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.
to beg the King, in her name, that Chirac, a famous doctor of M. d’Orleans, should be allowed to see M. le Duc de Berry.  The King refused, on the ground that all the other doctors were in accord, and that Chirac, who might differ with them, would embarrass them.  After dinner Mesdames de Pompadour and La Vieuville arrived, on the part of Madame la Duchesse de Berry, to beg the King that she might be allowed to come and see her husband, saying that she would come on foot rather than stay away.  It would have been better, surely, for her to come in a coach, if she so much wished, and, before alighting, to send to the King for permission so to do.  But the fact is, she had no more desire to come than M. de Berry had to see her.  He never once mentioned her name, or spoke of her, even indirectly.  The King replied to those ladies by saying that he would not close the door against Madame la Duchesse de Berry, but, considering the state she was in, he thought it would be very imprudent on her part to come.  He afterwards told M. le Duc and Madame la Duchesse d’Orleans to go to Versailles and hinder her from coming.  Upon returning from the review the King went again to see M. le Duc de Berry.  He had been once more bled in the arm, had vomited all day much blood too—­and had taken some Robel water three times, in order to stop his sickness.  This vomiting put off the communion.  Pere de la Rue had been by his side ever since Tuesday morning, and found him very patient and resigned.

On Thursday, the 3rd, after a night worse than ever, the doctors said they did not doubt that a vein had been broken in the stomach.  It was reported that this accident had happened by an effort M. de Berry made when out hunting on the previous Thursday, the day the Elector of Bavaria arrived.  His horse slipped; in drawing the animal up, his body struck against the pommel of the saddle, so it was said, and ever since he had spit blood every day.  The vomiting ceased at nine o’clock in the morning, but the patient was no better.  The King, who was going stag-hunting, put it off.  At six o’clock at night M. de Berry was so choked that he could no longer remain in bed; about eight o’clock he found himself so relieved that he said to Madame, he hoped he should not die; but soon after, the malady increased so much that Pere de la Rue said it was no longer time to think of anything but God, and of receiving the sacrament.  The poor Prince himself seemed to desire it.

A little after ten o’clock at night the King went to the chapel, where a consecrated Host had been kept prepared ever since the commencement of the illness.  M. le Duc de Berry received it, with extreme unction, in presence of the King, with much devotion and respect.  The King remained nearly an hour in the chamber, supped alone in his own, did not receive the Princesses afterwards, but went to bed.  M. le Duc d’Orleans, at ten o’clock in the morning, went again to Versailles, as Madame la Duchesse de Berry wished

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