latter is 
 very ill-painted. All these fine things will only be 
 delivered up after the betrothal has taken place in 
 the King's presence, and the contract has been 
 signed. . . . The Grand Duchess (of Tuscany) says 
 that she is unwilling to receive Mademoiselle,* 
 for she knows Italy well, and believes that Mdlle. 
 de Valois will never become accustomed to their 
 strange ways. She says that she fears, should 
 Mademoiselle take it into her head to return to 
 France, every one would say, 'Here comes the 
 second edition of the Duchesse de Toscane,' or that 
 every time the bride does something foolish, ' Ah ! 
 this is owing to the instructions given her by her 
 aunt, the Grand Duchess,' would be instantly said. 
 So she has made up her mind not to speak to her 
 about her future life " 
 
 " Paris, Jan. 27th, 1720. 
 "My son was seeking for the Duchess who is 
 to accompany his daughter to Genoa. Someone 
 who happened to be present, said to him, ^ If you 
 
 * The bride, Mdlle. de Valois. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 299 
 
 desire to have a choice of Duchesses, Monsieur, 
 why not go to Law's ? You will find them all there, 
 assembled together.' ... My Lord Stairs cannot 
 keep himself from showing the hatred he feels 
 towards Law, and yet he has won three millions 
 (of francs) through his agency. 
 
 '' The King * was truly grieved by the Queen's 
 death, but the old toad managed so cleverly that 
 four days saw the end of his sorrow. Late 
 Monsieur was extremely fond of balls and mas- 
 querades. He danced well, but in a feminine 
 manner. He could not dance in a manly fashion, 
 owing to the extremely high heels that he always 
 affected. . . ." 
 
 « Paris, Feb. 11th, 1720. 
 ^^ The population has diminished in Paris. The 
 high prices have caused many to leave lately. 
 Gold and silver are now worth nothing ; notes and 
 tenpenny coins are the only things accepted. I 
 am thoroughly tired of hearing millions, shares, 
 bonuses, and subscriptions talked of round me. 
 Everyone in France is shamefully grasping, with 
 the exception of my son and Mme. de Chausteaudier. 
 All the others, especially the Princes and Prin- 
 cesses of the Blood, are frightfully self-interested. 
 They even fought hand to hand with the clerks 
 belonging to the Bank of France. There is a 
 saying that money rules the world ; this is cer- 
 tainly true ill this place." 
 
 * Louis XIV. 
 
300 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " Paris, April 19th, 1720. 
 
 '^ I no longer hold receptions, for it is extremely 
 rare that the Tabouret Court ladies * come to visit 
 me. I had invited them to attend the audience I 
 gave to the Maltese Ambassadors, but not one of 
 them came. During Monsieur's lifetime they 
 eagerly assisted at my receptions, for when a 
 sufficient number were not present Monsieur 
 threatened to inform the King." 
 
 "Paris, April 30tL, 1720. 
 
 ^'No woman could ever have loved the Due 
 (de Bourbon). He is very tall, and as thin as a 
 si)linter ; he walks bent in two, has legs as long as 
 a stork's, a short body, no calves, hollow cheeks, 
 a chin which hardly seems to belong to the face 
 above it, and thick lips; in fact he is very ugly. 
 
 I have seldom seen such another " 
 
 On May 21st the Eegent issued an edict, 
 which, though meant to restrain, only increased 
 the general state of insecurity and panic, for it 
 reduced both the Mississippi shares and bank 
 notes to one-half of their nominal value. But, 
 owing to the hatred felt by the populace for Law' 
 the Kegent, though still his friend, had to with- 
 draw him from his post. Madame writes on the 
 31st of May, from Paris, to the Raugravine Louise, 
 '' My son has been obliged to withdraw Law's jJace 
 
 * So called, because they had the right to sit in presence of 
 Royalty. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 301 
 
 from him. Once that man was looked upon as a 
 god, now his life is hardly safe, and they have been 
 forced to give him a company of Guards to protect 
 him from the fury of the mob. The poor fellow's 
 fear is pitiful to witness. ..." And a few days 
 later, to the Princess of Wales, *^ The goldsmiths 
 refuse to work, and sell their goods at three times 
 their proper value because of the bank note busi- 
 ness. I have often wished a big bonfire could be 
 made of these notes, for they are the cause of great 
 trouble to my son ; and it would be impossible to 
 explain to you all the mischief they have caused in 
 this country. . . ." On the 13th of July the bank 
 was compelled to suspend payment, after a run on 
 its coffers which had lasted many days, for the 
 Regent had been obliged to revoke the edict 
 promulgated in May, which had lowered the value 
 of all the shares and notes without really bettering 
 the condition of the bank or people, who had been 
 made very angry by this measure having been 
 taken against them. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, June 12th, 1720. 
 
 *' According to the universal rumour everything 
 is going on here as badly as possible. I could wish 
 that Law and his famous system were with the 
 devil himself, and that he had never set foot in 
 France. 
 
 '^ They do me over-much honour by supposing 
 that had my advice been followed things might 
 
302 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 have gone better, for I have never given my advice 
 as to anything which touched the Government, 
 neither do I ever meddle in other people's business! 
 But the French are so accustomed to see women 
 take an active part in public affairs that it appears 
 to them impossible that I should remain a stranger 
 to what occurs. These worthy Paris citizens, with 
 whom I am popular, attribute to me all kinds of 
 wisdom. I am very grateful to these poor people 
 for the affection which they feel for me, but I do 
 not deserve it in any way " 
 
 " Paris, June 14th, 1720. 
 
 " Law's good friend, the Due d'Autin now desires 
 to obtain the latter's late charge for himself. 
 He at first went against Law, but four millions 
 soon brought him to look favourably on his late 
 enemy. 
 
 " M. Law is terribly frightened. My son, who is 
 afraid of nothing, notwithstanding the threats con- 
 stantly addressed to him, makes himself ill with 
 laughing at Law's cowardice " 
 
 To THE EaUGBAVIKE LotJISE. 
 
 "Paris, June 18th, 1720. 
 
 " The Duchess of Hanover need be in no haste 
 to see her new granddaughter, our Mdlle. de Valois, 
 for the latter seems in no hurry to reach Modena! 
 She is very strange, and extraordinarily obstinate. 
 Notwithstanding her father's pressing recommenda^ 
 tions, she wishes to visit Provence and go to Tou- 
 
 ^ f v.j^ 
 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS, 303 
 
 Ion, which town is quite out of her way. She is 
 also determined to pass by Sainte Baume, little 
 caring for all the expense this will entail on her 
 father. This makes me angry, though certainly 
 neither her father nor mother ought to be surprised 
 at her conduct, for they brought her up extremely 
 badly. I have known many wrong-headed women, 
 but never the like of this foolish girl, whose blood 
 is plainly that of the Montespan; but all this is 
 not my doing. I could indeed quote to my son a 
 line from the Comedy, 
 
 'Tu I'as voulu, Georges Dandin.' 
 
 ^^ The Duke of Modena has behaved very ill to 
 liis cousin, the Duchess of Hanover. She had riglit 
 to every sort of consideration and respect, for she 
 had brought up his children with the greatest care 
 and trouble. 
 
 '• I am surprised that the Princess of Wales did 
 not inform me of the death of the Duchess of Zell. 
 This makes me take it for false news. I wish that 
 she had indeed died forty years ago. She would 
 have thus escaped many sorrows and misfor- 
 tunes." 
 
 "Paris, July 18th, 1720. 
 
 " Before answering your letter, dear Louise, I 
 must tell you all about the terrible fright that I had 
 yesterday. I drove as usual to the Carmelites, 
 where I found Mme. de Lude. Suddenly Mme. de 
 Chasteaudier bursts into my presence as pale as 
 
J 
 
 304 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 death, and says, ' What is occurring outside, Ma- 
 dame, ought not to be concealed from you. You 
 will find all the Palais Royal gardens filled with 
 the mob, who have brought there the bodies of those 
 trampled to death in front of the Bank.* Law has 
 had to fly. His coach was broken into a thousand 
 pieces and the doors forced open ! ' You may 
 imagine the effect produced on me by this announce- 
 ment, but I said nothing, for in this sort of crisis it 
 is better to be calm and determined. I went to 
 visit the King as usual, but found such a block in 
 the Rue Saint Honore that my coach was brought 
 to a stand-still for half an hour. I heard many 
 speak against Law, but nothing was said about my 
 son, and blessings were invoked on my head. At 
 last I arrived at the Palace ; there all was quiet, for 
 the mob had retired. My son came to see me. He 
 declared that all the tumult was occasioned by a 
 few drunkards. Those trampled to death had no 
 business to be before the Bank at all, and were in 
 no distress. One of them had a hundred crowns 
 in his pockets, and among those arrested for making 
 a disturbance none were without money. The 
 Palais Royal was broken into by some wretches who 
 hate my poor son '^ 
 
 *'Paris, July 21st, 1720. 
 
 '* Money becomes scarcer every day, but we have 
 plenty of falseness, malice, meanness and ambition 
 
 * Three men were trampled to death before the bank during the 
 panic, 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS, 305 
 
 to make up for what we lack. It is enough to 
 weary one of life. The women here, jealous of 
 their husbands, are so by ambition, not excess of 
 love, for they all wish to govern. There is not 
 a scullion wlio does not think herself capable of 
 governing the State ; so when the women find that 
 tliey liave no empire over their husbands they be- 
 come furious. Tlie wisest way is to love one's 
 husband reasonably and dutifully, but not with 
 passion; to live with him peacefully and kindly, 
 and not to trouble one's self on account of his 
 conduct. Li this way the husband and wife remain 
 good friends, and harmony resides in the house- 
 hold." 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 2nd, 1720. 
 
 " The Prince and Princess (of Modena) are very 
 fond of one another, but it seems that they make 
 fun of the old father." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 4th, 1720. 
 
 " You are wrong to think that I never sing the 
 Lutheran psalms and hymns ; on the contrary I often 
 do so, and find them a great consolation 
 
 *' There are but few ancient medals that I do 
 not possess in my collection. I have already nine 
 liundrcd of them. I began with two hundred and 
 fifty, whicli I bougiit a long time ago. Tliey had 
 been stolen from the Duke of Savoy,* so I wrote 
 
 * Afterwards King of Sardinia. 
 
3o6 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 to the present Queen of Sardinia and offered to 
 return them to her husband. She answered that 
 the King would be enchanted if I consented to 
 keep them. I had them as a good bargain, for I 
 had bought them by weight, and there were some 
 very rare specimens among them." 
 
 "Saint Cloud, Aug. fitli, 1720. 
 
 ^^ Nobody heard what the King said to the old 
 woman on his death-bed. She went off to Saint 
 Cyr, and though brought back did not even then 
 stay till the end. I feel sure that the King heartily 
 repented of his folly in marrying her. Indeed, 
 notwithstanding all her efforts, he never publicly 
 acknowledged the marriage. Although she wept 
 bitterly when told of the King's death she did not 
 really feel it as she ought to have done " 
 
 '• Saint Cloud, Aug. 8tli, 1720. 
 
 ^^ I can neither speak well or ill of Law's system, 
 for I do not understand it in the least. All that I 
 can see is that it results in all sorts of trouble 
 and annoyance for my son, so I wish that the whole 
 
 affair had never been heard off There is 
 
 still a great deal of solid money in France, but each 
 hides his through malice, and refuses to put it into 
 business. No one minds M. Law's regulations on 
 this subject. 
 
 *'None wish for war here. All care above all for 
 luxury, which has never been carried to such a 
 pitch as at the present time. We shall see what all 
 this will result in " 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 307 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 13th, 1720. 
 
 ^' Law is in such a state of terror that he refused 
 to go to Saint Cloud to join my son, although the 
 latter had sent him his own coacli. Tlie malice of 
 my son's enemies does not diminish. All kinds of 
 horrible pamphlets are being distributed about him. 
 I cannot understand why lie does not severely 
 punish their insolence, but he is the most good- 
 natured of men." 
 
 To the Rauuravine Louise. 
 
 "Paris, Aug. loth, 1720. 
 
 *' The Parisians are the best people in the world, 
 and if the Parliament was not in existence they 
 would never have risen against lawful authority. 
 The poor jDCople touched me deeply, for they only 
 cried out against Law, not at all against my son ; 
 and when I went through the mob in my coach, I 
 heard blessings from all sides. This moved me so 
 much that I could not lielp crying. It is not at 
 all strange that I am more popular than my son, for 
 his enemies are unceasingly working against him. 
 They make him pass for a tyrant and freethinker, 
 whilst he is the best of men and only too generous. 
 
 ^' I never could understand M. Law's system. I 
 always believed, however, that no good would 
 come of it. I find it difficult to liide my thoughts, 
 so I frankly told my son. He said that I was in 
 error, and tried to explain the thing to me ; but 
 the more he explained, the less I could understand 
 anything about it." 
 
 x2 
 
3o8 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 '' PARrs, Aug. ICth, 1720. 
 
 ^' I think that our Princess of Modena must be 
 very happy if Salvatico is really in love with her, 
 for as he is in constant communication with people 
 here, he is able to inform her of all that goes on in 
 her native country " 
 
 " Salvatico is one of the greatest fools in exis« 
 tence. He is a great favourite of the Duke of 
 Modena, which shows the truth of the old German 
 proverb : ^ like flics to like, said the Devil to the 
 chimney sweep.' 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 18tli, 1720. 
 
 *^ All is still calm here, but M. Law no longer 
 dares go out. The Women of the Halles * have 
 placed little boys round his house as spies, to be 
 told the moment he leaves. This is a bad look-out 
 for him, and I fear some fresh rising." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Aug. 21st, 1720. 
 
 " I have never yet met a Scotchman or an English- 
 man so cowardly as is M. Law. Fortune destroys 
 courage. One does not easily abandon what one 
 possesses of the goods of this world. I think that 
 there are moments when he must wish to lind him- 
 self at the Mississippi or in Louisiana. 
 
 ^' It thunders daily, but no real harm is done to 
 man or beast ; yet curious things happen. It took 
 every hair off a man's body without hurting him. 
 It broke the belt of a sword which an officer had 
 
 A corporation of Paris market-women. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS. 309 
 
 buckled to his side without wounding him. An 
 officer belonging to the Invalides was wearing a 
 blue coat trimmed with silver buttons and a silver 
 buckle. The lightning took off the buttons and 
 buckle without damaging the stuff. Here the 
 peasantry attribute the lightning to sorcerers and 
 witches " 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Ang. 22nd, 1720. 
 
 '^ When the Duke of Mecklenburg was silent 
 and he was asked of what he was thinking, he 
 would answer, ' I am giving an audience to my 
 thoughts.' His second wife could have done so 
 more worthily, for she was far cleverer. This 
 Prince was a singular personage. He was courteous, 
 understood business, and could argue reasonably ; 
 but he was as simple as a child of six years old in 
 all his actions. He once complained to me of 
 something. I remained silent. He asked me why 
 I did not say something. I answered roughly that 
 though he discoursed well, his actions were not in 
 keeping with his words^ and that his conduct was 
 so ridiculous that he was laughed at from one end 
 of France to the other. This angered him, and 
 drove him away in a very bad humour. 
 
 ^^ He once asked the late King for an audience, 
 which was immediately granted. As soon as he 
 found himself alone witli the King, he remarked, 
 ' Sire, I find you much grown since I had the 
 pleasure of last seeing you.' The King replied, 
 
 m^s^s^^ 
 
310 
 
 LIFE JND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 ' I am no longer of an age to grow,' (he was five 
 and thirty). The Duke answered, ' Eh, Sire ! you 
 are looking very well. All the world says that I 
 am astoundingly like you, and even better looking.' 
 The King began laughing and .replied, ' That is 
 quite possible." Whereupon the other departed. 
 Was not this a fine audience ? " 
 
 " Paris, Sept. 5tb, 1720. 
 
 ^^ All is quiet here, though many are complaining, 
 and serious troubles may break out any moment. 
 
 "The Queen of Prussia has told me of the 
 explosion of their powder magazine, but she does 
 not say whether she was frightened or not. Yet 
 all the palace windows were broken. This reminds 
 me of an adventure which happened to Mme. de 
 Durfort, one of my ladies. She was sister to the 
 Marechal de Duras, Governor of Besan(]on. This 
 brother of hers had a garden full of statues, among 
 which was Jupiter. This statue the King after- 
 wards bought and placed at Versailles * Mme. de 
 Durfort, finding herself alone in her brother's gar- 
 den, stopped a moment before this statue, and thus 
 addressed it, 'Well, Monsieur Jupiter, they say 
 that you once spoke ; we are alone, your mouth is 
 open, so to speak to me.' As she was finishing 
 these words, a powder mill near exploded with a 
 terrible noise. Mme. de Durfort, believing that 
 Jupiter was answering her, was so frightened, that 
 
 * Thip statuo of Jupiter is still at Versailles, 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 311 
 
 she lost consciousness, and had to be carried away 
 from the garden " 
 
 " Saint Cloud, Sept. 6th, 1720. 
 
 '' I have received during the last few days several 
 anonymous letters threatening to burn me here, and 
 my son at the Palais Royal. My son never speaks 
 or tells me a word of what is going on round us. 
 In this he follows the example of his father, who 
 used to say, ' All is well as long as Madame does 
 not know it.' " 
 
 « Paris, Sept. 20th, 1720. 
 
 *^ Three days ago I received another anonymous 
 letter, the contents of which caused me much merri- 
 ment. It counselled me to cause my son to be shut 
 up as being a lunatic, and assured me that that was 
 the only way to save his life 
 
 *' My son has already slept several times at the 
 Tuileries ; but I fear that the King will never be- 
 come accustomed to his presence, for my son has 
 never known how to win children ; he does not like 
 them." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 "Paris, Oct. 3rd, 1720. 
 
 '' The irregularity of the post, my dear Louise, 
 is due to M. de Torcy's dislike of me and to the 
 Archbishop of Cambrai's curiosity. The latter 
 wishes to know all I write, and as they cannot make 
 my son quarrel with me they try to set others 
 against me. They told the Marechal de Villeroi 
 that I had written to my daughter that he and all 
 
312 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 those said to belong to the old Court were my son's 
 enemies. I answered coldly, ' It is true that I wrote 
 thus to my daughter, and I wrote the truth, for the 
 ambassador of Spain's letters alone prove it." 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 4th, 1720. 
 
 '*My son was much beloved, but since the advent 
 of that accursed Law, he has been hated. Hardly a 
 week passes but I receive by post letters filled with 
 terrible threats, and where my son is spoken of 
 as the greatest monster and tyrant 
 
 ^^A certain preacher said in one of his sermons 
 that tlie Last Judgment would take place in the 
 Valley of Josaphat. Someone thereupon tried to 
 prove to him that there would not be enough room. 
 He answered, ' Not at all ; tliose who cannot enter 
 will remain outside.' " 
 
 *' Paris, Nov. 9tli, 1720. 
 
 '^ The Mississippi is the cause of as many troubles 
 in Paris as is the South Sea in London. Last week 
 a man jumped from a window and broke his neck. 
 I would not be in Law's skin for worlds. He has too 
 much to answer for before God. If the French 
 take it into their heads to imitate tlie English 
 fashion of destroying oneself, as many will perish 
 as during the Plague, for everything quickly spreads 
 in this country. Tlie Baron Gory wrote me lately 
 that the Kings of England and Prussia had made 
 up their minds to interfere on behalf of the in- 
 habitants of the Palatinate. A Sovereign ought not 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 313 
 
 to dislike his subjects. He ought on the contrary to 
 care for them as a father, otherwise he must account 
 for it before God. 
 
 '^ I have seen a Genoese prophecy, saying that 
 in the year 1727 the world will be entirely destroyed 
 and burnt up to such an extent that it will become 
 a globe of glass. 
 
 ** I forget if I sent you a certain song about the 
 Archbishop of Cambrai.* I can sincerely assure 
 you that I do not know a greater rogue, nor one 
 more false. What troubles me exceedingly is, that 
 my son, who knows him as well as I do, only listens 
 to and favours this little devil." 
 
 Madame's intense dislike to the Abb(3 Dubois was 
 well known to everybody in the Regent's Court, 
 and Saint Simon says that on being first informed of 
 her son's Regency, ^^ Madame, overjoyed, embraced 
 the Regent warmly, and said that she had but one 
 thing to ask of him, namely, to give up having 
 anything to do with the Abbe Dubois, who was 
 the greatest rogue and rascal on the face of this 
 earth." 
 
 On his appointment to the Archbishopric of 
 Cambrai these verses were sung all over Paris : 
 
 " Je suis du bois dont on fait les cuistres, 
 Et cuistre je fus autrefois, 
 Mais u present je suis du bois 
 Dont on fait les Ministres." 
 
 * The infamous Abbe Dubois, wbo is now known to liavc exer- 
 cised an evil influence on both the public and private life of the 
 Kcgent. 
 
3H 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 His influence over the Regent was unbounded. 
 This was probably owing to the fact that he had 
 at one time been his tutor. 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " November 20tli, 1720. 
 
 *^ The Princesse de Siegen must surely be more 
 agreeable in manner than is her husband, a sadly 
 tiresome personage, whom, the Lord be praised, I 
 have not seen for a Jong time. He once came and 
 told me that I ought to support and uphold him to 
 the best of my power. I asked him the reason. 
 He replied that it was because he was a Roman 
 Catholic, and therefore preferable to all the other 
 Princes of the House of Nassau, who were Hugue- 
 nots. I began laugliing, and assured him his religion 
 was his own business, not mine ; also that I had 
 always greatly esteemed the House of Nassau, and 
 that I thought equally well of all of them, whatever 
 might be their religions. He became as red as fire 
 and withdrew, much ashamed " 
 
 " Paris, Nov. 23rd, 1720. 
 
 '' My aunt, our dear Electress, being once at the 
 Hague, did not visit the Princess Royal,* but the 
 Queen of Bohemia f did so, and took me with her. 
 Before starting my aunt said to me, ' Lisette, do 
 not behave in your usual flighty manner. Follow 
 
 * Mary Henrietta, ilaugliter of Charles I., married, in 1G50, to 
 AVilliam of Nassau, Prince of Orange, 
 t Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 315 
 
 the Queen step by step so as not to cause her to 
 wait for you.' I answered, ' Oh ! my honoured 
 aunt will hear how well I have comported myself.' 
 
 "When we arrived at the Princess Royal's I 
 found her son, with whom I had often played. 
 After gazing at his mother for a long time, for I 
 did not know her in the least, I turned round to 
 the Prince of Orange and said, ' Tell me, I pray 
 you, the name of that woman with so strange a 
 nose ? ' He burst out laughing and replied, ' It is 
 the Princess Royal, my mother.' I was astounded 
 and remained stupefied. To console me Frau Von 
 Heyde took myself and the Prince into the Princess 
 Royal's bed-chamber, where we played at many 
 games. I had asked to be informed when the 
 Queen was about to leave. We were rolling to- 
 gether on a Turkey carpet when I was called. 
 I jumped up and ran into the hall, but the Queen 
 was already in the ante-cham.ber. So, having 
 always been a bold child, I pulled the Princess 
 Royal by the gown, made her a pretty curtsey, 
 and followed the Queen step by step to the coach. 
 Every one was laughing, I know not why. When 
 we arrived home, the Queen went straight to my 
 aunt and sat down on her bed ; then bursting out 
 laugliing she exclaimed, ' Lisette has made a fine 
 visit,' and told her what had passed. Our dear 
 Electress laughed even more heartily than the 
 Queen, and said, ' Well done, Lisette ! You have 
 revenged us on this haughty Princess '." 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 316 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 '* Paris, Dec. 24tl), 1720. 
 
 ''' M. Law is in Brussels. Mme. de Prie lent him 
 her post-chaise. When sending it back he wrote 
 to thank her, and sent her a ring worth a hundred 
 thousand francs. The Duke provided the relays 
 and sent four of his own servants witli him all the 
 way " 
 
 " Paris, December 27th. 1720. 
 
 When saying goodbye to my son, Law said to 
 luiu, ' I have committed great faults, Monseigneur, 
 but you will neither find malice nor dishonestv in 
 my conduct.' His wife refuses to leave Paris till 
 all their debts are paid. They owe ten thousand 
 francs to their cook alone * " 
 
 "Paris, Dec. 28tli, 1720. 
 
 ''The Princesses are so badly brought up in this 
 country that it has become a public scandal. A little 
 care would make it all otherwise, for my daughters, 
 whom I brought up carefully, are as different as 
 possible. No princesses in Euroj)e get on better 
 with their husbands than the Queen of Sardinia f 
 and the Duchess of Lorraine. J But when children 
 are allowed to have their own way from seven to 
 twenty, nothing but ill can result from it. As 
 for myself, I have done mj duty; I will no longer 
 
 * Law retired to Venice, where lie died in 1729. 
 
 t Madame's step-daugliter, daugliter of Henrietta IMaria of 
 ■fcingland. 
 
 t Madame's own and only dauolitcr, married to the Duke of 
 Lorraine. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS. 317 
 
 trouble myself about my grandchildren. Let them 
 behave in their own way. My son married against 
 my wishes^ and I should be very foolish to afflict 
 myself on account of all that followed. For the 
 remainder of my life I mean to live in peace and 
 amity with all these people, and not mix myself up 
 in any way with their affairs " 
 
 Though by no means an old woman, Madame 
 seems to have had a presentiment that the sands of 
 her life had nearly run out. On the 1st day of the 
 new year (1721), she writes to the Raugravine 
 Louise : 
 
 '' I am becoming very feeble, and can hardly 
 hold my pen. But what can be done to increase my 
 strength ? I think that I shall end by being quite 
 dried up, as did that tortoise that I once had at 
 Heidelburg. But as long as I live, dear Louise, 
 you may be sure that I cherish 3^ou in my 
 heart." 
 
 On the twentieth of February we catch a glimpse 
 of the young Louis XV. and an allusion to the 
 separation of the Prince and Princesse Charles de 
 Lorraine, an affair which excited much comment 
 and interest at the time. 
 
 "Paris, Feb. 20th, 1720. 
 
 *' The day before yesterday I was honoured by a 
 visit from the little King. Among those who came 
 with him was Prince Charles of Lorraine and the 
 
 i 
 
 
 i 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 'X 
 
3«8 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Due de NoaiUes, who glared angrily at the former. 
 I did not then know the reason of these angry looks, 
 but yesterday I learnt all about it. Two years ago 
 I'rince Charles married the Due de Noailles' daughter. 
 • . . . She IS a very virtuous and sweet woman, 
 and much attached to her husband, who is a re- 
 markably handsome man . . . yet he affected com- 
 plete indifference to her, although she is botii pretty 
 and well-behaved. Tim day before yesterday 
 morning, Prince Charies went to her and said 
 quietly, ' Madame, the time has come when we 
 must separate, for I can no longer afford to keep 
 you.' The poor little wife, much frightened, 
 replied, ' Is there anything in my conduct which 
 displeases you ? If there is, pray tell me, and I will 
 try and amend my manners. As for the expense of 
 my keep, I will consent to live in a garret, and on 
 bread and water, rather than separate from you. 
 To this he observed, 'I am quite satisfied with your 
 conduct, and have nothing to complain of in your 
 manners, but I may as well tell you once for all 
 that you inspire me with aversion. I detest the 
 sight of you, so you must resign yourself to goin- 
 back to your father.' She then began weepin- 
 bitterly, but he only said, ' What is the use oi 
 shedding these tears, they do not move me in the 
 least, so do go away.' ' Nay,' said she, ' if it be 
 indeed as you say, I cannot go back to my father's 
 house, but must go and hide my shame in some 
 secret place.' Thereupon she sent for all her 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEANS. 319 
 
 servants and paid them their wages, to their great 
 dismay and grief, then sent for a coach and had 
 herself driven to the convent of the Daughters of 
 Holy Mary, where one of her aunts is a nun. 
 Everybody expresses the greatest compassion for 
 her, and as for me, I could not help shedding tears 
 when I heard her sad story related. No one can 
 account for the Prince's conduct in this matter, for 
 his behaviour was all that could be wished before 
 his marriage took place. Some aver that he was 
 once in love with a married lady who has just 
 become a widow, and that it is owing to lier in- 
 fluence that he thus treated his poor wife " 
 
 And a few days later, Madame tells another story 
 which made a great scandal at the time, and was 
 never really accounted for satisfactorily, being pro- 
 bably a heartless joke, perpetrated by some of the 
 Regent's roues : 
 
 "A terrible thing occurred on the 17tli of this 
 month at a masked ball, which took ])lace in Paris. 
 Six dominoes arrived, two bearing torches, and 
 four a sedan chair. This they set down in the 
 middle of the room. On being asked by several 
 present, Avho was inside the sedan chair, they 
 refused to answer and departed. Then some one 
 opened the door, and there sat a corpse " 
 
 "Paris, March 8tli, 1721. 
 
 *' My son is very good to me and shows me much 
 affection. I believe that he would be really 
 
 i 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
 ■ 
 
 
320 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 grieved to lose me. His visits do me far more 
 good than does the jihysic I am ordered to take, 
 for they rejoice my heart and do not give me 
 pains in my stomacli, and he always tells me some- 
 thing funny, which makes me laugh. He is so witty 
 and agreeable. I should be indeed an unnatural 
 mother did I not love him with my whole heart. 
 If you knew him you would see how entirely 
 free he is from malice and ambition. Ah ! he is 
 only too good ! He forgives everybody and docs 
 nothing but laugli at his enemies. If he made him- 
 self more feared by his wicked relations, they 
 would hesitate before beo:innino: their machinations 
 against him. You cannot figure to yourself the spite 
 and personal ambition of our Princes " 
 
 " Paris, April 12tli, 1721. 
 
 *' We have just been informed of the death of 
 the Queen of Denmark. I shall go into mourning 
 to-morrow, but only wear it a month. They say 
 that the King of Denmark was much troubled, and 
 fainted after the Queen had bidden him adieu. This 
 grief comes rather late in the day. Perhaps the 
 poor Queen had no reason to be so jealous of her 
 husband. In her place I sliould have been only too 
 glad to have occasionally got rid of him ; he was so 
 ugly and stupid. I think that I see him now 
 dancing at Versailles with my daughter. Ho hardly 
 seemed to know what he was doing, and kept open- 
 ing his mouth and staring round him. The King 
 said to me, ' Do go to your poor nephew's assist- 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ ORLEANS. 321 
 
 ance ; he does not seem to understand what he is 
 about.' Feeling quite ashamed I went and brought 
 him back to his place " 
 
 Writing a few days anterior to the last letter we 
 have given, to her old friend's husband, Herr von 
 Harling, Madame says — 
 
 ^'I am beginning to feel my seventy years of life 
 
 creeping over me and should my life continue to be 
 
 harassed with fears for my son's safety I shall soon 
 
 be in a position to tell you how things are managed 
 
 in the next world. I must have had a very good 
 
 constitution to have resisted thus far to all my 
 
 troubles, but as says truly the French proverb, 
 
 ' The pitcher which is always going to the well gets 
 
 broken at last,' and this is what will happen to me. 
 
 But this does not trouble me much, for we know 
 
 that we are only sent into this world to die. I do 
 
 not see the advantage of living to a great age, for 
 
 in that case one becomes infirm and has much 
 
 suffering to bear, and where physical suffering is 
 
 concerned I am a great coward." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, May 3rd, 1721. 
 
 '' Where eating and drinking are concerned I am 
 a thorough German, and have been so all my life. 
 They do not know how to fry things properly here. 
 The butter and milk are not as good Jiere as in our 
 country. They have no taste and are as insipid as 
 clear water 
 
 i 
 
i 
 
 322 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " The cabbages are not good either, owing to tlie 
 earth being sandy and poor in substance. Ah! 
 how glad I should be to partake of some of the 
 dishes your cook makes for you ! They would be 
 more to my taste than all the fine things concocted 
 by my maUre cVhotel " 
 
 The following* dinner ordered and eaten by 
 Madame, and the prices she paid for everything of 
 which it was composed may interest the reader — 
 
 Dinner. 
 
 " Sonp, composed of chicken-broth and veal, 10 livres, 9 sols " 
 (about eight shillings). 
 
 " Two boiled chickens, served in vermicelli, 22 sols " (about one 
 
 shilling). 
 
 " Duck and cabbage, 44 sols" (about one shilling and tenpence). 
 
 Even making due allowance for the difference in 
 the value of money, Versailles prices must have 
 altered considerably since the days when the King's 
 sister-in-law could procure a good dinner for about 
 eleven shillings, comprising three chickens and a 
 
 duck. 
 
 Although Madame never saw her prophesy ful- 
 filled, she foresaw the ignominious retreat in 1734, to 
 France, of her third granddaughter, Mdlle. de Valois, 
 whose marriage to the hereditary Prince of Modena 
 had caused so much rejoicing in the Regent's family 
 in 1720. 
 
 * Taken from a curious work by Monteil, Materiaux Inedits pour 
 VHistotre. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS, 323 
 
 "Paris, May 8th, 1721. 
 
 ^'I hear that things are not going on well at 
 Modena. I expect that we shall one day see our 
 Princess coming back to us. 
 
 '^ I do not at all consider it a misforfune for 
 Princess Anne to have missed marrying the King 
 of Denmark. He also could say as does the modest 
 Chevalier^ ' Slie who fails to catch me is not much 
 to be pitied.' He is not only ugly and unj^leasant 
 in person, but his manners are also far from pre- 
 possessing 
 
 '' The Margrave of Bayreuth and his wife are a 
 singular couple. Their Court is also a strange place. 
 It is evident that a state governed by a prince who 
 only thinks of himself and his evil passions must be 
 in a disordered condition. Both the husband and 
 wife may truly be called crazy. They hardly know 
 what they are doing." 
 
 "Paris, June 25th, 1721. 
 
 *^ It was not the Duke and Duchess of Simmern's 
 fault that I did not go to Cractznach, for they sent 
 me a warm invitation, but my father, the Elector, 
 forbade it, saying that it was not fitting for a 
 young and unmarried princess, as I then was, to 
 gad about and visit strange Courts 
 
 ''When I first knew the Duke of Simmern, 
 he had already married Princess Mary of Orange, 
 and so was out of the question as a possible hus- 
 band. I bore him a sincere affection as beino* his 
 cousin and friend, but should never have cared to 
 
 y2 
 
 » 
 
J^ -.H 11^<>»?WW 
 
 II 
 
 3H 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 have married liim, for lie was small and ugly. . . . 
 I was then quite of age to be married, for the Duke 
 has been dead forty-three years. God alone knows 
 when I shall follow him ; but as long as the Lord 
 w^atches over my children I feel at peace. . . 
 
 3J 
 
 ''The late Princesse d'Epinoy was a strange 
 woman. One night a robber found his way into 
 her apartment, and threatened to stab her with a 
 dagger if she did not immediately give him up all 
 her money. She did not hesitate a moment, but 
 flew boldly at him, and seizing his neckcloth 
 nearly strangled him, screaming to her servants 
 meanwhile. When they arrived she ordered the 
 robber to be taken to the stables. ' Only spare my 
 life ! ' cried he ; so she had him severely beaten 
 and then sent on his way " 
 
 " Paris, July 19th, 1721. 
 
 *' There is a vast difference between being really 
 a native of a country and only learning the 
 language there roughly through having arrived 
 when one was already grown up. If your niece, 
 the Countess von Degenfelt, loves her husband, she 
 will be pleased with everything round her, for true 
 love is a sauce which suits every dish, as says the 
 prologue in Fourceaugnac,^ 
 
 * Quand deux cceurs s*aiment bien 
 Tout le reste n'cst rien.' 
 
 • One of Moliere's comedies. 
 
 • '^^-i J - 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 325 
 
 Therefore, if she truly loves her husband she will 
 not pine for her own country, and all that she finds 
 in the new land will be a source of pleasure to her. 
 I quite approve of your resolution not to go on 
 living with her. You will agree better when you 
 do meet, and nothing can be truer than the pro- 
 verb which says, ' The old and the young cannot 
 hit it off together,' even when the young are reason- 
 able ; again, the servants quarrel among them- 
 selves, and this necessitates explanations between 
 the mistresses who live in the same house " 
 
 To Madame's just indignation the Abbe Dubois, 
 already Archbishop of Cambrai, obtained a car- 
 dinal's hat, partly through the efforts of the 
 Duchesse d'Orleans, Madame's daughter-in-law, 
 whose marriage with the then Due de Chartres he 
 had greatly helped to promote. Speaking of his 
 new dignity, Madame writes to the Raugravine: 
 " I know of someone with whom I cannot feel in 
 charity, although I would do him no injury. I am 
 thinking of the new Cardinal, Dubois, who's deal- 
 ings in a certain matter * injured all my later life. 
 I hope that God will pardon him, but he may have 
 his punishment in this world " 
 
 " Paris, Sept. 25th, 1721. 
 
 " We are all arrayed in our State robes to-day, 
 for a grand ceremony is going to take place at 
 
 * Allusion to the Regent's marriage. 
 
 / 
 
' . ' .t-. 
 
 326 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 \ 
 
 three o'clock, namely, the reception of that wretch, 
 Cardinal Dubois .... I shall be obliged to salute 
 him and mutter a few gracious words. This will go 
 much against me, but now pain and vexation com- 
 pose the chief of my diet. But I see the Cardinal 
 arriving and must make off. The Cardinal begged 
 me to forget the past, and made me the finest 
 speech in the world. His cleverness cannot be 
 denied, and were he as honest as he is intelligent 
 there would be nothing left to wish for in tliat 
 direction." 
 
 The next event in Madame's life was the 
 betrothal of her granddaughter, Elizabeth Louise, 
 fourth daughter of the Regent, officially styled 
 Mdlle. de Montpensier, to the Prince of Asturias, 
 eldest son of the King of Spain. 
 
 This Princess was married on the 20th of 
 January of the following year, and became Queen 
 of Spain in 1724, but, being widowed within the 
 same year, she returned to France and died in the 
 Palace of the Luxembourg in 1742. 
 
 Madame shows her pleasure in this marriage in 
 a few words addressed to her half-sister on the 2nd 
 of Oct., 1721 : 
 
 ^* I can only write you a few lines this morn- 
 ing, my dear Louise, for I am hastening to Paris 
 to congratulate my son and his wife on the good 
 news 1 have just been told. The King of Spain 
 has sent to ask them for the hand of their daughter 
 for his eldest son, the Prince- of Asturias. Mdlle. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 327 
 
 de Montpensier has not yet been christened ; the 
 ceremony will be performed immediately, the King 
 and myself being her sponsors. She will then 
 make her First Communion and receive confirma- 
 tion, and will thus obtain three of the sacraments 
 
 together 
 
 j> 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 "Paris, Oct. 10th, 1721. 
 
 " I only twice saw the King raise his hand 
 against anyone, and the two he chastised well 
 deserved the punishment. The first was a gardener 
 who tried to prevent His Majesty from passing 
 through into a fete which was being held in the 
 Rose Garden at Versailles ; the King gave him two 
 blows. Tlie other was a thief whom His Majesty 
 caught in the act of picking M. de Villar's pocket. 
 Being at the time on horseback, he rode up to the 
 thief and struck him with his whip. The man cried 
 out, ' Murder ! murder ! I am being assassinated !' 
 This made us all laugh heartily. The King had 
 the rogue arrested, but not hung ..." 
 
 "Paris, Oct. 10th, 1721. 
 
 " There is nothing wonderful in the Dauphine, 
 when still Duchesse de Burgogne, having been a 
 coquette, for the Maintenon thought nothing of 
 coquetry, she only disapproved when matters grew 
 serious. Again, when the young Princess was at 
 Marly or Versailles, she was allowed to behave in 
 a very flighty fashion, running in and out quite 
 
 M 
 
 ,1 
 
328 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 \ 
 
 
 \ 
 
 unaccompanied, and mixing in church with all the 
 common people. The Maintenon had forbidden 
 everybody to inform the King of all this, for 
 fear that if he reproved the Dauphine, she would 
 become sulky, and no longer serve to enliven His 
 Majesty '' 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, Oct. 23rd, 1721. 
 
 " I send you the letter * I promised, from the 
 King of Bohemia f to his wife. { It is a curious 
 missive : — 
 
 * Strabach, this 21st— 31st of March, 1632. 
 
 * My dearest Heart, 
 
 'I received your dear letter of the 4th-14th 
 March ; since then I have not been able to write 
 to you. What troubles me not a little is that our 
 letters are so often intercepted. This prevents my 
 writing anything that all may not read 
 
 ^ This morning I went to Nuremburg. I never 
 saw a finer town nor one more peopled 
 
 *I fear that our aflfairs in the Palatinate are not 
 going on well. The Duke of Holstein informs me 
 that the jewels and money belonging to our late 
 grandmother are to be divided into five portions, 
 and that your mother's share will be given to the 
 King of England. This would be most unfair. . . . 
 
 * Written iu French. 
 
 t Frederick V., Elector Palatine, Madame's grandfather. 
 
 \ Elizabeth, daughter of James I. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 329 
 
 ' As for my own affairs, I do not know what to 
 say of them. I hope to God that all will go well, 
 and that I shall soon have the happiness of seeing 
 you and assuring you that I am, my precious heart, 
 your very faithful friend and affectionate servant, 
 
 ' Frederic' 
 
 '^ The citizens of Nuremburg have presented the 
 King with two groups, forming the terrestial and 
 celestial globes, strangely fashioned." 
 
 Describing Mdlle. de Montpensier just after her 
 departure for the frontier of Spain, Madame says 
 to the Raugravine, '^ do not think that Mdlle. de 
 Montpensier can be considered an ugly girl, for she 
 has fine eyes, white smooth skin, a pretty nose, and 
 a very small mouth. But she is the most unpleasant 
 creature I ever saw in my life. The manner in 
 which she speaks, eats, and drinks, gets on my 
 nerves, and she did not shed a single tear in quitting 
 us here. I have witnessed two of my relatives, and 
 now my granddaughter, become Queens of Spain. 
 Of these my favourite was my stepdaughter, whom 
 I loved dearly, for when I first arrived in France 
 she was my closest friend, being only nine years 
 younger than myself. I remember that we were 
 all so childislily inclined that we used to play 
 games with Charles Louis and the young Prince 
 d'Eisenach. . . . ." ( 
 
 *' Paris, Nov. 22nd, 1721. 
 
 " What you say as to these times and my present 
 
 t 
 
t 
 
 330 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 position, shows me how little you understand this 
 Court and people. Would to God that the late 
 Kinc: were still here ! Durino: his lifetime I had 
 more to pleasure me in the course of one day than 
 I have had during the six years of my son's Regency. 
 Then, there was really a Court. We did not lead 
 this bourgeois existence. I, who have been ac- 
 customed to a Court all my life, cannot get used to 
 this state of things. Once I had my son with me 
 whenever I wanted him ; now I hardly ever see him. 
 Even in Paris, where we share the same ante- 
 chamber, I often do not perceive him for three 
 whole days. His Regency causes me untold 
 anguish, for I am always thinking that he will be 
 brought in assassinated by one of his infamous 
 enemies " 
 
 " Paris, Feb. 21st, 1722. 
 
 ^^ Large, stout strong people live less long than 
 small, mean personages. This has been clearly 
 proved by the poor Princesse de Ratgotze. Last 
 Sunday she was strong and hearty ; Monday saw 
 her dead ! They buried her yesterday in her own 
 convent. Her people tell a most extraordinary tale 
 about her. It seems that when at Varsovia she 
 dreamt one night that she found herself in an 
 unknown chamber with a stranger, who offered her 
 a cup and bade her drink. Not being at all thirsty 
 she refused ; but he insisted, saying that it would be 
 the last time she would partake of anything in this 
 life ; then she awoke. She never forgot this strange 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D' ORLEANS, 331 
 
 dream. On arriving here she lodged in an inn. 
 Feeling ill she sent for a doctor, and they brought 
 Helvetius, one of the King's pliysicians. He is a 
 clever man, much thought of by all. His father was 
 a Dutchman. On seeing him enter, the Princess 
 became greatly agitated, and on Count Schlieben 
 asking her what was the matter, replied that Doctor 
 Helvetius exactly resembled a certain man whom she 
 had seen in a dream at Varsovia. Then laughing, 
 she added, ' But I shall not die here, for this is not 
 the apartment which I saw at Varsovia.' 
 
 ^' When she moved into the convent at Chaillot and 
 saw the chamber she was destined to occupy, she 
 said to her people, ' I shall not leave this place as a 
 living woman, for this is the apartment I saw in my 
 dream, and where I shall drink for the last time in 
 life.' 
 
 '' And so it happened. It seems to me that these 
 adventures liappen more to those belonging to \\\q 
 Hesse branch of the family than to any one else, 
 God alone knows only. We, of the Palatinate, see 
 neitlier spirits or visions " 
 
 m 
 
 To THE Princess of Wales. 
 
 " Paris, March 10th, 1722. 
 
 ^^ Prince Emanuel of Portugal's story reminds 
 one of a romance. They say that at first his 
 mother intended him to become priest and bishop, 
 but that the Prince refused. They say that he was 
 greatly in love in his own country. The King sent 
 
I 
 
 332 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 for him and asked him If it was Indeed true that he 
 refused to take orders. The Prince answerlnor that 
 it was so, the King, I hear, gave him a box on the 
 ear, to which the Infant answered, ^ You are my 
 King and my brother, so I cannot revenge myself 
 for the insult you have just given me, but I shall 
 go away and you Avill never see me again,' and he 
 left that same night. The King had ordered him 
 to go from Paris to Holland, but little heed gave 
 he to that. Neither the Ambassador here nor his 
 Governor knew of all this, so when the Prince 
 announced to them that he was desirous of seelno- 
 Marly and Versailles, the Ambassador and the 
 governor did all to pleasure him, and went with 
 him to Versailles. On their return from their 
 expedition the Prince suddenly asked, 'Is there 
 not a post-chaise here?' 'Yes,' they answered, 
 ' there are even four of them, your Highness.' 
 Turning to the astonished Ambassador he said 
 graciously, ^ I wait for an opportunity of proving 
 to you my friendship and gratitude. I am just 
 going to start for Vienna, where, no doubt, the 
 Emperor, my cousin, will rejceive me suitably. I 
 will learn the art of war, fighting against the Turks 
 with his army.' He then thanked his governor 
 for all his care of him, and added that were he ever 
 happy the other should share in his good fortune 
 were God willing. He also spoke to all the gentle- 
 men. After this he entered Into one of the post- 
 chaises and went ofi* 
 
 SG 
 
 ; ' 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 333 
 
 " Others say (and this gives the thing a finishing 
 touch of romance) that he had loved, in Portugal, 
 Madame de Ribiera, before the latter's marriage, 
 and that he had wished to marry her, but that the 
 King, his brother, had scouted the idea. They also 
 say that a short time before his leaving Portugal, 
 the husband of the lady, who is very jealous, found 
 the Prince at his wife's feet. This Incident hastened 
 his departure." 
 
 "Paris, May 11th, 1722. 
 
 " The King * had a terrible fear of Hell, and he 
 believed that any one not In favour with the 
 Jesuits would surely be damned, and that he would 
 also be, if he frequented such people. If one 
 wished to Injure any one inevitably, one had only 
 to say, ^ He is a Jansenlst.' 
 
 ^^ My son once wished to take a certain gentle- 
 man Into his service. The Jesuits, to Injure him in 
 the King's estimation, said that the said gentleman 
 was a Jansenlst. His Majesty sent for my son and 
 said to him, 'What Is this I hear? Are you 
 thinking of taking a Jansenlst Into your service ? ' 
 
 ^* ' I ? ' answered my son, ' I never even thought 
 of such a thing ! ' ^ But,' said the King, ^ you are 
 going to take so-and-so, whose mother is certainly 
 Jansenlst.' ' As for him,' replied my son, laughing, 
 ' far from being Jansenlst, he does not even believe 
 in God ! ' 
 
 
 
 • Louis XIV. 
 
 i 
 
'>^ 
 
 334 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 " ' Oh ! ' said the King, much relieved, ' if that is 
 all, take him and welcome/ " 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 '* Paris, May 16tli, 1722. 
 
 " I am, indeed, grateful to you for your prayers, 
 
 though I do not desire happiness in this world as 
 
 long as God protects my children ; but pray that 
 
 my life beyond the grave may be a happy one, and 
 
 also intercede for my son. The only grace I ask 
 
 of God is his conversion. I do not believe that 
 
 there are a hundred Christians in Paris at the 
 
 present moment, even amongst the clergy. This 
 
 state of things makes one shudder " 
 
 To the Princess op "Wales. 
 
 '^ Paris, May 21st, 1722. 
 
 *' After Monsieur's death the King asked me 
 where I wished to go — to a Paris convent or to 
 Maubuisson. I answered that, as I had the 
 honour to belong to the Royal household, I should 
 naturally accompany it everywhere, and should 
 begin by going to Versailles with everyone else. 
 The King seemed pleased at my decision, though 
 he observed that he had asked me the question 
 because he had reason to think that I did not care 
 to be with him. I replied that I could not imagine 
 who could have told His Majesty anything so false 
 about me, and that I had certainly more affection 
 for him than those who had thus borne false 
 witness against me. Thereupon the King sent 
 everyone away, and spoke with great frankness. 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS. 335 
 
 accusing me of hating Mme. de Maintenon. I 
 owned that this was true, but ascribed my hatred 
 of her to my knowledge of the ill she worked me 
 with His Majesty. But I added, that to pleasure 
 him I would consent to receive her, and become 
 reconciliated with her. The good woman had 
 never thought that I should act with such wisdom, 
 or she would never have allowed the King to 
 come near me. He sent for her, and said, 
 * Madame has consented to receive you.' He 
 made us embrace one another, and so ended the 
 affair. But she continued injuring me in every 
 
 way in her power As for a convent, that 
 
 would not have suited me at all ; but it was just 
 what the old woman hoped to oblige me to do. 
 Montargis is my dower- liouse, but is worth 
 nothing. I live on the King's bounty. They 
 began by giving me nothing at all after my hus- 
 band's death What would have been my 
 
 fate had I chosen to retire to Montargis?" 
 
 " Saint Cloud, June 15th, 1722. 
 
 '^ The Dauphin * was very intelligent, and truly 
 pious ; but he had one detect, that of allowing his 
 wife to manage him as though he was a child. She 
 could make him believe anything she liked. He 
 certainly proved his love for her by dying of grief 
 eight days after her death. He always said that it 
 would be so. A famous Turin astrologer once told 
 
 » 
 
 The Due de Bourgoyne. 
 

 r; 
 
 336 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 the Dauphine htr fortune. He predicted all that 
 would liappen to her till her twenty-seventh year, 
 when her career would be cut short by death. 
 She often spoke of this, for all that he had foretold 
 really happened to her year by year. One day 
 she said to her husband, ' The hour of my death 
 must now be approaching ; you cannot remain a 
 widower, on account of your rank and piety ; pray 
 tell me the Princess you mean to choose?' He 
 answered, * I hope that God will never inflict on 
 me the pain of seeing you depart this life; but 
 should this misfortune befall me, rest assured that 
 I shall never marry again, for I sliall follow you in 
 eight days to the grave.' And so it exactly hap- 
 pened. Eight days after the death of his wife he 
 also died. This is a true story, not a romance. 
 Often, though fresh and hearty, the Dauphine 
 would say, ' I must make haste to enjoy my life, 
 for I shall die this year.' I used to think that she 
 said it as a joke, but it was only too true. The 
 moment she fell ill she declared that she knew 
 death was approaching." 
 
 " Saint Cloud, July 2nd, 1722. 
 
 '' The Queen-Mother* could feel at rest, apropos 
 of Cardinal Mazarin. As he was not an ordained 
 priest he was free to wed her. The whole of this 
 affair is now known to us all. I have often seen 
 the secret passage through which they communicated 
 with each other when at the Palais Royal. . . . 
 
 * Anne of Austria. 
 
 ?j 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEANS, 337 
 
 Preparations were being made for the solemn 
 coronation of Louis XV. at Rheims, and Madame 
 was long in making up her mind to take so long a 
 journey in her weak state of health. In September 
 she writes to Herr von Harling, '' I follow out my 
 physician's orders to avoid being spoken to by my 
 son about it ; but all must be as God wills it to be, 
 and I feel quite resigned." And two days later, 
 having been informed that her daughter, the 
 Duchesse de Lorraine, was going to Rheims with 
 her children, she writes again to Herr von Harlino-, 
 " I am in exactly the same state as when I last 
 wrote to you ; the future is in God's hands. I am 
 getting ready for my journey to Rheims. Time 
 will show whether the result will be good or evil. 
 I sent you your nephew's letter, and I can assure 
 you that whatever happens I will remain your true 
 and faithful friend." 
 
 To THE Raugravine Louise. 
 
 " Paris, ]^ov. 8th, 1722. 
 
 '' I arrived home * the day before yesterday, but 
 m a sad state During my journey I received five 
 of your dear letters, and I thank you for them most 
 sincerely ; they afforded me great pleasure. I did 
 not answer you whilst away, both owing to my 
 general weakness and the want of time, for I had 
 my children constantly with me, and visits from 
 many distinguished people, including Princes, 
 Dukes, Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops who 
 
 * At the Palais Royal. 
 Z 
 
 ! 
 
 Ill 
 
 ■ti 
 
338 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 Vi\ 
 
 II II 
 
 came to see me. I do not think it would be 
 possible to conceive a more beautiful sight than the 
 King's coronation. If God gives me time I will 
 give you a description of it. My daughter was 
 muck moved on seeing me. She had never really 
 believed in my illness, thinking that I was only 
 fatigued with all I had gone through in the last 
 few years. But when she saw me at Rheims she 
 was so shocked by my appearance that the tears 
 came into her eyes. Her look quite troubled me. 
 
 Her children are much grown and fine looking 
 
 I should like to talk to you thus a little longer, 
 but I feel too tired to do so " 
 
 '* Paris, Nov. 12tli, 1722. 
 
 '' I hope to be able to send you an account of the 
 coronation the day after to-morrow. I know of 
 nothing fresh to tell you to-day, excepting that I 
 have been informed of something which causes me 
 great joy, namely, that my son has definitively 
 dismissed all his mistresses and former boon com- 
 panions, and that, were it only for the young King's 
 sake, he will find it impossible to continue his old 
 way of life. I hope that God will assist him in 
 remaining firm to these good resolutions. It is the 
 only matter that troubles me ; for the rest, let God 
 dispose of me as He will " 
 
 " Paris, November 21st, 1722. 
 
 *' I get worse every hour and suffer incessant 
 pain, from which nothing relieves me. I greatly 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D'ORLEJNS, 339 
 
 need that God shall inspire me with patience. Do 
 not grieve should you happen to lose me, for it 
 would be for me a great happiness to be delivered 
 from my sufferings " 
 
 " Paris, November 29tb, 1722. 
 
 "You will only receive a very short letter 
 to-day. I am worse than ever, and cannot sleep. 
 Yesterday morning we lost our poor Marechale.'^ 
 She died quietly, without any special disease having 
 attacked her. Her death has really grieved me, 
 for she was a worthy and clever woman. No one 
 can be surprised at the death of a person of eighty- 
 one years of age, yet it is painful to lose a friend 
 whom one has known fifty-one years. But I must 
 leave off now, dear Louise. I am in too great pain 
 to be able to add another word. If you saw tlie 
 sad state I am in, you would understand my 
 longing for the end " 
 
 Madame died nine days after this letter was 
 written, in the Regent's arms, but far from her 
 daughter, who did not hear of her mother's death 
 till some days later. 
 
 Marais wrote in his diary five days before her 
 death, '' Madame is very ill, and all hopes have 
 been abandoned. Physicians are arriving from all 
 sides and promise to surely cure her, but she only 
 says that they are all quacks, and that she is 
 content to die. (This was very characteristic.) 
 
 * The Marechale de Clerembaut. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
340 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF THE 
 
 She is very courageous and steadfast, and did not 
 mind the journey to Rheims, saying that death is 
 the same wherever you happen to meet him. She 
 said to her son, ' Why do you weep ? Must we 
 not all end by dying in this world ? ' and to a 
 lady who wished to kiss her hand, * You can 
 embrace me if you like, for I am going to a land 
 where all shall be equal in the sight of God.' 
 We are about to lose a good Princess ; a rare and 
 precious thing in these times " 
 
 She was interred in Saint Denis, and Masillion 
 preached her funeral oration. 
 
 Writing on the loth of December to the Marquise 
 d'Aulade, the Duchesse de Lorraine says: "I am 
 so overwhelmed with grief that it is impossible to 
 write at length. I may truly say, in Madame's loss 
 I lose all, and death will be welcomed by me now, 
 as a means to rejoining her." To Madame, not- 
 withstanding Saint Simon's implication that Made- 
 moiselle de Chartres had been glad to leave her 
 mother when she married the Due de Lorraine, she 
 bore a true and vivid affection. 
 
 In a quaint inventory, drawn up immediately 
 after Madame's death, of the furniture in her 
 apartments we find : 
 
 One long bed, nine feet square, English tapestries 
 comprised of grotesque subjects. 
 
 French ditto, recounting Ovid's Metamorphoses. 
 
 One white satin carpet. 
 
 In her boudoir, three chairs, tapestries. 
 
 ilii 
 
 MOTHER OF PHILIPPE D^ORLEJNS. 341 
 
 Fifty pieces of rare porcelain and a great many 
 looking glasses, besides a strange collection of 
 curios. 
 
 One detail connected with her death would have 
 sorely vexed her. Cardinal Dubois bought up all 
 the black materials very cheaply and sold them at a 
 large profit, on Madame's death being ofiicially 
 notified to the good people with whom she had 
 always been so popular, notwithstanding her son, 
 the Regent's, many private sins, and his connection 
 with the too famous Mississippi Company. 
 
 f 
 
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3» 
 
 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY 
 
 DICKENS'S (CHARLES) ^^^O^Y^^.— Continued, 
 
 LIBRARY EDITION. 
 
 In post 8vo. With the Original Illustrations^ 30 vols. , cloih, £12. 
 
 PICKWICK PAPERS ... 
 NICHOLAS NICKLEBY 
 
 MARMN CHUZZLEVVIT 40 
 
 OLD CURIOSITY SHOP & REPRINTED PIECES q6 
 
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 Uniform with this Edition. los. 6d. 
 
 43 Illustrns. 
 39 
 
 40 
 38 
 38 
 40 
 
 39 
 24 
 
 17 
 16 
 8 
 8 
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 2 vols. 
 
 2 vols. 
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 A NEW EDITION OF ABOVE, WITH THE ORIGINAL ILLUSTRA- 
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 OUR MUTUAL FRIEND "... 
 
 BARNABY RUDGE 
 
 OLD CURIOSITY SHOP ... 
 
 A CHILDS HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
 
 EDWIN DROOD and OTHER STORIES 
 CHRISTMAS STORIES, from "Household Words" ' 
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 UNCOMMERCIAL TRAVELLER 
 
 THK M.^T"r?p<^o,?^^^^?o?^^^^^^^^- Numerous IliusTrations 
 THE LEI FERS OF CHARLES DICKENS 
 
 8 Illustr 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
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 4 
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 2 vols. 
 
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34 
 
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 OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, with 58 Illustrations, cloth, 5s. 
 
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36 
 
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 Each Volume contains Eight Illustrations reproduced from the Originals. 
 
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 MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT, Two Vols. 
 
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 EDWIN DROOD; AND OTHER STORIES. 
 
 THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP, Two Vols. 
 
 A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
 
 DOMBEY AND SON, Two Vols. 
 
 A TALE OF TWO CITIES. 
 
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 MUTUAL FRIEND, Two Vols. 
 
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 NEW & CHEAP ISSUE OF THE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS. 
 
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 CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PROSE, is. 
 
 CRICKET ON THE HEARTH, is. 
 
 CHIMES: A GOBLIN STORY, is. 
 
 STORY OF LITTLE DOMBEY. is. 
 
 POOR TRAVELLER, BOOTS AT THE HOLLY-TREE 
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 A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PROSE. 
 
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 THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOST'S STORY. 
 
 SIXPENNY REPRINTS. 
 READINGS FROM the WORKS of CHARLES DICKENS. 
 
 As selected and read by himself and now published for tlie first time. Illustrated 
 
 A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and THE HAUNTED MAN. 
 
 By Charles Dickens. Illustrated. 
 THE CHIMES: A Goblin Storv, and THE CRICKET 
 
 ON THE HEARTH. Illustrated. 
 
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 1888 i F.R.C.S. {Eng.),D.P.H. (Lond.) 
 
 H. Adams, C.E., M.LM.E. 
 
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 1888/ 
 
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 »> 5> 1808 
 
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 Inorganic Chemistry (Theo- ) 
 
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 5. Ditto— Alternative Course 
 
 1887 
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 1888 
 
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 1887 
 Magnetism and Electricity 
 
 1888 
 
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 >» )> ••• ... 1888 J 
 
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 SPECTIVE 1887 / 
 
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 SPECTIVE 1888/ 
 
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 >> 5> ... 1888 
 
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 Drawing 1887 f 
 
 Machine Construction and \ 
 Drawing 1888) 
 
 12. Principles of Agriculture 
 
 1887 
 Principles of Agriculture 
 
 1888, 
 
 13. Sound, Light, and Heat, 1887 | 
 
 >> >> J, 1888 J 
 
 14. Hygiene 1887 \ 
 
 >» ••• ... 1888 J 
 
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 tical) 1887 I 
 
 Inorganic Chemistry (Prac- j 
 tical) 1888 J 
 
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 ^ J^x ^ vfx ''^f'''^' Pamphlet {dealing with both Elementar^' and Advanced 
 
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 THE FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW. 
 
 Edited by FRANK HARRIS, 
 
 THE FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW is published on the ist of 
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 GRANT ALLEN. 
 
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 AUTHOR OF "GREATER BRITAIN." 
 
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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 
 
 This book is due on the date indicated below, or at the 
 expiration of a definite period after the date of borrowing, as 
 provided by the library rules or by special arrangement with 
 the Librarian in charge. 
 
 OATK •ORROWCO 
 
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 'Orleans .J 
 
 Life ajid letters of Charlotte 
 Elizabeth. . 
 
 4 DEC 19W 
 9.S, JAN iS. r %L:^^ii 1922 
 
 
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