Arrival of Vendome at Court.--Character of That Disgusting Personage.-- Rise of Cardinal Alberoni.--Vendome's Reception at Marly.--His Unheard-of Triumph.--His High Flight.--Returns to Italy.--Battle of Calcinato.-- Condition of the Army.--Pique of the Marechal de Villeroy.--Battle of Ramillies.--Its Consequences. CHAPTER XXXV Abandonment of the Siege of Barcelona.--Affairs of Italy.-- La Feuillade.--Disastrous Rivalries.--Conduct of M. d'Orleans.--The Siege of Turin.--Battle.--Victory of Prince Eugene.--Insubordination in the Army.--Retreat.--M. d'Orleans Returns to Court.--Disgrace of La Feuillade CHAPTER XXXVI Measures of Economy.--Financial Embarrassments.--The King and Chamillart.--Tax on Baptisms and Marriages.--Vauban's Patriotism.-- Its Punishment.--My Action with M. de Brissac.--I Appeal to the King.-- The Result.--I Gain My Action. CHAPTER XXXVII My Appointment as Ambassador to Rome.--How It Fell Through.--Anecdotes of the Bishop of Orleans.--A Droll Song.--A Saint in Spite of Himself.-- Fashionable Crimes.--A Forged Genealogy.--Abduction of Beringhen.-- The 'Parvulos' of Meudon and Mademoiselle Choin. CHAPTER XXXVIII Death and Last Days of Madame de Montespan.--Selfishness of the King.-- Death and Character of Madame de Nemours.--Neufchatel and Prussia.-- Campaign of Villars.--Naval Successes.--Inundations of the Loire.--Siege of Toulon.--A Quarrel about News.--Quixotic Despatches of Tesse. VOLUME 6. CHAPTER XXXIX Precedence at the Communion Table.--The King Offended with Madame de Torcy.--The King's Religion.--Atheists and Jansenists.--Project against Scotland.--Preparations.--Failure.--The Chevalier de St. George.--His Return to Court. CHAPTER XL Death and Character of Brissac.--Brissac and the Court Ladies.--The Duchesse de Bourgogne.--Scene at the Carp Basin.--King's Selfishness.-- The King Cuts Samuel Bernard's Purse.--A Vain Capitalist.--Story of Leon and Florence the Actress.--His Loves with Mademoiselle de Roquelaure.-- Run--away Marriage.--Anger of Madame de Roquelaure.--A Furious Mother.-- Opinions of the Court.--A Mistake.--Interference of the King.-- Fate of the Couple . CHAPTER XLI The Duc d'Orleans in Spain.--Offends Madame des Ursins and Madame de Maintenon.--Laziness of M. de Vendome in Flanders.--Battle of Oudenarde. --Defeat and Disasters.--Difference of M. de Vendome and the Duc de Bourgogne. CHAPTER XLII Conflicting Reports.--Attacks on the Duc de Bourgogne.--The Duchesse de Bourgogne Acts against Vendome.--Weakness of the Duke.--Cunning of Vendome.--The Siege of Lille.--Anxiety for a Battle.--Its Delay.--Conduct of the King and Monseigneur.--A Picture of Royal Family Feeling.--Conduct of the Marechal de Boufflers. CHAPTER XLIII