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.

The landlord replied that they were too much for a single person, and that he had nothing else for the whole house.  The monk upon this flew into a passion, and declared that the least the landlord could do was to give him what he would pay for; and that he had sufficient appetite to eat both leg of mutton and capon.  They were accordingly put down to the fire, the landlord not daring to say another word.  While they were cooking, a traveller on horseback arrived at the inn, and learning that they were for one person, was much astonished.  He offered to pay his share to be allowed to dine off them with the stranger who had ordered this dinner; but the landlord told him he was afraid the gentleman would not consent to the arrangement.  Thereupon the traveller went upstairs, and civilly asked Vatteville if he might dine with him on paying half of the expense.  Vatteville would not consent, and a dispute soon arose between the two; to be brief, the monk served this traveller as he had served the prior, killed him with a pistol shot.  After this he went downstairs tranquilly, and in the midst of the fright of the landlord and of the whole house, had the leg of mutton and capon served up to him, picked both to the very bone, paid his score, remounted his horse, and went his way.

Not knowing what course to take, he went to Turkey, and in order to succeed there, had himself circumcised, put on the turban, and entered into the militia.  His blasphemy advanced him, his talents and his colour distinguished him; he became Bacha, and the confidential man in the Morea, where the Turks were making war against the Venetians.  He determined to make use of this position in order to advance his own interests, and entering into communication with the generalissimo of the Republic, promised to betray into his hands several secret places belonging to the Turks, but on certain conditions.  These were, absolution from the Pope for all crimes of his life, his murders and his apostasy included; security against the Chartreux and against being placed in any other Order; full restitution of his civil rights, and liberty to exercise his profession of priest with the right of possessing all benefices of every kind.  The Venetians thought the bargain too good to be refused, and the Pope, in the interest of the Church, accorded all the demands of the Bacha.  When Vatteville was quite assured that his conditions would be complied with, he took his measures so well that he executed perfectly all he had undertaken.  Immediately after he threw himself into the Venetian army, and passed into Italy.  He was well received at Rome by the Pope, and returned to his family in Franche-Comte, and amused himself by braving the Chartreux.

At the first conquest of the Franche-Comte, he intrigued so well with the Queen-mother and the ministry, that he was promised the Archbishopric of Besancon; but the Pope cried out against this on account of his murders, circumcision, and apostasy.  The King sided with the Pope, and Vatteville was obliged to be contented with the abbey of Baume, another good abbey in Picardy, and divers other advantages.

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