The same social lever was applied in 1660 to the 'traitant général' of the so-called 'don gratuit' exacted on the occasion of the King's marriage, two feuillettes being proffered in order to get him to reduce the assessment. Representations made to an eschevin of Paris, despatched to Epernay in 1662 to see if there was any store of grain in the town that could be sold to benefit the starving poor of the capital, to the effect that the district was a wine-growing and not a corn country; and the despatch of a deputation in August 1666 to Louvois, to request that the garrison might be withdrawn to allow of the vintage being gathered in--the inhabitants of the surrounding country having fled to avoid sheltering soldiers,--serve to show the importance of the Epernay wine-trade. In 1671, on the passage of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans from Châlons, fruit and sweetmeats were presented to them, and wine to the lords of their suite, at a cost of 211 livres 7 sols; and two years later, Louis XIV. partook of the local vintage during his sojourn at the 'maison abbatiale,' when on his way to the army of the Rhine. Towards the close of this century the wine grew in repute, and was eagerly sought after. In November 1677 two caques were sent to 'a person who enjoys some credit,' and who was willing to accord his protection to the town in the matter of quartering troops upon it; and the following January twelve more caques were despatched to this 'unknown,' who may have been Louvois himself. As to Roger Brulart, Marquis de Puisieux et de Sillery and Governor of Epernay, a joyous companion, if we may credit St. Simon, his appreciation of the local vintage is borne ample testimony to. In 1677 six caques of 'the best' were sent to him by the town council; but by 1691 he must have become used to larger offerings, as in September a letter was addressed to him begging him to be satisfied with the like amount, as 'the inhabitants could not manage more,' and could only promise, with regard to three caques still due, that they would 'make an effort' to supply them the following year. Wise in their generation, they sent at the same time 'twelve bottles of the best wine' to his intendant, and a similar gift to his secretary; but the following year they were forced to write again that it would be impossible to supply the wine promised unless he obtained a permission to levy it.[443]