144 MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON.

Berwick, having thus obtained his recompense beforehand,
started off for Flanders, but not until he had seen everything
signed and scaled and delivered in due form. He found the
enemy HO advantageously placed, and so well prepared, that he
had no difficulty in subscribing to the common opinion of the
general officers, Chat an attack could no longer bo thought of.
Ho gathered up all the opinions he could, and then returned to
Court, having boon only about three weeks absent. His report
dismayed the King, and those who penetrated it. Letters from
the army soon showed the fault of which Villars had been
guilty, and everybody revolted against this wordy bully.

Ho soon after was the subject of common talk at the Court,,
and in the army, in consequence of a ridiculous adventure, in
•which ho was the hero. His wound, or the airs that he gave
himself in consequence of it, often forced him to hold his leg
upon the neck of his horse, almost in the same manner as ladies
do. One day, ho lot slip the remark that he was sick to death
of mounting on horseback like those " harlots " in the suite of
Madame do Bourgogno. Those "harlots," I will observe paren-
thetically, wove all the young ladies of the Court, and the
fliuiglitons of !Madai.no la Duchcsso ! Such a remark uttered by
a gonoral not imieh loved, speedily How from one end of the
camp to tlio other, and was not long in making its way to the
Court and to PariH. The young horsewomen alluded to were
ofUmdod; thoir friondH took up arms for them, and Madame la
J-Hu'.hoHHO tlo .Bourgogno could not help showing irritation, or
avoid complaining.

Yillarn was apprised of all, and was much troubled by this
increase of enemies so redoubtable, of whom just then he as-
suredly had no nood. Ho took it into his Load to try and dis-
cover who had. blabbed j and found it was Houdicourt, whom
Viliars, to advance his own interests, by means of Heudicourt's
mother (who wan the evil genius of Madame de Maintenon),
liad protected; and to whom, even, much against Ms custom,
ho had actually not lent, but given money.

This Houdicourt (whom I have previously alluded to, apropos
of a song he wrote), was a merry wag, who excelled in making