Montpensier, Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de, 1627-1693
to her guardians to take her to Fontainebleau. But she never laid down
her arms where Richelieu was concerned. She knew all the songs that
were written against him.
Meanwhile Monsieur had not taken any steps to make himself
interesting. As soon as he had crossed the French frontier he entered
upon a pleasure debauch which rendered him unfit for active service,
for a time at least. He paid for his high flight in Spanish money. In
1632 he further distinguished himself by entering France at the head
of a foreign army. On that occasion he caused the death of the Duke of
Montmorency, who was executed for "rebellion."
Immediately after the Duke's execution, it was discovered that Monsieur
had secretly married a sister of the Duke of Lorraine. He, Monsieur,
crowned his efforts by signing a treaty with Spain (12 May, 1634), for
which act France paid by yielding up strips of French territory.
But to his daughter Monsieur was always the victim of an impious
persecution. Speaking of the years gorged with events so closely
concerning her own life, she says:
Many things passed in those days. I was only a child; I had no part
in anything, and could not notice anything; All that I can remember
is that at Fontainebleau (5 May, 1663) I saw the Ceremony of the
Chevaliers of the Order. During the ceremony they degraded from the
Order Monsieur the Duke d'Elbœuf, and the Marquis de la Vieu Ville.
I saw them tear off and break the arms belonging to their rank,--a
rank equal to all the others; and when I asked the reason they told
me they had insulted them "because they had followed Monsieur."
Then I wept. I was so wounded by this treatment that I would have
retired from Court; and I said that I could not look on this action
with the submission that would become me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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