Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,495 pages of information about Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Complete.

Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Complete eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,495 pages of information about Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Complete.

They seized an opportunity when M. de Savoie had gone on a tour to Chambery, and departed furtively.  Crossing our frontier, they arrived m Paris, where the Comtesse de Verrue, who had grown very rich, took a house, and by degrees succeeded in getting people to come and see her, though, at first, owing to the scandal of her life, this was difficult.  In the end, her opulence gained her a large number of friends, and she availed herself so well of her opportunities, that she became of much importance, and influenced strongly the government.  But that time goes beyond my memoirs.  She left in Turin a son and a daughter, both recognised by M. de Savoie, after the manner of our King.  He loved passionately these, illegitimate children, and married the daughter to the Prince de Carignan.

Mademoiselle de Conde died at Paris on October 24th, after a long illness, from a disease in the chest, which consumed her less than the torments she experienced without end from M. le Prince, her father, whose continual caprices were the plague of all those over whom he could exercise them.  Almost all the children of M. le Prince were little bigger than dwarfs, which caused M. le Prince, who was tall, to say in pleasantry, that if his race went on always thus diminishing it would come to nothing.  People attributed the cause to a dwarf that Madame la Princesse had had for a long time near her.

At the funeral of Mademoiselle de Conde, a very indecorous incident happened.  My mother, who was invited to take part in the ceremony, went to the Hotel de Conde, in a coach and six horses, to join Mademoiselle d’Enghien.  When the procession was about to start the Duchesse de Chatillon tried to take precedence of my mother.  But my mother called upon Mademoiselle d’Enghien to prevent this, or else to allow her to return.  Madame de Chatillon persisted in her attempt, saying that relationship decided the question of precedence on these occasions, and that she was a nearer relative to the deceased than my mother.  My mother, in a cold but haughty tone, replied that she could pardon this mistake on account of the youth and ignorance of Madame de Chatillon; but that in all such cases it was rank and not relationship which decided the point.  The dispute was at last put to an end by Madame de Chatillon giving way.  But when the procession started an attempt was made by her coachman to drive before the coach of my mother, and one of the company had to descend and decide the dispute.  On the morrow M. le Prince sent to apologise to my mother for the occurrence that had taken place, and came himself shortly afterwards full of compliments and excuses.  I never could understand what induced Madame de Chatillon to take this fancy into her head; but she was much ashamed of it afterwards, and made many excuses to my mother.

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Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Complete from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.