The King’s Health Declines.--Bets about His Death.--Lord Stair.--My New Friend.--The King’s Last Hunt.--And Last Domestic and Public Acts.-- Doctors.--Opium.--The King’s Diet.--Failure of His Strength.--His Hopes of Recovery.--Increased Danger.--Codicil to His Will.--Interview with the Duc d’Orleans.--With the Cardinal de Noailles.--Address to His Attendants.--The Dauphin Brought to Him.--His Last Words.-- An Extraordinary Physician.--The Courtiers and the Duc d’Orleans.-- Conduct of Madame de Maintenon.--The King’s Death. CHAPTER LXXIII Early Life of Louis XIV.--His Education.--His Enormous Vanity.--His Ignorance.--Cause of the War with Holland.--His Mistakes and Weakness in War.--The Ruin of France.--Origin of Versailles.--The King’s Love of Adulation, and Jealousy of People Who Came Not to Court.--His Spies.-- His Vindictiveness.--Opening of Letters.--Confidence Sometimes Placed in Him--A Lady in a Predicament. CHAPTER LXXIV Excessive Politeness.--Influence of the Valets.--How the King Drove Out.--Love of magnificence.--His Buildings.--Versailles.--The Supply of Water.--The King Seeks for Quiet.--Creation of Marly.--Tremendous Extravagance. CHAPTER LXXV Amours of the King.--La Valliere.--Montespan.--Scandalous Publicity.-- Temper of Madame de Montespan.--Her Unbearable Haughtiness.--Other Mistresses.--Madame de Maintenon.--Her Fortunes.--Her Marriage with Scarron.--His Character and Society.--How She Lived After His Death.-- Gets into Better Company.--Acquaintance with Madame de Montespan.-- The King’s Children.--His Dislike of Widow Scarron.--Purchase of the Maintenon Estate.--Further Demands.--M. du Maine on His Travels.-- Montespan’s Ill--humour.--Madame de Maintenon Supplants Her.--Her Bitter Annoyance.--Progress of the New Intrigue.--Marriage of the King and Madame de Maintenon. CHAPTER LXXVI Character of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Conversation.--Her Narrow- mindedness.--Her Devotion.--Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.--Its Fatal Consequences.--Saint Cyr.--Madame de Maintenon Desires Her Marriage to be Declared.--Her Schemes.--Counterworked by Louvois.--His Vigorous Conduct and Sudden Death.--Behaviour of the King.--Extraordinary Death of Seron. CHAPTER LXXVII Daily Occupations of Madame de Maintenon.--Her Policy--How She Governed the King’s Affairs.--Connivance with the Ministers.--Anecdote of Le Tellier.--Behaviour of the King to Madame de Maintenon.-- His Hardness.--Selfishness.--Want of Thought for Others.--Anecdotes.-- Resignation of the King.--Its Causes.--The Jesuits and the Doctors.--The King and Lay Jesuits. VOLUME 11. CHAPTER LXXVIII