Lully, full of tricks and mischief and fun, composed a satirical song on his mistress, _La Grande Mademoiselle_, who was a tempting subject for a young boy’s wit. But _La Grande Mademoiselle_ heard the song; and she very naturally dismissed him from her household. But this disgrace did not affect Lully. In fact, it helped him in his career; for he very soon got a place in the Twenty-Four Violins,—and there he was in the King’s private band! And _La Grande Mademoiselle_ had to see and hear him play very frequently. _La Grande Mademoiselle_ does not refer to Lully’s insolence in her _Memoirs_. Her version is as follows: “He did not want to stay in the country and asked for his dismissal. I gave it to him and he has since made his fortune, for he was a very great dancer.” Lully was as clever as he was musically gifted. It was not long before he had charge of all the “King’s Music,” which consisted of the Chamber Music, the Chapel Music and the _Grande Écurie_ (the Stable). The latter comprised the music for hunting and processions and out-of-door _fêtes_. The famous “Twenty-Four Violins” played at dinner, at the Court balls, and gave concerts for the Court, as we have seen. In 1655 the King created a new Orchestra especially for Lully called the “_Petits Violons_.” At first it consisted of sixteen players, but soon it was increased to twenty-one. This Orchestra played at the Court balls, at the morning toilet (or _lever_) of the King, at the dinner (or _grand couvert_) and on various other occasions. Some persons thought it played even better than the “Twenty-Four.” Lully composed a great number of dances for it—sarabandes, gigues, chaconnes, etc., which delighted the King and his Court. Sometimes the two Orchestras played together under Lully’s guiding hand. Jean-Baptiste Lully now became the most important musician in Europe. After a time he felt that the violin, which he played so well, was beneath his dignity, so he gave it up and devoted himself to the harpsichord. He staged and danced in ballets for the Court; wrote operas to the poetic _libretti_ of Quinault and produced them with superb scenery; and he _composed all the musical interludes for all of Molière’s plays_! He also played in several of Molière’s comedies. He took the part of the physician in _Pourceaugnac_ and he played the comical Muphti in _Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme_. [Illustration: ONE OF THE TWENTY-FOUR VIOLINS OF THE KING, 1688] Lully ruled like a king. Lully _was_ the King of Music, not only in France, but in all of Europe in those grand days when France stood at the head of all nations in wealth and power under her “Sun-King.”