DEATH OF D'AYAUX.

83

CHAPTER IX.

Death of D'Avanx—A quarrel about a window—Louvois and the King—
Anecdote of Boisseuil—Madame de Maintenon and M. de Beauvilliers—
Harcourt proposed for the Council—His disappointment—Death of M.
le Prince—His character—Treatment of his wife—His love adven-
tures—His madness—A confessor brought—Nobody regrets him.

THE death of D'Avaux, who had formerly been our ambas-
sador in Holland, occurred in the early part of this year (1709).
D'Avaux was one of the first to hear of the project of William
of Orange npon England, when that project was still only in
embryo, and kept profoundly secret. He apprised the King
(Louis XIV.) of it, but was laughed at. Barillon, then our
ambassador in England, was listened to in preference. He, de-
ceived by Sunderland and the other perfidious ministers of
James II., assured our Court that D'Avaux's reports were
mere chimeras. It was not until it was impossible any longer
to doubt that credit was given to them. The steps that we
then took, instead of disconcerting all the measures of the con-
spirators, as we could have done, did not interfere with the
working out of any one of their plans. All liberty was left,
in fact, to William to carry out his scheme. The anecdote
which explains how this happened is so curious, that it de-
serves to be mentioned here.

Louvois, who was then minister of war, was also superin-
tendent of the buildings. The King, who liked building, and
who had cast off all his mistresses, had pulled down the little
porcelain Trianon he had made for Madame de Montespan, and
was rebuilding it in the form it still retains. One day he per-

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