34>6 MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMOtf.

Madame de Maintenon. He told her what he saw and how
grossly Fagon was mistaken. He assured her that the King,
whose pulse he had often felt, had had for some time a slow
internal fever; that his constitution was so good that with
remedies and attention all would go well, but that if the malady
were allowed to grow there would no longer be any resource.
Madame de Maintenon grew angry, and all he obtained for his
jzeal was her anger. She said that only the personal enemies
of Fagon could find fault with his opinion upon the King's
health, concerning which the capacity, the application, the ex-
perience of the chief physician could not be deceived. The
best of it is that Marshal, who had formerly operated upon
Fagon for stone, had been appointed chief surgeon by him, and
they had always lived on the best of terms. Marshal, annoyed
as he related to me, could do nothing more, and began from
that time to lament the death of his master. Fagon was in
fact the first physician in Europe, but for a long time his health
liad not permitted him to maintain his experience; and the
high point of axithority to which his capacity and his favour
had carried him, had at last spoiled him. He would not hear
reason, or submit to reply, and continued to treat the King as
he had treated him in early years; and killed him by his
obstinacy.

The gout of which the King had had long attacks, induced
Fagon to swaddle him, so to say, every evening in a heap of
feather pillows, which made him sweat all night to such an
•extent that it was necessary in the morning to rub him down
and change his linen before the grand chamberlain and the first
gentleman of the chamber could enter. For many years he had
drunk nothing but Burgundy wine, half mixed with water, and
.so old that it was used up instead of the best champagne which
he had used all his life. He would pleasantly say sometimes
that foreign lords who were anxious to taste the wine he used,
were often mightily deceived. At no time had he ever drank
pure wine, or made use in any way of spirits., or even tea,
•coffee, or chocolate. Upon rising, instead of a little bread and
wine and water, he had taken for a long time two glasses of