POLITENESS OF THE KING. 367

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Excessive Politeness—Influence of the Yalets—How the King drove
Love of Magnificence—His Buildings—Versailles—The supply of Water
—The King seeks for quiet—Creation of Marly—Tremendous extrava-
gance.

NEVER did man give with better grace than Louis XIV., or
augmented so much, in this way, the price of his benefits.
Never did man sell to better profit his words, even his smiles,
—nay, his looks. Never did disobliging words escape him;
and if he had to blame, to reprimand, or correct, which was
very rare, it was nearly always with goodness, never, except on
one occasion (the admonition of Courtenvaux, related in its
place), with anger or severity. Never was man so naturally
polite, or of a politeness so measured, so graduated, so adapted
to person, time, and place. Towards women his politeness was
without parallel. Never did he pass the humblest petticoat
without raising his hat; even to chambermaids, that he knew
to be such, as often happened at Marly. For ladies he took his
hat off completely, but to a greater or less extent; for titled
people half off, holding it in his hand or against his ear some
instants, more or less marked. For the nobility he contented
himself by putting his hand to his hat. He took it off for the
princes of the blood, as for the ladies. If he accosted ladies he
did not cover himself until he had quitted them. All this was
out of doors, for in the house he was never covered. His reve-
rences, more or less marked, but always light, were incompar-
able for their grace and manner; even his mode of half raising
himself at supper for each lady who arrived at table. Though