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Unruly  Daughters 


omance 


The  House  of  Orleans 


3- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


MADAME  RECAMIER  AND  HER  FRIENDS 

MADAME  DE  POMPADOUR 

MADAME  DE  MONTESPAN 

MADAME  DU  BARRY 

QUEENS  OF  THE  FRENCH  STAGE 

LATER  QUEENS  OF  THE  FRENCH  STAGE 

FIVE  FAIR  SISTERS 

QUEEN  MARGOT 

A  PRINCESS  OF  INTRIGUE 

THE  WOMEN  BONAPARTES 

A  ROSE  OF  SAVOY 

THE  FASCINATING  DUC  DE  RICHELIEU 

HENRI  II.  :  HIS  COURT  AND  TIMES 

A  PRINCESS  OF  ADVENTURE 

THE  LOVE-AFFAIRS  OF  THE  CONDES 


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Unruly  'Daughters 

Ji   T^pmance  of  the 
House  of  Orleans  :: 

£y   H.   Woel    Williams 

JiuthoT  of  "  Five  Fair  Sisters,"  &c. 


With  21  full-page  Illustrations,  including 
a  Frontispiece  in  Photogravure 


NEW   YORK 

G.    P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 
1913 


•    ••  •        •  •  ,*« 

i    •      •  ••  «      »      r    t    t      f 


TO 
MY    WIFE 


Printed  in  Great  Britain 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER    I 

TAGF. 

The  Due  de  Chartres  gets  his  ears  boxccl  by  his  mother,  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  Court — Explanation  of  the  maternal 
indignation— Marriage  of  the  Due  de  Chartres  and  Mile,  de 
Blois,  younger  daughter  of  Louis  XIV.  and  Madame  de 
Montespan— Their  children— Character  of  Philippe  d'Orleans 
— His  precocious  gallantries — His  treatment  of  his  mistresses 
and  his  "  roues  "—His  mother's  opinion  of  him— Remarks 
of  Voltaire— His  portrait  by  Saint-Simon— The  Duchesse 
d'Orleans— Her  personal  appearance— Her  conversational 
powers — Her  incredible  indolence — Her  "  almost  Satanic  " 
pride — Her  relations  with  her  husband — Her  affection  for  her 
elder  brother,  the  Due  du  Maine— Influence  of  her  waiting- 
women  over  her — Despotism  which  she  aspires  to  exercise  over 
the  members  of  her  Household — Antipathy  between  her  and 
Madams — Uncomplimentary  references  of  that  princess  to  her 
daughter-in-law — Deplorable  manner  in  which  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  neglects  her  duty  towards  her  children  * 

CHAPTER    II 

The  Orleans  princesses — Their  neglected  childhood— Serious  ill- 
ness of  Mademoiselle,  whose  life  is  saved  by  her  father's  care — 
Singular  affection  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  for  his  eldest  daughter 
— Unsuccessful  endeavour  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  obtain 
precedence  for  her  children  over  the  Princes  and  Princesses  of 
the  Blood — She  determines  to  marry  Mademoiselle  to  the  Due 
de  Berry,  youngest  son  of  the  Dauphin — Diplomatic  move  of 
the  young  princess — Obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  proposed 
marriage — Intrigues  of  Saint- Simon  and  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  on  behalf  of  Mademoiselle — Louis  XIV.  decides  in 
favour  of  that  princess  and  obliges  the  Dauphin  to  consent 
to  the  marriage — The  Due  de  Berry — Anecdotes  of  his  boy- 
hood— His  appearance  and  character — Visit  of  Mademoiselle 
to  Versailles — A  singular  imbroglio — Marriage  of  the  Due  de 
Berry  and  Mademoiselle — Early  years  of  Miles,  de  Chartres 
and  de  Valois,  second  and  third  daughters  of  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  d'Orleans— The  two  little  princesses  are  sent  to  the 
Abbey  of  Chelles 29 


5739? s 


vi  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    III 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry— Her  portrait  by  Largilliere— Madame' s 
description  of  her— Her  odious  character — Her  intimacy 
with  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne — Her  jealousy  of  that  prin- 
cess— Her  husband's  infatuation  for  her — She  gets  disgrace- 
fully intoxicated  at  Saint-Cloud— She  joins  the  *'  Cabal  of 
Meudon  " — Rupture  between  her  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne— She  persuades  the  Due  de  Berry  to  break  off  his 
friendly  relations  with  his  sister-in-law — She  is  severely 
reprimanded  by  the  King— Illness  and  death  of  the  Dauphin 
— Despair  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  sees  all  her  plans 
ruined  by  this  event— Magnanimity  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne, now  Dauphine — Indignation  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
at  being  compelled  to  render  ceremonial  service  to  her  sister-in- 
law — Abominable  rumours  concerning  her  relations  with  her 
father — Saint- Simon  informs  the  Due  d'Orleans  of  these,  and 
the  prince,  to  his  astonishment  and  indignation,  reports  the 
conversation  to  his  daughter — The  Duchesse  de  Berry  gives 
birth  prematurely  to  a  daughter — Insolence  of  the  princess 
towards  her  mother — Madame  is  charged  by  the  King  to 
reprimand  her  granddaughter— Mile,  de  Vienne— The  affair 
of  the  diamond  necklace      .... 


CHAPTER    IV 


PAGE 


56 


Successive  deaths  of  the  Dauphine,  the  Dauphin,  and  the  little 
Due  de  Bretagne— Joy  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry— Altered 
situation  of  the  princess,  who,  by  the  death  of  her  sister-in- 
law,  becomes  the  first  lady  of  the  Court — Lively  passage-at- 
arms  between  her  and  Madame — She  becomes  pregnant : 
rigorous  precautions  insisted  upon  by  the  King — Cruel  dis- 
appointment which  she  inflicts  upon  the  old  Marechal  de 
Bezons — She  gives  birth  to  a  son,  who,  however,  does  not  long 
survive — She  gains  the  favour  of  the  King,  and  her  position 
becomes  a  very  enviable  one — Her  relations  with  her  husband 
— Intrigue  between  the  Due  de  Berry  and  one  of  his  wife's 
waiting-women — Compact  between  the  prince  and  princess, 
which  leaves  them  both  free  to  follow  their  own  inclinations — 
Violent  passion  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  for  her  husband's 
first  equerry,  La  Haye — She  endeavours  to  persuade  him  to 
carry  her  off  to  the  Netherlands— Accident  to  the  Due  de 
Berry — His  illness  and  death — Exaggerated  grief  affected 
by  his  widow — Birth  of  a  posthumous  daughter — Indulgence 
of  Louis  XIV.  for  the  duchess  during  the  last  months  of  his  life       83 


CONTENTS  vii 


CHAPTER    V 

PAGE 

Philippe  d'Orleans  becomes  Regent  and  the  Duchessc  de  Berry 
prepares  to  reap  the  fruits  of  her  father's  triumph — She 
obtains  the  Luxembourg  as  a  residence — Her  attitude  towards 
her  mother — She  secures  permission  to  have  officers  to  com- 
mand her  guards — She  endeavours  to  usurp  the  honours  of 
a  queen — Her  quarrel  with  the  Prince  de  Conti — Her  adven- 
ture in  the  gardens  of  the  Luxembourg — She  closes  them  to  the 
public — She  insults  the  civic  dignitaries  of  Paris — She  obtains 
La  Muette  as  a  country-residence — Her  amours — The 
Chevalier  de  Rion — Portrait  of  this  personage — Madame 
de  Mouchy — Her  detestable  character — Rion  becomes  amant 
en  titre  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry — Infatuation  of  the  princess 
— Singular  attitude  of  Rion  towards  her — Supper-parties  at 
the  Luxembourg — A  complaisant  confessor  .  .  .     106 

CHAPTER    VI 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  takes  an  apartment  at  the  Carmelite  con- 
vent in  the  Faubourg  Saint- Jacques,  and  varies  her  scandalous 
life  by  intervals  of  prayer  and  fasting — Indignation  of  the 
Regent  at  the  public  reign  of  Rion,  to  which,  however,  he 
tamely  submits — The  Duchesse  de  Berry  assists  at  the  orgies 
of  the  Palais-Royal — Continuation  of  the  abominable  rumours 
concerning  the  relations  between  Philippe  d'Orleans  and  his 
eldest  daughter — The  satires  of  Voltaire — The  Philippiques 
of  La  Grange-Chancel — Contemptuous  indifference  to  public 
opinion  shown  by  the  Regent  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry — 
— Voltaire  sent  to  the  Bastille — First  representation  of  the 
poet's  (Edipe — Conduct  of  the  parterre— Visit  of  Peter  the 
Great  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry — Distressing  embonpoint  of  the 
princess — Her  gluttony — A  revolution  of  the  palace  :  Rion 
becomes  first  equerry  to  the  princess  and  Madame  de  Mouchy 
dame  d'atours — Indignation  of  Mesdames  de  Clermont  and  de 
Beauvau,  dames  de  compagnie  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry, 
who  resign  their  posts — Episode  at  the  Opera — Rion  ap- 
pointed Governor  of  Cognac         .  .  .  .  .  .124 


CHAPTER    VII 

Mile.  d'Orleans  at  the  Abbey  of  Chelles — She  announces  her 
intention  of  taking  the  veil — Attitude  of  her  relatives  towards 
this  project — She  falls  ill,  and  is  removed,  on  the  advice  of 
the  doctors,  to  the  Abbey  of  Montmartre — Unfounded  report 
that  she  has  decided  to  renounce  her  religious  aspirations — 
Project  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  marry  her  to  the  Prince 
de  Dombes,  eldest  son  of  the  Due  du  Maine — Mile.  d'Orleans 


viii  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


appears  in  Society — Her  portrait  by  Madame — The  singer 
Cauchereau — M.  de  Saint-Maixent — Mile.  d'Orleans  persists 
in  her  desire  to  enter  religion — Futile  efforts  of  her  mother 
to  coerce  her  into  marrying  the  Prince  de  Dombes — The  Re- 
gent refuses  to  sanction  the  princess  becoming  a  nun — The 
latter,  having  obtained  permission  to  visit  Chelles,  announces 
her  determination  to  remain  there — The  Due  d'Orleans  en- 
deavours to  prevail  upon  her  to  renounce  this  resolve,  but  she 
remains  inflexible — She  pronounces  her  vows — She  intrigues 
against  the  abbess,  Madame  de  Villars,  who  is  compelled  to 
resign  her  post — Mile.  d'Orleans  is  nominated  Abbess  of 
Chelles — Her  consecration  .  .  .  .  .  .139 


CHAPTER    VIII 

Visit  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Lorraine  to  Paris — Magnificent 
fete  in  their  honour  at  the  Luxembourg — An  unbidden 
guest — Attentions  paid  by  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  the 
Duchess  of  Lorraine — Reconciliation  between  Madame  and  her 
granddaughter — Alteration  in  the  latter's  conduct  towards 
her  mother — She  "  greatly  edifies  "  the  Carmelites  during 
the  Holy  Week  of  171S — Fetes  in  honour  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  at  Chantilly — Ungracious  behaviour  of  the  princess 
— She  resumes  her  effort  to  usurp  the  honours  of  a  queen — 
Indignation  of  the  public — Protests  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique 
— She  becomes  enceinte — Her  efforts  to  conceal  her  condition 
— She  gives  birth  to  a  daughter,  and  her  life  is  in  serious 
danger — Refusal  of  the  Sacraments  by  the  cure  of  Saint-Sul- 
pice  and  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles — The  princess  recovers — 
Her  secret  marriage  with  Rion — Consideration  of  the  question 
whether  this  event  took  place  before  or  after  her  illness    .  .     158 


CHAPTER    IX 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  leaves  Paris  for  Meudon — Opposition 
of  the  Regent  to  the  declaration  of  her  marriage  with  Rion — 
He  visits  the  princess  but  twice  in  three  weeks— His  conver- 
sation with  Saint-Simon — Rion  ordered  to  join  his  regiment 
on  the  Spanish  frontier — Painful  scenes  between  father  and 
daughter — A  fatal  supper-party — The  Duchesse  de  Berry 
falls  ill — She  removes  from  Meudon  to  La  Muette — Her 
cruel  sufferings — She  becomes  better,  but  this  improvement 
is  speedily  followed  by  a  dangerous  relapse — Her  condition 
declared  to  be  hopeless — Rival  doctors — Death  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry — Grief  of  the  Regent,  which,  however,  is 
of  short  duration — Obsequies  of  the  princess — Her  debts — 
Madame  de  Mouchy  and  the  ring-case — Banishment  of  this 
personage — Disgrace  of  Rion — His  later  years        .  .  .      1S0 


CONTENTS  ix 


CHAPTER    X 


TAGE 


Charlotte  Aglae  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Valois,  makes  her  appearance 
in  Society — She  refuses  to  marry  the  Prince  de  Dombes — 
The  young  princess  is  sent  to  her  grandmother  at  Saint-Cloud 
— Madame' s  portrait  of  her — The  Due  de  Richelieu — His  extra- 
ordinary fascination  for  women — His  liaison  with  Mile,  de 
Charolais — Refusal  of  the  Condes  to  countenance  their 
marriage — Violent  passion  of  Mile,  de  Valois  for  the  duke — 
Open  rivalry  between  her  and  Mile,  de  Charolais — Indigna- 
tion of  the  Regent — Richelieu  conspires  with  Spain — He 
falls  into  a  trap  prepared  for  him  by  the  French  Government 
— Warning  which  he  receives  from  Mile,  de  Valois — He  is 
arrested  and  conducted  to  the  Bastille — Despair  of  the  two 
princesses,  who  make  common  cause  to  secure  the  liberation 
of  their  idol — Their  visit  to  the  Bastille — Exasperation  of 
Madame  against  her  granddaughter — Matrimonial  projects  in 
regard  to  Mile,  de  Valois — A  manage  manque — Francesco 
d'Este,  Prince  of  Modena,  proposed  as  a  husband — The  Regent 
accords  his  daughter  the  liberty  of  Richelieu,  in  consideration 
of  her  consenting  to  marry  this  prince — Amorous  escapades 
of  the  released  gallant — Aversion  of  Mile,  de  Valois  to  the 
alliance  arranged  for  her — Her  marriage — She  falls  ill  of 
measles,  which  she  has  purposely  contracted,  but  recovers — 
Her  despair       .........     203 

CHAPTER    XI 

Departure  of  Mile,  de  Valois — Her  retinue — Premeditated  delays 
— Incessant  quarrels  between  the  French  and  Italians  in  her 
train — Nightly  gambling-orgies — Strained  relations  between 
the  princess  and  the  Duchesse  de  Villars  :  the  affair  of  the 
soupcoupe — The  Conte  di  Salvatico,  Envoy  Extraordinary 
of  the  Duke  of  Modena — His  ridiculous  passion  for  the  princess 
— His  love  transformed  into  hatred  by  her  refusal  to  listen  to 
him — Reception  at  Lyons — Arrival  at  Avignon  :  visit  to  the 
Ghetto — Madame  de  Bacqueville,  favourite  of  the  princess — 
Salvatico  writes  to  the  Regent  demanding  her  recall — The 
Regent  consents,  but  it  is  decided  to  conceal  this  decision  from 
the  princess  until  she  has  embarked  at  Antibes — Suspicions 
of  the  princess  :  her  letter  to  her  father — Arrival  at  Antibes — 
The  princess  is  informed  of  the  recall  of  her  favourite        .  .233 

CHAPTER    XII 

Arrival  at  Genoa — Unpleasantness  over  the  payment  of  the 
princess's  dowry  :  impertinent  conduct  of  Salvatico — Depar- 
ture for  Modena — The  Duke  of  Modena  and  his  two  sons 
meet  the  princess  at  Reggio — Portrait  of  Francesco  d'Este — 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Character  of  the  Duke — Deadly  monotony  of  his  Court — 
Persecution  of  the  princess  by  Salvatico — The  princess  falls  ill 
of  smallpox— Singular  conjugal  relations — Letters  of  the  Abbe 
Colibeaux,  confessor  to  the  princess,  on  this  delicate  subject — 
Chavigny,  French  Minister  at  Genoa,  sent  by  the  Regent  to 
verify  the  facts — His  report — Severity  of  the  Duke  towards 
the  young  couple — Pilgrimage  to  Loretto — The  princess  per- 
suades her  husband  to  fly  with  her  to  France — Her  letter  to 
her  father — The  Regent  refuses  to  receive  them,  and  de- 
spatches the  Abbe  Philibert  to  persuade  them  to  return — 
Despair  of  the  princess — Her  return  to  Modena — Mortifying 
reception — Salvatico  resumes  his  persecution — Ineffectual 
protests  of  Chavigny  and  Philibert — Return  of  Francesco 
d'Este — Visit  of  the  prince  and  princess  to  Lucca — They  take 
up  their  residence  at  a  country-house  near  Reggio — Anguish 
of  the  princess  on  learning  of  the  reported  marriage  of  the 
Due  de  Richelieu — She  becomes  more  reconciled  to  her  lot — 
Birth  of  a  son    .........     245 


CHAPTER    XIII 

Mile.  d'Orleans  as  Abbess  of  Chelles — Improvements  which  she 
executes  at  the  convent — She  constitutes  herself  the  official 
protectress  of  the  Jansenists — Efforts  of  the  Regent  to  induce 
her  to  renounce  her  heterodox  views — -He  exiles  Pere  Ledoux, 
almoner  of  Chelles — The  abbess  retaliates  by  driving  away 
Madame  de  Fretteville,  who  has  been  won  over  by  the  Jesuits 
— Extraordinary  conduct  of  the  princess,  who  transforms  her 
abbey  from  a  monastic  retreat  into  a  kind  of  country-house 
and  leads  with  her  nuns  a  life  of  pleasure — Calumnies — 
Sudden  reformation  of  the  abbess,  who  passes  from  dissipation 
to  austerity — She  leaves  Chelles,  and,  though  still  retaining 
her  title  of  abbess,  becomes  temporary  superior  of  the  Abbey 
of  the  Val-de-Grace — Brief  return  to  worldliness,  followed 
by  increased  austerity — She  seeks  to  convert  the  Regent,  and 
reprimands  him  severely  for  the  scandalous  manner  in  which 
he  distributes  the  ecclesiastical  patronage  of  the  Crown   .  .     268 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  fourth  daughter 
of  the  Regent  —  Negotiations  concluded  for  the  marriage 
of  Louis  XV.  to  the  Infanta  Ana  Victoria,  and  for  that  of 
Don  Luis,  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  to  Mile,  de  Montpensier 
— Embassy  of  Saint-Simon  to  Madrid — -Festivities  in  Paris 
— Departure  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier  for  Spain  —  Char- 
acter  of   this    princess  —  Her   portrait    by    Madame — Her 


CONTENTS  xi 

PAGE 

journey  to  the  frontier  —  The  exchange  of  the  princesses 
—Meeting  with  Philip  V.  and  Don  Luis  at  Cogollos— The 
marriage  :  an  ignorant  cardinal — Saint-Simon  obtains  the 
public  "  consummation  "  of  the  marriage — Letter  of  the 
Princess  of  the  Asturias  to  her  father— Philip  V.  and  Eliza- 
beth Farnese — Influence  of  the  Queen  over  her  husband — Their 
daily  life — Severity  of  Philip  V.  towards  transgressors  of  the 
moral  law  —  Illness  of  the  princess  —  Anxieties  of  the  King 
and  Queen — Extraordinary  behaviour  of  the  princess — She 
obstinately  refuses  to  attend  the  State  ball  to  be  given  in  her 
honour — Saint-Simon's  interview  with  her — The  ball  is  aban- 
doned— Conclusion  of  Saint-Simon's  embassy — Incredible 
vulgarity  of  the  princess  at  his  farewell  audience — Improve- 
ment in  her  conduct — Affection  of  Don  Luis  for  her       .  .279 


CHAPTER    XV 

Ambitions  of  Elizabeth  Farnese  in  regard  to  her  eldest  son, 
Don  Carlos — The  Regent  determines  to  offer  to  the  latter  the 
hand  of  his  fifth  daughter,  Mile,  de  Beaujolais— Beauty  and 
amiable  character  of  the  little  princess — The  affair  is  satis- 
factorily concluded— Joy  of  the  Queen  of  Spain — Dowry  of 
Mile,  de  Beaujolais — Her  trousseau — She  sets  out  for  Spain 
— Her  reception  at  Madrid — Mutual  affection  of  Mile,  de 
Beaujolais  and  her  fiance — The  little  princess-  conquers  all 
hearts — Jealousy  of  her  elder  sister — The  Prince  and  Princess 
of  the  Asturias  begin  to  live  together — Their  affectionate 
relations — Resumption  of  the  eccentricities  of  the  princess — 
Abdication  of   Philip  V.   in  favour  of  his  eldest  son  .      306 


CHAPTER    XVI 

The  accession  of  Luis  I.  hailed  with  great  satisfaction  at  Madrid 
— The  new  King  reigns  only  nominally,  and  Philip  V.  and 
Elizabeth,  from  their  retreat  at  San-Ildefonso,  continue  to 
govern — Docility  of  Luis  to  his  father's  wishes— His  boyish 
pranks — The  young  Queen,  freed  from  all  constraint,  treats 
her  husband  with  contempt,  and  behaves  in  an  extraordinary 
manner — She  accuses  her  major-domo,  Foucault  de  Magny,  of 
grossly  insulting  her— Despatch  of  the  Marechal  de  Tesse  to 
the  Due  de  Bourbon— Magny  is  recalled  to  France— An- 
tipathy of  Elizabeth  Farnese  towards  her  daughter-in-law — 
Curious  despatches  of  Tesse — Despair  of  Luis  I.  at  the  out- 
rageous behaviour  of  his  consort — Episode  at  San-Ildefonso — 
The  young  Queen,  refusing  to  listen  to  any  remonstrances, 
is  conducted  to  the  Alcazar  and  kept  in  close  confinement — 


xii  CONTENTS 


TAGE 


After  a  captivity  of  nearly  three  weeks,  she  is  set  at  liberty 
and  restored  to  favour — Illness  and  death  of  Luis  I. — Pitiable 
situation  of  his  widow,  the  Court  of  Spain  being  unwilling  to 
keep  her  or  France  to  receive  her — It  is  finally  decided  that 
she  shall  return  to  France — Rupture  of  the  marriage  arranged 
between  Louis  XV.  and  the  Infanta — Indignation  of  the  Court 
of  Spain— The  widowed  Queen  and  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  are 
sent  back  to  France — Sad  life  of  the  former — Her  death — 
Constancy  of  Don  Carlos  and  Mile,  de  Beaulojais — Negotia- 
tions for  their  marriage — Attitude  of  Fleury — Death  of  the 
princess  ..........     317 


CHAPTER    XVII 

Unfortunate  effect  of  the  Regent's  death  upon  the  situation 
of  the  Princess  of  Modena — Her  discreet  conduct — Arrange- 
ment with  her  father-in-law,  who,  however,  continues  to 
subject  her  to  all  kinds  of  petty  humiliations — Death  of  her 
little  son — The  prince  and  princess  make  their  way  to  Stras- 
bourg, in  the  hope  of  being  permitted  to  enter  France  ;  but 
are  compelled  to  return  to  Italy — Intolerable  situation — 
Interference  of  the  French  Government — New  arrangement 
with  the  Duke,  which  the  latter  again  contrives  to  evade — 
Cruel  indifference  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  her  daughter's 
unhappy  lot — Invasion  of  the  duchy  of  Modena — The  prince 
comes  to  Paris,  but  his  wife,  after  reaching  Lyons,  is  ordered 
to  return  to  Italy — She  at  length  secures  authorisation  to  visit 
Paris,  on  condition  that  she  preserves  a  strict  incognito — 
Odious  behaviour  of  the  Palais-Royal  towards  her — Quarrel 
with  the  Queen  of  Spain — Repeated  endeavours  of  her  mother 
and  brother  to  secure  an  order  for  her  departure — Death  of 
Duke  Rinaldo  and  accession  of  Francesco  d'Este  —  The 
Duchess  of  Modena  remains  in  Paris — Her  departure  for  Italy     341 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

The  death  of  the  Regent  deprives  the  Abbess  of  Chelles  of  her 
influence  in  ecclesiastical  matters — She  continues,  however, 
her  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  Jansenists — She  issues  a  manifesto, 
which  is  suppressed  by  a  decree  of  the  Council — Her  adven- 
ture with  the  Cardinal  de  Bissy — She  is  forbidden  to  leave  her 
convent — She  resigns  her  abbey,  and  retires  to  the  priory  of 
the  Benedictines  of  la  Madeleine  du  Trainel — Piety  of  her  last 
years — Her  Reflexions  morales  sur  le  Nonveau  Testament — Her 
death       ..........     354 


CONTENTS  xiii 


CHAPTER    XIX 


i  A'.r. 


Louise  Diane  d'Orleans,  Mile,  dc  Chartrcs,  youngest  daughter 
of  the  Regent — Her  birth — Her  marriage  with  the  Prince  de 
Conti — Dispute  between  the  unmarried  Princesses  of  the 
Blood,  on  the  question  of  bearing  the  train  of  her  mantle — 
A  delicate  conversation — Birth  of  a  son — Death  of  the  princess 
— *'  Joyous  life  "  of  the  Duchess  of  Modena,  which,  however,  is 
soon  interrupted  by  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  the  Austrian 
Succession — The  Duchess  secures  authorisation  to  return  to 
France,  where  she  is  now  treated  with  all  the  honours  due  to  her 
rank — Her  enviable  situation  at  Versailles — She  marries  her 
eldest  daughter  to  the  Due  de  Penthievre — She  occupies  her- 
self with  her  husband's  interests — Francesco  d'Este,  dis- 
gusted with  his  treatment  by  France,  throws  himself  into  the 
arms  of  Austria — The  Duchess  falls  into  disgrace  at  Ver- 
sailles— She  returns  to  Italy — Her  death  .  .  .     360 

Index  ......••••     3D7 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Duchesse  de  Berry  Frontispiece 

From  the  painting  by  Largilliere. 

TO   FACE    l'AOE 

Philippe  II.,  Due  d'Orleans,  Regent  of  France.  .        .      12 

From  an  engraving  by  Francois  Chereau,  after  the  painting  by  J.  B.  Santerre. 

Francoise   Marie   de  Bourbon    (Mlle.   dk  Blois),    Duchesse 
d'Orleans     .  .  .  .  ...      20 

From  the  painting  by  Largilliere,  at  Versailles. 

Charles  de  France,  Due  de  Berry  .  .  .        .      44 

From  a  contemporary  print. 

Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Duchesse  de  Berry        .      58 

From  an  engraving  after  the  painting  by  Largilliere. 

Elizabeth    Charlotte    of     Bavaria,     Duchesse     d'Orleans 

("Madame")  .  .  .  ...       84 

From  the  painting  by  Hyacinthe  Rigaud,  at  Versailles. 

Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Duchesse  de  Berry,  in 
Widow's  Weeds  .  .  .  ...     102 

From  the  painting  by  Louis  de  Silvestre,  at  Versailles. 

Peter  the  Great,  Emperor  of  Russia     .  .  .     134 

From  the  painting  by  Nattier,  at  Versailles. 

Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Duchesse  de  Berry       .     172 

From  a  painting  at  Versailles  by  an  unknown  artist. 

Charlotte  Aglae  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Valois),  Hereditary 
Princess,  and  afterwards  Duchess,  of  Modena         .        .    206 

From  the  painting  by  Pierre  Gobert,  at  Versailles. 

Francesco   d'Este,   Hereditary  Prince   of  Modena   (after- 
wards Francesco  II.,  Duke  of  Modena)  .  .        .    246 

From  an  engraving  by  Cornelius  Meysens. 

Louise  Adelaide  d'Orleans,  Abbess  of  Chelles   .  .        .     270 

From  an  engraving  after  the  painting  by  Malherbe. 

Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Montpensier),  Princess 
of  the  asturias,  afterwards  queen  of  spain  .        .     284 

From  the  painting  by  Juan  Rank,  in  the  Museum  of  the  Prado. 

xv 


xvi  LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

TO   FACE   PAGE 

Elizabeth  Farnese,  Queen  of  SrAiN        .  ...     294 

From  an  engraving  by  Syfang. 

Don  Luis,  Prince  of  the  Asturias  (afterwards  Luis  I.,  King 
of  Spain)       .  .  .  .  ...     302 

From  an  engraving  by  Picart,  after  the  painting  by  Yiali. 

Philippine  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Beaujolais)  .        .     310 

From  a  contemporary  print. 

Philip  V.,  King  of  Spain  .  .  .  .        .     314 

From  a  contemporary  print. 

Luis  I.,  King  of  Spain  .  .  .  ...    324 

From  a  painting  by  an  unknown  artist. 

The  Infanta  Maria  Ana  Victoria  .  ...    334 

From  the  painting  by  Largilliere,  in  the  Museum  of  the  Prado. 

Don  Carlos,  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies  (afterwards  Carlos  III., 
King  of  Spain)  .  .  .  ...     338 

From  an  engraving  by  Roy,  after  the  painting  by  Delle  Piane. 

Louise  Diane  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Chartres),  Princesse  de 

CONTI  .  .  .  .  ...      362 

From  the  painting  by  Pierre  Gobert,  at  Versailles. 


UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 


CHAPTER   I 

The  Due  de  Chartres  gets  his  ears  boxed  by  his  mother,  in  the  presence 
of  the  whole  Court— Explanation  of  the  maternal  indignation — 
Marriage  of  the  Due  de  Chartres  and  Mile,  de  Blois,  younger  daughter 
of  Louis  XIV.  and  Madame  de  Montespan — Their  children — Cha- 
racter of  Philippe  d 'Orleans — His  precocious  gallantries — His  treat- 
ment of  his  mistresses  and  his  "  roues  " — His  mother's  opinion  of 
him— Remarks  of  Voltaire — His  portrait  by  Saint-Simon — The 
Duchesse  d 'Orleans — Her  personal  appearance — Her  conversational 
powers — Her  incredible  indolence — Her  "  almost  Satanic  "  pride — 
Her  relations  with  her  husband — Her  affection  for  her  elder  brother, 
the  Due  du  Maine — Influence  of  her  waiting-women  over  her — 
Despotism  which  she  aspires  to  exercise  over  the  members  of  her 
Household— Antipathy  between  her  and  Madame — Uncomplimen- 
tary references  of  that  princess  to  her  daughter-in-law — Deplorable 
manner  in  which  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  neglects  her  duty  towards 
her  children. 

ONE  morning,  in  the  winter  of  1691-92,  the  courtiers 
of  Louis  XIV.  were  assembled  in  the  Galerie  des 
Glaces  at  Versailles,  awaiting  the  rising  of  the  Council 
and  the  King's  Mass.  That  something  of  unusual  in- 
terest was  in  the  wind  was  evident,  for  they  conversed 
together  eagerly,  in  low  tones,  casting  ever  and  anon 
covert  glances  in  the  direction  of  a  rather  pleasant- 
looking  youth  of  seventeen  or  eighteen,  who  stood  apart 
from  the  rest,  speaking  to  no  one,  and  manifestly  very 
ill   at   ease.     Presently,  at   the  far  end  of   the  gallery 

B 


2  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

appeared  a  strange  figure.  It  was  that  of  a  middle-aged 
lady,  short  and  abnormally  stout,  with  a  crooked  nose, 
fat  cheeks  deeply  pitted  by  smallpox,  a  large  mouth 
wrinkled  at  the  corners,  a  square  jaw,  and  a  pair  of  keen 
blue  eyes.  She  was  attired  in  a  gown  which,  when  the 
world  was  younger,  had  doubtless  been  magnificent,  but 
was  now  frayed  and  soiled  ;  she  wore  no  jewels,  and  her 
hair  was  arranged  in  a  style  which  would  have  distracted 
a  coiffeur.  Nevertheless,  as  she  passed  down  the  gallery, 
the  courtiers  bowed  low  before  her,  which  showed  that 
she  must  be  a  very  exalted  personage  indeed. 

As  the  stout  matron  approached  the  spot  where  the 
pleasant-looking  youth  was  standing,  the  latter  coloured 
with  embarrassment  and  looked  about  him  as  though 
seeking  some  means  of  escape.  Then,  perceiving  that  all 
eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  with  a  great  effort  he  con- 
trived to  compose  his  countenance,  and,  stepping  for- 
ward, made  a  profound  reverence  and  attempted  to  kiss 
the  lady's  hand.  But  what  was  his  confusion  and  the 
amazement  of  the  spectators,  when  the  hand  which  he 
was  about  to  salute  was  angrily  snatched  away,  and  he 
received  from  it  so  resounding  a  box  on  the  ear  that  it 
could  be  heard  from  one  end  of  the  gallery  to  the 
other  ! 

The  stout  lady  was  Elizabeth  Charlotte,  daughter  of 
Charles  Louis,  Elector  Palatine,  and  the  second  wife  of 
Philippe,  Due  d'Orleans,  brother  of  Louis  XIV.  ;  the 
youth  whose  ears  she  had  just  boxed  was  her  only  son, 
Philippe,  Due  de  Chartres,  the  future  Regent  of  France ; 
and  the  offence  which  had  earned  him  such  treatment,  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  Court,  was  that,  on  the  previous 
evening,  he  had   consented   to  wed  Mile,  de  Blois,  the 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  3 

younger  of  le  Grand  Monarque's  two  surviving  daughters 
by  Madame  de  Montespan. 

Louis  XIV.  had  always  been  keenly  interested  in  the 
aggrandizement  of  his  legitimated  children.  In  January 
1684,  he  married  his  daughter  by  Louise  de  la  Valliere 
to  Louis  Armand  de  Bourbon,  Prince  de  Conti ;  in  the 
summer  of  the  following  year,  he  married  his  elder 
daughter  by  Madame  de  Montespan  to  the  Due  de 
Bourbon — Monsieur  le  Due,  as  he  was  now  officially 
styled — grandson  of  the  Great  Conde  ;  and  he  had  for 
some  time  past  determined  to  seek  for  her  younger  sister, 
Mile,  de  Blois,  a  much  more  illustrious  alliance  and  to 
bestow  her  hand  upon  his  nephew,  the  Due  de  Chartres, 
a  "  grandson  of  France." 

For  the  disapproval  with  which  such  a  match  would 
be  regarded  by  the  public  Louis  cared  very  little  ;  but 
he  was  aware  that  the  opposition  which  his  project  would 
be  certain  to  encounter  from  both  Monsieur  and  Madame 
— to  give  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  their  official 
titles — would  constitute  a  more  serious  obstacle.  Mon- 
sieur was  infinitely  proud  of  his  rank  and  exceedingly 
tenacious  on  all  points  which  concerned  it ;  while  his 
outspoken  German  consort  had  never  troubled  to  con- 
ceal her  views  regarding  royal  bastards  and  mesalliances. 
He  was  also  a  little  apprehensive  as  to  the  attitude  which 
the  Due  de  Chartres  might  assume,  for  if  he  failed  to 
appreciate  the  honour  of  becoming  the  King's  son-in-law, 
his  parents  might  very  well  make  his  reluctance  a  pre- 
text for  declining  the  proposal. 

To  overcome  these  difficulties,  his  Majesty  applied  to 
his  Grand  Equerry,  Louis  de  Lorraine,  Comte  d'Armagnac, 
brother   of   the   Chevalier   de   Lorraine,    the   unworthy 


4  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

favourite  of  Monsieur.  The  two  brothers  readily  en- 
tered into  the  scheme,  and  undertook  to  answer  for  the 
consent  of  Monsieur,  in  consideration  of  their  services 
being  rewarded  by  their  inclusion  in  the  next  promotion 
to  the  coveted  Ordre  du  Saint-Esprit,  to  which  the  King 
somewhat  reluctantly  agreed.  Monsieur,  who  was  com- 
pletely under  the  influence  of  the  Chevalier  de  Lorraine, 
was  soon  won  over  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  sure  of  the 
Due  de  Chartres,  the  chevalier  had  recourse  to  the 
good  offices  of  the  young  prince's  tutor,  the  Abbe  Dubois 
(afterwards  the  celebrated  Minister),  who  owed  much  to 
his  protection. 

This  astute  personage  had  already  succeeded  in  gaining 
a  great  ascendency  over  the  mind  of  his  pupil ;  never- 
theless, when  he  broached  the  subject  of  the  marriage 
to  him,  he  was  obliged  to  employ  all  his  powers  of  per- 
suasion to  ward  off  a  direct  refusal.  However,  that  was 
deemed  sufficient  for  the  success  of  the  project,  and  as 
soon  as  Louis  XIV.  learned  from  Dubois  that  the  ground 
was  prepared,  he  resolved  to  hasten  matters,  and  accord- 
ingly summoned  the  Due  de  Chartres  to  his  cabinet. 

A  day  or  two  before,  however,  Madame  had  got  wind 
of  what  was  going  on.  She  was  beside  herself  with  indig- 
nation, and,  sending  for  her  son,  spoke  to  him  in  very 
forcible  terms  of  the  indignity  of  such  a  match,  and 
drew  from  him  a  promise  that  he  would  never  give  his 
consent.  "  Thus,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  he  was  feeble 
towards  his  tutor,  feeble  towards  his  mother,  and  there 
was  aversion  on  the  one  side  and.  fear  on  the  other,  and 
great  embarrassment  on  all  sides." 

On  entering  the  King's  cabinet,  the  Due  de  Chartres 
found  his  Majesty  alone  with  Monsieur.    The  King  in- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  5 

formed  the  young  prince  that  he  was  anxious  to  see 
him  married,  and  that  as,  owing  to  the  war,  an  alliance 
with  a  foreign  princess  was  out  of  the  question,  while 
none  of  the  Princesses  of  the  Blood  was  of  a  suitable  age, 
he  had  decided  that  he  could  not  give  him  a  better  proof 
of  his  affection  than  by  offering  him  the  hand  of  his 
own  daughter.  He  added  that,  however  much  he  might 
desire  the  match  personally,  he  had  no  wish  to  constrain 
him  in  the  matter,  but  left  him  complete  freedom  of 
choice. 

This  discourse,  pronounced  with  that  almost  terrifying 
majesty  which  Louis  XIV.  knew  so  well  how  to  assume 
when  occasion  required,  completely  unnerved  the  un- 
fortunate prince  and  temporarily  deprived  him  of  the 
power  of  speech.  He  thought  to  escape  from  his  delicate 
position  by  throwing  the  responsibility  upon  Monsieur 
and  Madame,  and,  when  he  had  at  last  recovered  his 
voice,  stammered  out  that  the  King  was  master,  but  that 
a  son's  will  depended  upon  that  of  his  parents.  '  What 
you  say  is  very  proper,"  rejoined  the  King,  "  but,  pro- 
vided you  consent  to  my  proposal,  your  father  and  mother 
will  offer  no  opposition.  Is  it  not  so,  my  brother  ?  '  he 
continued,  turning  to  Monsieur. 

Monsieur  expressed  his  approval,  as  he  had  already 
done,  upon  which  his  Majesty  observed  that  the  only 
person  who  remained  to  be  consulted  was  Madame,  and 
sent  for  her  forthwith. 

When  she  appeared,  the  King  acquainted  her  with  the 
project,  saying  that  he  felt  confident  that  she  would  offer 
no  objection  to  an  alliance  which  he  desired  so  ardently, 
and  to  which  both  her  husband  and  her  son  had  given 
their  consent.     At  the  same  time,  he  assured  her,  as  he 


6  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

had  the  young  prince,  that  he  had  no  wish  to  force  it 
upon  her.  He  spoke  as  though  she  could  not  fail  to  be 
overjoyed  at  the  proposition,  although  he  was  well  aware 
of  the  contrary. 

Madame,  who  had  reckoned  confidently  upon  her  son's 
refusal,  was  dumb  with  amazement  and  indignation.  She 
cast  two  furious  glances  at  Monsieur  and  the  Due  de 
Chartres ;  said  that,  since  they  desired  it,  she  had  nothing 
to  say  ;  made  a  slight  reverence,  and  returned  to  her 
apartments.  The  Due  de  Chartres,  anxious  to  explain 
how  everything  had  happened,  hastened  after  her;  but 
the  exasperated  matron  declined  to  listen  to  a  word  of 
what  he  wished  to  say,  and  drove  him  from  the  room 
with  a  torrent  of  tears  and  reproaches. 

That  evening  there  was  an  "  Apartment."1  Almost 
as  soon  as  the  concert  with  which  these  functions  always 
began  was  over,  the  King,  who  had  been  working  with 
several  of  the  Ministers  in  turn  at  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon's,  sent  for  Monseigneur2  and  Monsieur,  who  had 
just  sat  down  to  lansquenet ;  for  Madame,  who  was 
listlessly  watching  a  game  of  hombre  ;  for  the  Due  de 
Chartres,  who,  with  a  rueful  countenance,  was  playing 

1  An  "  Apartment  "  was  an  assemblage  of  the  whole  Court  in  the 
grand  salon,  from  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  until  ten,  at  which  hour 
the  King  supped  ;  and  after  the  royal  supper  in  one  of  the  salons  at 
the  chapel  end  of  the  Galerie  des  Glaces.  It  began  with  music,  after 
which  the  card-tables  were  brought  in.  Etiquette  was  to  a  large  extent 
laid  aside  on  these  occasions,  and  every  one  was  free  to  amuse  himself 
as  he  pleased.  "  Apartments  "  were  held  on  three  evenings  a  week 
during  the  winter  ;  the  other  three  nights  being  set  apart  for  the 
theatre  ;  while  the  Sunday  was  free.  When  these  functions  were  first 
instituted,  the  King  was  frequently  present,  but  lately  he  had  ceased 
to  attend. 

2  Louis  de  France,  only  son  of  Louis  XIV.  According  to  established 
custom,  the  eldest  son  of  the  Sovereign  bore  the  title  of  Dauphin  ;  but 
an  innovation  was  made  in  this  particular  instance. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  7 

chess ;  and  for  Mile,  de  Blois.  That  young  lady,  although 
she  had  received  orders  to  make  an  unusually  elaborate 
toilette,  had  not  the  faintest  suspicion  of  what  was  in 
store  for  her,  and,  being  very  timid  and  terribly  afraid  of 
her  royal  father,  imagined  that  she  had  been  summoned 
to  receive  a  reprimand.  She  arrived,  in  consequence,  in 
so  pitiful  a  state  of  trepidation  that  Madame  de  Maintenon 
took  her  upon  her  lap,  in  order  to  reassure  her. 

"  The  fact  of  these  royal  persons  being  sent  for  by 
the  King,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  at  once  caused  people  to 
suspect  thit  a  marriage  was  in  contemplation.    In  a  few 
minutes  they  returned,  and  the  news  was  made  public. 
I    arrived   at   that   moment,    and   found   everybody   in 
clusters  and  profound  astonishment  depicted  upon  every 
face.      Madame    was    promenading    the    gallery    with 
Chateaithier— her  favourite,   and  worthy  of  being  so. 
She  stnde  along,  handkerchief  in  hand,  weeping  bitterly, 
talking  pretty  loudly,  and  looking  like  Ceres  after  the 
rape  of  her  daughter  Proserpina.     Monsieur,  who  had 
returnee    to    lansquenet,     seemed    overwhelmed    with 
shame,  and   his   son   appeared   in   despair  ;     while   the 
bride-ele:t   was   extremely   embarrassed   and   unhappy. 
Though  very  young,  and  inclined  to  be  dazzled  by  such 
a  marriaje,   she  understood  what  was  happening  and 
feared  the  consequences." 

At  ten  o'clock,  Louis  XIV.  supped  with  the  Royal 
Family,  h  the  presence  of  his  courtiers.  He  appeared 
perfectly  it  his  ease,  which  certainly  could  not  be  said 
of  the  rest  of  the  august  company.  Madame  s  eyes  were 
still  full  of  tears,  which  every  now  and  again  evaded  her 
restraining  handkerchief  and  overflowed  on  to  the  table. 
Upon  the  Luc  de  Chartres,  who  sat  next  her,  with  sus- 


8  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

piciously  red  eyes,  she  did  not  condescend  to  bestow  so 
much  as  a  glance  ;  nor  upon  her  husband  ;  and  all  three 
ate  scarcely  anything.  It  was  remarked  that  the  King 
treated  her  with  the  utmost  graciousness,  and  offered 
her  nearly  all  the  dishes  which  were  before  him.  She 
refused  them  brusquely  ;  nevertheless,  he  continued  his 
courtly  attentions.  Upon  leaving  the  table,  his  Majesty 
made  his  sister-in-law  a  very  marked  and  very  low 
reverence,  "  during  which  she  executed  so  complete  a 
pirouette  that  when  the  King  raised  his  head,  he  found 
nothing  but  her  back  before  him,  removed  about  a  step 
farther  towards  the  door."1 

Madame  spent  the  night  dissolved  in  tears,  and  these 
failing  to  relieve  her  outraged  feelings,  on  the  morrow 
she,  as  we  have  just  seen,  vented  them  upon  her  un- 
fortunate son's  ear,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  Court. 
After  which  act  of  retribution,  she  appears  to  have  become 
a  trifle  more  resigned  to  the  humiliation  which,  sie  con- 
sidered, was  being  inflicted  upon  her. 

A  few  days  later,  the  marriage-contract  was  signed  in 
the  King's  cabinet,  as  was  customary  when  menbers  of 
the  Royal  Family  or  Princes  of  the  Blood  w&'e  wed; 
and  on  Shrove  Monday,  February  18,  1692,  the  narriage 
was  celebrated,  with  great  pomp,  in  the  ciapel  at 
Versailles,  the  Cardinal  de  Bouillon  officiating.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  ceremony,  all  the  company  dined  in  the 
grand  salon,  at  a  table  of  horse-shoe  shape,  the  Princes 
and  Princesses  of  the  Blood  being  placed  on  the  right 
and  left  of  the  King,  according  to  their  rani.  In  the 
afternoon,  the  exiled  King  and  Queen  of  England  arrived 
from  Saint-Germain,  with  their  little  Court,  and  there 

1  Saint-Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  9 

was  a  grand  concert,  followed  by  the  inevitable  lansquenet 
and  hombre.  After  supper,  the  bridal  pair  were  escorted 
to  the  apartments  of  the  new  Duchesse  de  Chartres. 
The  bridegroom's  night-shirt  was  handed  to  him  by 
James  II.,  who  had  at  first  refused,  on  the  plea  that  he 
was  so  unhappily  circumstanced  that  he  might  bring  ill- 
fortune  to  the  young  prince  ;  while  Mary  of  Modena 
performed  the  same  service  for  the  bride.  The  benedic- 
tion of  the  nuptial  couch  was  pronounced  by  the  Cardinal 
de  Bouillon,  but  not  until  he  had  kept  every  one  waiting 
a  quarter  of  an  hour.  His  Eminence's  conduct,  we  are 
told,  occasioned  much  unfavourable  comment,  since  he 
had  but  recently  returned  from  a  long  period  of  exile, 
which  he  had  brought  upon  himself  by  his  audacity  in 
refusing  the  nuptial  blessing  to  Mile,  de  Nantes  and  the 
Due  de  Bourbon  unless  he  were  admitted  to  the  royal 
banquet  on  the  day  of  the  marriage. 

Whatever  were  the  disappointments  of  this  union, 
which  Madame  declares,  after  the  lapse  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  "  had  spoiled  her  whole  life  and  destroyed 
her  jovial  temperament,"  unfruitfulness  was  certainly 
not  among  them,  since  between  December,  1693,  and 
June,  1716,  the  legitimated  daughter  of  Louis  XIV.  bore 
her  husband  a  son — Louis,  Due  de  Chartres,  and  after- 
wards Due  d' Orleans — and  seven  daughters,  of  whom 
all  but  the  eldest  lived  to  grow  up.  Here  is  the 
list: 

(1)  Mile,  de  Valois,  born  December  17,   1693  ;    died 

October  17,  1694. 

(2)  Marie   Louise  Elisabeth,    called   at   first   Mile,   de 

Chartres  and,  after  the  birth  of  her  next  sister, 
Mademoiselle  ;  born  August  20,  1695. 


io  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

(3)  Louise  Adelaide,  Mile,  de  Chartres,  born  August  13, 

1698. 

(4)  Charlotte  Aglae,  Mile,  de  Valois,  born  October  22, 

1700. 

(5)  Louise    Elisabeth,    Mile,    de    Montpensier,    born 

December  n,  1709. 

(6)  Philippine-£lisabeth,    Mile,    de    Beaujolais,    born 

December  18,  1714. 

(7)  Louise  Diane,  Mile,  de  Chartres,  born  June  28,  1716. 

Before,  however,  relating  the  history  of  these  princesses, 
which  forms  the  subject  of  the  present  volume,  we  must 
say  something  concerning  their  parents,  upon  whom 
rests  the  chief  responsibility  for  the  vices  or  eccentrici- 
ties which  were  to  earn  all  but  the  two  youngest  so  un- 
enviable a  celebrity. 

Philippe  d'Orleans,  Due  de  Chartres  and,  after  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1701,  Due  d'Orleans,  the  future 
Regent  of  France,  was  born  at  the  Chateau  of  Saint- 
Cloud,  on  August  2,  1674.  From  his  infancy  he  showed 
remarkable  promise,  but  unhappily  his  good  qualities 
were  destined  to  be  counterbalanced  by  the  gravest 
faults.  An  ingenious  story  of  Madame  exactly  depicts  the 
character  of  her  son.  She  said  that  all  the  fairies  had  been 
invited  to  be  present  at  the  young  prince's  birth  ;  that 
all  had  come,  and  that  each  had  endowed  him  with  some 
talent  or  good  quality.  As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  how- 
ever, an  old  fairy  had  been  forgotten,  because  it  was 
believed  that  she  had  long  since  disappeared  from  this 
world.  Irritated  by  the  omission,  she  arrived  at  the 
moment  when  the  last  of  her  sisters  had  made  her  present, 
and  avenged  herself  for  the  slight  inflicted  upon  her  by 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  n 

bestowing  on  the  child  the  unfortunate  defect  of  rendering 
absolutely  useless  all  the  gifts  he  had  just  received. 

Philippe  d'Orleans,  in  fact,  possessed  of  all  the  qualities 
required  to  form  a  great  prince  and  to  win  the  esteem  and 
affection  of  the  nation — brave,  generous,  amiable,  kind- 
hearted,  cultured,  and  intelligent— spoiled  everything 
by  his  weakness  and  indecision  of  character,  and  by  a 
debauchery  which  was  regarded  as  singular  even  in  an 
age  which  was  remarkable  for  the  laxity  of  its  morals. 

In  this  respect  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  not  long  in 
showing  what  he  was  one  day  to  become.  "  He  had," 
writes  the  historian  of  his  amours,  "  one  of  those  pre- 
cocious temperaments  of  which 

'  La  valeur  n'attend  le  nombre  des  anne'es,' 1 
and  for  tutor  the  unprincipled  Abbe  Dubois,  who,  in  order 
to  ingratiate  himself  with  his  pupil,  seems  deliberately 
to  have  flattered  his  passions."2  With  such  instincts 
and  such  a  preceptor,  it  is  scarcely  a  matter  for  surprise 
that  the  young  prince  should  have  arrived  at  the  age  of 
love  almost  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  reason.  A 
complaisant  lady  "  undertook  to  aid  Nature  and  to 
teach  him  all  that  he  had  not  divined."3    "  At  the  age 

1  Lescure,  les  Mattresses  du  Regent. 

2  If  there  were  not  already  too  many  proofs  of  this,  the  evidence 
of  the  prince's  mother  would  be  in  itself  conclusive.  "  I  at  first  thought 
well  of  the  Abbe  Dubois,"  writes  Madame,  under  date  November  8, 
1 719,  "  because  I  believed  him  to  be  sincerely  attached  to  my  son  and 
that  he  sought  in  all  things  only  his  welfare  and  advantage  ;  but  when 
I  found  out  that  he  was  a  perfidious  dog,  who  sought  merely  his  own 
interests,  and,  quite  forgetting  my  son's  honour,  precipitated  him  into 
eternal  damnation,  by  permitting  him  to  plunge  into  debauchery,  all 
my  esteem  for  this  little  priest  changed  into  contempt.  ...  I  have 
it,  from  my  son  himself,  that,  having  one  day,  when  quite  alone,  en- 
countered his  pupil  at  the  moment  when  the  latter  was  about  to  enter 
a  house  of  ill-lame,  he  merely  laughed  with  him,  instead  of  taking  him 
by  the  arm  and  bringing  him  home." 

3  Lescure. 


12  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

of  thirteen,"  says  Madame,  "  my  son  was  already  a 
man;  a  lady  of  quality  had  instructed  him."1  The  name 
of  this  dame  de  qualite,  who  had  the  distinction  of  heading 
the  long  list  which  contains  those  of  women  of  every 
grade,  has  not  been  transmitted  to  posterity  ;  but,  who- 
ever she  may  have  been,  her  pupil  profited  so  well  by  her 
instruction  that  before  many  months  had  elapsed  his  pre- 
cocious gallantry  was  already  a  topic  of  conversation. 
We  read  in  that  scandalous  chronicle,  the  Memoires  de 
Maurepas  : 

"  His  first  mistress  was  the  little  Leonore,  daughter 
of  the  concierge  of  the  store-room  at  the  Palais-Royal. 
At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  had  a  child  by  her,  which 
caused  a  great  deal  of  talk.  Monsieur  was  very  much 
annoyed  about  it ;  Madame  was  not  displeased,  and  even 
took  great  care  of  both  mother  and  child.  This  girl  was 
afterwards  married  to  M.  de  Charency,  son  of  a  counsellor 
at  Riom." 

Dissolute  as  he  was,  Philippe  d'Orleans  was  no  cor- 
rupter of  innocence,  no  destroyer  of  domestic  felicity. 
Several  of  his  mistresses,  notably  Charlotte  Desmares 
and  Mile.  Florence,  were  actresses,  and  at  the  beginning 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  and,  indeed,  until  very  much 
later  times,  a  chaste  daughter  of  Thespis  was  regarded 
as  a  kind  of  phenomenon.  As  to  those  of  more  exalted 
station,  Madame  d'Argenton,  far  from  being  deprived 
of  a  husband,  received  one  almost  from  his  hand ;  Madame 
de  Parabere  was  the  widow  of  a  worthless  creature,  to 
whom  it  is  doubtful  if  she  had  troubled  to  remain  faith- 
ful ;  Madame  de  Sabran  called  her  husband  "  her  mastiff," 

1  Correspondance      complete      de      Madame,      Duckesse     d'OrUans, 
Letter  of  June  15,  1719. 


PuiLii'i'y.  ami  du  vrqi-J^ttit-.cJw^hti  i/r/t/  ./,w/r  ■ 

UL'n-  critique  i/ui,nit  ,'V  irn.i  L-  fran-ctsut- 

Un  I'riiur  Jaiu  "JifiuttJ  tu -  cruint point  Li  .<a/y/r 


Philippe  II. .   Due  d'Orleans,  Regent  of  France 

From  an  engraving  by  Francois  Chereau,  after  the  painting  by 

J.  B.  Santerre 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  13 

and  "  he  was  only  too  happy  to  gnaw  the  bones  of  her 
lucrative  infidelities  "  -,1  Madame  d'Averne  sold  herself, 
with  the  full  approval  of  her  consort,  who  took  good  care 
that  the  bargain  should  be  a  profitable  one  from  his 
point  of  view  ;2  while  Madame  de  Phalaris  was  married 
to  a  man  who  neglected  and  ill-treated  her,  and  was 
probably  as  thankful  to  be  rid  of  her  as  she  was  to  be 
rid  of  him. 

And,  to  his  credit,  it  should  be  recorded  here,  that,  when 
he  became  Regent,  he  kept  his  mistresses  himself ;  he  did 
not  make  France  keep  them.  As  disinterested  as  he  was 
prodigal,  his  accounts  show  that  he  did  not  even  touch 
the  salary  attached  to  his  exalted  office.  During  the 
eight  years  that  he  exercised  supreme  power  in  the  name 
of  the  little  Louis  XV.,  he  had  the  opportunity  of  amassing 
a  great  fortune.    He  died  in  debt. 

Nor  did  he  permit  his  mistresses  the  least  vestige  of 
political  influence.  He  declared  that  he  detested  women 
of  gallantry  who  were  at  the  same  time  women  of  affairs, 
and  those  who  flattered  themselves  that  they  might 
transform  a  rendezvous  into  a  sort  of  audience  within 
the  bed-curtains  were  speedily  undeceived.  Once,  when 
importuned  by  questions  on  some  matter  of  public 
importance  by  an  indiscreet  beauty,  he  caught  up  a 
mirror,  held  it  towards  her,  and  observed  :  "  These  are 
questions  which  ill  become  so  beautiful  a  mouth."  He 
did  not,  however,  always  choose  to  signify  his  displeasure 
in  so  gallant  a  fashion ;  and  that  notorious  intrigante, 
Madame    de   Tencin,    found    herself   ignominiously    dis- 

1  Lescure. 

2  On  the  beginning  of  the  liaison  between  the  Due  d'Orldans  and 
Madame  d'Averne,  see  the  author's  The  Fascinating  Due  de  Richelieu 
(London,  Methuen  ;    New  York,  Scribner,  1910). 


14  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

carded  for  having  presumed  to  offer  him  advice  at  a 
moment  when  he  demanded  only  affection. 

It  was  the  same  with  his  "  roues  "x  as  with  his  mistresses. 
They  enjoyed  much  favour,  but  they  possessed  no  in- 
fluence. The  duke  would  drink  and  jest  and  gamble  with 
them,  but  he  would  not  discuss  politics.  He  would 
pardon  them  every  sin  in  the  Decalogue,  but  he  would 
not  pardon  them  ambition.  The  most  favoured  of  them 
all,  the  Comte  de  Noce,  once  ventured  in  public  on  a 
bon-mot  against  Dubois,  then  Prime  Minister.  He  was 
promptly  exiled. 

The  observations  concerning  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  which 
we  find  scattered  throughout  Madame 's  letters  are  ex- 
tremely interesting  and  valuable,  for,  notwithstanding 
that  she  was  warmly  attached  to  them,  no  woman  was 
ever  less  blind  to  the  faults  of  her  children.  Here  are  a 
few  : 

"  My  son  is  not  handsome  ;  he  has  full  cheeks  ;  he 
is  short  and  stout,  and  his  face  is  very  red  ;  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  he  is  not  unattractive.  When  he  dances  or 
is  on  horseback,  he  looks  very  well,  but,  when  he  is 
walking,  he  does  not  appear  to  advantage." 

"  Between  ourselves,  my  son  is  not  a  man  a  la  mode, 
but  a  veritable  fool  where  women  are  concerned.  He 
reminds  me  of  the  old  patriarchs.  My  son  has  much 
of  King  David  about  him  ;  he  has  courage  and  intelli- 
gence ;  he  is  musical,  short  in  stature,  honest,  and  he 
passes  the  night  willingly  with  all  kinds  of  women.  Pro- 
vided that   they  are  good-humoured,   quite  shameless, 

1  The  term  "  roue  "  (one  deserving  to  be  broken  on  the  wheel),  was, 
we  need  hardly  observe,  invented  by  Philippe  d'Orleans  to  describe 
his  debauched  companions. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  15 

and  that  they  are  able  to  consume  plenty  of  food  and 
drink,  he  cares  little  whether  they  are  pretty  or  not." 

"  My  son  is  eloquent,  good-natured,  and  light-hearted." 

"  My  son  is  eloquent,  and,  when  he  wishes,  he  speaks 
very  impressively." 

"  My  son  is  on  very  good  terms  with  me  ;  he  shows 
me  much  affection  and  would  be  in  despair  if  he  lost  me. 
His  visits  rejoice  my  heart :  he  always  tells  me  something 
amusing  which  makes  me  laugh.  He  is  witty,  and  his 
conversation  is  very  agreeable.  I  should  be  an  unnatural 
mother  if  I  did  not  love  him  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart."1 

Voltaire  compares  him  to  his  great  ancestor  Henri  of 
Navarre,  of  which  resemblance  the  duke  was  always 
very  vain.  "  Of  all  the  descendants  of  Henri  IV,"  he 
writes,  "  Philippe  d' Orleans  was  the  one  who  resembled 
him  the  most.  He  had  his  valour,  his  kindness,  his  in- 
dulgence, his  gaiety,  his  facility  of  speech,  his  frankness, 
with  a  more  cultured  mind.  His  countenance,  incom- 
parably more  gracious,  was,  however,  that  of  Henri  IV. 
Sometimes  it  pleased  him  to  put  on  a  ruff,  and  then  he  was 
Henri  IV.  beautified."  2 

Saint-Simon,  who,  it  should  be  remembered,  was  on 
terms  of  the  closest  friendship  with  the  duke,  has  devoted 
to  him  one  of  his  most  arresting  portraits  : 

"  The  Due  d' Orleans,"  he  writes,  "  was,  at  the  most, 
of  mediocre  stature,  full-bodied,  without  being  stout ;  his 
manner  and  bearing  were  very  easy  and  very  noble  ; 
his  face  was  full  and  very  agreeable  ;  his  hair  was  black, 
and  he  wore  a  black  wig.    Although  he  danced  very 

1  Correspondancc  complete,  passim. 

3  Steele  de  Louis  XV.    Cf.  Saint-Simon,  p.  16,  infra. 


16  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

badly,  and  had  succeeded  but  ill  at  the  riding-school,1 
he  had  in  his  countenance,  in  his  gestures,  and  in  all 
his  movements,  infinite  grace,  and  so  natural  that  it 
adorned  even  his  most  ordinary  and  commonplace 
actions.  With  much  ease,  when  nothing  constrained  him, 
he  was  gentle,  affable,  frank,  of  easy  and  charming 
access.  The  tone  of  his  voice  was  agreeable,  and  he 
spoke  with  astonishing  fluency  on  all  kinds  of  subjects. 
His  eloquence  was  natural  and  extended  to  the  most 
ordinary  and  everyday  discourse ;  while  it  equally 
entered  into  his  observations  upon  the  most  abstract 
sciences,  upon  which  he  talked  most  informingly  ;  upon 
the  affairs  of  government,  finance,  politics,  justice,  war, 
the  Court,  general  conversation,  the  arts  and  mechanics. 
.  .  .  With  all  this,  he  had  no  presumption,  no  trace  of 
superiority,  natural  or  acquired.  He  reasoned  with  you 
as  with  an  equal,  and  astonished  even  the  most  able  men. 
Although  he  never  forgot  his  position,  or  allowed  others 
to  forget  it,  he  carried  no  constraint  with  him,  but  put 
everybody  at  his  ease,  and  placed  himself  upon  the  level 
of  others. 

"  He  had  the  weakness  to  believe  that  he  resembled 
Henri  IV.  in  everything,  and  strove  to  affect  the  manners, 
the  gestures,  and  the  bearing  of  that  monarch.  Like 
Henri  IV.,  he  was  naturally  kind,  humane,  compassionate; 
and,  indeed,  this  man,  who  has  been  so  cruelly  accused  of 
the  blackest  and  most  inhuman  crimes,  was  more  opposed 
to  the  destruction  of  others  than  any  man  I  have  ever 
known,  and  had  such  a  singular  dislike  to  causing  any 
one  pain  that  it  may  be  said  his  gentleness,  his  humanity, 
his  easiness,  had  become  faults  ;  and  I  do  not  hesitate  to 

1  This,  singularly  enough,  is  the  exact  opposite  of  what  Madame  says. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  17 

affirm  that  the  supreme  virtue  which  teaches  us  to  pardon 
our  enemies  he  converted  into  a  vice,  by  the  indiscriminate 
freedom  with  which  he  applied  it. 

"  Of  ambition  for  reigning  or  governing  he  had  none. 
If  he  made  a  false  move  in  Spain, l  it  was  because  he  had 
been  misdirected.  What  he  would  have  liked  best,  would 
have  been  to  command  armies  while  war  lasted,  and 
divert  himself  the  rest  of  the  time  without  constraint  to 
himself  or  others.  He  was,  in  fact,  very  suited  for  this, 
for  with  much  valour  he  combined  foresight,  judgment, 
coolness,  and  great  capacity." 

Saint-Simon  then  proceeds  to  show  us  the  other  side  of 
the  picture,  which,  notwithstanding  its  lurid  colouring, 
is  probably  a  faithful  enough  representation. 

He  attributes  all  the  faults  and  vices  of  his  royal  friend 
to  the  "  execrable  poison  "  administered  to  him  in  his 
youth  by  that  "  wizened,  herring-gutted,  weazel-faced 
scamp  "  Dubois,  at  whose  head  he  hurls  almost  every 
opprobious  epithet  in  his  rich  vocabulary.  "  Dubois," 
he  says,  "  led  him  into  debauchery,  made  him  despise  all 
duty  and  all  decency,  and  persuaded  him  that  he  had 
too  much  intelligence  to  be  the  dupe  of  religion,  which, 
he  said,  was  a  politic  invention  to  frighten  ordinary 
intellects,  and  to  keep  the  people  in  subjection.  He 
imbued    him,    too,    with    his    favourite    principle,    that 

1  At  the  conclusion  of  the  campaign  of  1708  in  Spain,  during  which 
he  had  taken  Alicante  and  Tortosa,  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  recalled  to 
France,  under  the  suspicion,  which  appears  justified,  that  he  had  made 
overtures  to  the  English  generals,  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  whether 
their  Government  would  favour  the  substitution  of  himself  for  the 
feeble  Philip  V.  The  rumour  ran  that  he  was  to  be  brought  to  trial, 
but  Louis  XIV.  did  not  wish  to  transform  a  troublesome  intrigue  into 
a  State  crime,  and  took  care  to  deny  it.  Nevertheless,  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  old  King's  life  the  Due  d'Orleans  remained  in  a  kind  of 
semi-disgrace. 


18  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

probity  in  man  and  virtue  in  woman  are  mere  chimeras, 
without  existence  in  anybody  save  a  few  poor  slaves  of 
early  training.  This  was  the  basis  of  the  worthy  ecclesi- 
astic's doctrines,  whence  arose  the  licence  of  falsehood, 
deceit,  artifice,  infidelity,  perfidy ;  in  a  word,  every 
villainy  and  every  crime  were  transformed  into  policy, 
capacity,  greatness,  liberty,  and  depth  of  intellect, 
enlightenment,  good  conduct,  provided  it  could  be  hidden, 
and  if  suspicion  could  be  avoided." 

The  chronicler  goes  on  to  tell  us  that  the  prince  grew  so 
accustomed  to  riotous  living  that  he  was  unable  to  do 
without  it,  and  "  could  only  divert  himself  by  dint  of 
noise,  tumult,  and  excess.  It  is  this  which  led  him  into 
such  strange  and  such  scandalous  debauches,  and,  since 
he  wished  to  surpass  all  his  companions,  to  mingle  with 
his  parties  of  pleasure  the  most  impious  discourses,  and, 
as  a  precious  refinement,  to  hold  the  most  outrageous 
orgies  on  the  most  holy  days,  as  he  did  several  times 
during  his  regency,  on  Good  Friday,  by  choice,  and  on 
other  similar  days.  The  more  debauched  a  man  was  the 
more  he  esteemed  him  ;  and  I  have  over  and  over  again 
known  him  to  express  the  most  intense  admiration  for 
the  Grand  Prior,1  because  for  forty  years  he  had  always 
gone  to  bed  drunk,  and  had  never  ceased  to  keep  mis- 
tresses in  the  most  public  manner,  and  to  hold  the  most 
impious  and  irreligious  discourses.  With  these  principles, 
and  the  conduct  which  was  the  outcome  of  them,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  deceitful  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  boasted  of  it,  and  plumed  himself  upon 

1  Philippe  de  Vendome,  Grand  Prior  of  France  (1655-1727).  He 
was  the  younger  brother  of  Louis,  Due  de  Vendome,  the  celebrated 
general. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  19 

being  the  most  skilful  deceiver  in  the  world.  ...  So  many 
were  the  engagements  which  he  broke  that  no  value 
was  attached  even  to  the  most  positive.  He  was  no 
longer  believed,  even  when  he  spoke  in  all  good  faith. 
To  conclude,  the  obscure,  and  for  the  most  part  black- 
guard, company  which  he  ordinarily  affected  in  his 
debauches,  and  which  he  did  not  scruple  publicly  to  call 
his  '  roues'  drove  away  all  decent  people,  and  did  him 
an  infinitude  of  harm." 

The  Due  d'Orleans  might  have  been  a  better  man  if  he 
had  had  a  different  kind  of  wife,  but  unhappily  it  was  his 
misfortune  to  be  married  to  a  woman  so  entirely  selfish 
that  she  was  incapable  of  exercising  the  least  influence 
for  good  over  either  her  husband  or  her  children. 

Francoise  Marie  de  Bourbon,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  was 
the  youngest  of  the  four  daughters  whom  Madame  de 
Montespan  had  presented  to  Louis  XIV.,  and  therefore 
sister  to  the  Duchesse  de  Bourbon  {Madame  la  Duchesse), 
the  Due  du  Maine,  and  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  and  half- 
sister  to  the  widowed  Princesse  de  Conti.  She  was  born 
on  May  25,  1677,  and  was  the  first-fruits  of  the  recon- 
ciliation between  her  mother  and  the  King  which  had 
followed  the  brief  rupture  effected  by  the  eloquent  re- 
monstrances of  Bossuet,  which  caused  Madame  de  Caylus 
to  write,  with  obvious  malice :  "It  seems  to  me  that  one 
can  still  detect  in  the  character,  the  physiognomy,  and 
the  whole  person  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  traces  of  this 
combat  between  love  and  religion."1 

In  appearance,  the  duchess  was  "  tall  and  in  every 

1  Souvenirs  et  Correspondance  de  Madame  de  Caylus.  For  a  full 
account  of  this  episode,  see  the  author's  Madame  de  Montespan  (London, 
Harper;    New  York,  Scribner,  1903). 


20  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

way  majestic  ;  her  complexion,  her  throat,  her  arms, 
were  admirable ;  she  had  a  tolerable  mouth,  with  beautiful 
teeth,  somewhat  long  ;  and  cheeks  too  broad  and  too 
pendant,  which  interfered  with,  but  did  not  spoil  her 
beauty.  What  disfigured  her  the  most  were  her  eyebrows, 
which  were,  so  to  speak,  peeled  and  red,  with  very  little 
hair  ;  she  had,  however,  fine  eyelashes,  with  well-set, 
chestnut-coloured  hair.  Without  being  humpbacked  or 
deformed,  she  had  one  side  larger  than  the  other,  which 
caused  her  to  walk  awry  ;  and  this  defect  in  her  figure 
indicated  another,  which  was  more  troublesome  in  society 
and  which  inconvenienced  herself."1 

Though  not  so  gifted  as  her  elder  sister,  Madame  la 
Duchesse,  her  abilities  were,  nevertheless,  considerable, 
and  she  shone  greatly  in  conversation,  "  having  a  just- 
ness of  expression,  and  a  fluency  and  singularity  in  the 
choice  of  language,  which  always  astonished  one,  together 
with  that  manner  peculiar  to  Madame  de  Montespan  and 
her  sisters,  which  was  transmitted  to  none  save  those 
intimate  with  her  or  those  whom  she  had  brought  up."2 
She  laboured  under  the  disadvantage  of  an  embarrassed 
and  indistinct  utterance,  so  that  it  was  not  altogether  easy 
for  unaccustomed  ears  to  follow  what  she  said,  but  very 
soon  people  became  used  to  this  and  were  charmed  by  her 
clever  and  witty  talk. 

The  duchess,  however,  was  far  too  indolent  to  employ 
her  intelligence  except  in  conversation ;  indeed,  she 
appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  indolent  women  of 
her  time.  "  One  has  never  heard  of  such  laziness,"  writes 
her  disgusted  mother-in-law.  "  She  has  had  a  couch 
made  on  which  she  reclines  when  she  plays  lansquenet  ; 
1  Saint-Simon.  *  Ibid. 


Francoise  Marie  de  Bourbon  (Mlle.  de  Blois),  Duchesse  d'Orle  vns 
From  the  painting  by  Largilliere,  at  Versailles 

(Photo  by  \V.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  21 

we  make  game  of  her,  but  that  has  no  effect.  She  gambles 
lying  down  ;  she  takes  her  meals  lying  down  ;  she  reads 
lying  down  ;  in  a  word,  almost  all  her  life  is  passed  lying 
down.  This  must  be  bad  for  her  health  ;  indeed,  she  is 
almost  always  ailing.  One  day,  she  complains  of  her 
head  ;  another  day,  of  her  digestion.  It  would  seem  that, 
leading  such  a  life,  she  could  not  have  robust  children  ; 
nevertheless,  her  three  elder  daughters  are  strong  and  in 
very  good  health."1 

The  one  thing  capable  of  surmounting  this  extraordinary 
indolence — which  grew  upon  her  steadily  and  prevented 
her  from  performing  a  mother's  duty  towards  her  numer- 
ous family — and  of  stimulating  her  to  some  degree  of 
energy  and  activity,  was  her  pride.  This,  we  are  told,  was 
"  almost  Satanic."  As  the  daughter  of  Louis  XIV.,  she 
considered  herself  superior  to  all  the  princesses,  and  could 
never  bring  herself  to  admit  the  inferiority  which  her 
illegitimate  birth  inflicted  upon  her  ;  indeed,  she  was  of 
opinion  that  she  had  much  honoured  the  Due  d'Orleans 
in  marrying  him  !  Duclos  says  that  people  jocosely  com- 
pared her  to  Minerva,  who,  recognising  no  mother,  prided 
herself  on  being  the  daughter  of  Jupiter.2 

Although  she  had  no  love  for  the  husband  whom  Louis 
XIV.  had  chosen  for  her,  her  vanity  was  wounded  by  his 
conduct,  since  "  she  would  have  liked  to  have  been  loved 
and  served  by  him  as  a  goddess."  She  did  not,  however, 
make  the  slightest  effort  to  gain  his  affection,  pretending 
that,  being  so  much  above  him,  to  do  so  would  be  to 
degrade  herself  ;    nor  was  she  even  willing  to  renounce 

1  Correspondence  complete.  Letter  of  April  17,  1718. 

*  Memoires  secrets  pour  servir  a  I'Histoire  de  Louis  XIV.,  etc.  The 
letters  of  legitimation  of  the  children  of  Madame  de  Montespan  did  not 
mention  the  name  of  the  mother. 


22  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

what  she  knew  was  displeasing  to  him. *  This  was  the  more 
unfortunate,  since  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  fond  of  his  wife, 
as,  Madame  tells  us,  he  was  of  all  women  with  whom  he 
was  on  terms  of  intimacy.  But  she  was  always  so  cold 
and  ungracious  towards  him,  and  gave  herself  such  absurd 
airs  of  superiority,  that  he  soon  ceased  to  spend  much  of 
his  time  in  her  company,  and  "  plumed  himself,"  says 
Saint-Simon,  "  on  carrying  his  licentious  conduct  to 
the  farthest  limits,  in  order  to  show  the  contempt  which 
he  felt  for  his  consort."  This,  however,  would  appear  to 
have  been  during  the  earlier  part  of  their  married  life, 
for  in  later  years  this  singular  couple,  coming  to 
understand  one  another  better,  lived  on  tolerably  good 
terms  ;  the  duchess  permitted  her  husband  to  go  his 
own  way  without  remonstrance,  and  the  duke,  in  return, 
endeavoured  to  respect  outward  appearances  as  much  as 
possible.  "  Monsieur,"  said  he  on  one  occasion  to  the 
Prince  de  Conti,  who  had  conducted  himself  after  an 
evening  of  revelry  with  too  little  dignity,  "  I  recollect  read- 
ing, by  chance,  in  some  book  that,  when  a  man  is  drunk, 
he  ought  to  go  to  bed  without  saying  anything  to  his  wife. 
As  for  myself,  when  I  am  in  that  condition,  which  happens 
pretty  frequently,  I  take  good  care  not  to  tell  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  nor  to  let  her  find  it  out.  I  do  it  on  the  sly." 
Too  indolent  to  perform  the  most  ordinary  duties  of  a 
mother  towards  her  children,  or  to  occupy  herself  with 
the  interests  of  her  husband,  to  whose  dissipated  life  she 

1  With  all  her  haughtiness,  however,  she  was  timidity  itself  in  the 
presence  of  her  royal  father,  and  also  of  Madame  de  Maintenon,  who 
had  brought  her  up.  "  The  King,"  writes  Saint-Simon,  "  could  make 
her  swoon  by  a  single  severe  look,  and  Madame  de  Maintenon,  too, 
perhaps  ;  at  all  events,  she  trembled  before  her,  and  in  public  she 
never  replied  to  them  without  stammering  and  looking  frightened. 
I  say,  replied,  since  to  address  the  King  first  was  beyond  her  strength." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  n 

appeared  to  be  profoundly  indifferent,  the  duchess,  as  we 
shall  presently  see,  was  capable  of  plenty  of  energy  if  her 
pride  was  touched,  or  if  any  question  arose  which  con- 
cerned her  elder  brother,  the  Due  du  Maine,  to  whom  she 
was  devotedly  attached.     For  this  prince  she  cheerfully 
endured  every  kind  of  trouble  and  fatigue,  and,  in  the 
campaign  against  the  legitimated  princes  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Regency,  she  espoused  his  cause  with  the  most 
passionate  enthusiasm.    This  devotion,  however,  was  not 
perhaps  wholly  disinterested,  for,  if  the  Due  du  Maine 
had  become  all-powerful,  she  would  undoubtedly  have 
enjoyed  far  more  influence  than  her  husband  ever  per- 
mitted her.    The  duchess  was  also  attached,  though  in  a 
much  less  degree,  to  her  younger  brother,  the  Comte  de 
Toulouse  ;   but  there  was  little  love  lost  between  her  and 
her  sister  and  half-sister,  Madame  la  Duchesse  and  the 
widowed  Princesse  de  Conti ;  indeed,  during  the  lifetime  of 
Louis  XIV.,  their  quarrels  were  so  frequent  that  the  King 
was  obliged  to  threaten  them  with  banishment  from  Court, 
if  they  could  not  contrive  to  compose  their  differences..  - 
It  was  her  fancy  to  surround  herself  with  a  Court, 
where  a  sort  of  cult  appears  to  have  been  professed  for 
her.     She  preferred  to  bestow  her  favour  upon  humble 
and  servile  persons,  rather  than  upon  those  who  showed 
any  independence  of  character,  and  her  waiting-women, 
who  were  ready  to  flatter  her  to  the  top  of  her  bent,  had 
great  influence  over  her.     "  She  prefers  the  company  of 
waiting- women   to   those   of   persons   of   consideration," 
writes  Madame.    "  Sometimes  a  whole  week  passes  with- 
out her  seeing  any  of  her  ladies-in-waiting,  who  dare  not 
present  themselves  before  her,  unless  they  are  sent  for."1 

1  Correspovdance  complete,  Letter  of  March  31,  17 19. 


24  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

However,  she  had  sufficient  good  sense  to  select  as  her 
most  intimate  friend  and  confidante,  her  cousin,  the 
Duchesse  Sforza,1  an  excellent  woman,  intelligent, 
prudent  and  virtuous,  whose  counsels  served  to  counter- 
act to  some  degree  the  influence  of  certain  dangerous 
intriguers,  such  as  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Saint- 
Pierre,  who,  by  extravagant  professions  of  devotion,  had 
succeeded  in  wheedling  their  way  into  important  posts 
in  the  princess's  Household. 

This  establishment  was  on  quite  an  imposing  footing, 
and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  aspired  to  exercise  a  verit- 
able despotism  over  its  members,  and  even  to  regulate 
their  domestic  affairs.  Saint-Simon  relates  an  instance 
of  this.  She  had  for  her  dame  d'atours  the  Comtesse  de 
Castries,  daughter  of  the  Due  de  Vivonne,  brother  of 
Madame  de  Montespan  and,  therefore,  like  the  Duchesse 
Sforza,  her  cousin-germaine  ;  and  for  chevalier  d'honneur 
that  lady's  husband.  Now,  in  the  case  of  the  Duchesse 
Sforza,  the  wife  of  a  member  of  a  princely  Italian  House, 
her  Royal  Highness  had  condescended  to  acknowledge 
the  relationship  ;  but  the  Castries,  being  comparatively 
humble  people,  she  thought  fit  to  ignore  it,  nor  did  they, 
although  on  terms  of  some  familiarity  with  their  mis- 
tress, ever  venture  to  remind  her  of  it.  In  course  of  time 
it  happened  that  ML  and  Madame  de  Castries,  who 
possessed  but  a  moderate  fortune,  arranged  what  they 
considered  to  be  a  very  satisfactory  marriage  for  their 

1  She  was  the  younger  daughter  of  Madame  de  Montespan's  elder 
sister,  the  Duchesse  de  Thianges,  and  sister  of  the  beautiful  Duchesse 
de  Nevers,  upon  whom  Louis  XIV.  had  for  a  brief  moment  cast  a  rather 
more  than  friendly  eye.  Madame  de  Caylus  describes  her  as  "  having 
a  white  skin,  rather  fine  eyes,  and  a  nose  pendant  over  a  very  red 
mouth,  which  made  M.  de  Vendome  say  that  she  resembled  a  paroquet 
eating  a  cherry." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  25 

only  son,  the  lady  being  a  certain  Mile.  Nolent,  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  councillor  of  the  Parlement  of  Paris  ;  but, 
before  definitely  concluding  the  affair,  they  judged  it 
advisable,  as  members  of  her  Household,  to  go  through 
the  form  of  consulting  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans.  To  their 
profound  astonishment,  on  learning  of  the  proposed  mar- 
riage, the  duchess  all  of  a  sudden  recollected  that  Madame 
de  Castries  was  her  cousin,  and  declared  that  an  alliance 
between  her  son  and  the  daughter  of  a  bourgeois  family 
was  entirely  out  of  the  question.  It  was  not  that  she  had 
another  marriage  to  propose  for  the  young  man,  still  less 
a  more  advantageous  one  ;  but  she  made  so  great  a  pother 
that  the  Castries,  fearful  of  offending  her,  dared  not  pro- 
ceed with  the  affair.  The  marriage  was  not  abandoned, 
however,  since  it  was  greatly  desired  by  all  the  parties 
concerned  ;  and  at  the  end  of  six  months  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans's  brothers,  the  Due  du  Maine  and  the  Comte  de 
Toulouse,  good-naturedly  intervened  and  obtained  the 
raising  of  the  interdict ;  and  it  was  duly  concluded.  The 
haughty  princess,  however,  could  never  be  persuaded  to 
treat  the  young  Madame  de  Castries  otherwise  than  with 
the  coldest  disdain,  and  the  poor  girl  scarcely  dared  to 
present  herself  before  her  ;  while  the  tardily-acknow- 
ledged cousin  and  the  Comte  de  Castries  remained  in  a 
sort  of  semi-disgrace,  until  death  removed  both  the 
innocent  cause  of  offence  and  her  husband  within  a  few 
days  of  one  another. 

Like  her  husband,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  exceed- 
ingly deceitful,  but,  whereas  the  duke  practised  dissimula- 
tion as  a  matter  of  policy,  his  wife  was  naturally  false. 
Thus,  she  affected  great  respect  and  even  affection  for 
her  mother-in-law,   and  overwhelmed  her  with  compli- 


26  UNRULY    DAUGHTERS 

ments  and  attentions  whenever  she  saw  her,  although 
she  disliked  the  old  princess  heartily,  and  in  secret  never 
lost  an  opportunity  of  doing  her  an  ill-turn.  Madame, 
who  was  far  too  shrewd  a  judge  of  character  to  be  deceived 
by  such  professions,  returned  the  hostile  sentiments 
which  she  knew  the  duchess  entertained  for  her  with 
interest ;  indeed,  the  latter  appears  to  have  inspired  her 
with  a  veritable  antipathy,  and  her  correspondence 
abounds  in  caustic  comments  upon  her  daughter-in-law's 
character  and  mode  of  life.  Her  statements,  however, 
must  be  accepted  with  considerable  reserve,  for,  when 
Madame  was  writing  about  persons  who  had  been  so 
unfortunate  as  to  incur  her  displeasure,  she  was  inclined 
to  allow  her  pen  to  run  away  with  her. 

"  My  daughter-in-law  is  a  disagreeable  and  worth- 
less creature,"  she  writes,  under  date  October  10,  1693. 
"  She  does  not  trouble  about  my  son,  and  despises 
Monseigneur.  .  .  .  She  does  not  occupy  herself  with  any- 
thing, but  passes  her  life,  in  my  opinion,  in  a  frightful 
indifference.  .  .  .  Her  arrogance  and  ill-humour  are  in- 
supportable, and  her  countenance  is  extremely  displeasing. 
She  is  quite  crooked,  and  has  a  horrible  pronunciation, 
as  though  her  mouth  were  always  full  of  pap,  and  a  head 
which  wags  unceasingly.  Such  is  the  present  which  la 
vieille  ordure  [Madame  de  Maintenon]  has  given  us.  You 
can  imagine  if  one  ought  to  lead  an  agreeable  life  with 
her.  But  birth  takes  the  place  of  everything  and  supplies 
the  qualities  which  are  lacking.  She  torments  her  hus- 
band greatly,  and  the  poor  lad  repents  bitterly  of  having 
committed  this  folly  and  of  having  refused  to  believe  me." 

When,  however,  a  few  years  later,  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  had  decided  to  make  the  best  of  their  bar- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  27 

gain,  and  had,  in  consequence,  begun  to  live  on  tolerably 
amicable  terms,  Madame  was  still  more  displeased  ;  and 
there  can  be  very  little  doubt  that  the  old  lady  infinitely 
preferred  to  see  the  Palais-Royal  menage  at  variance  than 
comparatively  united,  and  that  she  employed  her  in- 
fluence with  her  son  to  indispose  him  against  his  wife. 
'  My  son,"  she  writes,  "  has,  where  his  wife  is  concerned, 
a  blindness  which  seems  incredible,  when  one  knows  how 
little  she  troubles  about  him.  He  is  intelligent  and  yet 
he  does  not  see  what  is  going  on.  Provided  that  she  does 
not  object  to  his  going  constantly  to  Paris,  and  leading  a 
disorderly  life  there,  he  is  satisfied  with  her."1 

Not  content  with  accusing  her  detested  daughter-in- 
law  of  indolence,  vanity,  ill-temper,  arrogance,  deceit, 
and  gluttony,  and  with  "  getting  as  drunk  as  a  currier 
three  times  a  week,"  Madame  charges  her  with  unfaith- 
fulness to  her  husband  :  "  Despite  all  her  gravity,  she  is 
never  without  affairs.  One  ought,  however,  to  render  her 
this  justice,  that  she  conducts  herself  very  well  in  this 
respect,  and  will  never  give  cause  for  scandal.  All  Paris 
believes  her  a  vestal ;  but  I,  who  see  things  from  close  at 
hand,  I  know  well  what  is  going  on.  I  counsel  my  son 
always  to  live  on  very  good  terms  with  her  ;  for  what 
purpose  would  a  rupture  serve  ?  The  King  would  take 
his  daughter's  part,  and,  notwithstanding  the  scandal, 
my  son  would  be  obliged  to  keep  her.  It  is  therefore  better 
to  close  the  eyes  and  to  live  amicably  together."2 

This  last  charge  against  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  lacks 
confirmation,  and  we  ought  to  hesitate  to  accept  the 
testimony  of  a  writer  who  was  only  too  ready  to  believe 

1  Lettres  inidites  de  la  Princesse  Palatine,  publiees  par  M.  A.  Rolland, 
Letter  of  April  19,  1701. 

*  Ibid.     Letter  of  May  21,  1712. 


28  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

anything  to  the  detriment  of  those  whom  she  disliked. 
But  Madame  is  on  much  surer  ground  when  she  reproaches 
her  daughter-in-law  with  the  most  deplorable  indifference 
to  her  maternal  duties.  "  The  mother  brings  up  her 
children  in  a  fashion  which  is  an  object  of  derision  and 
of  scandal,"  she  writes.  "  It  is  necessary  for  me  to  assist 
at  that  daily,  and  all  that  I  can  say  is  perfectly  useless." 
The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  in  fact,  had  little  affection  for 
her  offspring,  and  had  not  the  smallest  intention  of 
abandoning  her  indolent  and  selfish  habits  in  order  to 
superintend  their  education.  She  infinitely  preferred  to 
spend  her  days  gracefully  reclining  on  her  luxurious  couch 
in  a  becoming  peignoir,  listening  to  the  tittle-tattle  of  her 
waiting-women,  reading  or — since  that  generally  entailed 
too  much  exertion — having  read  to  her,  fashionable 
romances,  or  playing  cards  with  the  Duchesse  Sforza,  to 
having  her  children  around  her,  interesting  herself  in 
their  studies  and  amusements,  hearing  the  reports  of 
tutors  and  gouvemantes,  and  deciding  with  them  the 
measures  to  be  adopted.  Occupations  of  this  kind  might 
be  all  very  well  for  ordinary  mothers,  but  were  really 
too  fatiguing  for  great  princesses,  particularly  when  they 
happened  to  be,  like  herself,  in  delicate  health;  and,  if 
she  had  been  allowed  to  have  her  way,  she  would  have 
made  nuns  of  all  her  daughters.  "  It  would  seem," 
writes  £douard  de  Barthelemy,  "  as  though  she  considered 
that  she  had  taken  sufficient  trouble  in  bringing  her 
daughters  into  the  world,  and  that  they  had  no  further 
claim  upon  her."1 

Such  were  the  parents  of  the  bevy  of  princesses  whose 
history  we  shall  now  relate. 

r 

1  Eclouard  de  Barthelemy,  les  Filles  du  Regent. 


CHAPTER   II 

The  Orleans  princesses — Their  neglected  childhood — Serious  illness  of 
Mademoiselle,  whose  life  is  saved  by  her  father's  care — Singular 
affection  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  for  his  eldest  daughter — Unsuccess- 
ful endeavour  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  obtain  precedence  for 
her  children  over  the  Princes  and  Princesses  of  the  Blood — She 
determines  to  marry  Mademoiselle  to  the  Due  de  Berry,  youngest 
son  of  the  Dauphin— Diplomatic  move  of  the  young  princess — 
Obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  proposed  marriage — Intrigues  of  Saint- 
Simon  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  on  behalf  of  Mademoiselle — 
Louis  XIV.  decides  in  favour  of  that  princess  and  obliges  the 
Dauphin  to  consent  to  the  marriage — The  Due  de  Berry — Anecdotes 
of  his  boyhood — His  appearance  and  character — Visit  of  Mademoi- 
selle to  Versailles — A  singular  imbroglio — Marriage  of  the  Due  de 
Berry  and  Made  mo  iselle— Early  years  of  Miles,  de  Chartres  and  de 
Valois,  second  and  third  daughters  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans — The  two  little  princesses  are  sent  to  the  Abbey  of  Chelles. 

A  REFERENCE  to  the  list  given  in  the  preceding 
chapter  will  show  that  the  six  daughters  of  the 
Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  may  be  divided  into  two 
series,  since  only  five  years  separate  the  eldest,  Made- 
moiselle, from  her  third  sister,  Mile,  de  Valois  ;  while 
more  than  nine  intervene  between  the  birth  of  Mile,  de 
Valois,  in  the  last  year  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
that  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  in  1709.  The  three  first, 
therefore,  were  already  finishing  their  education  when 
their  younger  sisters  came  into  the  world. 

Little  information  is  to  be  gleaned  from  the  memoirs 
and  correspondence  of  the  time  concerning  the  early 
years  of  any  of  these  princesses.  But  that  little  is  enough 
to  show  that  they  passed  a  strange  childhood,  between  a 

29 


o 


o  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 


vain  and  selfish  mother,  who  cared  nothing  for  them,  and 
was  not  ashamed  to  let  it  be  seen  that  she  regarded  them 
as  "  encumbrances  "  ;  a  dissipated  father,  who  loved  them, 
it  is  true,  but  who  knew  no  other  way  of  showing  his 
affection  than  by  spoiling  and  amusing  himself  with 
them,  and  a  grandmother,  kindly  and  well-meaning,  but 
jealous  and  vindictive,  who  was  far  more  ready  to  criticise 
the  education  they  were  receiving  than  to  attempt  to 
remedy  its  defects,  and  whose  chief  object  seems  to  have 
been  to  monopolise  their  childish  affections  to  the  detri- 
ment of  their  parents. 

And  so  they  grew  up,  unsurrounded  by  any  serious 
affection  and  without  any  proper  control  being  exercised 
over  them,  allowed  to  quarrel  with  one  another  un- 
rebuked,  and  to  follow  each  her  own  particular  inclina- 
tions. For  those  who  were  placed  in  charge  of  them,  as 
is  very  frequently  the  case,  finding  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d' Orleans  too  absorbed  in  their  own  affairs  to  interest 
themselves  in  the  education  of  their  daughters,  seem  to 
have  made  no  effort  to  check  the  faults  of  the  latter, 
so  long  as  these  did  not  happen  to  interfere  with  their 
own  ease  and  comfort.  We  shall  soon  see  the  consequences 
of  this  deplorable  apathy. 

It  is,  however,  only  just  to  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  to  observe  that,  if  they  were  indifferent  to 
the  moral  welfare  of  their  children,  they  were  not  in- 
different to  their  bodily  health.  Thus,  in  the  autumn 
of  1706,  when  Mademoiselle  was  attacked  by  small- 
pox, the  duchess  became,  for  the  moment,  a  true  mother, 
shutting  herself  up  with  the  sick  child  and  assisting  to 
nurse  her ;  while,  some  years  earlier,  the  same  little 
princess  had  undoubtedly  owed  her  life  to  her  father's 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  31 

care,  although  most  people  will  be  of  opinion  that  it 
would  have  been  infinitely  better  for  the  reputation  of 
both  if  Death  had  not  been  cheated  of  his  prey. 

In  the  early  summer  of  1701,  when  Mademoiselle  was 
not  quite  six  years  old,  she  fell  ill,  at  Saint-Cloud,  of  a 
malady  the  nature  of  which  seems  to  have  puzzled  com- 
pletely the  doctors  who  attended  her,  and  her  condition 
speedily  became  so  alarming  that  all  hope  was  abandoned, 
and  "  for  six  hours  she  was  believed  to  be  dead."1  It 
was  then  that  her  father,  who  was  an  enthusiastic  student 
of  chemistry — an  enthusiasm  which  was  to  be  largely 
responsible  for  the  terrible  suspicions  concerning  him  at 
the  time  of  the  successive  deaths  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  and  their  infant  son,  the  Due  de  Bretagne, 
eleven  years  later — undertook  to  cure  her,  and,  to  the 
general  astonishment  and  the  chagrin  of  the  physicians, 
was  successful.  From  that  moment  dates  the  singular 
affection  of  Philippe  d'Orleans  for  his  eldest  daughter, 
which,  degenerating  as  time  went  on  and  the  girl  grew 
more  attractive,  into  the  most  fatal  weakness  and  in- 
dulgence, was  to  exercise  so  pernicious  an  influence  upon 
her  character,  and  to  be  interpreted  so  odiously. 

When  Mademoiselle  was  ten  years  old,  she  was  honoured, 
one  evening  at  Versailles,  by  an  invitation  to  sup  at  the 
King's  table,  and  to  follow  him  into  his  cabinet  after- 
wards. In  a  Court  where  the  least  details  of  etiquette 
were  regarded  as  of  more  importance  than  the  fate  of 
empires,  this  incident  provoked  the  liveliest  discussion, 
since  the  Princesses  of  the  Blood  were  not  ordinarily 
admitted  to  his  Majesty's  table,  save  on  the  occasion  of 
some  great  ceremony.     It  would  appear  that  the  Duchesse 

1  Journal  de  Dangeau,  June  2S,  1701. 


32  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

d'Orleans  was  so  puffed  up  with  vanity  at  the  honour 
conferred  upon  her  daughter,  that  Louis  XIV.  was 
obliged  to  intimate  to  her  that  it  was  merely  a  passing 
favour,  and  must  in  no  wise  be  interpreted  as  giving  her 
precedence  over  the  other  Princesses  of  the  Blood. 

To  secure  this  precedence  for  her  children  was  one  of 
the  most  cherished  ambitions  of  the  duchess,  and  she 
prosecuted  it  with  an  energy  and  a  tenacity  of  purpose 
really  astonishing  in  a  woman  of  her  indolent  tempera- 
ment. But,  as  we  have  said,  when  a  question  arose  which 
touched  her  pride,  she  invariably  shook  off  her  habitual 
lethargy  and  became  another  person  altogether.  It  had 
long  been  a  source  of  the  keenest  mortification  to  her 
that,  although  she  had  the  rank  of  a  "  granddaughter  of 
France,"  her  children,  while  taking  precedence  of  the 
children  of  the  Princes  of  the  Blood,  should  be  obliged  to 
yield  the  pas  to  the  Princes  themselves  and  to  their  wives 
and  widows.  But,  since  a  direct  attack  upon  so  long- 
established  a  custom  offered  little  promise  of  success, 
she  determined,  towards  the  end  of  1709,  to  endeavour, 
so  to  speak,  to  turn  the  position  by  inventing  the  title  of 
"  great-grandson  and  great-granddaughters  of  France." 
This  project  at  first  met  with  scant  encouragement  from 
her  husband,  but  the  duchess  was  not  disheartened,  and 
at  length  persuaded  him  to  give  it  his  support. 

The  little  Due  de  Chartres,  who  was  barely  six  years  of 
age,  was,  of  course,  too  young  to  be  made  the  instrument 
of  his  ambitious  mother  ;  but  Mademoiselle  was  now  in 
her  fifteenth  year,  and,  thanks  to  her  unfortunate  educa- 
tion and  the  fatal  indulgence  of  her  father,  already 
possessed  the  most  exalted  idea  of  her  own  importance. 
She    lived    at    the    Palais-Royal,    surrounded,    like    her 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  33 

mother,  by  a  sort  of  little  Court  of  sycophantic  ladies, 
who  vied  with  one  another  in  flattering  and  spoiling  her, 
and  was  "  haughty  and  absolute  in  regard  to  all  things 
that  she  desired."  Soon  the  persistent  manner  in  which 
the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  kept  her  eldest  daughter  aloof 
from  Court  ceremonies  began  to  arouse  suspicion  ;  and 
all  doubt  as  to  that  lady's  pretensions  was  dispelled 
when  it  was  known  that  Mademoiselle  had  refused  her 
signature  to  a  marriage-contract,  because  her  mother 
did  not  wish  her  to  sign  her  name  after  the  Princes  of  the 
Blood. 

This  affair,  we  are  assured,  created  a  great  sensation  ; 
the  Princes  and  Princesses  of  the  Blood  were  furiously 
indignant,  and  Madame  la  Duchesse  expressed  her  opinion 
to  her  sister  in  terms  more  forcible  than  courteous. 
The  latter,  undismayed  by  the  storm  which  she  had 
provoked,  stood  her  ground  firmly,  and  for  several 
months  the  Court  was  divided  into  rival  camps,  since 
Louis  XIV.,  always  very  slow  in  coming  to  a  decision, 
particularly  on  questions  of  etiquette,  hesitated  to  make 
a  pronouncement.  At  length,  however,  after  the  sudden 
death  of  Monsieur  le  Due,  at  the  beginning  of  March 
1710,  the  King,  at  the  request  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  who 
represented  to  him  the  necessity,  in  the  circumstances, 
of  putting  an  end  to  the  quarrel  between  the  widowed 
duchess  and  her  sister,  gave  his  decision  against  the 
pretensions  of  the  latter. 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  took  this  defeat  so  much  to 
heart  that,  as  soon  as  it  was  announced  to  her,  she  shut 
herself  up  in  her  own  apartments,  on  the  plea  of  indis- 
position, and  refused  to  see  any  one  with  the  exception 
of  Mademoiselle.    On  the  morrow,  powerless  to  dissimu- 

D 


34  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

late  the  mortification  she  felt  at  the  triumph  of  Madame 
la  Duchesse,  and  what  she  was  pleased  to  consider  the 
affront  which  had  been  inflicted  upon  her,  she  quitted 
Versailles  for  Saint-Cloud,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
representations  of  her  husband,  declined  to  allow  Made- 
moiselle to  appear  at  any  of  the  Lenten  services  which 
the  King  attended,  because  at  these  the  Princesses  were 
placed  according  to  their  rank. 

From  Saint-Cloud,  the  duchess  proceeded  to  the 
Palais-Royal,  whither  the  duke  followed  her,  in  the 
hope  of  inducing  her  to  return  to  Court ;  but,  though 
Saint-Simon  added  his  persuasions  to  his,  she  remained 
inflexible.  Her  obstinacy  was  the  more  surprising,  since, 
on  learning  of  the  King's  decision,  she  had  announced 
her  intention  of  moving  heaven  and  earth  to  bring  about 
the  marriage  of  Mademoiselle  to  the  Due  de  Berry,  the 
youngest  son  of  the  Dauphin  and  brother  of  the  Due  de 
Bourgogne  and  Philip  V.  of  Spain,  in  order  to  secure  for 
her  daughter  by  this  means  the  honours  she  was  unable  to 
obtain  otherwise,  and  had  drafted  a  letter  to  Madame  de 
Maintenon,  soliciting  her  support  for  this  project.  Saint- 
Simon  did  not  fail  to  represent  to  her  that  the  unfortunate 
impression  which  her  absence  from  Court,  and  of  Made- 
moiselle from  the  Lenten  services,  could  not  fail  to 
create  in  the  King's  mind  must  seriously  compromise  the 
chances  of  the  marriage  she  desired ;  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
"  She  listened  to  all  I  had  to  say,"  he  writes,  "  thanked 
me  coldly,  and,  with  a  vexation  tempered  by  courtesy, 
informed  me  that  it  would  not  shake  her  resolution." 

Meanwhile,  Louis  XIV.  had  manifested  his  displeasure 
at  the  conduct  of  the  duchess  and  her  daughter  in  so 
unmistakable  a  manner,  that  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  35 

who,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  had  private  reasons  of 
her  own  for  desiring  the  marriage  of  Mademoiselle  and 
the  Due  de  Berry,  resolved  to  intervene.     She  accord- 
ingly sent  for  the  young  princess,  pointed  out  to  her, 
"  with  the  kindness  of  a  mother,"  what  would  be  the 
inevitable  consequence  of  the  obstinacy  of  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  and  implored  her  to  appear  at  one  service  at 
least    before    Easter.     Mademoiselle,    whose    precocious 
vanity  was  flattered  by  the  hope  of  an  alliance  which 
would  make  her  the  first  lady  in  the  land  after  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  herself,  and  even  invest  her  with 
eventual  rights  to  the  Crown  matrimonial,  appreciated 
the  wisdom  of  this  advice,  and,  since  she  had  no  affec- 
tion  for   her   mother,    and  was   aware   that   her   father 
strongly  disapproved  of  the  latter's  conduct  and  that 
she  could  count  on  his  support,  promised  to  follow  it. 
A  day  or  two  later,  accordingly,  she  went  to  the  chapel 
of  Versailles,  and  took  her  place  among  the  Princesses  of 
the  Blood,  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  both 
knew  and  approved  of  his  favourite  daughter's  action ; 
but  it  came  as  a  complete  surprise  to  the  duchess,  who 
was  so  enraged  that,  according  to  Saint-Simon,  "  she  did 
not  cease  to  weep  the  entire  day."  Eventually,  however, 
she  was  obliged  to  recognise  that  Mademoiselle,  in  bow- 
ing to  the  King's  decision,  even  in  defiance  of  her  in- 
junctions, had  done  very  wisely,  and  raised  no  further 
objection  to  her  daughter  taking  the  place  his  Majesty 
had  assigned  her.  Thus,  the  situation  was  saved,  and 
the  chances  of  the  marriage,  which  for  the  moment  had 
seemed  hopelessly  compromised,  re-established. 

These  chances,  however,  had  never  been  such  as  to 


36  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

justify  any  very  confident  hopes  of  success  ;  indeed,  the 
obstacles  which  presented  themselves  were  of  the  most 
formidable  nature. 

It  was  well  known  that  Louis  XIV.  was  anxious  for 
the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Berry,  who  was  now  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  had  begun  to  take  so  much 
pleasure  in  feminine  society  that  his  Majesty  feared  that, 
if  he  did  not  speedily  provide  him  with  a  wife,  he  might 
engage  in  some  liaison  from  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  detach  him,  or  possibly  follow  his  own  and  Mon- 
seigneur's  example  and  contract  a  morganatic  union.1 
It  was  also  true  that,  since  France  was  at  war  with  the 
chief  Catholic  States  of  Europe,  with  the  exception  of 
Spain  and  Bavaria,  where  there  were  no  princesses  of 
marriageable  age,  a  foreign  alliance  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  that  he  must  perforce  wed  a  French 
princess,  that  is  to  say,  either  Mademoiselle  or  Mile,  de 
Bourbon,  eldest  daughter  of  Madame  la  Duchesse,2 
since  they  were  the  only  princesses  of  marriageable 
age. 

Well,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  the  fact  that  Made- 
moiselle was  the  daughter  of  the  head  of  the  younger 
branch  of  the  Royal  Family,  while  her  cousin  was  only 
the  daughter  of  the  First  Prince  of  the  Blood,  would  have 
been  generally  regarded  as  sufficient  to  entitle  her  to  the 
preference.  But  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  in  very  bad 
odour  with  the  King,  owing  to  the  intrigues  for  his  own 
aggrandizement  which  he  had  carried  on  with  the  Allies 
when  commanding  in  Spain  two  years  before,  and  his 

1  There  can,  we  think,  be  no  more  doubt  that  the  Dauphin  was 
secretly  married  to  Mile.  Choin  than  that  his  father  was  the  husband 
of  Madame  de  Maintenon. 

2  Louise  Elisabeth  de  Bourbon-Conde,  born  November  22,  1693. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  37 

debauched  life  ;  he  was  disliked  by  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  and  simply  detested  by  the  Dauphin,  "  who 
always  displayed  his  hatred  in  the  most  indecent 
manner."1  Moreover,  M on  seigneur,  while  caring  little 
for  his  younger  sister,  was  warmly  attached  to  Madame 
la  Duchesse,  who  spent  a  good  deal  of  her  time  at  his 
country-house  at  Meudon  ;  and  Mile,  de  Bourbon, 
besides  being  two  years  older  than  Mademoiselle,  and 
therefore  nearer  the  Due  de  Berry's  age,  was  by  far  the 
more  pleasing  of  the  two  young  ladies.  Most  people 
accordingly  inclined  to  the  belief  that  the  King's  decision 
would  be  in  her  favour. 

Fortunately  for  Mademoiselle,  she  possessed  in  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  and  Saint-Simon  two  invaluable 
allies. 

The  prospect  of  a  match  between  the  Due  de  Berry 
and  the  daughter  of  Madame  la  Duchesse,  who  cherished 
the  bitterest  jealousy  and  hatred  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  and  was  the  moving  spirit  of  the  "  Cabal 
of  Meudon,"  which  had  for  some  time  past  been  intriguing 
actively  to  destroy  the  credit  of  her  and  her  husband, 
was  not  one  which  that  princess  could  afford  to  regard 
with  complacency.  In  the  first  place,  it  would  probably 
result  in  the  Due  de  Berry,  hitherto  warmly  attached  to 
his  brother  and  to  herself,  being  drawn  into  the  ranks 
of  the  opposing  faction,  and  would  certainly  strengthen 
the  influence  of  Madame  la  Duchesse  over  Monseigneur, 
already  estranged  from  his  eldest  son.  In  the  second, 
she  was  well  aware  of  the  power  of  novelty  over 
Louis  XIV. 's  mind — was  not  her  own  exceptional  favour 
a  signal  example  of  it  ? — and  feared  that  if  a  young, 

1  Saint-Simon. 


38  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

pretty,  and  vivacious  girl,  like  Mile,  de  Bourbon,  were 
admitted  to  the  King's  circle,  she  might  find  in  her  a 
dangerous  rival.  On  the  other  hand,  she  and  her  hus- 
band had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  marriage  of  the  Due 
de  Berry  with  Mademoiselle.  They  had  always  been 
on  very  friendly  terms  with  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d' Orleans  ;  while  the  girl  herself,  though  not  unattractive 
in  person,  possessed  none  of  the  qualities  which  were 
likely  to  appeal  to  the  King. 

Saint-Simon  had  also  excellent  reasons  for  desiring 
to  prevent  the  elevation  of  a  daughter  of  Madame  la 
Duchesse,  his  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  having  greatly  incensed  that 
princess  against  him ;  indeed,  he  declares  that  the 
marriage  of  Mile,  de  Bourbon  would  have  been  "  like 
a  millstone  falling  upon  his  head."  On  the  other  hand, 
his  close  friendship  with  the  Orleans  family  made  him 
naturally  anxious  to  strengthen  their  position.  If  we 
are  to  believe  him,  it  was  he  who  aroused  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  to  a  sense  of  her  "  great  duty  to  herself, 
which  was  perpetually  in  danger  of  being  stifled  by  the 
fictitious  and  petty  duties  of  daily  life,"  and  he  certainly 
seems  to  have  displayed  almost  superhuman  energy  in 
the  struggle  which  ensued,  not  even  disdaining  to  make 
use  of  his  enemies  the  Jesuits,  who,  he  confesses,  became 
"  a  powerful  instrument."  It  may  be  questioned,  how- 
ever, if  "  all  the  machines  which  he  regularly  wound  up 
in  reciprocal  cadence  every  day  "  would  have  succeeded 
in  breaking  down  the  aversion  of  Louis  XIV.,  Madame 
de  Maintenon,  and  Monseigneur  to  a  marriage  which 
would  so  much  increase  the  importance  of  a  man  whom 
they  all  three  regarded  with  aversion,  had  it  not  been 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  39 

for  the  persistence  and  address  with  which  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  seconded  their  efforts. 

A  little  before  Easter,  the  duchess  having  succeeded 
in  gaining  over  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  having 
reason  to  believe  that  the  King,  thanks  to  the  diplomatic 
conduct  of  Mademoiselle,  was  not  unfavourably  inclined, 
resolved  to  attempt  a  grand  coup.  One  day,  when 
Mademoiselle  had  been  taken  to  see  the  King  at  Madame 
de  Maintenon's,  where  the  Dauphin  also  happened  to 
be,  as  soon  as  the  young  princess  had  gone  out,  she 
began  to  praise  her,  and  on  a  sudden,  "with  that  pre- 
determined impulsiveness  which  she  sometimes  em- 
ployed," exclaimed  :  "  What  an  admirable  wife  for  the 
Due  de  Berry  !  "  At  these  words,  Monseigneur  coloured 
with  vexation,  and  observed  angrily  that  "  that  would 
be  an  excellent  method  of  recompensing  the  Due  d'Orleans 
for  his  conduct  in  Spain."  With  which  he  abruptly 
quitted  the  room,  leaving  the  company  all  very  much 
astonished,  since  no  one  had  expected  a  person  usually 
so  phlegmatic  and  indifferent  to  exhibit  so  much  feeling. 
The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  "  who  had  only  spoken 
with  the  object  of  feeling  the  way  with  Monseigneur  in 
the  presence  of  the  King,"  promptly  took  advantage  of 
the  mistake  that  prince  had  committed.  "  Ma  tante," 
said  she,  turning  with  a  pretty  air  of  bewilderment  to 
Madame  de  Maintenon,  "  have  I  said  something  foolish  ?  ' 
The  King,  annoyed  by  the  brusqueness  of  the  Dauphin, 
answered  for  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  said,  warmly, 
that,  if  Madame  la  Duchesse  assumed  that  tone  and  was 
working  to  gain  over  Monseigneur,  she  would  have  to 
reckon  with  him.  Upon  which  Madame  de  Maintenon 
adroitly  fanned  the  flame,  by  remarking  on  the  irritation, 


40  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

so  very  unusual  in  him,  which  Monseigneur  had  shown, 
adding  that,  if  Madame  la  Duchesse  had  so  much  in- 
fluence, she  would  make  him  do  other  things  of  more 
consequence.  Thus,  the  ruse  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  succeeded  beyond  her  hopes,  and  before  the 
company  dispersed,  "the  attachment  of  the  Dauphin  to 
Madame  la  Duchesse  had  done  more  injury  to  Mile,  de 
Bourbon  than  it  could  ever  serve  her."  x 

Saint-Simon,  informed  of  what  had  occurred,  lost  no 
time  in  bringing  all  his  batteries  into  play — to  borrow 
his  own  expression — and  kept  up  so  brisk  and  well- 
directed  a  fire  that  the  breach  already  made  in  the 
defences  widened  daily,  and  he  soon  perceived  that  the 
moment  had  arrived  to  deliver  the  final  assault.  He 
therefore  pressed  the  Due  d'Orleans  to  speak  to  the  King, 
but,  to  his  disgust,  that  prince,  "  who  was  like  a  motion- 
less beam  which  stirred  only  in  response  to  our  redoubled 
efforts,  and  who  remained  so  to  the  conclusion  of  this 
great  business,"  immediately  began  to  raise  all  kinds  of 
objections.  Saint-Simon,  however,  continued  to  press 
him,  and  at  last  he  gave  way  and  agreed  to  write  to  the 
King. 

It  was  then  decided  that  they  should  each  draft  a 
letter,  and  that  the  one  which  appeared  the  most  suitable 
should  be  submitted  to  his  Majesty.  Saint-Simon's  pen 
was  soon  speeding  over  the  paper,  but,  when  he  had 
finished,  he  perceived  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  had  not  yet 
written  a  line  and  appeared  lost  in  reflection.  He  there- 
fore suggested  that,  as  the  prince  found  so  much  diffi- 
culty in  composing  a  letter  himself,  he  had  better  copy 
his  own,  which  the  latter  did,  without  making  any  im- 

1  Saint- Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  41 

portant  changes,  signed,  sealed  it,  and  placed  it  in  his 
pocket.  There  it  remained  for  a  week,  and  might  have 
remained  indefinitely  but  for  the  persistence  of  Saint- 
Simon,  who,  one  morning,  when  he  had  ascertained  that 
Louis  XIV.  happened  to  be  in  an  exceptionally  good- 
humour,  conducted  him  to  the  door  of  Madame  de 
Maintenon's  apartment,  whither  his  Majesty  had,  as 
usual,  repaired  after  Mass,  and  almost  pushed  him  into 

the  room. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  lost  nothing  by  the  timidity  with 
which  he  approached  his  Majesty,  for  it  always  flattered 
the  pride  of  Louis  XIV.  to  see  himself  feared  ;  and  when 
persons,  particularly  members  of  his  own  family,  showed 
diffidence  in  his  presence,  nothing  pleased  him  more  or 
more  effectually  served  their  cause.  He  placed  the  letter 
which  his  nephew  handed  him  in  his  pocket,  without 
opening  it  ;  but  he  spoke  to  him  very  graciously  in- 
deed ;  and  the  prince  quitted  the  room  in  a  much  more 
cheerful  frame  of  mind  than  he  had  entered  it. 

His  hopes  were  justified,  for,  on  the  morrow,  the  King 
sent  for  him,  and  informed  him  that  the  suggested  mar- 
riage between  his  eldest  daughter  and  the  Due  de  Berry 
met  with  his  entire  approval,  adding,  however,  that 
Monseigneur  was  much  opposed  to  the  project,  and  that 
"  he  would  take  his  time  to  speak  to  him  on  the  matter." 

With  victory  fairly  in  sight,  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
Saint-Simon  and  their  allies  redoubled  their  efforts  ;  and, 
though  Madame  la  Duchesse  and  her  friends  endeavoured 
to  snatch  it  from  them,  by  circulating  the  most  abomin- 
able rumours  in  regard  to  the  relations  between  the  Due 
d'Orleans  and  his  daughter,  which  appear  to  have  been 
the  starting-point  for  the  reports  of  a  similar  nature  so 


42  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

prevalent  during  the  Regency,  the  only  result  was  to 
precipitate  matters;  and,  on  June  i,  Louis  XIV.,  piqued 
by  the  insinuations  skilfully  conveyed  to  him  that  he 
did  not  dare  to  impose  his  will  upon  his  son,  sent  for  the 
Dauphin  and  bluntly  proposed  to  him  the  match,  "  in 
the  tone  of  a  father,  mingled  with  that  of  a  King  and 
a  master." 

Monseigneur,  much  astonished,  stammered  and  hesi- 
tated, but  ended  by  promising  compliance  with  the 
paternal  wishes,  stipulating  only  that  the  official  announce- 
ment should  be  postponed  for  a  few  days,  in  order  that 
he  might  have  time  to  accustom  himself  to  the  idea  of  a 
marriage  which  was  so  little  to  his  liking.  To  this  the 
King  graciously  consented,  warning  him,  however,  that 
there  must  be  no  going  back  upon  his  word.  Then  he  sent 
to  inform  the  Due  d'Orleans  of  the  result  of  his  interview 
with  Monseigneur,  authorising  him  to  tell  his  wife,  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  Madame  de  Maintenon. 
Finally,  it  occurred  to  his  Majesty  that  it  might  be  as  well, 
as  a  mere  matter  of  form,  to  acquaint  the  Due  de  Berry, 
who,  up  to  the  present,  would  appear  to  have  been  in 
complete  ignorance  of  all  the  intrigues  and  negotiations 
which  had  been  going  on  for  his  settlement  in  life,  of  the 
fate  in  store  for  him. 

On  the  morrow,  accordingly,  he  took  his  grandson  into 
his  cabinet,  and  inquired  if  he  would  like  to  get  married, 
to  which  the  prince  replied  evasively  by  an  assurance  of 
his  willingness  to  submit  in  all  things  to  his  Majesty's 
orders.  "  The  King  then  asked  him  if  he  would  have  any 
repugnance  to  espouse  Mademoiselle,  the  only  princess  in 
France,  added  he,  who  was  suitable  for  him,  since,  in  the 
present  circumstances,  it  was  impossible  to  think  of  any 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  43 

foreign  princess.  The  Due  de  Berry  answered  that  he 
would  obey  the  King  with  pleasure,  whereupon  the  King 
informed  him  that  it  was  his  intention  to  have  the  mar- 
riage celebrated  immediately,  and  that  Monseigneur  con- 
sented to  it,  but  that  he  forbade  him  to  speak  about  it."1 
And  the  bridegroom-elect,  who  had  an  engagement  to  go 
wolf-hunting  with  his  brother,  the  Due  de  Bourgogne, 
made  his  reverence,  and  hurried  away  to  put  on  his  riding- 
dress. 

Charles,  Due  de  Berry,  the  young  prince  who  had  just 
received  the  news  of  the  disposal  of  his  hand  with  so 
much  complacency,  was,  as  we  have  mentioned,  the 
youngest  of  the  three  sons  of  Monseigneur,  by  his 
marriage  with  that  strange  creature,  Maria  Anna  of 
Bavaria — "  la  Dauphine  de  Baviere,"  as  historians  call 
her.  As  a  lad,  he  was  a  more  engaging  personality  than 
either  of  his  brothers,  and  his  high  spirits  and  frank, 
boyish  face  made  him  a  universal  favourite.  Madame, 
whom  his  merry  prattle  never  failed  to  amuse,  was  much 
attached  to  him,  and  his  mother,  noticing  that  lady's 
partiality  for  her  little  son,  had  playfully  dubbed  him  "  le 
Berry  de  Madame."  The  old  princess,  in  her  correspond- 
ence, relates  several  amusing  anecdotes  of  her  favourite's 
boyhood. 

"  I  enjoyed  myself  at  table,"  she  writes,  in  December 
1697,  in  describing  the  family  dinner  which  followed 
the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  "for  I  was 
sitting  next  to  my  dear  Due  de  Berry  [aetat.  eleven  at 
this  time],  and  he  made  me  laugh.  '  I  can  see  my  brother 
ogling  his  little  wife,'  said  he  ;  '  but,  if  I  wished,  I  could 
ogle  quite  as  well  ;   you  have  to  look  steadily,  sideways.' 

1  Saint-Simon. 


44  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Saying  which,  he  imitated  his  brother  so  drolly  that  I 
was  obliged  to  laugh." 

Some  months  later,  the  Due  de  Berry,  in  company 
with  his  two  elder  brothers  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  witnessed  a  performance  of  Moliere's  Bourgeois 
gentilhomme,  at  the  Comedie-Francaise.  This  was  the 
first  visit  to  a  theatre  that  any  of  the  three  young  princes 
had  been  permitted  to  pay,  and  their  delight  must  have 
afforded  the  audience  as  much  diversion  as  the  antics  of 
the  immortal  M.  Jourdain.  "  The  Due  de  Bourgogne," 
writes  Madame,  "  quite  lost  his  gravity  and  laughed  till  the 
tears  came  into  his  eyes  ;  the  Due  d'Anjou  was  so  delighted 
that  he  sat  in  ecstasies,  with  his  mouth  wide  open  ;  the  Due 
de  Berry  laughed  so  much  that  he  nearly  fell  off  his  chair." 1 

Notwithstanding  his  merry  and  good-natured  dis- 
position^ a  boy,  the  Due  de  Berry,  like  his  eldest  brother, 
the  Due  de  Bourgogne,  was  cursed  with  a  most  un- 
governable temper,  though  happily  it  was  not  very  often 
that  it  broke  out.  On  these  occasions,  however,  it  must 
have  been  a  sight  not  easily  forgotten  by  those  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  witness  it.  Madame  relates  how,  one  day, 
when  he  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  went  out 
shooting  with  his  brothers,  and,  in  spite  of  strict  injunc- 
tions from  his  sous-gouvemeur,  Razilly,  shot  so  recklessly 
that  he  came  within  a  few  inches  of  killing  the  Due 
de  Bourgogne. 2  Razilly  took  the  gun  away  and  refused 
to    allow    him    to    fire    again,    "    whereupon    he    flew 

1  Correspondance  de  Madame,  Duchesse  d'Orleans  (edit.  Jaegle), 
Letter  of  November  i,  1698. 

2  The  Due  de  Berry  appears  to  have  been  a  decidedly  dangerous 
person  with  whom  to  go  out  shooting,  even  when  he  had  grown  up. 
In  the  winter  of  1712,  while  taking  part  in  a  battue  at  Marly,  with  his 
eldest  brother  and  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
destroy  the  sight  of  one  of  the  latter's  eyes. 


Charles  de  France,  Due  de  Berry 
From  a  contemporary  print 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  45 

into  so  terrible  a  passion  that  he  tried  to  dash  out  his 
own  brains  ;  and  would  have  succeeded,  if  they  had  not 
taken  away  from  him  a  huge  stone  which  he  had  seized 
in  his  hands."  For  this  mad  conduct  and  for  the  abuse 
which  he  heaped  upon  his  unfortunate  sons-gouverneur, 
Louis  XIV.  caused  him  to  be  placed  for  a  week  in  solitary 
confinement,  in  order  that  he  might  have  leisure  for  re- 
pentance ;  but,  since,  we  are  told,  he  "  did  nothing  but 
dance  and  sing,"  it  can  scarcely  have  produced  the  result 
desired.  However,  in  time,  he  appears  altogether  to  have 
outgrown  these  fits  of  passion. 

Now,  in  his  twenty-fourth  year,  the  Due  de  Berry 
was  a  handsome,  fair-haired,  fresh-complexioned,  rather 
stout  young  man,  modest,  simple  in  his  tastes,  good- 
humoured,  generous,  honourable,  and  well-meaning,  but 
a  little  stupid  and  entirely  futile  ;  for  he  had  never 
shown  the  least  interest  in  his  studies  or,  indeed,  in  any- 
thing serious,  and  cared  for  nothing  in  the  world  but 
amusement.  "  Provided  that  he  enjoys  himself,  he  cares 
not  how,"  writes  Madame,  who  was  sorely  disappointed 
in  her  favourite.  "  Here  are  his  ordinary  amusements  : 
he  shoots,  plays  cards,  chatters  with  young  ladies,  and 
guzzles.  Such  are  his  pleasures.  I  had  almost  forgotten 
to  add  that  he  slides  on  the  ice  ;   for  that  comes  in  too."1 


1  The  Due  de  Berry  was,  nevertheless,  painfully  conscious  of  his 
mental  deficiencies,  and  this  often  seems  to  have  paralysed  what 
abilities  he  possessed,  and  made  him  appear  far  more  vacuous  than  he 
really  was.  Saint-Simon  relates  how  on  the  occasion  of  the  sitting  of 
the  Parlement  at  Paris,  at  which  the  prince  formally  renounced  all 
rights  to  the  Crown  of  Spain,  he  was  required  to  make  a  short  speech, 
in  reply  to  that  of  the  First  President.  Saint-Simon  composed  it  for 
him,  and  he  learned  it  by  heart,  and  repeated  it  quite  correctly  to 
Madame  de  Saint-Simon  the  night  before  the  ceremony.  Nevertheless, 
on  the  morrow,  so  great  was  his  embarrassment  that  he  was  unable 
to  remember  a  single  word. 


46  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

But  if  his  life  were  entirely  futile,  it  was  also  entirely 
harmless,  for  "  he  had  very  good  sense,  and  was  capable 
of  listening,  of  understanding,  and  of  always  taking  the 
right  side  in  preference  to  the  wrong,  however  speciously 
put."1  Moreover,  he  had  resisted  the  temptations  to 
which  his  father  and  grandfather  had  succumbed,  and, 
if  he  never  showed  any  marked  piety,  he  entertained 
a  sincere  respect  for  religion. 

Such  was  the  Due  de  Berry,  a  prince,  who,  notwith- 
standing the  aimlessness  of  the  existence  which  he  had 
led  hitherto,  possessed  qualities  out  of  which  a  good  and 
clever  woman  might  have  fashioned  a  not  unworthy 
representative  of  his  race ;  for  he  was  one  of  those  men 
who  are  born  to  be  dominated  by  their  wives.  But,  un- 
happily, no  one  was  less  likely  to  effect  this  than  the  wife 
who  had  been  chosen  for  him — a  spoiled,  petulant  young 
girl,  accustomed  to  submit  to  no  restraint,  and  with  no 
guiding  principle  save  her  own  caprices. 

On  June  3,  the  Dauphin  having  prudently  decided  to 
accept  the  inevitable  with  the  best  grace  he  could,  the 
forthcoming  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Berry  and  Made- 
moiselle was  publicly  announced  by  Louis  XIV.,  at  Marly. 
On  the  following  day,  Mademoiselle  arrived  from  Ver- 
sailles with  her  parents,  and, after  being  joined  by  Madame, 
proceeded  to  the  King's  apartments,  where  they  found 
his  Majesty,  with  Monseigneur,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  the  Due  de  Berry,  and  the  principal  officers 
of  the  Court.  "  Madame  presented  Mademoiselle  to  the 
King  ;  she  knelt  at  his  feet,  but  the  King  immediately 
raised  her  up  and  embraced  her,  and  forthwith  presented 
her  to  Monseigneur,  to  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bour- 

1  Saint- Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  47 

gogne,  and  then  to  all  the  Court."  The  King,  to  relieve 
their  embarrassment,  "  with  that  grace  which  he  showed 
in  all  things,"  forbade  Mademoiselle  to  speak  to  any  one, 
and  the  Due  de  Berry  to  speak  to  her,  and  promptly 
cut  short  the  interview.  On  leaving  the  royal  presence, 
Mademoiselle,  accompanied  by  her  relatives,  paid  visits 
to  the  Princes  and  Princesses  of  the  Blood,  in  order  to 
receive  their  compliments  ;  and  the  same  evening  re- 
turned to  Versailles. 

Since  it  was  intended  that  the  marriage  should  take 
place  as  soon  as  the  necessary  dispensation  for  the  union 
of  blood-relations  should  arrive  from  Rome,  the  King 
lost  no  time  in  forming  the  Households  of  the  Due  de 
Berry  and  his  bride-elect.  The  most  important  post  in 
the  latter's,  that  of  dame  d'honneur,  which  carried  with 
it  a  salary  of  20,000  livres,  was  given,  or  rather — if  we  are 
to  believe  Saint-Simon — forced  upon  his  wife,  "  who 
received  the  news  of  her  appointment  with  tears."  This 
was  an  excellent  selection,  for  all  contemporary  writers 
render  homage  to  the  virtues  of  the  Duchesse  de  Saint- 
Simon  ;  but  Louis  XIV.  showed  very  little  discretion  in 
filling  the  other  posts  about  the  young  princess's  person  ; 
indeed,  merit  seems  to  have  played  an  even  less  con- 
spicuous part  than  usual  in  determining  his  choice.  Thus, 
the  dame  d'atours,  Madame  de  la  Vieuville,  was  a  con* 
firmed  intrigante,  and  the  first  waiting-woman,  Mile,  de  la 
Devaize,  owed  her  appointment  to  the  favour  of  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  of  whom  she  was  one  of  the  most 
assiduous  flatterers. 

The  Papal  dispensation  having  arrived,  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  evening  of  July  5,  the  marriage-contract  was  signed 
in  the  King's  cabinet  at  Versailles.    This  ceremony  gave 


48  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

rise  to  a  piquant  incident.  It  was  the  custom  for  the 
fiancee  to  wear  upon  these  occasions  a  velvet  mantle  lined 
with  ermine,  the  train  of  which  was  borne  by  a  princess 
of  equal  rank  to  her  own.  Well,  the  sisters  of  the  future 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  Miles,  de  Chartres  and  de  Valois,  had 
lately  been  sent  to  the  Abbey  of  Chelles,  and,  since 
there  were  no  "  daughters  "  or  "  granddaughters  of 
France,"  the  duty  reverted,  by  the  irony  of  Fate,  to  her 
vanquished  rival,  Mile,  de  Bourbon  ! 

The  indignation  of  Madame  la  Duchesse,  already  deeply 
incensed  by  the  defeat  which  she  had  recently  sustained, 
may  be  imagined  when  she  learned  of  the  bitter  humilia- 
tion in  store  for  her  daughter.  Was  it  not  enough  that 
the  Orleans  should  have  succeeded,  by  the  aid  of  the 
most  unscrupulous  intrigues,  in  snatching  from  her  the 
rich  prize  which  had  once  been  almost  within  her  grasp, 
that  her  child  should  be  expected  to  grace  their  triumph  ? 
How  was  it  possible  that  the  King  could  permit  her  to 
be  thus  publicly  humiliated  ?  And  she  besieged  his 
Majesty  with  tears  and  lamentations. 

The  King  sympathised  with  his  elder  daughter  and 
Mile,  de  Bourbon,  but  he  was  too  great  a  slave  to  etiquette 
even  to  contemplate  a  departure  from  established  usage. 
He  sought,  however,  to  circumvent  the  difficulty,  and 
accordingly  requested  the  Due  d'Orleans  to  make  his 
daughters  return  for  the  ceremony.  The  duke  did  not 
dare  to  refuse,  and,  to  the  disgust  of  his  spiteful  consort, 
who  was  unwilling  to  spare  her  detested  sister  this  crown- 
ing mortification,  and  had  no  doubt  hastened  the  depar- 
ture of  her  daughters  for  Chelles  with  the  express  pur- 
pose of  creating  the  present  imbroglio,  the  little  girls  were 
sent  for.    Being  unwilling,  however,  that  the  Court  should 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  49 

believe  that  Madame  la  Duchesse  had  succeeded  in 
thwarting  her  amiable  intentions,  she  resolved  to  invent  a 
colourable  pretext  for  their  return,  and,  having  given  out 
that  they  had  only  as  yet  been  ondoyees,  she  caused  them, 
on  July  3,  to  proceed  to  the  supplementary  ceremonies  of 
baptism.  It  is,  however,  doubtful  if  many  people  were 
deceived  by  this  rather  transparent  fiction,  and,  any  way, 
Madame  la  Duchesse  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  Mile, 
de  Chartres  bearing  the  train  of  the  bride-elect's  mantle 
instead  of  her  own  daughter. 

On  the  day  after  the  betrothal  ceremony  (July  6),  the 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  the  chapel  of  the  Chateau  of 
Versailles,  by  the  Cardinal  de  Janson,  before  a  brilliant 
assemblage.  Afterwards,  the  bride  and  bridegroom  dined 
alone  with  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  the  dinner  being 
followed  by  a  card-party,  at  which  the  stakes  as  usual 
ruled  pretty  high.1  In  the  evening,  the  King  gave  a 
sumptuous  supper,  to  which  all  the  Princes  and  Princesses 
were  invited.  Supper  over,  the  company  escorted  the 
bridal  pair  to  their  apartments,  through  the  midst  of  a 
crowd  of  courtiers,  who  had  ranged  themselves  in  the 
form  of  a  hedge.  Among  the  crowd  were  a  number  of 
swell  mobsmen  from  Paris,  some  of  whom  were  disguised 
as  priests,  others  as  officers  in  the  Army.  But  they  got 
very  little  for  their  trouble,  as  people  had  been  warned 

1  Fortune  would  not  appear  to  have  smiled  upon  the  Due  de 
Berry  on  this  occasion,  since,  we  learn,  that,  shortly  afterwards, 
he  was  obliged  to  abstain  from  the  card-table,  as  he  had  not  sufficient 
money  to  play  with.  "  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,"  writes  Saint- 
Simon,  "  informed  the  King  of  this  ;  and  the  King,  feeling  the  state 
in  which  he  himself  was,  said  that  he  had  only  five  hundred  pistoles 
[about  five  thousand  francs]  to  give  him.  He  gave  them  with  an 
excuse  on  the  misfortunes  of  the  time,  because  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne thought,  with  reason,  that  a  little  was  better  than  nothing,  and 
that  it  was  insufferable  not  to  be  able  to  play." 

E 


50  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

by  the  Lieutenant  of  Police  to  be  on  their  guard,  and  the 
only  loss  of  any  note  was  a  valuable  watch  belonging  to 
a  Mile.  Voisin. 

On  reaching  the  nuptial  chamber,  the  Cardinal  de 
Janson  pronounced  the  benediction  of  the  bed  ;  the  King 
handed  the  nightshirt  to  his  grandson,  and  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  performed  the  same  service  for  the  bride. 
The  happy  pair  then  got  into  bed  ;  the  Due  de  Beauvilliers, 
on  the  bridegroom's  side,  and  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  on 
that  of  the  bride,  drew  the  curtains,  "  laughing  together 
at  being  so  employed " ; x  and  the  company  solemnly 
filed  out  of  the  room  in  order  of  precedence,  the  King 
leading  the  way. 

On  the  morrow,  after  Mass,  Louis  XIV.  came  to  visit 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry ;  and  during  her  toilette  the  princess 
received  the  homage  of  the  courtiers,  who  were  presented 
to  her  by  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  in  her  capacity  as 
dame  d'honneur.  As  on  the  previous  day,  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Berry  dined  and  played  cards  in  the  apart- 
ments of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  and  then  returned 
to  their  own,  to  receive  a  visit  from  the  exiled  Queen  of 
England. 

Thus  began  the  married  life  of  Marie  Louise  d' Orleans, 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  but,  before  speaking  of  that,  let  us  say 
a  few  words  about  the  early  years  of  her  younger  sisters, 
Miles,  de  Chartres  and  de  Valois. 

These  two  young  ladies,  aged  respectively  eleven  and 
nine,  had  been  leading  a  neglected  and  monotonous 
existence  in  the  Palais-Royal,  varied  by  frequent  quarrels 
with  their  elder  sister  and  visits  to  their  grandmother  at 

1  Saint-Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  51 

Saint-Cloud.  Mile,  de  Chartres  was  a  pretty  little  girl, 
of  a  frank,  open  disposition,  very  independent  and  self- 
willed,  but  remarkably  quick  and  intelligent.  She  shared 
the  studies  of  her  brother,  the  little  Due  de  Chartres,  and 
since  that  prince  was  generally  idle  and  inattentive,  his 
tutor,  the  Abbe  de  Montgaut,  preferred  to  address  him- 
self to  the  young  princess,  who  showed  a  real  eagerness  to 
profit  by  his  instruction,  and  was  particularly  interested 
in  theology. 

Mile,  de  Valois  was  not  so  pretty  as  her  sister,  and  an 
altogether  less  pleasing  personality.  She  did  not  lack 
intelligence,  when  she  chose  to  exercise  it,  which,  how- 
ever, very  seldom  happened  in  the  schoolroom,  since  she 
had  inherited  not  a  little  of  her  mother's  indolence.  She 
showed,  too,  even  thus  early,  that  she  possessed  another 
of  the  maternal  failings,  which  was  to  develop  so  rapidly 
that,  seven  years  later,  Madame  wrote  :  "  The  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  would  be  the  most  deceitful  person  in  the 
world,  if  it  were  not  for  her  daughter,  Mile,  de  Valois. 
She  is  even  worse.  I  think  it  horrible  to  find  such  deceit- 
fulness  in  a  person  so  young."1  In  addition,  the  little 
princess  does  not  appear  to  have  been  endowed  with  the 
sweetest  of  tempers. 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  considered  that  it  would  be 
very  embarrassing  to  keep  two  girls  of  eleven  and  nine 
near  a  married  sister  who  had  not  yet  completed  her 
fifteenth  year ;  and  as  soon  as  the  marriage  of  Made- 
moiselle was  definitely  arranged,  she  decided  to  confide 
them  to  the  care  of  some  religious  house.  Madame,  who 
was  very  fond  of  the  children,  and  particularly  of  Mile,  de 
Chartres,  offered  to  take  charge  of  them  and  have  them 

1  Letter  of  May  17,  171 7. 


52  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

brought  up  under  her  own  eye  at  Saint-Cloud  ;  but  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  disliked  her  mother-in-law  far  too 
heartily  to  agree  to  this  proposal.  Besides,  she  hoped 
that,  once  in  a  convent,  both  girls  would  ere  long  discover 
that  they  had  a  vocation  for  the  religious  life,  which 
would  save  her  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  anxiety  in 
years  to  come. 

"  The  Due  d'Orleans  places  his  daughters  in  religion 
to  the  number  of  two,"  writes  Madame  d'Huxelles,  under 
date  June  7,  1710,  "  for  there  is  a  third,  who  is  as  yet 
only  five  or  six  months  old.1  These  two  elder  princesses 
are  in  despair  at  this  decision.  It  is  the  Abbey  of  Chelles, 
whither  they  will  proceed  when  their  apartments  have 
been  made  ready,  and  the  Marechale  de  Villars  goes  to 
arrange  about  that  to-day."2 

The  preparations  for  the  reception  of  the  two  little 
princesses  were  soon  completed,  and  on  June  9  they  set 
out  for  Chelles,  "  accompanied  by  a  sous-gouvernante  and 
six  unmarried  waiting-women,  as  the  abbess  had  de- 
manded." The  poor  children,  who  would  have  infinitely 
preferred  to  remain  under  their  grandmother's  care  at 
Saint-Cloud,  regarded  the  prospect  before  them  with  any- 
thing but  pleasurable  anticipation,  and  were  "  in  such  a 
state  of  distress  that  they  passed  through  Paris  with  the 
curtains  of  their  carriage  closed."  The  following  day, 
Dangeau  records  that  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans 
had  gone  to  Chelles  to  visit  their  daughters. 

The  Abbey  of  Chelles,  the  convent  selected  for  Miles, 
de  Chartres  and  de  Valois,  was  situated  between  Lagny 

r 

1  Louise  Elisabeth,  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  born  December  n,  1709. 

2  Lettres  de  la  Marquise  d'Huxelles,  cited  by  Barthelemy. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  53 

and  Meaux,  and  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated  houses 
of  the  Benedictine  Order  in  France.  It  owed  its  first 
foundation  to  Sainte-Clotilde,  but  its  real  founder  was 
Sainte-Bathilde,  wife  of  Clovis  II.,  who,  about  662,  rebuilt 
the  convent  on  a  much  more  extensive  scale,  and  who, 
when  her  son,  Clotaire  II.,  was  of  an  age  to  reign,  retired 
thither  to  spend  the  remaining  years  of  her  life.  The 
example  of  this  pious  queen  had  attracted  to  Chelles 
several  distinguished  personages ;  Sonichilde,  wife  of 
Charles  Martel,  had  taken  the  veil  there ;  Giselle,  sister  of 
Charlemagne ;  Hermentrude,  widow  of  Charles  le  Chauve  ; 
Bathilde,  daughter  of  the  same  Sovereign  ;  and,  in  later 
times,  Marie  Henriette  de  Bourbon,  natural  daughter  of 
Henri  IV.  and  Henriette  d'Entragues,  had  all  held  the 
office  of  abbess  ;  and  throughout  the  ages  it  had  always 
maintained  its  character  as  an  eminently  aristocratic 
house.  The  discipline  imposed  upon  its  inmates,  severe 
at  first,  was  gradually  relaxed  as  time  went  on,  until, 
towards  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  the  bishops  of 
Paris  found  themselves  compelled  to  interfere  and  to 
introduce  some  rather  drastic  reforms.  It  is  doubtful 
if  the  desired  result  was  completely  attained ;  any  way, 
it  was  not  permanent ;  and,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  Chelles  was  generally  regarded  as  a 
place  where  the  superfluous  daughters  of  noble  families 
might  prepare  themselves  for  a  future  life  without  alto- 
gether renouncing  the  comforts  of  this. 

The  abbey  was  a  vast  and  imposing  building,  shut  in 
by  high  and  massive  walls,  and  standing  in  the  midst  of 
extensive  grounds,  which  comprised  not  only  very  beauti- 
ful gardens  shaded  by  stately  elms  and  venerable  limes, 
and  gay  in  summer-time  with  a  wealth  of  flowers,  but 


54  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

orchards,  kitchen-gardens  and  fishponds,  the  contents  of 
which  doubtless  contributed  not  a  little  to  console  the 
good  sisters  for  the  fasts  which  the  Church  imposed.  In 
fact,  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  pleasant 
retreat  from  the  world. 

In  1709,  the  monastery  had  for  its  abbess,  Agnes  de 
Villars,  sister  of  the  celebrated  marshal,  upon  whom  the 
office  had  been  conferred  some  two  years  before.  This  lady, 
who  had  previously  been  prioress  of  the  Benedictine  abbey 
of  Saint-Andre-le-Haut,  at  Vienne,  enjoyed  a  great  repu- 
tation for  piety,  but  she  was  harsh,  austere,  and  haughty, 
and  exceedingly  jealous  of  her  authority,  "  consoling 
herself  by  the  joys  of  domination  for  the  sacrifice  of  all 
the  others."1  In  consequence,  she  was  far  from  being 
beloved  by  those  over  whom  she  ruled,  particularly  by 
such  of  the  novices  as  still  regretted  the  world  which  they 
had  left,  and  sought  to  prolong  as  much  as  possible  their 
semi-liberty  and  to  lengthen  their  road  towards  the  final 
renunciation  by  all  kinds  of  pretexts.  From  the  first,  the 
abbess  and  the  self-willed  and  quick-witted  little  Mile,  de 
Chartres  seem  to  have  been  antagonistic;  and  when, 
eight  years  later,  the  princess  having  pronounced  her 
vows,  made  up  her  mind  to  supplant  her,  their  relations 
became  very  strained  indeed. 

The  prioress,  Madame  de  Fretteville,  was  an  infinitely 
more  attractive  personality :  sweet-tempered,  kind, 
motherly,  and  sympathetic.  As  mistress  of  the  novices, 
she  had  learned  to  understand  young  girls  and  to  make 
them  love  her,  and  she  soon  acquired  a  considerable  in- 

1  Lescure,  les  Confessions  de  I'abbesse  de  Chelles  :  Louise- Adelaide 
d'Orleans,  a  fictitious  autobiography,  which,  however,  contains  a  good 
deal  of  valuable  information. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  55 

fluence  over  Mile,  de  Chartres,  and  contributed  powerfully 
to  develop  her  taste  for  the  religious  life  and  to  deter- 
mine her  to  take  the  veil.  Probably,  she  tried  to  persuade 
Mile,  de  Valois  to  edify  the  world  by  a  similar  renuncia- 
tion of  its  pleasures,  but,  if  so,  the  seed  she  sowed  fell  on 
barren  ground. 

The  latter  princess  remained  at  Chelles  until  the  be- 
ginning of  August  1714,  when  she  quitted  it  never  to 
return  ;  Mile,  de  Chartres's  first  sojourn  at  the  abbey  of 
which  she  was  one  day  to  be  the  head  lasted  until 
October  1715.  Beyond  recording  the  appearance  of  the 
two  girls  at  the  marriage  of  their  eldest  sister,  the  chroni- 
clers are  silent  concerning  their  life  during  these  years, 
which  was  no  doubt  the  usual  monotonous,  but  not  un- 
pleasant, one  of  high-born  little  pensionnaires  in  a  convent. 
The  visit  which  their  parents  had  paid  them  on  the 
morrow  of  their  arrival  does  not  seem  to  have  been  re- 
peated— at  any  rate,  Dangeau,  so  careful  to  record  the 
minutest  details  concerning  the  movements  of  the  different 
members  of  the  Royal  House,  makes  no  mention  of  it. 
But  we  can  well  understand  that  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans, 
anxious  that  both  princesses  should  enter  religion,  was 
unwilling  to  do  anything  which  might  distract  their 
thoughts  from  the  direction  in  which  she  hoped  they 
were  tending. 


CHAPTER   III 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry — Her  portrait  by  Largilliere — Madame's  de- 
scription of  her — Her  odious  character — Her  intimacy  with  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne — Her  jealousy  of  that  princess — Her  hus- 
band's infatuation  for  her — She  gets  disgracefully  intoxicated  at 
Saint-Cloud — She  joins  the  "  Cabal  of  Meudon  " — Rupture  between 
her  and  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne — She  persuades  the  Due  de 
Berry  to  break  off  his  friendly  relations  with  his  sister-in-law — She 
is  severely  reprimanded  by  the  King — Illness  and  death  of  the 
Dauphin — Despair  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  sees  all  her  plans 
ruined  by  this  event — Magnanimity  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
now  Dauphine — Indignation  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  at  being 
compelled  to  render  ceremonial  service  to  her  sister-in-law — Abomi- 
nable rumours  concerning  her  relations  with  her  father — Saint- 
Simon  informs  the  Due  d'Orleans  of  these,  and  the  prince,  to  his 
astonishment  and  indignation,  reports  the  conversation  to  his 
daughter — The  Duchesse  de  Berry  gives  birth  prematurely  to  a 
daughter — Insolence  of  the  princess  towards  her  mother — Madame 
is  charged  by  the  King  to  reprimand  her  granddaughter — Mile,  de 
Vienne — The  affair  of  the  diamond  necklace. 

ON  her  marriage-day,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was 
within  just  five  weeks  of  completing  her  fifteenth 
year.  A  charming  painting  of  her  by  Largilliere  shows 
us  a  very  attractive,  if  somewhat  buxom,  young  girl,  in  a 
white  gown  sewn  and  clasped  with  emeralds  and  dia- 
monds, playing  with  some  tall  poppies,  which  are  shed- 
ding their  leaves,  and  holding  in  her  pretty,  plump 
fingers  the  stalk  of  a  clematis.  The  features,  without 
having  any  pretence  to  beauty,  are  regular  and  pleasing ; 
the  hair  abundant  and  of  a  very  pretty  shade  of  brown ; 
the  hands  and  arms  well-formed  ;  and  there  is  a  fresh- 
ness, an  ingenuousness,  about  her  which  is  wholly  de- 

56 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  57 

lightful.  But  Court  painters  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century  did  not  scruple  to  flatter  their  patrons 
— they  would  not,  indeed,  have  been  Court  painters  if 
they  had  not — and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that,  in  this 
instance,  the  counterfeit  presentment  is  far  more  pleasing 
than  the  original. 

Saint-Simon  describes  the  princess  as  "  tall,  handsome, 
and  well-made,"  though  lacking  in  grace  ;  while  the  Due 
de  Berry,  who  speedily  became  enamoured  of  his  young 
wife,  thought  her,  according  to  Madame,  "  the  prettiest 
person  in  the  world,  and  that  Helen  was  not  half  so 
beautiful  " — an  opinion  which  he  shared  with  his  father- 
in-law.  Madame,  on  the  other  hand,  denies  that  she  was 
"  pretty  at  all,  either  in  face  or  figure.  She  is  thick-set, 
with  long  arms  and  short  hips  ;  she  walks  badly  and  is 
ungraceful  in  all  her  movements  ;  makes  horrible  faces  ; 
has  a  discontented  expression  ;  is  marked  by  smallpox  ; 
has  red  eyes — light  blue  in  the  iris — and  a  ruddy  com- 
plexion, and  looks  much  older  than  she  is."  In  fact,  the 
only  attractions  which  her  grandmother  will  allow  her 
are  her  throat,  hands,  and  arms,  "  which  are  perfectly 
beautiful,  very  white,  and  well-formed." 

Whatever  difference  of  opinion  may  exist  in  regard  to 
the  appearance  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  there  is  un- 
happily none  as  to  her  character.  All  her  contemporaries, 
all  historians,  are  agreed  that  she  was  one  of  the  most 
odious  young  women  whom  the  Court  of  France  had  ever 
seen.  She  had  all  her  mother's  arrogance  and  deceit  ; 
all  her  father's  irreligion  and  licentiousness,  to  which  she 
joined  a  violent  temper,  drunkenness,  gluttony,  a  con- 
temptuous disregard  of  ordinary  decency,  and  a  most 
foul  tongue.     In  short,  according  to  Saint-Simon,  who 


58  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

confesses  that,  if  he  had  only  known  "  the  half-quarter 
— what  do  I  say  ? — the  thousandth  part,  of  what  we 
have  unhappily  been  the  witnesses,"  he  would  have 
laboured  with  even  greater  zeal  to  prevent  her  marriage 
to  the  Due  de  Berry  than  he  did  to  bring  it  about,  she 
was  a  model  of  all  the  vices,  avarice  excepted.  And  yet, 
with  all  this,  she  was  highly  intelligent,  and  could,  when 
she  wished,  be  most  agreeable  and  amiable,  "  speaking 
with  an  ease  and  precision  that  charmed  and  over- 
powered." But  her  undoubted  talents  were  never  em- 
ployed for  any  good  purpose,  but  merely  to  serve  her  own 
unworthy  ends.  Consequently,  they  made  her  only  the 
more  repulsive. 

Until  she  was  actually  married,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
had  succeeded  in  conveying  the  impression,  save  among 
those  who  knew  her  most  intimately,  that  she  was  a 
damsel  of  a  singularly  modest  and  retiring  disposition, 
and,  even  when  leaving  the  chapel  after  the  nuptial  Mass, 
she  had  feigned  the  greatest  reluctance  to  take  precedence 
of  her  grandmother,  as  her  new  rank  entitled  her  to  do. 
"  Push  me  then,  Madame,"  said  she  to  the  old  princess, 
who  had  motioned  her  to  take  the  pas.  "  I  must  be 
pushed  to  make  me  pass  before  you,  and  I  shall  require 
some  time  yet  to  accustom  myself  to  that  honour."1 
But,  once  her  brilliant  position  was  assured,  she  was  not 
long  in  giving  the  Court  a  glimpse  of  those  qualities  which 
were  to  secure  for  her  such  unenviable  celebrity  ;  though 
it  was  not  until  after  the  death  of  her  husband  and  of 
Louis  XIV.  that  she  gave  her  vices  a  free  rein. 

During  the  first  months  of  their  married  life  she  and 
her  husband  were  on  terms  of  the  closest  intimacy  with 

1  Journal  de  Dangeau,  July  6,  1710. 


A 


Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orlkans, 
Duchesse  de  Berry 


From  an  engraving  a 


fter  the  painting  by  Largilliere 


• 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  59 

the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  The  two  brothers 
had  always  been  on  the  most  cordial  terms,  and,  if  only 
for  her  husband's  sake,  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  who 
had  worked  so  energetically  to  promote  the  marriage, 
was  sincerely  anxious  to  gain  her  sister-in-law's  affection. 
Since  the  Household  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry 
was  not  finally  organised  until  the  end  of  the  winter  of 
171 1,  owing  to  the  fact  that  some  months  were  required 
to  complete  the  equipages,  plate,  and  so  forth  which  they 
would  require,  they  accepted  the  hospitality  of  the  Bour- 
gogne menage,  and  the  two  princesses  were  continually 
together.  When  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  did  not  follow 
the  chase  on  horseback,  she  generally  occupied  a  seat  in 
her  sister-in-law's  carriage  ;  they  paid  visits  to  Paris  and 
made  country-excursions  in  each  other's  company  ;  dined 
together  nearly  every  day,  and,  in  a  word,  seemed  the 
best  of  friends.  But  this  intimacy  did  not  last  very  long, 
for  the  younger  princess  possessed  none  of  the  lovable 
qualities  which  endeared  the  charming  daughter  of  Victor 
Amadeus  to  all  about  her,  and  she  was,  in  secret,  bitterly 
jealous  of  the  brilliant  position  to  which  the  favour  of 
Louis  XIV.  had  raised  her.  She  was  displeased,  too,  by 
the  affectionate  relations  which  existed  between  the  two 
brothers,  and,  as  the  Due  de  Berry,  "  like  all  who  marry 
very  young  and  green,"1  had  begun  his  married  life  by 
falling  very  much  in  love  with  her,  she  exploited  the  in- 
fluence which  she  soon  obtained  over  this  feeble  prince 
to  separate  him  from  his  elder  brother,  so  that  she  might 
dominate  him  the  more  absolutely. 

1  Saint-Simon.  The  writer,  however,  forgets  that  the  Due  de 
Berry  did  not  marry  until  his  twenty-fourth  year,  which  was  certainly 
not  "  very  young  "  for  a  French  prince. 


60  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

A  few  months  after  her  marriage,  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  became  in  an  interesting  condition,  but  this  did 
not  prevent  her  from  indulging  her  taste  for  wine  and 
her  gluttonous  instincts.  Hitherto  these  weaknesses  had 
been  rather  suspected  than  known,  since,  when  in  the 
company  of  others,  she  had  contrived  to  exercise  some 
degree  of  moderation ;  but,  on  the  occasion  of  a  supper- 
party  at  Saint-Cloud,  she  behaved  in  a  manner  which 
effectually  dispelled  all  doubts  about  the  matter.  Saint- 
Simon  informs  us  of  the  incident,  without  dissimulating 
anything : 

"  I  shall  pass  lightly  over  an  event  which,  engrafted 
upon  some  others,  made  some  noise,  notwithstanding  the 
care  taken  to  hush  it  up.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
supped  at  Saint-Cloud  one  evening  with  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  and  others,  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  absenting  her- 
self from  the  party.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  the 
Due  d'Orleans,  but  she  more  than  he,  got  so  drunk  that 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and 
the  rest  of  the  company  knew  not  what  to  do.  The  Due 
de  Berry  was  there,  and  him  they  talked  over  as  well  as 
they  could,  and  the  numerous  company  was  amused  by 
the  Grand  Duchess, *  to  the  best  of  her  ability.  The  effect 
of  the  wine  in  more  ways  than  one  was  such  that  people 
were  troubled,  and,  since  she  could  not  be  sobered,  it 
became  necessary  to  carry  her  back,  drunk  as  she  was, 
to  Versailles.  All  the  servants  waiting  with  the  carriages 
saw  the  condition  she  was  in,  and  did  not  keep  it  to  them- 
selves ;  nevertheless,  they  succeeded  in  concealing  it  from 

1  Marguerite  Louise  d'Orleans,  daughter  of  Gaston  d'Orleans, 
younger  brother  of  Louis  XIII.,  and  wife  of  Cosimo  III.,  Grand  Duke 
of  Tuscany. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  61 

the  King,  from  Monseigneur,  and  from  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon."1 

For  a  time,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  continued  to  profess 
the  warmest  friendship  for  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
the  while  she  studied  the  situation  at  Court  and  cast 
about  her  for  the  most  effective  means  of  injuring  her 
unsuspecting  sister-in-law.  She  soon  perceived  that  the 
only  menace  to  the  credit  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne 
lay  in  the  "  Cabal  of  Meudon,"  the  little  group  of  dis- 
contented and  ambitious  spirits,  headed  by  Madame  la 
Duchesse  and  her  half-sister,  the  Princesse  de  Conti,  who 
surrounded  the  Dauphin.  The  object  of  this  cabal  was 
twofold  :  to  estrange  Monseigneur  from  his  eldest  son  and 
daughter-in-law,  so  as  to  insure  that,  when  that  prince 
should  ascend  the  throne,  they  would  be  reduced  to 
impotence,  and  to  destroy  the  influence  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne  with  the  King.  The  defeat  sustained  by 
this  faction  over  the  recent  marriage  showed  what  little 
chance  they  possessed  of  succeeding  in  their  second 
object ;  indeed,  since  the  failure  of  their  machinations 
against  the  Bourgognes  at  the  time  of  the  disastrous 
Oudenarde  campaign  two  years  before,  they  had  almost 
abandoned  hope  in  this  direction,  and  had  concentrated 
their  efforts  upon  the  first  part  of  their  programme,  which 

1  This  drunken  orgy  was  followed,  at  a  brief  interval,  by  a  glut- 
tonous one,  which  was,  if  possible,  even  more  revolting.  Under  date 
December  14,  1710,  Madame  writes  :  "  Yesterday  evening,  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  gave  us  a  great  fright.  She  suddenly  fainted  dead  away, 
and  we  thought  it  was  an  apoplectic  seizure.  However,  after  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  had  sprinkled  her  face  with  vinegar,  she  came 
to,  and  was  dreadfully  sick.  It  was  not  surprising.  For  two  hours, 
at  the  play,  she  had  been  stuffing  herself  with  all  kinds  of  horrible 
things  :  peaches  au  caramel,  marrons  glacis,  gooseberry  paid,  dried 
cherries,  and  a  lot  of  lemon  into  the  bargain.  Then,  at  supper,  she  ate 
a  quantity  of  fish  and  drank  proportionately." 


62  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

presented  comparatively  little  difficulty.  For  Mon- 
seigneur,  though  he  was  much  attached  to  the  lively 
Due  de  Berry,  had  never  cared  for  his  eldest  son,  whose 
ascetic  and  studious  life  was  a  tacit  reproach  to  his  own 
sensual  and  aimless  existence,  and  he  was  jealous  of  the 
high  opinion  which  the  King  entertained  of  him  and  the 
exceptional  favour  enjoyed  by  his  wife.  If  the  task  of 
poisoning  his  mind  against  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  could  be  accomplished,  it  was  certain  that,  in 
the  event  of  his  surviving  the  King,  they  would  find  them- 
selves entirely  without  influence  in  the  new  reign. 

Having  satisfied  herself  that  she  could  best  gratify  her 
malice,  and,  at  the  same  time,  serve  her  own  interests,  by 
joining  the  coterie  who  surrounded  and  dominated  the 
Dauphin,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  lost  no  time  in  making 
advances  to  them.  They  were  very  favourably  received, 
for  it  was  felt  that  the  wife  of  Monseigneur's  favourite 
son  would,  in  any  case,  be  a  useful  auxiliary,  and  a  most 
valuable  one,  if  she  could  succeed  in  separating  the  Due 
de  Berry  from  the  Bourgognes  and  persuading  him  to 
second  her  efforts  to  embitter  his  father's  mind  against 
them.  And  so,  towards  the  end  of  1710,  the  Court  saw, 
not  a  little  to  its  astonishment,  the  young  princess  who 
had  frustrated  the  hopes  of  Mile,  de  Bourbon  on  the 
most  cordial  terms  with  Madame  la  Duchesse  and  those 
who  had  striven  to  prevent  her  marriage,  and  a  regular 
guest  at  the  Meudon  house-parties. 

The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  recognising  the  error  she 
had  committed  in  admitting  to  her  friendship  a  girl  who 
could  so  easily  forget  the  obligations  under  which  she  had 
placed  her,  wisely  decided  to  see  as  little  of  her  as  possible 
in  the  future,  while,  however,  preserving  her  old  relations 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  63 

with  the  Due  de  Berry,  to  whom  she  was  sincerely 
attached.  But,  profiting  by  the  influence  she  had  suc- 
ceeded in  acquiring  over  her  husband,  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  laboured  unceasingly  to  embroil  him  with  his 
sister-in-law,  or,  at  least,  to  put  an  end  to  all  intimacy 
between  them ;  and  so  far  succeeded  that  the  Due  de 
Berry's  manner  towards  that  princess  altogether  changed, 
and  became  distant  and  constrained.  This  unexpected 
coldness  from  one  who  had  always  shown  her  so  much 
affection  deeply  distressed  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne, 
and,  since  there  could  be  no  doubt  to  whose  influence  it 
was  attributable,  she  promptly  broke  with  her  sister-in- 
law,  though  without  making  any  scandal. 

At  the  end  of  the  winter,  the  Household  of  the  Due 
and  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  finally  organised,  and  the 
two  menages,  to  their  mutual  relief,  ceased  to  live  to- 
gether, which  gave  the  courtiers  an  opportunity  of 
showing  on  which  side  their  sympathies  lay.  They  did 
not  hesitate,  for  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  was  not  only 
the  idol  of  the  King,  but  "  she  had  attached  all  hearts  to 
her,"1  and,  while  her  apartments  were  crowded,  those  of 
her  malicious  sister-in-law  were  almost  deserted.  The 
latter,  bitterly  mortified,  represented  to  her  husband  that 
this  neglect  was  due  to  the  machinations  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne,  and  persuaded  the  uxorious  prince  to 
resent  what  she  designated  as  an  unpardonable  affront 
by  breaking  altogether  with  his  brother's  wife.  Shortly 
afterwards,  the  unfortunate  incident  at  Saint-Cloud  was 
repeated,  and  this  time  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  now 
thoroughly  exasperated,  declined  to  join  the  conspiracy 
of  silence  and  revealed  everything  to  the  King. 

1  Saint-Simon. 


64  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

Louis  XIV.,  anxious  to  preserve  peace  in  his  family, 
contented  himself  by  causing  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to 
be  informed  that  he  knew  all.  But  the  young  princess, 
misinterpreting  the  King's  indulgence,  showed  not  the 
slightest  disposition  to  amend  her  ways  ;  and,  at  length, 
her  dame  d'honneur,  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  fearing  a 
scandal,  for  which  she  herself  might  be  held  responsible, 
deemed  it  her  duty  to  warn  Madame  de  Maintenon.  To 
her  surprise,  she  found  that  that  lady  had  already  taken 
measures  to  keep  herself  informed  of  the  course  of  events  ; 
and,  strong  in  this  support,  Madame  de  Saint-Simon 
returned  to  her  mistress  and  spoke  to  her  very  plainly 
indeed.  The  princess  attempted  to  take  a  haughty  tone 
with  the  duchess,  but  the  latter  cut  short  her  flow 
of  eloquence  by  asking  to  be  relieved  of  her  post,  since, 
in  the  face  of  so  many  unpleasant  incidents,  she  had  no 
wish  to  retain  it.  Comprehending  the  gravity  of  the 
situation,  the  princess  hastened  to  assure  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  of  the  esteem  in  which  she  held  her  and  her  desire 
to  profit  by  her  counsels,  which,  however,  did  not  prevent 
the  dame  d'honneur  from  promptly  acquainting  both  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  and  Madame  with  what  had  passed. 

On  the  morrow,  before  dinner,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
was  summoned  to  the  King's  cabinet,  where  his  Majesty 
expressed  his  opinion  of  her  conduct  in  no  measured 
terms,  and  gave  her  to  understand  that  its  continuance 
would  entail  consequences  to  herself  of  the  most  un- 
pleasant kind.  After  dinner,  she  received  orders  from  the 
King  to  go  to  the  apartment  of  Madame  de  Maintenon, 
"  who,  without  speaking  so  loudly,  did  not  speak  less 
firmly."1    The  erring  princess  listened  humbly,  feigned 

1  Saint-Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  65 

repentance,  and  promised  amendment,  but  with  senti- 
ments of  the  most  bitter  hatred  against  her  sister-in-law, 
which  the  attitude  of  the  courtiers,  who,  aware  that  she 
had  fallen  under  the  ban  of  the  royal  displeasure,  ignored 
her  more  than  ever,  naturally  did  not  tend  to  modify. 
"  She  consoled  herself,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  by  establish- 
ing still  closer  relations  with  the  Meudon  coterie,  and  by 
discounting  in  advance  the  revenge  which  she  would  take 
when  the  Dauphin  should  become  King." 

But,  in  the  early  spring  of  that  same  year,  a  tragic 
event  occurred,  which  broke  up  the  "Cabal  of  Meudon  " 
and  upset  all  the  projects  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry. 

With  the  exception  of  a  short,  but  rather  alarming  ill- 
ness in  Lent  1701,  occasioned  by  the  consumption  of  an 
abnormal  quantity  of  fish,  Monseignear,  who  was  now  in 
his  fiftieth  year,  had  since  childhood  enjoyed  the  most 
robust  health,  and  nothing  seemed  more  certain  than  that 
he  would  outlive  the  King,  who  had  aged  considerably  of 
late,  and  upon  whom  the  fatigues  and  anxieties  of  State 
were  beginning  to  weigh  very  heavily.  However,  it  was 
ordained  otherwise. 

On  April  8 — the  Wednesday  in  Easter  Week — Mon- 
seigneur  left  Versailles  for  Meudon,  where  he  intended  to 
pass  some  days.  On  the  following  morning,  he  rose  early, 
with  the  intention  of  going  wolf-hunting,  but,  while 
dressing,  was  seized  with  a  sudden  attack  of  faintness 
and  fell  back  into  a  chair.  Boudin,  his  chief  physician, 
who  was  at  once  summoned,  made  him  go  to  bed  again, 
and,  of  course,  caused  the  King  to  be  informed.  But, 
though  his  patient's  temperature  was  alarmingly  high, 
he  expressed  the  opinion  that  there  was  no  cause  for  un- 
easiness; and  Louis  XIV.,  concluding  that  the  illness  was 

F 


66  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

a  slight  one — perhaps  another  attack  of  indigestion — did 
not  think  it  necessary  to  visit  his  son,  and,  in  fact,  spent 
the  afternoon  at  Marly.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  however,  at  once  started  for  Meudon,  and  remained 
all  day  in  the  sick-room,  "  the  princess  joining  to  the 
strict  duties  of  a  daughter-in-law  all  that  kindness  could 
suggest  and  giving  everything  to  Monseigneur  with  her 
own  hands."    In  the  evening,  they  returned  to  Versailles. 

Next  morning,  the  Dauphin  was  much  worse,  and  it 
became  evident  that  he  was  suffering  from  smallpox,  and 
in  a  very  severe  form.  Louis  XIV.,  who  had  never  had 
any  fear  of  exposing  himself  to  infection,1  started  for 
Meudon  immediately  after  Mass,  accompanied  by  Madame 
de  Maintenon  and  a  small  suite,  having  previously  for- 
bidden the  Dues  de  Bourgogne  and  de  Berry  and  their 
wives,  and  all  persons  who  had  not  had  smallpox,  to  follow 
him  thither,  with  the  exception  of  the  Ministers,  who  re- 
ceived orders  to  come  every  morning.  At  Meudon,  the 
King  installed  himself  in  a  suite  of  rooms  immediately 
above  Monseigneur,  whom  he  visited  several  times  a  day. 

At  Versailles,  meanwhile,  the  most  intense  excitement 
prevailed  ;  the  apartments  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne  could  not  contain  the  people  who  flocked 
thither,  many  of  whom  belonged  to  the  Meudon  faction, 
and  had  hitherto  held  aloof  from  the  young  couple,  but, 
in  view  of  the  serious  condition  of  Monseigneur,  were  now 
feverishly  anxious  to  conciliate  the  prince  who  in  a  few 
hours'  time  might  be  Dauphin  of  France.  "  When  the 
prince  and  princess  rose,  when  they  retired  to  bed,  when 

1  Madame  de  Caylus  tells  us  that  when  Madame  la  Duchesse  was 
ill  with  smallpox,  at  Fontainebleau,  in  the  autumn  of  1684,  the  King 
insisted  on  visiting  her,  although  her  father-in-law,  the  Great  Conde, 
strove  by  main  force  to  prevent  him  entering  the  sick-room. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  67 

they  dined  and  supped,  all  public  conversation,  all  meals, 
all  assemblies,  were  opportunities  of  paying  court  to  them. 
The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  treated  almost  as 
nobodies.    It  was  like  the  first  glimmerings  of  the  dawn."1 

On  the  13th,  Monseigncur  seemed  better,  but  this  im- 
provement was  of  short  duration.  On  the  morrow,  his 
illness  suddenly  took  a  turn  for  the  worse  ;  in  the  after- 
noon, he  became  unconscious ;  about  seven  o'clock,  it  was 
seen  that  he  was  slowly  sinking,  and  before  midnight  he 
passed  away,  without  recovering  consciousness. 

Saint-Simon,  in  an  unforgettable  picture,  has  described 
for  us  the  scene  at  Versailles  that  April  night  when  the 
news  arrived  that  the  heir  to  the  throne  was  in  extremis  : 
the  sudden  throwing  open  of  doors  ;  the  hurried  rising 
and  dressing  of  those  who  had  retired  to  bed ;  the 
rush  of  ladies  in  their  dressing-gowns  to  the  apartments 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  ;  the  departure  of  the 
princess  to  meet  the  King  at  the  Orangery,  on  his  way 
from  Meudon  to  Marly  ;  her  return  with  the  news  that 
all  was  over  ;  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  seated  on  a  sofa, 
"  weeping  the  tears  of  nature,  religion,  and  patience  "  ; 
the  duchess  sitting  by  his  side  and  endeavouring  to  con- 
sole him,  "  which  was  a  less  difficult  task  than  that  of 
appearing  herself  in  need  of  consolation";  the  appari- 
tion of  Madame  in  full  Court  costume — she  tells  us  herself 
that  she  never  possessed  a  robe  de  chambre — among  the 
ladies  en  deshabille,  "  flooding  them  all  with  her  tears 
and  making  the  chateau  resound  with  her  cries  "  ;2   the 

1  Saint-Simon. 

2  And,  only  the  previous  day,  according  to  the  chronicler,  she  had 
had  a  long  conversation  with  him,  in  which  she  did  not  attempt  to 
conceal  her  disappointment  at  the  news  that  Monseigneur's  illness 
had  taken  a  favourable  turn,  and  that  he  seemed  likely  to  get  over  it. 


68  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

varied  emotions — hope,  despair,  rage,  satisfaction — which 
revealed  themselves  on  the  faces  of  the  courtiers  ;  the 
groans  and  tears  of  Monseigneur's  servants.  But  no  part 
of  that  picture  is  more  vivid  than  that  in  which  he  paints 
the  despair  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Berry,  skilfully 
discriminating  between  the  grief  which  proceeds  from 
genuine  affection,  and  that  which  is  the  outcome  of 
baffled  spite  and  thwarted  ambition : 

"  The  Due  de  Berry  shed  abundance  of  tears,  but  tears 
of  blood,  so  to  speak,  so  great  appeared  their  bitterness  ; 
and  he  gave  utterance  not  only  to  sobs,  but  to  cries, 
nay,  even  to  yells.  Now  and  again  he  was  silent,  but 
from  suffocation,  and  then  would  break  out  once  more 
with  such  a  noise,  such  a  trumpet-sound  of  despair,  that 
the  majority  of  those  present  broke  out  also  at  these 
dolorous  repetitions,  either  impelled  by  affliction  or  de- 
corum. He  became  so  bad,  in  fact,  that  his  people  were 
forced  to  undress  him,  put  him  to  bed,  and  summon  the 
doctor." 

"  The  Duchess  de  Berry  was  beside  herself,  and  we 
shall  soon  see  why.  The  most  bitter  despair  was  de- 
picted on  her  countenance.  One  saw,  as  it  were,  written 
there  a  rage  of  grief,  based  on  interest,  not  on  affection  ; 
at  intervals  came  dry  lulls  deep  and  sullen,  then  a  torrent 
of  tears  and  involuntary  gestures,  and  yet  restrained, 
which  revealed  a  profound  bitterness  of  mind.  Often 
aroused  by  the  cries  of  her  husband,  prompt  to  assist 
him,  to  support  him,  to  embrace  him,  her  care  for  him 
was  evident ;  but  soon  came  another  profound  reverie,  then 
another  torrent  of  tears,  which  aided  to  suppress  her  cries." 

The  despair  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  can  well  be 
understood,  for  the  position  in  which  the  sudden  death 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  69 

of  Monseigncur  had  placed  her  was  no  unenviable  one. 
The  mischievous  intrigues  against  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  which  she  had  carried  on  so  assiduously,  in  the 
confident  expectation  that,  in  a  few  years,  the  accession 
of  her  father-in-law  would  enable  her  to  gratify  to  the 
full  both  her  malice  and  her  ambition,  had  been  an  open 
secret  at  the  Court  ;  and  now  Monseigneur  was  no  more, 
and  the  princess  against  whom  she  had  conspired  had 
become  the  wife  of  the  heir  to  the  throne,  before  whom 
every  one  must  bow  down.  The  cabal  with  which  she 
had  associated  herself  no  longer  existed,  and  the  more 
prudent  of  its  former  members  were  endeavouring  to 
make  their  peace  with  the  new  Dauphin  and  Dauphine  ; 
her  father  adored  her,  it  is  true,  but  since  his  intrigues  in 
Spain  he  had  been  quite  without  influence  at  Court  ; 
while  she  had  deeply  offended  her  mother  by  the  rude- 
ness with  which  she  had  repulsed  that  princess's  sage 
counsels,  when  she  had  endeavoured  to  dissuade  her  from 
embarking  in  the  campaign  against  the  Duchesse  de 
Bourgogne,  and  by  the  spiteful  manner  in  which  she  lost 
no  opportunity  of  reminding  her  of  the  disadvantages 
which  attached  to  her  illegitimate  birth.  Saint-Simon 
relates  that,  one  morning  when  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans 
came  to  visit  her  daughter  at  her  toilette,  a  new  usher 
happened  to  be  on  duty.  In  admitting  her,  this  official 
thoughtlessly  threw  open  both  of  the  folding-doors,  an 
honour  which  was  reserved  for  the  King  and  the  "  sons 
and  daughters  of  France."  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  made 
no  attempt  to  disguise  her  annoyance  at  the  mistake,  and 
gave  her  mother  a  very  cold  reception  ;  and  no  sooner 
had  the  latter  departed,  than  she  called  Madame  de 
Saint-Simon,  and  ordered  her  to  discharge  the  maladroit 


70  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

usher  who  had  opened  the  door  as  for  a  "  daughter  of 
France,"  which  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  being  legitimated, 
was  not.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon  reasoned  with  the 
angry  princess,  who  "  insisted,  wept  and  raged,"  but 
finally  consented  to  allow  her  dame  d'honneur  merely  to 
admonish  the  delinquent. 

So  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  found  herself,  through  the 
death  of  Monseigneur,  in  a  position  of  almost  complete 
isolation,  and  might  have  been  in  a  still  more  unpleasant 
one,  if  the  princess  whom  she  had  treated  with  such  in- 
gratitude had  not  been  too  generous  to  trample  on  a 
fallen  foe.  Fortunately  for  her,  both  the  new  Dauphin 
and  his  wife,  so  far  from  wishing  to  humiliate  her,  had 
no  thought  but  that  of  comforting  the  grief-stricken  Due 
de  Berry  and  of  re-establishing  the  intimacy  which  had 
previously  existed  between  them  ;  for,  in  the  circum- 
stances, it  was  impossible  for  the  kind-hearted  Dauphine 
to  cherish  any  resentment  against  this  weak  but  amiable 
prince,  who  had  been  as  wax  in  the  hands  of  his  strong- 
willed  consort.  And,  since  the  reconciliation  with  the 
Due  de  Berry  would  be  incomplete,  if  his  wife  were  not 
included  in  it,  the  Dauphine  decided  to  forget  the  past, 
the  more  readily  since  she  appears  to  have  regarded  the 
machinations  of  her  sister-in-law  rather  as  the  caprices  of  a 
spoiled  child — such  as  she  herself  had  been  at  the  same 
age — than  the  carefully-matured  plans  of  one  who  was 
already  a  woman  in  everything  but  years. 

The  Due  de  Berry,  who  had  never  ceased  to  regret  the 
interruption  of  the  friendly  relations  between  the  two 
families,  welcomed  with  delight  the  opportunity  of  their 
renewal ;  the  duchess  pretended  to  do  likewise,  and  shed 
an  abundance  of  tears,  which  may  have  been  of  relief  at 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  71 

her  escape  from  a  very  precarious  situation,  but  were 
certainly  not  of  gratitude  for  the  generosity  extended  to 
her.  That  generosity  had,  in  fact,  wounded  her  pride  to 
the  quick,  for  "  she  could  not  endure  to  be  under  obliga- 
tions to  any  one";1  and  from  that  moment  her  hatred 
of  her  sister-in-law  became  more  intense  than  ever. 

And,  though  she  had  good  reason  for  congratulation  in 
having  thus  escaped  the  consequences  of  her  treachery 
and  ingratitude,  she  found  it  very  difficult  to  resign  her- 
self to  the  changes  which  the  death  of  Monseigneur 
had  brought.  During  the  lifetime  of  that  prince,  the 
Dues  de  Bourgogne  and  de  Berry  had  been  on  a  footing 
of  equality,  and,  when  the  latter  married,  the  same 
honours  had  been  accorded  to  his  wife  as  to  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne.  Now,  however,  that  the  elder  brother 
had  become  heir-apparent  to  the  Crown,  Louis  XIV. 
decided  that  the  difference  in  their  respective  positions  and 
that  of  their  wives  must  be  clearly  defined,  and  directed 
that  at  the  Dauphin's  lever  the  Due  de  Berry  should  hand 
him  his  shirt,  and  that  at  the  Dauphine's  toilette  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  should  hand  her  her  chemise  and  the 
sale,  a  salver  upon  which  their  watches,  rings,  fans,  and 
so  forth  were  presented  to  the  princesses. 

The  Due  de  Berry  raised  no  difficulty  about  this,  but 
his  wife  was  furious  at  being  thus  publicly  placed  in  a 
position  of  inferiority  to  her  sister-in-law,  and  vowed  that 
nothing  should  induce  her  to  undertake  what  she  stigma- 
tised as  a  menial  service,  and  that,  if  her  husband  con- 
sented so  to  debase  himself,  she  should  hold  him  hence- 
forth in  the  most  supreme  contempt.  The  Due  de  Berry 
endeavoured  to  reason  with  her,  and  was  treated  to  such 

1  Saint-Simon. 


72  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

an  avalanche  of  tears,  threats,  sobs,  and  reproaches  that 
the  poor  prince,  who  had  announced  his  intention  of 
presenting  himself  on  the  following  morning  at  the 
Dauphin's  lever,  did  not  dare  to  do  so,  from  fear  of 
an  open  rupture  with  his  enraged  consort.  The  Due 
d'Orleans,  however,  came  to  his  son-in-law's  succour, 
and,  after  further  unpleasant  scenes,  the  duchess  yielded 
to  the  threat  of  a  new  scolding  from  the  King,  though  it 
was  not  until  several  days  later  that  she  condescended  to 
attend  the  Dauphine's  toilette  and  perform  the  services 
required  of  her.  The  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  only  too 
anxious  to  live  at  peace  with  her  sister-in-law,  prudently 
refrained  from  any  remark  upon  the  latter's  absence  on 
previous  occasions,  and  "  acknowledged  her  services  with 
all  the  grace  imaginable  and  all  the  most  natural  marks 
of  affection."1 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  cherished  another  grievance 
against  the  Bourgognes,  on  the  subject  of  the  division  of 
the  late  Dauphin's  property. 

With  the  exception  of  his  two  country-estates  of 
Meudon  and  Chaville,  both  of  which  he  had  inherited 
from  la  Grande  Mademoiselle,  and  a  valuable  collection  of 
gems  and  curios,  Monseigneur  had  left  little  behind  him. 
The  gems  and  curios,  part  of  which,  however,  had  to  be 
sold  to  defray  the  deceased  prince's  debts,  which  were 
considerable,  were  divided  between  the  King  of  Spain 
and  the  Due  de  Berry  ;  while  the  landed  property  fell  to 
the  share  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne. 

Now,  since  she  and  the  Due  de  Berry  did  not  as  yet 
possess  any  private  residence  of  their  own,  the  duchess 
had  set  her  heart  on  her  husband  becoming  the  owner  of 

1  Saint-Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  73 

Meudon,  where  she  saw  herself  reigning  as  a  sort  of 
queen  ;  and  she  gave  him  no  rest  until  he  had  consented 
to  do  everything  in  his  power  to  gratify  her  desire.  The 
generous  Dauphin  would,  it  appears,  have  been  quite 
willing  to  surrender  Meudon  to  his  brother  ;  but  the 
King,  who  feared  that  it  would  entail  the  creation  of  a 
new  Court,  which  would  be  extremely  undesirable,  both  on 
the  score  of  expense  and  for  other  reasons,  refused  to  hear 
of  it,  and,  by  way  of  compensating  his  grandson  for  his 
disappointment,  made  him  a  present  of  some  valuable  dia- 
monds, some  of  which  no  doubt  found  their  way  into  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry's  jewel-case.  That  princess,  however, 
refused  to  be  consoled,  and,  though  the  Bourgognes  had 
been  quite  innocent  of  offence  in  the  matter,  she  could  not 
bring  herself  to  forgive  them  their  possession  of  Meudon. 

The  Bourgognes  were  not  the  only  persons  who  had 
the  misfortune  to  incur  the  resentment  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  about  this  time.  The  atrocious  rumours  con- 
cerning the  relations  between  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  his 
eldest  daughter  which  had  been  current  at  the  time  of 
the  latter's  marriage  had  not  ceased  with  that  event, 
though  during  the  alliance  between  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
and  Madame  la  Duchesse  little  had  been  heard  of  them. 
Now,  however,  the  younger  princess  had  made  her  peace 
with  the  common  enemy,  and  she  and  Madame  la  Duchesse 
had  ceased  to  be  allies,  with  the  result  that  these 
abominable  reports  had  revived,  and  become  so  persistent 
that  they  had  even  reached  the  Due  de  Berry. 

Let  us  at  once  observe  that  no  serious  historian  has 
ever  attached  any  importance  to  such  an  accusation. 
The  affection  which  united  father  and  daughter  almost 
from  the  latter's  infancy  had  a  very  touching  and  a  very 


74  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

natural  foundation  ;  and  the  unfortunate  similitude  of 
tastes  and  character  which  existed  between  them — their 
inordinate  love  of  good  cheer,  their  fondness  for  dissolute 
company,  their  utter  lack  of  moral  sense — bound  them 
closer  together.  However,  the  public  does  not  reason, 
and  easily  allows  itself  to  be  made  the  dupe  of  slanders 
disseminated  by  those  in  high  places ;  and  already, 
thanks  to  the  malignity  of  Madame  la  Duchesse  and  her 
friends,  the  fact  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  happened  to  be 
just  then  more  assiduous  than  ever  in  his  attentions  to 
his  beloved  daughter,  and  in  the  habit  of  spending  several 
hours  every  day  in  her  company,  was  beginning  to  cause 
tongues  to  wag  very  busily.  If,  however,  their  owners 
had  but  paused  for  reflection,  they  would  have  remem- 
bered that,  since  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  now  enceinte 
and  condemned  to  an  enforced  indolence  very  galling  to 
one  of  her  restless  nature  and  active  habits,  not  only  the 
chase  and  all  outdoor  amusements,  but  even  the  card- 
table,  being  forbidden  by  her  physicians,  it  was  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world  for  her  father  to  desire  to 
console  her  ennui. 

The  Due  de  Berry  was  greatly  distressed  by  these 
abominable  rumours,  without,  however,  believing  them. 
At  the  same  time,  he  could  not  help  remarking  the  length 
and  frequency  of  the  visits  paid  by  the  Due  d'Orleans  to 
his  wife,  and  complained  of  the  impossibility  of  enjoying 
even  an  hour  of  her  society  without  the  risk  of  being 
interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  her  too-affectionate  father. 
His  complaints  reached  the  ears  of  Saint-Simon,  who  had 
already  observed,  he  tells  us,  the  ill-concealed  impatience 
which  the  continual  presence  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  in 
the  young  princess's  apartments  was  regarded  by  her 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  75 

husband,  and  had  endeavoured,  though  without  success, 
to  prevail  upon  his  friend  to  moderate  his  paternal 
assiduity.  He  now  believed  it  to  be  his  duty  to  return 
to  the  charge  much  more  energetically,  and  to  acquaint 
the  Due  d'Orleans  with  the  reports  that  were  current,  "  in 
order  to  prevent  a  quarrel  between  son-in-law  and  father- 
in-law,  based  upon  so  false  and  so  odious  a  foundation." 

"  M.  d'Orleans  was  astonished,"  he  writes  ;  "he  cried 
out  against  the  horror  of  so  abominable  an  imputation 
and  the  villainy  that  had  carried  it  to  the  Due  de  Berry. 
He  thanked  me  for  having  warned  him  of  it,  a  service 
which  few  besides  myself  would  have  rendered  him  ;  and 
I  left  him  to  draw  the  proper  and  natural  conclusion  as 
to  the  line  of  conduct  it  behoved  him  to  pursue." 

Saint-Simon,  of  course,  never  for  a  moment  imagined 
that  the  Due  d'Orleans  would  say  anything  of  what  had 
passed  between  them ;  but  that  prince  was  quite  incapable 
of  keeping  a  secret  from  his  daughter,  and  lost  no  time 
in  relating  to  her  the  whole  conversation.  The  same 
evening,  after  supper,  the  duchess  summoned  Madame  de 
Saint-Simon  into  her  wardrobe,  and,  "  with  a  cold  and 
angry  air,"  expressed  her  astonishment  that  her  husband 
should  be  endeavouring  to  stir  up  a  quarrel  between  the 
Due  d'Orleans  and  herself.  The  dame  d'honneur  assured 
her  that  she  must  have  been  misinformed ;  but  the 
princess  rejoined  that  it  was  only  too  true,  and  thereupon 
repeated  every  word  that  Saint-Simon  had  said  to  her 
father.  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  though  much  surprised, 
did  not  lose  the  calm  and  dignified  manner  which  she 
invariably  assumed  towards  her  wayward  mistress.  She 
replied  with  firmness  that  this  horrible  report  was  public  ; 
that   her   Royal   Highness  could   herself  perceive  what 


76  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

disastrous  consequences  would  follow,  false  and  abomin- 
able as  it  might  be,  and  appreciate  the  importance  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans  being  at  once  informed  of  it.  She 
added  that  her  husband  had  given  so  many  proofs  of  his 
attachment  for  both  the  duke  and  herself  that  his  motives 
were  above  suspicion.  With  which  she  curtsied  and 
retired,  leaving  the  princess  to  her  own  reflections. 

Saint-Simon  was  so  angry  at  this  gross  breach  of  con- 
fidence on  the  part  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  that  for  a  while 
he  ceased  to  visit  both  him  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry, 
though  they  "  cajoled  him  with  all  kinds  of  excuses  and 
apologies."  Eventually,  however,  they  were  reconciled, 
and  he  and  the  duke  became  as  firm  friends  as  ever, 
though  on  the  understanding  that  there  should  be  no 
question  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  between  them.  In- 
deed, from  that  time  forth,  he  tells  us,  he  kept  aloof  from 
the  princess  as  much  as  possible  and  only  visited  her  for 
form's  sake. 

On  July  21,  1711,  at  Fontainebleau,  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  gave  birth  prematurely  to  a  daughter,  who  only 
lived  two  days.  For  this  contretemps  the  senile  tyranny  of 
Louis  XIV.  was  indirectly  responsible,  as  it  had  been  for 
the  miscarriage  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  at  Marly, 
three  years  before.  Although  the  doctors  had  warned 
the  King  that  it  would  be  imprudent  for  the  princess 
to  travel  to  Fontainebleau,  and  the  Due  de  Berry,  Madame 
de  Maintenon,  and  Madame  had  begged  him  to  allow  her 
to  remain  behind,  he  insisted  on  her  following  the  Court ; 
and  the  only  concession  that  they  were  able  to  obtain 
was  permission  for  her  to  make  the  journey  by  water. 

Singularly  enough,  while  insisting  on  the  unfortunate 
Duchesse  de  Berry  taking  a  serious  and  wholly  unneces- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  77 

sary  risk  merely  to  gratify  his  desire  to  have  all  his 
relatives  in  attendance  upon  him,  his  Majesty  issued  the 
most  stringent  orders  as  to  the  precautions  which  she  was 
to  observe  in  Paris,  while  waiting  for  the  barges  required 
for  the  conveyance  of  herself  and  her  suite  to  be  made 
ready,  and  forbade  her  to  quit  the  Palais-Royal,  even  to 
visit  the  Opera,  where  her  box  was  on  the  same  floor  as 
her  apartments. 

On  July  15,  the  duchess  embarked,  in  company  with 
her  father,  and  proceeded  as  far  as  Petit-Bourg,  where  the 
King  was  to  pass  the  night.  The  journey,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  precautions  taken,  had  tried  her  very  much, 
and  she  arrived  feeling  exceedingly  unwell.  On  the 
morrow,  as  her  barge  was  passing  under  the  bridge  of 
Melun,  it  collided  with  one  of  the  piers,  and  was  very 
nearly  swamped,  much  to  the  alarm  of  the  duchess,  who 
was  compelled  to  make  the  remainder  of  the  journey  to 
Fontainebleau  by  road.  She  arrived  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  utterly  worn  out,  with  the  result  which  might  have 
been  anticipated.  "  As  it  was  only  a  daughter,"  says 
Saint-Simon,  '.'  they  consoled  themselves,  and  the  Due 
de  Berry  set  them  the  example,  for  while  the  remains  of 
his  child  were  being  carried  to  Saint-Denis,  he  was  hunt- 
ing with  the  Dauphin." 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  made  a  rapid  recovery,  and  to- 
wards the  end  of  August  was  permitted  to  follow  the 
chase  in  an  elegant  little  caleche  which  she  had  just  had 
made  for  her  ;  while  on  September  7  she  was  able  to 
mount  her  horse  once  more.  For  a  few  weeks  the  life  of 
the  young  lady  appears  to  have  been  relatively  tranquil, 
but  soon  it  became  stormy  again. 

This  time  the  cause  of  the  trouble  was  the  princess's 


78  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

behaviour  towards  her  mother,  who  was  now  beginning 
to  realise  that  not  even  a  great  princess  can  afford  to 
neglect  her  duty  towards  her  children  without  some  day 
being  called  upon  to  suffer  for  it.  In  default  of  more 
maternal  sentiments,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  had  always 
shown  her  eldest  daughter  much  kindness  and  indulgence, 
which  the  latter  repaid  by  treating  her  with  the  most 
mortifying  coldness  and  hauteur,  and  allowing,  as  we 
have  seen,  no  opportunity  to  slip  of  reminding  her  of  the 
unfortunate  circumstances  of  her  birth.  At  length,  she 
began  to  testify  her  antipathy  in  so  marked  a  manner 
as  to  earn  several  sharp  reprimands  from  the  King,  but 
these,  so  far  from  causing  any  improvement  in  her  con- 
duct, seemed  only  to  make  her  the  more  insolent  and 
spiteful  ;  and  Louis  XIV.  accordingly  charged  Madame 
to  take  her  granddaughter  in  hand  and  endeavour  to 
bring  her  to  her  senses.  The  old  princess,  who  never 
shrank  from  reprimanding  the  young  for  their  follies, 
and  with  whom  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  no  favourite, 
readily  accepted  the  commission,  stipulating  only  that 
the  King  should  warn  the  princess  of  the  order  that  he 
had  given.  This  request  having  been  complied  with,  she 
sent  for  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  her  parents,  and 
proceeded  to  give  her  a  piece  of  her  mind. 

The  delinquent  "  shed  warm  tears  and  promised  re- 
peatedly to  reform  "  ;  and,  as  Madame,  by  the  King's 
desire,  continued  to  bestow  upon  her  periodical  admoni- 
tions, for  a  while  there  appears  to  have  been  some  slight 
improvement.  "  The  pupil  whom  they  have  entrusted 
to  my  care,"  writes  the  old  princess,  under  date  November 
15,  171 1,  "  conducts  herself  better  now,  thanks  be  to  God, 
and  profits  by  my  lectures.    God  grant  that  it  may  last  [ " 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  79 

But  it  is  evident  that  there  was  still  ample  room  for 
amendment,  since  Madame  tells  us,  in  the  same  letter, 
that  she  had  had  occasion  to  reprimand  her  grand- 
daughter for  "  drinking  too  much,  for  making  wry  faces 
at  the  King,  for  ill-using  her  husband,  for  living  on  bad 
terms  with  the  Dauphine,  for  attacking  every  one  to  their 
faces,  for  being  discourteous,  and  for  other  like  things." 

Madame  continued  to  lecture  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
for  some  three  months,  but,  though  the  latter  appeared 
to  receive  the  grandmaternal  admonitions  in  a  duly  con- 
trite spirit,  and  for  a  few  days  behaved  as  though  she 
was  sincere  in  her  professions  of  penitence,  they  in  reality 
produced  not  the  smallest  effect  upon  her,  and  her  con- 
duct, particularly  towards  her  mother,  soon  became  as 
reprehensible  as  ever.  Nor  was  this  at  all  surprising, 
since  she  had  lately  bestowed  her  confidence  upon  one  of 
her  waiting-women,  a  certain  Mile,  de  Vienne,  a  bold  and 
unprincipled  young  woman,  whose  mother  had  been 
nurse  to  Philippe  d'Orleans,  and  who  had  perhaps  not 
escaped  the  favours  of  that  prince.  This  Mile,  de  Vienne 
would  seem  to  have  cherished  a  grudge  against  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans;  any  way,  she  laboured  to  set  the 
duke  at  variance  with  his  wife,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
with  her  mother,  and  was  only  too  successful.  Finally, 
at  the  beginning  of  January  1712,  these  family  dissen- 
sions occasioned  a  regular  scandal,  which  showed  Madame 
that  she  might  just  as  well  have  spared  her  breath  for 
all  the  good  her  long-winded  reprimands  had  done  her 
wilful  granddaughter. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  happened  to  possess  a  very  beautiful 
diamond  necklace,  which  had  been  given  to  his  father  by 
Anne  of  Austria,  and  with  which  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans 


80  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

loved  to  adorn  herself.  With  the  twofold  object  of 
gratifying  her  vanity  and  annoying  her  mother,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  conceived  the  idea  of  getting  temporary 
possession  of  this  resplendent  bauble  and  wearing  it  at  a 
grand  ball  which  was  to  be  given  by  the  Chancellor, 
Pontchartrain.  Although  sure  of  meeting  with  a  refusal, 
she  applied  to  her  mother,  in  whose  jewel-case  it  reposed, 
for  the  loan  of  it,  and  when  she  received  the  answer 
anticipated,  retorted  insolently  that  the  necklace  be- 
longed to  her  father  and  that  she  could  easily  persuade 
him  to  give  it  her.  In  point  of  fact,  Philippe  d'Orleans 
had  the  incredible  weakness  to  surrender  to  his  daughter's 
caprice  ;  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  wore  the  coveted 
diamonds  at  the  Pontchartrain  ball  and  at  other  New 
Year  festivities. 

But  her  triumph  was  of  very  brief  duration,  for  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  complained  bitterly  of  her  daughter's 
insufferable  insolence,  and  found,  on  this  occasion,  a  firm 
support  in  Madame,  who  repaired  to  the  King's  cabinet, 
and  acquainted  his  Majesty  with  what  had  occurred. 
"  Those  who  saw  her  come  out,"  writes  Dangeau,  "  say 
that  she  had  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  that  they  do  not 
concern  her,  and  that  it  is  a  question  of  some  difference 
between  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  her  mother.  What  confirms  people  in  this 
opinion,  is  that  the  two  have  been  seen  together  at  Mass 
in  the  loge  of  the  tribune,  and  that  they  did  not  seem 
pleased  with  one  another,  and  that  in  the  evening  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  observed  to  enter  Madame  de 
Maintenon's  apartment,  where  the  King  was,  and  where 
she  remained  rather  a  long  time."1 

1  Journal,  January  7,  1712. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  81 

The  King,  we  are  told,  was  exceedingly  annoyed  and 
spoke  of  adopting  very  severe  measures  to  bring  his  grand- 
daughter to  reason.  The  latter,  who  had  developed  a 
diplomatic  chill  and  betaken  herself  to  bed,  recognising 
that  this  time  she  had  gone  altogether  too  far,  became 
decidedly  alarmed,  and  suffered  herself  to  be  persuaded 
by  the  Dauphine,  though  not  until  after  several  long  dis- 
cussions, to  apologise  to  her  indignant  mother.  On  the 
morrow,  accordingly,  she  repaired,  in  an  apparently  very 
chastened  mood,  to  the  apartments  of  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  where  a  formal  reconciliation  took  place 
between  mother  and  daughter.  "  The  Duchesse  de 
Berry,"  continues  Dangeau,  "  spoke  to  her  [the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans]  with  much  affection  and  deference,  praying 
her  very  earnestly  to  give  her  all  her  counsels,  as  though 
she  were  still  her  daughter,  and  asserting  that  it  had 
always  been  her  intention  to  do  well  and  that  she  would 
do  still  better  in  the  future  ;  and  that,  if  she  had  com- 
mitted any  wrong,  she  must  pardon  a  person  of  her  age. 
The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  embraced  her  very  tenderly,  and 
promised  to  set  her  right  with  the  King." 

The  King,  however,  was  not  so  easily  placated  as  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and  insisted  on  the  instant  dismissal 
of  Mile,  de  Vienne,  to  whose  pernicious  counsels  this  un- 
seemly family  quarrel  was  generally  attributed.  Nor 
would  he  allow  the  offender  to  present  herself  before  him, 
until  Madame  had  interceded  for  her,  and  represented 
that  the  dismissal  of  the  waiting-woman,  to  whom  his 
granddaughter  was  greatly  attached,  was  a  sufficient 
punishment. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  therefore  permitted  to 
resume  her  place  at  the  King's  supper-table,  but  she  was 

G 


82  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

quite  unable  to  conceal  her  resentment  at  the  disgrace 
of  her  favourite,  and  though  her  mother,  to  appease  her, 
surrendered  the  diamond  necklace,  the  immediate  cause 
of  all  the  trouble,  she  continued  in  a  most  unamiable 
humour.  For  not  only  had  the  enforced  separation  from 
Mile,  de  Vienne  wounded  her  both  in  her  pride  and  her 
affections,  but  she  had  found  that  the  scandal  which  she 
had  so  wantonly  provoked,  and  the  manner  in  which  the 
King  had  manifested  his  displeasure,  had  sadly  diminished 
her  prestige  at  the  Court,  and  that  people  were  no  longer 
disposed  to  treat  her  with  the  deference  she  considered 
her  due.  Thus,  having  on  the  death  of  her  first  equerry, 
the  Marquis  de  Razilly,  had  the  imprudence  to  promise 
the  vacant  post  both  to  the  Chevalier  de  la  Rochefoucauld- 
Roye  and  the  Marquis  de  Levis,  she  had  the  still  greater 
imprudence  to  pass  them  both  over  and  confer  it  upon  a 
third  candidate,  the  Comte  de  Sainte-Maure.  The  cheva- 
lier and  the  marquis  were  naturally  exceedingly  indignant 
at  such  treatment,  and  their  respective  wives  still  more 
so  ;  indeed,  the  latter  went  so  far  as  to  express  their  dis- 
satisfaction to  the  princess  in  most  disrespectful  terms. 
The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  furious  ;  but,  since  she  was 
well  aware  that  neither  the  King  nor  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  would  pay  any  attention  to  her  complaints,  she 
was  compelled  to  stomach  their  insolence  as  best  she 
might,  although  Madame  de  Levis,  who  was  a  daughter 
of  the  Due  de  Chevreuse,  emboldened  by  impunity,  ended 
by  even  daring  to  make  faces  at  her. 

However,  shortly  afterwards,  Death  again  intervened 
to  change  the  situation  of  the  princess,  this  time  alto- 
gether to  her  advantage. 


CHAPTER    IV 

Successive  deaths  of  the  Dauphine,  the  Dauphin,  and  the  little  Due  de 
Bretagne — Joy  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry — Altered  situation  of  the 
princess,  who,  by  the  death  of  her  sister-in-law,  becomes  the  first 
lady  of  the  Court — Lively  passage-at-arms  between  her  and  Madame 
— She  becomes  pregnant  :  rigorous  precautions  insisted  upon  by 
the  King — Cruel  disappointment  which  she  inflicts  upon  the  old 
Marechal  de  Bezons — She  gives  birth  to  a  son,  who,  however,  does 
not  long  survive — She  gains  the  favour  of  the  King,  and  her  position 
becomes  a  very  enviable  one — Her  relations  with  her  husband — 
Intrigue  between  the  Due  de  Berry  and  one  of  his  wife's  waiting- 
women — Compact  between  the  prince  and  princess,  which  leaves 
them  both  free  to  follow  their  own  inclinations — Violent  passion  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  for  her  husband's  first  equerry,  La  Haye — 
She  endeavours  to  persuade  him  to  carry  her  off  to  the  Netherlands 
— Accident  to  the  Due  de  Berry — His  illness  and  death — Exag- 
gerated grief  affected  by  his  widow — Birth  of  a  posthumous 
daughter — Indulgence  of  Louis  XIV.  for  the  duchess  during  the 
last  months  of  his  life. 

THE  autumn  of  171 1  had  been  very  wet,  and  was 
followed  by  a  severe  winter.  A  malignant  type 
of  measles — called  by  the  Faculty,  "  rougeole  pour  pre  " — 
broke  out  in  Paris  and  at  Versailles,  and  claimed  many 
victims.  On  the  evening  of  February  5,  1712,  a  few 
days  after  the  return  of  the  Court  from  a  visit  to  Marly, 
the  Dauphine,  who  had  of  late  been  suffering  much  from 
toothache  and  rheumatism,  and  had,  besides,  severely 
taxed  her  strength  and  rendered  herself  particularly  liable 
to  infection  by  refusing  to  take  the  precautions  her  state 
of  health  required,  was  taken  ill.  Her  malady  soon 
developed  symptoms  which  completely  puzzled  the 
physicians  who  attended  her  ;  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts, 
she  grew  steadily  worse,  and  on  February  12  she  died, 
at    the   early  age    of    twenty-six.1     "  With    her,"    says 

1  For  a  full  account  of  the  death  of  the  Dauphine  and  of  her  husband, 
see  the  author's  A  Rose  of  Savoy  (London,  Methuen  ;  New  York, 
Scribners,  1909). 

83 


84  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Saint-Simon,  "departed  joy,  pleasure,  and  everything 
gracious  ;  and  darkness  brooded  over  the  Court.  She 
had  been  its  life,  and,  if  it  survived  her,  it  was  only  to 
languish.  Never  was  princess  so  regretted  ;  never  was 
one  more  worthy  of  regret." 

The  grief  of  the  Court  was  not  shared  by  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry.  In  losing  her  sister-in-law,  she  had  lost  the 
only  person  at  the  Court  who  entertained  for  her  a  sin- 
cere friendship  and  was  always  ready  to  make  allow- 
ance for  her  faults  ;  but,  so  far  from  appreciating  the 
rare  qualities  of  this  good  and  amiable  princess,  she  was 
unable  to  dissimulate  her  joy  at  seeing  herself  delivered 
from  "  one  greater  and  more  beloved  than  herself,"1 
and  at  becoming,  in  her  stead,  the  first  lady  in  the  land. 
Nor  was  her  satisfaction  lessened  when  the  Dauphin 
(February  18)  and  his  eldest  son,  the  little  Due  de  Bre- 
tagne  (March  8),  followed  the  Dauphine  to  the  grave, 
leaving  only  the  aged  King  and  the  infant  Due  d'Anjou 
between  the  Due  de  Berry  and  the  Crown  of  France. 

As  the  first  lady  in  the  kingdom,  and  likely  to  remain 
so  for  many  a  long  year  to  come,  it  was  no  longer  possible 
for  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  be  kept  in  the  kind  of 
semi-disgrace  to  which  she  had  been  relegated  for  some 
time  past.  Louis  XIV.  had  perforce  to  treat  her  more 
graciously,  though  he  charged  Madame  to  continue  her 
admonitions  ;  and  the  Court  naturally  followed  suit. 
She  now  held  a  cercle  of  her  own,  newcomers  to  the 
Court  were  presented  to  her,  and  the  Ambassadors  re- 
ceived in  public  audience  ;  she  presided  with  her  husband 
at  the  gaming-tables  in  the  salon ;  and  the  King  felt 
it  necessary  to  excuse  himself  from  inviting  her  to  ride 

1  Saint- Simon. 


Elizabeth  Charlotte  of  Bavaria,  Duchesse  d'Orleans 

("Madame") 

From  the  painting  by  Hyacinthe  Rigaud,  at  Versailles 
(Photo  by  W.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  85 

in  his  caliche,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  both  a  little 
too  stout  for  so  small  a  carriage  to  hold  them  comfortably. 

All  this  was,  of  course,  very  gratifying  to  the  vanity 
of  the  princess,  and,  for  a  while,  she  appears  to  have 
become  quite  amiable,  even  going  the  length  of  giving 
a  supper-party  in  her  mother's  honour  one  evening  at 
Fontainebleau.  But  this  improvement  does  not  appear 
to  have  lasted  very  long,  for  at  the  beginning  of  the 
following  October,  Madame,  after  a  particularly  lively 
passage  of  arms  with  the  young  lady,  pronounces  her  to 
be  "  more  foolish  and  more  impertinent  than  ever." 

"  Yesterday,"  her  grandmother  continues,  "  she  tried 
to  snub  me,  but  I  gave  her  a  piece  of  my  mind.  She 
came  to  me,  sumptuously  adorned,  in  full  Court  toilette, 
with  fourteen  poincons  of  the  most  beautiful  diamonds 
imaginable.  She  looked  well  enough,  except  that  she 
had  put  twelve  patches  on  her  face,  which  were  horribly 
unsuited  to  her.  When  she  came  before  me,  I  said  to  her  : 
'  Madame,  you  look  splendid,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  you 
have  too  many  patches,  and  they  do  not  give  you  a  very 
distinguished  air.  You  are  the  first  lady  in  this  land, 
and  your  position  requires  rather  more  gravity  than  to 
wear  patches  like  an  actress  on  the  stage.'  She  made 
a  wry  face  and  said  :  '  I  know  you  don't  care  for  patches 
and  that  they  displease  you,  but  I  like  them,  and  I  in- 
tend to  please  nobody  but  myself.'  '  That  is  an  error,' 
I  said  to  her,  '  which  is  due  to  your  extreme  youth, 
for,  rather  than  please  yourself,  you  ought  to  think  of 
pleasing  the  King.'  '  Oh  !  '  said  she,  '  the  King  gets 
accustomed  to  anything  ;  and,  as  for  me,  I  have  made 
up  my  mind  not  to  bother  myself  about  anything,  and 
not  to  care  about  anything.'    I  laughed  and  said  :  '  With 


86  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

such  sentiments  one  can  go  far.  Listen.  When  I  tell 
you  my  opinion,  I  do  so  for  your  own  good,  because  I 
am  obliged  to  as  your  grandmother,  and  because  the 
King  has  ordered  me.  Otherwise,  I  should  not  say  a 
word.  To  be  silent  is  to  be  on  the  right  side.'  '  Yes,' 
said  she,  '  for  speech  won't  do  any  good  ;  and  won't 
prevent  me  from  doing  as  I  please.'  '  So  much  the  worse 
for  you,'  said  I,  '  but  as  all  that  I  hear  you  say  proceeds 
from  the  errors  of  youth,  I  hope  you  will  change.'  '  I 
am  quite  satisfied,  and  I  don't  intend  to  change.'  '  It 
is  not  enough,'  said  I,  '  to  be  satisfied  with  yourself  ;  it 
is  necessary  that  every  one  should  be  satisfied  with  you.' 
Thereupon  she  got  up.  '  There  is  a  little  head,'  said  I, 
'  which  will  give  you  a  lot  of  trouble.'  '  What  do  you 
mean  by  that  ?  '  she  asked.  '  You  understand  what  I 
mean,'  I  replied  ;  '  and  that's  enough  ;  but,  even  if  you 
don't,  experience  will  soon  enlighten  you.'  With  that 
lesson  she  took  her  departure.  You  see  with  what  a 
mad  creature  we  have  to  deal.  In  the  evening,  I  related 
all  that  had  passed  to  her  father,  adding  that  he  must 
make  his  daughter  clearly  understand  in  what  manner 
she  ought  to  speak  to  me  ;  that  I  had  been  patient  this 
time,  but  that  I  could  not  be  sure  of  being  always  so, 
and  that  I  might  well  complain  to  the  King  of  the  way 
in  which  she  had  received  my  admonitions.  My  son  was 
frightened  ;  he  begged  me  to  say  nothing,  and  promised 
to  reprimand  her  sharply." 

We  can  imagine  how  much  effect  a  reprimand  from  her 
doting  father  would  be  likely  to  have  upon  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry,  who,  Saint-Simon  tells  us,  was  in  the  habit  of 
"  treating  him  like  a  negro,"  when  she  happened  to  be 
in  one  of  her  tantrums.    Moreover,  as  she  was  now  ae-ain 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  87 

in  an  interesting  condition,  the  Due  d'Orleans  no  doubt 
considered  that  it  would  be  imprudent  to  do  anything  to 
agitate  her,  so  that,  if  the  promised  reproof  were  adminis- 
tered at  all,  it  must  have  been  of  the  mildest  possible  kind. 

The  successive  deaths  of  the  Due  de  Bourgogne  and 
the  little  Due  de  Bretagne  had  invested  the  pregnancy 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  with  an  importance  which  it 
would  not  otherwise  have  possessed;  and  Louis  XIV., 
who  ardently  desired  to  see  the  succession  to  the  throne 
in  the  direct  line  secured  against  all  possibility  of  failure, 
insisted  that  the  most  rigorous  precautions  should  be 
taken  to  guard  against  a  repetition  of  the  accident  of  the 
previous  year.  So  on  Christmas  Day — that  is  to  say, 
three  months  before  the  princess  expected  her  confinement 
— she  was,  greatly  to  her  disgust,  ordered  to  bed,  and 
condemned  to  pass  there  the  remainder  of  the  time. 

Everything  possible  was  done,  however,  to  relieve  the 
monotony  of  this  captivity.  The  King  came  to  see  her 
every  day  ;  the  Due  de  Berry  spent  all  his  evenings  with 
her  ;  card-parties  took  place  every  night  in  her  bed- 
chamber, though  they  had  orders  to  terminate  punctually 
at  half-past  nine  ;  and  on  one  occasion,  as  an  unusual 
indulgence,  she  was  permitted  to  entertain  her  friends 
to  a  medianoche,1  at  which  a  performance  of  marionettes 
was  given. 

The  selection  of  the  ladies  who  were  to  superintend 
the  education  of  the  eagerly-expected  child  also  provided 
the  princess  with  some  occupation  ;  and,  incidentally, 
with  the  opportunity  of  inflicting  a  cruel  disappointment 
on  one  of  the  most  worthy  men  at  the  Court. 

1  A  medianoche  was  a  meat-supper  which  took  place  after  mid- 
night on  fast-days. 


88  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

The  Marechal  de  Bezons,  a  gallant  old  soldier,  who  had 
served  his  King  and  country  with  distinction  in  every 
quarter  of  Europe,  solicited  the  post  of  gouvernante  to 
the  future  prince  or  princess  for  his  wife.  The  marshal 
was  far  advanced  in  years  and  possessed  but  a  scant}1' 
fortune,  and  was  therefore  extremely  anxious  to  assure 
his  wife's  future  by  securing  for  her  so  lucrative  a  charge. 
The  Duchesse  de  Berry,  whose  pride  was  gratified  by  the 
prospect  of  having  for  her  child's  gouvernante  the  wife 
of  so  distinguished  a  soldier,  received  his  request  most 
graciously  and  hastened  to  accede  to  it  ;  and  the  marshal 
withdrew,  satisfied  that  nothing  remained  but  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  the  King.  But,  almost  at  the  same  moment, 
she  received  an  application  for  the  post  from  one  of 
her  most  intimate  friends,  the  Marquis  d'Antin,  and 
her  chevalier  d'honneur,  the  Comte  de  Sainte-Maure,  on 
behalf  of  the  Marquise  de  Pompadour,  a  vain  old  woman, 
who  was  intoxicated  with  the  desire  to  occupy  at  the 
Court  an  important  position  ;  and,  coolly  ignoring  the 
promise  she  had  j  ust  given  the  marshal,  acceded  to  this  also. 

Poor  Bezons,  without  seeing  the  princess  again,  went 
to  obtain  the  King's  consent  ;  but  Madame  de  Pompa- 
dour had  anticipated  him,  and  his  Majesty,  while  assuring 
him  of  how  willingly  he  would  have  accorded  it,  told  him 
that  he  had  already  conferred  the  post  upon  that  lady. 
The  old  marshal,  exasperated  at  the  way  he  had  been 
treated,  sought  out  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  expressed 
his  opinion  of  her  conduct  with  as  much  candour  as 
Mesdames  de  Levis  and  de  la  Roye  had  employed,  in 
similar  circumstances,  some  months  before  ;  but  it  is  to 
be  feared  that  the  princess  was  already  too  insensible  to 
shame  to  feel  any  remorse. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  89 

About  ten  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  March  25,  1713, 
while  playing  cards  with  some  of  her  friends,  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  felt  the  first  pains  of  labour,  and  at  four  o'clock 
on  the  following  morning,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  King 
and  her  husband,  she  gave  birth  to  a  son,  who  received 
the  title  of  Due  d'Alencon.  But  their  joy  was  soon  turned 
to  mourning,  for  the  little  prince  was  so  small  and  feeble 
that  from  the  first  it  was  feared  that  he  would  not  live  ; 
and  in  the  night  of  April  9-10,  after  several  attacks  of 
convulsions,  he  expired. 

To  the  credit  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  it  must  be 
recorded  that  she  showed  a  real  tenderness  for  her  little 
son,  and  two  days  before  his  death,  when  he  was  reported 
to  be  in  a  desperate  state,  she  insisted  on  leaving  her  bed 
to  go  to  him  ;  and  the  intervention  of  Louis  XIV.  was 
necessary  to  prevent  this  visit  from  being  repeated. 

On  the  17th,  the  body  of  the  poor  little  prince  was 
conveyed  to  Saint-Denis,  by  the  Bishop  of  Sens,  the 
bishop  of  the  diocese,  and  Mesdames  de  Pompadour  and 
de  Vaudreuil,  his  gouvemante  and  sous-gouvernante.1  His 
heart  was  taken  to  the  Val-de-Grace. 

The  recovery  of  the  duchess  was  again  a  very  rapid 
one,  and  by  the  beginning  of  June  she  had  resumed  her 
ordinary  life,  and  was  following  the  chase — her  favourite 
diversion — with  as  much  ardour  as  ever.  Her  position 
was  now  a  distinctly  enviable  one,  for  Louis  XIV., 
anxious  to  console  her  for  her  recent  bereavement  and 
for  the  three  months'  captivity  which  had  preceded  it, 
and  to  which,  he  hoped,  it  might  soon  be  necessary  for 

1  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  gave  Madame  de  Pompadour  a  pension 
of  12,000  livres,  and  continued  their  salaries  to  all  the  servants  chosen 
for  her  son.  Whatever  were  her  faults,  she  was  generous  enough  in 
money  matters. 


go  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

her  to  submit  again,  treated  her  with  almost  as  much 
kindness  and  indulgence  as  he  had  shown  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne.  On  the  occasion  of  the  double  betrothal 
of  the  Due  de  Bourbon  to  Mile,  de  Conti  and  of  the 
Prince  de  Conti  to  Mile,  de  Bourbon,  she  appeared  covered 
with  all  the  Crown  jewels,  which  the  King  had  lent  her, 
and  which  Dangeau  declares  to  have  been  worth  at  this 
period  more  than  eighteen  million  livres  ; x  she  was  given 
a  suite  of  apartments  for  her  own  at  Fontainebleau  ;  she 
sat  by  the  King's  side  at  the  play  ;  and  her  caleche — a 
costly  equipage  gilded  all  over  and  with  gold-mounted 
harness — followed  his  Majesty's  closely  in  the  chase. 

Nor  was  the  Court  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  not  only 
was  she  actually  the  first  lady  in  the  land,  Madame  de 
Maintenon  not  taking  officially  any  rank,  and  high  in 
favour  with  the  King,  but  that  only  the  life  of  a  frail  child 
intervened  between  her  husband  and  the  succession  to 
the  throne ;  and  those  who  had  once  almost  ignored  her 
were  now  the  most  assiduous  in  their  homage. 

By  the  end  of  the  year,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  though 
she  could  never  hope  to  fill  the  place  which  the  late 
Dauphine  had  occupied  in  the  affections  of  those  around 
her,  enjoyed  in  other  respects  very  much  the  same  posi- 
tion. Her  salon  had  become  the  centre  of  the  Court ;  she 
wore  the  most  extravagant  toilettes,  "  her  coiffure  so 
filled  with  jewels  that  one  could  say  without  exaggera- 
tion that  the  eye  was  unable  to  endure  their  dazzling 
splendour";2  she  gave  the  most  sumptuous  entertain- 
ments ;  she  went  to  the  Fair  of  Saint-Laurent,  threw 
money  to  the  people  in  the  streets,  finished  up  with  a 

1  Journal,  July  8,   1713. 

2  Mercure,  October  1713,  cited  by  Barthelemy. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  91 

supper  at  the  Opera,  to  which  she  entertained  a  number 
of  ladies,  and  returned  to  Marly,  where  the  King  then 
was,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  And  Louis  XIV. 
uttered  no  word  of  protest  and  permitted  her  to  do 
exactly  as  she  pleased.  It  seemed,  indeed,  that  she 
had  not  miscalculated  when  she  had  flippantly  assured 
her  indignant  grandmother  that  the  King  "  got  accus- 
tomed to  anything,"  and  that  she  had  "  made  up  her  mind 
to  trouble  herself  about  nothing." 

But,  if  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  gained  the  favour 
of  the  King  and  the  homage  of  the  Court,  she  had  lost 
the  affection  of  her  husband,  though  this,  so  far  from 
occasioning  her  Royal  Highness  any  regret,  was  regarded 
by  her  with  distinct  relief. 

The  Due  de  Berry,  as  we  have  seen,  had  begun  by 
falling  very  much  in  love  with  his  wife  and  allowing  him- 
self to  be  entirely  dominated  by  her  superior  intelligence 
and  strength  of  will ;  and  for  the  first  two  years  of  their 
married  life  he  submitted  meekly  to  the  yoke,  and  con- 
tinued to  adore  her,  notwithstanding  her  violent  temper, 
her  fantastic  caprices,  and  her  increasing  indifference  to 
himself.  "  The  Due  de  Berry,"  writes  Madame,  under 
date  May  21,  1712,  "  is  very  enamoured  of  his  wife,  who  is 
unhappily  not  enamoured  of  him,  and,  although  she  be- 
haves better  than  she  used  to,  I  fear  that  she  will  become 
coquettish.    She  has  a  strong  propensity  in  that  direction." 

But  even  the  patience  of  the  most  long-suffering  and 
uxorious  husband  has  its  limits,  and  the  Due  de  Berry 
would  assuredly  have  been  something  more  than  human 
if  his  .wife  had  not  succeeded  in  exhausting  it.  In  every 
conceivable  way  she  provoked  and  disgusted  him.  She 
ridiculed  his  piety,  or  rather  his  respect  for  religion,  and 


92  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

made  his  strict  observance  of  Lent  and  fast-days  the 
subject  of  such  biting  jests  that  sometimes,  to  escape 
them,  he  would  do  violence  to  his  conscience  and  partake 
of  what  the  Church  had  forbidden.  She  interfered  per- 
petually with  the  management  of  his  Household,  and 
forced  him  to  dismiss  persons  whose  services  he  valued, 
but  against  whom  she  happened  to  have  some  fancied 
grievance.  "  She  partook  of  few  meals  in  private  at 
which  she  did  not  become  so  intoxicated  as  to  lose 
consciousness,  and  the  presence  of  the  Due  de  Berry,  of 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and  of  ladies  with  whom 
she  was  not  on  familiar  terms,  in  no  way  restrained  her. 
She  even  complained  of  the  Due  de  Berry  for  not  doing 
as  she  did."1  Her  temper,  always  violent,  had  become 
so  volcanic  that  neither  he  nor  her  parents,  "  dared 
hazard  the  least  contradiction,  much  less  the  least 
admonition,"2  from  fear  of  provoking  some  distressing 
scene.  And,  finally,  although  the  atrocious  rumours 
concerning  her  relations  with  the  Due  d'Orleans,  skilfully 
fostered  by  Madame  la  Duchesse  and  her  friends,  had 
become  more  persistent  than  ever  and  threatened  to 
cause  a  terrible  scandal,  she  stubbornly  refused  to  take 
the  only  means  of  putting  a  stop  to  them,  and  the  few 
hours  she  could  spare  from  the  chase,  the  toilette,  and 
the  gambling-table,  which  absorbed  the  greater  part  of 
her  time,  were  given  to  her  father. 

At  length,  her  conduct  became  so  intolerable  that  the 
poor  man  could  endure  it  no  longer.  In  one  of  his 
moments  of  vexation,  he  had  "  forgotten  himself  "  with 
a  waiting-woman  of  his  wife,  whom  Madame  describes 
as   "  swarthy   and   ugly,"   but   who,   nevertheless,   pos- 

1  Saint- Simon.  2  J  bid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  93 

sessed  sufficient  attractions  to  inspire  in  him  a  serious 
attachment.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  not  long  in 
discovering  what  was  in  progress,  but,  instead  of  flying 
into  one  of  her  passions,  she  perceived  in  it  a  means  of 
disembarrassing  herself  of  a  husband  whose  affection 
only  wearied  her  and  of  securing  the  most  complete 
liberty.  She  accordingly  bided  her  time,  and  presently 
detected  the  duke  and  the  femme  de  chambre  in  a  situa- 
tion which  rendered  denial  impossible.  Then,  without 
making  any  scene,  she  coolly  proposed  to  her  erring 
consort  that  henceforth,  while  living  together,  as  they  had 
at  first,  on  amicable  terms,  he  should  go  his  own  way 
and  allow  her  to  do  the  same,  promising  to  behave  as 
though  she  had  not  the  least  suspicion  of  his  infidelity. 
If  he  did  not  agree  to  this,  she  threatened  to  complain 
to  the  King  and  to  demand  that  his  inamorata  should  be 
banished  so  far  from  the  Court  that  "  never  for  the  rest 
of  his  life  would  he  see  her  or  hear  her  voice  again."1 

The  Due  de  Berry  accepted  his  wife's  proposition,  and 
from  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasion  of 
which  we  shall  presently  speak,  left  her  to  follow  her  own 
inclinations  ;  while  he  continued  to  solace  his  leisure 
with  her  waiting- woman,  whom  he  married  early  in  1713, 
with  a  handsome  dowry,  but  on  the  condition  that  her 
husband  should  have  no  conjugal  relations  with  her. 
"  He  died  loving  her,"  writes  Madame,  "  and  left  her, 
like  his  wife,  in  an  interesting  condition.  Madame  de 
Berry,  who  was  not  in  the  least  jealous,  took  care  of  both 
mother  and  child." 

Thus  delivered  from  all  possibility  of  surveillance  on 

1  Lettres  inedites  de  Madame,  Duchesse  d' Orleans  (edit.  Rolland), 
Letter  of  March  31,  171 7. 


94  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

the  part  of  her  husband,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  proceeded 
to  indulge  to  the  full  that  propensity  for  flirtation  which 
Madame  had  already  remarked  in  her.  From  flirtation 
she  soon  passed  to  a  more  serious  kind  of  gallantry,  and, 
after  an  intrigue  with  a  M.  de  Salvert,  an  official  of  the 
Grande  Ecurie,  she  fixed  her  affections  on  La  Haye,  first 
equerry  to  the  duke,  whom  Saint-Simon  describes  as 
"  tall,  well-made,  and  a  good  horseman,"  but  with  "  a 
sunburned  face,  which,  besides,  had  never  been  handsome, 
a  foppish  and  foolish  manner,  and  little  intelligence." 
Of  this  personage,  for  whom  she  purchased  the  office  of 
first  chamberlain  to  her  husband,  which  entitled  him 
to  a  place  in  the  duke's  carriage  and  at  his  table,  the 
princess  became  most  desperately  enamoured ;  and  "  the 
oglings  in  the  salon  at  Marly  were  perceived  by  every  one 
who  happened  to  be  there,  since  nothing  restrained 
them."1  Finally,  so  violent  became  her  passion  that 
she  actually  conceived  the  project  of  making  him  carry 
her  off  to  the  Netherlands. 

"  La  Haye  was  like  to  die  with  fright  at  this  proposi- 
tion, which  she  herself  made  him,  and  she  of  the  fury  into 
which  his  objections  threw  her.  From  the  most  pressing 
entreaties  she  passed  to  all  the  invectives  that  rage  could 
suggest,  and  which  torrents  of  tears  could  allow  her  to  pro- 
nounce. La  Haye  had  to  suffer  her  attacks — now  tender, 
now  furious.  He  was  in  the  most  mortal  embarrass- 
ment." 2 

Despite  the  resistance  of  her  lover,  the  princess  clung 
to  this  mad  idea  for  a  long  time,  and  tormented  the  un- 
happy equerry  to  such  a  degree  with  her  tears,  entreaties, 
reproaches  and  threats  that  he  began  most  heartily  to 

1  Saint- Simon.  2  Ibid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  95 

regret  his  so-called  bonne  fortune,  and  would  fain  have 
hidden  himself  from  her,  had  he  not  feared  that,  in  her 
rage  at  his  disappearance,  she  would  provoke  a  scandal 
which  would  render  his  return  to  Court  for  ever  impossible. 
At  length,  either  because  she  had  recovered  her  senses, 
or  in  despair  of  overcoming  his  reluctance,  she  ceased  to 
persecute  him.  But  the  liaison  continued  until  the  death 
of  the  Due  de  Berry  and  for  some  time  afterwards. 

The  loss  of  her  husband's  affection  had  troubled  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  not  at  all ;  but  the  loss  of  the  poor 
man  himself,  which  soon  followed,  was  quite  another 
matter,  since  it  deprived  her  of  the  possibility,  at  this 
time  far  from  a  remote  one,  of  ever  becoming  Queen  of 
France. 

The  almost  incredible  imprudence  of  the  Due  de  Berry 
was  the  cause  of  his  death.  On  Thursday,  April  26, 
the  Court  being  then  at  Marly,  he  went  hunting  with  the 
King  and  the  Elector  of  Bavaria.  Recent  rain  had 
rendered  the  ground  very  treacherous,  and,  in  the  course 
of  the  chase,  his  horse  slipped  and  nearly  came  down. 
He  pulled  him  up  sharply,  and,  as  the  animal  recovered 
his  feet,  "  the  pommel  of  the  saddle  struck  the  Due  de 
Berry  between  the  chest  and  the  stomach." 

"  He  felt  at  once  a  sharp  pain,"  contiuues  Madame,  "but 
he  said  nothing.  The  same  evening,  he  spat  blood,  and 
forbade  his  valet  de  chambre  to  speak  of  it.  He  thought 
he  had  dysentery,  and  did  not  wish  to  say  anything,  from 
fear  of  being  made  to  swallow  a  heap  of  remedies.  He 
hoped  that  it  would  pass  away.  Friday,  he  began  to  feel 
unwell,  but  he  said  that  it  was  only  a  slight  indisposition. 
Saturday,  he  went  to  the  chase.  The  same  day,  a  peasant, 
who  had  witnessed  the  blow  which  the  prince  had  re- 


96  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

ceived,  inquired  of  one  of  the  King's  gentlemen  :  '  How 
is  the  Due  de  Berry  ?  '  '  Very  well,'  replied  the  other, 
'  for  he  has  gone  wolf -hunting  to-day.'  '  If  he  is  well 
then,'  said  the  peasant,  '  princes  must  have  stronger 
bones  than  we  peasants,  since  I  saw  him  receive  a  blow 
during  the  chase  on  Thursday  that  would  have  split  open 
three  of  us.'  "1 

On  the  following  Monday  morning  (April  30),  though 
feeling  far  from  well,  the  Due  de  Berry  rose  at  an  early 
hour  to  attend  the  King's  lever,  after  which  he  intended 
to  go  stag-hunting  ;  but,  on  leaving  the  royal  chamber, 
he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fit  of  shivering,  which 
obliged  him  to  retire  to  bed.  He  was  soon  in  a  high  fever, 
and  though  in  the  evening  he  was  bled  in  the  foot,  this 
afforded  him  no  relief,  and  he  passed  a  very  bad  night. 
At  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning,  he  was  again  bled, 
but  the  fever  continued  to  increase ;  and  when,  after 
Mass,  Louis  XIV.  came  to  see  his  grandson,  the  doctors, 
contrary  to  their  usual  custom  in  the  case  of  royal  patients, 
made  no  attempt  to  disguise  their  uneasiness. 

It  should  be  remarked  that  the  Due  de  Berry  had  as  yet 
said  not  a  word  about  the  accident  of  the  previous  Thurs- 
day ;  and  when,  later  in  the  day,  the  doctors  proposed 
to  administer  emetics,  he  offered  no  objection  to  taking 
them.  These  must  undoubtedly  have  destroyed  any 
chance  of  ultimate  recovery  which  the  unfortunate  prince 
might  have  possessed. 

The  Due  de  Berry  again  passed  a  very  restless  night, 
and  in  the  morning  was  bled  for  the  third  time.     Early 

1  Letter  of  May  6,  1714,  Lettres  inediles  de  la  Princesse  Palatine 
(edit.  Rolland).  We  have  transcribed  these  details,  since  Saint-Simon 
tells  us  that  the  death  of  the  Due  de  Berry  gave  rise  to  the  most  sinister 
suspicions,  which  he  himself  appears  to  have  shared. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  97 

in  the  forenoon,  the  duchess,  who  was  once  more  in  an 
interesting  condition  and  had  been  obliged  to  remain 
at  Versailles,  sent  her  chevalier  d'honnear,  Coetenfao,  to 
beg  the  King  to  allow  Chirac,  the  favourite  physician  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  to  come  to  Marly.1  But  Louis  XIV. 
refused,  observing  that  all  the  doctors  in  attendance  on 
the  prince  were  of  the  same  opinion,  and  that  a  new- 
comer, who  might  differ  from  them,  would  only  create 
embarrassment.  After  dinner,  the  princess  sent  Mesdames 
de  Pompadour  and  de  la  Vieuville,  '  to  demand  his 
Majesty's  permission  for  her  to  come  herself  to  Marly," 
since  she  was  unable  to  endure  the  anxiety  she  was 
suffering,  and  would  come  on  foot  rather  than  not  come 
at  all."  The  King  replied  that,  if  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
arrived,  he  would  not  close  the  door  against  her,  but  that 
it  would  be  very  imprudent  for  her  to  come.  And  he 
charged  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  go  to  Ver- 
sailles and  persuade  their  daughter  to  renounce  her 
project.  This  they  did,  and,  "  after  the  review  [of  the 
Gardes  du  Corps],  while  the  King  was  changing  his 
dress,  the  Due  d'Orleans  came  to  tell  him  that  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  had  finally  surrendered  to  his  en- 

1  Madame  relates  an  amusing  anecdote  of  this  personage,  who, 
during  the  Mississippi  "  boom  "  some  years  later,  contracted  the  specu- 
lative fever  in  a  rather  virulent  form  :  "  Dr.  Chirac  was  summoned 
to  the  bedside  of  a  sick  lady.  Whilst  he  was  with  her,  some  one  re- 
marked that  the  shares  [of  Law's  bank]  were  going  down.  The  doctor, 
who  held  a  great  many  shares,  was  so  much  disturbed  that,  even  when 
feeling  his  patient's  pulse,  he  kept  muttering  to  himself  :  '  Going  down, 
down,  down  !  '  Hearing  this,  the  sick  woman  began  weeping  and 
lamenting  :  '  Alas  !  '  said  she,  '  I  am  surely  dying.  M.  Chirac,  when 
feeling  my  pulse,  whispered,  "  Going  down,  down,  down  !  "  '  The 
doctor,  aroused  from  his  reverie,  looked  up,  on  hearing  this,  and  said, 
'  You  are  dreaming  ;  your  pulse  is  regular,  and  you  will  soon  be  quite 
well.  I  was  thinking  of  the  Mississippi  shares,  which  are  going  down 
in  price.'    Thus,  he  reassured  the  sick  lady." 

H 


98  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

treaties  and  his  counsels,  and  that  she  would  not  come. 
The  King  again  charged  M.  d'Orleans  to  go  to  Versailles, 
to  sustain  her  in  this  prudent  resolution."1 

The  truth  is  that  the  Due  de  Berry  did  not  wish  to  see 
his  wife,  and,  according  to  Saint-Simon,  during  his  last 
illness,  "  he  never  once  mentioned  her  name,  or  spoke 
of  her,  even  indirectly."  Notwithstanding  the  compact 
between  them  of  which  we  have  spoken,  fresh  quarrels 
had  arisen,  owing  perhaps  to  the  almost  public  manner  in 
which  the  duchess  had  proclaimed  her  infatuation  for 
La  Haye,  but,  more  probably,  to  the  duke's  disgust  at 
the  rumours  which  the  maladroit  attentions  of  his  father- 
in-law  were  provoking.  Any  way,  there  had  recently 
been  a  most  violent  scene  at  Rambouillet,  in  which  the 
duchess  "  received  a  kick  .  .  .  and  the  threat  that  she 
should  be  shut  up  in  a  convent  for  the  rest  of  her  life  ;  and 
when  the  Due  de  Berry  fell  ill,  he  was  thumbing  his  hat, 
like  a  child,  before  the  King,  relating  all  his  grievances,  and 
asking  him  to  deliver  him  from  the  Duchesse  de  Berry."2 

The  night  of  May  2-3  was  even  worse  than  those  which 
had  preceded  it,  and,  in  the  morning,  although  the  Due 
de  Berry  still  remained  silent  about  his  accident,  the 
doctors  were  unanimously  of  opinion  that  he  had  rup- 
tured a  vein  in  the  stomach.3  The  nausea,  which  had 
been  a  marked  feature  of  his  illness  from  the  first,  and 
had  given  rise  to  the  suspicions  of  which  Saint-Simon 
speaks,  ceased  about  nine  o'clock  ;  but  the  patient  was 
no  better  ;  and  the  King,  who  had  intended  to  hunt  that 
day,  countermanded  his  carriage. 

1  Dangeau,  Journal,  May  2,  1714.  2  Saint-Simon. 

3  Saint- Simon.  But  Dangeau  says  that  the  Faculty  had  arrived 
at  this  conclusion  on  the  morning  of  the  2nd. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  99 

Towards  evening,  the  prince  was  moved  from  his  bed 
into  an  arm-chair,  as  he  was  unable  to  breathe  in  a  re- 
cumbent position.     This  appears  to  have  relieved  him 
greatly,  and  when,  shortly  after  eight  o'clock,  Madame 
and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  visited  the  sick-room,  they 
found  him  quite  cheerful  and  convinced  that  the  worst 
was  over.     "  He  believed,"   writes   the  elder  princess, 
"  that  he  was  out  of  danger,  and  said  to  me,  with  a 
laugh  :    '  For  the  present,  Madame,  I  think  I  may  tell 
you  that  I  am  saved  ;  I  have  no  more  fever  and  no  longer 
feel  ill.'     Then  he  called  out  in  a  loud  voice  :    '  Give  a 
chair  to  Madame  and  a  seat  to  Madame  d'Orleans,  and 
let  us  talk.'     '  Certainly  not,'  I  replied,  '  talking  might 
bring  back  the  fever  :    do  not  talk  so  much.'    While  still 
chatting,   he  was  seized  with  a  violent  attack  of  hic- 
coughs, and  he  spoke  with  difficulty,  since  he  was  scarcely 
able  to  breathe.     Madame  d'Orleans,  who  thought  that 
he  was  really  out  of  danger,  was  astonished  to  see  me, 
as  we  left  the  room,  with  tears  in  my  eyes.    She  inquired 
why  I  was  crying.    '  Eh,  mon  Dieu,  Madame  !  '   I  replied, 
'  can  you  not  see,  from  his  breathing,  his  voice,  and  that 
hiccough,    that   the   prince   is   dying.'     She   would   not 
believe  me,  but  she  saw  afterwards  that  I  had  spoken 
only  too  truly."1 

In  point  of  fact,  scarcely  had  the  two  princesses  left 
him,  than  the  Due  de  Berry  had  an  alarming  relapse, 
and  his  confessor,  Pere  de  la  Rue,  felt  obliged  to  warn 
him  that  the  time  had  come  when  he  ought  to  think  of 
receiving  the  Viaticum.  "  Very  far  from  offering  any 
objection,"   says   Dangeau,   "  he  expressed  a  desire   to 

1  Lettres  inidites  de  la  Princesse  Palatine  (edit.  Rolland),  Letter 
of  May  6,  1714. 


ioo  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

do  so,  and,  a  little  after  ten  o'clock,  the  King  went  to  the 
chapel,  where,  since  the  beginning  of  the  malady,  a  con- 
secrated Host  had  been  kept  in  readiness.  The  Viaticum 
and  the  holy  oils  were  brought  to  the  Due  de  Berry  ;  and 
the  King  remained  nearly  an  hour  in  his  chamber,  and 
saw  him  receive  the  Holy  Sacrament,  which  he  did  with 
much  devotion  and  respect.  .  .  .  The  Due  d'Orleans 
went  two  hours  after  midnight  to  Versailles,  to  see  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  had  been  desirous  of  coming 
here  all  day."1 

At  four  o'clock  next  morning  (Thursday,  May  4),  the 
Due  de  Berry  expired,  in  his  twenty-eighth  year.  Shortly 
before  the  end,  he  related  to  Pere  de  la  Rue  the  accident 
which  had  happened  to  him  the  previous  week,  and 
which — or  rather  its  concealment — had  had  such  fatal 
consequences  ;  "  but,"  observes  Dangeau,  "  his  mind 
was  already  beginning  to  wander."  "  When  he  had  lost 
the  power  of  speech,"  the  chronicler  continues,  "  he  took 
the  crucifix  which  his  confessor  placed  in  his  hand,  kissed 
it,  and  laid  it  on  his  heart.  He  died  with  much  firmness 
and  religion."2 

The  same  day,  while  Louis  XIV.  was  driving  in  the 
forest,  the  body  of  the  deceased  prince  was  removed,  in 
one  of  his  own  carriages,  to  the  Tuileries,  escorted  by  the 
officers  of  his  Household  and  his  guards.  Saint-Simon, 
in  his  notes  to  Dangeau's  Journal,  comments  severely  on 
this  indecent  haste,  and  declares  that  "  in  a  private  house 
people  would  have  been  ashamed  to  have  the  body  of 
a  servant  carried  away  so  precipitately  so  few  hours  after 
his  death."  The  obsequies  were  celebrated  at  Saint-Denis 
on  the  16th.    The  Due  d'Orleans  was  to  have  headed  the 

1  Journal,  May  3,  1714.  2  j^#>  May  5  I7I4 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  101 

procession,  but  the  same  odious  reports  against  him  as 
had  been  circulated  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  Due 
and  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne  had  again  appeared,  and  he 
begged  to  be  excused.  His  request  was  granted,  and 
Monsieur  le  Due1  took  his  place. 

On  the  day  of  the  Due  de  Berry's  death,  Madame  went 
to  Versailles  to  pay  a  visit  of  condolence  to  the  widow.  She 
found  the  bereaved  princess  in  a  state  of  such  pitiable  dis- 
tress that  she  was  moved  with  compassion  and  shed  copious 
tears,  although  she  must  have  had  a  shrewd  suspicion 
that  it  was  not  so  much  her  lost  husband  as  her  lost 
ambitions  that  the  lady  was  bewailing.  "  From  the 
woman  the  most  happy  in  the  world,"  she  writes,  "  she 
is  going  to  become  the  most  miserable,  if  she  does  not 
have  a  son."  And  she  adds  :  "  She  believes  firmly  that 
she  will  only  have  a  daughter."2 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  continued  to  affect  the  most 
exaggerated  grief  for  the  husband  to  whom  she  had  been 
so  utterly  indifferent.  She  shut  herself  up  in  her  bed- 
chamber, and  caused  the  room  to  be  draped  in  black 
and  the  shutters  to  be  closed.  When  the  King  came 
to  visit  her,  one  of  them  was  partly  opened,  so  that  there 
might  be  sufficient  light  to  guide  his  footsteps,  but  this 
concession  was  made  only  for  him ;  and  all  who  came  to 
condole  with  her  found  themselves  in  complete  dark- 
ness." "  This,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  gave  rise  to  many 
ridiculous  scenes  and  rather  indecent  laughter,  which 
could  not  be  restrained.  Persons  accustomed  to  the 
room   could  find  their  way,   but   those  who  were  not 

1  Louis  Henri,  Due  de  Bourbon,  Prince  de  Conde. 

2  Lettres  inidites  de  la  Princesse  Palatine  (edit.  Rolland),  Letter 
of  May  6,  1714. 


102  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

stumbled  at  every  step  and  required  guidance.  For 
want  of  this,  Pere  Trevoux,  and  Pere  Le  Tellier  after  him, 
both  addressed  their  compliments  to  the  wall ;  others 
to  the  foot  of  the  bed.  This  became  a  secret  amusement, 
but  happily  did  not  last  long." 

In  fact,  after  about  three  weeks  of  this  pretended 
despair,  the  duchess,  having  decided  that  she  had  paid 
a  sufficiently  touching  tribute  to  her  husband's  memory, 
and  atoned,  in  the  eyes  of  the  King  and  the  Court,  for 
any  shortcomings  while  he  was  alive,  was  ready  to  face 
the  light  of  day  once  more.  Louis  XIV.,  to  testify  his 
appreciation  of  such  an  example  of  conjugal  devotion, 
increased  her  pension  by  200,000  livres,  so  that  she  now 
found  herself  in  possession  of  an  income  of  over  650,000 
livres,  which,  however,  was  to  be  hard  put  to  stand 
the  strain  of  her  luxurious  and  extravagant  mode  of 
life. 

Notwithstanding  the  most  elaborate  precautions,  to 
which,  on  this  occasion,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  sub- 
mitted willingly  enough,  since  she  knew  how  much  the 
birth  of  a  son  would  mean  to  her,  the  event  once  more 
took  place  before  its  time  (June  16),  when  she  was  de- 
livered, not  of  the  hoped-for  prince,  but  of  a  daughter, 
who  only  survived  a  few  hours. 

The  princess  was  for  a  day  or  two  seriously  ill,  but  she 
was  soon  convalescent,  and,  though  the  knowledge  that 
she  could  never  now  become  the  mother  of  a  possible 
King  of  France  distressed  her  not  a  little,  her  situation 
was  still  a  very  enviable  one.  The  King,  anxious  to 
console  her  for  her  disappointment,  overwhelmed  her 
with  favours  and  presents.  He  paid  the  greater  part  of 
the  debts  which  she  and  the  Due  de  Berry  had  con- 


Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Duchesse  he  Berry, 
in  widow'-  weeds 

From  the  painting  by  Louis  de  Silvestre,  at  Versailles 
(Photo  by  W.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  103 

tractcd  during  their  married  life;1  gave  her  all  the 
furniture  and  jewels  which  had  belonged  to  her  husband, 
and  accorded  her  a  favour  to  which  she  attached  great 
importance,  namely,  that  of  having  a  company  of  twelve 
guards,  to  escort  her  when  she  drove  out  in  her  carriage 
and  to  keep  watch  and  ward  in  her  apartments.  '  I  do 
not  consider  her  [the  Duchesse  de  Berry]  unhappy, 
although  she  is  without  child  or  husband,"  writes 
Madame,  a  few  weeks  after  her  granddaughter's  confine- 
ment. "  She  has  a  rank  more  elevated  than  that  to 
which  she  would  have  been  able  to  aspire  ;  she  has 
250,000  livres  of  revenue  more  than  I  have  ;  she  is 
then  very  rich,  and  her  Household  is  not  more  consider- 
able than  mine,  which  gives  her  more  than  she  requires. 
She  is  young,  in  good  health,  so  beloved  by  her  father 
and  mother2  that  they  do  everything  that  she  wishes  ; 
and  she  possesses  all  the  most  beautiful  things  that  one 
can  have  in  jewellery.  I  cannot  divine  in  what  way  she 
can  be  unhappy.  If  she  were  Queen,  she  would  only  be 
subject  to  more  constraint." 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  very  far  from  being  un- 
happy. During  the  year  of  mourning  which  etiquette 
prescribed,  she  was,  of  course,  unable  to  appear  at  any 
Court  function,  but,  in  other  respects,  she  behaved  as  if 
no  change  had  occurred  in  her  life  ;  gambling,  gossiping, 
and  feasting  with  her  friends,  hunting  either  in  her 
caliche  or  on  horseback,  and  spending  more  time  than 
ever  in  the  company  of  her  father,  whom  she  frequently 

1  These  debts,  according  to  Dangeau,  exceeded  half  a  million  livres, 
of  which  Louis  XIV.  paid  400,000  livres. 

s  The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  as  Madame  was  well  aware,  certainly 
did  not  love  her  eldest  daughter  ;  but  probably  the  writer  did  not 
consider  it  prudent  to  mention  the  fact. 


104  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

entertained  to  dinner  or  supper,  on  which  occasions  they 
both  seem  to  have  eaten  and  drunk  a  good  deal  more  than 
was  good  for  them.1  On  the  very  day  on  which  her  year 
of  mourning  terminated,  Louis  XIV.,  who,  deprived  of 
all  his  family,  had  no  one  but  her  to  give  a  little  youth 
and  animation  to  his  Court,  made  her  lay  aside  her 
widow's  weeds,  which,  in  accordance  with  custom,  she 
should  have  worn  for  yet  another  six  weeks,  and  pre- 
side over  the  gaming-tables  in  the  salon  at  Marly  ;  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death,  four  months  later,  she 
enjoyed  a  degree  of  favour  never  surpassed,  save  in  the 
case  of  the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne.  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  who,  in  the  past,  had  felt  obliged  to  admonish 
the  duchess  very  severely  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
appeared  to  share  his  Majesty's  partiality,  and,  according 
to  Dangeau,  "  people  were  persuaded  that  they  were  very 
satisfied  with  one  another,  and  that  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  had  found  much  intelligence  in  this  princess." 
The  fact  is  that  the  unrecognised  consort  of  Louis  XIV., 
aware  that  the  King's  days  were  numbered,  was  anxious 
to  secure  the  protection  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  and  had 
decided  that  the  best  means  to  conciliate  him  was  by 
caressing  his  adored  daughter. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  took  full  advantage  of  the 
indulgence  extended  to  her,  and,  during  the  last  weeks 
of  the  reign,  throned  it  like  a  veritable  queen.  She 
presided  at  all  the  fetes  ;  she  accompanied  the  King 
wherever  he  went,  followed  by  a  regular  Court  of  ladies, 

1  Writing  on  December  2,  1714,  Madame  relates  that  she  had 
suffered  "  a  fright  so  terrible  that  she  had  not  yet  recovered,"  owing 
to  a  sudden  illness  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  the  result  of  "  having  eaten 
like  a  wolf  at  his  daughter's,  and  drunk  still  more,  as  was  his  invariable 
custom  there." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  105 

whom  she  selected  herself,  and  she  obtained  the  signal 
privilege  of  having  four  dames  de  compagnie  of  her  own, 
each  of  whom  received  a  salary  of  4000  livres,  paid  by 
the  King.1  Old  courtiers  marvelled  at  the  complaisance 
of  Louis  XIV.,  hitherto  so  intolerant  of  the  least  devia- 
tion from  his  wishes,  when  they  saw  him  modify  the 
programme  of  amusements  he  had  drawn  up  during  a 
visit  to  Marl}7  to  gratify  the  caprice  of  his  granddaughter, 
and  not  less  at  the  temerity  of  that  princess  in  venturing 
to  suggest  the  alteration.  Even  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne  would  scarcely  have  ventured  to  take  such  a 
liberty. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  indulgence  which  both  the 
King  and  Madame  de  Maintenon  now  showed  her,  the 
princess  never  succeeded  in  altogether  conquering  the  fear 
with  which  they  had  formerly  inspired  her,  and  was  so 
embarrassed  in  their  presence  that  people  could  not  fail 
to  perceive  it.  However,  before  the  summer  ended, 
Louis  XIV.  was  no  more,  and  Madame  de  Maintenon  had 
retired  to  spend  her  last  years  among  her  beloved  pro- 
tegees at  Saint-Cyr  ;  and,  with  their  disappearance  from 
the  scene,  the  last  restraint  on  the  vices  and  caprices  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  removed. 

1  The  four  "  dames  "  were  :  the  Comtesse  de  Brancas  ;  Madame  de 
Coetenfao,  wife  of  the  princess's  chevalier  d'honneur  ;  the  Marquise  de 
Clermont  d'Amboise,  and  the  Marquise  de  Pons.  On  the  death  of 
Madame  de  Coetenfao,  which  occurred  a  few  weeks  later,  her  post  was 
given  to  the  Marquise  d'Armentieres. 


CHAPTER    V 

Philippe  d'Orleans  becomes  Regent,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  pre- 
pares to  reap  the  fruits  of  her  father's  triumph — She  obtains  the 
Luxembourg  as  a  residence — Her  attitude  towards  her  mother — 
She  secures  permission  to  have  officers  to  command  her  guards — 
She  endeavours  to  usurp  the  honours  of  a  queen — Her  quarrel  with 
the  Prince  de  Conti — Her  adventure  in  the  gardens  of  the  Luxem- 
bourg— She  closes  them  to  the  public — She  insults  the  civic  digni- 
taries of  Paris — She  obtains  La  Muette  as  a  country-residence — 
Her  amours— The  Chevalier  de  Rion — Portrait  of  this  personage — 
Madame  de  Mouchy — Her  detestable  character— Rion  becomes 
amant  en  titre  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry — Infatuation  of  the  princess 
— Singular  attitude  of  Rion  towards  her — Supper-parties  at  the 
Luxembourg — A  complaisant  confessor. 

THE  approaching  death  of  Louis  XIV.  had  been 
viewed  by  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  with  considerable 
anxiety,  since  the  intrigues  which  were  on  foot  to  place 
the  Due  du  Maine,  the  beloved  brother  of  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans,  in  power,  and,  in  consequence,  to  increase  the 
influence  of  that  princess,  could  not  fail,  in  the  event 
of  their  success,  to  diminish  immeasurably  her  own  im- 
portance. But  the  moment  she  learned  that  the  old 
King's  will  had  been  set  aside,  and  that  her  father  had 
triumphed  over  her  uncle  and  secured  the  Regency,  all 
her  fears  as  to  the  future  were  dispelled,  and  she  joyfully 
prepared  to  reap  the  fruits  of  victory. 

Her  first  act  was  to  demand  from  the  Regent  the 
Luxembourg  as  a  residence.  This  request  having  been 
accorded,  she  insisted  that  all  the  persons  who  had 
apartments  there  should  vacate  them  immediately,  in 

106 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  107 

order  that  there  might  be  no  delay  in  preparing  the  palace 
for  her  reception,  "  which  embarrassed  them  so  much," 
writes  Buvat,  "  that  they  knew  not  where  to  go,  since 
there  were  no  apartments  nor  any  house  vacant  in  the 
neighbourhood."1  The  last  week  in  September  saw  her 
installed  there  with  her  little  Court,  and  celebrating  her 
advent  by  boisterous  supper-parties,  at  one  of  which  the 
new  ruler  of  France  assisted. 

Once  in  possession  of  the  Luxembourg,  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  determined  to  spare  no  effort  to  make  it  the 
centre  of  the  fashionable  world,  and  proceeded  to  institute 
lansquenet-parties,  alternating  with  those  given  by  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  at  the  Palais-Royal.  At  the  latter's 
parties  she  never  condescended  to  appear  ;  indeed,  being 
no  longer  under  the  necessity  of  maintaining  some  appear- 
ance of  deference  towards  her  mother,  she  ignored  her 
altogether.  At  the  same  time,  she  largely  increased  her 
Household,  and  demanded  of  her  father  permission  to 
have  officers  to  command  her  guards.  The  Regent 
hesitated,  for  this  was  a  privilege  which  had  never  been 
granted  to  "  a  daughter  of  France,"  much  less  to  a 
"  granddaughter,"  and  Maria  Theresa  of  Austria,  the  wife 
of  Louis  XIV.,  had  been  the  first  queen  to  enjoy  it. 
But,  as  he  was  never  able  to  oppose  much  resistance  to 
his  eldest  daughter's  caprices,  he  soon  yielded,  according, 
however,  the  same  honour  to  his  mother ;  and  the 
princess  proceeded  to  appoint  a  captain,  a  lieutenant  and 
an  ensign,  the  first  charge  being  given  to  the  Chevalier 
de  Roye,2  who  had  lately  succeeded  La  Haye  in  her 

1  Journal  de  la  Regence,  September,  1715. 

8  Barthelemy  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  known  later  under  the  title  of 
the  Marquis  de  la  Rochefoucauld.  He  married  Mile.  Prondre,  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  revenue-farmer,  and  died  in  1724. 


io8  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

affections,  and  the  lieutenancy  to  a  certain  Chevalier 
de  Rion,  of  whom  we  shall  have  a  good  deal  to  say 
presently. 

To  testify  her  respect  for  the  memory  of  the  late  King, 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  announced  her  intention  of 
not  going  to  the  play  for  six  months,  and  she  kept  her 
word.  Singularly  enough,  however,  she  seemed  to  con- 
sider that  there  could  be  no  possible  objection  to  her 
patronising  any  other  form  of  entertainment  within  the 
walls  of  a  theatre  during  the  period  of  mourning,  for  on 
January  4, 1716,  she  appeared,  in  a  superb  toilette,  at  the 
masked-ball  at  the  Opera,1  followed  by  several  of  the 
other  princesses.  This  visit  was  repeated  several  times 
during  the  ensuing  Carnival. 

In  a  letter  written  in  the  first  days  of  the  new  year, 
Madame  bewails  the  conduct  of  her  eldest  granddaughter, 
whose  reformation  she  had  now  abandoned  as  an  alto- 
gether hopeless  undertaking  :  "  The  Duchesse  de  Berry 
has  always  about  her  persons  who  lead  her  astray.  I 
have  ceased  to  speak  to  her.  She  is  intelligent,  but  she 
has  been  very  badly  brought  up.  I  no  longer  look  upon 
her  as  one  of  my  grandchildren  ;  she  regards  me  in  the 
same  way  ;  I  do  not  trouble  about  her,  and  she  does  not 
trouble  about  me."  2 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  certainly  did  not  trouble 
about  her  grandmother,  or  about  any  one  else,  for  that 

1  These  balls  were  inaugurated  at  the  end  of  171 5,  at  the  suggestion 
of  the  Chevalier  de  Bouillon,  who  received  for  it  a  pension  of  6000 
livres.  They  took  place  three  times  a  week,  people  paid  at  the  doors, 
and  the  boxes  were  thrown  open  to  those  who  did  not  care  to  dance. 
"  A  contrivance  admirably  invented  and  of  easy  and  instantaneous 
application,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  was  made  to  cover  the  orchestra 
and  put  the  stage  and  the  pit  on  the  same  level." 

2  Correspondance  complete  de  Madame,  duchesse  d'Orleans,  Letter 
of  January  7,  1716. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  109 

matter.  At  this  moment,  she  was  obsessed  by  one  idea  : 
that  of  usurping  the  rank  and  privileges  of  a  queen.  For 
the  favours  she  had  already  obtained  from  Louis  XIV. 
and  the  Regent,  far  from  contenting  her,  had  served 
merely  to  stimulate  her  ambition  and  to  encourage  her 
to  put  forward  far  more  exorbitant  pretensions  ;  and 
she  was  determined  that  the  public  should  see  for  itself 
that  she  was  first  lady  in  the  land.  She  began  by  in- 
sisting that  the  young  King  should  visit  her  at  the 
Luxembourg  on  the  second  occasion  on  which  he  quitted 
the  Tuileries  after  the  expiration  of  his  period  of  mourn- 
ing— his  first  visit  had,  of  course,  been  paid  to  the  Palais- 
Royal — and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  royal 
carriages  standing  before  her  door,  to  testify  to  the 
gaping  Parisians  the  consideration  in  which  she  was 
held.  A  few  days  later,  she  issued  in  state  from  the 
Luxembourg,  escorted  by  her  guards,  and  preceded  by 
kettledrummers  sounding  their  instruments,  and  defiled 
in  this  fashion  along  the  whole  length  of  the  Quai  des 
Tuileries.  Since  no  one,  not  even  a  Queen  of  France, 
had  the  right  of  being  preceded  by  music  in  any  town 
in  which  the  Sovereign  happened  to  be  residing,  the 
princess  had  been  guilty  of  a  most  outrageous  piece  of 
presumption  ;  and  the  Marechal  de  Villeroy,  Louis  XV. 's 
gouverneur,  went  at  once  to  the  Regent  to  complain  of 
it  in  the  strongest  possible  terms.  The  latter,  recognising 
the  impossibility  of  upholding  his  daughter,  reprimanded 
her  sharply  and  forbade  her  ever  to  repeat  such  an 
escapade.  The  princess  was  thus  obliged  to  renounce 
this  pretension,  but  immediately  afterwards  she  at- 
tempted a  new  innovation. 

Ever  since  the  death  of  the  late  King  she  had  sought 


no  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

to  make  herself  the  arbitrix,  not  onfy  of  the  fashions, 
but  of  the  pleasures  of  the  capital,  and,  among  other 
things,  had  affected  to  take  a  great  interest  in  theatrical 
affairs.  The  supervision  of  the  Paris  theatres  appertained 
to  the  Dues  d'Aumont  and  de  Tresme,  in  their  capacity 
as  First  Gentlemen  of  the  Chamber  ;  but,  to  the  pro- 
found disgust  of  these  two  noblemen,  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  proceeded  to  associate  herself  with  them,  and  to 
meddle  in  every  matter  which  was  submitted  for  their 
decision.  Thus,  in  the  previous  October,  she  had  in- 
sisted, notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  d'Aumont  to  protect 
them,  on  the  dismissal  of  four  actors,  La  Chaise,  Durand, 
Clavereau,  and  La  Morancourt,  from  the  Comedie- 
Francaise,  on  the  ground  that  their  acting  was  un- 
worthy of  the  national  theatre.  The  unfortunate  players, 
in  consequence,  stood  in  considerable  awe  of  her,  not 
knowing  who  might  not  be  her  next  victim,  and  were 
ready  to  flatter  her  to  her  heart's  content. 

Aware  of  this,  and  assured  of  the  complaisance  of  the 
Gentlemen  of  the  Chamber,  she  resolved  to  seek  com- 
pensation for  the  rebuff  she  had  just  sustained,  by 
arranging  that  her  first  visit  to  the  Comedie-Francaise 
should  be  attended  by  an  amount  of  ceremonial  which 
would  have  been  appropriate  only  in  the  case  of  a 
Queen  or  a  Dauphine.  She  appeared  in  full  Court  toilette 
and  entered  her  box,  above  which  a  canopy  had  been 
erected.  Four  of  her  guards  were  on  duty  on  the  stage  ; 
others  were  dispersed  about  the  theatre  ;  and,  before 
the  play  began,  the  actor  Breteuil  addressed  to  her  a  ful- 
some harangue,  in  the  name  of  his  iellow-societaires.  The 
astonishment  was  general,  and  the  presumption  of  the 
princess  was  so  severely  criticised  that  she  never  ven- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  in 

tured  to  repeat  it.  Henceforward  she  avoided  the 
'  Comedie,"  from  fear  lest  it  should  be  thought  that  she 
had  renounced  her  pretensions,  and  patronised  the 
Opera,  where  she  contented  herself  with  one  of  the 
smaller  boxes,  and  was  not  received  with  any  ceremony. 
However,  two  or  three  weeks  later,  her  vanity  was  the 
cause  of  a  very  pretty  quarrel  between  her  and  the  Prince 
de  Conti,  in  which  her  Royal  Highness  got  decidedly 
the  worst  of  it. 

As  she  was  going  one  day  to  the  Opera,  preceded  as 
usual  by  her  guards,  the  latter  stopped  the  coach  of  the 
Prince  de  Conti,  who  was  also  on  his  way  thither,  and 
one  of  them  struck  the  coachman,  because  he  refused  to 
pull  up  his  horses,  in  order  to  allow  the  princess  to  precede 
his  master.  Although  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  being  the 
widow  of  a  "  grandson  of  France,"  was  within  her  strict 
right  in  requiring  the  carriage  of  a  Prince  of  the  Blood  to 
make  way  for  hers,  this  was  an  altogether  different  matter 
from  seeking  to  vindicate  her  superior  rank  by  violent 
means  ;  and  Conti  was  furiously  indignant.  On  arriving 
at  the  theatre,  he  complained  to  La  Rochefoucauld- 
Roye,  the  captain  of  the  offending  guards,  and,  failing 
to  obtain  satisfaction  from  that  personage,  addressed 
himself  to  the  Due  d'Orleans,  and  demanded  reparation 
for  the  affront  in  such  forcible  terms  that  the  Regent  in- 
sisted on  his  daughter  according  him  a  personal  interview 
at  the  Luxembourg  and  endeavouring  to  placate  him. 
"He  came  there,"  writes  Saint-Simon ;  "the  conversa- 
tion, very  inappropriately,  took  place  in  public,  and, 
to  tell  the  truth,  with  all  her  intelligence,  she  extricated 
herself  from  it  very  badly.  She  reproached  the  prince 
with  not  having  addressed  himself  to  her  ;    she  wanted 


H2  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

to  accuse  the  coachman  and  to  excuse  the  guard.  Then, 
perceiving  that  she  would  not  succeed,  and  that  the  Due 
d'Orleans  intended  to  be  obeyed,  she  told  the  Prince  de 
Conti,  that,  since  he  wished  this  guard  to  go  to  prison, 
to  prison  he  should  go,  but  that  she  entreated  that  he 
should  only  remain  there  a  little  while.  The  latter  was 
compassionate  ;  in  fact,  the  guard  was  no  sooner  sent 
to  prison  than  he  came  out  again,  at  the  request  of  the 
Prince  de  Conti."  Nevertheless,  the  fact  remained  that 
the  princess  had  been  compelled  to  admit  herself  in  the 
wrong,  and  had  sustained  a  defeat  very  galling  to  her 
pride. 

The  pretensions  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  did  not  con- 
tribute to  endear  her  to  the  Parisians,  and  a  few  weeks 
after  the  incident  just  recorded  she  was  so  ill-advised 
as  to  take  a  step  which  rendered  her  still  more  unpopular. 

The  beautiful  gardens  of  the  Luxembourg  had  always 
been  open  to  the  public,  and  on  summer  evenings  were 
the  favourite  resort  of  the  residents  of  the  Faubourg 
Saint-Germain.  Now,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was 
always  very  curious  to  learn  what  the  public  happened 
to  be  saying  about  her,  and  often,  as  soon  as  it  was  dusk 
and  there  was  little  chance  of  her  being  recognised,  she 
sallied  out  incognito  into  the  gardens,  to  mingle  with 
the  throng  of  pleasure-seekers  and  listen  to  their  con- 
versation. For  some  little  time  she  indulged  this  caprice 
without  any  unpleasantness  occurring,  but,  one  evening, 
towards  the  end  of  June,  while  she  and  three  of  her 
favourites,  Mesdames  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  de  Mouchy, 
and  d'Arpajon,  were  promenading  as  usual,  they  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  a  group  of  young  lawyers' 
clerks,  who  accosted  them,  without,  of  course,  having  the 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  113 

least  suspicion  of  their  identity.  Wishing  to  sustain  the 
character  which  they  had  assumed  for  the  occasion — ■ 
that  of  women  of  the  middle-class — the  ladies  entered 
into  conversation  with  the  young  men  and  began  to 
laugh  and  jest  with  them  somewhat  freely,  with  the  con- 
sequence that  the  latter  presently  became  so  familiar 
that  the  noble  dames  were  obliged  to  summon  the  gate- 
keepers to  their  assistance.1 

Although  the  princess  had  brought  this  adventure 
upon  herself,  she  was,  nevertheless,  extremely  indignant 
and  decided  to  close  the  gardens  to  the  public  and 
deprive  the  residents  of  the  Faubourg  Saint-Germain  of 
a  privilege  which  they  had  enjoyed  ever  since  the 
palace  had  been  built,  and  had  come  to  look  upon 
almost  as  a  right.  The  popular  indignation,  which  found 
vent  in  more  than  one  mordant  chanson  at  the  expense 
of  the  august  tenant  of  the  Luxembourg,  was  aggra- 
vated by  the  fact  that  the  closing  of  the  gardens  had 
been  carried  out  without  any  previous  notice,  and  that, 
on  the  first  evening,  a  number  of  people  had  got  shut  in 
and  had  been  compelled,  in  spite  of  their  remonstrances, 
to  pass  the  night  there. 

The  princess's  action  was  not  only  bitterly  resented 

1  A  very  similar  adventure  befell  the  princess  at  a  masked  ball  at 
the  Comedie-Francaise,  at  the  beginning  of  the  following  January.  "  On 
January  18,"  writes  Buvat,  "  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  being  disguised 
and  masked  at  the  ball  at  the  Comedie-Francaise,  a  strange  mask 
approached  the  princess,  whom  he  did  not  recognise,  said  to  her  some 
words  of  gallantry,  and  became  so  familiar  as  to  take  her  by  the  chin, 
in  order  to  embrace  her.  By  which  she  thought  herself  so  offended 
that,  having  removed  her  mask,  she  ordered  her  officers  to  arrest  the 
unknown,  to  unmask  him,  to  undress  him,  and  to  expose  him  in  this 
condition  on  the  stage,  to  the  derision  of  the  numerous  company 
which  had  assembled.  Having  endured  this  for  some  time,  he  was 
permitted  to  resume  his  clothes  and  his  mask  "  (Journal  de  la  Regence, 
January  1717). 


ii4  UNRULY    DAUGHTERS 

by  the  citizens,  but  was  severely  criticised  in  exalted 
circles.  The  Due  de  Bourbon,  between  whose  family  and 
the  Orleans  a  bitter  feud  had  for  some  time  existed, 
hastened  to  show  his  sympathy  with  the  faubourg  by 
throwing  open  the  garden  of  the  Hotel  de  Conde  to  the 
public  ;  and,  on  the  occasion  of  a  musical  fete  at  the 
Tuileries,  the  little  King  was  heard  to  remark,  as  he 
looked  down  from  the  terrace  on  the  joyous  crowd 
below  :  "  I  do  not  intend  to  act  like  Madame  de  Berry  ; 
it  is  my  wish  that  every  one  shall  enter  my  gardens."1 

If  it  had  been  the  deliberate  intention  of  the  duchess 
to  make  herself  detested  by  every  class  in  the  com- 
munity, she  was  certainly  going  the  right  way  to  achieve 
her  purpose,  for  towards  the  end  of  that  summer  she 
contrived  to  offend  mortally  the  susceptibilities  of  the 
civic  dignitaries  of  Paris,  a  body  notorious  for  the  jealousy 
with  which  they  regarded  any  attack  on  their  privileges, 
or  what  they  conceived  to  be  their  privileges.  We  read 
in  the  Journal  de  la  Regence,  under  date  August  28, 
1716: 

"  M.  Trudon,  maitre  des  requites,  has  lately  been  elected 
Provost  of  the  Merchants.  He  and  the  sheriffs  went  to 
salute  the  King,  and  from  there  they  proceeded  to  the 
Luxembourg  to  salute  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  and  rode 
in  their  carriages  to  the  end  of  the  courtyard,  as  far  as 
the  foot  of  the  staircase.  But,  as  they  were  ascending, 
Madame  de  Berry,  knowing  that  their  carriages  had 
entered,  sent  orders  with  the  utmost  despatch  to  make 
them  go  out  again,  and  to  put  the  guard  who  had  per- 
mitted them  to  enter  under  arrest.  However,  she  re- 
ceived these  gentlemen  very  graciously,  and  they  com- 

1  Gazette  de  la  Regence,  August  24,  1716. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  115 

plimented  her  on  behalf  of  the  town.  This  done,  the 
provost,  who  was  returning,  having  ascertained  that 
the  carriages  had  been  sent  away,  retraced  his  steps 
and  told  Madame  de  Berry  that  they  had  been  accorded 
this  honour  by  the  late  Monseigneur  at  Meudon,  when 
their  carriages  had  entered  the  courtyard  of  the  chateau, 
and  that  they  believed  that  this  privilege  was  their  due. 
Upon  which,  Madame  de  Berry  said  to  them  that  Mon- 
seigneur might  do  as  he  wished,  but  that  she  intended  to 
uphold  her  dignity,  and  turned  her  back  on  them  in  an 
excessively  haughty  manner.  This  matter  has  been  the 
subject  of  several  discussions,  and  perhaps  on  the  next 
New  Year's  Day  the  municipal  authorities  will  not 
visit  her." 

The  possession  of  the  beautiful  palace  which  had  been 
the  home  of  Marie  de'  Medici,  of  Gaston  d'Orleans,  and 
of  la  Grande  Mademoiselle  did  not  content  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry ;  she  desired  to  have  a  country-residence, 
where  she  could  spend  the  summer  months,  and  where  she 
would  be  more  at  liberty  than  at  the  Luxembourg. 
Having  thought  of  several  in  turn,  she  eventually  decided 
upon  La  Muette,  a  hunting-lodge  at  the  entry  of  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne,  belonging  to  Armenonville,  who  had 
successively  filled  the  offices  of  Director-General  of 
France,  Minister  of  Marine,  and  Keeper  of  the  Seals. 
Armenonville  had  spent  considerable  sums  on  the  im- 
provement of  La  Muette,  and,  yielding  to  the  entreaties 
of  his  wife,  who  was  greatly  attached  to  the  place, 
declared  that  nothing  would  induce  him  to  part  with  it. 
But  the  princess  coveted  it  as  did  Ahab  the  vineyard  of 
the  hapless  Naboth ;  and  he  was  obliged  to  submit  before 
a  formal  order  of  the  Regent,  and  to  take  in  exchange 


n6  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

the  Chateau  of  Madrid1  and  the  sum  of  10,000  livres  a 
year  for  life  (May  1716).  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  thus 
became  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  charming  country- 
residences  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paris,2  of  which  she 
lost  no  time  in  taking  possession  ;  and  was  so  delighted 
with  it,  that  for  the  moment  she  felt  at  peace  with  all  the 
world,  and  on  July  2  gave  a  grand  dinner  in  honour  of 
her  mother,  by  way  of  a  house-warming.  As  for  poor 
Madame  d'Armenonville,  she  died  in  the  following 
December;  "  and  it  is  said,"  writes  Buvat,  "  that  it  was 
from  grief  at  having  been  obliged  to  surrender  her  beauti- 
ful house  of  La  Muette  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry."  3 

Both  La  Muette  and  the  Luxembourg  were  soon  to 
witness  strange  things.  We  have  mentioned  that  La 
Haye,  the  gallant  with  whom  the  duchess  had  proposed 
to  fly  to  the  Netherlands,  had  been  succeeded  in  her 
affections  by  La  Rochefoucauld-Roye,  the  captain  of 
her  guards.  That  personage,  however,  was  not  permitted 
to  enjoy  his  bonne  fortune  very  long,  and  at  the  end  of 
a  few  months  found  himself  replaced,  in  his  turn,  by  the 
Marquis  de  Bonnivet,  a  species  of  chevalier  d'industrie, 
upon  whom  the  princess  conferred  the  post  of  master 
of  her  wardrobe.    But  M.  de  Bonnivet 's  favour  was  even 

1  The  Chateau  of  Madrid,  situated  at  the  extremity  of  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  in  the  direction  of  Saint-Cloud,  had  been  built  by  Francois  I., 
and  received  its  name  in  commemoration  of  that  monarch's  captivity 
in  the  Spanish  capital. 

2  "  I  went  on  Sunday  morning  to  Passy.  While  there,  I  went  to 
see  La  Muette,  that  is  to  say,  the  apartments  and  the  gardens  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  was  spending  all  the  Sunday  and  Monday  in 
Paris,  to  perform  her  devotions.  She  returns  on  Tuesday,  and  will 
pass  all  the  summer  there.  It  is  a  delicious  little  chateau,  nobly  fur- 
nished. From  the  princess's  bed  she  is  able  to  see  the  garden  and  all 
kinds  of  pleasing  objects  ;  nothing  presents  itself  to  her  eyes  which 
is  not  agreeable"  {Gazette  de  la  Regence,  May  21,  1717). 

3  Journal  de  la  Rigence,  December,  1716. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  117 

briefer  than  that  of  his  predecessor;  and,  in  the  course 
of  the  summer  of  1716,  her  Royal  Highness  transferred 
her  heart  to  the  keeping  of  a  young  man  who  was  to 
remain  in  possession  of  it  for  the  rest  of  her  life,  and  for 
whose  sake  she  showed  herself  ready  to  brave  all  scandal, 
and  to  expose  herself  to  the  public  view  with  a  shameless- 
ness  which  had  no  parallel  in  the  case  of  a  woman  of  such 
exalted  station. 

Sicaire  Antonin  Armand  Auguste  Nicolas  d'Aydie, 
Chevalier  de  Rion — to  give  this  fortunate  young  man  his 
full  name — hailed  from  Gascony,  a  province  whose  name 
has  been  for  centuries  a  synonym  for  courage,  assurance, 
pertinacity,  and  other  qualities  necessary  for  the  success- 
ful adventurer.  He  was  of  good  birth,  a  son  of  the  Comte 
de  Benanges  and  of  Diane  de  Bautru  de  Nogent,  a  niece 
on  the  distaff  side  of  the  aged  Due  de  Lauzun.  But  he 
was  poor  as  the  proverbial  rat,  and,  after  serving  for  a 
while  as  a  subaltern  in  a  cavalry  regiment  stationed  in 
a  provincial  town,  he  came,  early  in  1715,  to  Paris,  in 
the  hope  of  bettering  his  fortunes,  at  the  suggestion,  it 
would  appear,  of  Madame  de  Pons,  who  had  lately  suc- 
ceeded Madame  de  la  Vieuville  as  dame  d'atours  to  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  and  to  whom  he  was  distantly 
related. 

Rion  was  at  this  time  about  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
"  a  short,  stout  lad,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  with  a  round, 
pale  face,  so  thickly  covered  with  pimples  that  it  bore 
no  bad  resemblance  to  an  abscess."  The  portrait  which 
Madame  draws  of  him  is  still  less  flattering.  "  I  cannot 
conceive,"  she  writes,  "  how  any  one  can  love  this 
rogue  :  he  has  neither  face  nor  figure  ;  he  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a  water-sprite,  for  he  has  a  green  and  yellow 


n8  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

countenance  ;  his  mouth,  his  nose,  and  his  eyes  are  like 
those  of  a  Chinaman  ;  one  would  take  him  for  a  baboon 
rather  than  for  a  Gascon,  as  he  is.  He  is  foppish  and 
not  in  the  least  intelligent ;  he  has  a  big  head  shut  in 
between  broad  shoulders  ;  and  one  sees  by  his  eyes  that 
his  sight  is  not  very  good.  In  short,  he  is  a  very  ugly 
rogue  ;  but  he  is  said  to  be  excessively  amorous,  and 
that  charms  all  the  debauched  women.  The  Polignac1 
shut  herself  up  with  him  for  two  days." 

Rion  was  a  good-humoured,  pleasant  little  man, 
modest,  courteous,  and  obliging — "  a  good  and  honest 
fellow."2  His  relationship  to  Madame  de  Pons  secured 
him  admission  to  the  Luxembourg,  where  his  charming 
manners  created  a  very  favourable  impression,  and 
where  he  succeeded  in  captivating  the  heart — or  rather 
the  senses — of  Madame  de  Mouchy,  a  young  woman  who 
had  for  some  time  past  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry. 

Of  all  the  undesirable  women  whom  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  had  gathered  about  her  this  Madame  de  Mouchy 
was  infinitely  the  worst.  The  daughter  of  a  small  govern- 
ment official,  named  Forcadele,  and  of  the  duchess's 
first  waiting- woman,  "  who,  become  a  widow,  had  long 
kept  house  with  a  married  man,"3  she  had  succeeded  in 
insinuating  herself  into  the  princess's  favour  soon  after 
the  dismissal  of  Mile,  de  Vienne,  and  rapidly  acquired 
over  her  a  great  and  most  pernicious  influence.  Married 
in  1714,  through  the  good  offices  of  her  patroness,  to  a 
complaisant  nobleman,  the  Marquis  de  Mouchy,  she  had, 

1  On  the  amorous  adventures  of  the  Comtesse  de  Polignac,  see  the 
author's  The  Fascinating  Due  de  Richelieu  (London,  Methuen  ;  New 
New  York,  Scribner,  1910). 

*  Saint-Simon.  3  Madame,  Letter  of  September  8,  1713. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  119 

U'ithout  as  yet  occupying  any  official  position  at  the 
Luxembourg,  the  privilege  of  constant  access  to  the 
princess,  who  seldom  took  any  step  of  importance  without 
consulting  her. 

Madame  de  Mouchy  was  the  evil  genius  of  the  Luxem- 
bourg. Saint-Simon  describes  her  as  possessed  of  "  a 
talent  and  inventive  resources  wholly  employed  for  pur- 
poses of  the  most  horrible  baseness,  an  unparalleled 
effrontery,  and  a  greed  for  self-advancement  which 
prompted  her  to  undertake  everything,  with  all  the 
intelligence,  the  art  and  the  cunning  requisite  to  insure 
success  ;  always  with  an  end  in  view,  and  saying  and 
doing  nothing  without  some  purpose,  however  frivolous 
and  trivial  what  she  said  or  did  might  seem.  To  Madame 
she  is  "  a  wicked  sorceress,"  "  a  shameless  woman," 
"  the  most  unworthy  favourite  who  had  ever  been  seen  "  ; 
and  all  contemporary  writers  agree  in  representing  her 
as  an  intrigante  of  the  most  dangerous  kind. 

Through  the  influence  of  Madame  de  Mouchy,  when 
officers  were  appointed  to  command  the  guards  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  Rion  obtained  the  post  of  lieutenant  ; 
but  her  Royal  Highness's  affections  were  just  then  occu- 
pied by  the  Marquis  de  Bonnivet,  and  for  some  six  months 
the  chevalier  rode  beside  the  princess's  coach  without 
attracting  more  than  a  passing  glance  from  its  occupant. 
And  then  Bonnivet  was  pensioned  off,  and,  shortly  after- 
wards, this  uncomely  little  Gascon  adventurer  found  him- 
self the  object  of  a  passion  such  as  few  men  so  shabbily 
treated  by  Nature  can  ever  have  been  fated  to  inspire, 
and  which  must  have  occasioned  him  as  much  astonish- 
ment as  joy. 

Certain  writers  have   assured  us  that   the   Duchesse 


120  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

de  Berry  paid  Madame  de  Mouchy  a  large  sum  in  order 
to  induce  the  latter  to  surrender  to  her  her  lover.  And 
the  Abbe  de  Vauxcelles,  in  one  of  the  marginal  notes 
which  he  inserted  in  a  copy  of  the  Memoir es  secrets  of 
Duclos,  but  which  we  dare  not  venture  to  transcribe, 
says  that  the  author  related  to  him  that,  when  this 
cynical  bargain  had  been  concluded,  Madame  de  Mouchy 
gave  Rion,  as  yet  quite  unconscious  of  his  good  fortune, 
a  rendezvous  at  which  the  princess  took  her  place. 

There  is  no  truth  in  this.  Madame  de  Mouchy  did  not 
need  any  inducement  to  surrender  her  prior  claims  upon 
Rion.  She  was  scarcely  the  kind  of  woman  to  prefer 
sentiment  to  interest,  and  she  was  well  aware  that,  with 
the  aid  of  the  chevalier,  she  would  be  able  to  dominate 
the  mind  of  the  princess  even  more  absolutely  than  she 
already  did.  For  some  time  she  appears  to  have  been 
watching  for  an  opportunity  of  recommending  Rion  to 
the  notice  of  her  royal  friend,  and  the  occasion  arrived 
with  the  dismissal  of  Bonnivet.  So  persistently,  yet  so 
adroitly,  did  she  sing  his  praises  that  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  could  not  fail  to  be  impressed.  She  began  to 
regard  her  lieutenant  of  the  guards  more  closely  ;  she 
approved  ;  she  loved,  and  ended  by  becoming  hope- 
lessly infatuated. 

And  this  infatuation  she  made  not  the  smallest  effort 
to  conceal ;  on  the  contrary,  she  appeared  to  glory  in 
it,  with  the  consequence  that  it  was  speedily  the  talk 
of  both  Court  and  town.  Nothing  was  too  good  for  this 
paragon  of  gallants  ;  she  could  not  do  enough  to  testify 
the  devotion  with  which  he  had  inspired  her.  She  pur- 
chased for  him  the  command  of  the  Regiment  de  Soisson- 
nais,  for  which  she  paid  the  sum  of  30,000  livres  ;    she 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  121 

installed  him  in  a  suite  of  commodious  apartments  in 
close  proximity  to  the  Luxembourg,  and  furnished  them 
magnificently  ;  she  decked  him  in  the  richest  clothes 
covered  with  the  most  superb  lace  ;  she  loaded  him  with 
jewels,  and,  needless  to  say,  with  money.  And,  having 
done  all  this,  she  fell  down  and  worshipped  him  ! 

"  Rion,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  soon  understood  the 
power  of  his  charms,  which  could  only  have  captivated 
the  incomprehensible  and  depraved  fancy  of  a  princess. 
He  did  not  abuse  this  power,  and  made  himself  liked 
by  every  one;  but  he  treated  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
as  M.  de  Lauzun  had  treated  Mademoiselle.  He  took 
pleasure  in  making  the  princess  long  after  him  and  be 
jealous,  and  feigned  to  be  still  more  jealous  of  her.  Often 
he  made  her  shed  tears.  Little  by  little,  he  acquired  such 
authority  over  her  that  she  dared  not  do  anything  without 
his  permission,  not  even  the  most  trivial  things.  If  she 
were  ready  to  go  to  the  Opera,  he  made  her  stay  away ;  at 
other  times  he  made  her  go  thither  when  she  did  not  wish 
to.  He  made  her  behave  well  to  many  ladies  whom  she 
disliked,  and  treat  ill  persons  who  pleased  her,  but  of 
whom  he  pretended  to  be  jealous.  Even  in  her  toilette 
she  was  not  allowed  the  smallest  liberty.  He  amused 
himself  by  making  her  disarrange  her  coiffure  or  change 
her  gown,  when  she  was  fully  dressed  ;  and  that  so  often 
and  so  publicly  that  he  accustomed  her  at  last  to  take 
over-night  his  orders  for  her  morning's  toilette  and 
occupation ;  and  on  the  morrow  he  would  change  every- 
thing. At  length,  she  actually  sent  messages  to  him  by 
confidential  servants  several  times  during  her  toilette, 
to  know  what  ribbons  she  should  wear  ;  the  same  with 
her  gown  and  other  things  ;    and  nearly  always  he  made 


122  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

her  wear  what  she  did  not  wish  for.  If  she  ever  dared 
to  do  the  least  thing  without  his  permission,  he  treated 
her  like  a  serving- wench,  and  her  tears  sometimes  lasted 
several  days.  Every  one  at  the  Luxembourg  paid  court 
to  M.  de  Rion,  who,  on  his  side,  took  care  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  all  the  world,  nay,  with  an  air  of  respect  that 
he  refused,  even  in  public,  to  his  princess.  He  often  gave 
sharp  replies  to  her  in  society,  which  made  people  lower 
their  eyes,  and  brought  blushes  to  the  cheek  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  who,  nevertheless,  did  not  attempt 
to  conceal  her  submission  and  her  passion,  even  before 
others." 

Rion  appears  to  have  adopted  this  line  of  conduct  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  cynical  Due  de  Lauzun,  who  was 
delighted  at  the  idea  of  seeing  his  nephew  play  at  the 
Luxembourg  the  role  which  had  been  his  own  in  the 
time  of  la  Grande  Mademoiselle.  "  He  had  imbued  him 
with  the  family  principles,"  says  Duclos,  "  and  had 
persuaded  him  that  he  would  lose  his  mistress  if  he 
spoiled  her  by  respectful  tenderness,  and  that  princesses 
liked  to  be  scolded."1  Rion  had  followed  his  uncle's 
counsels,  and  the  result  proved  their  efficacy. 

And  so  people  witnessed  the  strange  spectacle  of  this 
princess,  so  disdainful  with  her  mother,  so  imperious  with 
her  father,  so  arrogant  towards  all  the  world,  cringing 
before  a  cadet  of  Gascony. 

The  supper-parties  at  the  Luxembourg  became  the 
counterpart  of  the  bacchanalian  repasts  of  the  Palais- 
Royal.  Rion  selected  the  guests  and  chose  the  days, 
and  "  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  disgraced  herself  by  sitting 
down  to  table  with  him  and  obscure  people  ;    she  with 

1  Duclos,  Mimoires  secrets. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  123 

whom  no  man  could  lawfully  eat  if  he  were  not  a  Prince 
of  the  Blood."1  Among  the  most  frequent  habitues  was 
the  so-called  director  of  the  princess's  conscience,  Pere 
Riglet,  a  complaisant  Jesuit,  who  "  drank  enough  to 
make  a  Musketeer  stagger,  and  simultaneously  related 
anecdotes  which  would  have  brought  a  blush  to  the 
cheek  of  a  Garde-Francaise."2  If  the  duchess  ever  went 
to  him  for  ghostly  counsel,  she  must  have  been  saved 
the  trouble  of  confessing  a  good  many  things,  of  which  he 
had  been  a  witness. 

Madame  de  Mouchy  was  the  worthy  confidante  of  the 
lovers,  and  performed  the  duty  of  peacemaker  whenever 
one  of  their  frequent  quarrels  threatened  to  go  too  far. 
*'  She  lived  in  secret  with  Rion  as  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
lived  openly,  and  was  better  treated  by  him  than  the 
princess,  without  the  latter  daring  to  take  notice  of  it, 
from  fear  of  a  scandal  which  would  have  caused  her  to 
lose  so  dear  a  lover  and  a  confidante  so  necessary."3 

1  Saint-Simon.  2  M.  Funck-Brentano,  la  Regence. 

3  Saint-Simon. 


CHAPTER    VI 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  takes  an  apartment  at  the  Carmelite  convent  in 
the  Faubourg  Saint- Jacques,  and  varies  her  scandalous  life  by 
intervals  of  prayer  and  fasting — Indignation  of  the  Regent  at  the 
public  reign  of  Rion,  to  which,  however,  he  tamely  submits — The 
Duchesse  de  Berry  assists  at  the  orgies  of  the  Palais- Royal — Con- 
tinuation of  the  abominable  rumours  concerning  the  relations 
between  Philippe  d'Orleans  and  his  eldest  daughter — The  satires  of 
Voltaire — The  Philippiques  of  La  Grange-Chancel — Contemptuous 
indifference  to  public  opinion  shown  by  the  Regent  and  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry — Voltaire  sent  to  the  Bastille — First  representation  of  the 
poet's  CEdipe — Conduct  of  the  parterre — Visit  of  Peter  the  Great  to 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry — Distressing  embonpoint  of  the  princess — 
Her  gluttony — A  revolution  of  the  palace  :  Rion  becomes  first 
equerry  to  the  princess  and  Madame  de  Mouchy  dame  d'atours — 
— Indignation  of  Mesdames  de  Clermont  and  de  Beauvau,  dames  de 
compagnie  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  resign  their  posts — Epi- 
sode at  the  Opera — Rion  appointed  Governor  of  Cognac. 

OINGULAR  to  relate,  in  the  midst  of  this  disgraceful 
K-'  state  of  affairs,  the  princess,  hitherto  so  profoundly 
indifferent  to  religion,  suddenly  took  into  her  head  to 
have  an  apartment  at  the  Carmelite  convent  in  the 
Faubourg  Saint-Jacques,  that  celebrated  house  which 
had  been  the  scene  of  the  penitence  of  Louise  de  la 
Valliere  and  of  many  another  high-born  dame.  Thither 
she  sometimes  repaired  in  the  afternoon,  always  slept 
there  on  the  eve  of  great  fasts  or  festivals,  and  not 
infrequently  remained  several  days.  She  went  accom- 
panied by  two  or  three  ladies  and  scarcely  a  single 
servant ;  was  served  with  whatever  the  convent  could 
supply  for  her  table  ;    attended  all  the  services ;    some- 

124 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  125 

times  remained  a  long  while  in  prayer,  and  fasted  rigidly 
on  the  appointed  days.  She  appears  to  have  been  subject 
to  occasional  qualms  of  conscience,  and  to  have  cherished 
the  strange  illusion  that,  by  observing  the  outward  cere- 
monies of  the  Church,  she  could  repair  the  scandal  of  her 
life,  instead  of  which  she  merely  aggravated  it. 

Two  of  the  younger  Carmelites,  who  combined  with 
their  piety  a  considerable  knowledge  of  the  world,  re- 
ceived instructions  to  attach  themselves  to  the  duchess 
during  her  visits  to  the  convent.  When  they  had  become 
on  familiar  terms,  they  spoke  to  the  lady  boldly,  and 
told  her  that  if  they  knew  nothing  of  her  but  what  they 
saw,  that  they  should  admire  her  as  a  saint;  but,  else- 
where, they  learned  that  she  led  a  very  irregular  life, 
and  so  publicly  that  they  could  not  conceive  why  she 
came.  "  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  laughed  at  this,  and 
was  not  angry.  Sometimes  they  lectured  her,  called 
people  and  things  by  their  names,  and  exhorted  her  to 
change  so  scandalous  a  life.  But  it  was  all  in  vain.  She 
lived  as  before  at  the  Luxembourg  and  at  the  Car- 
melites, and  caused  people  to  wonder  at  this  extraordinary 
conduct."1 

The  Regent  was  indignant  at  the  public  reign  of  Rion, 
the  more  so  since  his  daughter  returned  to  him  with 
interest  the  treatment  which  she  received  from  her  lover. 
Several  times  he  threatened  to  go  to  the  Luxembourg 
and  order  the  impudent  little  Gascon  to  be  thrown  out 
of  the  window.  But  he  went  no  farther  than  threats, 
and  even  these  were  never  uttered  in  the  presence  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  to  whom  he  showed  almost  as  much 
submission  as  she  herself  did  to  Rion.    Rion,  on  his  side, 

1  Saint-Simon. 


126  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

treated  the  Regent  with  all  the  respect  that  was  his  due, 
and  never  attempted  to  interfere  with  the  intimacy 
between  him  and  his  daughter,  preferring  to  make  use 
of  the  latter's  influence  with  her  father  to  advance  his 
own  interests. 

The  two  accordingly  continued  to  spend  a  great  part 
of  their  time  together.  The  Regent  generally  visited  the 
Luxembourg  between  five  and  six  o'clock,  when  the 
official  part  of  his  day  was  over,  and  he  was  free  to 
devote  himself  to  pleasure  ;  sometimes  he  would  remain 
to  supper  ;  at  others,  he  would  bring  his  daughter  back 
with  him  to  the  Palais-Royal,  to  assist  at  those  too- 
celebrated  repasts,  which  generally  began  about  nine 
o'clock,  and  often  continued  far  into  the  small  hours  of 
the  following  morning. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  strange  company  which  assembled 
round  the  supper-table  of  the  ruler  of  France.  There 
might  be  seen  that  band  of  dissolute  men  whom  the 
prince  had  dubbed  his  "  roues  "  :  Farges,  one  of  the 
handsomest  men  of  his  time,  the  darling  of  all  the  ladies  ; 
the  Chevalier  de  Simiane,  who  wrote  excellent  verses, 
but  who  was  a  still  better  drinker  ;  La  Fare,  captain  of 
the  Regent's  guards,  nicknamed  "  le  bon  enfant "  ; 
Broglie,  "  whose  pleasantries  consisted  in  saying  coarsely 
the  most  filthy  things  " ; l  Noce  and  Brancas  ;  d'Effiat 
and  Canillac.  And  with  them  a  group  of  women  as 
depraved  as  themselves  :  Madame  de  Parabere,  maitresse 
en  titre  of  their  host,  "  whom  the  Regent  called  his 
'  petit  corbeau  noir,'  when  he  was  at  the  first  glass  of 
champagne,   and  his  '  gigot '   at  the  last  "  ;  2    Madame 

1  Madame. 

-  Edouard  de  Barthelemy,  Us  Filles  du  Rdgent. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  127 

d'Averne,  who  succeeded  the  Parabere  in  the  prince's 
affections  ;  the  Duchesse  de  Gesvres,  who  could  drink 
against  any  man  present ;  Mesdames  de  Nesle  and  de 
Polignac,  who  fought  a  duel  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  for 
the  sake  of  the  beaux  yeux  of  the  Due  de  Richelieu  ; 
Madame  de  Gace,  who  once  at  a  supper-party,  Mathieu 
Marais  tells  us,  after  priming  herself  with  wine  and  all 
kinds  of  liqueurs,  danced  "  almost  naked  "  before  the 
company,  and  then  went  into  the  ante-chamber  and  gave 
a  second  performance  for  the  benefit  of  the  lackeys  ;  the 
Duchesse  d'Albret,  who,  according  to  Buvat,  "  died  from 
the  complaisance  that  she  had  to  drink  quantities  of 
liqueurs  with  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  "  ;  and  Madame 
de  Mouchy,  whom  we  have  already  described. 

And  this  strange  company  was  frequently  reinforced 
by  some  Opera-girl  upon  whom  the  Regent  or  one  of 
his  friends  happened  to  have  cast  a  favourable  eye,  or 
some  playwright,  actor  or  poet,  who  could  be  trusted  to 
contribute  to  the  gaiety  of  the  evening  by  improvised 
couplets  or  witty  sallies. 

When  the  servants  had  laid  the  table,  they  withdrew, 
and  the  rule  was  that  guests  should  wait  upon  themselves. 
The  doors  were  then  closed,  and  "  all  Paris  might  have 
been  in  flames — there  was  no  longer  any  Regent ;  he 
was  inaccessible  to  every  one.  From  that  moment  there 
were  neither  princes,  nor  actors,  nor  mistresses  in  the 
company,  neither  etiquette  nor  ceremony ;  differences 
of  rank  were  blended  in  a  perfect  equality,  and  the 
person  who  could  say  the  most  piquant  things  was  the 
one  who  ruled."1  "  It  was  at  these  parties,"  writes 
Saint-Simon,    "  that   the   character   of   every   one   was 

1  Soulavie,  Memoires  du  Due  de  Richelieu. 


128  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

passed  in  review,  with  the  utmost  freedom.  The  gal- 
lantries past  and  present  of  the  Court  and  the  town  ;  all 
old  stories,  disputes,  jokes,  absurdities  were  raked  up  ; 
nobody  was  spared."  The  company  drank  to  excess, 
the  Regent  himself  setting  the  example  ;  and,  as  the 
night  wore  on,  they  vied  with  one  another  in  blasphemy 
and  obscenity,  and  the  most  unbridled  licence  pre- 
vailed. "  Sometimes  even — dare  I  say  it  ? — the  candles 
were  extinguished,  and  the  Due  d'Orleans,  who,  from  his 
nature,  was  very  inquisitive  concerning  scandalous 
anecdotes,  having,  on  one  occasion,  placed  two  lighted 
torches  in  a  tall  cupboard  favourably  situated,  threw  open 
the  two  folding-doors  at  the  same  time,  and  in  a  moment 
revealed  important  secrets  to  the  company."1 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  in  her  element  at  these 
orgies,  and  seldom  failed  to  leave  them  in  a  disgraceful 
state  of  intoxication.  She  was  also  the  foremost  to  take 
part  in  the  cynical  entertainments  which  were  sometimes 
improvised  there  ;  and,  on  one  occasion,  together  with 
Madame  de  Parabere  and  Madame  d'Averne,  appeared  in 
a  tableau-vivant  entitled  le  Jugement  de  Paris,  which  was 
represented  after  the  ancient  bas-reliefs,  with  an  absolute 
realism. 

We  can  scarcely  be  surprised  that  the  constant  visits 
of  the  Regent  to  the  Luxembourg,  and  the  presence  of 
his  daughter  among  the  debauched  men  and  shameless 
women  whom  he  gathered  round  his  supper-table  at  the 
Palais-Royal,  should  have  encouraged  the  circulation  of 
those  infamous  reports  which  the  malignity  of  Madame 
la  Duchesse  and  her  friends  had  set  on  foot,  and  which 
had  already  spread  so  far  among  the  public.     For  the 

1  Soulavie,  Memoires  du  due  de  Richelieu. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  129 

arrogance  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  rendered  her, 
as  we  have  seen,  extremely  unpopular,  while  the  Regent, 
as  every  head  of  a  State  must  do,  had  made  many  enemies, 
who  were  not  too  scrupulous  as  to  the  weapons  they  em- 
ployed to  injure  him.  Soon  the  horrible  accusations, 
which  had  hitherto  been  only  whispered  about,  began, 
so  to  speak,  to  be  proclaimed  from  the  housetops,  and 
a  regular  campaign  of  calumny  was  inaugurated. 

The   chansonniers  were   the   first   to   take    the   field, 
and   numerous  couplets  began   to  make   their  appear- 
ance,   none    of    which   would    it    be    possible    to    cite. 
Voltaire,    who    detested    the    Regent,    was    himself    ac- 
cused   of    having    perpetrated    two    pieces    of    verse, 
entitled   respectively   les  Moabites    and  les  Ammonites, 
in   which    the    Due   d'Orleans   and  his   daughter   were 
assailed  in    an    abominable    manner,    and    which   were 
quoted  everywhere.    According  to  his  custom,  he  hastened 
to  disavow  them,  but  his  friend  Cideville  always  persisted 
in  attributing  their  authorship  to  him,  notwithstanding 
all  his  denials,  and  they  are  to  be  found  in   Beuchot's 
edition  of  his  works.    He  certainly  merited  the  Bastille  ; 
but  the  Regent  did  not  wish  to  punish  him  in  a  fashion 
calculated  to  increase  the  scandal,  and  accordingly  con- 
tented himself  by  causing  an  intimation  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  malicious  poet  that  it  would  be  advisable  for  him 
to  leave  Paris  for  a  season  (May  1716).    The  charge  was 
repeated,  in  a  more  detailed  and  far  grosser  form,  by  that 
implacable  enemy  of  the   Regent,   La  Grange-Chancel, 
who  consecrated  the  whole  of  the  third  ode  of  his  famous 
Philippiques    to    the    supposed    relations    between    the 
Due  d'Orleans  and  his  daughter.    Then  it  was  the  turn 
of  the  pamphleteers,  among  whose  productions  may  be 


130  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

mentioned  la  Chronique  veritable  du  preux  chevalier  don 
Philippus  d'Aurelie  ;  les  Aventures  du  Prince  Papyrius, 
surnommS  PUIS- Argent,  gouverneur  des  Francs  sots,  and 
ProsopopSe  sur  le  RSgent,  la  duchesse  de  Berry  et  le  Cardinal 
Dubois,  a  species  of  comedy  in  three  acts,  which  passes 
in  the  infernal  regions,  where  Pluto,  Rhadamanthus  and 
Minos  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  three.  Finally,  the 
caricaturists  advanced  to  the  attack,  and  permitted 
their  pencils  as  much  licence  as  did  the  others  their 
pens. 

We  have  said  that  these  atrocious  accusations  have 
not  been  accepted  by  any  serious  historian,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that,  shamelessly  debauched  as  were 
both  father  and  daughter,  they  were  perfectly  innocent 
of  the  crime  attributed  to  them.1  But,  at  the  same  time, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  the  deplorable  obstinacy  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  who,  aware  that  he  was  odiously 
compromising  his  daughter  in  the  eyes  of  a  public  greedy 
of  scandal,  continued  to  spend  long  hours  alone  in  her 
company,  and  the  abandoned  life  led  by  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  with  hardly  a  pretence  at  concealment,  encouraged 
people  to  believe  all  that  the  chansonniers  and  pamph- 
leteers recounted.  That  both  were  perfectly  informed 
of  the  scandalous   reports  which  were  in  circulation  is 

1  M.  Funck-Brentano,  in  his  admirable  history  of  the  Regency, 
makes  some  interesting  observations  on  this  subject.  "  That  criminal 
relations  existed  between  them,"  he  writes,  "  we  do  not  believe. 
Apart  from  the  idle  talk  held  by  those  whom  Saint-Simon  calls  '  the 
tongues  of  Satan,'  contemporaries  have  transmitted  nothing.  The 
letters  exchanged  between  father  and  daughter  bear  no  trace  of  it ; 
they  do  not  furnish  the  slightest  indication  ;  and  other  arguments 
than  the  calumnies  raked  together  by  the  Du  Hautchamps  and  the 
Soulavies ;  other  texts  than  the  strophes  of  the  Philippiques  and 
the  chansons  of  the  gutter — or  of  the  ruelles,  which  is  worse — would 
be  required  to  establish  a  fact  like  that." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  131 

proved  by  a  curious  letter  of  Madame,  dated  March  10, 
1718: 

"  On  the  4th,  Madame  de  Berry  invited  her  father  to 
come  and  stay  the  night  at  La  Muette,  for  the  vintagers' 
fete.  The  duke  wrote  asking  how  the  devotions  of  the 
Carmelites  would  be  edified  at  seeing  her  father  sleep 
a  night  in  her  house.  To  which  Madame  de  Berry  re- 
plied that  she  had  never  heard  it  said  that  it  was  con- 
trary to  devotion  for  a  father  to  pass  the  night  at  his 
daughter's  house,  and  that  she  did  not  know  what  scandal 
there  could  be  in  that." 

A  few  months  later,  however,  an  incident  occurred 
which  must  have  convinced  them  that  they  had  gone  a 
little  too  far  in  their  contemptuous  indifference  to  public 
opinion. 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  in  May  1716,  Voltaire  had 
been  recommended  to  quit  Paris  for  a  season.  He  re- 
tired to  Sully-sur-Loire,  where  he  remained  until  the 
beginning  of  the  following  year,  when  he  returned  to  the 
capital  and  recommenced  his  malicious  pleasantries  at 
the  expense  of  the  Regent  and  his  daughter.  In  March, 
he  was  sent  to  the  Bastille,  as  a  punishment  for  two 
satires,  J'ai  vu  and  Puero  regnante,  both  of  which  were 
ascribed  to  his  pen — the  first,  it  would  seem,  incorrectly — 
and  remained  there  for  over  a  year.1     On  his  release 


1  Voltaire  was  entrapped  into  a  confession  of  his  delinquencies  by 
one  Beauregard,  a  cunning  agent  of  the  secret  police — a  mouche,  as 
one  said  then — whom  he  believed  to  be  his  friend.  Here  is  his  report  : 
"  I  saw  him  [Voltaire]  at  his  lodging,  Rue  de  la  Calandre,  at  the  Panier 
Vert,  when  he  asked  me  what  news  there  was.  I  answered  that  a 
number  of  works  on  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry- 
had  appeared.  He  began  to  laugh  and  asked  me  if  they  were  con- 
sidered good.  I  told  him  that  they  were  thought  very  witty,  and  that 
people  placed  all  that  to  his  account,  but  that  I  did  not  believe  any- 


132  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

(April  ii,  1718),  he  was  exiled  to  Chatenay,  but,  a  few 
weeks  later,  was  permitted  to  return  to  Paris.  He 
came  with  his  (Edipe,  which  he  had  corrected  during 
his  enforced  seclusion  in  the  Bastille,  in  his  pocket,  and 
on  November  18  this  tragedy  was  produced,  with  pro- 
digious success,  at  the  Comedie-Francaise. 

Although  the  Due  d'Orleans  must  have  been  aware  that 
a  malevolent  public  would  be  certain  to  recognise  in  the 
incestuous  person  of  the  husband  of  Jocasta  an  allusion 
to  the  frightful  morals  attributed  to  the  ruler  of  France — 
indeed,  certain  persons  had  already  substituted  in  pencil 
the  name  of  Philippe  for  (Edipe  on  the  playbills — he  had 
the  temerity  to  assist  at  the  first  representation,  accom- 
panied by  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  Madame,  and  his 
three  elder  daughters.  The  manner  in  which  every 
passage  which  could  be  applied  to  the  Regent  was  re- 
ceived soon  revealed  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  parterre  ; 
but  the  prince  affected  to  ignore  it,  talking  and  laughing 
with  his  daughters  and  sometimes  joining  in  the  applause 
directed  against  himself  ;  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
followed  his  example.  But  when,  in  the  last  act,  the  high 
priest  asked  (Edipe  the  question  :  "  Savez-vous  settle- 
ment avec  qui  vous  vivez?"  And  a  spectator  promptly 
anticipated  the  ill-fated  king's  reply  by  crying  out  : 
"  Plaisante  question  !    qui  le  sait  mieux  que  lui  ?  '     they 

thing  of  the  kind,  and  that  it  was  impossible  at  his  age  (Voltaire  was 
then  twenty- two)  to  write  such  things." 

Voltaire  answered  that  he  was  wrong  not  to  believe  it. 

"  He  told  me,"  continues  Beauregard,  "  that,  since  he  was  unable 
to  avenge  himself  on  the  Due  d'Orleans  in  a  certain  fashion,  he  should 
not  spare  him  in  his  satires.  I  asked  him  what  the  Due  d'Orleans  had 
done  to  him.  He  was  lying  down  at  the  moment,  but  he  rose  up  like 
a  madman,  and  replied  :  '  What  !  you  do  not  know  what  that  .  .  .  has 
done  to  me  ?  He  exiled  me,  because  I  had  written  publicly  that  his 
Messalina  of  a  daughter  was  a    ..." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  133 

changed  countenance.    And  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  is  said 
to  have  nearly  swooned  away,  when  after  the  verses : 

O  Corinthe  !  6  Phocide  !  exdcrable  hyme'ne'e  ! 
Je  vois  naitre  une  race  infame,  infortunde, 
Digne  de  sa  naissance,  et  de  qui  la  fureur 
Remplira  l'univers  d'dpouvante  et  d'horreur. 

The  same  voice  apparently  shouted  :    "  Diable  !   combien 
done  aurait-il  d'enfants  !  ' 

On  May  7,  1717,  Peter  the  Great  arrived  in  Paris  and 
was  lodged  at  the  Hotel  des  Lesdiguieres,1  in  the  Rue 
de  la  Cerisau.  Both  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  her 
mother  were  feverishly  anxious  that  the  illustrious 
traveller  should  recognise  their  importance  by  honouring 
them  with  a  visit ;  but  Peter,  though  gracious  enough  to 
the  Regent,  did  not  appear  to  consider  that  prince's  wife 
and  daughter  worthy  of  any  particular  attention  on  his 
part,  and  several  days  passed  without  their  desire  being 
gratified.  At  length,  in  despair,  the  mortified  princesses, 
took  a  step  which  was  in  flagrant  violation  of  all  the  rules 
of  etiquette,  but  which,  nevertheless,  proved  effective. 
"  The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,"  writes  Dangeau,  "  returned 
yesterday  from  Montmartre,2  where  she  had  been  since 
Thursday,  and  sent  M.  de  Saint-Pierre,  her  first  equerry, 
to  compliment  the  Czar,  who  answered  that  he  would 
visit  her  to  thank  her.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  did  like- 
wise, and  received  the  same  answer."3 

1  The  Hotel  des  Lesdiguieres  had  been  built  by  the  celebrated 
financier  Sebastien  Zamet,  from  whose  heirs  it  was  purchased  by 
Bonne,  Due  des  Lesdiguieres  and  Constable  of  France. 

2  The  Abbey  of  Montmartre,  where  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  had  an 
apartment,  and  to  which  she  was  frequently  in  the  habit  of  retiring  for 
a  few  days. 

3  Journal,  May  19,  171 7. 


134  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

The  Czar's  visit  to  the  latter  took  place  on  May  21, 
and  the  anonymous  author  of  the  Gazette  de  la  Regence, 
who  claims  to  have  been  present,  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  interview  : 

"  The  same  day  (Friday),  Madame  de  Berry  returned 
expressly  from  La  Muette  to  receive,  at  the  Luxembourg, 
the  Czar,  who  arrived  at  three  o'clock,  and  was  received 
by  the  duchess  in  her  ante-chamber.  His  Majesty  kissed 
Madame  de  Berry  on  both  cheeks.  She  gave  him  her 
right  hand,  and  conducted  him  into  her  state-chamber, 
where  stood  two  arm-chairs.  They  remained  there  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  and  then  the  Czar  went  to  view  the 
gardens.  I  saw  all  this  ceremony  with  mine  own  eyes, 
although  there  were  very  few  people  there.  Madame  de 
Berry  looked  as  stout  as  a  tower,  although  in  other 
respects  beautiful  and  youthful." 

The  writer  had  certainly  some  excuse  for  describing 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  as  "  stout  as  a  tower."  From 
her  childhood  the  princess  had  shown  a  marked  tendency 
to  embonpoint,  and,  as  she  grew  older,  she  became  so 
stout  that  her  figure  was  completely  spoiled.  At  the 
same  time,  her  complexion,  hitherto  one  of  her  chief  at- 
tractions, changed  to  a  most  unbecoming  shade  of  red, 
despite  the  frequent  bleedings  to  which  she  had  recourse 
in  order  to  remedy  it.  These  operations,  Dangeau  tells 
us,  had  to  be  performed  in  the  feet,  since  the  surgeon  was 
quite  unable  to  find  the  vein  in  her  arm.  By  the  spring 
of  1717,  the  princess's  generous  proportions  had  begun  to 
cause  her  serious  inconvenience.  The  active  life  she 
had  always  led  was  no  longer  possible,  and  she  decided  to 
sell  all  her  saddle-horses,  since  she  was  obliged  to  renounce 
following  the  chase  except  in  her  caliche,  and  even  a  quiet 


Peter  the  Great,  Emi-eror  of  Russia 
From  the  painting  by  Nattier,  at  Versailles 

(Photo  by  \V.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


(    C     C      € 


(      C      C   «   C 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  135 

canter  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  could  not  be  indulged  in 
without  discomfort. 

For  this  distressing  condition  of  affairs  her  intemper- 
ance at  table  seems  to  have  been  mainly  responsible. 
Not  only  did  she  habitually  drink  to  excess,  but  she 
was  also  a  most  inveterate  gourmand.     '  It  is  impossible 
for  her  to  be  in  good  health  with  her  frightful  gluttony," 
writes  Madame.    "  Every  evening  she  sits  down  to  table 
at  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  and  eats  till  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning."    And  again  :    "  Madame  de  Berry  eats  little 
at  midday  ;    but  how  can  she  be  expected  to  make  a 
proper  meal  ?    While  still  in  bed,  she  devours  all  kinds  of 
cakes.    She  never  rises  before  midday,  sits  down  to  table 
at  two  o'clock,  and  eats  little.    At  three  o'clock,  she  rises 
from  table,  and  does  not  walk  a  step.    At  four  o'clock, 
they  bring  her  all  kinds  of  eatables  :   salad,  cheese-cakes, 
fruit.    She  sups  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  remains 
at  table  until  midnight.    At  one  or  two  o'clock,  she  goes 
to  bed,   and,   for  a  digestive,   she   drinks  very  strong 
brandy."1 

The  beginning  of  the  following  autumn,  which  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  was  spending  at  La  Muette,  was 
marked  by  a  veritable  revolution  of  the  palace.  Desiring 
to  give  Rion  a  still  more  signal  proof  of  her  solicitude  for 
his  interests  than  any  which  she  had  yet  bestowed  upon 
him,  and  of  having  greater  opportunities  for  enjoying  his 
society,  she  determined  to  create  him  her  first  equerry. 
This  charge  was  at  present  exercised  by  the  Marquis 
d'Hautefort,  a  nobleman  whom  she  dared  not  go  so  far  as 
to  dismiss ;  and  she  accordingly  determined  to  evade  the 
difficulty  by   doubling  the  office   and  having  two  first 

1  Letters  of  April  2,  1719,  and  November  18,  1717. 


136  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

equerries.  At  the  same  time,  partly  to  reward  Madame 
de  Mouchy  for  her  confidential  services,  but  more  to  mask 
the  promotion  of  her  lover,  she  determined  to  double 
the  charge  of  dame  d'atours  as  well.  This  creation  was 
allowed  to  take  place  without  provoking  any  observation 
from  the  Due  d'Orleans.  But  it  aroused  the  keenest 
resentment  in  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  Household  ;  and 
two  of  her  dames  de  compagnie,  Madame  de  Clermont 
and  Madame  de  Beauvau,  indignant  at  the  idea  of  a 
woman  who  had  never  filled  any  official  charge  about  the 
person  of  the  princess  becoming  all  of  a  sudden  their 
superior,  demanded  an  audience  of  the  Regent,  and,  after 
complaining  bitterly  of  the  promotion  of  Madame  de 
Mouchy,  concerning  whom  they  expressed  themselves  in 
far  from  complimentary  terms,  resigned  their  posts. 
Nor  did  they  make  any  effort  to  conceal  from  the  Court 
their  reasons  for  this  action,  which  was  generally  ap- 
proved. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry,  in  consequence,  was  deeply 
incensed,  and  her  anger  was  sensibly  augmented  by  the 
fact  that  both  ladies  continued  to  be  well  received  by  her 
father  and  mother  at  the  Palais-Royal,  who  thus  tacitly 
acknowledged  that  they  had  justice  on  their  side.  One 
evening,  in  the  following  April,  the  princess  happened  to 
be  at  the  Opera,  when  she  perceived  Madame  de  Cler- 
mont, with  the  Duchesse  d'£tampes,  in  the  box  of  the 
Comte  de  Toulouse,  which  was  exactly  opposite  hers. 
No  sooner  did  she  catch  sight  of  her  former  dame  de 
campagnie,  than  her  florid  countenance  assumed  an  even 
deeper  colour,  and,  turning  to  one  of  her  guards,  who  was 
on  duty,  she  sent  him  to  Madame  de  Clermont,  with  a 
peremptory  order  to  withdraw  on  the  instant  and  never 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  137 

again  to  show  herself  in  her  Royal  Highness's  presence. 
Madame  de  Clermont  obeyed,  and  left  the  Opera-house, 
accompanied  by  the  Duchesse  d'Etampes  ;  but  the  whole 
nobility  was  transported  with  indignation  at  the  pre- 
tensions of  a  princess  to  banish  one  of  their  number  from 
her  presence  in  a  public  place— a  right  which  belonged  to 
the  King  alone. 

The  Regent  spoke  to  his  daughter,  as  did  Madame, 
and  advised  her  to  make  the  amende  honorable;  but 
the  princess  refused.  However,  the  very  hostile  criti- 
cisms of  which  she  continued  to  be  the  object  eventu- 
ally convinced  her  of  the  necessity  of  yielding ;  and,  after 
a  consultation  with  Madame  de  Saint-Simon,  to  whom  she 
was  ready  enough  to  turn  in  moments  of  embarrassment, 
she  decided  to  be  reconciled  to  Mesdames  de  Clermont 
and  de  Beauvau.  It  was  accordingly  arranged  that  she 
should  go  and  spend  a  couple  of  days  in  her  apartment 
at  the  Carmelites,  and  that,  while  she  was  there,  the  two 
ladies  and  their  husbands,  accompanied  by  Madame  de 
Saint-Simon,  should  pay  her  a  visit.  The  princess,  who, 
as  we  have  said,  could  be  perfectly  charming  when  she 
wished  to  please,  received  them  most  graciously,  and 
the  reconciliation  was  complete. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  far  from  satisfied  with 
what  she  had  already  done  for  Rion  ;  her  infatuation 
increased  every  day,  and  she  thought  only  of  rinding  new 
means  of  pleasing  him.  He  had  expressed  a  desire  for 
a  government,  and  in  November,  1717,  she  persuaded  her 
father  to  purchase  from  its  holder,  M.  de  Saint- Viance, 
the  rich  government  of  Cognac,  and  to  confer  it  upon  her 
idol,  with,  we  need  hardly  say,  exemption  from  residing 
there. 


138  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

But  let  us  leave  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  for  a  while, 
and  turn  to  the  second  of  the  Regent's  daughters,  Louise 
Adelaide  d'Orleans,  who  had  now  abandoned  the  title 
of  Mile,  de  Chartres  for  that  of  Mile.  d'Orleans,  which, 
it  will  be  remembered,  her  elder  sister  had  once  borne. 


CHAPTER   VII 

Mile,  d' Orleans  at  the  Abbey  of  Chelles — She  announces  her  intention 
of  taking  the  veil — Attitude  of  her  relatives  towards  this  project — 
She  falls  ill  and  is  removed,  on  the  advice  of  the  doctors,  to  the 
Abbey  of  Montmartre — Unfounded  report  that  she  has  decided  to 
renounce  her  religious  aspirations — Project  of  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  to  marry  her  to  the  Prince  de  Dombes,  eldest  son  of  the 
Due  du  Maine — Mile.  d'Orleans  appears  in  Society — Her  portrait  by 
Madame — The  singer  Cauchereau — M.  de  Saint-Maixent — Mile. 
d'Orleans  persists  in  her  desire  to  enter  religion — Futile  efforts  of 
her  mother  to  coerce  her  into  marrying  the  Prince  de  Dombes — 
The  Regent  refuses  to  sanction  the  princess  becoming  a  nun — The 
latter,  having  obtained  permission  to  visit  Chelles,  announces  her 
determination  to  remain  there — The  Due  d'Orleans  endeavours  to 
prevail  upon  her  to  renounce  this  resolve,  but  she  remains  inflexible 
— She  pronounces  her  vows — She  intrigues  against  the  abbess, 
Madame  de  Villars,  who  is  compelled  to  resign  her  post — Mile. 
d'Orleans  is  nominated  Abbess  of  Chelles — Her  consecration. 

THE  Abbey  of  Chelles  was,  as  we  have  seen,  an 
infinitely  more  agreeable  retreat  than  the  majority 
of  such  institutions.  Nevertheless,  the  monotonous  and 
uniform  life  of  the  cloister  was  but  ill-suited  to  a  lively 
little  girl  not  yet  in  her  teens,  and  for  some  months  Mile. 
d'Orleans  was  far  from  happy.  However,  she  was  at 
an  impressionable  age  and  of  a  very  receptive  nature, 
and  it  was  difficult  for  her  to  remain  long  in  an  atmo- 
sphere of  devotion  without  becoming  affected  by  it ;  and 
gradually  religious  ideas  began  to  take  possession  of  her 
mind.  The  nuns,  and  in  particular  the  kind  and  sym- 
pathetic prioress,  Madame  de  Fretteville,  perceiving  the 
direction  in  which  her  thoughts  were  tending,  did  every- 
thing in  their  power  to  encourage  her ;    and  at  the  end 

139 


140  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  a  year  or  two  she  did  not  conceal  her  intention  of 
taking  the  veil. 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  far  from  combating  this  pro- 
ject, approved  it  warmly ;  it  was,  indeed,  with  this  idea 
that  she  had  insisted  on  sending  Mile.  d'Orleans  and  Mile, 
de  Valois  to  Chelles ;  while  her  husband,  with  his  usual 
indifference,  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  observed  that 
if  the  girl  wished  to  become  a  nun,  he  supposed  she  must 
have  her  way.  Madame,  on  the  contrary,  showed  her- 
self strongly  opposed  to  her  granddaughter's  inclination. 
"  She  wishes  to  become  a  nun,"  she  writes,  "  which  dis- 
pleases me  and  delights  her  mother  ;  but  I  am  very  sure 
that  every  one  will  end  by  repenting  of  it.  I  have  done 
all  I  can ;  there  would  certainly  be  many  things  to 
say  about  that,  but  which  cannot  be  entrusted  to  the 
post."1 

It  was  believed  that  the  death  of  Louis  XIV.  and  the 
accession  of  her  father  to  the  Regency  produced  a  sudden 
change  in  the  projects  of  Mile,  de  Chartres,  and  that  the 
good  seed  sown  in  the  convent  was  suddenly  checked 
by  the  thorns  of  ambition  ;  by  the  desire,  now  that  her 
father  had  become  head  of  the  State  and  heir-presumptive 
to  the  throne,  to  assume  the  place  in  the  world  to  which 
her  rank  entitled  her,  and  perhaps  to  make  a  great 
marriage.  This  belief  was  engendered  by  the  fact  that 
very  shortly  afterwards  the  young  princess  was  taken 
ill,  and  on  the  advice  of  the  doctors  who  attended  her, 
removed  from  Chelles  to  the  Abbey  of  Montmartre, 
whence  she  emerged  every  morning  to  spend  the  day  with 
her  parents  at  the  Palais-Royal.     People  attributed  her 

1  Lettres  de  la  Duchesse  d'Orleans  (edit.  Jaegle),  Letter  of  July  15, 
I7I5- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  141 

illness  to  the  distaste  which  she  had  conceived  for  con- 
ventual life,  and  to  mortification  at  the  reluctance  of 
her  parents  to  permit  her  to  return  to  the  world  ;  and 
regarded  her  removal  to  Montmartre  as  preparatory  to 
a  complete  renunciation  of  her  determination  to  enter 
religion.  "  It  is  said  that  she  has  changed  the  intention 
that  she  had  of  becoming  a  nun,"  writes  Dangeau  on 
October  17,  1715. 

Public  opinion  did  Mile.  d'Orleans  an  injustice.      It 
was    not   her    views   which    had    changed,    but    those 
of  her   parents,  or  rather   of   her    mother.      In   conse- 
quence  of  recent  political  events,   the  duchess,  always 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  favourite  brother,  the 
Due  du  Maine,  was  keenly  desirous  of  bringing  about 
a  reconciliation  between  that  prince  and  the  Regent ;  and 
the  easiest  way  to  effect  this  was  a  marriage  between  one 
of  her  daughters  and  the  duke's  eldest  son,  the  Prince 
de  Dombes.    Mile.  d'Orleans,  being  two  years  older  than 
her  next  sister,  Mile,  de  Valois,  who,  having  failed  to 
show  the  slightest  inclination  for  the  religious  life,  had 
been  withdrawn  from  Chelles  at  the  beginning  of  August 
1714,  was  the  more  suitable  wife  for  her  nephew  ;    and 
she  was  now  as  anxious  to  dissuade  the  girl  from  carrying 
out  her  pious  resolutions  as  she  had  once  been  ready  to 
confirm  her  in  them. 

With  this  idea,  she  sought  to  present  the  world  to  the 
young  recluse  under  its  most  pleasing  aspects,  and  to  pre- 
pare her  for  the  position  which  she  intended  her  to  fill 
in  it.  She  had  her  taught  dancing  and  music  ;  she  took 
her  to  the  "  Comedie,"  to  the  Opera  and  to  balls,  even 
to  the  Opera-ball,  where  she  appeared  twice  during 
the  winter  of  1716.    The  princess  appeared  delighted  with 


142  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

these  unaccustomed  pleasures  and  pursuits,  and  was 
particularly  enthusiastic  about  music,  which  she  studied 
under  the  direction  of  Cauchereau,  the  celebrated  tenor 
of  the  Opera. 

Although  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  had  not  yet  shown 
her  hand,  in  the  last  weeks  of  1715  a  rumour  spread 
that  her  second  daughter  was  shortly  to  be  married  ;  and, 
indeed,  it  seemed  very  improbable  that,  if  she  had  defi- 
nitely decided  to  renounce  the  convent,  the  young  princess 
would  remain  long  unwed.  For  Mile.  d'Orleans,  now  in 
her  seventeenth  year,  was  undoubtedly  a  very  charming 
and  accomplished  girl ;  and  the  correspondence  of 
Madame,  usually  so  critical  of  her  relatives,  is  full  of  her 
praises.  The  old  lady  describes  her  as  "  very  agreeable 
in  person,  tall,  graceful,  with  a  pleasing  countenance,  a 
pretty  mouth  and  teeth  white  as  pearls,1  beautiful  hands, 
and  a  dazzling  complexion."  She  adds  that  she  dances 
well,  thoroughly  understands  music,  has  an  agreeable 
voice,  and  can  sing  at  sight  anything  that  she  is  asked 
to  "  without  making  grimaces,"  has  a  "  natural  elo- 
quence "  and  a  very  good  disposition,  "  is  fond  of  every- 
thing that  she  ought  to  be  fond  of  ;  and  declares  that 
she  "  loves  her  tenderly,  which  is  not  difficult  to  do,  for 
she  certainly  deserves  it."2  And  in  another  letter,  dated 
August  12,  1716,  Madame  writes  :  "  She  firmly  persists 
in  becoming  a  nun,  but  I  do  not  think  that  she  has  any 
vocation  for  it,  for  she  has  all  the  tastes  of  a  boy  :  she 
loves  dogs,   horses,   hunting,   and  shooting ;    she   fears 

1  Letters  of  January  16,  1716  and  March  31,  1718. 

2  Elsewhere  Madame  writes :  "I  have  never  in  my  life  seen 
^nore  beautiful  teeth.  They  are  like  pearls  which  have  just  been 
taken  out  of  a  jewel-case." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  143 

nothing  in  the  world,  and  cares  not  at  all  for  those  things 
which  women  love.  She  does  not  trouble  in  the  least 
about  her  appearance,  although  she  is  not  ugly  and  is 
well-made."  From  which  it  will  be  gathered  that  Mile. 
d'Orleans  was  a  young  lady  of  a  very  independent  turn 
of  mind. 

To  explain  the  supposed  return  of  Mile.  d'Orleans  to 
religious  ideas,  from  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  she  had 
never  departed,  the  gossiping  chroniclers  of  the  time 
relate  two  anecdotes,  neither  of  which  appears  to  rest 
upon  any  serious  foundation. 

One  is  that  she  had  conceived  too  warm  an  admira- 
tion for  the  talents  of  her  singing-master,  Cauchereau, 
"  who  possessed  intelligence  and  an  agreeable  counte- 
nance,"1 and  that  one  evening,  when  she  visited  the 
Opera,  with  her  mother,  to  witness  a  representation  of 
Lulli's  Atys,  and  the  popular  tenor  was  surpassing  him- 
self in  the  rendering  of  a  very  passionate  morceau,  she 
cried  out,  in  an  ecstasy  of  emotion  :  "  Ah  !  mon  cher 
Cauchereau  !  "  and  then,  overcome  by  emotion,  swooned 
away  in  the  box.  Whereupon  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  who 
"  found  her  daughter's  exclamation  a  little  too  expres- 
sive,"2 forthwith  decided  that  the  convent  was  the  only 
safe  place  for  her. 

The  other  is  that  she  fell  deeply  in  love  with  the 
Chevalier  de  Saint-Maixent,  one  of  the  King's  pages,  who 
had  saved  her  from  an  accident  at  the  chase,  at  the  cost 
of  an  injury  which  nearly  proved  fatal,  and  did  everything 
in  her  power  to  persuade  her  parents  to  allow  her  to 
marry  him  ;   and  that,  when  they  very  naturally  refused 

1  Duclos,  Chroniqaes  indiscretes  sur  la  Regence, 
*  Ibid. 


144  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

to  countenance  so  startling  a  mesalliance,  the  desire  of 
taking  the  veil  returned  to  her. 

Facts,  as  the  princess's  most  authoritative  biographer 
is  at  pains  to  show,1  absolutely  contradict  these  romantic 
incidents.  Never  had  Mile.  d'Orleans  renounced  her 
projects.  If,  in  October  1715,  Dangeau  records  in  his 
Journal  the  rumour  that  she  had  changed  her  intentions, 
on  December  23  he  mentions  that  "  she  persists  in 
becoming  a  nun  "  ;  and  from  that  time  he  scarcely 
ever  refers  to  her  without  insisting  on  the  perseverance 
of  her  vocation.  Thus,  on  February  26,  1716,  he  ob- 
serves :  "  She  persists  in  the  desire  of  becoming  a  nun 
and  appears  more  than  ever  in  devotion."  And  a  few 
days  later  (March  3),  after  recording  her  presence  at  the 
Opera-ball,  he  adds  :  "  Despite  all  the  amusements  that 
they  give  her,  she  persists  in  wishing  to  be  a  nun." 
On  her  side,  Madame  is  not  less  explicit.  '  She  persists 
in  wishing  to  be  a  nun,"  she  writes  on  August  12,  1716. 

What,  however,  if  it  did  not  influence  her  decision, 
undoubtedly  precipitated  the  entry  of  Mile.  d'Orleans 
into  religion,  was  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  her 
by  her  mother  to  induce  her  to  wed  the  Prince  de  Dombes. 
The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  employed  every  imaginable  per- 
suasion  to  obtain  the  princess's  consent  to  this  cherished 
project ;  but  the  latter,  who  did  not  feel  the  least  inclina- 
tion for  the  husband  chosen  for  her,  and  was  secretly 
encouraged  in  her  resistance  by  Madame,  who  detested 
everything  which  savoured  of  bastardy,  was  firm  in 
her  refusal.  Finding  persuasion  of  no  avail,  the  angry 
duchess  determined  to  overcome  the  girl's  obstinacy  by 
other  means,   and,  while  caressing  her  third  daughter, 

1  Edouard  de  Barthelemy,  les  Filles  du  Regent. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  145 

Mile,  de  Valois,  whom,  in  default  of  her  sister,  she  in- 
tended to  marry  to  the  Prince  de  Dombes,  treated 
Mile.  d'Orleans  so  harshly  that  her  position  speedily 
became  intolerable,  and  she  entreated  the  Regent  to 
allow  her  to  take  the  veil  with  the  least  possible  delay. 
"  What  induced  the  poor  demoiselle  d'Orleans  to  become 
a  nun,"  writes  Madame,  "  is  simply  the  little  affection 
she  experienced  from  her  mother,  and  her  fear  that  she 
would  be  tormented  in  order  to  make  her  marry  the 
eldest  son  of  the  Due  du  Maine.  She  preferred  to  retire 
from  the  world  than  to  risk  drawing  upon  her  all  her 
mother's  hatred."1 

Philippe  d'Orleans  had  raised  no  objection  to  his 
second  daughter's  project,  when  it  had  been  first  an- 
nounced, some  two  or  three  years  before  ;  but,  since  her 
return  to  Paris,  he  had  become  attached  to  the  girl,  and 
now  endeavoured  to  prevail  upon  her  to  renounce  it. 
He  hoped  to  find  in  marriage  an  argument  against  the 
tenacity  with  which  she  clung  to  her  vocation,  but  no 
prince  presented  himself  capable  of  arousing  in  her 
even  a  passing  interest. 

At  length,  at  the  beginning  of  the  autumn  of  1716, 
Mile.  d'Orleans,  finding  that  her  father  still  refused  to  give 
his  consent,  determined  to  dispense  with  it.  She  was  then 
staying  with  her  mother  and  grandmother  at  Saint-Cloud, 
and  one  evening  demanded  permission  to  pay  a  visit  to 
her  old  friends  at  the  Abbey  of  Chelles.  Madame  had 
her  suspicions,  but  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  did  not  share 
them,  and  granted  her  daughter's  request.  Early  next 
morning  (September  14),  the  princess  set  out  for  Chelles, 
accompanied    by    her    soas-gouvernante,    Madame    des 

1  Letter  of  October  9,  1718. 
L 


146  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Bordes,  who  was  to  bring  her  back  the  same  evening. 
But  Madame  des  Bordes  returned  alone,  bringing  with 
her  a  letter  from  her  charge  addressed  to  her  relatives, 
in  which  she  informed  them  that  "  it  had  always  been 
her  intention  to  become  a  nun  at  Chelles,  and  that,  being 
more  determined  upon  it  than  ever,  she  had  decided  to 
remain  there  and  never  leave  the  convent  again."1  A 
letter  of  Madame,  written  some  four  years  later,  has 
preserved  for  us  the  details  of  this  incident. 

"  Never  have  I  seen  the  abbess  [Mile.  d'Orleans]  more 
light-hearted  than  the  day  on  which  she  took  this  resolu- 
tion and  announced  it  to  her  family.  She  had  been  for 
a  ride  on  horseback  with  her  sister  [Mile,  de  Valois],  and 
had  not  for  a  long  time  been  so  amused,  at  any  rate  in 
appearance.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  she  came 
to  my  apartments  with  her  mother,  and  we  played  cards 
until  supper-time.  After  supper,  I  proposed  to  play 
again,  but  Madame  d'Orleans  asked  me  to  go  into  her 
cabinet,  and  Mile.  d'Orleans  followed  us  there.  This 
young  lady,  falling  on  her  knees,  begged  us  to  allow  her 
to  go  to  Chelles,  to  perform  her  devotions  there.  I  said 
to  her  :  '  My  daughter,  one  can  perform  one's  devotions 
anywhere  ;  the  place  is  a  matter  of  perfect  indifference  ; 
the  preparation  of  the  soul  is  the  essential  thing.'  But  she 
remained  on  her  knees  and  reiterated  her  entreaties. 
I  said  to  her  mother  :  '  Make  up  your  mind  ;  do  you  wish 
your  daughter  to  go  to  Chelles  or  not  ?  '  Madame 
d'Orleans  replied :  '  She  cannot  be  prevented  from 
going  there  to  perform  her  devotions.'  Accordingly, 
on  the  morrow,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  young 
lady  set   out  thither,   and  immediately  sent   back  her 

1  Journal  de  Dangeau,  September  14,  171 6. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  147 

carriage,  with  a  letter  addressed  to  her  father,  her  mother, 
and  myself,  wherein  she  took  leave  of  us  and  informed 
us  of  her  resolve  not  to  leave  this  convent  again."1 

According  to  Madame,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  re- 
ceived the  news  with  equanimity  ;  doubtless,  she  had 
by  this  time  recognised  the  futility  of  attempting  to 
coerce  her  daughter  into  accepting  the  husband  she 
desired  to  impose  upon  her,  and  considered  that  the 
girl's  retirement  into  a  convent  would  free  her  from  a 
good  deal  of  unwelcome  responsibility.  The  Regent,  on 
the  contrary,  was  very  angry,  indeed,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  set  off  for  Chelles  in  a  post-chaise,  in  the 
hope  of  persuading  the  fugitive  to  return.  His  arguments, 
however,  were  powerless  to  shake  the  latter's  resolution, 
and  she  even  seized  the  occasion  to  admonish  her  father 
very  severely  on  the  scandalous  life  he  was  leading,  which, 
she  declared,  was  one  of  the  principal  reasons  which  had 
determined  her  to  enter  religion. 

For  more  than  four  months  after  the  return  of 
Mile.  d'Orleans  to  Chelles,  the  Regent  firmly  refused  to 
authorise  his  daughter  taking  any  further  steps  towards 
her  vocation  ;  but,  at  length,  towards  the  end  of  the 
following  March,  he  consented  to  her  entering  the 
noviciate.  The  young  lady  lost  no  time  in  availing  herself 
of  the  permission  so  tardily  accorded,  and  a  few  days 
later  (March  31,  1717)  she  took  the  habit,  in  the  presence 
of  her  father  and  mother.  "  Her  behaviour  was  firm 
and  edifying,"  writes  Saint-Simon,  "  and  everything 
passed  off  before  as  few  persons  as  possible  and  with  the 
utmost  simplicity." 

The  Due  d'Orleans  gave  the  illustrious  novice  a  pen- 

1  Letter  of  September  15,  1723. 


148  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

sion  of  10,000  livres  and  a  further  sum  to  be  expended 
in  alms  and  oblations. 

Notwithstanding  that  he  had,  to  all  appearance,  sur- 
rendered to  his  daughter's  wishes,  the  Regent  was,  in 
reality,  very  far  from  reconciled  to  her  retirement  from 
the  world,  and  at  the  beginning  of  September  he  re- 
appeared at  Chelles  and  made  another  attempt  to  induce 
her  to  renounce  her  resolution ;  but  to  no  purpose.  To- 
wards the  end  of  the  same  month,  Mile.  d'Orleans  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  who  came 
charged  with  a  commission  from  the  Due  d'Orleans  to 
persuade  her  sister  to  allow  herself  to  be  nominated 
Abbess  of  Montmartre,  on  which  condition  she  would 
be  authorised  to  pronounce  her  vows  forthwith.  It  is 
not  clear  what  object  the  Regent  had  in  making  this  pro- 
posal, unless  it  was  to  have  his  daughter  as  near  him  as 
possible  and  under  the  eye  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans, 
who  had  an  apartment  at  Montmartre,  to  which  she  was 
in  the  habit  of  frequently  retiring.  But  Mile.  d'Orleans 
naturally  foresaw  incessant  difficulties  from  the  proximity 
of  her  mother,  and  she,  with  well-assumed  modesty, 
declined  the  offer,  on  the  ground  that  "  before  thinking 
of  commanding,  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  learn  how  to 
obey." 

In  the  first  days  of  1718,  the  Due  d'0rl6ans  came 
again  to  Chelles,  only  to  find  his  daughter  "  persisting 
still  in  her  desire  to  be  a  nun,"  as  did  Madame,  who  paid 
her  a  visit  some  weeks  later.  The  novice  earnestly  en- 
treated the  latter  to  use  her  influence  with  the  Regent 
to  secure  permission  for  her  to  pronounce  her  vows 
after  Easter,  and  to  this  Madame  appears  to  have  given 
a  reluctant  consent;   any  way,  on  April  20,   the  Due 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  149 

d'Orleans  authorised  his  daughter  to  make  her  profession 
as  soon  as  she  had  completed  her  twentieth  year,  that 
is  to  say,  in  the  following  August.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  the  young  lady  was  so  fearful  of  her  father  changing 
his  mind  that  nothing  would  content  her  but  a  permission 
written  and  signed  by  him.  Nevertheless,  the  Regent  had 
not  yet  abandoned  all  hope,  and  on  July  19  he  arrived 
at  Chelles,  accompanied  by  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  the 
Cardinal  de  Noailles,  to  make  a  supreme  effort  to  over- 
come the  resolution  of  Mile.  d'Orleans.  But  he  found 
her,  if  possible,  more  inflexible  than  ever,  and,  as  in  the 
face  of  the  solemn  promises  he  had  made  her,  he  felt 
unable  to  offer  any  further  opposition,  the  taking  of  the 
veil  was  fixed  for  August  20. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  writes  Dangeau,  "  made  her  pro- 
fession at  Chelles,  and  edified  every  one  by  the  devotion, 
the  courage,  and  the  joy  which  she  displayed  on  this 
occasion.1  She  resisted  Madame  s  letters  and  the  en- 
treaties which  M.  Terrat2  addressed  to  her  on  behalf  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans." 

The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Cardinal  de 
Noailles,  who  profited  by  the  occasion  to  deliver  a  dis- 
course which  "  greatly  edified  the  illustrious  persons  who 
heard  him."  These  illustrious  persons  did  not  include 
any  member  of  the  Orleans  family,  the  duke  absenting 
himself  from  annoyance  ;  Madame,  because  she  "  did  not 
desire  to  be  distressed  to  the  point  of  tears,"3  and  the 

1  Madame  had  continued  her  efforts  up  to  the  last  moment.  In  a 
letter  written  on  the  day  of  the  ceremony  she  says  that  she  had  made 
to  her  granddaughter  "  all  the  representations  that  she  had  been  able 
to  imagine  to  turn  her  from  this  bad  resolution." 

2  Chancellor  of  the  Due  d'Orleans. 

3  Letter  of  September  6,  1718. 


150  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

duchess  and  her  daughters,  because  apparently  it  was  too 
much  trouble  for  them  to  make  the  journey. 

The  Regent,  however,  behaved  very  liberally,  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  his  daughter  had  acted  in  direct  opposition 
to  his  wishes.  He  sent  to  the  abbey  a  sum  of  100,000  livres 
for  the  dowry  of  the  illustrious  nun,  gave  the  latter 
30,000  to  dispense  in  alms,  and  continued  her  pension 
of  10,000  livres. 

Saint-Simon  accuses  Mile.  d'Orleans  of  having  adopted 
the  religious  life  "  through  ill-humour,  childishness  and 
caprice,"  and  the  charge  is  repeated  by  several  historians 
who  have  followed  him.  In  this,  however,  they  do  the 
princess  a  grave  injustice,  for,  as  we  have  seen,  her  resolve 
to  enter  religion  was  one  which  dated  from  the  time  of  her 
first  sojourn  at  Chelles,  and  in  which  she  had  stubbornly 
persisted  ever  since,  notwithstanding  the  strenuous  op- 
position she  had  had  to  encounter.  Without  doubt, 
the  ill-advised  efforts  of  her  mother  to  force  her  into  a 
marriage  with  the  Prince  de  Dombes,  and  her  distress 
at  the  dissipated  life  led  by  her  father  and  at  the  still 
more  scandalous  conduct  of  her  elder  sister,  served  to 
confirm  this  resolve,  and  to  hasten  her  retirement  to  the 
cloister,  where  she  hoped  to  find  peace  and  security.  But, 
even  if  her  relatives  had  been  all  that  could  be  desired, 
we  see  no  reason  to  suppose  that  she  would  have  been 
content  to  remain  in  the  world,  for  everything  points  to 
a  religious  vocation  incontestably  serious. 

Mile.  d'Orleans  would  appear,  therefore,  to  have  en- 
tered— or  rather  re-entered — the  Abbey  of  Chelles  with 
the  most  sincere  convictions  and  with  an  earnest  desire 
to  do  her  duty  humbly  and  faithfully  in  the  life  to  which 
she  felt  herself  called.     But  she  did  not  continue  long 


UNRULY   DAUGHTERS  151 

in  this  laudable  resolution,  for,  even  with  the  best  inten- 
tions, it  was  very  difficult  for  a  young  woman  of  her  inde- 
pendence of  character,  and,  moreover,  a  Princess  of  the 
Blood,  to  render  for  any  length  of  time  that  implicit 
obedience   demanded   from   subordinate   members   of   a 
religious  community.    "  So  long  as  she  had  been  obliged 
to  struggle,"  writes  one  of  her  biographers,  "  the  religious 
thought  dominated  her,  by  absorbing  all  other  sentiments  ; 
but,  from  the  day  when  the  princess  had  triumphed  over 
all  obstacles,  from  the  day  when  the  grating  of  the  cloister 
had  fallen  for  ever  upon  her,  in  placing  an  insurmount- 
able barrier  between  the  world  and  her,  a  secret  movement 
perhaps  introduced  itself  into  her  mind,  which  inspired 
her  with  the  desire  to  recover  a  little  of  the  power  which 
she  was  losing  by  her  renunciation."1     In  fact,   after 
a  few  months  of  retreat,  Soeur  Sainte-Bathilde,  by  which 
name  the  princess  was  now  known,  revealed  herself  as 
ambitious,  restless  and  dissatisfied,  with  a  marked  ten- 
dency  towards   Jansenism,   and   with   an   affection   for 
worldly  things  which  positively  horrified  the  more  devout 
sisters.     "  She  was  unable  to  remain  except  as  ruler," 
writes   Saint-Simon,    with    only    too   much   justice   this 
time,   "  in  the  place  to  which  she  had  come  in  order 
to  obey." 

The  Abbess  of  Chelles  was,  as  we  have  mentioned  in 
a  previous  chapter,  Madame  de  Villars,  an  estimable 
woman,  but  exceedingly  tenacious  of  her  dignity  and 
a  stern  disciplinarian.  For  these  reasons  she  was  very 
far  from  popular  with  a  section  of  the  community,  par- 
ticularly among  those  who  held  Jansenist  views,  which 
were  anathema  to  the  abbess,  a  lady  of  the  most  rigid 

1  £douard  de  Barthelemy,  les  Filles  du  Rigent. 


152  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

orthodoxy ;  and  nothing  would  have  better  pleased 
these  malcontents  than  to  see  their  superior  translated  to 
some  other  sphere  of  usefulness.  Of  that,  however, 
there  seemed  little  probability,  and  the  malcontents  were 
obliged  to  resign  themselves  to  her  domination  with  the 
best  grace  they  could  assume,  until  the  arrival  of  the 
young  princess  in  their  midst  offered  them  a  means  of 
escape.  Perceiving  the  growing  dissatisfaction  of  the  new 
recluse  with  the  humble  position  which  she  occupied,  they 
skilfully  exploited  it,  and  laboured  incessantly  to  inspire 
her  with  ambitious  ideas,  and  persuade  her  that  the  first 
place  at  Chelles  was  the  only  one  compatible  with  her 
illustrious  birth.  In  this  little  conspiracy  they  had  the 
active  assistance  of  Pere  Ledoux,  the  almoner  of  the 
abbey,  a  learned  Benedictine,  but  an  ardent  Jansenist ; 
and  in  a  surprisingly  short  time  the  scruples  of  the 
princess  vanished,  and  she  allowed  herself  to  become  the 
leader  of  a  party  whose  avowed  object  was  to  drive 
Madame  de  Villars  into  surrendering  her  post  in  favour 
of  a  girl  of  twenty-one. 

The  abbess,  becoming  suspicious,  sent  for  Sceur  Sainte- 
Bathilde  and  questioned  her  closely.  The  latter,  not 
yet  ready  for  open  hostilities,  endeavoured  to  dissipate 
her  suspicions  by  making  jest  of  the  rumours  which  had 
reached  the  reverend  Mother's  ears.  But  she  had  counted 
without  her  allies,  who  desired  to  hasten  matters,  and 
began  to  conduct  themselves  in  a  manner  which  left  no 
doubt  as  to  their  intentions.  In  a  few  weeks  the  con- 
vent, ordinarily  so  peaceful,  was  in  a  veritable  ferment. 
The  abbess,  sustained  by  the  elder  nuns,  endeavoured 
to  assert  her  authority ;  but  the  younger  members  of  the 
community  were  in  full  revolt,  and  the  situation  speedily 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  153 

became  so  intolerable  that  she  decided  to  abandon  the 
struggle. 

On  March  26,  1719 — that  is  to  say,  only  seven  months 
after  Mile.  d'Orleans  had  taken  her  vows — Dangeau  writes 
in  his  Journal :  "  People  are  beginning  to  say  that  the 
Abbess  of  Chelles,  who  is  sister  of  the  Marechal  de  Villars, 
will  resign  her  abbey,  and  that  Mile.  d'Orleans,  who  is  a 
nun  in  that  house,  will  become  abbess.  I  even  believe  that 
some  steps  have  already  been  taken  with  the  Pope  to 
obtain  the  bulls." 

On  April  12,  the  same  chronicler  records  that  the 
Due  d'Orleans,  accompanied  by  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles, 
had  gone  to  Chelles,  and  that  every  one  believed  that 
Mademoiselle  had  been  declared  abbess,  while  Madame 
de  Villars  was  receiving  a  retiring  pension  of  12,000  livres. 
"  This  is  not  yet  settled,"  he  adds,  "  but  there  is  every 
appearance  that  it  soon  will  be." 

The  affair  had,  in  point  of  fact,  been  decided  that 
same  day.  Madame  de  Villars  had  agreed  to  resign  her 
post,  and  had  accepted  a  pension  of  the  amount  stated 
and  a  lodging  at  the  Abbey  of  Panthemont,  near  her 
brother's  hotel,  by  way  of  compensation  ;  Mile.  d'Orleans 
was  to  become  abbess  in  her  stead,  as  soon  as  the  necessary 
formalities  could  be  completed,  and,  in  the  meantime,  to 
avoid  any  further  friction  with  the  retiring  superior, 
"  whose  haughtiness,"  says  Madame,  "  she  was  unable 
to  support,"  she  was  to  retire  to  the  Val-de-Grace.  She 
arrived  there  on  April  21,  where  she  was  visited  by  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  who  had  consistently  supported 
Madame  de  Villars,  because  the  Marechal  de  Villars  was 
one  of  the  most  devoted  partisans  of  the  Due  du  Maine, 
and  was  furious  at  her  daughter's  victory.     A  most  vio- 


154  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

lent  scene  followed.  "  She  [the  Duchesse  d'Orleans]  said 
that  she  would  never  pardon  her  daughter  for  having 
arranged  with  the  duke,  unknown  to  her,  to  become 
abbess.  The  nun  replied  that,  since  her  mother  had 
always  taken  the  part  of  the  late  abbess  against  her, 
she  had  not  confided  to  her  the  secret,  because  she 
would  have  opposed  it.  Then  the  mother  began  to  weep 
bitterly,  and  declared  that  she  was  very  unhappy  with 
her  husband  and  children  ;  that  her  husband  was  the 
most  unjust  man  in  the  world,  since  he  kept  in  captivity 
his  brother-in-law,1  the  best  and  most  pious  man  in  the 
world — a  saint— and  that  God  would  punish  him.  The 
daughter  having  replied  that  respect  imposed  silence 
upon  her,  the  mother  became  still  more  furious."2 

In  the  second  week  in  May,  Madame  de  Villars  quitted 
Chelles,  upon  which  the  nuns  immediately  proceeded  to 
elect  Mile.  d'Orleans  in  her  place,  and  a  courier  was 
despatched  to  Rome  to  obtain  the  bulls  of  confirmation. 
These  reached  Paris  in  the  middle  of  June,  but  owing 
to  a  family  bereavement,  of  which  we  shall  speak  in  the 
succeeding  chapter,  the  consecration  of  the  new  abbess 
did  not  take  place  until  September  14. 3    Madame,  who 

1  On  December  29,  1718,  the  Due  du  Maine  had  been  arrested  for 
his  share  in  the  Cellamare  conspiracy,  and  imprisoned  in  the  Chateau 
of  Doullens. 

2  Correspondance  complete  de  Madame,  Duchesse  d'Orldans,  Letter 
of  May  5,  1718. 

3  Mile.  d'Orleans — or,  rather,  Madame  d'Orleans,  as  she  was  now 
called  in  the  world — had,  however,  returned  to  Chelles  on  June  25, 
escorted  by  her  sister,  Mile,  de  Valois,  and  Madame  d'£pinay,  one  of 
her  mother's  ladies-in-waiting,  whom  Dangeau  tells  us  she  "  entertained 
to  supper  and  a  display  of  fireworks  "  (!).  The  same  chronicler  relates, 
under  date  August  14,  that  she  had  been  joined  by  Mile,  de  la  Roche- 
sur-Yon,  daughter  of  the  Princesse  de  Conti,  who,  having  obtained 
permission  to  come  to  Chelles,  on  the  pretext  of  paying  a  visit  to  the 
new  abbess,  had  sent  back  word  that  she  intended  to  remain  there  and 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  155 

assisted  at  this  ceremony,  which  was  invested  with  all 
the  pomp  imaginable,  has  left  us  an  interesting  account 
of  it: 

"  I  promised  to  give  you  an  account  of  my  journey 
to  Chelles.  I  started  on  Thursday,  at  seven  o'clock,  with 
the  Duchesse  de  Brancas,  Madame  de  Chasteautier  and 
Madame  de  Ratzamhausen  ;  and  arrived  at  half-past  ten. 
My  grandson,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  had  already  arrived  ; 
my  son  arrived  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  and  then 
Mile,  de  Valois.  Madame  d'Orleans  had  caused  herself 
to  be  bled  for  the  express  purpose  of  not  coming.  She 
and  the  abbess  are  not  very  good  friends,  and,  besides, 
her  extreme  indolence  would  have  prevented  her  from 
incommoding  herself  and  rising  a  little  early.  We  went 
to  the  church  ;  the  abbess's  prie-Dieu  was  placed  in  the 
choir  of  the  nuns  ;  it  was  draped  with  violet  velvet 
covered  all  over  with  gold  fleurs-de-lis  ;  my  prie-Dieu 
was  against  the  balustrade  ;  my  son  and  daughter1  were 
behind  the  pulpit,  for  the  Princes  of  the  Blood  may  not 
kneel  on  my  carpet,  that  being  a  right  reserved  for  the 
grandsons  of  France.  All  the  King's  musicians  were  in 
the  tribune  ;  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles  celebrated  Mass. 
The  altar  is  very  beautiful ;  it  is  formed  of  black  and 
white  marble.  There  are  four  statues  of  white  marble 
representing  saintly  abbesses,  and  one  bears  so  striking 
a  resemblance  to  our  abbess  that  one  would  believe  that 
it  was  her  portrait.  It  was,  however,  made  before  my 
granddaughter   was   born,    for   she   is   only   twenty-one 

become  a  nun.  However,  the  young  lady's  resolution  failed  her  after 
a  few  days,  and,  in  response  to  the  maternal  entreaties,  she  consented 
to  return  home. 

1  Charlotte  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  wife  of  Leopold  I.,  Duke  of 
Lorraine. 


156  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

years  old.  Twelve  monks  of  her  Order  [the  Benedictine], 
wearing  superb  chasubles,  came  to  serve  Mass.  After 
the  cardinal  had  read  the  Epistle,  the  Master  of  the 
Ceremonies  entered  the  choir  of  the  nuns  and  brought 
back  the  abbess.  She  came,  looking  exceedingly  well, 
followed  by  two  abbesses  and  half  a  dozen  nuns  of  her 
convent ;  made  a  low  reverence  to  the  altar  and  to  myself, 
and  knelt  before  the  cardinal,  who  was  seated  in  a  great 
arm-chair  before  the  altar.  They  brought,  with  due 
ceremony,  the  confession  of  faith,  which  she  read,  and 
after  the  cardinal  had  recited  a  number  of  prayers,  he 
gave  her  a  book,  which  contained  the  rules  of  her  con- 
vent. She  then  returned  to  her  place,  and  when  they 
had  read  the  Credo  and  the  offertory,  she  came  to  the 
offering,  accompanied  by  the  abbesses  and  her  nuns. 
They  brought  for  the  offering  two  large  candles  and  two 
loaves,  one  of  which  was  gilt  and  the  other  silver.  After 
the  cardinal  had  communicated,  she  returned  to  kneel 
before  him,  and  he  gave  her  the  cross.  He  reconducted 
her  to  her  seat,  not  to  her  prie-Dieu,  but  to  her  abbess's 
seat,  which  was  a  kind  of  throne,  surmounted  by  a 
Princess  of  the  Blood's  dais,  covered  with  fleurs-de-lis. 
As  soon  as  she  was  seated,  the  trumpets  and  the  hautboys 
sounded,  and  the  cardinal,  followed  by  all  his  priests, 
placed  himself  by  the  altar  on  the  left  side,  his  cross  in 
his  hand,  and  they  sang  the  Te  Deum.  All  the  nuns  then 
arrived  two  by  two,  and  approached  to  show  their  sub- 
mission to  their  abbess,  by  making  her  a  low  reverence. 
That  reminded  me  of  the  honours  which  were  paid  to 
Atys,  when  they  made  him  high-priest  of  Cybele,  for 
they  also  came  two  by  two  to  salute  him.  I  thought 
that  they  were  going  to  sing,  as  in  the  opera.     After  the 


UNRULY   DAUGHTERS  157 

Te  Deum  we  entered  the  convent,  and  at  half  an  hour 
after  midday  we  sat  down  to  table,  my  son,  my  grandson 
the  Due  de  Chartres,  the  Princesse  Victoire  de  Soissons, 
the  young  demoiselle  d'Auvergne,  daughter  of  the  Due 
d'Albret,  and  the  three  ladies  who  were  with  me.  The 
abbess  placed  herself  by  my  side  in  her  refectory,  at 
a  table  of  forty  covers,  with  her  sister  Mile,  de  Valois, 
the  two  ladies  who  accompanied  her,  twelve  abbesses, 
and  all  the  other  nuns  of  the  convent.  It  was  amusing 
to  see  all  the  black  robes  round  the  table.  My  son's 
people  served  a  very  splendid  repast,  and  the  populace 
was  allowed  to  pillage  the  dessert  and  the  sweetmeats 
after  dinner  was  over." 


CHAPTER    VIII 

Visit  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Lorraine  to  Paris — Magnificent  fete 
in  their  honour  at  the  Luxembourg — An  unbidden  guest — Atten- 
tions paid  by  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  the  Duchess  of  Lorraine — 
Reconciliation  between  Madame  and  her  granddaughter — Altera- 
tion in  the  latter 's  conduct  towards  her  mother — She  "  greatly 
edifies  "  the  Carmelites  during  the  Holy  Week  of  171 8 — Fetes  in 
honour  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  at  Chantilly — Ungracious  be- 
haviour of  the  princess — She  resumes  her  effort  to  usurp  the  honours 
of  a  queen — Indignation  of  the  public — Protests  of  the  Corps 
Diplomatique — She  becomes  enceinte — Her  efforts  to  conceal  her 
condition — She  gives  birth  to  a  daughter,  and  her  life  is  in  serious 
danger — Refusal  of  the  Sacraments  by  the  cure  of  Saint-Sulpice 
and  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles — The  princess  recovers — Her  secret 
marriage  with  Rion — Consideration  of  the  question  whether  this 
event  took  place  before  or  after  her  illness. 

AT  the  beginning  of  1718,  Leopold  I.  of  Lorraine,  who 
-L~\-  had  married  the  Regent's  sister,  Charlotte  Elisa- 
beth d'Orleans,  came  to  Paris,  to  render  homage  to 
Louis  XV.  for  his  duchy  of  Bar.  He  was  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  also  by  his  mistress,  Madame  de  Craon, 
a  lady  upon  whom  Madame  makes  some  piquant  observa- 
tions in  her  letters  to  her  German  friends.  The  Duchesse 
de  Berry  showed  herself  extremely  attentive  to  the  dis- 
tinguished visitors.  On  their  arrival,  she  placed  in  the 
duchess's  chamber  at  the  Palais-Royal  a  superb  commode, 
filled  with  scarves,  aprons,  handkerchiefs,  fichus  and 
ribbons,  "with  a  deshabille  and  every  other  similar  kind 
of  present  "  ;  she  entertained  them  to  dinner  and  supper, 
and  on  February  28  she  gave  in  their  honour,  at  the 
Luxembourg,  a  fete  which  surpassed  in  prodigal  splen- 

158 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  159 

dour  anything  which  Paris  had  witnessed  for  years,  and 
to  a  description  of  which  the  Nouveau  Mercure  conse- 
crated a  considerable  part  of  its  February  and  March 
numbers.1 

"  It  was  of  an  extraordinary  magnificence  and  admir- 
ably arranged,"  writes  Dangeau.  "  There  was  a  table  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  covers  for  the  ladies,  and 
other  tables  for  at  least  as  many  men.  The  Princes  of 
the  Blood  supped  at  the  ladies'  table.  The  ladies  who 
supped  with  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  all  magnificently 
dressed,  and  she  had  even  requested  those  who  were  in 
mourning  to  lay  it  aside  for  that  day.  M.  de  Lorraine  did 
not  take  his  rank,  but  sat  down  to  supper  among  the 
ladies,  to  preserve  his  incognito.  The  Palais  du  Luxem- 
bourg was  splendidly  illuminated  both  within  and 
without,  and  a  more  superb  and  better  ordered  fete 
had  never  been  seen.  All  who  were  present  say  marvellous 
things  about  it." 

This  sumptuous  fete  did  not  pass  off  without  one  of 

1  The  sumptuousness  and  variety  of  the  menu  was  such  that  the 
editor  was  inspired  to  describe  it  in  verse  : 

"  Des  filets  minces  d'aloyau, 
Des  gendarmes  au  jus  de  veau, 
Petits  dindons  aux  ciboulettes, 
Et  des  anchois  en  allumettes, 
Poulets  de  grains,  mets  excellent, 
Cuits  derriere  le  pot  cassant, 
Pigeon  au  soleil,  chose  exquise, 
Des  cotelettes  en  surprise,  etc." 

We  are  also  informed  that  the  first  course  consisted  of  31  kinds 
of  soup,  60  entrees,  and  132  hors  d'ceuvres  ;  the  second  and  third 
of  132  hot  side-dishes  and  60  cold  ;  the  dessert,  or  the  fruit,  as  it 
was  called  at  this  period,  of  100  baskets  of  fresh  fruit,  94  of  dried 
fruits,  50  salvers  of  iced  fruit,  and  106  compotes ;  that  the  dishes 
and  plates  were  carried  by  200  Swiss,  and  that  132  lackeys  were  com- 
missioned to  keep  the  glasses  of  the  company  filled. 


160  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

those  scandals  which  seem  to  have  been  inseparable  from 
everything  which  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  did.  During 
supper,  the  princess  was  informed  that  four  persons  who 
had  not  been  invited,  "  and  were  not  fit  to  be,"  had 
boldly  installed  themselves  at  the  men's  table.  One 
of  them  was  a  certain  Foucault  de  Magny,  an  eccentric 
personage,  "  mad  with  vanity,"  who,  after  being  dis- 
missed from  the  intendancy  of  Caen,  for  "  many  and 
gross  knaveries,"1  had  lately  purchased  from  the  Baron 
de  Breteuil  the  post  of  introducer  of  the  Ambassadors, 
in  virtue  of  which  office  he  appears  to  have  considered 
himself  invited  to  the  fete.2  Highly  indignant,  the 
princess  despatched  Saumery,  her  first  maUre-d 'hotel,  to 
order  the  intruders  to  retire  immediately.  Three  of  them 
obeyed,  and  withdrew  without  making  any  disturbance ; 
but  "  M.  de  Magny  received  the  reprimand  very  ill,  and 
answered  M.  de  Saumery  so  insolently  that  the  latter 
seized  him  by  the  cravat  to  conduct  him  to  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry."3  A  violent  scuffle  ensued,  which  ended  in 
Magny  wrenching  himself  free  and  effecting  his  escape 
from  the  Luxembourg.  Next  day,  he  expressed  himself 
in  such  vigorous  terms  in  regard  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry, 
that  the  princess  applied  for  a  lettre  de  cachet,  and  before 
night  M.  de  Magny  found  himself  in  the  Bastille.  He 
only  remained  there  until  March  12,  when  he  was  set  at 

1  Saint-Simon. 

2  The  Ambassadors  had  been  duly  invited,  but  they  did  not  go, 
since  their  pretension  to  sit  at  the  same  table  as  the  Princes  of  the 
Blood  was  not  admitted.  Had  they  attended,  Magny  would,  of  course, 
have  accompanied  them,  and  he  might,  therefore,  claim  to  have  been 
included  in  their  invitation.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry's  orders  to  him 
to  withdraw  were,  no  doubt,  the  result  of  her  annoyance  at  the  refusal 
of  the  Ambassadors  to  grace  her  fete  with  their  presence. 

3  Dangeau,  February  28,  1718. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  161 

liberty,  at  the  request  of  the  duchess  ;  but  he  received 
orders  to  resign  his  post  as  introducer  of  the  Ambassadors, 
and  altogether  appears  to  have  found  his  supper  at  the 
Luxembourg  a  somewhat  costly  repast. 

The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Lorraine  remained  in 
Paris  until  April  8,  and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  continued 
her  attentions  to  them  up  to  the  end  ;  indeed,  on  the 
night  before  their  departure,  notwithstanding  that  the 
Duchesse  de  Lorraine  had  paid  her  a  formal  farewell  visit 
some  hours  before,  she  went  to  the  Palais-Royal  to  em- 
brace her  aunt  once  more.  In  acting  thus,  the  princess 
was  seeking  to  please  Madame,  who  was  devoted  to  her 
daughter.  She  had  lately  come  to  the  conclusion  that  she 
had  committed  a  grave  error  in  alienating  her  grand- 
mother, in  view  of  the  affection  which  the  Regent  enter- 
tained for  the  latter  and  the  not  inconsiderable  influence 
which  she  enjoyed  ;  and  she  had  eagerly  seized  so  favour- 
able an  opportunity  of  recovering  her  good  graces.  Her 
pains  were  not  wasted.  "  I  am  very  satisfied  with  my 
granddaughter,"  writes  the  old  princess,  "  she  has 
behaved  very  well  towards  my  children  of  Lorraine. 
She  has  sense,  and  manifests  an  inclination  to  return  to 
religion  and  a  disgust  of  vice.  I  trust  that  God  will 
have  compassion  upon  her  and  will  accord  her  the  grace 
of  a  sincere  conversion."1 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  did  not  fail  to  follow  up  her 
success,  and  the  affection  and  respect  she  showed  for  her 
grandmother  appear  quite  to  have  won  the  old  lady's 
heart.  "  She  conducts  herself  very  well  towards  me," 
she  writes  at  the  end  of  May,  "  and  forgets  nothing  to 
show  her  affection.     I  love  her  sincerely."     And  three 

1  Letter  of  March  31,  171 8. 
M 


162  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

weeks  later  :  "I  should  be  very  ungrateful  if  I  had  no 
attachment  for  her,  for  she  testifies  the  greatest  possible 
affection  for  me,  and  often  shows  me  so  much  attention 
that  I  am  quite  touched."1 

For  some  time  past,  too,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's 
conduct  towards  her  mother  had  shown  a  marked  im- 
provement, and  when,  in  March,  1718,  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  was  taken  somewhat  seriously  ill,  she  became 
quite  a  devoted  daughter.  She  discontinued  her  card- 
parties  at  the  Luxembourg,  installed  herself  at  the  Palais- 
Royal,  and  nursed  the  sick  woman  "  with  all  the  zeal 
of  a  sceur  grise."2  "  It  would  be  impossible,"  writes 
Dangeau,  "  to  testify  more  affection  and  attachment  than 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  has  shown  for  her  mother  during 
this  illness."3 

This  remarkable  alteration  in  the  conduct  of  the 
princess  synchronized  with  outward  manifestations  of 
the  most  pronounced  piety.  She  passed  all  the  Holy 
Week  of  1718  with  the  Carmelites  of  the  Faubourg  Saint- 
Jacques,  and  "  greatly  edified  them.  She  received  the 
Sacrament  on  the  Thursday  and  the  Friday  ;  she  fasted 
on  bread  and  water."4  In  June,  she  returned  to  Paris 
from  La  Muette,  where  she  was,  as  usual,  spending  the 
summer,  for  the  solemnities  of  the  Feast  of  Corpus 
Christi,  and  "  edified  all  the  public  in  the  procession." 
She  visited  the  Carmelites  three  times  during  the  month 
of  July  ;  twice  in  August,  and  spent  a  week  with  them 
at  the  beginning  of  September.  And  yet  all  the  time 
her  liaison  with  Rion  continued  ;  indeed,  their  relations 

1  Letters  of  May  29  and  June  21,  1718. 

2  Madame,  Letter  of  June  21,  1718. 

3  Journal,  March  22,  1718. 

4  Dangeau. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  163 

were,  if  possible,  more  open  than  ever.  This  apparently 
amazing  inconsistency  is,  however,  as  we  shall  presently 
see,  capable  of  a  very  simple  explanation. 

On  August  26,  1718,  a  Bed  of  Justice  was  held,  and 
a  decree  registered  reducing  the  Due  du  Maine  and  his 
younger  brother,  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  from  the  rank 
of  Princes  of  Blood  to  that  of  simple  peers,  and  taking 
away  from  the  latter  the  superintendence  of  the  young 
King's  education.  The  abolition  of  the  monstrous  privi- 
leges accorded  by  Louis  XIV.  to  his  natural  sons  gave 
the  greatest  satisfaction  to  the  Princes  of  the  Blood  ; 
and  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  desirous  of  showing  his  grati- 
tude, thought  that  he  could  not  do  better  than  by  giving 
a  superb  fete — or  rather  series  of  fetes — in  honour  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  at  that  magnificent  chateau  the  em- 
bellishment of  which  had  been  one  of  the  first  cares  of  four 
generations  of  Condes. 

The  princess  arrived  at  Chantilly  in  the  evening  of 
Sunday,  September  25,  accompanied  by  a  Court  of 
twenty-three  ladies,  who  had  been  "  nominated  "  by  her, 
and,  bien  entendu,  the  Chevalier  de  Rion,  and  was 
received  with  sovereign  honours.  Immediately  on  her 
arrival,  supper  was  served,  Monsieur  le  Due  being  the 
only  man  to  have  the  privilege  of  sitting  at  the  table 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry.  Supper  over,  the  company 
adjourned  to  the  salon,  where  the  card-tables  had  been 
set  out,  and  play  for  very  high  stakes  went  on  far  into 
the  night. 

The  following  day  was  devoted  to  a  walk  in  the  gardens; 
and  the  Due  de  Bourbon  caused  an  agreeable  surprise 
by  distributing  groups  of  musicians  in  different  parts  of 
the  labyrinth,  in  the  centre  of  which  a  sumptuous  "  colla- 


164  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

tion  "  had  been  prepared.  While  this  was  being  par- 
taken of,  unseen  vocalists  sang  a  cantatilla  composed  for 
the  occasion  by  Cauchereau,  in  praise  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry,  which  must  have  been  a  welcome  novelty  to  the 
princess  who  had  so  often  excited  the  malicious  wit  of 
the  chansonniers.  In  the  evening,  the  card-tables  again 
claimed  the  attention  of  the  company,  and  there  was 
also  a  grand  concert,  under  the  direction  of  Valette,  the 
choirmaster  of  Senlis  Cathedral.  Tuesday  was  occupied 
by  a  stag-hunt ;  the  curee1  in  the  evening  took  place  by 
the  light  of  torches  and  fireworks. 

On  Wednesday,  a  visit  was  paid  to  Monsieur  le  Dues 
menagerie,  one  of  the  finest  private  "  zoos  "  in  Europe, 
where  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  much  interested  by  the 
sight  of  a  full-grown  lion  playing  with  a  bitch  by  whom 
he  had  been  suckled  when  a  cub.2  In  the  evening,  an 
Italian  opera  was  performed,  and  was  followed  by  a 
grand  supper  in  the  Galerie  des  Cerfs,  which  had  been 
splendidly  illuminated. 

1  The  curie  was  the  ceremony  of  throwing  the  entrails  of  the  quarry- 
to  the  hounds,  who,  after  being  loosed,  were  frequently  called  back  by 
the  piqueurs,  in  order  to  show  how  well  disciplined  and  under  what 
complete  control  they  were.  It  was  still  in  vogue  in  the  time  of 
Napoleon  III.  An  interesting  account  of  a  curee  at  Compiegne  in  1866 
is  given  by  Madame  de  Hegermann-Lindencrone  in  her  recently  pub- 
lished memoirs,  In  the  Courts  of  Memory  (Harpers). 

2  Apropos  of  this  menagerie,  an  alarming  incident  occurred  during 
the  visit  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  Chantilly.  One  day,  while  a 
number  of  the  duke's  guests  were  strolling  about  the  gardens,  a  mag- 
nificent tiger,  which  had  escaped  from  its  cage,  suddenly  made  its 
appearance  upon  the  scene,  to  their  unutterable  consternation. 
Certain  chroniclers  assert  that  Rion  bravely  confronted  the  animal, 
and  kept  it  at  bay  until  its  keeper  arrived,  when,  surprised  by  the 
tumult  its  presence  was  occasioning,  it  allowed  itself  to  be  recaptured, 
and  that  this  courageous  act  increased  the  passion  of  the  princess 
for  her  favourite.  But  Saint-Simon  says  nothing  about  the  chevalier, 
and  ascribes  the  fortunate  termination  of  what  might  have  been 
a  tragic  affair  to  the  presence  of  mind  of  the  keeper. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  165 

The  two  following  days  were  occupied  by  card-parties 
and  another  sumptuous  supper;  and  on  the  Saturday  there 
was  a  stag-hunt  in  the  forest  of  Halatte,  which  continued 
after  darkness  had  fallen,  the  Due  de  Bourbon  having 
caused  wax-torches,  "  costing  six  livres  apiece,"  to  be 
attached  to  thirty  thousand  trees  in  the  forest.  On  the 
Sunday,  the  company  dispersed,  and  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  and  her  Court  returned  to  Paris. 

Despite  the  splendour  of  these  fetes,  despite  all  the 
honours  which  were  paid  to  her  and  the  unceasing  atten- 
tions not  only  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  but  also  of  her 
old  enemy,  Madame  la  Duchesse  the  elder,1  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry,  if  we  are  to  believe  Saint-Simon,  behaved  in  a 
most  ungracious  fashion.  "  It  would  have  been  im- 
possible for  her,"  he  says,  "to  be  treated  with  more 
magnificence  and  more  honour,  or  to  have  been  enter- 
tained by  a  greater  diversity  of  ingenious  and  charming 
fetes,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  her  to 
receive  the  honours  of  which  she  was  the  object  with  more 
haughtiness  and  indifference,  or  to  show  more  constraint 
and  ennui.  And  he  adds  that,  during  the  whole  of  her 
stay  at  Chantilly,  she  did  not  address  a  word  to  the  young 
wife  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon  (Marie  Anne  de  Bourbon- 
Conti),  because  she  refused  to  pardon  her  for  having 
opposed,  several  years  previously,  the  marriage  of  the 
Prince  de  Conti  to  Mile,  de  Valois. 

At  the  end  of  October,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  persuaded 
her  father  to  allow  her  to  exchange  the  Chateau  of  Am- 

1  In  order  to  please  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  Madame  la  Duchesse 
commissioned  her  lover,  or  secret  husband,  the  Marquis  de  Lassay, 
to  take  charge  of  Rion,  and  see  that  he  had  everything  he  required. 
A  special  table  was  assigned  the  favourite,  and  a  carriage  and  relays 
of  horses  placed  at  his  disposal. 


166  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

boise,  which  had  been  assigned  her  as  a  country-residence 
by  her  marriage-contract,  but  which  she  had  never  cared 
to  occupy,  for  that  of  Meudon,  and  lost  no  time  in  dis- 
missing its  governor,  Du  Mont,  an  old  and  valued  servant 
of  Monseigneur,  and  conferring  the  post  upon  Rion. 
Having  installed  herself  at  the  Luxembourg  for  the  winter, 
she  began  to  affect  more  sovereign  airs  than  ever,  and  on 
December  7,  at  a  representation  of  the  Semiramis  of 
Destouches,  she  repeated  the  attempt  which  she  had 
made  in  the  first  months  of  the  Regency  to  usurp  the 
honours  of  a  queen  at  the  Opera.  This  time,  she  did  not 
appear  in  a  box,  but  engaged  a  part  of  the  amphitheatre, 
which  she  caused  to  be  railed  off — "  in  order  that  the 
rest  of  the  seats  might  not  be  confused  with  those  which 
she  had  retained  "* — and  sat  there,  enthroned  in  an  arm- 
chair placed  upon  an  estrade,  in  the  midst  of  a  Court 
of  some  thirty  ladies.  The  indignation  which  the  re- 
newal of  the  princess's  pretensions  aroused  was  increased 
by  the  inconvenience  which  this  arrangement  occasioned 
the  public,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  were  present  in  their  box,  and  thus  appeared 
to  authorise  their  daughter's  enterprise. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  did  not  dare  to  repeat  this 
performance,  but  shortly  afterwards  she  was  guilty  of 
a  much  more  serious  violation  of  established  usage. 

It  was  the  custom  for  new  Ambassadors,  after  pre- 
senting their  credentials  to  the  Regent,  to  go  in  state 
to  the  Luxembourg  to  salute  the  princess,  as  the  first 
lady  in  the  land.  One  day,  having  to  receive  the  Venetian 
Ambassador,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  caused  her  arm-chair 
to  be  placed  on  an  estrade  of  three  steps — a  right  which 

1  Dangeau,  December  7,  1718. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  167 

has  never  been  claimed  by  the  Queens  of  France,  who, 
at  these  audiences,  were  accustomed  to  sit  without  even 
a  carpet  under  their  feet.  The  ladies  present  could  not 
conceal  their  astonishment ;  while  the  Ambassador  stood 
for  some  moments  as  though  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  Finally, 
he  approached  the  "  throne,"  bowed  to  its  occupant,  and, 
after  another  embarrassing  pause,  turned  his  back  upon 
the  princess  and  retired,  without  having  addressed  to  her 
a  single  word. 

A  meeting  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  was  at  once 
convened,  and  the  same  evening  a  unanimous  protest 
was  sent  to  the  Regent,  in  which  he  was  informed 
that  no  Foreign  Minister  would  in  future  visit  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  unless  he  had  first  assured  himself 
that  an  enterprise  of  this  kind  would  not  be  repeated. 
The  Ambassadors,  in  fact,  abstained  from  presenting 
themselves  at  the  Luxembourg  for  some  weeks,  nor 
would  they  consent  to  return  until  they  had  received 
the  most  positive  assurance  that  such  a  thing  should  never 
happen  again. 

These  adventures  provided  the  satirists  with  material 
of  which  they  were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves,  and 
produced  a  fresh  crop  of  chansons,  caricatures  and  pamph- 
lets at  the  expense  of  the  princess.  But,  offensive  as 
most  of  these  were,  they  were  innocuous  in  comparison 
with  the  obscenities  provoked  in  the  first  weeks  of 
1719  by  the  rumour  that  an  interesting  event  was  ere 
long  expected  at  the  Luxembourg. 

The  rumour  was  only  too  true,  and  the  efforts  which 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  making  to  conceal  her  con- 
dition, with  which  object  she  had  been  leading  an  even 
gayer  life  than  usual — visits  to  the  Opera-balls,  unwhole- 


168  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

some  suppers,  "  washed  down  by  wine  and  strong 
liqueurs,"1  high  play,  often  prolonged  until  the  small 
hours  of  the  morning,  and  so  forth,  had  ill  prepared  her 
for  what,  in  those  days  of  unskilled  surgeons,  was  always 
attended  with  very  considerable  danger.  As  the  time 
approached,  the  princess  shut  herself  up  in  a  small  room 
at  the  extremity  of  her  apartments  at  the  Luxembourg, 
which  was  very  conveniently  situated  for  secret  visits. 
None  but  Rion,  Madame  de  Mouchy,  and  a  waiting- 
woman,  upon  whose  discretion  she  could  absolutely  rely, 
had  free  admission  to  this  room.  The  Due  and  Duchesse 
d' Orleans  were  not  allowed  to  enter  until  their  daughter 
had  intimated  her  willingness  to  receive  them  ;  and,  of 
course,  it  was  the  same  with  Madame  de  Saint-Simon, 
the  dames  de  compagnie  on  duty,  the  first  waiting-woman, 
and  the  doctors.  "  All  were  admitted  from  time  to  time, 
but  a  bad  headache  or  want  of  sleep  caused  them  often  to 
be  asked  to  excuse  her,  or,  if  they  entered,  to  leave  directly 
afterwards.  They  did  not  press  their  attentions  upon  the 
sick  woman,  knowing  only  too  well  the  nature  of  her 
malady ;  but  contented  themselves  by  inquiring  after  her 
through  Madame  de  Mouchy,  who,  holding  the  door  ajar, 
replied  to  them.  This  ridiculous  proceeding  was  enacted 
before  the  inmates  of  the  Luxembourg,  of  the  Palais- 
Royal,  and  of  many  other  people,  who,  for  form's  sake 
or  out  of  curiosity,  came  to  inquire  the  news,  and  it 
became  the  common  talk  of  the  town."1 

With  the  courage  of  despair,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
struggled  up  to  the  last  to  give  the  lie  to  these  reports. 
On  March  23,  she  held  her  usual  weekly  reception  at  the 
Luxembourg  ;  on  the  following  morning,  she  drove  to 

1  Saint-Simon. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  169 

Meudon  and  passed  the  day  there  with  her  father ;  on 
the  26th,  she  dined  with  the  Carmelites.  But  two  days 
later  the  duchess  gave  birth  to  a  daughter,1  and  was 
soon  in  so  critical  a  condition  that  on  the  31st  the  Abbe 
Languet,  the  cure  of  Saint-Sulpice,  urged  upon  the  Regent 
the  advisability  of  her  receiving  the  Sacraments. 

The  Regent  hesitated  to  speak  to  his  daughter  on  the 
matter,  the  more  so  that  the  cure  declared  before  every 
one  that  he  should  refuse  to  administer  the  Sacraments, 
or  to  allow  them  to  be  administered,  so  long  as  Rion  or 
Madame  de  Mouchy  remained  in  the  sick-room  or  even 
in  the  Luxembourg. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  took  the  cure  aside,  and  for  a  long 
time  endeavoured  to  persuade  him  to  give  way ;  but  to 
no  purpose.  Finding  him  inflexible,  he  suggested  that 
the  matter  should  be  referred  to  the  Archbishop  of 
Paris,  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles.  To  this  Languet  con- 
sented, and  promised  to  submit  to  the  orders  of  his  dio- 
cesan, provided  he  was  allowed  to  explain  his  reasons.  The 
Regent  no  doubt  flattered  himself  that  he  would  find 
his  Eminence  more  complaisant  than  the  cure.  But,  if 
he  did,  he  was  soon  undeceived. 

The  Cardinal  de  Noailles  arrived  ;  the  duke  took  him 
aside  with  the  cure,  and  their  conversation  lasted  more 
than  half  an  hour.  As  Languet 's  declaration  had  been 
public,  the  prelate  judged  it  fitting  that  his  should  be 
so  also  ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  conference  terminated,  pro- 
claimed, in  a  loud  voice,  before  all  present,  that  he 
warmly  approved  of  the  action  the  cure  had  taken, 
adding    that    he    absolutely    forbade,    under    canonical 

1  This  child,  according  to  Duclos,  subsequently  became  a  nun  at 
the  Abbey  of  Pontoise. 


170  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

penalties,  any  priest  whatever  from  administering  the 
Sacraments  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  so  long  as  Rion 
and  Madame  de  Mouchy  remained  in  the  Luxembourg. 
"  It  may  be  imagined,"  continues  Saint-Simon,  "  what 
a  stir  such  an  inevitable  scandal  as  this  caused  in  a  room 
so  full  of  people  ;  what  an  embarrassment  it  occasioned 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  and  what  a  noise  it  immediately  made 
everywhere.  Nobody  blamed  the  cur6  or  the  archbishop  ; 
some  because  they  knew  the  rules  of  the  Church  and  did 
not  dare  to  impugn  them  ;  others,  the  majority,  from 
horror  at  the  conduct  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  and  from 
the  hatred  which  she  had  drawn  upon  herself  by  her 
pride." 

The  conference  between  the  Regent  and  the  two  eccle- 
siastics recommenced,  this  time  to  decide  which  of  them 
should  undertake  to  communicate  this  determination 
to  the  sick  woman,  who,  in  the  meanwhile,  had  spon- 
taneously made  her  confession  to  a  Franciscan  monk, 
her  director  at  the  Carmelites.  After  a  short  discussion, 
for  the  princess,  in  whom  the  thought  of  death  inspired 
the  most  abject  terror,  was  eagerly  awaiting  the  Sacra- 
ments, the  Cardinal  and  the  cure  stepped  back,  and  the 
Regent,  approaching  the  door  of  the  sick-room,  opened  it 
a  little  way,  called  Madame  de  Mouchy,  informed  her  of 
the  decision  which  had  been  arrived  at,  and  requested  her 
to  announce  it  to  her  mistress.  "  The  Mouchy,  much 
astonished  and  still  more  indignant,  rode  the  high  horse, 
talked  about  her  merit  and  of  the  affront  which  the  bigots 
were  endeavouring  to  put  upon  her  and  upon  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry,  who  would  never  surfer  or  consent  to  it,  but 
would  die — in  the  state  she  was — if  they  had  the  im- 
prudence and  the  cruelty  to  inform  her  of  it."    Finally, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  171 

however,  she  consented  to  acquaint  the  princess  with  the 
resolution  respecting  the  Sacraments ;  but  she  took  care 
to  arrange  matters  to  her  own  liking,  for  the  answer 
which  she  presently  delivered  to  the  Regent  through  the 
half-open  door  was  a  blank  refusal. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  at  once  reported  this  reply  to  the 
archbishop  and  the  cure.  The  latter  merely  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  but  the  archbishop  reproached  the  prince 
with  having  entrusted  such  a  person  with  so  grave  a 
mission,  and  urged  him  to  intervene  personally  and 
exhort  his  daughter  to  do  her  duty  as  a  Christian  shortly 
to  appear  before  God.  The  Regent,  feeling  that  he  did 
not  possess  the  necessary  courage  for  a  scene  with  the 
duchess,  refused  ;  whereupon  the  cardinal  announced 
his  intention  of  undertaking  the  task  himself.  The 
prince,  who  did  not  dare  to  forbid  him,  but  who  feared 
that  the  prelate's  remonstrances  might  bring  on  a 
dangerous  crisis,  begged  his  Eminence  to  wait  until 
preparations  could  be  made  to  receive  him.  "  He  went, 
therefore,  and  held  another  discussion  through  the  half- 
open  door,  the  success  of  which  was  on  a  par  with  the 
preceding  one.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  fell  into  a  fury, 
broke  out  into  bitter  denunciations  of  these  hypocrites, 
who  took  advantage  of  her  state  and  their  calling  to  dis- 
honour her  by  an  unheard-of  scandal,  and  did  not  spare 
her  father  for  his  stupidity  and  weakness  in  allowing  it."1 

The  Due  d'Orleans  returned  to  the  cardinal,  "  feeling 
very  small  and  altogether  at  a  loss  what  to  do."  How- 
ever, he  told  him  that  his  daughter  was  too  weak  and 
in  too  much  pain  for  the  moment  to  receive  him,  and 
implored  him  to  have  a  little  patience.     His  Eminence 

1  Saint-Simon. 


172  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

consented,  and  remained  for  two  hours,  when,  perceiving 
that  the  Regent  had  no  intention  of  permitting  him  to 
enter  the  sick-room,  he  decided  that  it  would  be  both 
useless  and  undignified  to  wait  any  longer,  and  retired  ; 
but  not  before  he  had  reiterated,  in  a  loud  voice,  to  the 
Abbe  Languet  his  orders  not  to  administer  the  Sacra- 
ments, or  to  allow  them  to  be  administered,  until  he  had 
obtained  the  expulsion  of  Rion  and  Madame  de  Mouchy 
from  the  Luxembourg. 

"  The  Due  d'Orleans  hastened  to  announce  to  his 
daughter  the  departure  of  the  Cardinal,  at  which  he 
himself  was  much  relieved.  But,  on  leaving  the  room,  he 
was  astonished  to  find  the  cure  glued  against  the  door, 
and  still  more  to  hear  that  he  had  taken  up  his  post  there 
and  meant  to  remain,  happen  what  might,  because  he 
did  not  intend  to  be  deceived  on  the  subject  of  the 
Sacraments.  And,  in  fact,  he  remained  there  for  four 
days  and  four  nights,  except  during  short  intervals  for 
food  and  repose,  which  he  took  at  his  house,  quite  close 
to  the  Luxembourg,  when  his  place  was  filled  by  two 
priests,  whom  he  left  there."1 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry,  however,  refused  to  yield, 
although  during  the  night  of  April  1-2  she  was  so  much 
worse  that  she  was  believed  to  be  dying.2  But  in  the 
morning  her  illness  took  an  unexpected  turn  for  the 
better,  and  on  the  following  day  she  was  pronounced  out 
of  danger.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  did  the  Abbe  Languet 
and  his  allies  raise  the  siege. 

1  Saint-Simon. 

2  "  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  passed  a  very  bad  night,  and  was  for 
four  hours  in  very  great  danger"  (Dangeau,  April  2,  1719).  Buvat, 
who  calls  the  princess's  illness  "  an  apoplexy,"  says  that  she  was 
"  for  three  hours  like  one  dead  "  (Journal  de  la  Regence,  April,  1719). 


Marie  Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orlkans, 
duchesse  de  berry 

From  a  painting  at  Versailles  by  an  unknown  artist 
(Photo  by  \V.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  173 

Such  is  the  narrative  of  Saint-Simon,  which  has  been 
generally  accepted  by  historians,  but  which  there  is  the 
strongest  reason  to  believe  is  quite  inaccurate  in  one 
most  important  particular.  The  cure  of  Saint-Sulpice 
and  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  resolutely  refused  the 
Sacraments  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  so  long  as  Rion 
and  Madame  de  Mouchy  remained  at  the  Luxembourg, 
because  they  believed,  as  did  nearly  all  Paris,  that  she 
was  living  in  sin,  and  that  the  child  to  whom  she  had 
just  given  birth  was  a  child  of  shame.  But  they  could 
have  had  no  hesitation  about  administering  them,  had 
they  been  in  possession  of  what  are  almost  certainly  the 
true  facts  of  the  case. 

We  have  seen  that  the  singular  tactics  adopted  by 
Rion  towards  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  the  result 
of  the  counsels  of  his  great-uncle,  the  Due  de  Lauzun. 
It  was  he  who  had  drawn  up  the  plan  of  conduct  which 
compelled  Rion,  naturally  an  easy-going  and  agreeable 
young  man,  to  show  himself  tyrannical,  exacting,  jealous, 
and  capricious,  in  order  to  establish  his  empire  more 
firmly  and  to  reduce  the  infatuated  princess  to  more 
complete  subjection.  But  Lauzun  went  farther  than  this. 
Whether  because  he  entertained  a  grudge  against  the 
Royal  House  for  the  weary  years  at  Pinerolo  to  which  his 
pretensions  to  the  hand  of  la  Grande  Mademoiselle  had 
brought  upon  him,  and  desired  the  piquant  revenge  which 
the  union  of  his  own  nephew  with  its  first  princess  would 
afford  him,  or  because  he  really  desired  the  elevation  of  his 
kinsman,  he  did  not  cease  to  represent  to  Rion  that,  until 
a  secret  marriage  had  united  him  to  the  eldest  daughter 
of  the  Regent,  his  situation  would  remain  precarious, 
because  the  lady  was  notoriously  fickle  in  her  affections, 


174  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

and  did  not  lack  soupirants  ;  and  that  if,  by  chance, 
one  of  them  was  to  catch  her  changeful  fancy,  she  would 
have  no  hesitation  in  discarding  him,  as  she  had  dis- 
carded La  Haye,  La  Rochefoucauld,  and  Bonnivet. 

Rion  appreciated  the  wisdom  of  the  old  courtier's 
counsels,  the  more  readily  since  those  which  he  had 
already  given  him  had  proved  so  efficacious.  He  con- 
sulted Madame  de  Mouchy,  who  warmly  approved  this 
daring  project.  "  She  knew  that  she  was  sure  of  her 
lover,  and  that,  when  he  had  become  the  husband  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  all  the  doors  which  shut  out  their 
intimacy  would  be  thrown  open."1 

The  precious  pair  worked  energetically  to  reconcile  the 
princess  to  the  idea.  "  Rion,"  writes  Madame,  "  made 
her  believe  that  he  was  of  the  House  of  Aragon  ;  that 
the  King  of  Spain  was  keeping  his  kingdom  from  him,  and 
that,  if  they  were  married,  they  would  be  able  to  reclaim 
it.  La  Mouchy  used  to  talk  to  her  about  this  day  and 
night."2  At  the  same  time,  Rion,  acting  always  on  the 
advice  of  Lauzun,  became  more  tyrannical  and  capricious 
than  ever.  Several  times  he  failed  to  keep  the  rendez- 
vous which  the  princess  had  given  him  ;  he  received 
rudely  the  envoys  whom  she  despatched  to  ask  for  ex- 
planations ;  he  pretended  to  have  fallen  in  love  with  a 
danseuse  at  the  Opera,  at  that  time  very  much  the 
mode  ;  he  compelled  the  princess  to  postpone  at  the 
last  moment  a  ball  which  she  had  arranged  to  give ; 
he  criticised  her  toilette,  her  jewels,  and  everything  she 
wore,  and  wished  to  force  her  to  dress  in  accordance 
with  his  own  fancy.     In  a  word,  he  showed  himself  a 


1  Saint-Simon. 

2  Letter  of  October  25,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  175 

veritable  despot .  These  manoeuvres  succeeded  admirably, 
and  the  poor  Duchesse  de  Berry,  obsessed  by  the  fear  of 
losing  so  dear  a  lover,  felt  prepared  to  make  any  sacri- 
fice to  retain  him.  But  what  appears  to  have  been  the 
determining  factor  in  assuring  the  triumph  of  the  con- 
spirators were  those  qualms  of  conscience,  that  "  most 
horrible  fear  of  the  devil  and  death,"1  which,  from  the 
end  of  the  year  1716,  drove  the  erring  princess  to  prayer 
and  fasting  at  the  Carmelites. 

Although  of  the  marriage  itself  there  is  no  shadow  of 
doubt — it  is  admitted  alike  by  the  writers  of  serious 
memoirs  and  by  the  authors  of  chroniques  scandaleuses — 
no  documentary  evidence  of  it  exists.  Saint-Simon  places 
it  immediately  after  the  dangerous  illness  of  which  we 
have  just  spoken,  and  nearly  all  contemporaries  are  of 
this  opinion.2  "  The  danger  being  finally  over,"  writes 
Duclos,  "  the  ecclesiastical  guard  was  removed,  and 
the  princess  thought  only  of  recovering  her  health. 
Notwithstanding  her  fury  against  the  priests,  the  fear 
of  hell  had  seized  her,  the  more  violently  that  her  health 
was  not  fully  re-established,  and  that  her  passion  was 
as  lively  as  ever.  Rion,  aided  by  the  counsels  of  the  Due 
de  Lauzun,  his  uncle,  resolved  to  profit  by  the  disposition 
of  his  mistress  to  bring  her  to  a  marriage  which  should 
tranquillize  her  conscience.  The  Due  de  Lauzun,  charmed 
to  see  his  nephew  playing  at  the  Luxembourg  the  same 
role  that  he  himself  had  played  with  Mile,  de  Montpensier, 
imagined  the  plan,  the  means,  the  expedients ;  and 
Rion  acted  in  conformity.    They  did  not  experience  great 

1  Saint-Simon. 

a  Chroniques  indiscrHes  sur  la  Regence.  According  to  the  so-called 
Memoires  de  Maurepas,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  Rion  were  secretly 
married  by  the  cure  of  Saint-Sulpice  in  the  chapel  at  the  Luxembourg. 


176  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

difficulty  with  a  woman  madly  in  love  and  terrified  of  the 
devil  at  the  same  time.  They  received  the  nuptial  bene- 
diction from  a  priest  but  little  particular  and  well  paid. 

M.  de  Barthelemy,  however,  maintains  that  the  marriage 
took  place  at  the  end  of  the  year  1716,  that  is  to  say, 
only  a  few  months  after  Rion  became  the  lover  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  and  more  than  two  years  before  the 
scandal  at  the  Luxembourg.    And  here  is  what  he  says  : 

"  In  our  opinion,  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  the  marriage 
existed  from  the  end  of  the  year  1716,  for  how  otherwise 
can  we  explain  those  frequent  visits  to  the  Carmelites, 
those  confessions,  those  retreats,  reported  by  Madame 
herself  ?  We  have,  besides,  been  fortunate  enough  to 
discover  an  incontestable  document,  which  proves  the 
exactitude  of  these  facts.  Until  recently  [1874],  the 
author  of  this  quasi-conversion  had  been  unknown,  and 
a  passage  from  a  letter  from  the  Marquis  d'Argenson1 
to  the  Marquise  de  la  Cour  de  Balleroy,  whose  precious 
correspondence  is  preserved  in  the  Bibliotheque  Mazarine, 
tells  us  that  it  is  Massillon,2  which  explains  the  excellent 


1  Rene  Louis  de  Voyer  de  Paulmy.  He  was  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  November  1744  to  January  1747,  and  author  of  the  celebrated 
memoirs  bearing  his  name. 

2  Jean  Baptiste  Massillon  (1663-1742).  He  was  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  of  French  preachers,  and  has  been  called  "  the  Racine  of  the 
pulpit."  The  son  of  a  notary,  he  entered  the  Congregation  of  the  Oratory 
in  1 68 1,  and  ten  years  later  drew  attention  to  himself  by  an  eloquent 
funeral  oration  on  Villars,  Archbishop  of  Vienne.  Summoned  to  Paris 
and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  seminary  of  Saint-Magloire,  he  greatly 
enhanced  his  reputation  by  the  lectures  which  he  dehvered  there.  At 
Advent  1699  and  Lent  1704  he  was  selected  to  preach  before  the 
Court,  and  was  warmly  complimented  by  Louis  XIV.,  who  paid,  on  the 
former  occasion,  a  striking  tribute  to  Massillon's  fearless  eloquence. 
"  I  have  heard,"  said  he,  "  eloquent  preachers  in  my  chapel  and  have 
been  satisfied  with  them ;  but,  when  I  have  heard  you,  I  feel  dissatis- 
fied with  myself."  Massillon  was  chosen  to  preach  the  funeral  oration 
on  the  Prince  de  Conti  (1709),  on  the  Grand  Dauphin  (171 1),  and  on 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  177 

relations  of  this  great  orator  with  the  Regent.  '  People 
speak  of  a  grand  conversion  at  the  Luxembourg/  writes 
he  on  January  9,  1717;  '  Pere  Massillon  has  been  its 
instrument.  In  truth,  never  has  priest  or  monk  better 
conducted  an  affair.  He  has  persuaded  her,  at  the 
end  of  several  retreats  which  have  been  made  at  the 
Carmelites,  that  she  must  marry  to  take  away  the  sin. 
She  has  espoused  Rion.  I  tell  you  of  it,  because  I  have 
seen  the  wedding-dress,  which  is  very  beautiful.'  This 
declaration,  formulated  by  an  ocular  witness,  and,  more- 
over, an  important  person,  can  leave  no  doubt,  and 
abundantly  justifies  me." 

Without  admitting  the  learned  historian's  contention 
that  this  letter  amounts  to  a  positive  proof  that  the 
marriage  took  place  before  the  end  of  1716 — for  the 
future  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  was  not  always  very 
careful  of  the  truth,1  and  it  should  be  remembered  that 
he  was  at  this  time  only  twenty  years  of  age,  and  was 
writing  to  a  fair  lady,  who,  like  too  many  women  of  the 
period,  found  a  correspondence  the  more  attractive  the 
more  piquant  and  sensational  it  happened  to  be — never- 

Louis  XIV.  himself.  All  three,  and  particularly  the  last,  which  opened 
with  the  words,  "  Dieu  seule  est  grand,  mes  freres,"  are  considered 
masterpieces  of  pulpit  oratory.  In  171 7,  he  was  appointed  Bishop  of 
Clermont,  though  he  was  not  consecrated  until  two  years  later,  and 
selected  to  preach  the  Lenten  sermons  before  the  young  King,  on 
which  occasion  he  composed  his  celebrated  Petit-Careme,  a  series  of 
ten  short  discourses.  In  1719,  in  which  year  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  French  Academy,  he  withdrew  to  his  diocese,  and  only  twice 
subsequently  revisited  Paris,  namely,  to  attend  the  consecration  of 
Dubois  as  cardinal  and  to  preach  Madeline's  funeral  oration  (1723). 
At  Clermont,  his  charity  and  amiable  disposition  made  him  generally 
beloved. 

1  In  the  same  letter,  the  marquis  brings  an  accusation  against 
Massillon,  the  falseness  of  which  is  too  obvious  to  require  any  re- 
futation :  *'  The  director  who  is,  it  is  said,  as  interesting  in  the  ruelle 
as  in  the  pulpit,  has  become  the  gallant  [of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry]." 

N 


178  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

theless,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  circumstances  to 
which  it  refers,  it  certainly  seems  to  us  to  point  very 
strongly  to  the  princess  having  regularised  her  relations 
with  Rion  about  this  time. 

And,  even  supposing  the  marriage  did  not  take  place 
at  the  date  he  alleges,  there  is  still  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  child  to  whom  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  gave  birth 
in  the  spring  of  1719  was  born  in  wedlock.  For  more  than 
two  years  preceding  this  event  the  princess  had  been, 
as  we  know,  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  Carmelites  of  the 
Faubourg  Saint- Jacques.  She  passed  nearly  all  the 
great  festivals  of  the  Church  among  these  holy  women  ; 
she  fasted  as  rigidly  as  they  did ;  she  rose  in  the  night 
to  say  her  office  with  them  ;  scarcely  a  week  went  by, 
when  she  was  in  Paris,  without  her  visiting  the  convent ; 
and  sometimes  she  spent  several  days  at  a  time  in  retreat 
there.  Are  we  to  believe  that  for  more  than  two  years 
she  persisted  in  the  most  revolting  hypocrisy  that  it  is 
possible  to  imagine  ?  Are  we  to  believe  that  for  more 
than  two  years  the  Carmelites,  a  community  justly  famed 
for  generations  throughout  France  for  their  piety,  and 
perfectly  informed  of  all  that  was  happening  in  the  world 
outside,  would  have  tolerated  in  their  midst  a  woman 
who  persisted  in  living  in  mortal  sin  ? 

We  shall  presently  see  how  feverishly  anxious  was  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  during  the  last  months  of  her  life  to 
secure  the  Regent's  consent  to  her  marriage  being  made 
public.  If,  then,  she  were  already  married  at  the  time  of 
her  illness,  she  must  certainly  have  caused  her  father  to 
be  informed  of  the  fact  when  she  lay  upon  what  she 
believed  to  be  her  death-bed  ;  and  the  conversations 
between   the  latter  and   Madame   de  Mouchy   through 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  179 

the  half-open  door  of  the  sick-room  must  have  related 
to  the  princess's  desire  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  should 
then  and  there  announce  the  marriage,  which  would  have 
saved  Rion  and  the  confidante  from  the  disgrace  which 
menaced  them,  put  a  stop  to  the  slanderous  reports  which 
were  in  circulation,  and  removed  all  objection  on  the 
part  of  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles  to  the  administration  of 
the  Sacraments.  As  to  the  "  fury  "  of  which  Saint-Simon 
speaks,  if  the  poor  woman,  in  the  almost  moribund  state 
in  which  she  then  lay,  was  capable  of  flying  into  a  fury,  it 
was  more  likely  to  have  been  inspired  by  the  refusal  of 
her  father  to  set  her  right  with  the  Church  and  the 
world  than  by  the  firmness  of  the  ecclesiastics,  who  were 
only  performing  their  obvious  duty. 


CHAPTER    IX 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  leaves  Paris  for  Meudon — Opposition  of  the 
Regent  to  the  declaration  of  her  marriage  with  Rion — He  visits 
the  princess  but  twice  in  three  weeks — His  conversation  with  Saint- 
Simon — Rion  ordered  to  join  his  regiment  on  the  Spanish  frontier — 
Painful  scenes  between  father  and  daughter — A  fatal  supper-party 
— The  Duchesse  de  Berry  falls  ill — She  removes  from  Meudon  to 
La  Muette — Her  cruel  sufferings — She  becomes  better,  but  this 
improvement  is  speedily  followed  by  a  dangerous  relapse — Her  con- 
dition declared  to  be  hopeless — Rival  doctors — Death  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry — Grief  of  the  Regent,  which,  however,  is  of 
short  duration — Obsequies  of  the  princess — Her  debts — Madame  de 
Mouchy  and  the  ring-case — Banishment  of  this  personage — Disgrace 
of  Rion — His  later  years. 

THE  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  decided  that,  as  soon 
as  she  was  able  to  be  moved,  she  would  go  to 
Meudon  and  remain  there  until  the  autumn,  by  which 
time  she  hoped  that  the  scandal  she  had  occasioned  would 
be  to  some  extent  forgotten,  or  that  her  father  would  be 
persuaded  to  allow  her  to  announce  her  marriage.  The 
doctors  did  not  fail  to  represent  to  her  the  danger  she 
would  incur  in  travelling  so  soon  after  an  illness  which 
had  all  but  proved  fatal ;  but  "  nothing  could  make  her 
endure  Paris  any  longer,"1  and  on  April  12  she  set  out  for 
Meudon,  followed  by  Rion,  Madame  de  Mouchy,  and 
the  majority  of  her  Household. 

Her  departure  was  undoubtedly  hastened  by  the 
behaviour  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  who,  though  he  had 
tolerated  his  daughter's  liaison  with  Rion,  was  furiously 

1  Saint-Simon. 
180 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  181 

indignant  on  learning  that  it  had  been  transformed  into  a 
marriage,  and  still  more  exasperated  when  she  demanded 
his  consent  to  the  announcement  of  the  misalliance 
which  she  had  contracted.  To  mark  his  displeasure, 
he  did  not  visit  the  Luxembourg  for  a  whole  week — that 
is  to  say,  from  the  4th,  on  which  day  a  violent  quarrel 
seems  to  have  taken  place  between  him  and  the  princess, 
until  the  nth— and  the  abstention  of  this  adoring  father, 
who  had  always  been  in  the  habit  of  spending  several 
hours  a  day  with  his  daughter,  naturally  aroused  much 
comment  and  greatly  aggravated  the  scandal. 

The  removal  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  Meudon, 
in  the  delicate  state  of  health  in  which  she  then  was,  was 
followed,  as  we  might  expect,1  by  a  relapse,  and  on  April  18 
Dangeau  records  that  she  "  does  not  leave  her  bed  and 
has  the  double  tertian  fever."  This  malady  was  doubtless 
aggravated  by  mental  agitation,  for  the  Regent  gave  no 
indication  of  abandoning  his  opposition  to  the  announce- 
ment of  the  marriage,  and,  not  being  minded  to  endure 
any  more  painful  scenes  just  then,  allowed  several  days  to 
pass  without  coming  to  see  her.  On  the  other  hand,  Rion, 
who  had  a  shrewd  suspicion  that  the  princess's  days  were 
numbered,  pestered  her  unceasingly  to  make  the  de- 
claration which  would  assure  his  future  ;  and,  quite  apart 
from  her  desire  to  satisfy  him,  she  knew  that  her  own 
reputation— or  what  shreds  of  it  still  remained  to  her— 
imperatively  demanded  this  step. 

1  Madame  attributes  this  relapse  to  her  granddaughter's  intemper- 
ance :  "  The  illness  of  the  duchess  is  the  result  of  having  drunk  too 
much  brandy  and  eaten  enormously.  As  soon  as  she  feels  a  trifle  better, 
she  no  longer  exercises  any  moderation  in  eating  and  drinking,  and 
suffers  a  relapse."  And  she  adds  :  "  It  is  a  marvel  that  she  is  still  alive  ; 
she  is  diaphanous,  and  is  breaking  up  from  day  to  day."  Letter  of 
April  16,  1 719  (edit.  Jaegle). 


182  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

On  the  19th,  the  Due  d'Orleans  at  length  made  his 
appearance  at  Meudon,  where  he  appears  to  have  experi- 
enced a  very  unpleasant  time,  for  a  week  elapsed  before 
he  could  summon  up  courage  to  repeat  his  visit.  In  the 
meantime,  he  had  decided  to  consult  Saint-Simon,  upon 
whose  support  he  knew  that  he  could  rely  ;  and  one  day, 
when  he  had  gone  to  visit  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  at  the 
Abbey  of  Montmartre,  where  she  was  making  one  of  her 
frequent  "  retreats,"  he  sent  for  the  duke,  and  told  him 
of  the  scandalous  misalliance  which  his  daughter  had 
contracted  and  of  her  determination  to  declare  it. 
Saint-Simon  tells  us  that,  aware  of  the  strength  of  the 
duchess's  passion,  her  fear  of  the  devil,  and  the  scandal 
which  had  just  happened,  the  marriage  itself  did  not 
surprise  him,  but  that  he  was  profoundly  astonished  that 
a  princess  so  inordinately  proud  should  be  so  anxious  to 
proclaim  it.  "  The  Due  d'Orleans,"  he  continues, 
"  dilated  upon  his  troubles,  his  anger,  that  of  Madame, 
who  wished  to  proceed  to  the  last  extremities,  and  the 
extreme  vexation  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans.  Fortu- 
nately, the  majority  of  the  officers  destined  to  serve  on 
the  frontiers  of  Spain  (War  with  that  country  had  just 
been  declared)  were  leaving  every  day,  and  Rion  had 
only  remained  on  account  of  the  illness  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry.  The  Due  d'Orleans  thought  that  the  shortest  plan 
would  be  to  encourage  hopes  by  delay,  in  forcing  Rion  to 
depart,  flattering  himself  that  the  declaration  would  be 
deferred  more  easily  in  his  absence  than  in  his  presence. 
I  warmly  approved  this  idea,  and  on  the  morrow  Rion 
received,  at  Meudon,  a  curt  and  positive  order  to  depart  to 
join  his  regiment  in  the  Army  of  Berwick."  The  Duchesse 
de  Berry  was  beside  herself  with  grief  and  indignation  on 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  183 

learning  of  this  order,  but,  "  knowing  the  cause,  she  felt 
her  inability  to  hinder  its  execution."  Rion,  on  his  side, 
did  not  dare  to  disobey,  and  on  April  26  he  set  out  for 
Perpignan,  where  his  regiment  was  stationed. 

On  the  same  day,  we  learn  from  Dangeau,  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  greatly  daring,  went  again  to  Meudon.  The 
writer  adds  that  he  "  returned  very  early,"  and  we  can 
well  believe  that  he  found  no  inducement  to  prolong  his 
visit.  "  Father  and  daughter,"  says  Saint-Simon, 
"  feared  each  other,  and  the  departure  of  Rion  had  not 
smoothed  over  matters  between  them.  She  had  told  him, 
and  repeated  it,  that  she  was  a  rich  widow,  mistress  of 
her  own  actions,  independent  of  him  ;  had  flown  into  a 
fury  and  roundly  abused  the  Due  d'Orleans,  whose 
arguments  and  opposition  she  was  unable  to  endure. 
He  had  experienced  these  scenes  at  the  Luxembourg, 
when  she  was  convalescent,  and  he  experienced  not  less 
violent  ones  at  Meudon,  during  the  few  visits  he  paid  her 
there.  She  wished  to  declare  her  marriage,  and  all  the 
intelligence,  art,  gentleness,  anger,  threats,  prayers,  and 
entreaties  of  the  duke  barely  sufficed  to  make  her  consent 
to  a  brief  delay." 

These  painful  scenes  were  scarcely  calculated  to  re- 
establish the  health  of  a  person  but  lately  returned  from 
the  brink  of  the  grave,  and,  although  on  the  29th — on 
which  day  Madame  came  to  see  her  granddaughter, 
for  the  first  time  since  her  departure  from  Paris — Dangeau 
notes  that  the  princess  was  better,  she  was  still  very  weak. 
The  infrequent  visits  of  her  relatives,  and  particularly 
of  the  Regent,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had  only  been  twice 
to  Meudon  in  a  fortnight,  although  it  was  but  six  leagues 
from  Paris,  occasioned  her  the  keenest  mortification,  the 


184  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

more  so  since  their  abstention,  she  knew,  was  being 
remarked  by  the  public,  and  must  serve  to  confirm  its 
suspicions  as  to  the  nature  of  her  recent  illness  at  the 
Luxembourg.  It  was  this  which  determined  her,  the 
moment  she  was  able  to  leave  her  bed,  to  give  a  supper- 
party  to  her  father  on  the  terrace  at  Meudon.  In  vain 
the  doctors  represented  to  her  the  criminal  imprudence 
of  such  a  proceeding,  declaring  that,  in  her  state  of  health, 
she  was  peculiarly  liable  to  take  a  chill,  which  would 
almost  certainly  prove  fatal.  "  It  was  for  that  very 
reason  that  she  persisted  in  the  idea  that  a  supper  on 
the  terrace,  so  soon  after  the  extreme  danger  in  which  she 
had  been,  would  dissipate  all  suspicion  that  she  had  been 
confined,  and  induce  the  belief  that  she  was  on  the  same 
terms  as  ever  with  the  Due  d' Orleans,  notwithstanding  the 
unusual  rarity  of  his  visits."1 

On  May  i  the  fete  took  place,  but  it  did  not  have  the 
effect  on  public  opinion  which  the  princess  desired ; 
while  the  consequences  of  her  exposure  to  the  night  air 
was  an  intermittent  fever,  which  the  continued  opposition 
of  the  Regent  to  the  declaration  of  her  marriage,  the 
separation  from  her  beloved  Rion,  and  the  pointed 
manner  in  which  her  family  avoided  her  did  not  tend  to 
diminish.  She  grew  disgusted  with  Meudon,  "  like  people 
ill  in  body  and  mind  who,  in  their  chagrin,  attribute  every- 
thing to  the  air  and  the  place,"2  and,  despite  the  remon- 
strances of  the  doctors,  decided  to  remove  to  La  Muette. 
La  Muette,  being  much  nearer  Paris,  she  hoped  that  the 
Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  would  visit  her  more  fre- 
quently, if  only  for  form's  sake.  "  The  Duchesse  de  Berry," 
writes  Dangeau,  on  May  10,  "  intends  to  come  to-day  to 

1  Saint-Simon.  2  Ibid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  185 

La  Muette,  the  air  of  which  she  believes  to  be  better  for 
her  than  Meudon."  However,  the  princess  was  too  un- 
well to  leave  Meudon  until  the  14th,  when  she  was  con- 
veyed to  La  Muette  "  in  a  large  coach,  between  two  sheets. ' ' 1 
Short  as  the  journey  was,  it,  nevertheless,  caused  her 
cruel  suffering,  for  her  other  ailments  were  now  com- 
plicated by  a  severe  attack  of  gout.  She  determined  to 
try  the  waters  of  Passy,  and,  though  they  appear  to  have 
afforded  her  some  temporary  alleviation,  since  on  the 
16th,  when  she  received  a  visit  from  her  father,  Dangeau 
describes  her  as  "  much  relieved,"  this  was  speedily 
followed  by  another  relapse,  of  so  serious  a  nature  that 
both  Madame  and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  notwithstand- 
ing their  indignation  against  her,  felt  obliged  to  hasten  to 
La  Muette.  The  elder  princess,  who  beneath  a  rough 
exterior  concealed  a  kind  heart,  was  touched  by  the 
sufferings  of  her  granddaughter.  "  I  went  to  see  Madame 
de  Berry  on  Sunday  last  [May  21],"  she  writes.  '  I 
found  her  in  a  sad  state  ;  she  had  such  frightful  pains  in 
the  soles  and  toes  of  both  feet  that  the  tears  came  into  my 
eyes.  I  saw  that  my  presence  prevented  her  from  crying 
out,  and  thereupon  I  took  my  departure.  I  thought  she 
looked  very  bad.  They  caused  three  doctors  to  hold  a 
consultation,  who  determined  to  bleed  her  in  the  foot. 
They  had  great  difficulty  in  deciding  her  to  submit,  for  the 
pain  in  her  feet  was  so  intolerable  that  she  uttered  loud 
cries  when  the  sheets  of  the  bed  merely  touched  them. 
The  bleeding  was  successful,  and  she  has  suffered  less 
since.2    It  was  the  gout  in  both  feet."  3 

1  Dangeau. 

2  "  The  pains  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  were  greatly  intensified 
for  two  hours  after  she  was  bled,  but  they  diminished  afterwards, 
and  she  slept  for  eight  consecutive  hours  "  {Journal  de  Dangeau, 
May  2i,  1719).         3  Correspondance  complete,  Letter  of  May  23,  1719- 


186  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

These  agonizing  pains  in  the  feet  returned  at  the  end 
of  the  month  and  continued  at  intervals  until  the  middle 
of  June,1  when  they  greatly  diminished,  though  the 
princess  was  still  unable  to  walk.  "  The  Duchesse  de 
Berry  is  much  better,  according  to  what  they  say,"  writes 
Dangeau  on  June  19,  "  and  the  doctors  declare  that  there 
is  no  danger." 

Such  was  certainly  the  opinion  of  the  patient  herself, 
and  on  the  24th  she  celebrated  her  supposed  convalescence 
by  giving  a  grand  concert  at  the  La  Muette,  at  which  she 
announced  her  intention  of  returning  to  the  Luxembourg. 
On  the  30th,  we  learn  from  Dangeau  that  she  "  had 
borrowed  the  King's  litter  to  take  the  air  in  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  but,  finding  herself  too  feeble  for  that,  had 
postponed  this  promenade  until  Sunday  (July  1)."  He 
adds  that  she  still  reckons  on  returning  to  Paris  at  an 
early  date,  and  is  having  the  Luxembourg  refurnished. 

But  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  never  to  see  the  Lux- 
embourg or  Paris  again.  During  the  early  days  of  July 
she  continued  to  improve  in  health  ;  the  gout  in  her  feet 
ceased  to  trouble  her,  and  she  was  even  able  to  walk  a 
short  distance.  But  on  the  14th  she  was  suddenly  taken 
dangerously  ill,  and  it  was  soon  recognised  that  her 
chances  of  surmounting  this  new  crisis  were  very  slight. 
"  The  Due  d'Orleans  returned  this  evening  from  Saint- 
Cloud,"  writes  Dangeau.  "  He  had  stopped  at  La  Muette, 
where  he  found  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  worse  than  she 
has  yet  been  ;  she  has  a  rather  violent  fever,  and  he  did 
not  wish  to  leave  La  Muette  until  she  had  been  bled. 
Her  pain  and  her  weakness  are  increasing."    And  on  the 

1  Writing  on  June  i,  Buvat  assures  us  that  the  poor  woman  uttered 
such  agonizing  cries  they  could  be  heard  at  a  distance. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  187 

morrow  :  "  The  Due  d'Orleans  was  awakened  early  in  the 
morning  and  informed  that  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  had 
passed  a  very  bad  night.  The  doctors  consider  her  in  very 
great  danger.  The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  remained  with  her 
until  midnight.  They  intend  to  give  Madame  de  Berry 
an  emetic  to-morrow.  It  is  a  remedy  which  appears 
very  dangerous  in  the  state  in  which  she  is,  but  they 
believe  there  is  nothing  else  which  can  afford  her  relief." 

On  the  morning  of  the  16th,  the  Franciscan  confessor 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  summoned  to  La  Muette, 
and  ordered  not  to  quit  the  chateau.  The  duchess, 
however,  did  not  appear  to  consider  that  she  was  in  any 
real  danger,  for  she  refused  to  submit  to  the  treatment 
which  the  doctors  prescribed  or  to  make  her  peace  with 
Heaven,  and  "  relations  and  doctors  were  at  length 
obliged  to  speak  a  language  to  her  not  used  towards 
princesses,  save  in  the  most  urgent  extremity."1  This 
had  its  effect,  and  she  consented  to  take  the  only  remedy 
which  it  was  believed  could  save  her,  and  to  receive  the 
Sacrament  later  in  the  day. 

The  emetic  greatly  relieved  the  patient,  and  it  is  quite 
probable  that  her  life  might  have  been  prolonged  for 
some  time,  had  she  not,  with  a  folly  which  seems  almost 
inconceivable,  taken  advantage  of  this  respite  to  consume 
a  quantity  of  fruit  and  iced  beer  and  wine,  with  the  result 
that  might  be  expected.2  In  the  interval,  she  had  confessed 

1  Saint-Simon. 

2  Buvat,  Journal  de  la  Rigence.  Madame  also  speaks  of  this  fatal 
gluttony,  but,  according  to  her,  the  unfortunate  princess  had  been 
indulging  in  similar  clandestine  repasts  for  the  last  fortnight.  "  The 
poor  Duchesse  de  Berry,"  she  writes,  on  the  morrow  of  her  grand- 
daughter's death,  "  took  her  own  life  as  effectually  as  if  she  had  blown 
out  her  brains  with  a  pistol,  for  she  consumed  in  secret  melon,  figs, 
and  milk.     She  confessed  to  me  herself,  and  her  doctor  told  me,  that 


188  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

and  subsequently  received  the  Sacrament  publicly, 
"  speaking,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  to  those  present  con- 
cerning her  life  and  her  state,  but  like  a  queen  in  both 
instances.  After  this  spectacle  was  over,"  he  continues, 
"  and  she  was  alone  with  her  intimates,  she  applauded 
herself  for  the  firmness  she  had  displayed,  and  asked  them 
if  she  had  not  spoken  well,  and  if  she  were  not  dying  with 
firmness  and  courage." 

The  next  day,  the  princess's  case  appeared  desperate. 
"  There  is  no  longer  any  hope  of  curing  her,"  writes 
Dangeau.  "  The  Due  d'Orleans  went  [to  La  Muette]  in 
the  morning,  and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  goes  frequently, 
and  is  always  with  her.  On  the  18th,  there  being  no 
improvement  in  her  condition,  she  received  the  Viaticum 
and  Extreme  Unction  from  the  hands  of  the  Abbe  de 
Castries,  Archbishop-elect  of  Tours,  her  first  almoner.  The 
Regent  and  the  Due  de  Chartres  preceded  the  Holy 
Sacrament  on  its  way  from  the  church  of  Passy  to  La 
Muette,  and  also  on  its  return.  Saint-Simon  observes 
that  "  she  received  it,  as  it  appeared,  with  much  piety, 

she  had  closed  her  door  against  him,  as  well  as  against  the  other  doctors, 
for  a  fortnight,  to  accomplish  this  fine  work." 

In  another  letter,  written  three  weeks  later,  the  old  princess  accuses 
Madame  de  Mouchy  of  having  abetted  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  in  this  ; 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  unscrupulous  woman,  knowing 
that  her  mistress  was  doomed,  was  ready  to  satisfy  all  her  caprices, 
in  order  to  ingratiate  herself  with  her  and  extract  from  her,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  all  that  she  could  :  "As  for  the  death  of  the  poor 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  I  know  well  who  ought  to  be  blamed  for  this  mis- 
fortune. It  is  the  favourite  of  the  poor  duchess,  the  accursed  Mouchy, 
who  is  the  cause  of  her  death.  She  killed  her  as  effectually  as  though 
she  had  driven  a  knife  into  her  throat.  The  duchess  was  consumed 
by  a  slow  fever  ;  her  favourite  brought  her,  in  the  night,  all  kinds  of 
things  to  eat :  fricassees,  little  pates,  melons,  salad,  milk,  prunes,  figs  ; 
she  gave  her  iced  beer  to  drink.  For  a  fortnight  she  was  unwilling  to 
call  in  any  doctor,  and  the  fever  kept  on  increasing  all  the  time." 
Correspondence  complete,  Letter  of  August  10,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  189 

quite  differently  from  the  first  time."1  Afterwards,  she 
sank  into  a  sort  of  coma,  from  which  she  recovered  only 
at  long  intervals. 

On  the  19th,  as  a  last  hope,  the  Regent,  on  the  advice  of 
some  of  his  friends,  decided  to  call  in  a  quack  doctor  of  the 
name  of  Garus,  who  had  invented  an  elixir  much  talked 
of  just  then,  and  the  secret  of  which  Louis  XV.  afterwards 
purchased.  Garus  lost  no  time  in  obeying  the  summons, 
but  found  the  princess  so  ill  that  he  expressed  the  opinion 
that  matters  had  gone  too  far  for  even  his  wonderful 
remedy  to  save  her.  However,  he  consented  to  administer 
it,  stipulating,  however,  that  nothing  was  to  be  given 
the  patient  except  by  his  advice. 

Dangeau  says  that  this  elixir  "  revived  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  a  little,  which  inspired  some  fresh  hope."  But 
Saint-Simon  assures  us  that  it  "  succeeded  beyond  all 
hope  "  and  that  "  nothing  remained  but  to  continue  it "  ; 
and  accuses  Chirac,  the  first  physician  of  the  Due  d'Orleans, 
of  having  caused  the  death  of  the  princess  rather  than 
leave  to  Garus  the  honour  of  curing  her.  Here  is  what 
he  says : 

"  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  continued  to  improve  and 
became  so  much  better  that  Chirac,  her  regular  doctor, 
began  to  fear  for  his  reputation,  and,  seizing  his  oppor- 
tunity, when  Garus  was  asleep  upon  a  sofa,  hurriedly 
presented  a  purgative  to  the  duchess  and  made  her 
swallow  it,  without  saying  a  word  to  any  one,  the  two 
nurses  chosen  to  wait  upon  her,  and  who  were  the  only 
persons  present,  not  daring  to  oppose  him.  The  audacity 
of  this  was  as  complete  as  its  villainy,  for  the  Due  and 

1  "  She  received  the  last  Sacraments  with  such  firmness,"  writes 
Madame,  "  that  every  one's  heart  was  rent"  (Letter  of  July  19,  1719)- 


igo  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

Duchesse  d'Orleans  were  close  at  hand  in  the  salon. 
From  this  moment  to  the  one  in  which  the  patient  re- 
lapsed into  a  condition  similar  to  that  from  which  the  elixir 
had  rescued  her,  there  was  but  the  briefest  interval.  Garus 
was  awakened  and  summoned.  Seeing  this  disorder, 
he  cried  out  that  a  purgative  had  been  administered, 
which,  whatever  it  might  be,  was  poison  in  the  state  in 
which  the  princess  was.  He  wished  to  depart ;  he  was 
detained  and  conducted  to  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans.  A 
great  uproar  ensued  ;  cries  from  Garus,  impudence  and 
unequalled  audacity  from  Chirac,  in  defending  what  he 
had  done.  He  was  unable  to  deny  it,  for  the  two  nurses 
had  been  questioned  and  had  admitted  it.  The  Duchesse 
de  Berry  drew  near  her  end  while  this  debate  was  going 
on,  and  neither  Garus  nor  Chirac  could  do  anything  to 
prevent  it.  She  lasted,  however,  the  rest  of  the  day,  and 
did  not  expire  until  about  midnight.  Chirac,  seeing  the 
death-agony  approaching,  traversed  the  room,  made  an 
insulting  reverence  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  which  was  open, 
wished  her  '  a  pleasant  journey  '  (in  equivalent  terms), 
and  went  off  to  Paris.  The  marvel  is  that  nothing  came 
of  this  and  that  he  remained  the  doctor  of  the  Due 
d'Orleans." 

It  is  only  fair  to  Chirac  to  observe  that  this  charge  is 
unsupported  by  any  testimony  whatever,  and,  since  the 
accused  physician  enjoyed  great  influence  at  the  Palais- 
Royal  and  might  very  well  have  offended  Saint-Simon, 
it  is  probably  merely  a  fresh  instance  of  the  outrageous 
manner  in  which  that  vindictive  chronicler  was  in  the 
habit  of  calumniating  those  against  whom  he  happened  to 
cherish  a  grievance. 

However  that  may  be,  the  improvement  in  the  con- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  191 

dition  of  the  patient  which  Garus's  elixir  had  effected 
was  not  maintained.  "  The  Duchesse  de  Berry,"  writes 
Dangeau,  under  date  July  20,  "  was  in  a  very  weak 
state  this  morning,  and  in  the  evening  it  was  thought 
that  she  would  not  survive  the  night."  In  point  of  fact, 
the  unfortunate  princess  expired  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning  of  the  21st.  She  had  completed  her  twenty- 
fourth  year  only  a  month  previously.  "  The  poor  Duch- 
esse de  Berry  died  to-night  between  two  and  three 
o'clock,"  writes  Madame.  "  Her  end  was  very  peaceful ; 
they  say  that  she  died  as  though  she  had  fallen  asleep." 

None  of  her  relatives  was  with  her  in  her  last  moments, 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  having  quitted  La 
Muette  about  an  hour  previously.  The  Regent,  however, 
had  wished  to  remain  until  the  end,  and  Saint-Simon 
tells  us  that  it  was  he  who  dissuaded  him,  though  not 
without  great  difficulty.  At  this  supreme  moment, 
indeed,  the  kind-hearted  prince  had  forgotten  all  the 
trouble  which  his  daughter  had  caused  him  during  the  last 
few  months,  and  remembered  only  the  devoted  affection 
which  he  had  cherished  for  her  since  her  infancy.  Saint- 
Simon  describes  him  as  "  plunged  in  the  most  bitter 
grief,"  and  says  that  he  wept  so  copiously  that  "  he 
feared  that  he  would  suffocate."  It  was  the  same  on  the 
morrow  at  the  Palais-Royal,  where  Madame  "  found  her 
poor  son  in  a  state  which  would  have  softened  a  rock,"1 

1  Saint-Simon  asserts  that  Madame  was  little  affected  by  her 
granddaughter's  death  ;  but  the  contrary  would  appear  to  have  been 
the  case  :  "  She  [the  Duchesse  de  Berry]  said,"  writes  the  old  princess, 
"  that  she  was  dying  without  regret,  since  she  was  reconciled  with  God, 
and  that,  if  her  hfe  were  to  be  prolonged,  she  might  offend  Him  anew. 
That  touched  us  so  much  that  I  should  not  be  able  to  express  it. 
At  bottom,  she  was  a  good  woman,  and,  if  her  mother  had  taken  more 
care  of  her,  and  had  brought  her  up  better,  there  would  have  been 
nothing  but  good  to  say  of  her.  /  confess  that  her  death  goes  to  my 
heart." 


X 


192  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

and  where  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  according  to  Buvat, 
thought  it  necessary  to  enter  his  bedroom,  accompanied 
by  the  Due  de  Chartres  and  his  sisters,  and  "  to  entreat 
him  earnestly  to  console  himself  as  best  he  could  for  this 
loss,  representing  to  him  that  the  prince  and  princesses, 
his  children,  stood  in  need  of  the  preservation  of  his 
health  and  his  protection."1  However,  if  we  are  to 
believe  Saint-Simon,  the  reflection  that  the  yoke  to 
which  he  had  submitted,  and  had  of  late  found  so  heavy, 
was  severed,  and  that  he  was  now  free  from  all  annoyance 
on  the  score  of  the  marriage  with  Rion,  soon  brought  him 
consolation.  As  for  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  we  can  well 
believe  the  chronicler's  assertion  that  she  regarded  her 
daughter's  death  as  a  deliverance. 

The  death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  aroused  com- 
paratively little  interest  among  the  public,  greatly  to  the 
relief  of  the  inmates  of  the  Palais-Royal,  who  had  feared  a 
posthumous  scandal  to  crown  those  which  the  deceased 
princess  had  caused  during  her  life.  Several  couplets, 
however,  of  a  more  or  less  obscene  character,  were 
circulated  in  Paris.  One  of  these  compositions  purported 
to  relate  the  life  of  the  princess,  and  the  opening 
verses — the  only  ones  which  can  possibly  be  transcribed 
— ran  thus  : 

"  Celle  de  qui  j'e"cris  l'histoire 
Est  la  Messaline  du  temps  ; 
J'en  veux  e"terniser  la  gloire 
Par  des  hommages  eclatants." 

The  autopsy  which  was  performed  on  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  on  the  day  after  her  death  proved  that  no  amount 
of  medical  skill  would  have  sufficed  to  save  her.  "  Her 
head  was  all  full  of  water,"  writes  Madame  ;    "  she  had 

1  Journal  de  la  Rdgence. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  193 

an  ulcer  in  the  stomach,  another  in  the  hip  ;  the  rest 
was  like  pap,  and  her  liver  was  affected."  Saint-Simon, 
who  had  been  commissioned  by  the  Regent  to  attend  this 
operation,  adds  that  she  was  "  found  to  be  again  en- 
ceinte," so  that  her  death  saved  the  Regent  from  having 
to  decide  between  acknowledging  Rion  as  a  son-in- 
law  and  a  repetition  of  the  scandal  of  the  preceding 
spring. 

Saint-Simon  had  also  been  charged  with  the  funeral 
arrangements,  and  he  took  care  that  they  should  be  as 
simple  as  the  rank  of  the  departed  would  permit.  On 
the  22nd,  the  princess's  heart  was  taken  to  the  Val-de- 
Grace  by  her  first  almoner,  the  Abbe  de  Castries,  and 
Mile,  de  la  Roche-sur-Yon,  who  were  accompanied  by 
Madame  de  Saint-Simon  and  two  of  the  "  dames."  On 
the  morrow,  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  the  body,  which  had 
been  placed,  after  the  autopsy,  on  a  catafalque  in  the 
chapel  of  La  Muette,  where  masses  had  been  said  without 
interruption,  was  conveyed  in  an  eight-horse  coach  to 
Saint-Denis,  escorted  by  forty  pages  and  guards  bearing 
torches,  and  followed  by  two  carriages,  one  containing 
the  almoners,  the  other  the  ladies  of  the  princess.  The 
funeral  service  was  celebrated,  according  to  usage,  at  the 
beginning  of  September  ;  but  it  was  marked  by  an  entire 
absence  of  the  customary  pomp,  and  there  was  no  funeral 
oration,  a  most  extraordinary  omission  at  the  obsequies 
of  a  member  of  the  Royal  House.  The  reason,  however, 
is  sufficiently  obvious.  "  They  have  been  so  embarrassed 
about  making  her  funeral  oration,"  writes  Madame, 
"  that  they  decided  that  it  was  best  not  to  make  one 
at  all."1 

1  Letter  of  August  i,  1719. 
O 


194  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Although,  as  we  have  mentioned  elsewhere,  the  de- 
ceased princess  had  enjoyed  an  immense  income,  she 
was  found  to  have  left  behind  debts  amounting  to  over 
400,000  livres,  which  the  Regent  was  called  upon  to 
discharge,  as  her  husband's  appanage  and  the  pension 
which  Louis  XIV.  had  accorded  her  had  reverted  to 
the  State.  It  is,  however,  scarcely  surprising  that 
her  revenues,  great  as  they  were,  should  have  been  in- 
sufficient to  meet  her  expenditure,  since  she  had  had 
two  costly  residences  in  the  Luxembourg  and  La  Muette 
and,  latterly,  a  third,  Meudon,  to  keep  up ;  1  never  denied 
herself  anything  which  happened  to  take  her  fancy  ; 
appears  to  have  kept  no  accounts,  and  had  been  merci- 
lessly exploited  by  her  greedy  and  unscrupulous  favour- 
ites. 

The  untimely  death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  caused 
the  greatest  consternation  among  the  officers  of  her 
Household.  The  majority  of  them  had,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  time,  purchased  their  charges,  generally 
for  considerable  sums,  since  they  had  naturally  looked 
forward  to  enjoying  the  emoluments  for  many  years,  or 
of  being  able  to  sell  them  whenever  they  felt  so  inclined. 
Many  had  invested  the  whole  of  their  savings  in  acquiring 
these  offices,  and  now  found  themselves  faced  by  ruin 
and  destitution.  The  Regent,  however,  came  to  the 
rescue.  He  continued  the  salaries  of  the  higher  officials, 
with  one  notable  exception,  of  which  we  shall  presently 
speak,  and  accorded  the  others  pensions  for  life,  to  reim- 
burse them  for  the  loss  of  their  charges  ;  and  on  August  27 
Madame  writes  :   "  All  the  people  who  were  in  the  service 

1  Buvat  says  that  she  had  at  the  moment  of  her  death,  at  these 
different  establishments,  no  less  than  eight  hundred  servants. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  195 

of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  appear  entirely  consoled  for  her 
death."  And  she  adds  :  "  I,  too,  am  consoled,  on  account 
of  many  things  which  I  have  learned  since  her  death,  but 
which  cannot  be  committed  to  paper." 

Buvat  tells  us  that,  to  pay  these  salaries  and  pensions 
and  to  discharge  the  princess's  debts,  "  the  Regent  judged 
proper  to  establish  a  levy  of  four  sols  per  livre  on  the 
tailles  of  the  generality  of  Paris."  There  can  be  little 
doubt,  however,  that  Buvat  was  misinformed,  and  that 
the  levy  had  been  made  for  an  entirely  different  purpose, 
for,  great  as  were  the  faults  of  Philippe  d'Orleans,  he  was 
scrupulously  honourable  in  financial  matters,  and  noth- 
ing is  more  unlikely  than  that  he  would  have  thrown  the 
burden  of  his  daughter's  extravagance  upon  the  shoulders 
of  the  subjects  of  the  King  of  France.  Moreover,  there 
would  have  been  no  excuse  for  so  disgraceful  an  abuse 
of  his  authority,  since  we  learn,  from  the  official  report 
of  the  affixing  of  the  seals  at  La  Muette  and  Meudon, 
published  by  the  same  chronicler,  that  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  had  left  behind  her  "  a  casket  filled  with  jewels 
of  all  kinds  in  shagreen  boxes  of  various  sizes  .  .  .  three 
other  shagreen  boxes,  which  the  said  casket  was  unable  to 
contain,  in  which  were  jewels  of  various  kinds  ;  a  card- 
board box  containing  several  precious  stones  and  a 
great  oblong  diamond  ;  a  chest  filled  with  candlesticks 
and  other  pieces  of  silver  and  silver-gilt "  ;  and  so  forth. 
The  sale  of  these  objects,  some  of  which  must  have  been 
of  great  value,  would  certainly  have  gone  far  to  furnish 
the  Regent  with  the  amount  required. 

The  same  report  mentions  that  Madame  Margrais,  one 
of  the  late  princess's  waiting-women,  had  made  a  de- 
claration, in  which  she  stated  that  "  three  ring-cases, 


196  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

two  of  shagreen  and  one  of  a  Chinese  wood,"  were  missing 
at  La  Muette.  What  became  of  two  of  these  cases 
is  unknown,  but  the  third  happened  to  be  safe  in  the 
Regent's  bureau,  and  how  it  came  there  deserves  to  be 
told. 

On  the  evening  of  April  16,  a  little  while  after  she  had 
made  her  confession  and  received  the  Sacrament,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  dismissed  every  one  from  her  room, 
with  the  exception  of  Madame  de  Mouchy,  and  then, 
pointing  to  the  key  of  her  jewel-casket,  told  her  confidante 
to  bring  her  ring-case,  containing  a  collection  of  rings 
which  Saint-Simon  estimates  to  have  been  worth  more 
than  200,000  ecus.  This  ring-case,  according  to  Madame 
de  Mouchy's  account,  she  presented  to  her,  in  recognition 
of  her  faithful  services;  but  it  seems  far  more  probable 
that  the  princess  limited  her  generosity  to  one  or  two 
of  these  costly  trinkets,  and  that  the  favourite,  whose 
avarice  had  been  excited  by  the  sight  of  such  a  fortune, 
coolly  appropriated  the  whole  collection. 

Such  a  proceeding  would  have  been  quite  in  keeping 
with  her  odious  character,  and  Madame  assures  us  that 
she  had  been  robbing  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  systemati- 
cally for  some  time,  with  the  aid  of  duplicate  keys,  and 
had  "  made  fine  coups."  M.  de  Barthelemy  even  thinks 
that  the  whole  story  was  a  fabrication,  and  that  Madame 
de  Mouchy,  seeing  that  her  mistress  had  only  a  few 
days  to  live,  crowned  her  numerous  peculations  by  a 
monstrous  robbery ;  but  it  seems  very  natural  that,  after 
the  criminal  complaisance  she  had  displayed  during  the 
princess's  illness,  she  should  have  received  some  rich 
present. 

However  that   may  be,    on  the   evening  in  question 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  197 

Madame  de  Mouchy  found  herself  in  possession  of  the 
ring- case,  which  she  showed  to  her  husband.  That 
gentleman,  who,  though  as  avaricious  as  his  wife,  was 
more  timid,  expressed  his  fear  that,  when  the  princess 
was  dead,  and  her  ring- case  was  found  to  be  miss- 
ing, they  might  be  accused  of  theft,  if  they  said 
nothing  about  it  before.  Madame  admitted  the  force  of 
what  he  said,  and  accordingly  informed,  in  confidence, 
one  or  two  of  the  few  friends  she  possessed  in  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry's  Household,  where  both  she  and 
her  husband  were  generally  hated  and  despised,  of 
the  magnificent  present  of  which  she  had  just  been 
the  recipient. 

These  friends,  of  course,  promised  the  strictest  secrecy, 
and  equally,  of  course,  proceeded  to  communicate  the 
news  to  the  first  person  they  happened  to  meet,  with  the 
result  that  it  speedily  reached  the  ears  of  Madame  de 
Saint-Simon.  That  lady,  who  knew  the  immense  value 
of  the  contents  of  her  mistress's  ring-case,  was  so  as- 
tonished that  she  deemed  it  her  duty  to  inform  the 
Due  d'Orleans  without  a  moment's  delay.  The  Regent 
had  left  La  Muette  an  hour  or  two  before,  but  she  wrote  a 
letter  and  despatched  it  to  the  Palais-Royal  by  a  trusty 
messenger. 

Meanwhile,  Madame  de  Mouchy,  learning  that  the 
affair  had  become  public  property,  had  decided  to  take 
counsel  of  Madame  de  Saint-Simon.  She  found  the 
dame  d'honneur  in  the  salon,  which,  though  it  was  now 
very  late,  was  still  full  of  people,  since  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  was  so  much  worse — thanks  to  the  clandestine 
repast  of  which  we  have  spoken  elsewhere — that  no  one 
thought   of   going   to   bed.      Approaching   Madame   de 


198  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Saint-Simon,  with  an  air  of  well-simulated  embarrass- 
ment, she  related  what  had  occurred,  and  then,  drawing 
the  ring-case  from  her  pocket,  showed  it  to  her.  The 
duchess,  after  duly  admiring  it,  called  the  ladies  who  were 
nearest  her  to  come  and  admire  it  also,  and  in  their 
presence — for  she  had  called  them  with  this  intention — 
told  Madame  de  Mouchy  that  it  was  indeed  a  superb 
present,  but  that,  for  that  very  reason,  she  advised  her 
to  go  and  inform  the  Regent  of  her  good  fortune  as  soon 
as  possible.  This  counsel,  given  in  the  presence  of 
witnesses,  greatly  embarrassed  Madame  de  Mouchy,  but, 
coming  as  it  did  from  the  head  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's 
Household,  it  was  equivalent  to  an  order;  and  she  accord- 
ingly replied  that  she  would  act  as  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon  suggested,  and  left  the  room  to  find  her  husband 
and  acquaint  him  with  the  very  unwelcome  turn  the  affair 
had  taken.  But  let  us  allow  Saint-Simon  to  relate  the 
denouement  in  his  own  words  : 

"  The  next  morning,  they  appeared  together  at  the 
Palais-Royal,  and  demanded  to  speak  to  the  Due  d'Or- 
leans, who,  having  been  warned  by  Madame  de  Saint- 
Simon,  ordered  them  to  be  admitted  immediately,  and 
requested  the  few  people  who  happened  to  be  in  his 
cabinet  to  withdraw,  for  it  was  very  early  in  the  forenoon. 
Madame  de  Mouchy,  her  husband  by  her  side,  compli- 
mented the  Regent  as  well  as  she  could.  The  Due 
d'Orleans,  for  all  response,  inquired  where  the  ring-case 
was.  She  drew  it  from  her  pocket  and  handed  it  to  him. 
The  Due  d'Orleans  took  it,  opened  it,  examined  it  carefully 
to  see  if  there  was  anything  missing,  for  he  knew  perfectly 
what  it  contained,  shut  it  again,  drew  a  key  from  his 
pocket,  locked  it  up  in  a  drawer  of  his  bureau,  and  then 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  199 

dismissed  them  by  an  inclination  of  the  head.  They 
bowed  and  withdrew,  equally  infuriated  and  ashamed. 
From  that  time  they  did  not  reappear  at  La  Muette. 
Soon  afterwards,  the  Due  d'Orleans  arrived  there,  and, 
after  visiting  his  daughter  for  a  moment,  drew  Madame 
de  Saint-Simon  aside,  thanked  her  warmly  for  what  she 
had  written  to  him  and  what  she  had  done,  and  informed 
her  of  how  he  had  just  acted,  and  that  the  ring-case 
would  not  again  leave  his  hands.  So  angry  was  he  at  this 
effrontery  that  he  was  unable  to  refrain  from  speaking  of 
it  in  the  salon,  in  terms  very  damaging  to  M.  and  Madame 
de  Mouchy,  amid  great  applause  from  all  the  company, 
even  from  the  servants." 

Saint-Simon's  assertion  that  Madame  de  Mouchy  did 
not  return  to  La  Muette  after  her  interview  with  the 
Regent  at  the  Palais- Royal  would  appear  to  be  incorrect, 
since  Dangeau,  whose  accuracy  is  beyond  dispute,  writes 
under  date  April  20  :  "  Madame  de  Mouchy  left  La 
Muette  before  midnight,  seeing  Madame  de  Berry's 
condition  to  be  hopeless  ;  all  the  people  of  the  Household 
appeared  very  animated  against  her."  Her  return  would 
certainly  have  been  necessary,  if  only  to  secure  the 
fruits  of  her  peculations. 

Not  only  did  this  detestable  harpy  feel  no  regret  at  the 
untimely  death  of  the  princess  whom  she  had  so  shame- 
lessly exploited,  but  she  did  not  even  attempt  to  simulate 
it.  "  The  Mouchy,  who  used  to  control  everything," 
writes  Madame,  "  was  not  afflicted  for  a  single  moment. 
She  played  the  flute  at  her  window,  and  the  day  when  this 
poor  princess  was  conveyed  to  Saint-Denis  she  went  to 
dine  in  Paris  with  a  numerous  company.  She  drank 
champagne  and  ate  as  gluttonously  as  though  nothing 


200  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

was  happening,  and  indulged  in  impertinent  talk,  which 
shocked  every  one  present."1 

Having  been  alone  excepted  from  the  ladies  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry's  Household  who  had  preserved  their 
salaries,  she  had  the  audacity  to  demand  an  audience  of 
the  Regent,  to  inquire  the  reason.  He  declined  to  receive 
her,  but  referred  her  to  the  Due  de  la  Vrilliere,  one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  State.  To  La  Vrilliere  she  accordingly 
went,  accompanied  by  her  husband,  and  was  promptly 
handed  a  lettre  de  cachet  ordering  them  both  to  leave  Paris 
within  forty-eight  hours  and  not  to  return.  They  were, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  permitted  to  return  some  years  later  ; 
"  but,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  none  of  the  events  which  had 
happened  in  the  interval  sufficed  to  re-establish  their 
position  in  the  world,  or  to  extricate  them  from  con- 
tempt, obscurity,  and  oblivion." 

As  for  Rion,  he  experienced  a  rude  awakening  from  his 
dreams  of  greatness.  As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry's  death  reached  the  Army  of  Berwick,  the 
Prince  de  Conti,  who  had  always  detested  his  cousin, 
hurried  off  to  find  the  widower,  and,  when  he  caught  sight 
of  him,  began  to  sing  a  coarse  song,  beginning  : 

"  Elle  est  morte,  la  vache  aux  paniers, 
II  n'en  faut  plus  parler.'' 2 

Others  were  not  slow  to  follow  the  example  of  a  Prince 
of  the  Blood,  and  altogether  the  young  gentleman  appears 
to  have  passed  a  very  unpleasant  time.  Saint-Simon 
assures  us  that  his  despair  at  the  ruin  of  his  hopes  was 
such  that  his  friends  had  to  keep  watch  over  him  to 

1  Correspondance  compute,  Letter  of  August  i,  17 19. 
1  Ibid.,  Letter  of  September  28,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  201 

prevent  him  from  destroying  himself  ;  but  probably  he 
exaggerates,  since  Rion  had  feathered  his  nest  warmly 
enough  to  make  life  well  worth  living.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, nearly  so  warmly  feathered  as  he  imagined,  for 
which  he  had  to  thank  his  light-fingered  friend  Madame  de 
Mouchy.  "The  Mouchy,"  writes  Madame,  "was  cer- 
tainly the  most  unworthy  favourite  that  was  ever  seen  ; 
she  betrayed,  deceived,  and  robbed  her  princess.  What 
she  did  that  was  amusing,  was  to  rob  her  lover,  the  Comte 
de  Rion,  to  whom  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  given  large 
sums  in  cash  and  jewellery.  He  had  placed  it  all  in  a 
casket  which  he  had  left  at  Meudon.  His  chere  amie 
stole  the  casket  and  went  off  with  it.  I  consider  that 
very  comical."1 

At  the  close  of  the  campaign,  Rion  sold  the  colonelcy  of 
his  regiment  and  his  government  of  Cognac,  and  retired 
into  private  life.  As  his  reappearance  on  the  scene  of  his 
amorous  successes  so  soon  after  what  had  passed  would 
have  been  very  embarrassing  for  the  Palais-Royal,  he 
was  not  allowed  to  return  to  Paris  with  the  other  officers; 
but  this  prohibition  was  withdrawn  some  months  later. 
"  M.  de  Rion,  who  has  not  had  permission  to  return  since 
the  campaign  which  he  made  in  Spain,"  writes  Dangeau, 
on  April  24,  1720,  "  obtained  it  a  few  days  ago,  and  has 
arrived  here.    It  is  said  that  he  is  married." 

This  report  was  incorrect,  and,  though  Rion  appears  to 
have  had  more  than  one  opportunity  of  making  an  advan- 
tageous marriage,  he  preferred  to  remain  a  widower.  But, 
as  Madame  tells  us  that  "  all  the  women  ran  after  him," 
he  no  doubt  found  an  abundance  of  consolation.  Satisfied 
with  having  assured  himself  a  place  in  history,  "  he  led  a 

1  Correspondance  compute,  Letter  of  September  12,  1719. 


202  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

life  in  conformity  with  his  tastes,  that  is  to  say  of  pleasure, 
but  privately.  He  remained  obscure,  and  this  obscurity 
absorbed  him."1 

He  died  about  the  age  of  forty,  much  regretted  by 
the  many  friends  whom  his  good-nature  and  pleasant 
manners  had  gained  him. 

1  Saint-Simon. 


CHAPTER    X 

Charlotte  Aglae  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Valois,  makes  her  appearance  in 
Society — She  refuses  to  marry  the  Prince  de  Dombes — The  young 
princess  is  sent  to  her  grandmother  at  Saint-Cloud— Madame' s 
portrait  of  her— The  Due  de  Richelieu— His  extraordinary  fascina- 
tion for  women— His  liaison  with  Mile,  de  Charolais— Refusal  of 
the  Condes  to  countenance  their  marriage— Violent  passion  of  Mile, 
de  Valois  for  the  duke— Open  rivalry  between  her  and  Mile,  de 
Charolais— Indignation  of  the  Regent— Richelieu  conspires  with 
Spain— He  f alls  into  a  trap  prepared  for  him  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment— Warning  which  he  receives  from  Mile,  de  Valois — He  is 
arrested  and  conducted  to  the  Bastille— Despair  of  the  two  prin- 
cesses, who  make  common  cause  to  secure  the  liberation  of 
their  idol— Their  visit  to  the  Bastille— Exasperation  of  Madame 
against  her  granddaughter— Matrimonial  projects  in  regard  to 
Mile,  de  Valois — A  mariage  manque— Francesco  d'Este,  Prince  of 
Modena,  proposed  as  a  husband— The  Regent  accords  his  daughter 
the  liberty  of  Richelieu,  in  consideration  of  her  consenting  to  marry 
this  prince — Amorous  escapades  of  the  released  gallant — Aversion 
of  Mile,  de  Valois  to  the  alliance  arranged  for  her— Her  marriage- 
She  falls  ill  of  measles,  which  she  has  purposely  contracted,  but 
recovers — Her  despair. 

THE  affairs  of  the  unfortunate  Duchesse  de  Berry 
and  the  ambitions  of  Mile.  d'Orleans  were  not  the 
only  family  matters  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  Regent 
during  the  year  1719.  His  third  daughter,  Mile,  de 
Valois,  inspired  apparently  by  the  example  of  her  eldest 
sister,  had  lately  contrived  to  achieve  a  most  undesirable 
prominence,  and  bade  fair  to  cause  her  relatives  as  much 
trouble  and  anxiety  as  the  departed  princess. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  young  lady,  now  in  her 
nineteenth  year,  had,  in  the  summer  of  1714,  been  with- 
drawn from  the  Abbey  of  Chelles,  where,  to  her  profound 

203 


204  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

disgust,  she  had  been  placed  en  pension  with  Mile. 
d'Orleans.  Her  return  to  the  world  gave  rise  to  a  rumour 
that  she  was  about  to  be  married.  This,  however,  was 
incorrect,  although  twelve  months  before  a  scheme  had 
been  set  on  foot  by  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  marry  her 
to  the  Prince  de  Conti,  which  had  been  promptly  nipped 
in  the  bud  by  Louis  XIV.,  who  had  compelled  Conti  to 
espouse  Mile,  de  Bourbon,  sister  of  Monsieur  le  Due, 
while,  on  the  same  day  (July  8,  1713),  the  latter  prince 
took  to  wife,  likewise  by  his  Majesty's  command,  Marie 
Anne  de  Bourbon-Conti. 

For  some  months  after  leaving  Chelles,  Mile,  de  Valois 
was  lodged  at  the  Val-de-Grace,  though  she  spent  the 
greater  part  of  the  day  with  her  relatives,  returning  to  the 
convent  in  the  evening.  But  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1715  found  her  definitely  installed  at  the  Palais-Royal, 
and  on  January  15  she  appeared  in  the  Regent's  box  at 
the  Opera,  where  a  ball  was  in  progress.  On  March  3  she 
again  assisted  at  an  Opera-ball — it  must  be  admitted  that 
Philippe  d'Orleans  had  singular  ideas  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  a  young  girl  of  fourteen  should  be  brought  up — 
and,  a  little  later,  attended  a  hunting-party  at  Marly, 
under  the  escort  of  Madame,  who  would  seem  to  have 
been  very  disappointed  that  her  granddaughter  had  not 
fulfilled  her  expectations  on  the  score  of  beauty.  "  When 
she  was  very  young,"  she  writes  in  June  1715,  "  I  hoped 
that  Mile,  de  Valois  would  be  pretty,  but  I  have  been 
very  much  deceived.  She  has  acquired  a  great  aquiline 
nose,  which  has  spoiled  her.  She  had  formerly  the 
prettiest  nose  imaginable.  The  cause  of  this  misfortune 
is  that  she  has  been  allowed  to  take  snuff." 

During  the  next  two  years  we  hear  nothing  of  Mile. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  205 

de  Valois,  apart  from  an  occasional  announcement  by 
Dangeau  that  she  had  accompanied  her  father  to  the 
Opera  or  her  mother  to  the  "  Comedie."  Beyond  escort- 
ing her  on  these  occasions,  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Or- 
leans appear  to  have  troubled  themselves  very  little  about 
their  daughter,  and  to  have  made  not  the  slightest  attempt 
to  shield  her  from  the  dangers  to  which  young  girls  were 
exposed  in  an  age  in  which  virtue  had  gone  altogether 
out  of  fashion  and  modesty  was  barely  tolerated.  When, 
however,  Mile.  d'Orleans  had  refused  to  sacrifice  her 
vocation  on  the  altar  of  political  expediency  by  marrying 
the  Prince  de  Dombes,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  began  to 
pay  far  more  attention  to  the  young  princess,  and  over- 
whelmed her  with  cleverly-simulated  demonstrations  of 
affection,  hoping  by  this  means  to  persuade  her  to  accept 
the  position  which  her  elder  sister  had  refused.  But,  to 
her  profound  mortification,  Mile,  de  Valois  offered  an 
equally  stubborn  resistance,  and,  though  the  duchess 
brought  all  her  batteries  into  play,  and  bombarded  her 
with  arguments,  tears,  reproaches,  and  threats,  she  stood 
her  ground  resolutely.  Nothing,  she  declared,  would 
induce  her  to  wed  her  cousin. 

Unable  to  triumph  over  her  daughter's  resistance,  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  conceived  for  her  the  most  intense 
dislike ;  declared  that  she  could  not  endure  the  sight 
of  her,  and  rendered  the  unfortunate  girl's  life  at  the 
Palais-Royal  perfectly  miserable,  by  her  incessant  re- 
proaches. "  Mile,  de  Valois,"  writes  Madame,  under  date 
September  6,  1716,  "  is  not  on  good  terms  with  her 
mother,  who  wished  to  persuade  her  to  marry  the  Prince 
de  Dombes,  eldest  son  of  the  Due  du  Maine.  The  mother 
is  perpetually  reproaching  her  daughter  with  the  fact  that, 


206  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

if  she  had  married  her  nephew,  the  misfortune  which  had 
overtaken  her  brother  and  his  son  would  not  have 
happened.  She  cannot  endure  the  sight  of  her  daughter, 
and  has  begged  me  to  keep  her  some  time  with  me."1 
Mile,  de  Valois,  in  consequence,  was  installed  at  Saint- 
Cloud,  where  she  was  almost  immediately  asked  in 
marriage  by  Monsieur  le  Due,  on  behalf  of  his  brother,  the 
Comte  de  Charolais,  that  half-crazy  prince  about  whose 
ferocious  depravity  so  many  anecdotes  are  related.  Mile. 
de  Valois  would  appear  to  have  regarded  the  prospect 
not  unfavourably,  but  her  parents  were  of  a  different 
opinion,  and  declined  to  give  their  consent.  No  doubt, 
the  mere  fact  that  her  daughter  was  well  disposed  to- 
wards her  suitor  was  in  itself  sufficient  to  determine  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  oppose  the  match. 

At  Saint-Cloud  Madame  had  abundant  opportunities 
of  studying  her  granddaughter,  and  the  judgment  she 
formed  of  both  the  appearance  and  character  of  that 
young  lady  was  anything  but  favourable. 

"  Mile,  de  Valois,"  she  writes,  "  is  a  brunette  ;  she  has 
very  beautiful  eyes,  but  her  nose  is  villainous  and  too  big. 
In  my  opinion,  she  is  not  beautiful.  There  are,  however, 
days  when  she  is  not  ugly,  for  she  has  a  fine  complexion 
and  a  beautiful  skin.  When  she  laughs,  a  long  tooth  in 
her  upper  jaw  produces  a  vile  effect.  Her  figure  is  short 
and  ugly  ;  her  head  sunk  in  her  shoulders  ;  and  what  is 
worse,  in  my  judgment,  is  the  lack  of  grace  that  she  shows 
in  everything  that  she  does.  ...  If  she  were  one  of  those 
persons  who  have  no  desire  to  please,  I  should  not  be 
surprised  at  her  neglecting  herself  to  this  degree.     But 

1  The  misfortune  was  the  decree  of  August  26,  1718,  of  which  we 
have  spoken  elsewhere.    See  page  163  supra. 


Charlotte  Aglae  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Valois),  Hereditary 
Princess,  and  afterwards  Duchess,  of  Modena 

From  the  painting  by  Pierre  Gohert,  at  Versailles 
(Photo  by  W.  A.  Mansell  &  Co.) 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  207 

she  loves  to  be  thought  pretty  ;  she  has  some  taste  for 
the  toilette,  and  she  cannot  understand  that  the  best 
toilette  is  graceful  and  distinguished  manners,  and  that, 
when  those  are  wanting,  nothing  can  supply  their  place. 
...  I  have  by  no  means  a  good  opinion  of  her,  and  I  do 
not  pray  for  her  preservation.  She  has  no  good  instincts  ; 
she  cares  nothing  at  all  about  her  mother,  and  very  little 
for  her  father  ;  she  detests  me  more  than  the  devil  ; 
she  is  deceitful,1  untruthful,  and  horribly  coquettish  ;  in 
short,  she  will  give  us  all  cause  for  mortification.  I  wish 
that  she  were  already  married  and  far  away  from  here  ; 
and  I  should  like  her  to  be  married  to  a  foreign  prince, 
so  that  one  might  hear  no  more  about  her." 

Notwithstanding  the  very  unflattering  portrait  which 
Madame  traces  of  her  granddaughter,  Mile,  de  Valois,  at 
this  time,  appears  to  have  been  regarded  by  her  contem- 
poraries as  a  very  agreeable  young  lady.  Without  being 
beautiful  or  even  pretty,  she  pleased  and  attracted,  since 
her  fine  eyes  and  her  dazzling  complexion  went  far  to 
redeem  the  defects  of  which  her  grandmother  speaks  ; 
while,  if  her  manner  towards  her  relatives  was  not  dis- 
tinguished by  an  excessive  amiability,  she  was  affable 
and  good-humoured  enough  towards  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Moreover,  though  of  an  excessively  indolent 
disposition,  she  possessed  considerable  intelligence,  which, 
had  she  chosen  to  exercise  it,  might  have  resulted  in  her 
becoming  quite  an  accomplished  princess.  What,  how- 
ever, the  writer  says  about  her  graver  moral  failings  is 
unhappily  only  too  true,   though  perhaps  coquetry  is 

1  Writing  in  May  1717,  Madame  had  said:  "  Madame  d'Orleans 
would  be  the  most  deceitful  person  in  the  world,  if  it  were  not  for  her 
daughter,  Mile,  de  Valois.  She  is  even  worse.  I  think  it  is  horrible  to 
find  such  deceitfulness  in  a  person  so  young." 


208  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

hardly  the  term  to  apply  to  her  part  in  the  romance 
which  we  are  about  to  relate. 

The  little  sympathy  which  Madame  felt  for  her  grand- 
daughter did  not  prevent  her  from  doing  what  she  con- 
ceived to  be  her  duty  by  the  girl,  and  during  the  winter 
of  1718-19  she  frequently  escorted  her  to  the  Opera, 
the  Comedie-Francaise,  and  to  various  social  functions, 
while  she  also  entertained  a  good  deal  at  Saint-Cloud  for 
her  benefit.  It  was  now  that  Mile,  de  Valois  seems  first  to 
have  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  too-celebrated  Due  de 
Richelieu,  for  whom  she  speedily  conceived  a  passion 
of  the  most  ardent  kind. 

Born  in  1796,  Richelieu  was  at  this  time  in  his  twenty- 
fourth  year  and  already  in  a  fair  way  to  become  the 
most  scandalous  Lovelace  of  a  scandalous  age.  "  If  I 
believed  in  sorcery,"  writes  Madame,  "  I  should  say  that 
this  duke  must  possess  some  supernatural  secret,  for  he 
has  never  found  a  woman  who  has  opposed  to  him  the 
least  resistance  ;  all  run  after  him  ;  it  is  truly  shameful. 
He  is  not,  after  all,  more  handsome  than  other  men, 
and  he  is  so  indiscreet  and  fond  of  babbling  that  he  has 
himself  declared  that  if  an  empress,  beautiful  as  an  angel, 
were  enamoured  of  him  and  wished  to  pass  the  night  with 
him,  on  condition  that  he  should  say  nothing  about  it, 
he  should  prefer  to  forsake  her  and  never  see  her  again 
so  long  as  he  lived.  He  is  a  great  poltroon, 1  without  heart 
and  without  soul ;  it  revolts  me  to  think  that  he  is  the 
pet  of  all  the  ladies."2 

1  This,  of  course,  is  quite  untrue  ;  Richelieu  was  one  of  the  most 
redoubtable  duellists  of  his  time  and  one  of  the  bravest  soldiers  who 
ever  girded  on  a  sword  ;  indeed,  his  reputation  for  courage  was  second 
only  to  his  reputation  for  gallantry. 

2  Correspondance  complete,  Letter  of  October  1,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  209 

Madame  did  not  exaggerate  the  infatuation  of  her  sex 
for  this  young  man.  It,  indeed,  almost  passes  belief. 
Citizens'  wives,  actresses,  women  of  title,  nay,  even 
Princesses  of  the  Blood,  instead  of  waiting  to  be  wooed, 
pursued  him  with  a  fervour  and  persistency  which  was  as 
ridiculous  as  it  was  indecent.  "  They  solicited  the  honour 
of  being  dishonoured  ;  and,  shocking  to  relate,  more  than 
one  woman  surrendered  herself,  not  from  the  intoxication 
of  passion,  but  from  the  intoxication  of  pride  ;  more  than 
one  woman  ruined  herself  in  order  to  be  ruined  by  him, 
and  to  hear  it  talked  about.  It  was,  as  it  were,  a  com- 
petition of  scandal,  as  a  joust  of  immodesty."1 

If  we  are  to  believe  Soulavie,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing 
for  Richelieu's  confidential  valet  de  chambre,  whose  post 
must  have  been  an  exceedingly  lucrative  one,  to  find 
himself  entrusted  with  as  many  as  ten  or  a  dozen  letters, 
each  inviting  his  master  to  a  rendezvous  for  the  same 
evening.  The  duke,  he  adds,  did  not  take  the  trouble  to 
open  all  these  poulets,  since  the  majority  of  them  were 
usually  in  cypher  and  took  some  time  to  transcribe, 
but  contented  himself  by  opening  that  of  the  lady  whom 
he  wished  to  visit.  The  others  he  locked  up  in  his  desk, 
without  even  breaking  the  seals,  and  left  them  for  the 
perusal  of  the  historians  of  his  time  who  have  had  access 
to  his  papers.  Since  his  sense  of  honour  where  the  opposite 
sex  was  concerned  was  practically  non-existent,  he  derived 
a  cynical  amusement  from  making  game  of  the  passion 
of  these  foolish  women,  and  often  despatched,  as  though 
by  mistake,  to  one  whose  favours  he  did  not  happen  to 
desire  the  billet  doux  of  some  more  happy  rival.  This 
procedure  naturally  led  to  bitter  quarrels  between  as- 

1  Lescure,  les  Mattresses  du  Regent. 


P 


210  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

pirants  to  the  ducal  affections,  and  in  March  1719  two 
high-born  dames,  the  Marquise  de  Nesle  and  the  Com- 
tesse  de  Polignac,  fought  a  duel  for  the  possession  of  his 
heart — with  knives  in  the  Pre-aux-Clercs,  according  to 
Buvat,  with  pistols  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  according  to 
Soulavie — for  which  they  were  subsequently  banished 
by  the  Regent  to  their  country-houses. 

At  the  time  when  he  appears  to  have  attracted  the 
notice  of  Mile,  de  Valois,  Richelieu's  attention  was  princi- 
pally  occupied    by   that    young   lady's   cousin,    Louise 
Anne  de  Bourbon-Conde,  Mile,  de  Charolais,  the  third  of 
the  six  sisters  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  all  of  whom  had 
inherited  the  good  looks  of  their  mother,  Madame  la 
Duchesse  the  elder.     Mile,  de  Charolais,  however,  was 
undoubtedly  the  flower  of  the  flock  ;    in  fact,  she  was 
generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  prettiest  women  at  the 
Court.      "  The    charms    of    her    countenance,"    writes 
Rulhiere,  "  surpassed  all  that  painters  have  been  able  to 
conceive  ;  "l  while  Besenval  declares  that  "  Nature  had 
lavished  upon  her  a  thousand  perfections,"  and  that  she 
possessed  "  eyes  of  such  wondrous  beauty  that  at  the  ball 
they  shone  through  her  mask  and  caused  her  always  to  be 
recognised."2 

Mile,  de  Charolais  loved  Richelieu  with  an  all-consuming 
passion,  to  which  the  duke,  whose  senses  were  pleased  by 
her  beauty,  and  whose  vanity  was  naturally  flattered  by 
the  preference  of  a  Princess  of  the  Blood,  had  not  been 
slow  to  respond  ;  and  for  the  past  three  years  she  had  been 
his  mistress.  She  certainly  was  a  very  devoted  one,  for 
when,  in  February  1716,  the  duke  was  sent  to  the  Bastille 

1  Rulhiere,  Anecdotes  sur  le  Marichal  de  Richelieu. 
a  M6 moires. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  211 

for  the  second  time,1  as  a  punishment  for  having  fought  a 
midnight  duel  with  the  Comte  de  Gace  in  the  Rue  Saint 
Thomas-du-Louvre,  she  and  her  elder  sister,  the  Princesse 
de  Conti,  who  is  also  believed  to  have  been  honoured  by 
Richelieu's  regard,  contrived  to  gain  admittance  to  the 
imprisoned  nobleman  on  several  occasions,  disguised  as 
two  charitable  women  who  had  permission  to  visit  the 
poorer  prisoners.  On  the  death  of  Richelieu's  neglected 
wife,  Anne  Catherine  de  Noailles,  in  the  following  autumn, 
many  were  of  opinion  that  he  and  Mile,  de  Charolais 
would  take  advantage  of  the  former's  freedom  to  regu- 
larize a  connection  which  was  by  this  time  the  talk  of 
Paris  ;  and  it  is  certain  that,  had  the  decision  rested  with 
the  parties  themselves,  they  would  have  lost  no  time  in 
fulfilling  this  anticipation.  For  the  lady  was  madly  in 
love  with  the  duke ;  and  the  duke,  if  he  did  not  altogether 
reciprocate  the  lady's  passion,  was  keenly  alive  to  the 
advantages  which  would  accrue  to  him  from  his  marriage 
with  a  Princess  of  the  Blood.  But  the  pride  of  the  Condes 
proved  an  insurmountable  obstacle  ;  and,  though  the 
enamoured  princess  employed  every  possible  persuasion 
to  induce  her  relatives  to  relent,  they  remained  inexorable. 
However,  she  did  not  abandon  all  hope  of  ultimately 
overcoming  their  opposition,  and,  in  the  meanwhile, 
since  she  was  not  permitted  to  love  with  the  sanction  of 
the  Church,  continued  to  do  so  without  it. 

Although   the   charms   of   Mile,    de   Valois   compared 

1  His  first  embastillement  had  taken  place  in  April  1711,  when  he  was 
barely  fifteen,  not,  as  is  commonly  supposed,  owing  to  the  resentment 
of  Louis  XIV.  at  his  presumptuous  advances  to  the  Duchesse  de  Bour- 
gogne,  but  at  the  request  of  his  father,  whom  he  had  exasperated  by  a 
whole  series  of  delinquencies,  of  which  the  famous  adventure  in  the 
Dauphine's  bedchamber  was  only  one. 


212  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

unfavourably  with  those  of  her  cousin,  she  was  of  even 
more  exalted  station,  and  M.  de  Richelieu  was  not  the 
man  to  despise  a  conquest  which  promised  to  enhance  so 
much  his  already  great  reputation  as  a  vainqueur  de  dames. 
He  did  not,  however,  consider  it  at  all  necessary  to  be  off 
with  the  old  love  before  being  on  with  the  new ;  and,  while 
paying  court  to  the  daughter  of  the  Regent,  was  far  from 
neglecting  the  daughter  of  the  Condes,  who  still  remained 
in  ignorance  of  a  treason  which  was  the  talk  of  the  Court. 
At  length,  however,  she  was  undeceived. 

The  story  goes  that  one  evening,  while  playing  cards  at 
Saint-Cloud,  Richelieu,  seeking  under  the  table  for  the 
feet  of  Mile,  de  Valois,  between  which  and  his  own  very 
tender  communications  had  been  established,  addressed, 
all  unwittingly,  his  imprudent  caresses  to  those  of  her 
unfortunate  rival,  who,  "  though  devoured  by  jealousy, 
had  the  patience  to  continue  this  game  for  a  long  while, 
in  order  to  gauge  the  strength  of  his  passion."  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  rubber,  however,  she  "  rose  like  a  Fury, 
with  flashing  eyes  which  seemed  about  to  leap  from  her 
head,  and,  under  the  pretext  of  indisposition,  retired  to 
her  apartments,  to  storm  with  anger  and  spite  against 
Mile,  de  Valois,  leaving  the  duke  much  disconcerted 
at  the  consequences  of  his  mistake,  and  with  little  desire, 
for  that  evening  at  least,  to  resume  his  communications 
with  his  new  inamorata."1  What  made  the  incident  the 
more  piquant,  was  that  Mile,  de  Valois,  who  did  not 
understand  that  Richelieu  had  made  a  mistake,  and 
believed  that  he  had  really  intended  these  demonstrations 
of  affection  for  her  cousin,  was  even  more  indignant 
than    the    other.      Singularly    enough,    neither    of    the 

}  Soulavie,  Memoir es  du  due  de  Richelieu. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  213 

princesses  testified  any  resentment  against  the  duke, 
who  was  deceiving  them  both,  but  they  vowed 
eternal  enmity  against  one  another,  and  showed  it  in 
the  most  public  manner,  to  the  great  diversion  of  the 
Court. 

The  Regent,  who,  though  he  had  perforce  tolerated  the 
misconduct  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  had  no  intention  of 
extending  a  similar  indulgence  to  her  younger  sister, 
was  as  angry  as  his  indolent  character  would  permit, 
nor  was  his  wrath  mitigated  by  the  fact  that  Richelieu 
was  an  adherent  of  the  party  of  the  Bastards  and  an 
assiduous  frequenter  of  the  little  Court  of  Sceaux.  He 
accordingly  determined  to  give  the  audacious  gallant  a 
broad  hint  as  to  the  possible  consequences  of  his  pre- 
sumption ;  and  one  evening,  at  a  masked  ball,  having 
perceived  Mile,  de  Valois  in  conversation  with  a  gentle- 
man who  was  wearing  a  domino  very  closely  resembling 
that  which  he  had  ascertained  Richelieu  was  to  assume 
for  the  occasion,  he  approached  and  said  to  him  :  "  Mask, 
be  careful,  if  you  do  not  wish  to  go  a  third  time  to  the 
Bastille."  The  person  addressed,  who  happened  to  be 
one  of  Richelieu's  friends,  Montconseil  by  name,  hastened 
to  undeceive  his  Royal  Highness,  upon  which  the  prince 
added  in  a  threatening  tone  :  "  Tell,  then,  your  friend 
Richelieu  what  I  have  just  told  you,  under  the  impression 
that  you  were  he."1 

Partly  to  distract  attention  from  his  intrigue  with 
Mile,  de  Valois,  and  partly  to  avenge  himself  for  the 
opposition  of  her  father,  Richelieu  carried  off  the  actress 
la  Souris,  the  Regent's  mistress  of  the  moment.  But 
Philippe  d'Orleans  showed  himself  little  moved  by  this 
1  Soulavie,  Mimoires  de  due  du  Richelieu. 


214  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

misfortune,  and  promptly  consoled  himself  with  another 
daughter  of  Thespis,  Mile.  Emilie. 

Throughout  the  winter  of  1719  Miles,  de  Charolais  and 
de  Valois  continued  their  little  comedy  ;  the  one  striving 
to  win  back  her  faithless  gallant,  the  other  to  wrest  him 
altogether  from  the  faltering  clasp  of  her  cousin,  both 
seemingly  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  Richelieu  was  "  pro- 
viding them  each  day  with  new  rivals."  But,  one  fine 
morning  at  the  end  of  March,  they,  in  common  with  a 
great  many  other  ladies,  were  stricken  to  the  heart  by  the 
terrible  news  that  the  gates  of  the  Bastille  had  closed 
upon  their  idol  for  the  third  time,  and  on  this  occasion  for 
an  infinitely  more  serious  offence  than  those  which  had 
resulted  in  his  previous  incarcerations. 

Although  Richelieu,  as  we  have  mentioned,  was  an 
adherent  of  the  faction  of  the  Bastards,  he  had  taken  no 
part  in  the  Cellamare  conspiracy,  the  discovery  of  which 
at  the  end  of  the  previous  year  had  led  to  the  arrest  and 
imprisonment  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  du  Maine  and 
their  principal  supporters.  But,  early  in  1719,  he  was 
rash  enough  to  engage  in  a  little  conspiracy  on  his  own 
account,  and,  seduced  by  the  promises  of  the  Spanish 
Minister,  Alberoni,  agreed  to  facilitate  the  taking  of 
Bayonne,  where  the  regiment  of  which  he  was  colonel 
was  stationed,  by  the  troops  of  Philip  V. 

Unhappily  for  him,  the  emissary  whom  Alberoni  had 
employed  in  his  negotiations  with  Richelieu,  an  Italian 
adventurer  named  Marini,  had  sold  his  services  to  the 
French  Government,  with  the  result  that  the  entire 
correspondence  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Lieutenant  of 
Police  d'Argenson  and  Dubois.  Little  suspecting  the 
trap  into  which  he  had  fallen,  on  March  28  Richelieu 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  215 

went  to  the  Minister  of  War,  Le  Blanc,  "  made  a  thousand 
protestations  of  devotion,  and  pressed  him  to  give  him 
permission  to  go  and  rejoin  his  regiment."1  Later  on  the 
same  day,  however,  he  received  intelligence  which  must 
have  caused  him  considerable  alarm.  The  Regent,  who 
was,  of  course,  kept  informed  of  the  progress  of  this 
affair,  was  indiscreet  enough  to  let  fall  some  words  which 
implied  that  M.  de  Richelieu  had  got  himself  into  very 
serious  trouble.  Mile,  de  Valois,  who  was  informed  by  her 
mother  of  this,  became  very  uneasy,  and  lost  no  time  in 
dispatching  her  confidential  waiting-woman,  Madame 
Piche,  to  the  Hotel  de  Richelieu,  with  a  letter  which 
Soulavie  has  preserved  for  us,  and  of  which  conscientious 
historians  will  prefer  to  leave  to  him  the  responsibility, 
although,  as  M.  de  Barthelemy  points  out,  it  is  only  fair 
to  observe  that  its  orthography  bears  a  remarkable  re- 
semblance to  that  of  the  numerous  letters  of  the  lady  in 
the  Archives  des  Affaires  Etrangeres  : 

"  As  you  have  assured  me  that  there  could  be  no  proof 
against  you,2 1  do  not  doubt  that  the  warning  I  am  giving 
you  will  be  useless.  But,  since  it  has  appeared  to  me 
that  you  like  to  be  informed  of  everything,  I  have  warned 
you  :  the  assembly  of  the  Council  is  to  consider  the 
Spanish  business.  I  reckon  on  knowing  more  this  evening, 
which  I  will  communicate  to  you  ;  but  what  urges  me  to 
write  to  you,  is  something  which  has  escaped  my  mother, 
who  was  under  the  impression  that  I  knew  it,  and  who, 
when  she  perceived  that  I  did  not,  recommended  me 
strongly  to  say  nothing  about  it.  Write  me,  if  you  are 
without  uneasiness,  for  I  confess  that  I  am  so  no  longer."3 

1  Correspondance  complete  de  Madame,  duchesse  d'OrUansv,  March  30. 

2  She  means  in  connection  with  the  Cellamare  affair. 

3  Soulavie,  Memoires  du  due  de  Richelieu. 


216  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

This  letter  was  followed,  a  few  hours  later,  by  another, 
in  which  the  princess  warned  the  duke  that  her  father  had 
just  said  publicly  that  he  had  in  his  possession  documents 
which  contained  the  most  damning  evidence  of  the  plots 
which  had  been  formed  against  him. 

Richelieu  had  now  very  little  doubt  that  he  had  been 
betrayed  by  Marini,  and  all  uncertainty  was  removed 
when,  at  ten  o'clock  the  following  morning  (March  29), 
while  he  was  still  in  bed,  Duchevron,  the  Provost's 
lieutenant,  with  a  dozen  archers,  arrived  at  his  hotel,  and, 
scarcely  giving  him  time  to  dress,  conducted  him  to  the 
Bastille.  "  A  letter  from  Alberoni  to  this  duke  [Richelieu] 
has  been  intercepted,"  writes  Madame,  "  which  renders 
his  treason  clearer  than  the  day.  My  son  has  caused  him 
to  be  arrested  and  to  be  taken  immediately  to  the  Bastille. 
This  duke  will  cause  many  tears  to  flow  in  Paris,  for  all 
the  ladies  are  in  love  with  him  ;  I  do  not  understand 
why,  for  he  is  a  little  toad,  in  whom  I  find  nothing 
agreeable."1 

If  M.  de  Richelieu's  escapade  had  occurred  while  Louis 
XIV.  was  still  on  the  throne,  the  duke  would  probably 
have  paid  for  it  with  his  head,  as  the  Chevalier  de  Rohan 
did  in  1674,  or  at  least  have  remained  a  close  prisoner 
in  the  Bastille  for  the  rest  of  his  days.  Happily  for  him, 
his  fate  was  in  the  hands  of  Dubois  and  the  Regent, 
who  both  inclined  to  clemency,  the  one  by  system,  the 
other  by  calculation.  Happily,  too,  the  public  generally 
was  disposed  to  regard  the  intrigues  of  a  young  "  me- 
chant,"  whose  follies  were  the  talk  of  every  cafe  and 
cabaret  in  Paris,  as  a  subject  for  merriment  rather  than 
for  indignation,  since,  according  to  the  testimony  of  all 

1  Correspondance  compute,  Letter  of  March  30,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  217 

his  contemporaries,  it  was  entirely  unconnected  with 
the  real  conspiracy,  of  which  Sceaux  was  the  rendezvous 
and  the  theatre.  Thus,  an  affair  which,  at  first  sight, 
appeared  very  grave,  and  likely  to  entail  serious  conse- 
quences for  its  author,  soon  assumed  a  different  aspect  ; 
and,  after  being  treated  for  a  time  with  some  approach  to 
severity,  the  captive  was  transferred  from  the  bare  and 
gloom}-7  chamber  in  which  he  had  been  originally  confined 
to  a  comfortable  apartment  on  the  second  floor,  and  given 
some  books,  a  backgammon-board,  and  a  violoncello,  to 
beguile  the  tedium  of  his  enforced  leisure. 

These  concessions  he  probably  owed  to  the  good  offices 
of  his  feminine  adorers  at  the  Court,  and  more  particu- 
larly to  those  of  Miles,  de  Charolais  and  de  Valois.  No 
sooner  did  they  learn  of  the  arrest  of  the  duke,  than  the 
two  princesses,  hitherto  so  furiously  jealous  of  one 
another,  agreed  to  forget  their  rivalry  for  the  nonce,  and  to 
join  forces  for  the  rescue  of  their  common  idol.  The 
Regent,  on  his  side,  declared  that  it  was  his  intention  to 
have  Richelieu  brought  to  trial  as  a  State  criminal, 
adding  that  the  Government  had  sufficient  evidence  in  its 
possession  to  cost  the  duke  four  heads,  if  he  had  them.1 

These  threats,  which,  it  is  needless  to  say,  he  had  no 
intention  of  carrying  into  effect,  threw  the  princesses  into 
a  terrible  state  of  alarm  ;  and  Mile,  de  Charolais,  in  order 
to  spur  her  cousin  to  the  most  desperate  exertions, 
actually  went  so  far  as  to  promise  her  that  she  would 
never  try  to  see  Richelieu  again,  if  Mile,  de  Valois  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  his  pardon  from  the  Regent. 

That  lady  scarcely  needed  any  such  incitement  to 
persuade  her  to  move  Heaven  and  earth  on  behalf  of  her 

1  Duclos,  Memoires  secrets. 


218  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

imprisoned  gallant,  and  she  seems  to  have  given  her 
father  a  very  unpleasant  time,  "  quarrelling  with  him, 
demanding  the  duke's  liberation  publicly,  and  threatening 
to  make  a  scandal,  or  commit  some  act  of  folly,  if  he  were 
not  soon  released  from  his  prison."1  Mile,  de  Charolais 
energetically  seconded  her  efforts,  and  told  the  Regent, 
who  was  one  of  her  soupirants,  that  "  she  refused  to  see 
him,  since  he  had  sent  the  duke  to  the  Bastille."2 

To  the  despair  of  the  two  princesses,  however,  Philippe 
d'Orleans  pretended  to  be  inexorable,  and  declared  that 
Richelieu's  treason  merited  the  scaffold,  and  that  he  was 
determined  to  bring  him  to  trial. 

The  object  of  the  ladies'  solicitude  seems  to  have  been 
much  less  disquieted  as  to  the  fate  in  store  for  him. 
He  read  the  latest  romances  ;  dined  twice  a  week  with  the 
governor  ;  plaj^ed  upon  his  'cello  ;  stood  at  his  window 
and  sang  duets  with  Mile,  de  Launay,  the  Duchesse  du 
Maine's  sprightly  young  waiting-woman,  who  was  lodged 
in  a  room  in  the  same  tower ;  and  every  afternoon,  after 
making  an  elaborate  toilette,  promenaded  on  the  terrace 
of  the  Bastille,  "  when  all  the  ladies  assembled  in  the 
street  to  gaze  at  this  beautiful  image."3 

Mile,  de  Valois  was  without  doubt  among  these  ladies, 
but  she  did  not  confine  herself  to  such  platonic  visits. 
Aware  that,  in  1716,  Mile,  de  Charolais  had  made  use  of  a 
golden  key  to  unlock  the  doors  of  Richelieu's  prison,  she 
resolved  to  follow  her  example ;  and  Soulavie  affirms  that 
she  employed  a  large  sum  of  money  which  her  father  had 
lately  given  her  in  corrupting  the  warders  of  the  Bastille, 
in  order  to  gain  admission  to  the  fortress.     The  same 

1  Me"  moires  du  due  de  Richelieu. 

2  Correspondence  complete.  3  Ibid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  219 

writer  relates  that  the  two  princesses  came  together  to 
see  the  duke  at  night,  "  bringing  with  them  candles, 
Hint  and  steel,  sweetmeats,  and  plenty  of  bank-notes  in 
case  of  need  "  ;  and  that  the  prisoner  concerted  with 
them  the  answers  that  he  should  make  on  the  morrow 
to  the  insidious  questions  of  Le  Blanc  and  d'Argenson. 

Since  the  late  autumn  of  the  preceding  year,  Mile,  de 
Valois  had  been,  as  we  have  mentioned,  living  at  Saint - 
Cloud  with  her  grandmother,  who,  however,  brought  her 
almost  every  day  to  Paris  to  visit  or  assist  at  some  social 
function.  The  surveillance  which  the  old  princess  had 
exercised  over  her  charge  had  been  far  from  severe, 
and  she  had  treated  her  with  extreme  indulgence  ;  and 
her  wrath  may  therefore  be  imagined  when  she  learned 
to  what  extent  she  had  been  deceived,  and  how  hopelessly 
the  girl  had  succeeded  in  compromising  herself  with 
"  that  accursed  Due  de  Richelieu." 

After  a  violent  scene,  she  sent  her  granddaughter  back 
to  her  mother,  much  to  the  disgust  of  that  lady,  and 
firmly  refused  to  receive  her  again  ;  and  in  a  letter  to 
one  of  her  German  friends  she  pours  out  her  feelings 
in  language  "  which,"  observes  Barthelemy,  "  leaves  us, 
unfortunately,  no  doubt  about  the  pranks  of  Mile,  de 
Valois."1 

"  You  ask  me,"  she  writes,  "  what  has  recently  caused  me 
so  much  indignation.  I  cannot  relate  it  in  detail,  but  only 
as  a  whole.  It  is  the  frightful  coquetry  of  Mile,  de  Valois 
with  that  accursed  Due  de  Richelieu,  who  has  shown 
people  the  letters  he  has  received  from  her,  for  he  only 
loves  her  from  motives  of  vanity.  All  the  young  nobles 
of  the  Court  have  been  able  to  see  these  letters,  in  which 

1  Les  Filles  du  Regent. 


220  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

she  gives  him  rendezvous.  Her  mother  wished  me  to 
have  her  back  with  me,  which  I  flatly  refused  ;  but 
she  does  not  cease  to  return  to  the  charge,  and  I  am 
horribly  vexed ;  the  human  race  makes  me  shudder. 
I  cannot  endure  the  idea  of  seeing  Mile,  de  Valois  again, 
and  I  must  do  it,  in  order  to  avoid  a  very  painful  scandal. 
The  sight  of  this  madcap  will  make  me  ill.  All  this  is  the 
result  of  the  apathy  and  fatuity  of  the  mother.  May  God 
forgive  her !  But  she  has  brought  her  daughter  up  very 
badly."  And  she  concludes  by  a  violent  tirade  against 
Richelieu,  whom,  she  declares,  "  she  detests  with  all  her 
heart,  and  would  see  without  shedding  a  tear  hanging 
from  a  gibbet."1 

The  Regent,  on  his  side,  was  becoming  seriously  per- 
turbed at  the  conduct  of  the  young  princess,  since  he  had 
no  desire  to  see  another  of  his  daughters  emulating  the 
exploits  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  and,  if  he  appeared  to 
close  his  eyes,  it  was  in  order  to  avoid  the  necessity  of 
taking  steps  which  would  only  have  increased  the  scandal. 
At  the  same  time,  he  was  fully  resolved  to  rid  himself 
of  this  "  madcap  "  with  as  little  delay  as  might  be,  by 
arranging  a  marriage  for  her  with  some  foreign  prince, 
and  packing  her  off  to  Germany  or  Italy,  where  her 
peccadilloes  would  be  her  husband's  affair,  and  not  his, 
and,  as  Madame  observes,  "  one  would  no  longer  hear  her 
talked  about." 

Already  there  had  been  a  question  of  several  marriages 
for  her,  and  when,  towards  the  end  of  the  previous 
summer,  Provana,  the  Ambassador  of  Victor  Amadeus  II. 
of  Savoy,  King  of  Sicily,  had  come  to  propose  the  Quad- 
ruple Alliance,  he  had  suggested  a  marriage  between  his 

1    Correspondance  complete,  Letter  of  May  13,  1719. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  221 

master's  heir,  the  Prince  of  Piedmont,  and  Mile,  de 
Valois.  This  marriage  appears  to  have  been  under  con- 
sideration for  some  months,  though,  for  political  reasons, 
it  did  not  altogether  commend  itself  to  the  Regent  ; 
while  Dubois  was  strongly  opposed  to  it.  The  latter,  if 
we  are  to  believe  Saint-Simon,  unwilling  to  incur  the 
odium  of  breaking  off  the  negotiations,  had  recourse  to 
a  characteristic  expedient.  He  knew  that  Madame  was 
warmly  attached  to  her  step-daughter,  the  Queen  of 
Sicily,  and  corresponded  with  her  regularly  ;  also  that 
recent  events  had  greatly  irritated  the  old  lady  against 
Mile,  de  Valois.  Without  appearing  in  the  matter  himself, 
for  Madame  detested  him  heartily,  he  caused  her  to  be 
informed  of  what  was  in  the  wind,  "  in  the  hope  of  some 
flash  of  German  ferocity."     He  was  not  disappointed. 

"  Madame,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  was  in  the  habit  of 
writing  every  week  to  the  Queen  of  Sicily.  She  told  her, 
without  any  circumlocution,  that  she  had  ascertained 
that  the  question  of  a  marriage  between  the  Prince  of 
Piedmont  and  Mile,  de  Valois  was  being  seriously  dis- 
cussed ;  that  she  loved  her  too  much  to  wish  to  make  her 
so  worthless  a  present  and  to  deceive  her  ;  that  she  there- 
fore warned  her,  and  so  forth ;  and  she  related  to  her 
forthwith  all  that  she  knew,  or  believed  that  she  knew. 
Then,  when  the  letter  had  been  despatched,  and  it  was 
beyond  any  one's  power  to  have  it  stopped  and  seized, 
she  informed  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  of  all  that 
it  contained.  The  latter  was  exasperated,  but  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  who  had  never  been  favourably  disposed  to- 
wards the  affair,  and  much  less  since  it  had  been  remitted 
to  the  Abbe  Dubois,  did  nothing  but  laugh.  Dubois 
laughed  also,  and  much  more  heartily,  at  this  sudden  and 


222  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

surprising  result  of  his  craft.     And  thus  this  marriage 
came  to  nothing." 

However,  at  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1719,  rumours 
of  an  alliance  between  Mile,  de  Valois  and  another  prince 
from  beyond  the  Alps  began  to  spread  at  the  Court  and 
rapidly  gathered  consistency. 

The  parti  in  question  was  Francesco  d'Este,  Hereditary 
Prince  of  Modena,  son  of  Duke  Rinaldo  and  Charlotte 
Felicite  of  Brunswick-Hanover,  and  was  at  this  time 
twenty- two  years  of  age.  Madame,  who  was  not  un- 
naturally inclined  to  regard  any  one  who  was  desirous  of 
taking  her  granddaughter  off  her  relatives'  hands  through 
rose-coloured  spectacles,  tells  us  that  he  was  "  very 
favourably  spoken  of  "  ;  that  he  "  possessed  ability  and 
high  principles,"  and  that,  although  he  could  not  be 
called  handsome,  he  was  "  well  brought  up  and  very 
sensible."  But,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  he  was,  though 
well-meaning  enough,  a  poor  sort  of  creature,  and  the 
very  last  person  in  the  world  to  inspire  either  affection  or 
respect  in  a  romantic,  high-spirited  and  self-willed  young 
woman  like  Mile,  de  Valois. 

It  was  the  Marchese  Rangoni  Machiavelli,  the  Modenese 
Minister  at  Versailles,  who  had  first  conceived  the  idea 
of  this  union  and  suggested  it  himself  to  the  Regent, 
with  whom  he  had  succeeded  in  ingratiating  himself  "  by 
a  witty  cynicism  and  by  the  employment  of  the  buffoon- 
eries of  his  nation."1  That  prince  received  the  proposition 
very  favourably,  for  both  on  political  and  private  grounds 
the  match  was  one  to  be  desired.  It  would  rally  Modena, 
which  of  recent  years  had  been  alternately  the  ally  of  the 
Empire  and  France,  definitely  to  the  side  of  the  latter, 

1  Lemontey,  les  Filles  du  Regent,  Revue  retrospective,  Serie  I,  torn.  1 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  223 

and,  at  the  same  time,  disembarrass  him  in  a  decorous 
manner  of  a  daughter  whose  vagaries  were  threatening  to 
become  a  public  scandal. 

Machiavelli  duly  advised  his  Court  of  the  result  of  his 
overtures,  and  the  Conte  di  Salvatico  was  deputed  to 
proceed  to  France  as  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  make  the 
formal  demand  for  the  hand  of  Mile,  de  Valois.  At  the 
outset,  Salvatico  came  near  to  ruining  everything,  since 
he  was  so  ill-advised  as  to  address  his  request  to  the 
King  through  the  medium  of  his  Majesty's  gouverncur, 
the  Marechal  de  Villeroy,  instead  of  through  Dubois, 
which  so  irritated  that  important  personage  that  he  began 
to  raise  all  kinds  of  difficulties.  Salvatico,  however, 
realizing  his  mistake,  hastened  to  repair  it,  with  true 
Italian  adroitness,  and  begged  Dubois's  acceptance  of  five 
valuable  paintings,  among  which  was  a  work  by  Paul 
Veronese.  This  timely  gift  proved  an  effective  solatium 
for  the  Minister's  wounded  amour-propre,  and  matters 
proceeded  so  smoothly  that  in  a  few  days  nothing  re- 
mained but  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  lady. 

This,  as  may  be  anticipated,  proved  no  easy  task,  since 
the  princess,  more  and  more  enamoured  of  Richelieu, 
obstinately  refused  to  listen  to  any  matrimonial  proposi- 
tion, much  less  to  one  which  would  entail  her  removal  to 
so  great  a  distance  from  her  idol ;  and  the  Regent  soon 
perceived  that  the  only  hope  of  persuading  her  to  accept 
the  Prince  of  Modena  as  a  husband,  and  relieve  the  French 
Court  of  her  presence,  was  to  work  upon  her  affection 
for  her  captive  lover  in  such  a  way  that  she  should  be 
willing  to  expatriate  herself  for  his  sake. 

Richelieu  had  now  been  in  the  Bastille  for  nearly  five 
months,  and,  notwithstanding  the  representations  of  his 


224  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

late  wife's  uncle,  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles,  who  declared 
that  he  was  in  a  very  precarious  state  of  health,  and  the 
entreaties  and  reproaches  of  Miles,  de  Charolais  and  de 
Valois,  the  Regent  resolutely  refused  to  hear  of  his 
liberation.  Moreover,  towards  the  end  of  August,  he 
adroitly  let  fall  a  hint  that  fresh  documents  had  recently 
come  to  light  which  made  the  case  against  the  prisoner 
even  more  grave  than  it  already  was.  This  had  the 
effect  of  driving  the  two  princesses  to  the  last  extremity 
of  despair;  and  Philippe  d'Orleans,  perceiving  that  the 
psychological  moment  had  arrived,  played  his  trump  card, 
and  offered  his  daughter  the  liberty  of  Richelieu  on 
condition  that  she  would  wed  the  Prince  of  Modena. 

For  some  days  the  young  princess  hesitated,  for  the 
price  demanded  of  her  was  a  heavy  one,  including  as  it  did 
not  only  the  renunciation  of  her  lover,  but  of  her  country 
as  well — separation  from  Paris  and  the  Court,  beside 
which  all  the  rest  of  the  world  was  but  an  aching  void. 
But,  with  all  her  faults,  she  was  a  generous-hearted  girl, 
who  deserved  a  better  fate  than  to  have  bestowed  her 
affections  upon  one  so  little  capable  of  appreciating  them; 
and  when  she  recognised  that  her  father  would  never 
yield  on  any  other  terms,  and  that  the  condition  of  the 
prisoner's  health — the  duke  had  been  suffering  from 
dysentery — was  causing  the  doctors  who  attended  him 
real  anxiety,  she  ended  by  consenting. 

The  Regent  lost  no  time  in  fulfilling  his  share  of  the 
bargain,  and  on  August  30  Richelieu  was  liberated  from 
the  Bastille,  with  orders  to  repair  to  the  country-house 
of  the  Cardinal  de  Noailles,  and  remain  there  until  his 
Majesty's  further  pleasure  should  be  known. 

Overjoyed  at  regaining  his  freedom,  the  duke  quitted 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  225 

his  gloomy  prison  and  repaired  to  Conflans.  But  he  did 
not  consider  it  necessary  to  obey  the  latter  part  of  the 
royal  command,  and  intelligence  soon  reached  the  Regent 
that,  when  night  fell,  M.  de  Richelieu  was  in  the  habit  of 
scaling  the  walls  of  the  garden  and  making  his  way  to 
Paris,  returning,  however,  before  his  absence  could  be 
discovered  ;  and  that,  on  these  nocturnal  excursions,  it 
was  shrewdly  suspected  that  he  had  paid  more  than  one 
visit  to  Mile,  de  Valois,1  and  had  also  been  entertained 
by  a  lady  who  was  at  that  moment  very  near  his  Royal 
Highness's  heart. 

The  consequence  was  that,  on  September  10,  the  duke 
was  commanded  to  betake  himself  to  a  house  belonging 
to  him  at  Saint-Germain-en-Laye,  one  Dulibois,  a  re- 
tired colonel  of  dragoons,  being  deputed  to  accompany 
him,  and  to  remain  with  him  until  recalled  by  his 
Majesty.  But  this  change  of  residence  was  far  from 
curing  the  young  gentleman  of  his  propensity  for  mid- 
night travel,  for  light  carriages  and  swift  horses  were 
easy  enough  to  procure ;  and  the  worthy  ex-dragoon  was 
a  convivial  soul,  who  found  M.  de  Richelieu's  wine  so 
much  to  his  liking  that,  when  bedtime  arrived,  he  was 
seldom  in  a  condition  to  account  for  his  own  actions,  let 
alone  for  those  of  his  charge. 

Detection    and    a    lettre    de    cachet    exiling    him    to 

1  If  we  are  to  believe  Besenval,  the  duke's  resourcefulness  enabled 
him  to  gain  access  to  his  inamorata  whenever  he  desired.  "The 
apartments  of  Mile,  de  Valois  at  the  Palais-Royal,"  he  writes, 
"abutted,  on  the  side  of  the  Rue  de  Richelieu,  on  a  neighbouring 
house,  the  wall  of  which  was  merely  a  partition.  M.  de  Richelieu 
rented  this  house,  caused  the  wall  corresponding  to  the  cabinet  of 
Mile,  de  Valois  to  be  pierced,  and  had  a  door  constructed,  which  was 
hidden  by  a  great  cupboard,  where  the  princess  kept  her  preserves. 
Master  of  this  means  of  approaching  Mile,  de  Valois,  I  leave  you  to 
judge  if  he  did  not  constantly  take  advantage  of  it." — M6moires. 


226  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Richelieu,  in  Poitou,  came  towards  the  end  of  Octo- 
ber ;  but  this  new  banishment,  though  it  put  an 
effectual  check  on  any  further  surreptitious  visits  to 
Paris,  did  not  prevent  him  from  maintaining  an  active 
correspondence  with  Mile,  de  Valois,  in  which  he  ex- 
horted her  to  decline  to  fulfil  the  promise  her  father 
had  extracted  from  her.  In  consequence,  the  princess, 
who,  according  to  Madame,  had  appeared  more  resigned 
to  her  fate,  since  she  had  seen  the  ravishing  toilettes 
which  were  being  made  for  her,1  and  the  beautiful  dia- 
monds which  had  been  sent  from  Modena,  began  to  evince 
an  increasing  repugnance  to  the  marriage,  and  "  although 
her  conversation  was  gay  and  animated,  her  eyes  were 
always  red,  and  one  saw  clearly  that  she  passed  the  night 
in  weeping." 

The  doleful  appearance  of  the  princess  was  not  lost 
upon  the  public,  and  many  were  the  chansons  to  which  it 
gave  rise,  of  which  the  following  will  serve  as  an  example  : 

"  J'espouse  un  des  plus  petits  princes, 
Maitre  de  tres  petits  Etats, 
Et  qui  pour  ne  valent  pas 
Une  de  nos  moindres  provinces. 
L'on  y  manque  de  tout,  la  finance  est  petite. 
Quelle  difference,  grand  Dieu  ! 
Entre  ce  triste  et  pauvre  lieu 
Et  le  riche  lieu  [Richelieu]  que  je  quitte." 

Richelieu  is  believed  to  have  cherished  the  hope  of 
persuading  Mile,  de  Valois  to  break  off  the  match  and  of 
marrying  her  himself.  But,  after  a  while,  he  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  Regent  would  scarcely  be  disposed  to 
tolerate  as  a  son-in-law  a  gentleman  who  had  been  guilty 

1  Madame  says  that  she  had  forty  different  costumes  ;  Buvat  that 
she  had  sixty,  fifteen  for  each  season  of  the  year. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  227 

of  high  treason,  and  that  the  most  probable  result  of 
following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Chevalier  de  Rion  would 
be  a  fourth  and  indefinite  sojourn  in  the  Bastille,  if  not  a 
still  more  unpleasant  fate.  An  ardent  lover  might  have 
been  prepared  to  brave  even  these  dangers,  but  vanity 
and  self-interest  had  counted  for  far  more  in  Richelieu's 
liaison  with  the  princess  than  sentiment  ;  and  so  his 
letters  to  her  grew  gradually  fewer  and  less  tender,  and  at 
length  ceased  altogether.  This  no  doubt  explains  why, 
towards  the  end  of  the  year,  Mile,  de  Valois,  who  had  for 
some  time  past  refused  to  share  in  any  of  the  gaieties  of 
the  Court,  reappeared  at  her  mother's  card-parties  and 
other  social  functions,  and  seemed  altogether  more 
resigned  to  her  approaching  marriage. 

The  preliminaries  of  that  event  were  soon  settled,  for, 
for  different  reasons,  the  relatives  on  both  sides  were  at 
one  in  their  desire  to  hasten  it.  On  November  26,  the 
articles  of  the  marriage-contract,  which  had  been  sent  to 
Modena  for  approval,  were  returned,  having  been  accepted 
without  any  comment ;  on  the  28th,  the  Regent  officially 
informed  the  King  that  everything  was  satisfactorily 
arranged ;  and  the  same  evening  the  courtiers  were 
authorized  to  pay  their  compliments  to  the  family  of  the 
bride-elect. 

The  date  originally  decided  upon  for  the  marriage  was 
January  25,  1720,  but,  owing,  Dangeau  tells  us,  to  an 
oversight  on  the  part  of  the  Bishop  of  Modena,  who  had 
omitted  some  formality  for  the  publication  of  the  banns 
in  that  town,  it  was  found  necessary  to  postpone  it  until 
Monday,  February  12  ;  the  departure  of  the  bride  being 
fixed  for  the  following  Thursday.  And  the  chronicler 
adds  :    "  She  has  not  yet  been  informed  of  the  day  on 


228  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

which  she  must  set  out,  from  fear  of  distressing  her ;  in 
proportion  as  the  time  of  her  departure  draws  nearer, 
her  grief  increases." 

In  point  of  fact,  either  because  Richelieu  had  repented 
of  his  prudent  resolutions  and  had  resumed  his  corre- 
spondence with  her,  or,  more  probably,  because  of  her 
natural  reluctance  to  expatriate  herself,  Mile,  de  Valois 
had  begun  once  more  to  reveal  the  aversion  with  which  she 
regarded  her  approaching  marriage  in  a  manner  that  was 
apparent  to  every  one,  and  which,  says  Madame,  "  occa- 
sions me  truly  great  distress."  She  exhausted  every 
pretext  that  she  could  imagine  to  defer  her  departure,  but 
Salvatico  made  such  strong  representations  on  the  subject 
to  Dubois  that  all  her  efforts  proved  fruitless. 

On  January  31,  1720,  the  marriage-contract  was  signed. 
The  King  gave  the  bride  a  dot  of  900,000  livres  ;  the 
Regent  one  of  200,000,  and  jewels  to  the  same  value, 
which  included  a  parure  of  nine  diamond  and  emerald 
clasps,  and  a  knot  of  the  same  jewels.  On  February  n, 
at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  betrothal  ceremony  took 
place  in  the  King's  cabinet  at  the  Tuileries,  the  Due  de 
Chartres  representing  the  Prince  of  Modena.  The  Car- 
dinal de  Rohan  officiated,  and  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  the 
future  Queen  of  Spain,  held  the  train  of  her  sister's  mantle. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony  the  little  Louis  XV. 
went  to  the  Palais-Royal,  to  take  formal  leave  of  the 
princess,  and  presented  her  with  a  magnificent  necklace 
of  pearls  and  diamonds. 

At  noon  on  the  following  day,  the  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  the  chapel  of  the  Tuileries,  by  the  Cardinal 
de  Rohan,  and  immediately  afterwards  the  King,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  conducted  the  bride  to  her  carriage  and, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  229 

addressing  the  coachman,  said:  "A  MoiUne."  And 
the  guards  and  officers  who  were  to  escort  her  to  Modena 
had  orders  to  follow  her  carriage,  just  as  if  she  were  really 
starting  for  Modena  at  that  moment. 

The  same  day,  the  Marquis  de  Sabran,  husband  of  the 
Regent's  former  inamorata,  started  for  Modena,  with 
the  news  of  the  celebration  of  the  marriage,  bearing  the 
following  note  from  the  princess  to  her  husband  : 

"  The  ceremony,  Monsieur,  which  has  just  taken  place 
gives  me  to  you,  and  my  heart  does  not  disavow  it.  I 
am  setting  out  to  begin  with  you  a  union  which  ought  to 
make  the  happiness  of  my  life,  and  which  it  is  my  ardent 
desire  may  contribute  to  yours."1 

1  Buvat  relates  some  piquant  anecdotes  concerning  the  Prince  of 
Modena  which  were  going  the  round  of  Paris. 

"  We  are  assured  that  this  princess  (Mile,  de  Valois)  has  already- 
aroused  an  extraordinary  jealousy  between  the  Prince  of  Modena,  her 
future  husband,  and  the  Prince  Jean  Frederic  Clement,  his  brother, 
who  is  two  years  younger  than  he,  the  elder  having  been  born  on  July  2, 
1698,  and  the  younger  on  the  first  day  of  September  1700.  It  is 
attributed  to  the  sight  of  the  portrait  of  this  princess,  the  beauties  of 
which  charmed  the  two  brothers,  as  well  as  all  the  persons  of  the  Court 
of  Modena  who  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  portrait,  which  repre- 
sented her  in  a  state  of  nature.  They  wished  to  make  out  that  the 
younger  did  not  refrain  from  expressing  his  sentiments,  and  declared 
publicly  that  the  Princess  of  Orleans,  whom  his  brother  Francois 
Marie  was  about  to  espouse,  was  the  most  beautiful  woman  who  had 
ever  appeared  in  Italy,  as  she  was  in  the  world  ;  that  she  could  not  fail 
to  captivate  the  hearts  of  all  who  saw  her  or  might  see  her,  and  that  he 
could  not  refuse  her  his,  although  he  had  only  seen  her  on  canvas. 
This  having  been  reported  to  the  Prince  Francois  Marie,  did  not  fail  to 
arouse  a  jealousy  so  violent  that  he  persuaded  the  Duke  of  Modena,  his 
father,  that,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  it  was  necessary  to  banish  the  Prince 
Jean  Fr6d6ric  and  order  him  to  retire  to  Rome,  where  he  has  been 
these  two  months,  to  divert  himself." 

And  Buvat  adds  :  "  It  is  also  said,  in  anticipation,  that  jealousy  will 
not  fail  to  oblige  the  princess,  soon  after  her  arrival,  to  submit  to  the 
law  that  this  passion  has  established  there,  as  well  as  in  the  other 
Courts  of  Italy,  and  even  among  persons  of  less  distinguished  rank,  and 
to  wear  a  kind  of  padlock,  the  key  of  which  is  scrupulously  guarded 
by  the  husband." — Journal  de  la  R&gence,  February  1720. 


230  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

The  illness  of  the  Duchesse  de  Villars,  who  had  been 
selected  to  accompany  her  to  Italy,  as  the  representative 
of  Louis  XV.,1  necessitated  the  departure  of  the  princess 
being  postponed  for  some  days  beyond  the  date  originally 
fixed,  namely  from  the  14th  to  the  21st.  This  respite, 
needless  to  say,  proved  a  most  welcome  one  to  her 
Highness,  who,  on  her  wedding-day,  had  had  "  more 
the  air  of  a  victim  who  was  being  dragged  to  the  sacrifice, 
than  of  a  princess  who  walks  to  the  altar  of  Hymen  ;  "a 
and  even  Madame,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had  little  sym- 
pathy for  her  granddaughter,  was  moved  to  compas- 
sion. "  I  have  never  seen  so  sad  a  bride,"  she  writes, 
a  week  after  the  wedding.  "  For  three  days  she  has 
neither  eaten  nor  slept ;  she  spends  the  nights  in 
weeping." 

The  same  day  on  which  this  letter  was  penned,  the 
princess  was  taken  ill,  and  on  the  following  morning  the 
doctors  pronounced  her  to  be  suffering  from  an  attack 
of  measles.  This  malady  she  undoubtedly  owed  to  her 
obstinacy  in  going  to  Chelles,  three  days  earlier,  to  take 
leave  of  her  sister,  who  was  herself  suffering  from  it  ;  and 
Madame  asserts  that  she  had  insisted  on  visiting  the 
abbess,  between  whom  and  her  younger  sister  there  was 
very  little  love  lost,  in  the  hope  of  contracting  the  disease, 
and  thus  retarding  her  departure,  even  at  the  risk  of  her 
life. 

"  I  have  been  a  prophetess  of  misfortune,"  she  writes, 
"  and  unhappily  I  have  spoken  only  too  truly.  When  the 
Princess  of  Modena  told  me  that  she  wished  to  go  to 

1  The  honour  of  being  accompanied  by  a  lady  representing  the  King, 
Saint-Simon  tells  us,  had  never  been  accorded  before  to  any  but 
daughters  and  granddaughters  of  France. 

2  Besenval,  Mimoires. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  231 

Chelles  to  take  leave  of  her  sister,  I  counselled  her  not  to 
do  so,  telling  her  that  too  short  a  time  had  elapsed  since 
they  had  had  small-pox  in  the  convent ;  that  the  abbess 
herself  was  suffering  from  measles,  and  that  these  diseases 
are  easily  contracted.  She  answered  :  '  That  is  what  I 
am  seeking.'  I  said  to  her  :  '  Take  care  ;  one  finds  that 
sooner  than  something  good,  and  often  one's  life  is  in 
danger.'  Despite  all  I  did,  she  went  there  on  Saturday 
last  and  spent  the  whole  day  with  her  sister,  the  abbess. 
On  Sunday,  she  was  taken  ill,  and  already  had  the 
symptoms  of  measles." 

The  illness  of  the  princess,  which  was  aggravated  by  her 
imprudence,  was  a  somewhat  serious  one,  and  on  the 
25th  her  condition  was  decidedly  grave.  But  in  the  night 
which  followed  she  took  a  turn  for  the  better,  and  thence- 
forth improved  so  rapidly  that  two  days  later  the  doctors, 
to  her  great  annoyance,  pronounced  her  fit  to  leave  her 
bed,  and  her  departure  for  Italy  was  fixed  for  March  15. 
The  lady,  however,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  those 
who  knew  the  ingenuity  she  had  displayed  in  inventing 
pretexts  to  defer  the  dreaded  moment,  insisted  on  ad- 
vancing the  date  and  setting  out  five  days  earlier,  not- 
withstanding the  warnings  of  the  doctors.  The  reason  for 
this  move  was  that  the  princess,  aware  that  she  would 
not  be  sufficiently  recovered  by  the  earlier  date  to  start 
without  imprudence,  counted  on  being  thus  provided  with 
an  admirable  pretext  for  prolonging  a  journey  the  end  of 
which  she  regarded  with  so  much  repugnance.  On  the 
9th,  she  went,  accompanied  by  her  father  and  mother, 
to  take  leave  of  Madame,  who  tells  us  that  "  she  was 
not  in  a  condition  to  utter  a  single  word,  so  much  did  she 
weep  ;    she  could  only  take  my  hands,  kiss  them,  and 


232  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

squeeze  them  in  hers.     She  clasped  her  hands  together 

like  a  person  in  despair.    My  son  [the  Regent]  took  her 

away  by  force,  and  with  much  emotion  on  his  part  ; 

he  was   doing  as  much  violence  to  his  feelings  as  to 
i >> 


hers." 


CHAPTER    XI 

Departure  of  Mile,  de  Valois — Her  retinue — Premeditated  delays — In- 
cessant quarrels  between  the  French  and  Italians  in  her  train — 
Nightly  gambling — Orgies — Strained  relations  between  the  princess 
and  the  Duchesse  de  Villars  :  the  affair  of  the  soupcoupe — The 
Conte  di  Salvatico,  Envoy  Extraordinary  of  the  Duke  of  Modena — 
His  ridiculous  passion  for  the  princess — His  love  transformed  into 
hatred  by  her  refusal  to  listen  to  him — Reception  at  Lyons — Arrival 
at  Avignon  :  visit  to  the  Ghetto — Madame  de  Bacqueville,  favourite 
of  the  princess — Salvatico  writes  to  the  Regent  demanding  her  re- 
call— The  Regent  consents,  but  it  is  decided  to  conceal  this  decision 
from  the  princess  until  she  has  embarked  at  Antibes — Suspicions  of 
the  princess  :  her  letter  to  her  father — Arrival  at  Antibes — The 
princess  is  informed  of  the  recall  of  her  favourite. 

EARLY  in  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  the 
Princess  of  Modena  set  out  on  her  journey  to 
Antibes,  where  she  was  to  embark  for  Genoa.  She  was 
accompanied  by  a  veritable  Court,  or  rather  a  caravan, 
numbering  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  The 
Duchesse  de  Villars,  Madame  de  Simiane,  one  of  the  ladies 
of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and  Mesdames  de  Bacqueville 
and  de  Goyon,  occupied  seats  in  her  carriage.  To  these 
last  two  ladies,  and  particularly  to  Madame  de  Bacque- 
ville, the  princess  was  greatly  attached,  and  she  had 
demanded  and  obtained  from  her  father  a  promise  that 
she  should  be  allowed  the  consolation  of  her  society  at 
Modena.  The  Regent  accompanied  his  daughter  as  far 
as  Essonne,  where  she  was  to  pass  the  night,  and  then 
took  leave  of  her  and  returned  to  Paris,  doubtless  felici- 
tating himself  on  having  at  last  got  rid  of  a  young  lady 

233 


234  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

who  had  promised  to  become  a  terrible  handful.  But  his 
responsibilities,  as  we  shall  see,  were  far  from  being  at  an 
end. 

On  the  1 2th,  the  princess  arrived  at  Fontainebleau, 
where  she  remained  two  days,  on  the  pretext  of  indis- 
position. This  was  the  beginning  of  interminable  delays, 
for  her  Highness  availed  herself  of  every  conceivable 
pretext  for  deferring  the  dreaded  meeting  with  her 
husband  ;  while  her  Court,  composed  as  it  was  of  two 
nationalities  with  very  little  love  for  one  another,  was  dis- 
tracted by  jealousy  and  insubordination ;  and  many  of 
the  disputes  over  etiquette  which  were  continually  arising 
were  so  bitter  that  it  was  considered  necessary  to  refer 
them  to  the  French  Court  for  settlement,  and  to  await  its 
decision  before  resuming  the  journey.  By  March  17  the 
cortege  had  advanced  no  farther  than  Briare,  from 
which  town  Desgranges,  the  Master  of  the  Ceremonies, 
writes  to  the  Regent :  "  We  make  slow  progress.  It 
is  for  your  Royal  Highness  to  say  whether  this  is  expedient 
for  the  princess,  and  accords  with  the  impatience  which 
the  prince  ought  to  feel,  and  with  the  expense.  Yester- 
day, after  stopping  for  the  night,  we  journeyed  for  three 
hours.  This  is  not  travelling,  and,  however  anxious 
the  equerry  may  be  to  spare  his  horses,  we  ought  to  make 
a  passable  day's  journey  ;  there  are  nineteen  horses  for 
two  carriages.  If  you  write  something  about  our  progress, 
you  must  not  let  it  be  known  that  I  have  had  the  honour 
of  speaking  of  it  to  your  Royal  Highness."1  "  We  have 
news  of  Madame  de  Modene  from  Nevers,"  writes  Dan- 
geau,  on  March  27.  "  She  continues  her  journey  in  a 
rather   leisurely  fashion,  and   when   she  arrives  at  the 

1  Archives  des  Affaires  £trang£res,  cited  by  Barthelemy. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  235 

places  where  she  is  to  pass  the  night,  she  plays  at  biribi 
until  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,1  and  does  not  start 
again  until  midday." 

At  Nevers,  where  she  was  accorded  a  magnificent 
reception  and  sumptuously  lodged,  a  slight  attack  of 
fever  furnished  the  august  traveller  with  an  excuse  for 
remaining  for  the  Easter  fetes.  Desgranges  informed  the 
Regent  that  the  princess  had  performed  her  religious 
duties  in  a  manner  that  edified  all  her  little  Court,  which, 
however,  does  not  seem  to  have  profited  much  by  her 
example,  for  though  the  French  conformed  regularly 
enough  to  the  canonical  prescriptions,  the  Italians,  "  see- 
ing themselves  outside  their  country  and  deprived  of  the 
advantages  of  hypocrisy,"2  produced  all  kinds  of  dispen- 
sations and  insisted  on  being  served  en  gras  throughout 
Holy  Week.  Moreover,  no  sooner  had  they  heard  Mass, 
than  they  all  hurried  off  to  play  biribi,  and  gambled  until 
the  small  hours  of  the  following  morning. 

After  remaining  a  week  at  Nevers,  the  princess  moved 
on  to  Moulins,  where  another  long  delay  was  only  pre- 

1  This  perpetual  gambling  was  the  most  unpleasant  feature  of  this 
singular  journey.  The  bank  was  held  by  professional  gamblers,  who 
preceded  the  princess  and  arranged  the  tables  against  her  arrival  in 
every  town  at  winch  she  intended  to  stop.  The  harm  thus  done  was 
incalculable,  for,  though  the  members  of  the  princess's  suite,  for  the 
most  part  hardened  gamesters,  might  be  trusted  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, this  was  not  the  case  with  the  provincial  gentry  and  townsfolk, 
who,  coming  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  princess,  allowed  themselves 
to  be  drawn  into  a  game  of  which  they  were  quite  ignorant,  with  some- 
times disastrous  consequences.  "  That  famous  ship  of  purple  and  gold," 
writes  Lemontey,  "  which  bore  a  courtesan-queen  into  the  arms  of 
Mark  Antony,  appears  to  me  charged  with  less  opprobrium  than  this 
slow  itinerary,  in  which,  already  corrupted  in  the  flower  of  her  youth 
and  travelling  towards  throne  and  altar  like  a  scourge,  a  princess  of 
eighteen  years  scattered  poison  into  people's  hearts,  consternation  into 
families,  and  that  sudden  ruin  which  follows  despair  and  suicide." 

1  Lemontey,  let  Fillet  du  Regent. 


236  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

vented  by  the  intervention  of  the  Duchesse  de  Villars,  who 
wrote  to  the  Regent,  complaining  bitterly  of  the  way 
everything  was  being  mismanaged,  and  threatening  to 
return  to  Paris  if  she  were  not  invested  with  full  au- 
thority. Between  this  lady  and  the  princess  relations 
had  been  exceedingly  strained  almost  from  the  first  day 
of  the  journey.  The  duchess  pretended  that  her  rank 
entitled  her  to  share  with  the  latter  the  honours  of  the 
soupcoupe,  that  is  to  say,  to  drink  from  a  wine-glass 
presented  on  a  soupcoupe.  This  the  princess  absolutely 
refused  to  admit,  and,  to  humble  the  vanity  of  the 
duchess,  she  ceased  to  dine  and  sup  with  her,  or,  when 
she  was  obliged  to,  abstained  from  drinking  during  the 
whole  meal.  Madame  de  Villars  followed  her  example, 
and  decided  to  die  of  thirst  rather  than  compromise  by 
so  much  as  a  drop  of  water  the  pretensions  of  the  duch- 
esses. 

The  illness  of  Madame  de  Simiane,  who  was  found  to  be 
suffering  from  smallpox  and  had  to  be  left  behind,  in 
charge  of  a  doctor  who  had  been  summoned  from  Lyons, 
detained  the  travellers  three  days  at  La  Palisse,  and, 
continuing  their  leisurely  progress,  on  April  15  they 
reached  Tarare,  where  they  were  overtaken  by  a  special 
courier  from  the  Regent,  with  a  letter  for  his  daughter, 
in  which  he  informed  her  that  he  "  was  surprised  and 
annoyed  at  the  time  she  had  lost  on  her  journey  by 
too  frequent  and  too  long  stoppages,"  and  directed  her 
"  to  give  orders  that  they  should  make  all  the  speed  that 
could  possibly  be  made  without  causing  her  inconveni- 
ence." The  writer  had  certainly  good  reason  for  his 
irritation,  for,  owing  to  the  incessant  delays,  the  expenses 
of  the  journey  which  would,  in  any  circumstances,  have 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  237 

been  very  great,  were  rapidly  mounting  up  to  a  most 
alarming  figure. 

The  princess,  however,  troubled  herself  very  little  about 
the  paternal  indignation,  and  nothing  at  all  about  the 
French  Treasury,  which  would  have  to  defray  the  cost  of 
her  caprices,  and,  so  far  from  endeavouring  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  she  cudgelled  her  brains  to  devise  fresh  pretexts 
for  delay.  "Letters  are  to  hand  from  Madame  de  Modene," 
writes  Dangeau,  on  April  19.  "  She  writes  from  Roanne, 
and  continues  her  journey  very  slowly."  And  he  adds  : 
"The  Envoy  of  Modena  [the  Conte  di  Salvatico]  complains 
a  little  of  the  want  of  consideration  which  she  has  for  him  : 
this  princess  frequently  takes  her  meals  quite  alone." 

This  requires  some  explanation.  The  Conte  di  Salvatico 
was  a  grotesque  personage,  with  a  long,  cadaverous  face, 
a  scraggy  neck,  and  a  ludicrous  gait,  which  resembled 
hopping  rather  than  walking ;  while  he  bent  almost 
double  whenever  he  bowed  to  any  one,  and  spoke  the 
most  detestable  French.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  he 
was  extremely  vain  and  imagined  himself  irresistible. 
No  sooner  was  he  presented  to  Mile,  de  Valois,  than  he 
became  desperately  enamoured  of  her,  and  the  enthusi- 
astic description  of  her  charms  which  he  despatched  to 
Modena  no  doubt  served  to  communicate  something  of 
his  ardour  to  Francesco  d'Este.  Such  was  his  conceit 
that  he  believed  in  a  possible  success,  and  more  than  once 
presented  himself  at  the  door  of  her  apartments  at  hours 
when  visitors  were  not  admitted.  "  So  far  from  en- 
deavouring to  conceal  his  passion,"  writes  Madame,  "  he 
proclaimed  it  openly  in  the  salons  of  Versailles,"  adding 
protestations  which  the  pen  of  that  outspoken  old  lady 
is  alone  able  to  transcribe.    Madame,  by  the  way,  appears 


238  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

to  have  regarded  Salvatico's  infatuation  as  a  rather 
fortunate  circumstance  for  her  granddaughter,  since  he 
was  the  only  person  able  to  make  known  at  Modena 
the  reputation  she  bore  in  Paris. 

This  little  comedy  at  first  caused  Mile,  de  Valois 
considerable  amusement,  but  after  a  time  she  began  to 
find  it  decidedly  embarrassing ;  and  when  during  the 
journey,  despite  sundry  hints  from  the  princess,  Salvatico 
continued  his  unwelcome  attentions,  and  at  length  went 
so  far  as  to  make  her  a  formal  declaration  of  love,  at  the 
same  time  threatening  to  make  her  very  unhappy  if  she 
declined  to  listen  to  him,  she  rebuked  him  sharply, 
avoided  him  as  much  as  possible,  and  excluded  him  from 
her  table.  Thenceforth,  love  was  transformed  into  hatred 
and  the  one-time  adorer  into  an  implacable  enemy. 

On  April  16,  the  princess  arrived  at  Lyons,  where  a 
reception  worthy  of  the  second  city  in  the  kingdom 
awaited  her.  The  municipal  authorities,  in  their  robes 
of  office,  with  the  Provost  of  the  Merchants  at  their  head, 
met  her  at  the  Porte  de  Vaise  and  presented  her  with  the 
usual  hyperbolical  address  of  welcome  ;  cannon  thundered 
forth  salutes  ;  and  "  the  great  number  of  the  bourgeois 
and  the  people  who  were  in  the  streets  and  at  the  windows 
was  a  public  testimony  of  the  eagerness  of  this  town  to 
pay  respect  to  all  who  bear  the  august  name  of  our  Kings. " 
After  all  this,  her  Highness  naturally  felt  that  it  would 
be  exceedingly  ungracious  on  her  part  to  hasten  her 
departure  ;  and  so  she  remained  a  week,  receiving  deputa- 
tions, visiting  the  public  buildings  and  the  principal  indus- 
tries of  the  town,  going  to  the  play,  and  concluding  the 
day  with  biribi  and  lansquenet. 

On  the  23rd,  the  caravan  quitted  Lyons,  all  the  cannon 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  239 

on  the  ramparts  and  the  arsenal  firing  a  parting  salute, 
and  moved  slowly  on  to  Vienne.  On  leaving  this  town 
on  the  25th,  which  happened  to  be  the  anniversary  of  her 
husband's  birth,  the  princess,  in  honour  of  the  occasion, 
gave  the  sum  of  10,000  livres  for  distribution  among  the 
poor.  It  was  easy  for  her  to  be  generous  at  the  expense 
of  the  French  Treasury,  and  the  sums  she  dispensed 
"  four  largesses  et  aumones  "  in  the  course  of  her  travels 
were  not  the  least  formidable  item  when  the  bill  came  to 
be  cast  up. 

May  4  found  her  at  Avignon,  where  she  was  lodged  in 
the  ancient  palace  of  the  Popes.  She  was  very  gracious 
to  the  Papal  officials,  and,  after  visiting  the  principal 
churches  and  convents,  expressed  her  intention  of  in- 
specting the  Ghetto — it  was  an  excuse  for  wasting  another 
day — much  to  the  gratification  of  its  inmates.  Their 
gratification,  however,  was  somewhat  discounted  by  the 
trouble  and  expense  which  this  honour  entailed,  for  they 
were  required  "  to  cover  the  filthy  streets  with  sand,  to 
decorate  the  fronts  of  their  houses,  and  to  scatter  flowers 
and  odoriferous  herbs  on  the  ground  to  counteract  the 
evil  smells."  However,  they  rose  to  the  occasion  nobly, 
and  illuminated  their  synagogue  with  six  hundred 
candles,  notwithstanding  that  candles  were  at  this  period 
exceedingly  dear,  selling  at  three  livres  the  pound. 

After  remaining  four  days  at  Avignon,  the  princess 
continued  her  journey,  accompanied  for  some  distance 
by  Monseigneur  d'Eley,  the  vice-legate,  and  crossed  the 
Durance  at  Bompas  to  reach  Marseilles.  Her  Highness 
was  in  a  far  from  amiable  humour,  for  she  had  reason  to 
suspect  that  an  intrigue  was  on  foot  to  separate  her 
from  her  friend  and  confidante,  Madame  de  Bacqueville. 


240  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

This  Madame  de  Bacqueville,  "  a  creature  without 
reputation  and  without  morals,"1  had  been  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  princess  from  the  latter's  childhood,  and 
exercised  over  her  an  influence  almost  as  pernicious  as 
that  which  Madame  de  Mouchy  had  exercised  over  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry.  During  the  journey  she  had  never 
ceased  to  encourage  the  princess  in  all  her  caprices, 
even  to  the  length  of  conducting  herself  with  unseemly 
levity  in  church,2  had  sought  to  embitter  the  quarrel 
between  her  and  the  Duchesse  de  Villars,  and  had  mocked 
openly  at  the  enamoured  Salvatico.  That  personage 
was  deeply  incensed  against  her,  and  from  Valence  he 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  Regent,  throwing  all  the  re- 
sponsibility for  the  unreasonable  delays  that  had  occurred, 
the  frenzied  gambling  that  went  on  nightly,  "  sometimes 
for  seventeen  consecutive  hours,"  and  the  quarrels  with 
the  Duchesse  de  Villars,  upon  her,  and  declaring  that  the 
presence  of  such  a  woman  at  Modena  would  ruin  his 
daughter  with  the  Duke,  her  father-in-law,  and  entreating 
him  not  to  allow  her  to  accompany  the  princess  into  Italy. 
The  Regent,  to  whom  other  persons  had  already  written 
in  the  same  sense,  at  once  resolved  to  retain  Madame  de 
Bacqueville  in  France,  and  despatched  orders  to  her  to 
that  effect ;  and,  by  the  same  courier,  a  letter  to  his 
daughter  explaining  that  his  reason  for  recalling  the  lady 
was  the  strong  objection  which  her  family  had  raised  to 
her  expatriating  herself.  These  letters  were  addressed 
to  Madame  de  Villars,  who  was  informed  of  their  con- 

1  Lemontey,  les  Filles  du  Regent. 

3  "  What  happened  yesterday  at  Romans  is  altogether  extraordinary, 
where  she  [Madame  de  Bacqueville]  approached  the  princess  at  Mass, 
and  made  her  laugh  and  jest,  to  the  great  scandal  of  all  the  town,  and 
particularly  of  the  confessor  [the  Abbe  Colibeaux],  who  wept  at  it" 
(Letter  of  Salvatico  to  the  Regent,  April  30,  1720). 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  241 

tents  and  charged  to  deliver  them.  But  that  lady,  know- 
ing the  character  of  the  princess  and  "  fearing  a  terrible 
scandal,"  after  consultation  with  Salvatico,  begged  the 
Regent  to  allow  her  to  defer  this  until  the  princess  had 
embarked  at  Antibes,  to  which  he  consented. 

The  princess,  however,  had,  as  we  have  said,  a  shrewd 
suspicion  of  what  was  in  the  wind  and,  before  leaving 
Avignon,  she  wrote  to  her  father,  imploring  him  "  not 
to  crown  her  despair  and  her  unhappiness  by  depriving 
her  of  the  only  consolation  she  could  have,  and  which 
he  had  so  often  promised  her."  This  letter  she  entrusted 
to  one  of  her  valets  de  chambre,  and  announced  her  inten- 
tion to  await  the  answer  at  Marseilles  ;  but  at  Orgon 
orders  were  received  from  the  Regent  formally  forbidding 
her  to  pass  through  Marseilles.  Nevertheless,  she  insisted 
on  spending  a  day  there,  and  then  decided  to  go  to 
Toulon,  where  she  assisted  at  the  launching  of  a  ship, 
and  thence  to  Frejus. 

"  The  Duchess  of  Hanover,"  writes  Madame,  "  has  no 
need  to  hurry  to  see  her  new  granddaughter,  our  de- 
moiselle de  Valois,  who  is  in  not  the  least  hurry  to  reach 
Modena.  She  is  a  person  singularly  fanciful  and  wilful ; 
without  paying  any  attention  to  the  pressing  recommen- 
dations of  her  father,  she  intends  to  make  a  tour  through 
the  whole  of  Provence,  and  to  visit  Toulon,  which  is 
altogether  out  of  her  way.  She  intends  also  to  go  to 
Saint-Baume.  She  troubles  not  the  least  about  all  the 
expense  which  this  entails,  and  which  falls  upon  her 
father.  This  greatly  irritates  me,  although  the  father 
and  the  mother  deserve  to  receive  nothing  but  mortifica- 
tion from  their  daughter,  so  much  have  they  spoiled  her. 
I  have  seen  many  wrong-headed  women,  but  I  have  never 

R 


242  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

found  one  so  bad  as  this  ;  the  blood  of  the  Montespan 
shows  itself  plainly  in  her.  But  it  is  not  my  fault,  and  I 
can  say  to  my  son,  as  in  the  play :  '  Tu  I' as  voulu,  Georges 
Dandin.'  "1 

The  messenger  whom  the  princess  had  despatched  to 
Paris  did  not  bring  back  any  answer  to  the  letter  with 
which  he  had  been  entrusted,  which  confirmed  her 
suspicions  on  the  subject  of  Madame  de  Bacqueville; 
and  she  questioned  the  Duchesse  de  Villars,  to  whom 
she  had  thought  it  advisable  to  apologize  for  her  haughti- 
ness during  the  journey,  as  to  whether  she  had  received 
any  orders  from  the  Regent  in  regard  to  that  lady. 
The  duchess,  dreadfully  embarrassed,  replied  that,  if  she 
had  received  any  such  order,  she  would  have  communi- 
cated it  to  her.  Upon  which  the  princess  observed  that, 
although  Madame  de  Villars  might  cherish  justifiable 
grievances  against  her,  she  did  not  believe  that  she  would 
deceive  her.  Later  in  the  day,  she  asked  Salvatico  for  a 
list  of  those  whom  she  was  to  take  with  her  to  Modena ; 
and  that  gentleman,  not  daring  to  omit  the  name  of 
Madame  de  Bacqueville,  wrote  it  down  at  the  head,  and 
then  hurried  off  to  Madame  de  Villars,  to  protest  that 
he  had  only  done  this  to  avoid  a  scandal,  and  to  beg  her 
to  deliver  the  Duke  of  Modena  from  a  person  who  "  would 
cause  him  to  die  of  grief."  The  duchess  rated  the  Italian 
sharply  for  his  pusillanimity,  and  accused  him  of  wishing 
to  throw  all  the  odium  of  the  deception  upon  her,  but, 
nevertheless,  consented  to  continue  it. 

Finally,  on  May  28,  they  reached  Antibes,  having 
occupied  eleven  weeks  to  accomplish  a  journey  which, 
with  reasonable  expedition,  would  not  have  needed  more 

1  Correspondance  complete,  Letter  of  June  16,  1720. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  243 

than  a  month,  and  at  five  o'clock  on  the  following  after- 
noon the  Princess  of  Modena  went  on  board  the  galley 
which  was  to  convey  her  to  Genoa.  When  darkness  fell, 
this  vessel  and  the  squadron  which  was  to  escort  it, 
which  included  two  Sardinian  galleys,  were  brilliantly 
illuminated. 

Once  safely  on  board,  it  was  necessary  to  acquaint  the 
princess  with  the  order  recalling  Madame  de  Bacqueville, 
and  to  give  her  her  father's  letters.  The  execution  of  this 
unpleasant  duty  was  postponed  until  the  morrow,  in  order 
that  the  Princess  of  Monaco,  who  had  come  to  visit  her 
and  had  remained  to  supper,  "  might  not  be  a  witness  of 
her  grief."  But  when  the  critical  moment  arrived,  the 
courage  of  the  Duchesse  de  Villars  failed  her  completely, 
and  she  begged  the  princess's  half-brother,  the  Chevalier 
d'Orleans,1  who  commanded  the  galleys,  to  take  her  place. 
The  chevalier  consented,  but  he  does  not  appear  to  have 
had  much  relish  for  the  commission,  for  it  was  not  until 
they  had  been  two  days  at  sea  that  he  could  bring  himself 
to  discharge  it. 

To  the  great  relief  of  Madame  de  Villars,  the  storm 
which  she  had  so  much  dreaded  did  not  break,  and  the 
grief  of  the  princess  at  the  separation  from  her  confidante, 
"  although  extreme,  was  very  gentle  " ;  she  refrained  from 
addressing  any  reproaches  to  the  duchess  for  her  part 
in  the  deception  which  had  been  practised  upon  her,  and 
wrote  to  her  "  cher  papa  "  that,  "notwithstanding  that 
his  orders  had  crowned  her  unhappiness  and  her  despair, 
she  knew  only  how  to  obey  him,  even  if  he  demanded 
her  life." 

1  Jean  Philippe  d'Orleans  (1702-1748),  natural  son  of  the  Regent, 
by  the  Comtesse  d'Argenton.  He  was  General  of  the  Galleys  and 
Grand  Prior  of  France. 


244  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

The  fact  is  that  her  Highness  had  had  the  sense  to  com- 
prehend that,  although  Philippe  d'Orleans  might  be  the 
most  long-suffering  of  fathers,  she  must  by  this  time  have 
pretty  well  exhausted  his  indulgence,  and  that  to  alienate 
him  altogether  would  be  the  height  of  folly,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  she  would  have  to  reckon  with  a  dangerous 
enemy  at  the  Court  of  Modena,  in  the  person  of  the 
egregious  Salvatico,  who  would  be  certain  to  do  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  injure  her  with  the  Duke.  She  had 
therefore  judged  it  prudent  to  resign  herself  to  the  sacrifice 
of  her  unworthy  favourite,  for  whom  she  merely  de- 
manded a  pension.  This  request  was  immediately  granted, 
and  Madame  de  Bacqueville  was  accorded  a  pension  of 
6000  livres,  "  to  console  her  for  no  longer  being  able 
to  poison  a  young  princess  by  her  counsels  and  her 
example."1  About  the  same  time,  the  Duchesse  de 
Villars  received  one  of  double  that  amount,  presumably 
to  compensate  her  for  the  bickerings  over  the  soupcoupe. 
One  would  perhaps  have  thought  it  would  have  been 
possible  to  find  a  better  use  for  the  public  money. 

1  Lemontey,  les  Filles  dn  Regent. 


CHAPTER   XII 

Arrival  at  Genoa — Unpleasantness  over  the  payment  of  the  princess's 
dowry  :  impertinent  conduct  of  Salvatico — Departure  for  Modena 
— The  Duke  of  Modena  and  his  two  sons  meet  the  princess  at 
Reggio — Portrait  of  Francesco  d'Este — Character  of  the  Duke — 
Deadly  monotony  of  his  Court — Persecution  of  the  princess  by 
Salvatico — The  princess  falls  ill  of  smallpox — Singular  conjugal 
relations — Letters  of  the  Abb6  Colibeaux,  confessor  to  the  princess, 
on  this  delicate  subject — Chavigny,  French  Minister  at  Genoa,  sent 
by  the  Regent  to  verify  the  facts — His  report — Severity  of  the 
Duke  towards  the  young  couple — Pilgrimage  to  Loretto — The  prin- 
cess persuades  her  husband  to  fly  with  her  to  France — Her  letter 
to  her  father — The  Regent  refuses  to  receive  them,  and  despatches 
the  Abbe  Philibert  to  persuade  them  to  return— Despair  of  the 
princess — Her  return  to  Modena — Mortifying  reception — Salvatico 
resumes  his  persecution — -Ineffectual  protests  of  Chavigny  and 
Philibert — Return  of  Francesco  d'Este — Visit  of  the  prince  and 
princess  to  Lucca — They  take  up  their  residence  at  a  country-house 
near  Reggio — Anguish  of  the  princess  on  learning  of  the  reported 
marriage  of  the  Due  de  Richelieu — She  becomes  more  reconciled  to 
her  lot — Birth  of  a  son. 

ON  June  3  the  squadron  arrived  off  Genoa,  but  it 
was  not  until  the  evening  of  the  following  day 
that  the  princess  was  able  to  disembark,  owing  to  a 
difference  of  opinion  between  the  French  officers  and 
the  Government  of  the  Most  Serene  Republic  on  the 
question  of  the  salute.  Finally,  it  was  arranged  that 
the  cannon  of  the  city  and  of  the  galleys  should  fire 
simultaneously  ;  and  a  deputation  of  six  Genoese  nobles 
put  off  to  the  squadron  to  bid  her  Highness  welcome 
and  escort  her  on  shore.  She  landed  at  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  and  was  conducted  to  the  Palazzo  Durazzo,  where 
the  Modenese  ladies  and  officials  charged  to  receive  her 

245 


246  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

had  been  waiting  for  nearly  a  month.  The  princess,  how- 
ever, declined  to  avail  herself  of  their  services  until  the 
eve  of  her  departure,  in  order  to  avoid  the  disputes  over 
precedence  which  threatened  to  ensue  between  them  and 
her  French  attendants. 

The  Genoese  Government  wished  to  give  a  grand  ball 
and  other  fetes  in  honour  of  their  distinguished  guest ; 
but  the  latter  declined,  as  she  maintained  that  she 
ought  to  be  treated  as  a  Princess  of  the  Blood  Royal 
of  France,  and  not  as  a  Modenese  princess.  She  was, 
besides,  in  no  humour  just  then  to  take  part  in  any 
festivities ;  while  serious  unpleasantness  had  arisen 
over  the  payment  of  her  dowry,  which  was  causing 
her  the  keenest  mortification.  In  accordance  with  cus- 
tom, the  dowry  ought  to  have  been  paid  to  Salvatico, 
as  the  representative  of  the  Duke  of  Modena,  at  the 
same  time  as  the  princess  was  formally  delivered  into 
his  charge.  But,  through  some  misunderstanding,  the 
French  resident  at  Genoa,  the  Comte  de  Chavigny,  had 
received  neither  the  money  nor  any  orders  on  the  sub- 
ject ;  and  the  vindictive  Italian,  delighted  at  an  op- 
portunity of  humiliating  the  lady  who  had  so  con- 
temptuously rejected  his  adoration,  intimated  that 
he  should  refuse  to  take  charge  of  her  Highness  until 
the  dowry  was  forthcoming.  Not  content  with  that, 
he  had  the  impertinence  to  present  himself  at  the 
princess's  apartments  at  midnight,  and  complain  bitterly 
to  the  Duchesse  de  Villars  of  the  failure  of  the  French 
Court  to  carry  out  its  obligations.  Finally,  it  was 
arranged  that  a  courier  should  be  despatched  to  Modena, 
to  ascertain  the  wishes  of  the  Duke,  as  the  princess 
declined  to  leave  Genoa  until  these  were  known,  declaring, 


Francesco  d'Este,  Hereditary  Prince  of  Modena 
(afterwards  Francesco  II.,  Dukk  of  Modena) 


From  an  engraving  by  Cornelius  Meysens 


, 


UNRULY   DAUGHTERS  247 

with  reason,  that  "  it  was  impossible  to  deliver  her  up 
without  knowing  whether  she  were  wanted." 

The  Duke's  reply  arrived  on  June  8,  and  was  to  the 
effect  that,  having  every  confidence  in  the  word  of  the 
King  of  France,  he  would  receive  his  daughter-in-law 
without  waiting  for  the  dowry ;  and  at  four  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  June  II,  the  princess,  "  not  without  extreme 
distress,"  writes  Madame  de  Villars,  "  bade  farewell  to 
that  lady  and  the  rest  of  her  French  attendants  who  were 
returning  to  France,  and  took  the  road  to  Piacenza,  this 
early  start  being  made  to  avoid  travelling  during  the  heat 
of  the  day." 

Passing  through  the  Milanese,  where  every  honour 
was  paid  her,  on  June  20  the  princess  arrived  at  Reggio, 
where  she  found  the  Duke  of  Modena  and  his  two  sons 
awaiting  her.  The  Duke  hurried  to  prevent  his  daughter- 
in-law  alighting,  and  "  addressed  to  her  some  very 
affectionate  words  ;  after  which  the  prince  advanced, 
kissed  his  wife  on  both  cheeks,  and  seated  himself  beside 
her." 

The  poor  girl  must  have  felt  her  heart  sink  as 
she  contemplated  the  man  with  whom  she  was 
probably  condemned  to  spend  the  rest  of  her  days. 
She  had  not  expected  to  find  him  handsome,  although 
the  portrait  which  had  been  sent  to  Paris  had  repre- 
sented him  as  far  from  unprepossessing  ;  but  this  short, 
insignificant-looking  youth,  with  his  long,  brown  face, 
and  melancholy,  black  eyes,  was  positively  ugly.  And 
then  how  dull  he  seemed,  how  gauche,  how  timid  !  Be- 
yond mumbling  a  few  banal  compliments,  like  a  schoolboy 
repeating  a  lesson,  he  had  not  a  word  to  say  for  himself. 

The   "  happy  pair "   entered   the   town,   escorted  by 


248  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

over  a  hundred  carriages,  each  drawn  by  six  horses, 
filled  with  the  nobility  of  the  country,  and  remained 
there  for  several  days,  while  they  were  entertained 
to  a  succession  of  fetes.  Then  they  proceeded  to  Modena, 
where  another  flattering  reception  awaited  them  ;  but 
scarcely  had  the  princess  installed  herself  in  her  apart- 
ments in  the  imposing  Palazzo  Ducale,  than  the  Court 
returned  to  Reggio,  to  assist  at  another  round  of  fetes. 

These  festivities  served  to  afford  the  expatriated 
princess  some  distraction,  and  left  her  little  time  for 
brooding  over  the  separation  from  all  her  friends;  and 
on  July  24  Dangeau  announces  that  she  is  "  much  more 
pleased  with  the  country  than  she  expected  to  be." 
But,  once  they  were  over,  and  the  Court  of  Modena 
settled  down  to  its  ordinary  life,  she  discovered  that 
her  worst  fears  were  to  be  realised.  The  Duke  was  an 
austere,  bigoted  man,  ruled  by  monks  and  Jesuits,  and 
lay  favourites,  who  practised,  or  at  any  rate  affected, 
an  excessive  devotion  ;  and  his  Court  was  the  reflection 
of  his  own  dull  and  monotonous  existence.  It  was, 
indeed,  more  like  a  monastery  than  a  Court.  Every 
one  was  expected  to  rise  very  early  and  attend  Mass  ; 
dinner  was  served  at  an  hour  when  many  of  the  fashion- 
able ladies  of  Paris  and  Versailles  were  sipping  their 
morning  chocolate  ;  the  usual  occupation  of  the  ducal 
family  in  the  afternoon  was  a  drive,  the  carriages  pro- 
ceeding at  an  almost  funereal  pace  ;  supper  was  at  eight 
o'clock  ;  and  at  ten  they  went  to  bed.  In  short,  no 
greater  contrast  to  the  gay  and  feverish  life  of  the  Court 
of  France  could  well  be  imagined. 

To  increase  the  princess's  discontent,  Salvatico  had 
been  appointed  Grand  Master  of  the  Court,  which  pro- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  249 

vided  him  with  numerous  opportunities  of  making 
himself  unpleasant,  of  which  he  did  not  fail  to  take 
every  advantage.  He  claimed  the  right  of  entering 
her  apartments  at  any  hour  he  wished  ;  he  is  said  to 
have  passed  a  whole  night  at  her  door  ;  he  intercepted 
the  letters  which  her  relatives  and  friends  in  France 
wrote  to  her,  and  actually  had  the  audacity  to  suppress 
several  from  the  Regent,  in  order  to  create  the  im- 
pression that  she  had  quarrelled  with  her  father  ;  he 
furnished  blind  and  lame  horses  for  her  carriage  and 
pewter  for  her  table,  and,  in  fact,  neglected  no  means 
of  annoying  her. 

Furious  with  indignation,  she  sought  the  advice 
of  the  Abbe  Colibeaux,  who  had  remained  with  her 
in  the  quality  of  confessor.  The  abbe  endeavoured 
to  calm  her,  pointing  out  that  Salvatico  was  protected 
by  the  Jesuits,  who  ruled  the  Duke,  and  that  it  would 
be  most  imprudent  to  make  enemies  of  them.  She 
declined  to  listen  to  him  and  complained  to  her  husband, 
who  spoke  to  his  father  "  and  besought  him  to  get  rid 
of  this  mischievous  devil."  1  But  the  "  mischievous 
devil ,;  was  far  too  useful  a  servant  for  the  Duke  to 
dispense  with,  his  powers  of  vision  and  of  hearing  being 
preternaturally  acute ;  and  the  only  result  of  the  prince's 
interference  was  to  embitter  Salvatico  still  further 
against  the  princess. 

Meanwhile,  that  young  lady  had  been  endeavouring 
to  instill  a  little  animation  into  the  dull  Modenese  Court. 
She  began  to  hold  receptions ;  she  installed  a  biribi  table 
in  her  apartments  ;  she  entertained  some  of  the  leading 

1  Correspondance  complete  de  Madame,  Duchesse  d'Orlians,  July 
30,  1720. 


250  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

ladies  of  the  town  to  supper ;  and  she  made  friends 
with  her  three  sisters-in-law,  timid  girls,  whom  their 
austere  father  had  relegated  to  an  almost  cloistral 
existence,  and  took  them  alternately  for  drives  into 
the  country  in  a  phaeton,  which  she  drove  herself. 

This  pleased  the  public,  but  it  did  not  please  the  spiteful 
Salvatico,  who  persuaded  the  Duke  that  his  daughter- 
in-law  ought  not  to  be  out  so  late,  "  on  account  of  the 
dew,"  although  Coiibeaux  tells  us  that  she  never  returned 
to  the  palace  later  than  five  o'clock.  He  also  complained 
that  she  drove  much  too  fast,  and  would  wear  out  her 
horses,  which  would  have  to  be  replaced  at  considerable 
expense ;  that  she  kept  the  young  princesses  up  too 
late  at  night,  which  was  detrimental  to  their  health, 
if  not  to  their  morals  ;  and  he  endeavoured  to  deprive 
her  of  their  society,  by  suggesting  that  they  should 
be  placed  in  a  convent.  The  gloomy  old  bigot,  who 
had  not  the  smallest  sympathy  with  the  exuberant 
spirits  of  youth,  listened  with  frowning  brow,  and  did 
not  fail  to  intimate  his  displeasure  to  his  daughter-in- 
law.  The  ducal  reprimand,  however,  had  little  effect, 
and  the  princess  continued  her  country-excursions  and 
her  card-parties  until,  about  the  middle  of  August,  she 
became  unwell,  and  the  doctors  assured  her  that  she  was 
enceinte. 

Although,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  this  was  alto- 
gether impossible,  the  princess  did  not  express  any 
incredulity ;  but  kept  to  her  apartments,  and  followed 
the  regimen  prescribed  for  her.  Soon,  however,  the 
doctors  were  compelled  to  admit  that  their  diagnosis 
was  incorrect,  and  that  what  they  had  taken  for  the 
symptoms  of  pregnancy  were  those  of  smallpox. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  251 

For  some  time  the  princess  was  very  ill ;  indeed, 
for  :wo  or  three  days  she  was  considered  to  be  in  such 
grave  danger  that  the  Sacraments  were  administered  ; 
and  she  called  Colibeaux  to  her  bedside,  and,  handing 
him  a  casket,  directed  him  to  burn  all  the  papers  which 
it  contained,  without  saying  anything  about  it.  It  is 
not  improbable  that  among  these  papers  were  the  love- 
letters  which  she  had  received  from  the  fascinating 
Richelieu. 

Eventually,  she  recovered,  and  found,  to  her  in- 
expressible relief,  that  the  fell  disease  had  respected 
her  face,  and  that  she  was  scarcely  marked  at  all.  Her 
first  thought  was  to  write  to  her  father,  whom,  in  view 
of  the  unpleasant  situation  of  affairs  at  Modena,  she 
was  now  most  anxious  to  conciliate,  to  inform  him  of 
her  return  to  health,  and  to  assure  him  that  "  death 
itself  would  not  have  been  capable  of  preventing  her 
from  loving  him  with  all  her  heart."  The  Regent,  though 
he  probably  entertained  some  doubts  as  to  the  sincerity 
of  these  assurances,  replied  in  a  very  affectionate  letter, 
and  ordered  a  Te  Deum  to  be  sung  at  Notre-Dame 
for  his  daughter's  recovery.  Salvatico,  on  his  side, 
testified  his  joy  by  reducing  the  salaries  of  the  princess's 
Household  all  round,  notwithstanding  that  the  emolu- 
ments of  even  quite  important  officials  at  the  Court 
of  Modena  were  already  so  low  that  they  would  have 
been  rejected  with  contempt  by  the  lackeys  at  Versailles 
or  the  Palais-Royal.1 

1  "  The  retrenchment  is  most  shameful,"  writes  Colibeaux,  "  for 
the  majority  of  the  marquises  and  counts  who  fill  the  ante-chambers 
of  this  Court  have  only  an  old  louis  d'or  of  Parma  a  month  for 
salary  and  everything."  Letter  of  September  22,  1720,  published  by 
Barthelemy. 


252  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

To  beguile  the  tedium  of  her  convalescence,  the  princess 
formed  a  close  friendship  with  a  young  and  pretty  woman 
of  the  Court,  the  Marchesa  Levisani.  But  soon  the  duke, 
instigated  doubtless  by  Salvatico,  determined  to  put  an 
end  to  this  intimacy,  which  was  apparently  considered 
derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  his  daughter-in-law,  and 
requested  Colibeaux  and  Madame  Piche  to  employ  their 
influence  with  her  Highness  to  persuade  her  to  renounce 
it.  Both,  however,  declined  to  interfere,  and  Colibeaux 
wrote  indignantly  to  the  Regent  that  they  seemed  to 
desire  to  deprive  the  princess  of  the  little  amusement 
that  she  could  find  at  Modena. 

The  Prince  of  Modena,  who  during  his  wife's  illness 
and  convalescence  had  not  been  permitted  by  the  Duke 
to  approach  her,  and  had  passed  the  time  at  his  villa 
at  Sassuolo,  returned  towards  the  end  of  September  ; 
but  his  reappearance  upon  the  scene  brought  no  pleasure 
to  the  princess,  but  very  much  the  contrary.  If  she 
had  cherished  any  hope  that  her  first  impressions  of 
her  husband  had  been  too  hastily  formed,  and  that 
he  would  improve  upon  a  nearer  acquaintance,  it  had 
very  speedily  been  dissipated.  Not  only  was  Francesco 
d'Este  plain,  awkward  and  shy,  but  dull,  stupid,  morose, 
and  close-fisted.  Moreover — and  this  was  a  matter  which 
threatened  to  destroy  the  peace  of  the  new  menage 
— whether  it  was  that  his  wife  took  too  little  trouble 
to  conceal  her  indifference  for  such  a  partner,  or  that 
the  possession  of  this  French  princess,  with  her  beauty, 
her  pride,  her  vivacity,  and  her  savoir-faire,  was  too 
imposing  for  him,  the  marriage  had  not  yet  been  con- 
summated. 

The  letters  of  the  Abbe  Colibeaux,  preserved  in  the 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  253 

Archives  des  Affaires  Etrangeres,  initiate  us  into  the 
secrets  of  this  princely  household.  For  the  auricular 
confession  and  the  jurisdiction  which  the  priests  of 
those  days  arrogated  to  themselves  in  matrimonial 
questions  permitted  the  ecclesiastics  to  express  them- 
selves with  much  greater  frankness  than  the  doctors, 
who  confined  themselves  to  material  facts,  without 
troubling  about  moral  considerations ;  and  the  abbe, 
charged  by  the  Regent  to  keep  him  informed  of  the 
most  intimate  details  of  his  daughter's  life,  acquitted 
himself  of  his  mission  with  a  fidelity  so  scrupulous  as 
to  render  a  considerable  part  of  his  despatches  quite 
unsuitable  for  publication,  save  in  the  most  unblushing 
of  chroniques  scandalenses.  Here,  however,  are  some 
passages  which  may  with  safety  be  transcribed  : 

"  October  3,  1720. — I  believe  that  the  prince  has  some 
share  in  the  chapter  of  the  Canon  Law  which  speaks 
de  frigidis  et  maleficiatis." 

"  November  7,  1720. — Everything  would  go  on  mar- 
vellously well  if  it  were  not  for  the  prince's  weakness 
of  temperament,  to  say  nothing  more  ;  for  the  princess 
says  that  he  is  incapable.  He  gives  assurances  to  the 
contrary.  Madame  Piche  and  I  have  given  the  Princess 
of  Modena  on  this  matter  the  most  suitable  advice. 
She  assured  me  again  yesterday  that  she  has  followed 
it,  but  that  it  has  only  served  to  confirm  this  truth 
more  and  more.  I  have  begged  her  to  continue,  for  the 
prince  is  very  timid,  and  she  has  given  me  her  promise. 
One  must  rely  on  the  good  faith  of  the  princess,  who  has 
always  appeared  to  me  very  sincere." 

"  November  21,  1720. — The  subject  of  the  quarrel 
is  that  the  prince  loves  greatly  the  princess,  and  would 


254  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

like  to  give  her  proofs  of  it ;  but  his  ability  does  not 
correspond  to  his  good  intentions,  which  is  a  pity." 
Colibeaux  adds  that,  after  this  quarrel,  the  prince  had 
an  interview  with  his  father,  at  which  he,  much  to  his 
embarrassment,  was  requested  to  be  present,  and  that 
his  Highness  had  been  sent  by  the  Duke  to  Bologna, 
with  an  intimation  that  he  was  not  to  return  until  he 
had  succeeded  in  overcoming  his  timidity." 

"  November  28,  1721. — All  Modena  knows  it  (i.e. 
that  the  marriage  is  not  yet  consummated),  and  thus 
all  Italy  will  know  it  soon.  People  say  that  the  princess 
is  to  blame.  I  have  made  her  understand  how  essential 
it  is  that  she  should  exculpate  herself  in  the  eyes  of 
the  public,  and  behave  in  good  faith  in  this  particular ; 
that  the  laws  of  marriage  which  are  made  for  sovereign, 
as  well  as  for  private,  persons  oblige  .  .  .  and  that,  as 
regards  myself,  I  cannot  permit  her  to  approach  the 
Sacraments,  unless  I  am  assured  that  she  will  do  her 
duty,  and  without  trickery." 

"  December  19,  1721. — I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
the  princess  does  her  duty  in  this  particular ;  she  has 
promised  me,  and  she  assures  me  of  it." 

The  Regent,  disquieted  by  these  reports,  instructed 
Chavigny,  the  French  Minister  at  Genoa,  to  proceed 
to  Modena,  to  study  the  question  on  the  spot  and  verify 
the  facts.  Chavigny  passed  a  month  at  the  Court,  inter- 
viewed all  the  parties  concerned,  and  confirmed  the 
opinion  of  the  confessor  that  the  blame  did  not  He  with 
the  princess,  "  who  had  not  testified  a  repugnance 
for  her  husband  which  could  be  made  the  subject  of 
any  reproach."1    He  appears  to  have  been  by  no  means 

1  Chavigny  to  the  Regent,  January  14,  1721,  cited  by  Lemontey. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  255 

favourably  impressed  with  the  latter,  whom  he  describes 
as  "of  very  limited  intelligence  and  not  wanting  in 
dissimulation  and  cunning." 

During  his  stay,  the  princess  pressed  him  to  en- 
deavour to  destroy  the  credit  of  Salvatico,  but  this 
he  prudently  declined  to  attempt,  preferring  "  to 
leave  this  work  to  the  natural  inconstancy  of  the 
Duke,"  who  was  in  the  habit  of  changing  his  favourites 
as  frequently  as  the  Regent  did  his  mistresses.  How- 
ever, there  were  as  yet  no  signs  of  Salvatico's  favour 
diminishing,  and,  thanks  to  the  persistent  malignity 
with  which  he  pursued  her,  and  the  irritation  of  the 
Duke  at  the  prospect  of  the  failure  of  his  hopes,  the 
princess's  situation  was  an  extremely  unpleasant  one. 
The  Duke  did  not  share  the  opinion  of  Colibeaux  and 
Chavigny,  and  had  insisted  on  his  daughter-in-law 
sacrificing  the  Marchesa  Levisani,  who,  he  believed, 
was  exercising  a  pernicious  influence  over  her,  and 
acting  as  intermediary  between  her  and  her  friends  in 
France,  and  that  lady  had  been  banished  from  the  Court ; 
while  he  talked  of  placing  his  daughters  in  a  convent, 
in    order    to    deprive   her    of  the   consolation   of  their 

society. 

The  prince  was  also  experiencing  a  far  from  pleasant 
time,  as  his  father,  who  had  always  detested  him,  now 
treated  him  in  a  most  unpaternal  manner.  He  was 
also  exceedingly  mortified  to  learn  that  the  situation 
in  this  singular  menage  was  common  talk  in  Paris, 
and  had  an  angry  scene  with  his  wife  on  the  subject. 
Very  superstitious,  he  became  convinced  that  a  spell 
had  been  cast  over  the  marriage,  and  implored  Colibeaux 
to  exorcise  the  demon,  which  the  abbe  declined  to  do, 


256  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

explaining  gravely  that  he  knew  of  no  prayers  applicable 
to  such  a  case. 

Then  he  decided  to  make  a  pilgrimage  with  his  wife  to 
the  shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Loretto.  Colibeaux  approved 
this  project,  though  he  confided  his  opinion  to  the  Regent 
that,  "  if  this  journey  had  any  result,  it  would  be  a  true 
miracle."  And  a  few  days  later  he  writes :  "  This  journey 
is  regarded  as  the  last  resource  of  the  marriage,  after 
which  one  can  have  no  further  hope  "  ;  adding  that  the 
princess  has  promised  to  be  very  kind  indeed  to  her 
husband,  and  that  he  means  to  see  that  she  keeps  her 
word.1 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  worthy  abbe,  either  out  of 
complaisance  for  his  august  penitent,  or  from  regard 
for  his  own  reputation  as  a  director  of  consciences, 
had  all  along  been  deliberately  closing  his  eyes  to  the  real 
facts  of  the  case,  since  he  can  hardly  have  failed  to  be 
aware  that  the  princess  regarded  Italy  as  a  frightful  exile, 
detested  her  husband,  and  had  only  one  idea  :  to  get  her 
marriage  annulled  and  to  return  to  her  beloved  France. 
The  unhappy  Prince  of  Modena  was  perfectly  capable  of 
continuing  the  succession  to  the  ducal  throne,  as,  indeed, 
he  subsequently  proved ;  but  he  was  painfully  shy,  and 
his  consort,  so  far  from  giving  him  the  smallest  encourage- 
ment, received  his  awkward  attempts  at  tenderness  with 
the  coldest  indifference  or  ill-concealed  disgust. 

The  prince  and  princess  left  Modena,  accompanied  by  a 
considerable  suite,  which  included  Colibeaux,  the  faithful 
Madame  Piche,  the  Marchesa  Rangoni,  Grand  Mistress 
of  the  Court  and  a  staunch  ally  of  Salvatico,  and  the 
Contessa  Bosquetti,  the  princess's  favourite  of  the 
1  Letters  of  March  15  and  23,  1721,  cited  by  Lemontey. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  257 

moment.  The  most  direct  route  to  Loretto  was  by  way 
of  Bologna,  but,  by  the  Duke's  orders,  they  made  a 
detour  to  avoid  that  town,  the  reason  being  that  the 
Marchesa  Levisani  had  retired  thither  after  her  disgrace  ; 
and  the  amiable  old  gentleman  did  not  wish  to  give  his 
daughter-in-law  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  again  her 
former  favourite. 

The  Prince  of  Modena  had  come  to  Loretto  from  the 
most  conscientious  motives  ;  but  the  princess  had  con- 
sented to  make  the  pilgrimage  for  a  very  different  reason, 
seeing  in  it  the  means  of  realizing  her  cherished  project  of 
returning  to  France.  Hardly  had  she  reached  Loretto, 
than  she  proposed  to  her  husband  that  they  should  fly  to 
Paris,  and  implore  the  protection  of  her  father  against  the 
persecution  to  which  they  were  both  being  subjected 
by  the  Duke  of  Modena.  The  feeble  prince,  disappointed 
perhaps  at  not  receiving  any  immediate  answer  to  his 
prayers,  does  not  appear  to  have  opposed  the  least 
resistance  to  this  astonishing  proposition  ;  and  on  April  1 
— significant  date  ! — they  started  for  Ancona,  whence 
they  intended  to  gain  Verona  and  make  their  way  through 
Germany  into  France. 

The  unfortunate  Colibeaux  had  employed  every 
imaginable  argument  to  persuade  the  princess  to 
renounce  her  resolution,  but  the  only  concession  he 
was  able  to  obtain  was  a  promise  to  consult  Cha- 
vigny  before  proceeding  beyond  Ancona.  From  that 
town,  where  they  arrived  on  the  2nd,  her  Highness 
addressed  a  long  epistle  to  Chavigny,  who  had  just 
returned  to  Modena  with  fresh  instructions  from  the 
Regent,  in  which  she  enclosed  letters  from  herself  and 
her  husband  to  the  Duke,  demanding  his  permission  to 


258  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

make  the  journey  to  France,  which  appears  a  little 
superfluous,  since  they  had  already  taken  French  leave, 
and  begging  him  to  persuade  the  old  autocrat  "  to  listen 
to  reason,"  and  "  not  to  oblige  them  to  perform  a  comedy 
before  the  universe."1 

The  princess  also  despatched  the  following  letter  for 
Chavigny  to  forward  to  her  father  : 

"  I  do  not  write  to  you  except  in  trepidation,  fearing 
that  the  first  step  that  we  have  been  obliged  to  take  may 
be  displeasing  to  you.  .  .  .  The  Prince  of  Modena  and 
myself  have  been  unable  to  find  any  other  means  of 
remed3ang  the  present  situation,  save  by  entreating  you 
to  permit  us  to  come  and  render  an  account  of  it  to  you, 
being  fully  resolved,  as  soon  as  you  are  fully  acquainted 
with  the  condition  in  which  we  find  ourselves,  to  obey 
you  blindly. 

"...  We  have  been  obliged  to  make  use  of  the  pretext 
of  a  journey  to  Loretto  to  extricate  ourselves  from  the 
situation.  .  .  .  Chavigny  hastened  as  soon  as  we  informed 
him,  but  we  could  not  do  more  for  him  than  await 
at  Verona  the  return  of  his  courier,  bearer  of  our 
prayers. 

"  Permit  me,  in  my  private  capacity,  to  recall  to  your 
mind  the  kindness  with  which  you  have  always  flattered 
me,  and  the  respectful  and  tender  affection  which  I  have 
always  entertained  for  you.  .  .  .  The  misfortune  which 
would  touch  me  the  most  would  be  to  see  that  you  have 
already  forgotten  the  promise  that  you  made  me  when 

1  Colibeaux  also  wrote  to  Chavigny  to  assure  him  of  his  entire 
innocence  of  any  complicity  in  this  escapade  :  "  They  have  kept  the 
secret  so  carefully  from  me,"  he  writes,  "  that  I  have  left  all  my  clothes 
at  Modena,  with  the  exception  of  a  miserable  portmanteau  ...  I  am 
in  despair." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  259 

we  parted  that  you  would  be  pleased  to  see  me  again  and 
to  love  me  always,  and  to  know  that  I  should  be  pre- 
cipitated into  innumerable  misfortunes  by  you,  for  whom 
I  have  an  affection  which  I  cannot  find  sufficiently  strong 
terms  to  express." 

Chavigny  despatched  a  courier  in  all  haste  to  Paris 
and  persuaded  the  fugitives  to  await  the  answer  of  the 
Regent.  That  prince  was  terribly  alarmed  by  the  news, 
for  the  Princess  of  Modena  could  not  possibly  have  chosen 
a  more  inopportune  moment  for  her  escapade.  Philippe 
d'Orleans  was  just  then  negotiating  the  marriages  of 
two  of  his  other  daughters,  Mile,  de  Montpensier  and 
Mile,  de  Beaujolais,  with  the  Infant  Don  Luis,  heir  to  the 
crown  of  Spain  and  that  prince's  half-brother,  Don 
Carlos,  and  he  feared  with  reason  the  effect  of  such  a 
scandal  upon  the  austere  Court  of  the  Escurial.  He 
wrote  immediately  to  the  princess,  pointing  out  to 
her  the  danger  of  embroiling  Francesco  d'Este  with  his 
father,  and  entreating  her  "  to  suspend  her  journey  until 
he  should  be  more  amply  informed  "  ;  and,  at  the  same 
time,  addressed  a  letter  to  his  son-in-law,  blaming  him 
severely  for  having  undertaken  this  journey  without  con- 
sulting him,  and  forbidding  him  to  proceed  any  farther. 
Then  he  sent  for  the  Abbe  Philibert,  a  shrewd  and  re- 
sourceful ecclesiastic,  who  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  his 
daughter  and  might  be  expected  to  have  some  influence 
with  her,  and  despatched  him  to  intercept  the  fugitive 
couple  and  endeavour  to  persuade  them  to  return  to 
Modena.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  M.  Masselot,  a 
relative  of  a  favourite  waiting-woman  of  the  Princess  of 
Modena  who  had  followed  her  to  Italy,  with  instructions 
to  travel  together  as  far  as  Augsburg,   and  there  to 


260  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

separate  and  take  each  one  of  the  two  roads  by  which  the 
princess  and  her  husband  might  come  from  Italy. 

Meanwhile,  the  fugitive  couple  had  reached  Verona, 
whence  the  princess,  without  waiting  for  the  paternal 
reply,  wrote  again  to  the  Regent,  informing  him  that  the 
Duke  of  Modena  had  returned  her  letter  unopened  and 
had  given  orders  to  arrest  the  couriers  who  might  bring 
any  others,  and  declaring  that  she  and  her  husband  were 
firmly  resolved  not  to  return,  since  there  was  every 
appearance  that  to  do  so  would  mean  unhappiness  for  the 
rest  of  their  natural  lives.  On  April  21  came  the 
Regent's  answer  to  her  letter  of  the  2nd,  to  which  she 
replied,  the  same  day,  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  I  cannot  express  to  you,  my  dear  papa,  the  grief  that 
I  feel  on  learning,  through  M.  de  Chavigny,  that  you  do  not 
accord  me  the  favour  that  we  have  demanded  of  you, 
upon  which  our  happiness  was  depending.  It  cannot  be 
equalled  save  by  the  despair  in  which  I  am  at  the  thought 
that  the  first  step  which  our  unhappy  situation  obliges 
us  to  take  has  displeased  you.  I  would  that  I  could  give 
my  life  to  do  something  which  was  agreeable  to  you,  and 
I  am  unhappy  enough  to  be  able  to  fear  that  you  may 
be  angered  against  me.  If  you  could  know  the  reason 
for  our  action,  I  should  hope  that  you  would  be  no  longer 
annoyed  with  us  for  having  addressed  ourselves  to  you 
as  our  only  refuge."1 

The  princess  and  her  husband  appear  to  have  passed  a 
very  pleasant  time  at  Verona,  where  they  lived  incognito, 
although  they  did  not  refuse  the  honours  that  were 
offered  them.  They  declared  that  they  were  more 
determined  than  ever  not  to  return  to  Modena,  although 

1  Letter  of  April  21,  1721,  published  by  Barthelemy. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  261 

the  prince  was  becoming  seriously  uneasy  at  the  attitude 
of  his  father,  who  was  reported  to  be  bitterly  incensed 
against  them,  and  had  even  suspended  the  postal  service 
between  Modena  and  Verona,  in  order  to  cut  off  all 
communication  between  them  and  their  friends  in  the 
capital. 

On  May  n,  the  Abbe  Philibert  arrived  at  Verona.  Not 
having  the  same  reasons  as  Colibeaux  for  allowing  himself 
to  be  deceived,  he  quickly  penetrated  the  designs  of  the 
princess,  and  proceeded  to  represent  to  her  the  impossi- 
bility of  the  Regent  permitting  her  to  execute  them.  The 
lady  at  first  refused  to  listen  to  reason,  flew  into  a 
violent  passion,  and  declared  her  unalterable  resolution 
to  terminate  a  marriage  which  appeared  to  her  "  like 
a  perpetual  prison."  But,  recognising  at  length  that 
Philippe  d'Orleans,  for  the  present  at  any  rate,  was  deter- 
mined not  to  afford  her  the  least  encouragement,  she 
passed  from  anger  to  despair,  and,  snatching  up  a  pen, 
addressed  to  him  a  piteous  letter,  which  concluded 
thus  : 

"  By  all  that  is  most  dear  to  you,  I  conjure  you,  my  dear 
papa,  not  to  abandon  me  in  my  sad  situation.  I  am  the 
most  unhappy  creature  in  the  world  ;  on  which  ever  side 
I  turn  I  see  nothing  but  grief  and  despair  ;  my  only 
resource  is  in  your  kindness.  ...  I  shall  not  renounce  the 
hope  of  seeing  you  again  ;  you  would  not  wish  it  yourself, 
my  dear  papa.  I  shall  return  to  Italy,  not  without  grief, 
but  with  a  reasonable  grief." 

It  proved,  however,  to  be  a  far  easier  matter  to  persuade 
the  princess  to  return  to  Modena  than  to  induce  the  Duke 
to  consent  to  receive  her.  The  fact  is  that  the  indignation 
which  the  old  prince  had  expressed  at  this  escapade, 


262  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

which,  by  the  way,  had  come  as  no  surprise  to  him, 
had  been  merely  assumed,  since  it  promised  to  facilitate 
greatly  his  secret  designs.  His  most  ardent  desire  was 
to  see  the  succession  to  his  throne  assured,  and,  as  there 
seemed  to  be  little  prospect  of  his  eldest  son,  who,  as  we 
have  said,  he  detested,  being  able  to  accomplish  this, 
he  had  determined  to  institute  proceedings  to  set  aside 
his  rights  to  the  crown,  in  favour  of  his  younger  brother, 
Prince  Frederico.  Thus,  Charlotte  d'Orleans,  by  running 
away  with  her  unfortunate  husband  and  prejudicing  his 
case  in  the  eyes  of  the  public,  had  constituted  herself  the 
involuntary  ally  of  the  Duke. 

For  some  days  the  Duke,  egged  on  by  Salvatico, 
opposed  a  stubborn  resistance  to  the  demands  of  Chavigny 
that  he  should  receive  his  errant  daughter-in-law,  and  it 
was  only  when  the  Frenchman  had  threatened  him  with 
the  resentment  of  the  Regent  that  he  finally  yielded. 
On  May  28,  the  princess  arrived  at  Modena.  She  came 
alone,  for  the  prince,  not  daring  to  present  himself  before 
his  father  until  the  latter's  indignation  should  have  had 
time  to  subside,  had  remained  at  Venice,  whither  he 
and  his  wife  had  proceeded  from  Verona. 

The  reception  accorded  her  was  mortifying  to  the  last 
degree.  No  one  came  to  meet  her ;  no  one  received  her 
either  in  the  courts  or  on  the  staircase  of  the  palace, 
and  she  had  to  make  her  way  alone  to  the  Duke's  cabinet. 
The  old  gentleman  greeted  her  with  the  usual  empty 
compliments,  and  immediately  escorted  her  to  her 
apartments,  whence  he  sent  to  summon  the  three  prin- 
cesses, and,  the  moment  they  appeared,  took  his  departure. 
Salvatico,  on  his  side,  lost  not  a  moment  in  resuming  his 
persecution.    He  persuaded  the  Duke  to  forbid  the  ladies 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  263 

of  the  Court  to  visit  the  princess— a  prohibition  which  was 
presently  extended  to  all  the  French  members  of  her 
Household  ;  and  he  caused  the  door  of  communication 
between  her  apartments  and  those  of  her  sisters-in-law 
to  be  walled  up,  which  practically  precluded  all  private 
intercourse  between  them.  In  short,  the  poor  lady 
found  herself  almost  completely  isolated. 

The  Abbe"  Philibert,  who  had  accompanied  the  princess 
to   Modena,   addressed  a  strong   protest   to  the  Duke, 
but  the  latter  ignored  it,  under  the  pretext  that  the  abbe 
had  no  official  character.    Philibert,  much  irritated,  wrote 
to  the  Regent  that  the  sojourn  of  his  daughter  at  Modena 
was  "  no  longer  possible  or  supportable,"  and  appealed  to 
Chavigny,   who   demanded   the   dismissal   of   Salvatico, 
which  was,  of  course,  refused.    That  personage,  profiting 
by  the  continued  absence  of  the  Prince  of  Modena,  who, 
being  still  afraid  to  face  his  father,  had  accepted  an 
invitation  to  visit  the  Elector  of  Bavaria  at  Munich,  was 
evidently  determined  to  render  the  princess's  position 
intolerable,  in  order  to  drive  her  to  create  a  new  scandal  ; 
and  Chavigny  and  Philibert  were  in  despair.    The  former 
wrote  indignant  despatches  to  Paris,  representing  the 
Duke  of  Modena  as  a  cruel  tyrant,  whose  persecutions  had 
driven  his  family  and  his  subjects  to  such  an  extremity  of 
despair  that  they  excited  the  compassion  of  all  honest 
men  ;  while  the  latter  wrote  to  the  prince  entreating  him 
to  return.   This  the  latter  at  length  consented  to  do,  and, 
thanks  doubtless  to  his  discretion  in  selecting  July  2, 
which  happened  to  be  his  birthday,  for  his  appearance 
upon  the  scene,  was  received  "  with  moderation  and  few 
words."    He  found  himself  treated,  however,  with  almost 
as  much  severity  as  his  wife,  and  none  of  the  courtiers  was 


264  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

permitted  to  pay  his  respects  to  him,  unless  accompanied 
by  Salvatico. 

The  ridiculous  and  humiliating  situation  of  the  princess 
continued  for  several  weeks,  notwithstanding  the  protests 
of  Philibert  and  Chavigny.  "  Monseigneur  [the  Regent] 
did  not  reckon  when  he  gave  his  daughter  in  marriage 
that  she  would  be  rendered  unhappy,"  said  Philibert  to 
the  duke  one  day.  "  There  is  nothing  that  I  do  not  do  in 
order  to  please  her,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  I  fail  in 
anything,"  was  the  reply.  It  was  clearly  impossible  to 
argue  with  such  a  person. 

At  length,  towards  the  end  of  July,  the  young  couple 
received  permission  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  baths  of  Lucca. 
The  princess  immediately  began  making  preparations 
which  indicated  clearly  that  she  hoped  never  to  return. 
Colibeaux  lost  no  time  in  warning  the  Regent,  and  de- 
manded that  the  prince  should  write  severely  to  his 
daughter  on  the  subject.  The  same  courier  carried  a 
letter  from  the  princess  to  her  father,  declaring  that 
it  was  impossible  for  her  to  endure  any  longer  the  tyranny 
of  the  Duke  of  Modena,  "  without  drawing  upon  herself 
the  contempt  of  all  Italy,"  and  entreating  him  to  give 
her  and  her  husband  an  asylum  in  some  town  in  France,  as 
far  removed  from  Paris  as  he  might  please.  To  this  the 
Regent  naturally  refused  to  consent ;  nevertheless,  the 
princess  prolonged  her  stay  at  Lucca,  in  the  hope  that  he 
might  relent. 

Her  hopes,  however,  were  vain,  for  not  only  did  the 
Regent  absolutely  refuse  to  sanction  his  daughter's 
return  to  France,  but  he  subsequently  caused  her 
to  be  informed  that,  until  she  had  abandoned  any 
such    intention,    he    should    not    attempt    to    interfere 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  265 

between  her  and  her  father-in-law  in  order  to  procure  a 
relaxation  of  the  severity  with  which  she  was  treated. 

This  news  reached  the  princess  at  Rome,  whither  she 
and  her  husband  had  come  to  spend  a  month  incognito. 
She  was  at  first  greatly  distressed,  but  soon,  recognising 
that  her  father  was  really  in  earnest,  she  became  more 
resigned  ;  and  Philippe  d'Orl^ans,  on  being  acquainted 
with  this,  addressed  a  strong  letter  to  the  Duke  of  Modena, 
in  which  he  declared  he  should  regard  the  treatment 
which  the  prince  and  princess  received  from  him  as  a 
personal  matter. 

Towards  the  end  of  December,  the  young  people  re- 
turned to  Modena,  and  shortly  afterwards  took  up  their 
residence  at  a  country-house  belonging  to  the  prince  near 
Reggio,  where  it  had  been  decided  that  they  should 
henceforth  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  time.  This 
arrangement  had  been  made  at  the  instance  of  the  Regent, 
who  perceived  in  it  a  means  of  securing  reasonable  liberty 
to  his  daughter  and  avoiding  the  inevitable  friction  with 
the  Duke  which  her  presence  at  Modena  would  entail. 
Singularly  enough,  however,  neither  the  prince  nor  the 
princess  seem  to  have  been  at  all  enamoured  of  the 
prospect ;  and  the  intervention  of  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan, 
the  French  Ambassador  at  the  Vatican,  was  required  to 
induce  them  to  consent.  Presumably,  they  were  of  opinion 
that,  with  all  its  inconveniences,  residence  at  the  Court 
of  Modena  was  preferable  to  the  ennui  of  existence  in  the 
country. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  following  autumn,  a  rumour 
was  current  in  Paris  that  the  Due  de  Richelieu  had 
contracted  a  secret  marriage  with  Mile,  de  Charolais. 
The  princess  did  not  fail  to  be  informed  of  this  report, 


266  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

which  caused  the  poor  lady,  in  whose  breast  the  passion 
which  the  duke  had  inspired  wTas  far  from  extinguished, 
unspeakable  distress.  "  The  17th,"  writes  Madame  Piche 
to  the  Regent,  "  the  Abbe"  Colibeaux  announced  to  her 
the  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Richelieu  with  Mile,  de  C. 
[Charolais].  This  was  for  her  a  veritable  thunderbolt, 
and  caused  her  to  weep  all  day.  The  husband  and  all 
the  family  knew  not  what  to  make  of  it.  A  week  later, 
the  Marselot  [Madame  Marselot]  received  a  letter  from 
her  sister,  who  informed  her  of  the  marriage  of  the  said 
duke.  She  had  the  imprudence  to  speak  of  it.  This  is 
for  her  an  additional  grief,  but  she  did  not  dare  to  weep, 
which  made  her  very  ill." 

There  was  no  truth  in  this  report,  but  it  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  contradicted  for  some  time,  or,  at  any  rate, 
the  denial  was  very  slow  in  reaching  Italy.  Consequently, 
it  exercised  a  great  influence  upon  the  princess,  who  had 
evidently  been  maintaining  a  correspondence  with 
Richelieu,  and  had  cherished  the  illusion  that  she  was 
still  very  near  to  his  heart.1    Now  that  she  believed  that 

1  Soulavie  affirms  that,  some  months  after  the  princess's  marriage, 
Richelieu  followed  his  expatriated  inamorata  to  Modena,  disguised  as 
a  hawker  of  books,  and  that,  in  this  character,  he  succeeded  on  several 
occasions  in  gaining  access  to  her  apartments  in  the  palace,  when  "  he 
hastened  to  make  her  forget  her  sorrow  and  her  misfortunes."  He  also 
describes  a  very  piquant  interview  between  the  duke  and  the  lady's 
husband,  who,  returning  sooner  than  was  expected  from  the  chase,  had 
nearly  surprised  the  pair  at  an  exceedingly  inopportune  moment,  but 
without  conceiving  any  suspicion. 

The  only  evidence  in  support  of  this  story,  which  has  found  its  way 
into  the  works  of  several  modern  writers  with  a  weakness  for  the  pictu- 
resque, is  a  somewhat  obscure  passage  in  a  letter  of  Colibeaux,  dated 
December  26,  1720 — that  is  to  say,  just  about  the  time  the  chronicler 
places  the  adventure  in  question  : 

"  The  sieur  Rati  [Rafe]  has  arrived  here,  with  a  gardener.  We  might 
very  well  have  dispensed  with  both  of  them."  Now,  the  sieur  Rafe 
was  Richelieu's  confidential  valet  de  chambre,  and  it  may  be  argued 
that  wherever  he  happened  to  be,  his  master  was  not  likely  to  be  far 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  267 

he  had  abandoned  her  definitely  for  her  rival,  the  prin- 
cipal motive  which  had  urged  her  to  return  to  France 
was  removed,  and  she  became  more  reconciled  to  her  lot. 
It  would  appear,  also,  that  she  had  begun  to  fear  that, 
if  she  continued  to  keep  her  husband  at  a  distance,  the 
affair  might  terminate  "  d  Vitalienne " ;  and  these 
apprehensions  were  artfully  stimulated  by  Colibeaux, 
although  he  was  aware  that  they  were  perfectly  ground- 
less, in  the  hope  that  they  might  lead  to  the  solution  so 
much  desired.  He  was  not  disappointed.  In  the  spring 
of  1723,  the  princess  was  announced  to  be  enceinte  ;  and 
on  November  18  she  gave  birth  to  a  son,  who,  writes 
Colibeaux,  "  appeared  to  me  to  be  beautiful  and  healthy." 

off ;  indeed,  he  may  have  been  "  the  gardener."  But,  though  it  is 
quite  possible  that  Richelieu  did  undertake  a  journey  to  Modena,  since 
amorous  adventures  in  which  difficulties  had  to  be  overcome  always 
made  a  peculiar  appeal  to  him,  it  is,  when  we  pause  to  consider  the 
rigorous  surveillance  to  which  the  princess  was  subjected  by  her  father- 
in-law  and  Salvatico,  highly  improbable  that  he  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  lengthy  private  audiences  which  Soulavie  describes. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

Mile.  d'Orl£ans  as  Abbess  of  Chelles — Improvements  which  she  executes 
at  the  convent — She  constitutes  herself  the  official  protectress  of 
the  Jansenists — Efforts  of  the  Regent  to  induce  her  to  renounce 
her  heterodox  views — He  exiles  Pere  Ledoux,  almoner  of  Chelles — 
The  abbess  retaliates  by  driving  away  Madame  de  Fretteville,  who 
has  been  won  over  by  the  Jesuits — Extraordinary  conduct  of  the 
princess,  who  transforms  her  abbey  from  a  monastic  retreat  into  a 
kind  of  country-house  and  leads  with  her  nuns  a  life  of  pleasure — 
Calumnies — Sudden  reformation  of  the  abbess,  who  passes  from 
dissipation  to  austerity — She  leaves  Chelles,  and,  though  still  re- 
taining her  title  of  abbess,  becomes  temporary  superior  of  the  Abbey 
of  the  Val-de-Grace — Brief  return  to  worldliness,  followed  by  in- 
creased austerity — She  seeks  to  convert  the  Regent,  and  reprimands 
him  severely  for  the  scandalous  manner  in  which  he  distributes  the 
ecclesiastical  patronage  of  the  Crown. 

WE  left  Louise  Adelaide  d'Orleans  duly  installed  as 
Abbess  of  Chelles,  in  the  room  of  poor  Madame 
de  Villars,  whom  she  had  succeeded  in  ousting  from  the 
office  which  she  had  held  for  more  than  ten  years.  The 
young  lady  appears  at  first  to  have  taken  her  role  of 
superior  of  a  religious  establishment  very  seriously,  and 
she  proceeded  to  reconstruct  almost  entirely  the  buildings 
of  the  convent  and  to  restore  the  church  ;  while  she 
rendered  a  still  more  valuable  service  to  the  community 
by  assuring  its  water-supply,  the  inadequacy  of  which  had 
been  the  chief  disadvantage  of  this  otherwise  delightful 
spot,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  spring  which  supplied  the 
town  of  Chelles  was  situated  on  much  lower  ground  than 

268 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  269 

the  abbey.     We  read  in  the  Journal  de  la  Regence  of 
Buvat  : 

"  The  22  May,  Pere  Sebastien,1  Carmelite  monk  of  the 
convent  of  the  Place  Maubert,  native  of  Lyons,  repaired 
to  the  town  of  Chelles,  and,  as  this  monk  has  a  superior 
genius  for  the  sciences,  and  particularly  for  those  which 
depend  upon  mathematics,  having  examined  the  ground 
about  the  town  and  the  situation  of  the  abbey,  he  deter- 
mined to  have  a  machine  constructed,  by  means  of  which 
this  abbey  will  have  the  necessary  supply  of  water, 
with  a  reservoir  in  the  interior  of  the  convent  contain- 
ing more  than  two  hundred  hogsheads,  for  its  daily 
necessities  and  in  the  event  of  fire.  This  will  henceforth 
exempt  the  abbey  from  keeping  a  waggon  with  a  man 
and  a  horse,  as  it  did  formerly  for  more  than  eleven 
hundred  years,  to  bring  it  the  water  which  it  re- 
quired." 

Buvat  adds  that  Mile.  d'Orleans  had  caused  the  follow- 
ing inscription  to  be  engraved  on  a  slab  of  black  marble 
placed  above  the  fountain  of  Chelles,  "  to  serve  as  a 
perpetual  monument  to  the  glory  of  this  illustrious 
princess  "  : 

"  Quae  per  prata  humilis  Bathildis2  lympha  fluebat 
Huic  dedit  Adelais  unda  superba  fluat." 

And  that,  not  satisfied  with  this,  the  abbess  had  put 
up  a  bronze  plaque,  thus  inscribed  : 

1  Jean  Truchet,  called  Pere  Sebastien,  born  in  1657,  died  in  J7X9- 
He  was  celebrated  throughout  France  for  his  knowledge  of  mechanics 
and  hydraulics.  His  best  known  invention  was  a  contrivance  called 
"  le  diable,"  whereby  the  largest  trees  were  able  to  be  transplanted 
without  injuring  them. 

2  Sainte-Bathilde  was,  as  we  have  mentioned,  the  real  founder  of 
the  Abbey  of  Chelles. 


270  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

"  Fontem  exaltari  jussit 

Et  hunc  lapidem  posuit 

Ludovica  Adelais 

Abbatissa 

Anno  aetatis  suae 

XXI 

Mense  novembri  anni  1719 

Imperanti 

Ludovico  XV 

Regenti 

Philippo  Aurelianensi  duce 

Adelaidis  patre." 

The  improvement  of  her  convent  was  not  the  only 
direction  in  which  the  princess  found  scope  for  her 
activity.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Madame  de  Villars 
had  been  a  rigid  Molinist,  while  her  youthful  successor 
had  embraced  the  doctrines  of  Jansenius,  which  were 
held  by  Pere  Ledoux,  the  almoner  of  the  convent,  and 
the  great  majority  of  the  nuns  who  had  supported  her 
against  the  late  abbess ;  and  scarcely  had  she  returned 
to  Chelles,  than  she  plunged  into  the  controversy  which 
divided  the  Gallican  Church  with  the  ardour  which  she 
brought  to  everything  which  she  undertook,  and  showed 
her  intention  of  constituting  herself  the  official  pro- 
tectress of  the  Jansenists.  In  April  1720,  supported  by 
the  Cardinal  de  Noailles,  she  successfully  intervened  on 
behalf  of  certain  Benedictine  monks  who,  having  appealed 
against  the  Constitution  Unigenitus,  had  been  banished 
by  their  General  to  distant  monasteries;  and  a  few 
months  later  she  obtained  authorisation  from  her  father 
for  this  Order  to  elect  as  its  head  the  Pere  Saint- 
Marthe,  a  particularly  zealous  opponent  of  the  "  Con- 
stitution." 

The  Regent,  though  he  had  yielded  to  his  daughter's 


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UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  271 

importunities,  was  seriously  disquieted  by  the  attitude 
which  she  had  adopted,  fearing  that  it  might  lead  to 
differences  with  the  Vatican,  very  undesirable  at  this 
juncture.  He  therefore  despatched  to  Chelles  Pere 
Trevoux,  who  had  once  been  her  directear,  to  reason  with 
her  and  strive  to  bring  her  back  to  the  path  of  orthodoxy. 
The  abbess,  however,  refused  to  listen  to  the  reverend 
Father,  and  forbade  him  even  to  present  himself  before 
her.  The  Regent,  much  irritated,  replied  by  banishing 
Pere  Ledoux,  to  whose  influence  this  refusal  was  generally 
ascribed,  and  charged  the  Jesuits  to  undertake  the 
conversion  of  the  princess,  by  any  means  that  might 
commend  itself  to  them.  The  Jesuits  succeeded  in 
winning  over  the  prioress,  Madame  de  Fretteville,  who, 
it  will  be  remembered,  had  contributed  powerfully  to 
develop  the  taste  of  Mile.  d'Orleans  for  the  religious  life 
and  to  persuade  her  to  take  the  veil.  This  lady  now 
enjoyed  the  princess's  entire  confidence,  and  took  ad- 
vantage of  it  to  represent  to  her  the  error  of  her  ways 
and  to  pursue  her  with  incessant  remonstrances.  The 
abbess,  however,  was  one  of  those  whose  determination 
is  only  strengthened  by  opposition,  and,  ignoring  the 
arguments  and  entreaties  of  Madame  de  Fretteville,  she 
tormented  her  father  with  demands  for  the  recall  of 
Pere  Ledoux.  But  the  Regent,  although,  since  the  death 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  he  had  shown  much  affection 
for  Mile.  d'Orleans,  remained  inflexible ;  upon  which  she 
revenged  herself  by  making  matters  so  unpleasant  for 
her  former  favourite  that  she  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
convent. 

After  this,  the  abbess  seems  to  have  decided  that  she 
had  gone  far  enough  in  defiance  of  her  father,  and,  while 


272  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

declining  to  abandon  her  heterodox  views,  she,  in  other 
ways,  neglected  nothing  in  order  to  please  him  and  to 
attract  him  to  Chelles,  which  he  soon  fell  into  the  habit 
of  visiting  at  least  once  a  week.  With  this  object,  she 
proceeded  to  give  full  scope  to  that  taste  for  worldly 
pursuits  which  she  had  carried  with  her  into  the  cloister, 
and  to  transform  her  abbey  from  a  monastic  retreat  into 
a  kind  of  country-house.  The  narrow,  gloomy  cells  of 
the  nuns  gave  place  to  light  and  airy  rooms  ;  the  parlours 
were  converted  into  veritable  boudoirs ;  the  gardens 
lost  the  somewhat  severe  aspect  which  they  had  main- 
tained for  centuries,  and  beds  of  gorgeous  flowers,  sanded 
paths,  and  delightful  arbours  appeared  everywhere ; 
the  latest  books,  pamphlets,  and  gazettes  were  ordered 
from  Paris  ;  fine  horses  and  elegant  equipages  occupied 
the  stables,  and  the  abbess,  accompanied  by  some  of  the 
more  favoured  nuns,  might  frequently  be  seen  riding  and 
driving  about  the  neighbourhood  ;  skilled  pyrotechnists 
were  installed  in  the  convent  to  prepare  the  fireworks 
which  constituted  one  of  the  principal  amusements  of  the 
reverend  Mother ;  the  religious  ceremonies  assumed  the 
character  of  musical  fetes  ;  and  dramatic  representations 
were  organised — not  the  religious  tragedies  which  had 
been  performed  before  Louis  XIV.  and  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon  at  Saint-Cyr,  but  the  most  passionate  of  Racine's 
plays,  in  which  the  youngest  and  prettiest  of  the  nuns 
and  novices  took  part. 

The  activities  of  the  abbess  herself  were  as  manifold 
as  those  of  her  father.  She  worked  at  embroideries  and 
tapestries ;  she  made  wigs  for  the  plays  performed  at 
Chelles  with  her  own  hands ;  she  practised  pistol- 
shooting  ;  she  played  and  sang  ;  she  studied  chemistry, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  273 

physics,  and  even  surgery,  and  is  said  to  have  attained 
some  skill  in  the  use  of  surgical  instruments. 

The  Regent  came  frequently  to  Chelles  ;  and  in  his 
wake  followed  a  constant  stream  of  visitors  from  the  gay 
world,  eager  to  assist  at  the  singular  spectacle  of  pious 
recluses  declaiming  the  most  amorous  sentiments  ;  to 
enjoy  the  delightful  msiuc,  and  to  partake  of  the  sump- 
tuous repasts  which  the  abbess  provided  for  them ; 
while,  on  their  side,  the  chansonniers  hastened  to  sharpen 
their  pens  to  describe,  or  rather  to  travesty,  the  life  of 
this  singular  community. 

"  De  l'abbaye 
Ou  reside  Venus, 

Nonne  jolie, 
Disant  peu  d'oremus, 
Loin  des  soins  superfius, 
Ne  songeant  tout  au  plus 
Q'a  bien  passer  la  vie, 

Fait  bons  les  revenus 

De  l'abbaye. 

"  Du  monastere 
L'amoureux  directeur 
En  1'art  de  plaire 
Vient  instruire  chaque  soeur. 
L'amour  gagne  les  coeurs 
Par  des  attraits  trompeurs. 
C'est  la  regie  severe 
Que  maintient  en  vigueur 
Le  monastere. 


"  Pour  tout  office 
On  goute  tous  les  jours 

Mille  delices, 
Q'assaisonne  1' Amour. 


274  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 


Chaque  instant  sur  le  coeur 
II  repand  ses  faveurs. 
A  ce  dieu  si  propice 
Elles  livrent  leurs  coeurs 
Pour  tout  office."  1 


In  the  midst  of  these  worldly  distractions,  the  abbess 
appears  to  have  preserved  the  purity  of  her  morals,  but 
it  must  be  admitted  that  she  furnished  calumny  with 
arms  ;  and,  needless  to  say,  calumny  did  not  fail  to  turn 
them  to  account.  She  was  accused  of  filling  the  place  in 
the  Regent's  affections  which  had  been  attributed  to  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry ;  of  practising  the  vices  of  ancient 
Greece ;  of  a  gallantry  with  the  Due  de  Richelieu,  who 
was  said  to  have  entered  the  convent  in  disguise,  and  of 
a  more  durable  love-affair  with  her  intendant  Augeard, 
who  was  "  amiable  and  young."  2 

Although  there  was  probably  not  a  grain  of  truth  in 
any  of  these  reports,  the  worldly,  agitated  life  which  the 
young  lady  led  was  reprehensible  enough  in  all  conscience 
for  the  superior  of  a  monastic  community,  and  con- 
stituted a  very  grave  scandal.  Happily,  it  did  not  last 
many  months  ;  for  it  was  impossible  for  this  restless, 
impulsive  creature  to  be  content  with  anything  for  very 
long.  "  Sometimes  austere  to  excess,  sometimes  with 
nothing  of  religion  about  her  save  the  robe  ;  musician, 
surgeon,  theologian,  directrice,  and  all  that  by  leaps  and 
bounds,  though  accompanied  by  much  intelligence ; 
always  fatigued  and  disgusted  by  her  different  situations  ; 
incapable  of  persevering  in  any  of  them."     Such  is  the 

1  Recueil  Maurepas,  cited  by  Barthelemy. 

2  Duclos,  Me"moires  secrets. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  275 

portrait  which  Saint-Simon  draws  of  her  ;  and  soon,  by 
a  natural  reaction,  she  abandoned  this  life  of  pleasure 
for  one  of  excessive  piety.  Perhaps,  the  remonstrances 
of  her  exiled  almoner,  Pere  Ledoux,  the  only  person  who 
possessed  any  real  influence  over  her,  contributed  to  this 
startling  transformation  ;  possibly,  it  may  have  been 
partly  brought  about  by  chagrin  at  the  futility  of  her 
efforts  to  obtain  that  ascendancy  over  her  father  of  which 
she  had  dreamed.  Any  way,  she  passed  on  a  sudden  from 
dissipation  to  austerity,  and  turned  with  a  new  ardour 
towards  Jansenism.  "  Her  progress  in  the  spiritual  life 
was  such  that  she  broke  one  morning,  in  an  access  of 
devotion,  all  her  musical  instruments,  and  made  of  them 
a  great  fire,  which  she  lighted  with  her  sheets  of  profane 
music.  She  gave  no  more  suppers  or  collations  except  to 
simple  nuns,  and  meditated  upon  death  to  such  a  degree 
that  she  decided  one  evening,  at  ten  o'clock,  on  rising 
from  table,  to  go  and  visit  her  place  in  the  tomb  which 
she  had  had  excavated  for  her.  Each  of  the  nuns,  torch 
in  hand,  accompanied  her  into  the  church  ;  they  caused 
the  vault  to  be  opened  and  descended.  She  tried  her  bed, 
and  appeared  satisfied  with  her  future  habitation."1 

The  public,  it  is  to  be  feared,  was  more  amused  than 
edified  by  this  metamorphosis,  with  regard  to  the  per- 
manence of  which  it  was  not  unnaturally  somewhat 
sceptical,  and  the  chansonniers  did  not  fail  to  make  merry 
at  the  expense  of  the  abbess  : 

"  Que  dans  vos  yeux  Jansenius 

Trouve  de  fortes  armes  ! 
Que  la  bulle  U nigenitus 

Tient  peu  contre  vos  charmes  ! 

1  Soulavie,  Memoires  du  due  de  Richelieu. 


276  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

Pour  vous  plaire,  Iris,  de  bon  cceur 

Je  me  ferais  janseniste  ; 
Mais  ayez  pour  moi  la  douceur 

D'une  ame  moliniste. 

"  Je  vois  l'Amour  arme  de  traits 

Qui  vous  suit  a  la  trace  ; 
De  votre  air  vif,  brillant  et  frais 

La  grace  est  efficace. 
Je  soutiendrai  ce  dogme-la, 

Et  ma  these  est  publique, 
Quand  on  devrait  chez  Loyola 

M'appeler  heretique."  1 

"  Iris,"  however,  did  not  persevere  the  less  in  her 
Jansenist  zeal,  and,  exasperated  against  the  chiefs  of  the 
Jesuit  faction,  who  had  persuaded  the  Regent  to  exile 
Ledoux,  she  posed  as  the  protectress  of  all  whom  they 
persecuted,  and  opened  to  them  the  gates  of  Chelles. 

But,  in  the  midst  of  this  return  to  devotion,  a  great 
weariness  of  the  career  she  had  chosen  came  upon  her, 
and  a  report  was  current  that  she  intended  to  petition 
the  Holy  See  to  relieve  her  of  her  vows.  "  The  Abbess 
of  Chelles,"  writes  Mathieu  Marais,  in  December  1720, 
"  is  bored  in  her  abbey,  and  is  coming  to  pass  some 
time  at  the  Val-de-Grace,  where  she  will  be  nearer  the 
Court  and  expedients  to  return  there,  if  that  be  possible." 

There  was  no  truth  in  the  report  that  Mile.  d'Orleans 
desired  to  renounce  the  religious  life,  but  she  was  cer- 
tainly tired  of  Chelles,  where  it  is  not  unlikely  that  she 
was  experiencing  considerable  difficulty  in  enforcing 
discipline,  the  bonds  of  which  had  been  so  much  relaxed 
that  it  must  have  been  no  easy  task  to  draw  them  tight 
again.    Any  way,  to  the  Val-de-Gra.ce  she  came,  and,  the 

1  M.  Victor  du  Bled,  la  Societe  franfaise  du  XVI'  sitcle  au' ' XXe 
sidcle,  Serie  4'. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  277 

office  of  abbess  of  that  celebrated  community  being  then 
vacant,  obtained  authorisation  from  the  Regent  to  occupy 
it  temporarily,  while  retaining  her  title  of  Abbess  of 
Chelles,  the  direction  of  the  latter  convent  being  under- 
taken by  one  of  her  favourites  there,  whom  she  had 
been  permitted  to  nominate  in  her  place. 

The  nuns  of  the  Val-de-Grace,  a  community  which 
had  always  prided  themselves  on  the  regularity  and 
decorum  which  prevailed  among  them,  were  very  far 
from  gratified  by  the  arrival  of  a  young  lady  who  had 
already  contrived  to  make  herself  so  notorious  ;  nor 
were  they  any  the  more  favourably  disposed  towards 
their  new  superior  when  they  saw  her  resume  some  of  the 
eccentricities  which  had  marked  the  early  months  of  her 
reign  at  Chelles,  installing  herself  in  an  apartment 
separated  completely  from  the  common  dormitory, 
establishing  a  most  sumptuous  table,  and  '  very  fre- 
quently sending  very  late  at  night  to  order  pieces  of 
pastry  from  a  neighbouring  pastry-cook,  who  brought 
them  to  the  abbey  at  unseasonable  hours."1  These 
things  the  good  Sisters  were  compelled  to  tolerate,  but 
they  demanded  and  obtained  of  Mile.  d'Orleans,  as  a 
special  favour,  that  when  her  father  came  to  see  her,  he 
should  do  so  without  any  suite  and  enter  the  convent 
absolutely  alone. 

The  Regent,  in  fact,  came  often  to  see  his  daughter, 
whose  return  to  worldliness  was  of  very  brief  dura- 
tion, and  who  speedily  returned  to  devotion,  ad- 
monished him  severely  on  the  wickedness  of  his  ways, 
and  endeavoured  to  persuade  him  to  lead  a  different  life. 
Becoming  more  fervidly  Jansenist  than  ever,  she  plunged 

1  Buvat,  Journal  de  la  Regence,  May  1722. 


278  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

with  renewed  ardour  into  religious  controversy,  in  which 
she  proved  herself  no  mean  adversary  ;  and  Mathieu 
Marais  cites  a  letter  of  hers  in  response  to  one  fromjFrancois 
de  Chamilly,  Archbishop  of  Tours,  a  partisan  of  the 
Jesuits,  which  proves  that  she  wielded  a  vigorous  pen, 
and  was  capable  of  dealing  some  uncommonly  shrewd 
blows.  She  was,  too,  particularly  indignant  at  the 
scandalous  manner  in  which  the  Regent  disposed  of  his 
ecclesiastical  patronage,  bestowing  bishoprics  and  abbeys 
without  taking  the  smallest  account  of  the  merits  of  the 
recipients  ;  and  at  the  distribution  of  benefices  in  1723, 
in  which  he  showed  even  more  than  his  usual  indifference, 
and  promoted  several  persons  notoriously  unfit  to  hold 
any  sacred  office,  she  addressed  to  him  a  remonstrance 
couched  in  the  strongest  possible  terms,  "  which  fright- 
ened him,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  and  which,  however, 
he  read  and  reread  twice.  It  was  admirable,"  he  con- 
tinues, "  both  on  the  choice  of  the  subject  and  on  the 
abuse  which  he  made  of  it,  and  threatened  him  with  the 
anger  of  God,  who  would  chastise  him  promptly.  He  was 
sufficiently  moved  by  it  to  speak  of  it,  and  even  to  allow 
it  to  be  seen ;  but  I  do  not  know  whether  he  profited  by  it. 
He  had  not  time  to  do  so." 

A  few  days  later,  in  fact,  Philippe  d'OrMans  was 
stricken  with  apoplexy,  and  expired  in  the  arms  of  his 
latest  favourite,  Madame  de  Phalaris  (December  23, 1723). 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  fourth  daughter  of 
the  Regent — Negotiations  concluded  for  the  marriage  of  Louis  XV . 
to  the  Infanta,  Ana  Victoria,  and  for  that  of  Don  Luis,  Prince  of 
the  Asturias,  to  Mile,  de  Montpensier — Embassy  of  Saint-Simon  to 
Madrid— Festivities  in  Paris— Departure  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier 
for  Spain — Character  of  this  princess — Her  portrait  by  Madame — 
Her  journey  to  the  frontier — The  exchange  of  the  princesses — 
Meeting  with  Philip  V.  and  Don  Luis  at  Cogollos — The  marriage  : 
an  ignorant  cardinal — Saint- Simon  obtains  the  public  "  consumma- 
tion "  of  the  marriage — Letter  of  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias  to  her 
father— Philip  V.  and  Elizabeth  Farnese— Influence  of  the  Queen 
over  her  husband— Their  daily  life— Severity  of  Philip  V.  towards 
transgressors  of  the  moral  law — Illness  of  the  princess — Anxieties 
of  the  King  and  Queen — Extraordinary  behaviour  of  the  princess — 
She  obstinately  refuses  to  attend  the  State  ball  to  be  given  in  her 
honour — Saint-Simon's  interview  with  her — The  ball  is  abandoned 
— Conclusion  of  Saint-Simon's  embassy— Incredible  vulgarity  of  the 
princess  at  his  farewell  audience — Improvement  in  her  conduct — 
Affection  of  Don  Luis  for  her — Abdication  of  Philip  V. 

WHILE  the  three  elder  daughters  of  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  were  making  so  much  stir 
in  the  world,  their  three  younger  sisters,  Miles,  de  Mont- 
pensier, de  Beaujolais,  and  de  Chartres,  born  respectively 
in  1709,  1714,  and  1716,  were  still  in  the  schoolroom  or 
the  nursery.  However,  in  the  winter  of  1721-22,  the 
first  of  these  young  ladies,  notwithstanding  that  she  had 
scarcely  attained  her  twelfth  year,  found  herself  promoted 
to  a  most  exalted  position. 

After  the  fall  of  Alberoni  (November  171 9)  and  the 
enforced  adhesion  of  Philip  V.  to  the  Quadruple  Alliance 
(May  1720),  the  disposition  of  the  Regent  and  Dubois 
towards  Spain  underwent  a  change,  and  they  determined 

279 


280  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

to  endeavour  to  convert  the  rapprochement  to  which  they 
had  constrained  her  into  an  intimate  alliance,  and  to 
renew  by  marriages  the  almost  broken  relations  between 
the  two  great  branches  of  the  House  of  Bourbon. 

Meanwhile  Philip  V.  had  turned  his  eyes  towards  the 
Court  of  Vienna,  and  in  May  1720  he  made  overtures  to 
the  Emperor,  with  the  view  of  marrying  Don  Luis, 
Prince  of  the  Asturias,  to  the  eldest  archduchess,  who 
would  inherit  her  father's  Flemish  and  Italian  dominions, 
and  his  second  son,  the  Infant  Don  Fernando,  to  the 
second  archduchess,  heiress  of  the  German  and  Austrian 
States.  These  propositions,  however,  were  but  coldly 
received  by  Charles  VI.,  and  the  negotiations  dragged 
slowly  on  for  nearly  a  year,  when  the  indifference  shown 
by  the  Emperor  began  to  cause  his  Catholic  Majesty 
serious  umbrage.  It  was  then  that  Dubois,  who  had  not 
failed  to  keep  himself  informed  of  these  manoeuvres, 
decided  to  profit  by  Philip's  dissatisfaction  to  detach 
him  altogether  from  Austria,  by  offering  him  at  Versailles 
the  double  marriage  which  he  was  seeking  at  Vienna 
that  is  to  say,  a  marriage  between  Louis  XV.  and  the 
King  of  Spain's  only  daughter,  the  Infanta  Ana 
Victoria,  and  another  between  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias 
and  the  Regent's  eldest  unmarried  daughter,  Mile,  de 
Montpensier.  These  alliances  were  much  to  be  desired 
by  the  House  of  Orleans.  In  the  first  place,  the  tender 
age  of  the  Infanta — she  was  only  three  years  old — meant 
that  years  must  elapse  before  the  birth  of  a  prince  in  the 
direct  line  of  succession.  In  the  second,  since  Don  Luis 
was  reported  to  resemble  his  father  "  as  closely  as  one 
drop  of  water  resembles  another,"  he  would  probably, 
like  Philip  V.,  allow  himself  to  be  governed  by  his  wife  ; 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  281 

and  the  Due  d'Orleans  might  therefore  reckon  that,  in 
the  event  of  the  death  of  Louis  XV.,  his  daughter  would 
be  able  to  prevent  her  husband  from  disputing  the  title 
of  the  Regent  or  the  Due  de  Chartres  to  the  throne,  or 
from  aiding  his  younger  brothers  to  do  so. 

The  Marquis  de  Maulevrier,  the  French  Ambassador  at 
Madrid,  was  accordingly  instructed  to  sound  the  Spanish 
Court  on  the  matter,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  inform 
the  King  that  the  French  Government  was  aware  of  his 
negotiations  with  Vienna.  Philip  V.  did  not  hesitate  to 
admit  them,  saying  that  he  had  believed  that  they  might 
conduce  to  the  advantage  of  his  family.  He  added  that 
he  did  not  refuse  the  propositions  which  had  been  made 
to  him  ;  that  he  was  much  touched  by  them,  and  that  in 
a  little  while  he  would  show  the  attachment  that  he  bore 
the  land  of  his  birth. 

His  Majesty  was,  indeed,  highly  pleased  at  the  prospect 
of  giving  an  infanta  to  Louis  XV. ;  while  the  Queen, 
Elizabeth  Farnese,  the  "  Termagant  of  Spain,"1  was 
equally  gratified  at  the  idea  of  seeing  the  crown  matri- 
monial of  France  upon  her  daughter's  head.  As  for  the 
proposal  that  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  should  marry  Mile, 
de  Montpensier,  this,  as  binding  the  two  countries  still 
closer  together  and  assuring  to  the  King  and  Queen  the 
goodwill  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  was  scarcely  less  welcome. 
Early  in  July,  Pere  Daubenton,  Philip  V.'s  confessor, 
who  had  warmly  supported  Dubois  in  this  matter, 
informed  Maulevrier  that  since  the  end  of  March  nego- 
tiations with  the  Emperor  had  entirely  ceased,  and  that 
his  Catholic  Majesty  was  more  and  more  resolved  to  live 
on  terms  of  close  friendship  with  the  Due  d'Orleans. 

1   Carlylc,  Frederick  the  Great. 


282  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

This  intelligence  was  presently  confirmed  by  the  King 
himself,  and,  finally,  on  the  26th,  the  Prime  Minister, 
Grimaldo,  visited  the  French  Ambassador  to  demand, 
in  his  master's  name,  the  hand  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier 
for  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  and  to  propose  the  marriage 
of  the  Infanta  with  Louis  XV. 

The  same  day,  Maulevrier  sent  off  a  courier  to  Paris, 
with  despatches  which  were  naturally  received  with  the 
liveliest  satisfaction  by  the  Regent  and  Dubois,  but  with 
much  less  pleasure  by  the  eleven-year-old  King,  who 
wept  at  the  idea  of  taking  to  wife  a  child  of  three.  How- 
ever, his  preceptor,  Fleury,  the  future  cardinal,  eventually 
succeeded  in  obtaining  from  him  a  reluctant  consent. 

The  preliminaries  were  soon  concluded.  It  was  decided 
that  the  Infanta  should  be  sent  to  France,  to  be  brought 
up  there  until  she  should  reach  a  marriageable  age  ;  the 
marriage  of  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  and  Mile,  de  Mont- 
pensier was,  however,  to  take  place  as  soon  as  the  latter 
arrived  in  Spain.  Louis  XV.  promised  Mile,  de  Mont- 
pensier a  dowry  of  500,000  ecus  ;  the  Regent  one  of  40,000, 
partly  in  specie  and  partly  in  jewels  ;  and  Philip  V.  was 
to  provide  his  daughter-in-law  with  jewels  to  the  value 
of  50,000  6cus.  The  announcement  of  the  latter  alliance, 
Saint-Simon  tells  us,  produced  the  utmost  consternation 
among  the  cabal  opposed  to  the  Regent,  which  had 
always  sought  on  the  other  side  of  the  Pyrenees  for  the 
means  of  compassing  his  overthrow,  and  had  fondly 
imagined  the  enmity  between  him  and  Philip  V.  to  be 
altogether  irreconcilable.  "  Men,  women,  people  of  all 
conditions,  who  belonged  to  that  cabal  lost  all  counten- 
ance. It  was  a  pleasure  to  me,  I  admit  it,  to  look  upon. 
They  were  utterly  disconcerted." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  283 

On  October  23,  Saint-Simon,  in  the  character  of  Am- 
bassador Extraordinary,  set  out  for  Madrid,  to  make 
the  formal  demand  for  the  hand  of  the  Infanta.  The 
duke  had  been  invested  by  the  Regent  with  this  mission 
at  his  own  request,  greatly  to  the  annoyance  of  Dubois, 
who  hated  him,  and  who,  Saint-Simon  assures  us,  did 
his  best  to  ruin  him,  by  insisting  that  he  should  be 
accompanied  by  a  suite  out  of  all  proportion  to  that 
which  the  occasion  demanded  and  dressed  with  un- 
paralleled magnificence. 

A  week  later,  the  Duque  de  Ossuna  arrived  from 
Madrid  on  a  similar  mission,  and  signalised  his  arrival 
by  giving  a  succession  of  splendid  fetes  and  displays 
of  fireworks,  which  appear  to  have  greatly  delighted 
the  Parisians.  On  November  13,  he  formally  demanded 
of  the  King  the  hand  of  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  and 
on  the  15th  the  marriage-contract  was  signed  at  the 
Tuileries,  with  great  ceremony,  after  which  Louis  XV. 
proceeded  to  the  Palais-Royal  to  compliment  his  cousin. 
On  the  1 6th,  there  was  a  ball  at  the  Opera  and  a  grand 
fete  at  the  Palais-Royal,  "  which  was  illuminated  outside 
as  well  as  in,  and  at  which  there  was  a  superb  collation 
of  fruits  and  sweetmeats,  and  so  great  a  profusion  of 
liquors  that  in  the  morning  they  threw  what  remained 
out  of  the  window  in  buckets.  The  cost  amounted  to 
840,000  livres."1  On  the  morrow,  Mile,  de  Montpensier 
received  the  Marechal  de  Villeroi,  Louis  XV.  's  gouverneur, 
who  came  to  bid  her  adieu  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty, 
the  Ambassadors,  and  the  Provost  of  the  Merchants  and 
the  sheriffs,  who  presented  her,  on  behalf  of  the  town, 
with  six  baskets  covered  with  white  taffeta,  containing 

1  Buvat. 


284  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

tapers,  candles,  and  dried  fruits.  The  baskets  were  carried 
by  six  archers,  who  received  from  the  princess  twenty 
louis  for  their  trouble.  A  like  present  was  offered  to  the 
Duque  de  Ossuna,  who  gave  the  archers  twelve  louis. 

These  ceremonies  concluded,  Mile,  de  Montpensier 
entered  her  carriage,  with  her  father  and  brother,  her 
gouvernante  the  Comtesse  de  Cheverny,  the  Duchesse  de 
Ventadour,  and  the  Princesse  de  Soubise,  who  had  been 
appointed  gouvernante  to  the  Infanta,  and  set  out  for 
Spain.  She  was  followed  by  a  most  imposing  suite, 
which  was  to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  accompanying 
her  to  the  Spanish  frontier  and  the  Infanta  from  Bayonne 
to  Paris.  The  escort  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
gendarmes,  whom  the  Prince  de  Rohan-Soubise,  selected 
to  receive  the  Infanta,  had  equipped  superbly  at  his  own 
expense,  and  a  detachment  of  eight  Gardes  du  Corps.  The 
Regent  and  the  Due  de  Chartres  left  her  at  Bourg-la- 
Reine  and  returned  to  Paris,  and  the  princess  continued 
her  journey  to  Arpajon,  where  she  was  to  pass  the  night, 
and  where  some  impudent  thieves  profited  by  the  care- 
lessness of  the  escort  to  carry  off  several  trunks  from  the 
waggons  and  nearly  a  dozen  pieces  of  silver  plate. 

Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  the 
young  princess  who  thus  suddenly  found  herself  thrust 
into  such  prominence,  was  born  on  December  n,  1709, 
and  had  therefore  not  yet  completed  her  twelfth  year. 
Much  as  her  elder  sisters  had  suffered  from  the  deplorable 
indifference  of  their  parents  during  their  early  years, 
she  had  suffered  still  more;  indeed,  her  education  was 
utterly  neglected.  Before  she  was  seven  years  old,  she 
was  withdrawn  from  the  Benedictine  convent  of  Saint- 
Paul,   near  Beauvais,   where   she   might    at   least   have 


Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  (Mi. i.e.  de  Montpensier), 
Princess  of  the  Asturias,  afterwards  Queen  of  Spain 

From  the  painting  by  Juan  Rank,  in  the  Museum  of  the  Prado 


c        « 

■ 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  285 

learned  something,  and  thenceforth  appears  to  have 
received  scarcely  any  instruction  at  all,  scholastic,  moral, 
or  religious  ;  not  even  ordinary  good  manners  ;  and, 
since  she  lacked  the  intelligence  which  might  have 
counterbalanced  to  some  degree  the  effects  of  this 
criminal  neglect,  she  had  developed  into  one  of  the  most 
ignorant,  disagreeable,  and  worst-behaved  little  girls 
possible  to  conceive.  Here  is  the  portrait  which  her 
grandmother  has  left  us  of  her  : 

"  I  cannot  say  that  Mile,  de  Montpensier  is  ugly  ;  she 
has  fine  eyes,  a  delicate  white  skin,  a  well-formed  nose, 
although  a  trifle  thin,  and  a  very  small  mouth.  With  all 
that,  she  is  the  most  disagreeable  person  that  I  have 
ever  seen  in  my  life.  In  all  her  actions,  whether  she  is 
speaking,  eating,  or  drinking,  she  is  insupportable.  She 
did  not  shed  a  tear  on  leaving  us,  and  hardly  bade  us 
farewell." 

Such  was  the  princess  whom  the  chances  of  politics 
were  about  to  throw  into  the  midst  of  the  most  austere 
and  punctilious  Court  in  Europe. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Mile,  de  Montpensier's  jour- 
ney should  occupy  a  month,  such  being  the  time  which  it 
was  calculated  the  Infanta  would  require  to  reach  the 
frontier.  But  the  Spaniards  travelled  in  such  leisurely 
fashion  that  the  time  allotted  the  French  cortege  had  to 
be  considerably  extended,  and  the  princess  was  able 
to  spend  three  days  at  both  Poitiers  and  Bordeaux,  at 
which  latter  city  she  met  with  a  magnificent  reception. 
At  Bayonne,  she  visited  Maria  Anna  of  Neuburg,  the 
widow  of  Charles  II.  of  Spain,  who  received  her  with 
great  kindness,  made  her  sit  in  an  arm-chair  similar  to  her 
own,  and  gave  her  several  costly  presents :  a  very  valuable 


286  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

diamond,  a  watch,  a  snuff-box  encrusted  with  diamonds, 
and  a  commode  filled  with  Chinese  porcelain.  Finally, 
on  January  9,  1722,  she  reached  the  northern  bank  of 
the  Bidassoa,  facing  the  lie  des  Faisans,  at  the  same 
time  as  the  Infanta,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  Marques 
de  Santa-Cruz,  major-domo  of  the  Queen's  Household, 
and  her  camerara  mayor,  the  Duquessa  de  Montellano, 
appeared  on  the  farther  shore. 

At  midday  on  the  morrow,  the  exchange  of  princesses 
was  carried  out  with  great  ceremony. 

A 

In  the  middle  of  the  lie  des  Faisans,  the  northern  por- 
tion of  which  was  French  territory,  and  the  southern 
Spanish,  a  wooden  pavilion,  handsomely  furnished,  had 
been  erected,  consisting  of  two  apartments,  one  on  the 
side  of  France,  the  other  on  that  of  Spain,  separated  by 
a  salon,  in  which  the  exchange  was  to  take  place.  A 
bridge  of  boats  connected  the  two  banks  with  the  island. 
The  river  was  covered  with  boats,  gay  with  flags  and 
crowded  with  people. 

The  Prince  de  Rohan  gave  his  hand  to  Mile,  de  Mont- 
pensier  as  she  alighted  from  her  carriage,  and  conducted 
her  to  her  apartment.  At  the  same  moment,  the  little 
Infanta,  escorted  by  the  Marques  de  Santa-Cruz,  entered 
hers.  After  the  princesses  had  rested  awhile,  they  entered 
the  salon,  and  took  their  places  on  opposite  sides  of  a 
table  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  The  Prince  de 
Rohan  was  on  Mile,  de  Montpensier's  right ;  the  Duchesse 
de  Ventadour  and  the  Princesse  de  Soubise  on  her  left. 
The  Marques  de  Santa-Cruz  and  the  Duquesa  de  Mon- 
tellano occupied  similar  positions  next  the  Infanta. 

The  various  documents  connected  with  the  exchange 
having  been  examined  and  approved  on  the  previous 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  287 

evening,  it  was  not  judged  necessary  to  read  them  in 
their  entirety.  They  were  therefore  merely  summarized, 
and  then  presented  and  signed.  The  Prince  de  Rohan 
made  a  complimentary  speech,  thanking  the  Spaniards, 
in  the  name  of  Louis  XV.,  for  the  care  which  they  had 
taken  of  the  precious  person  of  the  Infanta  ;  to  which 
the  Marques  de  Santa-Cruz  replied.  The  princesses  em- 
braced and  were  reconducted  to  their  apartments,  and, 
after  presents  had  been  distributed,  they  left  the  island 
and  resumed  their  respective  journeys,  Mile,  de  Mont- 
pensier  being  now  accompanied  only  by  Spaniards,  with 
the  exception  of  her  gouvernante  Madame  de  Cheverny, 
who,  however,  was  to  leave  her  at  Lerma,  where  their 
Catholic  Majesties  and  her  fiance  were  awaiting  her. 

The  Infanta  had  occupied  thirty-five  days  to  traverse 
the  distance  between  Lerma  and  the  Bidassoa,  but,  in 
obedience  to  the  repeated  orders  of  Philip  V.,  who  was 
impatient  to  behold  his  future  daughter-in-law,  the 
Marques  de  Santa-Cruz  used  such  expedition  that  it 
was  now  accomplished  in  ten  ;  and  on  January  19  the 
French  princess  arrived  at  Cogollos,  four  leagues  from 
Lerma. 

The  King  immediately  sent  the  Duque  del  Arco,  his 
grand  equerry,  to  compliment  the  princess  in  his  name. 
He  himself  and  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  followed  in  the 
duke's  suite,  in  an  ordinary  carriage.  On  reaching 
Cogollos,  Del  Arco,  having  warned  Mile,  de  Montpensier's 
attendants  not  to  betray  the  incognito  of  the  illustrious 
travellers,  addressed  to  the  young  lady  a  long  harangue, 
in  order  to  enable  the  King  and  the  prince  to  study  her 
at  their  leisure.  Then  he  demanded  permission  to  present 
to  her  Highness  two  gentlemen  of  his  suite,  who  were 


288  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

extremely  anxious  to  pay  their  respects  to  her  ;  and 
Philip  V.  and  his  son  stepped  forward  to  salute  her, 
when  one  of  the  princess's  ladies  "  spoiled  the  mystery," 
by  uttering  an  exclamation  of  astonishment.  Made- 
moiselle de  Montpensier  thereupon  "  threw  herself  upon 
the  hands  of  the  newcomers  to  kiss  them,  and  was 
immediately  embraced  by  them."  The  King  and  Don 
Luis  then  entered  the  princess's  carriage,  and  the  cortege 
set  out  for  Lerma,  where,  after  the  princess  had  been 
presented  to  Elizabeth  Farnese,  the  marriage  was  cele- 
brated. 

It  was  productive  of  an  incident  which  proved  too 
much  for  even  the  gravity  of  the  solemn  Spanish  Court. 
The  Cardinal  Borgia,  whose  duty  it  was  to  pronounce  the 
nuptial  benediction,  happened  to  be  quite  ignorant  of  the 
ceremonial,  and  was,  in  consequence,  terribly  alarmed 
when  informed  that  the  marriage  was  to  take  place 
forthwith.  Saint-Simon,  who  entered  the  chapel  some 
little  time  before  the  arrival  of  the  Court,  found  his 
Eminence  near  the  altar,  diligently  studying  his  lesson 
between  two  of  his  chaplains,  who  held  the  book  open  in 
front  of  him.  "  The  worthy  prelate,"  he  writes,  "  did 
not  know  how  to  read  ;  he  tried,  however,  and  read  aloud, 
but  incorrectly.  The  chaplains  corrected  him ;  he 
scolded  them  ;  recommenced  ;  was  again  corrected  ; 
again  grew  angry,  and  to  such  a  degree  that  he  turned 
round  upon  them  and  shook  them  by  their  surplices. 
I  laughed  as  much  as  I  pleased  ;  for  he  perceived  nothing, 
so  occupied  and  entangled  was  he  with  his  lesson." 

In  the  midst  of  this  little  comedy,  the  King  and  Queen, 
with  the  bridal  pair  and  all  the  Court,  arrived  at  the 
door  of  the  chapel,  where,  according  to  Spanish  custom, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  289 

the  service  began.  "  Let  them  wait,"  exclaimed  the 
angry  cardinal,  when  informed  of  their  Majesties'  ar- 
rival ;  "  I  am  not  ready."  And  wait  they  accordingly 
did,  while  his  Eminence  continued  his  lesson,  "  redder 
than  his  hat  and  still  furious.  At  last,  he  went  to  the 
door,  at  which  a  ceremony  took  place  which  lasted  some 
time.  Had  I  not  been  obliged  to  remain  at  my  post, 
curiosity  would  have  prompted  me  to  follow  him.  That 
I  lost  some  amusement  is  certain,  for  I  saw  the  King  and 
Queen  laughing  and  looking  at  their  prie-Dieu,  and  all 
the  Court  laughing  also.  .  .  .  The  poor  cardinal  caused 
more  and  more  amusement  while  continuing  the  cere- 
mony, during  which  he  neither  knew  where  he  was  nor 
what  he  was  doing,  being  interrupted  and  corrected 
every  moment  by  his  chaplains,  and  fuming  so  that 
neither  the  King  nor  the  Queen  could  contain  themselves. 
It  was  the  same  with  everybody  else  who  witnessed  the 
scene." 

In  the  evening,  there  was  a  grand  ball,  at  the  conclusion 
of  which  their  Majesties  and  the  whole  Court  conducted 
the  young  couple  to  their  chamber  and  saw  them  into 
bed. 

This  public  coucher  of  royal  persons,  though  practised 
in  almost  every  European  Court,  and  continued  in  France 
even  after  the  Restoration,1  was  entirely  contrary  to 
Spanish  custom,  a  fact  which  Saint-Simon  attributes  to 
"  the  gravity  and  modesty  of  the  Spaniards."  But,  as, 
owing  to  the  tender  age  of  the  princess,  it  had  been 
decided  that  she  should  not  live  with  her  husband  for  at 
least  two  years,  and,  from  the  political  point  of  view, 

1  See  the  author's  A  Princess  of  Adventure  (London,  Methuen  ;  New 
York,  Scribner,  191 1),  p.  60. 

U 


2go  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  Ambassador  was  not  without  uneasiness  as  to  the 
solidity  of  "  a  marriage  which  should  not  be  followed 
by,  at  any  rate,  a  presumed  consummation,"  he  had 
demanded  of  the  King,  notwithstanding  that  he  had  re- 
ceived no  instructions  from  his  Court  on  the  matter,  a 
ceremony  similar  to  that  of  which  Philip  V.  had  himself 
been  a  witness  at  the  marriage  of  the  Due  and  Duch- 
esse  de  Bourgogne  in  1697. 1  Their  Catholic  Majesties, 
he  tells  us,  permitted  him  to  speak  without  saying  a 
word,  and  then  looked  at  one  another  with  question- 
ing eyes.  Thereupon  Saint-Simon  addressed  to  them  a 
second  and  more  eloquent  harangue,  and,  after  con- 
sulting together  in  a  low  voice,  they  eventually  gave  a 
reluctant  consent. 

The  ceremony  was  carried  out  under  the  supervision 
of  Saint-Simon  himself,  who  declares  that  everything 
passed  off  exactly  as  he  desired,  that  is  to  say,  the  whole 
crowd  of  courtiers  was  admitted  to  see  the  two  chil- 
dren who  had  just  been  married  lying  in  a  state  bed, 
and  to  bear  witness  that  the  curtains  had  been  closed 
upon  them  in  the  presence  of  all.2  Immediately  after 
the  departure  of  the  Court,  the  prince  rose  and  was 
conducted  to  his  own  apartments.  Lemontey  assures 
us  that,  when  he  was  ordered  to  retire,  he  began  to  weep 
bitterly.3  The  same  night,  the  Chevalier  de  Peze,  an 
officer  in  the  cavalry  regiment  of  Saint-Simon,  was 
despatched  to  Versailles,  to  announce  the  "  consumma- 

1  See  the  author's  A  Rose  of  Savoy  (London,  Methuen  ;  New  York, 
Scribner,  1909),  p.  199. 

2  Saint-Simon  assures  us  that  when  it  was  known  that  there  was 
to  be  a  public  coucher,  "  there  appeared  only  surprise  ;  no  one  was 
displeased."  But,  according  to  Baudrillart  (Philippe  V.  et  la  cour  de 
France),  the  Spanish  nobles  were  "  profoundly  shocked." 

3  Histoire  de  la  Regence. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  291 

tion  "  of  the  marriage,  for  which  service  he  was  rewarded 
by  a  gratification  of  fifteen  thousand  livres. 

On  the  morrow,  the  new  Princess  of  the  Asturias  ad- 
dressed to  her  father  the  following  letter,  which  we  tran- 
scribe in  the  original,  in  order  that  the  reader  may  be 
able  to  judge,  by  its  style  and  orthography,  the  kind  of 
instruction  which  the  young  lady  had  received.  It  covers 
four  pages  of  unformed  characters  : 

"  Mon  chere  papa,  avant  jere  le  roy  la  reine  et  le  prince 
me  vinre  voire  je  netoit  pas  encore  ariver  ici  le  lendemein 
gi  arriveret  je  fut  marie  le  meme  jour  cepandant  Hi  a  eu 
aujonrdhuit  encore  des  ceremonie  a  faire  le  rot  et  la  reine 
me  traite  fort  bien  pour  le  prince  vous  en  aves  ace  out  dire 
je  suis  avec  un  tres  profond  respec  voire  tres  heumble  et  tres 
obisante  file  Louise  Elisabeth."1 

The  Court  of  Spain,  where  ignorance  was  so  general 
that  it  might  almost  be  said  to  be  the  mode,  and  learning 
regarded  with  suspicion,  was  hardly  the  place  in  which 
one  might  expect  the  defects  in  the  young  princess's 
education  to  be  corrected  ;  while  its  dreary,  ceremonious 
existence  must  have  seemed  absolutely  intolerable  to  this 
wayward  child,  fresh  from  the  gaiety  and  freedom  of  the 
Palais-Royal. 

Philip  V.  was  a  taciturn,  melancholy,  austere  prince, 
a  recluse  and  a  devotee  by  taste  and  habits,  disliking 
society  and  caring  for  no  pleasure  save  shooting.  Thanks 
to  the  pains  which  had  been  expended  upon  his  education 
in  his  youth  by  the  celebrated  Fenelon,  he  was  well- 
read  and  intelligent,  and  his  sentiments  were  just  and 

1  Published  by  Lemontey,  les  Filles  du  Regent,  Revue  retrospective, 
Serie  I.,  torn.  i. 


2Q2  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

honourable.  But  his  character  was  feeble  in  the  extreme. 
"  He  was  born  to  be  governed,"  says  Lemontey,  "  and 
he  was  so  all  his  life."  He  had  been  governed  by  his 
first  wife,  Maria  Luisa  of  Savoy,  aided  by  the  counsels 
of  the  Princesse  des  Ursins,  and  he  was  governed  still 
more  effectively  by  his  present  consort,  of  whom,  indeed, 
he  had  become  merely  the  reflection. 

When,  on  the  day  of  the  late  Queen's  funeral,  Alberoni 
suggested  to  Madame  des  Ursins  that  they  should  re- 
commend the  bereaved  monarch  to  console  himself  with 
Elizabeth  Farnese— "  a  good-natured  Lombard  girl,  fat- 
tened on  butter  and  Parmesan  cheese,"  as  the  Minister 
rather  coarsely  described  her — and  Madame  des  Ursins,  in 
a  fatal  moment  for  herself,  consented,  they  assured  the 
fortune  of  one  of  the  cleverest  and  most  ambitious  women 
of  her  time.  Elizabeth  was  not  pretty,  in  fact,  her 
features  were  almost  ugly  ;  but  she  possessed  a  beautiful, 
if  rather  opulent  figure,  shapely  white  shoulders,  hands 
and  arms,  a  pleasant  voice,  and  a  delicious  smile,  which 
made  people  forget  the  plainness  of  her  face.  Before  she 
had  been  a  month  in  Spain — having  contrived,  by  an 
audacious  coup  de  main,  to  get  rid  of  Madame  des  Ursins 
en  route — she  dominated  the  feeble  Philip  entirely; 
though  she  neglected  nothing  to  please  him,  and,  by 
subordinating  her  own  inclinations  to  his  in  matters  of 
slight  importance,  prevented  him  from  realising  the 
extent  to  which  his  other  actions  were  guided  by 
her. 

Perceiving  that,  if  she  would  govern  Spain,  she  must 
have  the  King  continually  under  her  eye,  she  encouraged 
his  uxorious  proclivities  and  his  taste  for  seclusion,  with 
the  result  that   they  passed  their  time  in  an  eternal 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  293 

tete-d-tete,  and  led  a  life  of  almost  tragic  monotony.  The 
King  and  Queen  never  occupied  a  separate  bedchamber 
or  a  separate  bed.  No  night  was  ever  spent  apart,  and 
from  the  moment  when  Philip  was  roused  in  the  morning 
to  partake  of  that  weird  concoction  of  "  broth,  milk, 
wine,  yolk  of  egg,  sugar,  cinnamon  and  cloves,"  which 
Saint-Simon  has  described,  to  that  in  which  they  returned 
to  the  nuptial  couch — it  was  a  four-poster,  scarcely  four 
feet  wide,  and,  according  to  the  Spanish  custom,  very 
low — he  would  scarcely  allow  her  out  of  his  sight,  except 
on  the  days  when  the  Queen  confessed  ;  and  even  then, 
if  her  confession  happened  to  last  longer  than  usual,  his 
Majesty  would  open  the  door  and  call  her. 

In  this  way,  not  only  was  Elizabeth  enabled  to  sound 
her  husband  thoroughly,  to  know  him  by  heart,  so  to 
speak,  but  no  public  business  could  be  hidden  from  her. 
The  King  always  worked  in  her  presence,  never  other- 
wise ;  every  document  that  he  received  she  read  and 
discussed  with  him.  She  was  always  present  at  all  the 
private  audiences  that  he  gave,  whether  to  his  subjects 
or  to  the  foreign  Ambassadors.  Nothing  could  possibly 
escape  her. 

Of  the  customary  diversions  of  a  Court  there  were 
next  to  none,  for  though  the  Queen  was  naturally  of  a 
gay  and  lively  disposition,  it  was  an  essential  part  of  her 
policy  to  conform  in  all  things  to  her  husband's  tastes. 
State  balls  were  of  rare  occurrence  ;  though  the  King 
was  rather  partial  to  dancing,  and  sometimes  gave  an 
informal  dance  in  the  royal  apartments.  Theatrical 
entertainments  occasionally  took  place,  but  at  long 
intervals  ;  gambling  was  severely  discountenanced.  Of 
outdoor  pursuits,  hunting  was  impossible,  as  beasts  of 


294  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  chase  were  seldom  met  with  in  the  plains,  and  the 
ground  was  so  hard  and  rough  and  so  scored  with  crevices 
as  to  render  the  pastime  dangerous  for  both  dogs  and 
horses.  The  King,  however, went  shooting  almost  every  day 
from  April  till  February,  during  which  month  and  March 
a  close  time  was  allowed  the  game  ;  but,  as  he  was  now 
too  bulky  and  too  indolent  to  walk  any  distance,  his  shoot- 
ing-expeditions resolved  themselves  into  a  rather  disgust- 
ing kind  of  battue,  almost  every  conceivable  quadruped 
from  stags  to  pole-cats  being  driven  up  to  the  guns  and 
ruthlessly  slaughtered.  The  Queen  invariably  accom- 
panied the  King,  and  is  said  to  have  been  an  excellent 
shot,  even  bringing  down  pigeons — on  the  wing,  we  should 
perhaps  add.  At  these  battues,  it  was  contrary  to  eti- 
quette for  any  one  to  discharge  his  gun  until  the 
royal  pair  had  ceased  firing,  by  which  time  it  often  hap- 
pened that  there  was  nothing  left  to  shoot,  except 
wounded  animals.  Occasionally,  however,  their  Majesties 
graciously  permitted  some  highly-favoured  noblemen  to 
fire  at  the  same  time  as  themselves. 

During  the  remaining  two  months  of  the  year,  the 
King  contented  himself  with  a  daily  walk  and  a  game 
of  pall-mall,  the  Queen  following  as  he  played,  and 
applauding  or  condoling  with  him  as  the  occasion 
demanded. 

It  was  only  natural  that  some  of  the  younger  and 
sprightlier  members  of  this  dreary  Court  should  have 
occasionally  sought  relief  from  the  ennui  of  such  an 
existence  in  the  pleasures  of  gallantry.  But  they  did  so 
at  their  peril ;  for  Philip,  who  was  unswervingly  faithful 
to  his  consort,  had  no  indulgence  for  such  faults,  and 
disgraced   pitilessly   those  who   transgressed   the   moral 


Elizabeth  Farnese,  Queen  of  Spain 
From  an  engraving  by  Syfang 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  295 

law.1    The  old  Marechal  de  Tesse,  who  succeeded  Maule- 
vrier  as  French  Ambassador  at  the  Spanish  Court,  and 
who,  having  known   Philip  from  his  childhood,   could 
venture  to  speak  to  him  with  considerable  freedom,  was 
indignant  on  learning  that  the  King  had  deprived  of  his 
government  the  Marquis  de  Caylus,  a  French  nobleman 
who  had  followed  him  to  Spain  and  rendered  him  valu- 
able service,   on  an  accusation  of  immorality  brought 
against  him  by  a  monk.    "  Sire,"  said  he,  "  the  Dauphin, 
your  father,  and  the  King,  your  grandfather,  who  partook 
pretty  freely  of  game   of  this  kind,  believed,  however, 
that  there  were  only  two  sins  :   the  one,  to  eat  meat  on  a 
Friday  ;    the  other,   to  have  intercourse  with  women. 
Still,  Sire,  if  you  had  done  as  they,  I  should  pardon  you ; 
but,  for  my  part,  I  tell  you  plainly  that  there  is  more  sin 
in  believing  what  a  rascal  of  a  monk  asserts  than  in 
going  to  bed  with  three  women."    His  Majesty,  however, 
declined  to  view  the  matter  in  this  light. 

For  a  day  or  two  after  the  arrival  of  the  princess 
everything  seemed  to  promise  well.  Both  Philip  V.  and 
his  consort  gave  the  girl  a  most  affectionate  welcome  and 
overwhelmed  her  with  magnificent  presents.  Elizabeth 
Farnese,  in  particular,  appeared  to  be  delighted  with  her 
step-son's  bride,  and  on  the  day  of  her  arrival  told  Saint- 
Simon  joyfully  that  she  belonged  to  them  now  and  that 
they  would  know  how  to  take  good  care  of  her.  But 
this  illusion,  unhappily,  was  to  be  of  very  short  duration. 

1  An  exception  was  made  in  the  case  of  the  Marques  de  Santa-Cruz, 
whose  credit  survived  a  successful  affiliation  action  brought  against  him 
by  a  woman  of  the  middle-class.  But  he  was  a  great  favourite  with 
both  the  King  and  Queen,  and,  besides,  his  wife  had  obtained  a  divorce 
on  the  ground  of  impotence,  so  that  his  culpability  was  certainly  open 
to  question. 


296  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

The  long  journey  from  Paris,  undertaken  during  the 
most  inclement  season  of  the  year,  had  somewhat  severely 
tried  the  princess's  strength,  and  she  arrived  at  Lerma 
suffering  from  a  swelling  of  the  glands  of  the  neck,  which 
gave  her  much  pain.  At  first,  she  appeared  a  trifle  better, 
but  when  the  Court  returned  to  Madrid,  she  became  worse, 
and  a  rash  appeared,  which  greatly  alarmed  the  King, 
who  believed  that  she  was  suffering  from  smallpox,  a 
disease  of  which  he  entertained  a  morbid  dread.  Though 
assured  by  Saint-Simon  that  his  daughter-in-law  had 
already  had  both  smallpox  and  measles,1  he  refused  to 
visit  her  or  to  allow  the  Queen  or  Don  Luis  to  do  so,  and 
insisted  on  the  most  exaggerated  precautions  to  guard 
against  contagion.  Convinced  at  last  that  she  was 
merely  suffering  from  an  attack  of  erysipelas,  both  he 
and  Elizabeth  Farnese  went  to  see  her,  and  endeavoured 
to  atone  for  their  neglect  by  lavishing  upon  the  invalid 
all  kinds  of  attentions  ;  the  Queen  giving  her  her  food 
and  medicine  with  her  own  royal  hands.  But  soon  a  new 
fear  seized  them.  The  King  ordered  Saint-Simon  to  visit 
the  princess — which  he  had  hitherto  refrained  from  doing, 
aware  that  it  was  a  gross  violation  of  Spanish  etiquette 
for  a  man  to  see  a  lady  in  bed — and  to  examine  her  as 
closely  as  she  would  permit.  On  his  return,  he  was  sent 
for  by  Philip  V.,  whom  he  found,  as  usual,  with  the  Queen, 
and  speedily  perceived,  from  the  questions  which  they 
addressed  to  him,  that  they  suspected  that  the  sins  of  the 
father  were  being  visited  upon  the  child.  He  had  all  the 
difficulty  in  the  world  in  persuading  them  that  the  Regent, 
notwithstanding   the   irregularity    of   his   life,    enjoyed 

1  The  princess  had  had  smallpox  in  1719,  and  measles  in  the  follow- 
ing year. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  297 

excellent  health  ;  indeed,  although  they  protested  that 
the  Ambassador's  assurances  had  greatly  relieved  them, 
they  remained  very  uneasy  until  the  girl  was  pronounced 
convalescent. 

It  would  have  been  well  if  £lisabeth  d'Orleans,  whose 
health  was  soon  completely  re-established,  had  possessed 
as  sound  a  mind  as  she  did  a  body;  for  some  form  of 
mental  alienation,  aggravated,  no  doubt,  by  the  sufferings 
which  she  had  undergone  and  the  irksome  restraint  to 
which  she  had  been  subjected  during  her  convalescence, 
can  alone  explain  the  extraordinary  manner  in  which  she 
now  conducted  herself.  Although  the  Queen  had  shown 
her  great  kindness  and  attention  during  her  illness,  and 
although  it  was  but  a  few  steps  from  her  own  apartments 
to  those  of  her  Majesty,  she  obstinately  declined  to  go 
and  thank  her.  She  refused  to  see  her  doctors  ;  stormed 
at  her  ladies  when  they  attempted  to  reason  with  her, 
and  when  the  Queen,  who,  notwithstanding  her  daughter- 
in-law's  sullenness,  continued  to  pay  her  a  daily  visit, 
ventured  on  some  mild  remonstrances,  answered  her  with 
positive  rudeness. 

The  Queen,  in  despair,  sent  for  Saint-Simon  and  begged 
him  to  intervene.  The  Ambassador  endeavoured  to 
excuse  himself,  on  the  pretext  that  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  succeed  where  her  Majesty  had  failed  ;  but 
the  latter  insisted,  and  he  was  obliged  to  obey.  He  paid 
the  erring  damsel  two  or  three  visits,  without  getting 
any  reply  from  her  beyond  "  yes  "  and  "  no,"  and  not 
always  even  that ;  and  then,  losing  patience,  "  adopted 
the  expedient  of  saying  to  her  ladies,  in  her  presence,  what 
I  should  have  said  to  her  myself."  The  princess  listened 
with  sullen  indifference  to  this  "  veritable  lesson,"  and 


298  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

uttered  never  a  word ;  but,  finally,  she  consented  to  visit 
the  Queen.  She  went,  however,  en  deshabille,  and  with 
such  bad  grace,  that  she  merely  succeeded  in  aggravating 
her  offence,  which  was  no  doubt  her  Royal  Highness's 
intention. 

But  the  climax  of  her  unmannerly  behaviour  was 
reached  when  the  time  arrived  for  the  grand  State  ball 
which  was  to  be  given  in  honour  of  her  marriage,  and 
which  her  illness  had  caused  to  be  postponed.  The 
princess  detested  dancing,  for  she  danced  abominably, 
and  it  kept  her  up,  whereas  it  was  her  habit  to  retire  to 
bed  very  early  and  rise  with  the  lark ;  and,  though  by 
this  time  perfectly  recovered,  to  the  amazement  of  the 
Court  and  the  mortification  of  their  Majesties  and  her 
husband,  she  announced  that  she  did  not  intend  to 
appear  at  it.  But  let  us  listen  to  Saint-Simon's  account 
of  the  affair. 

"  Everything  still  remained  in  readiness  for  the  great 
ball  in  the  Salon  of  the  Grandees,  and  they  waited  only 
for  the  princess,  who  did  not  wish  to  attend.  The  King 
and  Queen  loved  the  ball,  as  I  have  mentioned  elsewhere. 
They  were  looking  forward  with  pleasure  to  this  one,  and 
the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  likewise ;  and  the  Court 
awaited  it  with  impatience.  The  conduct  of  the 
princess  became  known  abroad  and  created  the  most 
grievous  impression  imaginable.  I  was  privately  advised 
that  the  King  and  Queen  were  greatly  provoked  by  it, 
and,  being  pressed  by  the  princess's  ladies  to  speak  to 
her,  I  went  to  her  apartments  and  talked  with  her  ladies 
about  the  princess's  health,  which  apparently  would  no 
longer  delay  the  pleasures  which  awaited  her.  I  brought 
the  ball  on  the  tapis  ;    I  extolled  the  arrangement  of  it, 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  299 

the  spectacle,  the  magnificence  ;  I  said  that  this  pleasure 
was  peculiarly  suited  to  the  princess's  age  ;  that  the 
King  and  Queen  were  extremely  fond  of  it,  and  that  they 
awaited  with  impatience  the  time  when  she  would  be 
able  to  go.  On  a  sudden,  she  began  to  speak,  although  I 
was  not  addressing  her,  and  cried  out,  like  children  who 
are  fretting  :  '  I,  to  go  !  I  shall  not  go.'  *  Well,  Madame,' 
I  answered  ;  '  you  will  not  go  ;  you  will  be  very  sorry  for 
it  ;  you  will  deprive  yourself  of  a  pleasure  at  which  all 
the  Court  is  expecting  to  see  you,  and  you  have  too  many 
reasons,  and  too  much  desire  to  please  the  King  and 
Queen,  to  miss  any  opportunity  of  doing  so.' 

"  She  was  seated  and  was  not  looking  at  me.  But, 
immediately  after  I  had  spoken  thus,  she  turned  her  head 
in  my  direction,  and  said  to  me,  in  the  most  decided  tone 
that  I  have  ever  heard  :  '  No,  Monsieur,  I  repeat  it  : 
I  shall  not  go  to  the  ball.  The  King  and  Queen  will  go 
there  if  they  wish.  They  are  fond  of  dancing  ;  I  do  not 
care  for  it.  They  like  to  rise  and  to  go  to  bed  late  ;  I 
to  go  to  bed  early.  They  will  follow  their  inclinations, 
and  I  shall  follow  mine.'  " 

In  vain  Saint-Simon  and  her  ladies  endeavoured  to 
reason  with  her  ;  in  vain  they  represented  that  for  so 
young  a  princess,  and  one  who  had  only  just  arrived  in 
Spain,  to  refuse  to  attend  a  ball  which  was  given  in  her 
honour,  which  was  being  looked  forward  to  by  the  King 
and  Queen,  her  husband,  and  all  the  Court,  and  the 
preparations  for  which  had  entailed  so  much  trouble  and 
expense,  was  positively  indecent.  None  of  their  argu- 
ments had  the  smallest  effect  upon  her  ;  she  was  im- 
movable as  a  rock  ;  and  the  unfortunate  Ambassador 
had  to  go  to  the  King  and  Queen  and  report  the  failure 


300  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  his  mission.  Philip  V.  spoke  in  strong  terms  about  the 
capriciousness  of  his  daughter-in-law,  and  when  Saint- 
Simon  "  took  the  liberty  of  saying  to  him  that  he  did  not 
suppose  that  he  wished  to  inconvenience  himself  for  the 
caprice  of  a  child,  which  was  certainly  the  result  of  her 
illness,  or  to  deprive  his  Court  and  all  the  public  of  so 
agreeable  a  fete,"  answered  that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
ball  to  take  place  without  the  princess. 

Elizabeth  Farnese  made  signs  to  the  Ambassador  to 
urge  the  King  to  give  the  ball,  and  Saint-Simon  thereupon 
begged  him  to  reconsider  his  decision,  since  it  was  most  in- 
advisable "  to  accustom  the  princess  to  believe  that  every- 
thing was  done  for  her,  and  that  nothing  could  be  done 
without  her."    But  his  Majesty  would  promise  nothing. 

On  the  morrow,  the  Ambassador  had  another  con- 
versation with  the  King  and  Queen,  and  reminded  them 
that  he  had  ventured  to  represent  to  their  Majesties 
that  they  were  spoiling  the  princess,  adding  that  they 
would  certainly  live  to  repent  of  having  done  so.  They, 
on  their  side,  complained  bitterly  of  the  girl's  obstinacy 
and  capriciousness,  of  the  brevity  of  the  visits  which  she 
paid  them  and  the  curtness  of  her  manner  towards  them, 
and  of  the  want  of  consideration  which  she  showed  for 
her  ladies.  '  Upon  which,"  says  Saint-Simon,  "  I  asked 
them  to  pardon  me  if  I  told  them  that  it  was  the  fault  of 
their  Majesties  rather  than  of  a  child  who  knew  not  what 
she  was  doing,  and  that,  instead  of  accustoming  her,  by 
their  excessive  kindness,  not  to  deny  herself  any  caprice, 
nothing  was  more  urgent  or  more  important  than  to 
repress  them,  to  make  her  understand  her  duty  towards 
them,  and  to  accustom  her  to  the  fear  and  obedience 
which  she  owed  them. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  301 

However,  his  representations  did  not  have  much 
effect,  for  when  next  day  he  encountered  them  as 
they  were  starting  for  the  chase,  the  Queen  informed 
him  that  the  State  ball  had  been  abandoned,  and  that 
orders  had  been  given  to  remove  the  decorations  which 
had  been  erected  in  the  Salon  of  the  Grandees;  and, 
"  with  an  air  which  I  might  call  sheepish,  if  one  may 
venture  upon  this  term,"  made  a  sign  to  him  to  say 
nothing  more  about  it. 

Before  entering  their  carriage,  they  announced  that, 
"to  cheer  themselves  up,"  they  were  giving  a  small 
ball  that  evening  in  their  private  apartments,  which 
would  be  confined  to  the  members  of  their  respec- 
tive Households  ;  and  to  this  they  invited  him.  He 
went,  and  found  that  the  ball  was  being  held  in  the 
gallery  on  to  which  the  apartments  of  the  Princess  of 
the  Asturias  opened.  But,  though  this  arrangement  had 
evidently  been  made  in  the  hope  that  her  Royal  Highness 
would  condescend  to  put  in  an  appearance,  if  only  for  a 
few  moments,  nothing  was  seen  of  her. 

After  the  affair  of  the  ball,  the  princess's  eccentrici- 
ties seemed  to  increase  rather  than  diminish,  and  she 
"  conducted  herself  in  everything  in  the  most  strange 
manner,  gallantry  excepted."  Towards  the  end  of  March, 
Saint-Simon,  who  was  little  desirous  of  continuing 
his  thankless  role  of  Mentor  to  a  child  who  seemed  to 
pay  not  the  smallest  attention  to  his  long-winded  remon- 
strances, concluded  his  mission  and  set  out  for  France. 

On  March  21,  he  had  his  farewell  audience  of  the 
King  and  Queen,  both  of  whom  received  him  with  the 
utmost  graciousness  and  expressed  great  regret  at  his 
departure,  as  did  Don  Luis,  when  he  went  to  take  leave 


302  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  him.     But  in  another  direction  he  met  with  very 
different  treatment. 

"  I  went,  of  course,"  he  writes,  "  to  take  leave  of  the 
Princess  of  the  Asturias,  accompanied  by  all  my  suite. 
I  found  her  under  a  dais,  standing,  her  ladies  on  one  side, 
the  grandees  on  the  other.  I  made  my  three  reverences, 
and  then  pronounced  my  compliment,  which  done,  I 
waited  in  silence  her  reply  ;  but  in  vain,  for  she  answered 
me  never  a  word.  After  some  moments  of  silence,  I 
decided  to  furnish  her  with  matter  for  an  answer,  and 
inquired  what  orders  she  had  to  give  me  for  the  King,  for 
the  Infanta,  for  Madame,  and  for  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orleans.  By  way  of  reply,  she  looked  at  me  and 
belched  so  loudly  in  my  face  that  the  noise  resounded 
through  the  room.  My  surprise  was  such  that  I  was 
stupefied.    A  second  belch  followed  as  loud  as  the  first. 

"  I  lost  countenance  at  this  and  all  power  of  preventing 
myself  from  laughing,  and  casting  my  eyes  to  right  and 
left,  I  saw  every  one  with  their  hands  to  their  mouths 
and  their  shoulders  in  motion.  At  last,  a  third  belch, 
still  louder  than  the  two  which  had  preceded  it,  threw 
all  present  into  confusion,  and  forced  me  to  take  to  flight, 
followed  by  all  my  suite,  amidst  peals  of  laughter,  all  the 
louder  because  they  forced  the  barriers  with  which 
every  one  had  endeavoured  to  restrain  himself.  Spanish 
gravity  was  entirely  disconcerted  ;  all  was  deranged ; 
reverences  were  omitted ;  and  each  person,  bursting 
with  laughter,  escaped  as  he  could,  the  princess  all  the 
while  maintaining  her  countenance.  In  the  adjoining 
room  we  all  stopped  to  laugh  at  our  ease,  and  afterwards 
to  express  our  asfonishment  more  freely." 

Saint-Simon  adds  that  the  King  and  Queen,  who  were 


Don  Luis,  Prince  of  the  Asturias 

(afterwards  Luis  I.,  King  of  Spain) 

From  an  engraving  by  Picart,  after  the  painting  by  Viali 


1        ' 


- 

- 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  303 

soon  informed  of  this  adventure,  were  the  first  to  laugh 
at  it ;  "so  as  to  leave  others  at  liberty  to  do  so,  a  privilege 
which  was  very  largely  made  use  of,  without  any  pressing." 
Nor  does  it  appear  to  have  occasioned  either  surprise  or 
mortification  at  the  Palais-Royal :  indeed,  the  Regent, 
when  told  of  it,  laughed  heartily. 

The  departure  of  Saint-Simon  deprived  the  Princess 

of   the   Asturias   of  the   only   person  who   might   have 

exercised  some  influence  over  her,  for  the  Queen  had 

grown  tired  of  reasoning  with  the  girl  and  delegated  that 

duty  to  the  camerara  mayor,  the  Duquesa  de  Montellano, 

who,  finding  her  remonstrances  unheeded,  shrugged  her 

shoulders,  and  left  her  wilful  little  mistress  to  go  her  own 

sweet  way.    However,  after  a  while,  there  would,  if  we 

are  to  believe  the  Regent's  correspondents  at  Madrid, 

appear  to  have  been  a  remarkable  improvement  in  the 

princess's  behaviour;  and,  at  the  end  of  April,  Philip  V.'s 

confessor,   Pere  Daubenton,  wrote  to  the  Regent  that 

"  her    Royal   Highness   was   growing   every   day   more 

amiable  and  more  gracious,"  and  that  "  her  discretion 

was  increasing  visibly,  as  well  as  her  figure."     And  he 

adds  :    "  The  Spanish  admire  her  intelligence  and  her 

charms,  and  are  so  taken  with  her  that  they  believe  that 

she  will  surpass  in   merit  her  aunt,   the   Queen  Marie 

Louise.     This   signifies   much   in   this   country."     This 

welcome   news   was    confirmed   by    the    princess's   own 

dircdeur,  Pere  de  Laubrussel,  who,  like  the  Abbe  Coli- 

beaux  at  Modena,  had  been  charged  by  the  Regent  to 

send   him    regular   reports ;     indeed,    the    worthy    man 

wrote  in  such  eulogistic  terms  of  his  penitent,  that  Dubois 

thought  it  necessary  to  warn  him  that  it  was  feared  that 

his  attachment  to  the  princess  and  his  desire  to  please 


304  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  Regent  were  leading  him  to  deviate  from  the  strict 
truth. 

The  diplomatists  were  of  the  same  opinion  as  the  eccle- 
siastics. At  the  beginning  of  July,  Chavigny  declared 
that  "  the  Spaniards  appeared  to  him  to  be  more  satis- 
fied every  day  with  the  manners  of  the  princess,"  and 
spoke  highly  of  her  liberality  and  affability  towards 
the  poor,  with  whom  she  was  now  able  to  converse  in 
their  own  language.1  And,  towards  the  end  of  August, 
Robin,  first  secretary  of  the  French  Embassy,  writes  : 
"  The  Princess  of  the  Asturias  is  still  the  object  of  the 
affections  of  the  Royal  Family  and  of  the  admiration 
of  all  the  Court.  The  proofs  of  her  delicate  and  lofty 
mind  reveal  themselves  every  moment.  .  .  .  She  is 
gaining  hearts." 

These  eulogies  must  be  accepted  with  considerable 
reserve,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  they  certainly  were  so 
received  at  the  Palais-Royal,  for,  for  different  reasons, 
every  one  of  the  writers  desired  to  flatter  the  Orleans 
family.  Nevertheless,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that,  at  this 
time,  the  young  princess  was  showing  a  much  more 
accommodating  disposition,  which  encouraged  the  hope 
that  her  eccentricities  had  been  largely  due  to  her  recent 
illness.  This  was  particularly  noticeable  in  regard  to 
her  husband,  for  whom  in  the  little  intercourse  that  had 
been  permitted  them  she  had  hitherto  shown  a  marked 
indifference. 

Don  Luis  was  a  tall,  slight,  delicate-looking  lad,  with 
beautiful  fair  hair  and  aquiline  features  which  recalled 

1  Despatch  of  July  i,  1722,  published  by  Barthelemy.  But  Chavigny 
adds  :  "  She  has  still  some  puerilities,  which  age,  experience,  and  her 
own  good-sense  will  correct." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  305 

those  of  his  maternal  grandfather,  Victor  Amadeus  II.  of 
Savoy,  now  King  of  Sardinia.  He  was  of  an  amiable 
disposition,  honourable,  well-meaning,  and  very  deferen- 
tial towards  his  father  and  stepmother  ;  he  shot  well, 
was  skilful  at  all  games,  and  danced  admirably;  but 
his  education  had  been  much  neglected,  and  he  was 
excessively  shy,  awkward,  and  indolent.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  coldness  of  his  child-wife,  he  had  conceived 
for  her  from  the  first  a  warm  affection,  and  his  joy 
was  great  when  he  perceived  a  change  in  her  demeanour 
towards  him. 

In  May  1722,  the  prince  fell  ill,  and,  though  his  indis- 
position does  not  appear  to  have  been  of  a  very  serious 
nature,  he  was  obliged  to  keep  his  bed  for  some  days. 
During  this  time,  the  princess,  repenting  apparently  of 
her  former  unkindness,  insisted  on  helping  to  nurse  him, 
and  refused  even  to  leave  the  sick-room  until  he  had 
recovered.  Don  Luis,  deeply  touched  by  what  he  con- 
sidered a  proof  of  awakening  affection,  though  it  was 
probably  nothing  but  a  new  caprice,  became  from  that 
moment  her  adoring  slave,  anticipating  her  slightest 
wish  and  humouring  her  in  every  conceivable  way.  The 
King  and  Queen,  so  far  from  checking,  appear  to  have 
encouraged  this  premature  uxoriousness,  which  naturally 
tended  to  give  the  young  lady  an  even  more  exalted 
opinion  of  her  own  importance  than  she  already  possessed. 


CHAPTER    XV 

Ambitions  of  Elizabeth.  Farnese  in  regard  to  her  eldest  son,  Don  Carlos 
— The  Regent  determines  to  offer  to  the  latter  the  hand  of  his  fifth 
daughter.  Mile,  de  Beaujolais — Beauty  and  amiable  character  of 
the  little  princess — The  affair  is  satisfactorily  concluded — Joy  of 
the  Queen  of  Spain — Dowry  of  Mile,  de  Beaujolais — Her  trousseau 
— She  sets  out  for  Spain — Her  reception  at  Madrid — Mutual  affec- 
tion of  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  and  her  fiance — The  little  princess  con- 
quers all  hearts — Jealousy  of  her  elder  sister — The  Prince  and 
Princess  c:  tibe  Asturias  begin  to  live  together — Their  affectionate 
relations — Resumption  of  the  eccentricities  of  the  princess — Abdica- 
tion of  Philip  V.  in  favour  of  his  eldest  son. 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1722,  negotia- 
tions were  concluded  for  a  third  alliance  between 
the  two  great  branches  of  the  House  of  Bourbon. 

Almost  from  the  moment  of  the  birth  of  her  eldest  son, 
Don  Carlos.,  in  1716,  it  had  been  the  cherished  dream  of 
Elizabeth  Farnese  to  secure  for  him  a  principality  in 
Italy,  either  in  Tuscany  or  in  Parma,  to  the  succession 
in  both  of  which  she  possessed  claims.  The  interests  of 
the  little  prince  were  not  her  only  object.  The  health  of 
Philip  V.  gave  frequent  cause  for  anxiety,  and  Elizabeth 
knew  that  the  situation  of  a  widowed  queen  in  Spain, 
compelled  to  live  in  some  convent  on  a  meagre  pension 
irregularly  paid,  was  no  enviable  one.  She  was  resolved 
not  to  be  subjected  to  such  a  fate,  but  to  prepare  for  herself 
a  dignined  retreat  in  her  native  land,  to  which,  in  the 
event  of  her  husband's  death,  she  might  withdraw  and 
'  find  consolation  en  petit  for  that  which  she  had  lost  en 
j  1  and."  1 

1  Saint-Simon. 
306 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  307 

The  French  Government  was  well  aware  of  Elizabeth's 
ambitions,  which,  it  feared,  might  not  improbably  lead 
her  to  make  overtures  to  the  Court  of  Vienna  for  a 
marriage  between  Don  Carlos  and  one  of  the  arch- 
duchesses, which  must  neutralize  to  a  large  extent  the 
matrimonial  arrangements  recently  concluded.  The 
Regent  accordingly  determined  to  forestall  such  an 
alliance,  by  offering  to  Don  Carlos  the  hand  of  his  fifth 
daughter,  Mile,  de  Beaujolais.  By  this  means,  he  would 
not  only  secure  a  double  hold  on  Spain,  but  gratify  his  own 
family  pride,  since  he  could  hardly  hope  for  a  more 
illustrious  parti  for  the  little  princess. 

Philippine  Elizabeth,  Mile,  de  Beaujolais,  was  now  seven 
years  old,  having  been  born  on  December  18,  1714.  She 
bade  fair  to  be  the  pick  of  the  basket,  being  an  ex- 
ceedingly pretty,  bright  and  intelligent  little  girl,  and, 
in  contrast  to  her  sisters,  of  a  sweet-tempered,  modest 
and  affectionate  disposition.  Madame  was  devoted  to 
her,  and  the  child  visited  the  old  princess  almost  every 
day.  "  She  is  a  charming  child,"  she  writes,  at  the  end 
of  March  1718,  "  pretty,  lively,  and  amusing  ;  I  am 
warmly  attached  to  her  ;  she  will  not  want  for  intelli- 
gence." And  a  year  later  :  "  The  little  Beaujolais  is 
prettier  and  more  attractive  than  ever."  Well  indeed 
was  it  for  this  charming  child  that  political  exigencies 
were  about  to  remove  her  from  the  vitiating  atmosphere 
of  the  Palais-Royal,  and  the  evil  influence  of  her  family, 
to  a  Court  in  which,  whatever  its  faults,  youth  and 
innocence  were  rigidly  guarded  ! 

In  April  1722,  the  first  overtures  relative  to  this 
alliance  were  made  by  Chavigny  to  the  Spanish  Prime 
Minister,  Grimaldo,  and  very  favourably  received  by  that 


3o8  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

personage.  Chavigny  found  still  more  valuable  allies  in 
Laura  Pescatori,  formerly  the  Queen's  nurse,  who  had 
followed  Elizabeth  to  Spain  and  been  promoted  to  the  post 
of  azafata,  and  in  Pere  Daubenton,  though  it  is  hardly 
probable  that  their  Majesties  required  much  pressing, 
since  the  Queen  was  well  aware  of  the  strength  which  the 
pretensions  of  Don  Carlos  would  derive  from  the 
support  of  France,  and  the  King  was  quite  content 
to  be  guided  by  her  wishes.  It  was,  however,  the  aged 
confessor  who  negotiated  the  affair,  and  on  June  23  we 
find  him  writing  to  Dubois  that  "  his  Catholic  Majesty, 
after  having  conferred  with  the  Queen,  consented  willingly 
to  this  matter,  on  condition  that  his  Royal  Highness 
[the  Regent]  would  employ  all  his  forces,  conjointly  with 
Spain,  to  assure  the  States  of  Tuscany  and  Parma  to  the 
Infant  Don  Carlos."  x 

Philippe  d'Orleans,  though  naturally  delighted  at  the 
ready  acceptance  of  his  proposal,  judged  it  advisable  to 
keep  the  affair  secret  until  August,  when  he  received 
from  the  Court  of  Madrid  a  formal  demand  for  his 
daughter's  hand.  "  His  Royal  Highness,"  writes  Dubois 
to  Destouches,  on  August  12,  "  received  yesterday  a 
letter  by  a  special  courier  from  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Spain,  in  which  they  demanded  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  in 
marriage  for  Don  Carlos,  their  son,  which  was  received, 
as  you  may  judge,  with  much  gratitude.  They  paid  this 
compliment  to  his  Royal  Highness  without  the  knowledge 
of  their  Ministers  at  Madrid,  or  of  those  whom  we  have  at 
their  Court."2 

On  the  same  day,  the  official  announcement  was  made 

1  Baudrillart,  Philippe  V.  et  la  cour  de  France. 

2  Ibid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  309 

in  Paris,  and  Madame 's  joy  at  the  news  was  such  as 
actually  to  overcome  for  the  moment  her  old  hatred  of 
Dubois,  to  whom  she  addressed  an  effusive  letter,  ex- 
pressing her  delight  "  at  seeing  her  dear  Mile,  de  Beau- 
jolais  so  well  established,"  and  congratulating  him  upon 
the  success  of  his  diplomacy. 

The  delight  of  Elizabeth  Farnese  was  not  less  when 
the  Regent's  acceptance  reached  her.  "  I  must  be  car- 
ried away,"  writes  the  English  Ambassador,  Stanhope,  to 
Carteret,  "  by  that  torrent  of  French  power  and  favour, 
which  increases  every  day,  and  particularly  since  this  last 
marriage,  upon  which  the  Queen  shows  a  joy  inexpres- 
sible." x  Her  Majesty  caused  the  Escurial,  where  the 
Court  was  then  in  residence,  to  be  illuminated  and  a  Te 
Deum  to  be  sung  ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  she  wrote  to 
the  Regent  :  "  The  portrait  of  the  Princesse  de  Beau- 
j  olais  which  you  have  sent  us  has  charmed  us  all :  one 
would  be  unable  to  behold  a  more  charming  and  more  lov- 
able child.  Her  little  husband  is  transported  with  joy, 
and  is  too  happy  to  possess  so  charming  a  princess." 

The  articles  of  the  marriage-contract  of  Don  Carlos  and 
Mile,  de  Beauj olais  were  drawn  up  in  Paris  on  November 
25,  and  signed  at  the  Louvre  the  following  day.  They 
provided  that  the  princess  was  to  proceed  at  once  to  Spain, 
to  be  brought  up  there  until  she  had  reached  a  marriage- 
able age.  The  dowry  of  the  princess  was  fixed,  like  that 
of  her  sister,  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias,  at  400,000  ecus 
given  by  the  King  of  France,  40,000  by  her  father,  and 
50,000  in  jewels  by  the  King  of  Spain.  Louis  XV.  also 
presented  her  with  a  number  of  jewels,  including  a  pair 
of  diamond  earrings;  while  among  the  Regent's  gifts  was 

1  Mr.  Edward  Armstrong,  Elizabeth  Farnese. 


310  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

a  cross  of  pearls  and  diamonds.  The  inventory  of  her 
trousseau  makes  curious  reading.  Besides  a  number  of 
costly  gowns  of  silk,  satin,  or  velvet,  and  the  materials 
required  for  replacing  them  when  she  had  outgrown  them, 
and  a  large  selection  of  hats,  bonnets,  gloves,  shoes, 
slippers  and  stockings,  she  was  provided  with  "  four  bed- 
quilts,  two  and  a  half  dozen  curling-tongs,  twenty-six 
tortoise-shell  combs,  six  powder-puffs,  six  dozen  pillow- 
cases, twelve  dozen  handkerchiefs,  six  dozen  night-gowns, 
twelve  fans,  four  packets  of  tooth-picks,  and  forty-two 
thousand  pins."  * 

Thus  equipped,  on  December  i  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  set 
out  for  Spain,  in  charge  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Duras  and  their  daughter,  the  Duchesse  de  Fitz- James — it 
is  worthy  of  note  that  the  two  duchesses  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  demand  and  obtain  from  the  Regent  the 
honours  of  the  soupcoupe  before  starting — and  escorted 
by  her  half-brother,  the  Chevalier  d'Orleans,  and  a 
detachment  of  the  Gardes  du  Corps.  The  Regent  and  the 
Due  de  Chartres  travelled  with  her  as  far  as  Bourg-la- 
Reine,  as  they  had  with  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias, 
twelve  months  before. 

In  crossing  the  Gironde,  at  Blaye,  in  the  teeth  of  a 
violent  gale,  the  little  princess  was  very  nearly  drowned, 
but  otherwise  her  journey  was  uneventful ;  and  on 
January  26,  1723,  she  crossed  the  Bidassoa,  on  the 
southern  bank  of  which  the  Duque  de  Ossuna  and  the 
Condesa  de  Liria,  her  camerara  mayor,  were  awaiting  her. 

The  Due  de  Duras  having  formally  delivered  the 
princess  into  the  charge  of  the  Spanish  nobleman  and  the 
usual  presents  having  been  exchanged,  the  French  escort 

1  Barth61emy. 


m 


-    ■    ■     -. 


"**>«..-•     ' 


Philippine  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  (Mlle.  de  Beaujolais) 
From  a  contemporary  print 


" 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  311 

took  leave  of  her,  with  the  exception  of  the  Chevalier 
d'Orleans,  who  was  to  accompany  his  half-sister  to 
Madrid,  and  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  continuing  her  route, 
arrived  on  February  14  at  Buytrago,  a  day's  journey  from 
the  capital,  whither  all  the  Royal  Family  had  come  to 
welcome  her. 

The  reception  accorded  the  princess  was  a  most  flatter- 
ing one,  and  Don  Carlos,  an  amiable  and  intelligent  little 
boy,  was  delighted  with  his  fiancee,  who,  on  her  side, 
seemed  equally  pleased  with  him.  Elizabeth  Farnese 
hastened  to  apprise  the  Palais-Royal  of  the  safe  arrival  of 
the  little  traveller  and  of  the  affection  which  the  two  chil- 
dren seemed  to  have  so  quickly  conceived  for  one  another. 

"  I  believe,"  she  writes  to  the  Regent,  "  that  you  will 
not  be  displeased  to  learn  of  her  first  interview  with  her 
little  husband.  They  embraced  very  affectionately  and 
kissed  one  another,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  he  does  not 
displease  her.  Thus,  since  this  evening  they  do  not  like 
to  leave  one  another.  She  says  a  hundred  pretty  things  ; 
one  would  not  credit  the  things  that  she  says,  unless  one 
heard  them.  She  has  the  mind  of  an  angel,  and  my  son 
is  only  too  happy  to  possess  her.  .  .  .  She  has  charged 
me  to  tell  you  that  she  loves  you  with  all  her  heart,  and 
that  she  is  quite  content  with  her  husband."  And  to  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  she  writes  :  "I  find  her  the  most 
beautiful  and  most  lovable  child  in  the  world.  It  is  the 
most  pleasing  thing  imaginable  to  see  her  with  her  little 
husband  :  how  they  caress  one  another  and  how  they  love 
one  another  already.  They  have  a  thousand  little  secrets 
to  tell  one  another,  and  they  cannot  part  for  an  instant."1 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  testimony  was  perfectly 

1  Barth61emy. 


312  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

sincere,  for  almost  from  the  moment  of  her  arrival  the 
beauty,  grace  and  amiability  of  this  charming  child 
conquered  all  hearts,  and  every  one,  from  the  King  and 
Queen  downwards,  vied  with  one  another  in  efforts  to 
please  her  and  to  reconcile  her  to  her  new  life.  Their 
task  was  an  easy  one,  for  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  had  quitted 
France  at  too  early  an  age  to  have  been  admitted  to  the 
pleasures  in  which  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias  had  been 
allowed  so  unwisely  to  participate.  Consequently,  the 
austerity  of  the  Court  of  Madrid  did  not  repel  her,  as  it 
had  her  sister,  and  she  was  perfectly  content  with  the 
childish  amusements  provided  for  her  ;  while  the  solici- 
tude and  affection  of  which  she  found  herself  the  object 
must  have  been  a  welcome  contrast  to  the  indifference 
and  neglect  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed  at  the 
Palais-Royal. 

But  there  was  one  person  at  the  Court  who  was  very 
far  from  sharing  the  general  sentiment  in  regard  to 
the  newcomer.  The  Princess  of  the  Asturias  had  never 
had  the  smallest  affection  for  the  little  sister  whose 
character  differed  so  widely  from  her  own  ;  and,  though 
she  affected  to  receive  her  with  much  affection  and  wrote 
to  the  Regent  to  express  her  joy  at  her  arrival,  she  was 
in  reality  consumed  with  jealousy  and  mortification,  and 
was  soon  quite  unable  to  disguise  her  feelings.  "  If  I  may 
be  permitted  to  open  my  mind  to  your  Royal  Highness," 
writes  the  Chevalier  d'Orleans  to  the  Regent,  "  I  should 
confess  to  you  that  I  very  much  fear  that  she  [Mile,  de 
Beaujolais]  is  exciting  the  jealousy  of  the  Princess  of  the 
Asturias,  who  has  not  failed  to  be  annoyed  by  this  little 
princess  coming  here,  and  has  even  expressed  her  chagrin 
in  a  bitter  manner." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  313 

In  consequence,  though  Pere  de  Laubrussel  assured  the 
Regent  that  "  the  two  sisters  were  very  united,"  they 
appear  to  have  seen  very  little  of  each  other — a  fact  which 
the  worthy  Jesuit,  who  was  evidently  determined  to  say 
nothing  but  good  of  his  penitent,  attributes  to  the  reluct- 
ance of  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  to  interrupt  her  elder  sister's 
studies,  to  which,  according  to  him,  she  was  now  devoting 
herself  with  the  most  praiseworthy  application. 

With  her  husband  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias  con- 
tinued on  excellent  terms,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  in 
August  Philip  V.  decided  that  the  young  couple  should 
be  definitely  united.  This  great  event  took  place  at 
the  Escurial  on  Saint-Louis's  Day  (August  18),  when 
the  King  and  Queen  solemnly  conducted  Don  Luis  in  his 
robe  de  chambre  to  his  wife's  bedchamber,  and  left  them 
together. 

From  that  time,  the  prince  and  princess  lived  together 
as  man  and  wife,  and  were  so  devoted  that  even  a  brief 
separation  was  sufficient  to  cause  them  genuine  distress. 
Thus,  when,  at  the  end  of  September,  Don  Luis  had  to  go 
to  San-Ildefonso,  they  parted  amidst  floods  of  tears, 
exclaiming  :    "  Adios,  mujer  !   adios,  marido  !  " 

But  if  the  Princess  of  the  Asturias  had  become  to  all 
appearance  an  affectionate  and  dutiful  wife,  in  other 
respects  her  behaviour  was  far  from  satisfactory,  and, 
whereas  a  few  months  before  she  had  seemed  anxious  to 
remove  the  bad  impression  she  had  at  first  created,  she  had 
lately  begun  to  conduct  herself  in  a  manner  which  shocked 
and  scandalized  this  punctilious  Court  and  threatened  to 
render  her  profoundly  unpopular. 

So  little  regard  had  she  for  the  cherished  privileges  of 
the  nobility  that  one  day,  in  the  palace  gardens,  observing 


314  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

that  certain  gentlemen  remained  covered  in  her  presence, 
she  inquired  if  it  were  raining — an  impertinence  which 
naturally  aroused  extreme  indignation  among  the 
grandees.  She  had  developed  a  taste  for  vulgar  and 
malicious  practical  jokes,  and  one  of  her  favourite  amuse- 
ments was  to  discharge  water  from  a  hose  concealed  in  her 
apartments  over  the  people  who  passed  beneath  her 
windows ;  while  one  day,  at  a  Court  ceremony,  she 
surreptitiously  severed  the  string  of  the  Duquesa  de 
Altamira's  petticoats,  with  the  most  embarrassing  con- 
sequences for  the  lady  in  question.  Her  manners  at 
table,  too,  were  characterized  by  "  a  disgusting  sloven- 
liness, concerning  which  their  Majesties  have  testified 
their  pain  and  surprise,  although  they  have  said  nothing 
to  her  about  it  "  ;  and,  on  the  pretext  of  the  extreme 
heat  of  the  Spanish  summer,  she  scarcely  ever  wore  either 
stockings  or  petticoats,  and  on  the  rare  occasions  on 
which  she  condescended  to  make  a  complete  toilette  did 
so  in  the  most  negligent  fashion. 

All  this  was  the  more  regrettable,  since  at  the  beginning 
of  1724  an  event  took  place  which  caused  the  most 
profound  sensation  throughout  Europe,  and  made  her, 
nominally  at  least,  the  first  lady  in  Spain. 

In  the  last  days  of  1723,  the  French  Government  was 
warned  by  the  Abbe  de  Coulanges,  its  charge  d'affaires  at 
Madrid — the  post  of  Ambassador  was  at  the  moment 
vacant,  Maulevrier  having  recently  been  recalled — that 
Philip  V.  was  suffering  from  religious  mania,  and  intended 
to  resign  his  throne.  The  Due  de  Bourbon,  who,  on  the 
death  of  the  Regent  on  December  23,  had  been  appointed 
to  the  post  of  First  Minister,  was  greatly  alarmed,  and  lost 
no  time  in  instructing  the  old  Marechal  de  Tesse  to 


Philip  V.,  Kino  ok  Spajn 
From  a  contemporary  print 


-    >.     o/ 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  315 

proceed  as  Ambassador  to  Madrid,  and  use  every  persuasion 
to  induce  the  King  to  renounce  a  resolution  which  would 
so  greatly  enhance  the  importance  of  the  House  of 
Orleans,  between  which  and  the  Condes  the  bitterest 
enmity  existed.  But  he  was  too  late,  for  on  January  10, 
1724,  before  Tesse  had  even  left  Paris,  Philip  V.  abdicated 
his  throne  in  favour  of  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  and 
announced  his  intention  of  "  applying  himself  during  the 
remainder  of  his  days  to  the  service  of  God  and  to  soli- 
tude." 

The  abdication  of  Philip  V.  was  the  outcome  of  no 
sudden  impulse  :  he  had  been  contemplating  it  for  some 
time  past,  and  had  merely  waited  until  his  eldest  son 
should  be  old  enough  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of 
sovereignty.  In  taking  this  step,  he  seems  to  have  been 
actuated  solely  by  his  religious  scruples.  He  was  subject 
to  constantly  recurring  attacks  of  melancholia,  in  which  he 
was  tormented  by  agonies  of  fear  that  he  had  offended 
his  Maker  almost  beyond  hope  of  forgiveness,  and  he 
craved  for  the  leisure  and  solitude  which  he  considered 
necessary  to  reconciliation.  Few  of  his  contemporaries, 
however,  were  inclined  to  accept  so  simple  an  explanation. 
They  could  not  bring  themselves  to  believe  that  Philip's 
high-spirited  and  ambitious  consort  would  have  tamely 
concurred  in  such  a  renunciation,  unless  she  had  seen  in  it 
the  probability  of  obtaining  abundant  compensation  for 
the  position  she  was  surrendering  ;  and  it  was  the  general 
opinion  that  the  underlying  motive  of  the  King's  abdica- 
tion was  the  desire  to  facilitate  his  accession  to  the  throne 
of  France,  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  Louis  XV.  For,  if 
he  were  no  longer  King  of  Spain,  his  renunciation  of  the 
Crown  of  France  would  no  longer  be  binding  upon  him. 


316  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

It  is  very  improbable  that  Philip  was  influenced  by  any 
such  calculation,  although  it  is  quite  conceivable  that, 
had  Louis  XV.  died  during  the  next  few  months,  he  would 
have  been  ready  enough  to  take  advantage  of  the  coin- 
cidence, since  his  acceptance  of  the  Crown  of  Spain  and 
his  renunciation  of  that  of  France  formed  an  important 
element  in  the  religious  mania  from  which  he  suffered. 
Nor  would  this  peculiar  form  of  political  speculation 
have  been  likely  to  appeal  to  Elizabeth  Farnese,  greatly 
as  she  might  desire  translation  to  the  throne  of  a  country 
so  much  more  congenial  to  her  than  Spain,  and  where 
dowager-queens  were  treated  with  every  honour.  The 
fact  is  that  Elizabeth  consented  to  her  husband's  abdica- 
tion, because  she  could  not  prevent  it.  Her  influence 
over  the  King  was  immense,  but  it  was  not  proof  against 
his  religious  scruples. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

The  accession  of  Luis  I.  hailed  with  great  satisfaction  at  Madrid — The 
new  King  reigns  only  nominally,  and  Philip  V.  and  Elizabeth,  from 
their  retreat  at  San-Ildefonso,  continue  to  govern — Docility  of  Luis 
to  his  father's  wishes — His  boyish  pranks — The  young  Queen,  freed 
from  all  constraint,  treats  her  husband  with  contempt,  and  behaves 
in  an  extraordinary  manner — She  accuses  her  major-domo,  Fou- 
cault  de  Magny,  of  grossly  insulting  her — Despatch  of  the  Marechal 
de  Tesse  to  the  Due  de  Bourbon — Magny  is  recalled  to  France — 
Antipathy  of  Elizabeth  Farnese  towards  her  daughter-in-law — 
Curious  despatches  of  Tesse — Despair  of  Luis  I.  at  the  outrageous 
behaviour  of  his  consort — Episode  at  San-Ildefonso — The  young 
Queen,  refusing  to  listen  to  any  remonstrances,  is  conducted  to  the 
Alcazar  and  kept  in  close  confinement — After  a  captivity  of  nearly 
three  weeks,  she  is  set  at  liberty  and  restored  to  favour — Illness  and 
death  of  Luis  I. — Pitiable  situation  of  his  widow,  the  Court  of  Spain 
being  unwilling  to  keep  her  or  France  to  receive  her — It  is  finally 
decided  that  she  shall  return  to  France — Rupture  of  the  marriage 
arranged  between  Louis  XV.  and  the  Infanta — Indignation  of  the 
Court  of  Spain — The  widowed  Queen  and  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  are 
sent  back  to  France — Sad  life  of  the  former — Her  death — Constancy 
of  Don  Carlos  and  Mile,  de  Beaujolais — Negotiations  for  their  mar- 
riage— Attitude  of  Fleury — Death  of  the  princess. 

BORN  on  August  25, 1707,  Luis  I.  was  little  more  than 
sixteen  when  he  ascended  the  throne.  Nevertheless, 
this  event  was  hailed  with  great  satisfaction  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  in  particular  by  the  inhabitants  of  Madrid, 
with  whom  the  cold,  melancholy  Philip  and  his  Italian 
wife  were  extremely  unpopular  ;  whereas  the  new  King, 
born  and  brought  up  among  them  and  attached  both  by 
habit  and  inclination  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
country,  was  regarded  with  sympathy  and  affection  ;  and 

317 


318  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

when,  in  accordance  with  ancient  custom,  his  accession 
was  proclaimed  in  the  streets  of  the  capital  by  the  cry  of 
"  Castilla,  oid,  oid,  oid,  por  Luis  primer o,  Rey  de  Castillo., 
Leon  y  Arragon!  "  the  enthusiasm  of  the  populace  knew 
no  bounds.1 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  formal  than  Philip's 
renunciation  of  power  ;  he  had  taken  a  solemn  oath  never 
to  resume  it ;  he  had  even  donned  the  little  habit  of 
St.  Francis.2  Of  all  the  Ministers  and  great  officers  of  the 
Royal  Household,  none  save  Grimaldo  and  his  chamber- 
lain Valouse  followed  him  into  retirement.  The  Queen 
retained  only  Laura  Pescatori  and  five  of  her  waiting- 
women.  The  establishment  at  San-Ildefonso  was  limited 
to  sixty  persons,  and  it  was  only  with  difficulty  that  Philip 
was  persuaded  to  accept  a  small  body  of  guards.  His 
pension  was  fixed  at  480,000  piastres,  with  reversion  to 
the  Queen  in  the  event  of  his  death. 

But  it  was  merely  the  appearance,  and  not  the  reality, 
which  Philip  had  renounced,  and  it  was  from  San-Ildefonso, 
and  not  from  Madrid,  that  Spain  was  governed.  This  may 
have  been  partly  due  to  the  counsels  of  Tesse,  who  had 
visited  the  ex-monarch  before  proceeding  to  Madrid  and 
begged  him  to  retain  control  over  his  son  ;  but  the  Queen 
and  Grimaldo  had  already  taken  steps  to  secure  the 
subordination  of  the  young  King.  Before  surrendering 
his  Crown,  Philip  had  confided  the  Government  to  a 
Cabinet  Council  composed  of  seven  persons,  with  Don 
Luis  de  Miraval,  President  of  Castile,  at  their  head,  all  of 
whom  were  either  nonentities  or  persons  who  owed 
everything  to  Grimaldo.     Every  matter  discussed  by  the 

1  Baudrillart. 

*  Mr.  Edward  Armstrong,  Elizabeth  Farnese. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  319 

Cabinet  at  Madrid  was  immediately  communicated  to 
the  Court  of  San-Ildefonso,  and  no  decision  was  ever 
arrived  at  until  its  views  had  been  ascertained. 

The  new  King,  always  a  model  of  filial  obedience,  never 
dreamed  of  protesting  against  this  tutelage.  He  had 
begun  by  making  lavish  grants  of  pensions  and  places,  but, 
on  the  representations  of  Philip,  he  immediately  cancelled 
them  and  continued  to  conform  in  every  respect  to  his 
father's  wishes.  One  day,  the  young  Queen  happened  to 
be  particularly  anxious  that  something  should  be  done  of 
which  San-Ildefonso  had  expressed  its  disapproval.  When 
her  husband  refused,  she  grew  angry,  sulked,  wept,  and 
ended  by  exclaiming  :  "  Are  you  not  the  King,  and  am  I 
not  the  Queen  ?  '  "  Yes,"  was  the  grave  reply.  "  I  am 
the  King,  and  you  are  the  Queen  ;  but  the  King,  my 
father,  is  my  master  and  yours."  x 

It  was  well  that  the  young  monarch  showed  such 
admirable  docility,  for  he  was  as  yet  quite  unfitted  to  take 
upon  himself  the  cares  of  State.  Not  only  was  he  very 
ignorant  and  extremely  lazy,  but  he  was  in  character  a  mere 
child,  and,  having  been  very  strictly  brought  up,  con- 
ducted himself  during  his  first  days  of  liberty  very  much 
like  a  colt  which,  after  a  long  confinement  in  the  stable,  is 
suddenly  transferred  to  the  freedom  of  the  paddock. 
"  So  sudden  an  elevation  at  so  early  an  age,"  observes 
Coxe,  "  gave  scope  to  the  thoughtlessness  of  youthful 
levity.  He  was  at  first  inattentive  to  business,  and  so 
careless  of  public  respect,  that  he  often  sallied  forth  at 
night,  in  disguise,  to  scour  the  streets  of  the  capital,  or 
to  strip  the  royal  gardens  of  their  fruit,  that  he  might,  the 
following  morning,  be  gratified  with  the  frivolous  pleasure 

1  Tesse  to  Morville,  June  5,  1724,  in  Baudrillart. 


320  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  witnessing  the  vexation  of  the  gardeners."  Another 
and  more  objectionable  diversion  of  his  Catholic  Majesty, 
which  the  reverend  historian  is  apparently  too  modest  to 
mention,  was  his  habit  of  prowling  about  the  corridors 
of  the  palace,  in  the  company  of  three  or  four  of  his  pages, 
and  bursting  open  the  bedroom-doors  of  his  wife's  ladies- 
in-waiting. 

It  is  satisfactory,  however,  to  learn  that  "  these  first 
ebullitions  of  youth  rapidly  subsided.  He  respected  the 
remonstrances  of  his  father,  who  urged  that  such  ir- 
regularities would  dishonour  his  Crown,  and  diminish 
the  respect  and  affection  of  his  people.  This  docility 
afforded  a  presage  that,  when  he  attained  the  age  of 
reflection,  and  his  understanding  was  matured  by 
experience,  he  would  not  disappoint  the  predilection  with 
which  he  was  regarded  by  the  nation."  x 

The  conduct  of  the  young  Queen  inspired  far  greater 
uneasiness.  The  splendour  of  her  new  position  had,  as 
might  have  been  anticipated,  proved  altogether  too  much 
for  the  girl's  ill-balanced  mind  ;  and  now,  freed  from  all 
constraint,  she  proceeded  to  indulge  to  the  full  her 
wayward  fancies,  and  behaved  in  a  manner  which  was 
not  only  eccentric,  but  at  times  positively  indecent.  She 
very  quickly  showed  that  the  affection  and  deference  she 
had  displayed  towards  her  husband  during  the  last  months 
of  Philip  V.'s  reign  had  been  a  mere  passing  caprice,  and 
treated  him  with  the  most  humiliating  coldness  and 
disdain.  When  they  rode  together  in  the  royal  coach,  she 
would  deliberately  turn  her  back  upon  him.  At  table,  she 
would  sit  in  stony  silence,  watching  his  Majesty  eat  and 

1  History  of  the  Bourbons  of  Spain.  The  archdeacon's  authority  is 
a  despatch  of  Stanhope  to  Carteret,  dated  April  15,  1724. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  321 

drink,  without  touching  a  morsel  herself,  and  immediately 
the  meal  was  over,  hurry  away  and  share  the  repast  of  her 
ladies-in-waiting.  She  ate  enormously,  at  all  hours,  and 
would  insist  upon  her  ladies  doing  likewise,  waiting  upon 
them  herself,  and  scolding  and  slapping  them  if  they 
refused  to  eat.  She  would  go  for  country -walks  with  her 
dress  pulled  up  to  her  knees,  displaying  her  bare  legs,  for, 
as  we  have  said,  she  usually  discarded  both  stockings  and 
petticoats,  and  sometimes  would  not  return  until  long 
after  darkness  had  fallen.  In  short,  she  appeared  never  so 
happy  as  when  "  ridiculing  that  etiquette  which  had  been 
sanctioned  by  ages,  and  scandalizing  this  grave  Court  and 
punctilious  nation  by  her  indiscreet,  if  not  licentious, 
behaviour."  * 

Towards  the  end  of  April  1724,  an  incident  occurred 
which  made  a  great  scandal  and  prejudiced  public  opinion 
more  seriously  against  the  young  Queen  than  any  of  her 
previous  escapades.  It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the 
occasion  of  the  ball  given  by  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  in 
honour  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Lorraine  early  in 
1718,  a  disturbance  had  been  created  by  a  certain  Fou- 
cault  de  Magny,  an  uninvited  guest,  who  subsequently 
spent  a  few  days  in  the  Bastille.  Not  long  afterwards, 
Magny,  having  been  compromised  in  the  Cellamare  con- 
spiracy, was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in  Spain,  where  he 
was  well  received  by  Philip  V.,  and  rose  so  rapidly  to 
favour  that,  after  being  governor  of  the  Infants,  he  was 
appointed  major-domo  to  the  new  Queen.  This  last 
promotion,  however,  was  to  prove  his  undoing. 

One    fine    morning,    it    happened    that    her    youthful 
Majesty,    dressed   as   usual   "  sans   bas   ni  jupes,"   had 

1  Coxe. 


322  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

climbed  to  the  top  of  a  long  ladder  which  had  been  left 
standing  in  her  apartments,  when  she  was  seized  with 
fear  and  called  for  help.  Magny,  who,  unluckily  for 
himself,  was  in  an  adjoining  room,  hearing  her  cry  of 
distress,  hurried  to  the  spot,  sprang  up  the  ladder,  and 
assisted  her  to  descend.  He  imagined  that  he  had 
rendered  her  a  service ;  but,  to  his  horror  and  indignation, 
he  learned,  a  few  hours  later,  that  she  had  complained 
that  he  had  endeavoured  to  outrage  her  during  their 
progress  down  the  ladder,  and  that  her  resistance  alone 
had  protected  her  honour. 

The  absurdity  of  such  a  charge  was  manifest,  for  all 
the  Queen's  ladies  had  been  gathered  at  the  foot  of  the 
ladder  while  the  unfortunate  major-domo  was  assisting 
their  mistress  to  descend ;  but  the  mad-brained  girl  per- 
sisted in  it,  and,  unless  some  way  out  of  the  difficulty 
could  be  found,  it  would  be  necessary  for  M.  de  Magny's 
head  to  part  company  with  his  body. 

To  prevent  this  tragic  denouement  and  to  hush  up  so 
terrible  a  scandal,  Philip  V.  and  his  consort  sent  for 
Tesse,  and  begged  him  to  get  Magny  recalled  immediately 
to  France.  This  the  Ambassador  promised  to  do,  and 
addressed  urgent  representations  on  the  subject  to  the 
Due  de  Bourbon,  at  the  same  time  throwing  all  the  blame 
on  the  young  Queen.  "As  for  the  imprudence  that  he 
[Magny]  has  committed  with  the  Queen,"  he  writes,  "  if 
there  is  any  one  worthy  of  blame,  it  is  she,  who  has  claimed 
undeserved  credit  for  a  thing  of  which  the  poor  devil  was 
innocent.  She  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  ladder  .  .  . 
she  thought  she  was  going  to  fall  and  cried  out  for  help. 
Magny  mounted  and  assisted  her  to  descend,  before  all 
her  women  ;   but,  unless  he  were  blind,  it  must  needs  be 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  323 

that  he  saw  that  which  certainly  he  did  not  seek  to  see, 
and  which  it  is  her  habit  to  show  very  freely.  The 
Queen  accused  him  of  being  insolent.    In  truth,  one  is  not 

so  with  these  ladies,  except  when  they  wish  to  compel 

"  i 

us.    * 

The  humiliation  of  a  member  of  the  detested  Orleans 
family  occasioned  Monsieur  le  Due  such  lively  satisfaction 
that  he  was  very  far  from  anxious  to  assist  in  hushing 
up  this  adventure  ;  and  it  was  only  after  considerable 
pressure  from  Elizabeth  Farnese  that  he  finally  consented 
to  recall  Magny.  "  I  forgot  to  thank  you,"  writes  she  to 
Tesse,  "  for  what  you  have  done  for  Magny.  If  I  could 
have  thought  that  would  have  caused  so  much  difficulty 
yonder,  I  should  not  have  opened  my  mouth,  for  I 
have  nothing  to  do  with  him.  But  I  have  acted  merely 
out  of  charity  ;  to  protect  the  young  woman  who  was 
concerned  in  it,  and  who  is  so  nearly  related  to  us." 

On  his  arrival  in  France,  Magny  found  awaiting  him  a 
lettre  de  cachet  forbidding  him  to  approach  Paris.  He 
also  learned  that  his  wife  had  seized  upon  his  property, 
and  that,  after  a  life  of  comparative  affluence,  he  was  now 
threatened  with  poverty.  However,  he  was  a  person  of 
both  courage  and  resource,  and  the  buffetings  of  Fortune 
appear  to  have  affected  him  but  little.  Any  way,  he 
lived  to  a  patriarchal  age,  and  died,  at  his  chateau  of 
Magny,  in  July  1772,  in  his  ninety-seventh  year. 

Although  Elizabeth  Farnese  had  exerted  herself  to 
hush  up  this  miserable  affair,  it  was  certainly  not  out  of 
affection  for  the  young  Queen,  for  whom  she  had  now 
conceived  the  most  violent  dislike,  which  was  no  doubt 

1  Despatch  of  April  31,  in  Lemontey,  les  Filles  du  Regent,  Revue 
retrospective,  Serie  I.  tome  1. 


324  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

as  much  due  to  jealousy  at  seeing  her  in  possession  of 
those  honours  which  had  once  been  reserved  for  herself 
as  to  any  other  reason.  "  The  Queen,  the  wife  of  Philip, 
cannot  endure  her,"  writes  Tesse  to  his  patron  at  Ver- 
sailles. And  again  :  "  The  Queen  [Elizabeth  Farnese] 
has  said  to  me  :  '  We  have  made  a  terrible  acquisition  ; 
she  will  be  like  her  sisters,  if  she  is  not  worse.'  '  x 

If  we  are  to  take  the  despatches  of  Tesse  au  pied  de  la 
lettre — it  is  only  fair  to  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  to  observe 
that  some  historians  are  of  opinion  that  the  Ambassador 
consistently  exaggerated  her  eccentricities,  in  order  to 
please  Monsieur  le  Due — the  young  lady  would  certainly 
appear  to  be  going  the  right  way  to  emulate  the  exploits 
of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  the  Princess  of  Modena. 

He  says  that  there  was  almost  every  evening  "  une 
petite  fondation  de  litanies,"  between  the  Queen  and  three 
or  four  of  her  maids-of-honour,  and  that  these  litanies 
were  "  composed  of  the  worst  indecencies  and  the  most 
significant  expressions."  He  also  says  that,  in  the 
condition  of  our  first  parents,  and  with  her  arms  and  legs 
tied  to  a  stick  passed  behind  her  knees,  her  Majesty 
would  frequently  engage  with  these  same  favourites  in  a 
bout  of  "  cock-fighting  "—a  game  which,  if  harmless 
enough  in  itself,  was  certainly  a  most  unsuitable  diver- 
sion for  a  Queen. 

The  poor  young  King  was  in  despair  at  the  conduct  of 
his  wife,  and  Tesse  wrote  that  he  had  been  told  by  their 
Majesties  at  San-Ildefonso  that  Luis  had  confessed  to 
them  that  he  would  "prefer  to  be  a  galley-slave  rather 
than  live  with  a  creature  who  observed  no  decorum  and 
no  complaisance  towards  him,  and  who  thought  only  of 
1  Despatches  of  February  28  and  April  7,  1725,  in  Barthelemy. 


Luis  I.,  King  ok  Spain 
From  a  painting  by  an  unknown  artist 


o       O  (»  I     < 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  325 

eating  and  of  exhibiting  herself  in  a  nude  condition,  to 
the  great  scandal  of  the  humblest  of  her  servants  ;  that 
it  was  not  proper  for  a  Queen  of  Spain  to  lead  this  kind  of 
life,  of  which  he  was  unable  to  correct  her  ;  for,  though 
he  had  spoken  to  her  about  it  three  times  in  private,  she 
had  only  laughed  at  his  remonstrances." 

At  the  end  of  June,  the  young  couple,  "  who  had  been 
living  like  dog  and  cat,"  went  on  a  visit  to  the  ex-King 
and  Queen  at  San-Ildefonso.  Philip  V.,  overcoming  his 
natural  timidity  in  order  to  obey  the  formal  injunctions 
of  his  confessor,  summoned  the  young  Queen  to  his 
cabinet,  and  spoke  to  her  very  strongly  indeed,  "  threaten- 
ing to  have  her  shut  up  in  a  convent  if  she  did  not  mend 
her  ways,  and  assuring  her  that  his  son  would  approve 
these  severe  measures."  x  The  girl  wept  copiously  and 
"  appeared  touched  by  repentance  "  ;  but  the  following 
morning,  Philip,  happening  to  look  out  of  his  window, 
perceived  his  daughter-in-law  promenading  the  gardens 
— in  which  a  number  of  labourers  were  just  then  at  work 
— clad  only  in  a  chemise  and  a  dressing-gown,  with  which 
latter  garment  the  wind,  which  had  risen  during  the 
night,  was  taking  curious  liberties. 

The  two  Kings  therefore  decided  that,  if  her  Majesty's 
behaviour  did  not  show  an  improvement  within  forty- 
eight  hours  of  her  return  to  Madrid,  she  should  be  shut 
up  in  her  apartments  and  kept  there  for  some  time,  to 
give  her  leisure  for  repentance. 

A  day  or  two  later,  the  royal  pair  set  out  for  Madrid. 
It  was  an  unpleasant  journey,  for,  "  as  soon  as  she  [the 
Queen]  entered  the  carriage  with  the  King,  she  turned 
her  back  upon  him,  sulked,  and  did  not  say  a  word  the 

1  Tesse  to  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  July  2,  1724. 


326  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

whole  way."  On  their  arrival  at  the  Retiro,  where  they 
were  then  residing,  her  Majesty  resumed  her  irregular 
habits  ;  and  on  July  4  Luis,  at  the  end  of  his  patience, 
resolved  to  put  into  execution  the  plan  which  he  and 
his  father  had  decided  upon. 

Accordingly,  he  sent  for  Valero  and  the  Duquesa  de 
Altamira,  the  Queen's  major-domo  and  earner ar a  mayor, 
and  was  closeted  with  them  for  more  than  an  hour. 
When  the  Queen  was  entering  her  carriage  for  her  daily 
drive  in  the  Prado,  the  duchess  presented  herself,  and 
showed  her  an  order  from  the  King,  directing  her  to 
accompany  her  mistress,  although  she  had  been  for  some 
time  excused  this  service,  on  account  of  her  age.  She 
then  took  her  seat  opposite  the  Queen,  while  the  ladies 
in  attendance  followed  in  another  carriage.  As  they  were 
returning,  the  camerara  mayor  showed  the  Queen  a  second 
order,  directing  her  to  conduct  her  Majesty  not  to  the 
Retiro,  but  to  the  Alcazar.  The  officer  in  command  of 
her  escort  exhibited  an  order  to  the  same  effect.  The 
Queen  fell  into  a  transport  of  rage  and  cried  out  re- 
peatedly :  "To  the  Retiro  !  "  But  her  protests  were 
unheeded,  and  she  was  driven  to  the  Alcazar,  and  carried, 
struggling  and  screaming,  to  her  apartments,  where 
Valero  had  got  everything  in  readiness  for  her  reception. 
Here  she  was  left,  with  the  Duquesa  de  Altamira,  two 
maids-of-honour,  and  one  of  her  mattres-d 'hotel,  under  a 
strong  guard.  The  same  evening,  her  arrest  was  officially 
announced  in  a  circular  letter  to  the  foreign  Ministers.1 

As  envoy  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  charged  by  him  to 
counteract  in  every  way  the  influence  of  the  House  of 
Orleans,  Tesse  could  not  but  rejoice  at  a  misadventure  so 

1  Coxe,  History  of  the  Bourbons  of  Spain. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  327 

humiliating  to  the  young  Queen,  and  did  not  fail  to 
inform  his  patron  of  the  details,  with  many  malicious 
interpretations  and  sombre  prognostications  for  the  future 
of  the  royal  menage.  But,  as  Ambassador  of  France,  it 
was  his  duty  to  appear  to  interest  himself  in  the  fate  of  a 
French  princess ;  and  accordingly  on  the  morrow  he 
presented  himself  at  the  King's  lever,  and,  having  de- 
manded an  audience  of  his  Majesty,  inquired  what  ex- 
planation of  the  affair  he  was  to  send  his  Government. 

"  It  is,"  said  the  King,  "  a  mortification  which  I  wished 
to  inflict  on  the  Queen  to  correct  her  conduct.  I  have 
spoken  to  her  several  times,  and  my  father  has  done 
likewise  ;  but  it  has  had  no  effect  upon  her."  "  Sire," 
replied  Tesse,  "  I  recognise  clearly  that  they  are  but 
childish  follies,  natural  to  persons  of  her  age,  wherein 
there  is  nothing  criminal,  and  that  it  is  a  punishment 
which  your  Majesty  intends  to  inflict  upon  her,  and  which 
will  have  the  result  I  hope  for."  "  Yes,"  rejoined  the 
King,  "  we  shall  see  whether  this  mortification  will 
correct  her.     You  may  send  an  account  of  the  matter  to 

France." 

After  a  week  had  passed,  during  which  the  Queen 
remained  in  very  close  confinement,  permission  to  take 
a  walk  in  the  palace  gardens  being  even  refused,  the 
Ambassador  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  remark  upon  the 
prolongation  of  her  captivity,  and  to  suggest  that,  as  her 
Majesty  was  a  French  princess,  a  few  words  of  paternal 
advice  from  himself  might  not  be  out  of  place.  Luis, 
however,  begged  him  to  wait,  promising  to  inform  him 
when  he  judged  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  such 
counsel  might  be  usefully  tendered. 

It  was  not,  indeed,  until  nearly  a  fortnight  later  (July 


328  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

23),  that  the  King  authorised  Tesse  to  visit  his  captive 
consort,  at  the  same  time  informing  him  that  he  proposed 
to  set  her  at  liberty  that  same  evening,  if  the  Ambassador 
found  her  in  a  chastened  mood.  Tesse  lost  no  time  in 
repairing  to  the  Alcazar,  where  he  found  the  Queen 
looking  none  the  worse  for  her  detention,  and  proceeded 
to  give  her  a  mild  lecture,  pointing  out  that  the  happiness 
of  her  life  depended  on  herself  alone.  Her  Majesty 
frankly  acknowledged  that  half  the  imputations  against 
her  were  true,  but  maintained  that  the  other  half  were 
false,  and  that,  however  foolishly  she  might  have  acted, 
she  had  been  guilty  of  nothing  criminal.  She  expressed 
contrition  for  her  faults,  promised  amendment,  and 
entreated  her  husband's  forgiveness. 

On  leaving  her,  Tesse  returned  to  the  King  to  report  the 
result  of  his  visit.  Luis,  satisfied  that  his  wife  was  now 
penitent,  sent  the  Prince  of  Cellamare  to  inquire  at  what 
time  the  Oueen  wished  to  drive  that  afternoon,  and  timed 
his  own  return  from  the  chase  so  that  their  carriages 
should  meet  near  the  Puente  Verde.  The  Queen  alighted 
and  knelt  to  kiss  her  husband's  hand  ;  but  Luis  raised 
her  up,  embraced  her  tenderly,  and  brought  her  in  his 
own  carriage  to  the  Retiro,  where  he  presented  her  with  a 
magnificent  parure  of  diamonds,  as  a  pledge  of  his  for- 
giveness. The  King,  indeed,  seemed  anxious  to  make 
amends  for  the  publicity  of  her  disgrace  by  giving  equal 
publicity  to  her  restoration  to  favour,  and  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  he  was  still  genuinely  attached  to  his  wife 
and  most  anxious  to  live  with  her  or  amicable  terms.  But 
the  girl,  resenting  the  precaution  he  had  taken  to  prevent 
a  repetition  of  her  worst  irregularities  by  the  dismissal  of 
the  greater  number  of  her  maids-of-honour,  refused  to 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  329 

give  him  the  slightest  encouragement,  and  though  she 
treated  him  in  public  with  all  due  deference,  her  manner 
was  almost  as  cold  and  distant  as  before. 

Possibly,  if  the  young  King's  life  had  been  spared  a  little 
longer,  Elisabeth  d'Orleans  might  have  recognised  her 
mistake  and  learned  to  appreciate  the  good  qualities 
of  her  husband.  But  within  a  few  weeks  of  her  release 
from  the  Alcazar  she  found  herself  a  widow. 

Luis  I.  had  always  been  of  a  somewhat  delicate  con- 
stitution, and  he  had  also  greatly  overtaxed  his  strength 
in  his  passion  for  physical  exercises.  On  August  15, 
he  was  seized  with  repeated  attacks  of  faintness  and 
compelled  to  take  to  his  bed,  and  a  few  days  later  smallpox 
declared  itself.  The  disease  appeared  to  be  following  a 
normal  course,  and  though  the  King  was  suffering  a  good 
deal,  his  condition  did  not  inspire  any  great  anxiety, 
when,  on  the  evening  of  the  25th,  his  physicians  most 
imprudently  decided  to  bleed  him.  The  royal  patient  at 
once  experienced  an  alarming  relapse,  and  by  the  morning 
of  the  30th  his  case  was  pronounced  hopeless. 

When  informed  of  his  approaching  end,  the  poor  lad 
showed  the  most  touching  resignation.  Without  a  word  of 
regret  for  his  youth  and  his  throne,  he  observed  to  those 
about  him  that  he  would  be  that  evening  in  Paradise, 
and  then  proceeded  to  execute  a  deed,  whereby  he  re- 
turned to  his  father  all  that  he  had  received  from  him,  and 
authorised  him  to  dispose  of  his  private  property  as  he 
thought  fit.  He  concluded  by  recommending  the  Queen 
very  particularly  to  his  care.  On  the  morrow  (August  31), 
he  expired,  having  completed  his  seventeenth  year  a  few 
days  before. 

During  the  King's  illness,  his  father  and  stepmother  did 


330  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

not  come  near  him ;  but  his  wife  moved  to  his  apartments, 
and  remained  there  until  the  end,  although  such  was 
the  fear  which  the  disease  inspired  in  her  ladies  that  not 
one  of  them  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  accompany  her 
mistress.  It  would  appear,  however,  that  the  young 
Queen's  devotion  to  her  sick  husband  was  not  voluntary, 
and  Lemontey  assures  us  that,  since  she  had  not  had 
smallpox,1  and  it  was  quite  possible  that  she  was  enceinte, 
she  was  compelled  to  remain  by  the  King's  bedside,  in 
the  hope  that  she  might  contract  the  disease  in  a  fatal 
form,  and  thus  extricate  the  Court  of  Spain  from  what 
might  prove  a  most  embarrassing  situation.  "  I  can 
hardly  doubt,"  he  writes,  "  the  odious  intention  of  this 
constraint,  when  I  read  in  the  letter  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Saint-Pierre,2  written  on  the  eve  of  the  King's  death, 
these  too  significant  words  :  '  There  is  nothing  which  they 
have  not  done  to  make  her  [the  Queen]  take  the  small- 
pox.'" 3 

In  fact,  the  girl  did  contract  the  disease  which  had 
robbed  her  of  her  husband,  though  not  in  a  dangerous 
form.  Her  convalescence,  however,  was  slow,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  first  week  in  November  that  she  was  pro- 
nounced cured.  Tesse,  who  visited  her  on  the  2nd, 
reports  that  she  had  grown  very  much,  but  that  her 
person  was  "  more  neglected  and  more  slovenly  than  that 
of  a  waitress  in  a  cabaret ;  "  adding  some  coarse  reflections 
which  we  forbear  to  transcribe. 

No  one,  indeed,  appeared  to  have  a  good  word  to  say 
for  the  unfortunate  girl,  who  had  lost  in  her  husband  her 

1  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Queen  had  had  smallpox  in  1719. 

2  She  was  a  sister  of  the  French  Minister,  the  Marquis  de  Torcy 
and  an  intimate  friend  of  Elizabeth  Farnese. 

8  Les  Fillesdu  Regent,  Revue  retrospective,  Serie  I,  tome  1. 


' 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  331 

sole  protector,  and  whose  situation  was  a  really  pitiable 
one.  Philip  V.,  who  had  been  persuaded  by  Elizabeth 
Farnese  and  her  partisans  to  resume  the  Crown,  to  the 
intense  disgust  of  the  majority  of  the  nation,  who  would 
have  infinitely  preferred  the  succession  of  his  second  son, 
Don  Fernando,  was  feverishly  anxious  to  get  rid  of  her. 
"  In  God's  name,"  said  he  to  Tesse,  three  days  after  the 
death  of  the  young  king,  "  make  them  understand  that 
we  shall  open  every  door,  and  furnish  her,  by  means  of 
certain  revenues,  with  the  opportunity  of  returning  to 
France  ;  while  his  wife,  who  appeared  to  entertain  a  very 
poor  opinion  of  the  virtue  of  her  daughter-in-law, 
predicted  that,  if  she  remained  in  Spain,  they  would 
receive  one  fine  morning  news  of  some  terrible  scandal. 
And  their  Majesties,"  writes  the  Ambassador,  "  told  me 
that,  since  the  death  of  the  King,  she  had  indulged  in 
transports  of  joy,  and  conducted  herself  in  a  manner  so 
extraordinary,  that  decency  does  not  permit  me  to  repeat 
the  frightful  things  that  they  have  told  me." 

The  widowed  Queen,  on  her  side,  would  have  been  only 
too  willing  to  shake  the  dust  of  her  adopted  country  off 
her  feet ;  but  unfortunately  the  French  Government  was 
as  little  anxious  to  receive  her  as  were  her  Spanish 
relatives  to  keep  her,  and  Tesse  received  instructions  to 
do  everything  possible  to  prevent  her  returning  to  France. 
However,  after  several  weeks'  correspondence  on  the 
subject,  Elizabeth  Farnese,  who  had  been  studying  her 
daughter-in-law's  marriage-contract,  found  there  a  clause 
which  provided  that,  in  the  event  of  the  princess  being 
left  a  widow  without  children,  she  should  have  the  right, 
if  she  so  desired,  of  returning  to  France  ;  and  trium- 
phantly drew  Tesse's  attention  to  it.    In  the  face  of  this 


332  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

discovery,  it  was,  of  course,  impossible  for  the  French 
Government  to  persist  in  its  objection  to  the  return  of  the 
young  Queen.  It  therefore  resolved  to  confine  its  efforts 
to  persuading  her  to  accept  a  residence  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  capital,"  where,"  wrote  the  Secretary  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  Morville,  "  her  rank  would  cause  too  much 
embarrassment  "  ;  while  Tesse  was  charged  to  do  every- 
thing possible  to  prolong  her  stay  in  Spain." 

The  departure  of  the  young  lady  was,  in  fact,  retarded 
for  many  weeks,  notwithstanding  the  anxiety  of  Philip  V. 
and  his  consort  to  get  rid  of  her.  There  were  differences 
between  the  two  Courts  respecting  the  pension  which 
she  was  to  receive  ;  concerning  the  composition  of  her 
Household  ;  about  the  conditions  of  her  journey  to  the 
frontier — the  Spanish  Government  desiring  to  do  the 
thing  as  cheaply  as  possible,  and,  according  to  the 
expression  of  Tesse,  "  to  plant  her  down  at  Bayonne,  like 
a  packet  of  dirty  linen."  And,  finally,  when  all  these 
matters  had  been  adjusted,  a  most  acrimonious  and 
unseemly  dispute  arose  between  the  Dues  de  Bourbon  and 
d' Orleans,  on  the  question  whether  the  latter  or  the  French 
Government  ought  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  carriages 
required  to  convey  the  Queen  and  her  suite  from  Bayonne 
to  Vincennes,  where  it  had  been  decided  that  she  should 
take  up  her  residence. 

In  consequence,  the  early  spring  of  1723  found  the 
widowed  Queen  still  at  Madrid  ;  and  it  is  possible  that 
her  departure  might  have  been  delayed  for  some  time 
longer,  had  not  an  event  occurred  which  rendered  her 
stay  in  Spain  no  longer  possible. 

The  marriage  arranged  by  the  Regent  and  Dubois 
between  Louis  XV.  and  the  Infanta  had  always  been 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  333 

regarded  with  the  strongest  disfavour  by  the  Due  de 
Bourbon,  for  years  must  elapse  before  the  "  Infanta- 
Queen,"  as  the  little  princess  was  called,  would  be  able  to 
bear  an  heir  to  the  throne,  and  should  his  Majesty  die 
without  male  issue,  the  new  Due  d'Orleans,  whom  he 
cordially  hated,  would  become  King.  To  avert  this 
calamity,  Monsieur  le  Due  would  have  been  quite  prepared 
to  support  the  claims  of  Philip  V.  to  the  throne,  but  since 
the  death  of  Luis  I.  and  Philip's  resumption  of  the  Crown 
of  Spain,  his  chances  in  France  had  declined  so  greatly 
that  it  was  now  quite  clear  that,  in  the  event  of  a  vacancy, 
the  succession  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  would  be  unques- 
tioned. Urged  on  by  his  mistress,  the  beautiful  and 
ambitious  Madame  de  Prie,  who  at  this  moment  practi- 
cally governed  France,  he  had  therefore  decided  to  send 
back  the  Infanta,  and  to  marry  Louis  XV.  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible  to  some  princess  capable  of  at  once 
making  him  a  father  ;  and  for  weeks  past  French  agents 
had  been  busily  prosecuting  all  over  Europe  their  search 
for  the  future  Queen  of  France. 

Early  in  1725,  a  despatch  from  Philip  V.  to  his  Am- 
bassador at  the  Court  of  Versailles  was  intercepted  by 
the  agents  of  Monsieur  le  Due,  which  showed  that  it 
was  his  intention  to  demand  ' '  the  public  declaration  of 
the  nuptial  arrangements  "  between  Louis  XV.  and  the 
Infanta  ;  and  almost  immediately  afterwards  the  young 
King  fell  so  ill  that  for  several  days  he  was  believed  to  be 
in  serious  danger. 

This  last  event  precipitated  matters,  and  the  French 
Government  resolved  not  to  wait  until  the  new  fiancee  was 
chosen,  but  to  inform  the  Court  of  Madrid  at  once  of  the 
resolution  at  which  it  had  arrived.    Tesse,  who,  suspecting 


334  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

what  was  in  the  wind  and  being  unwilling  to  be  a  party  to 
it,  had  demanded  his  recall,  was  replaced  by  the  Abbe  de 
Livry,  charge  d'affaires  at  Lisbon  ;  and  it  was  he  who 
presented  to  the  King  of  Spain  the  letter  in  which  Louis 
XV.  endeavoured  to  justify  the  affront  which  he  was 
inflicting  upon  his  uncle. 

"  Trembling  from  head  to  foot,  the  abb6  presented  to 
the  King  his  master's  letter.  The  Queen  was  at  the  end 
of  the  cabinet,  occupied  with  her  correspondence.  Sud- 
denly, she  heard  the  King  strike  the  table  violently, 
and  cry  out  :  '  Ah  !  the  traitor  !  '  She  ran  to  him.  .  .  . 
The  King  handed  her  the  letter,  saying :  '  Take  it, 
Madame,  read  it  !  '  The  Queen  read  it,  and  then,  hand- 
ing back  the  letter,  she  replied  with  great  composure  : 
'  Well !     We  must  send  to  receive  the  Infanta.'  " 

Such  is  the  account  given  of  this  audience  by  the 
President  Henault,  but,  according  to  Coxe,  Elizabeth 
Farnese  was  anything  but  composed.  "  The  queen," 
he  writes,  "  tearing  a  portrait  of  Louis  XV.  from  her 
bracelet,  trampled  it  under  foot,  and  exclaimed :  '  All  the 
Bourbons  are  a  race  of  devils  !  '  But,  recollecting  the 
relationship  of  her  husband  to  that  House,  she  turned 
to  him  and  added  :  '  Except  your  Majesty.'  "  To  the 
English  Ambassador,  Stanhope,  who  was  immediately 
sent  for,  she  expressed  her  indignation  with  still  greater 
freedom.  "  That  one-eyed  scoundrel,"  said  she,  alluding 
to  the  Due  de  Bourbon,  who,  as  we  have  mentioned,  had 
lost  an  eye  by  a  shooting  accident,1  "has  sent  back  my 
daughter,  because  the  King  would  not  create  his  con- 
cubine's husband  a  grandee  of  Spain  !  " 

The  nation  shared  the  resentment  of  its  King  and 

1  See  p.  44,  note  2,  supra. 


Thk  Infanta  Maria  Ana  Victoria 
From  the  painting  by  Largilliere,  in  the  Museum  oi  the  Prado 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  335 

Queen.  When  the  news  was  known  in  Madrid,  the 
indignation  of  the  populace  knew  no  bounds  ;  excited 
crowds  paraded  the  streets,  and  the  French  residents 
trembled  for  their  safety.  On  March  19,  the  Abbe  de 
Livry  was  handed  his  passports,  and  requested  to  leave 
Madrid  within  twenty-four  hours  and  Spain  within  a 
fortnight ;  all  the  French  consuls  received  orders  to  leave 
the  country  within  the  same  period  ;  and,  finally,  a  decree 
was  published  for  the  deportation  of  every  Frenchman 
in  Spain  who  did  not  immediately  apply  for  letters  of 
naturalisation,  though  this  was  subsequently  with- 
drawn.1 

The  rupture  of  the  betrothal  between  Don  Carlos  and 
Mile,  de  Beaujolais  was  decided  upon  by  way  of  reprisals, 
and  Philip  V.  even  talked  of  imprisoning  the  little 
princess  and  his  widowed  daughter-in-law  in  some  remote 
corner  of  the  kingdom,  where  they  should  remain  as 
hostages  for  the  Infanta.  But  he  soon  changed  his  mind, 
and  on  March  23  the  two  sisters  quitted  Madrid  and  set 
out  for  France.  The  Court,  with  whom  she  had  been  a 
universal  favourite,  saw  the  departure  of  Mile,  de  Beau- 
jolais with  regret ;  while  Don  Carlos  was  in  despair  at  the 
loss  of  his  betrothed. 

At  Lerma,  the  princesses  were  detained  until  after 
Easter,  being  treated  very  much  like  prisoners  of  State, 

1  This  decree  had  been  extorted  from  Philip  V.  by  the  Queen ;  but, 
on  reflection,  the  King  perceived  its  impracticability,  and  had  recourse 
to  a  whimsical  expedient  to  pacify  his  imperious  consort — one  of  the 
few  jokes  with  which  this  melancholy  monarch  has  been  credited. 
Summoning  his  valets  de  chambre,  he  bade  them  empty  his  wardrobes 
and  pack  his  trunks,  as  though  for  a  long  journey.  The  Queen,  enter- 
ing amidst  the  bustle,  inquired  the  cause  of  such  preparations.  "  Is  it 
not  decreed,"  said  Philip,  "that  all  the  French  leave  Spain  ?  I  am  a 
Frenchman,  and  am  therefore  preparing  for  my  journey."  Elizabeth 
burst  out  laughing,  and  the  order  was  recalled. — Coxe. 


336  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

and  then  sent  on  to  Burgos,  to  await  news  of  the  journey 
of  the  Infanta.  That  little  lady  left  Paris  on  April  5, 
under  the  care  of  the  Duchesse  de  Tallard.  She  was 
treated  with  every  imaginable  honour,  and  informed 
that  she  was  merely  going  to  pay  a  visit  to  her  family. 
The  exchange  of  princesses  was  effected  on  the  22nd,  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  Saint- Jean-Pied-de-Port. 
The  Spaniards,  according  to  Mathieu  Marais,  had  sworn 
that  they  would  accept  no  presents,  but  the  sight  of  the 
magnificent  gifts  intended  for  them,  which  included  a 
silver  toilette-set  valued  at  100,000  ecus,  proved  too  much 
for  their  cupidity,  and  they  took  them  all ;  while  the 
ladies  who  had  escorted  the  Infanta  had  to  return  empty- 
handed  to  Paris. 

The  princesses  were  unable  to  make  their  entry  into 
Bayonne  for  some  days,  for  the  spiteful  Due  de  Bourbon 
had  neglected  to  send  orders  for  preparations  to  be  made 
for  their  reception  until  they  had  almost  reached  the 
frontier.  He  had  also  countermanded  the  carriages  of  the 
Court,  and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  obliged  to  send 
her  own  for  the  conveyance  of  her  daughters  and  their 
suite  to  Vincennes,  where  they  arrived  at  the  end  of 
June. 

Few  widowed  queens  have  found  themselves  relegated 
more  completely  to  obscurity  than  Elisabeth  d'Orleans. 
"  Of  the  incoherent  dream  of  her  royalty,"  observes 
Lemontey,  "  nothing  remained  to  her  in  France  save  the 
ennui  of  a  dignity  without  power  and  the  ridicule  of  a 
guard  covered  with  rags." 

Her  life  was  a  sad  one,  for  she  commanded  neither 
affection  nor  respect  from  those  about  her  ;   and  the  one 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  337 

desire  of  her  relatives,  alarmed  lest  she  should  resume 
in  France  the  eccentricities  which  had  caused  so  much 
scandal  in  Spain,  was  to  see  as  little  of  her  as  possible. 
For  two  years  she  lived  at  Vincennes,  but  the  pension 
promised  her  by  Philip  V.  was  so  irregularly  paid  as  to 
cause  her  serious  pecuniary  difficulties,  and  in  1727  she 
was  obliged  temporarily  to  break  up  her  Household  and 
retire  to  the  Carmelites  of  the  Faubourg  Saint-Jacques. 
In  this  pious  retreat  she  remained  for  more  than  three 
years,  when,  the  continued  representations  of  the  French 
Government  having  at  length  succeeded  in  securing  the 
payment  of  the  arrears  due  to  her,  she  installed  herself 
in  the  Luxembourg,  where  she  lived  an  obscure  and 
monotonous  existence,  dominated  by  servants  who  were 
bribed  by  Spain  to  spy  upon  her  actions,  presumably  in 
the  hope  of  discovering  something  which  might  furnish 
the  parsimonious  Court  of  Madrid  with  some  plausible 
pretext  for  discontinuing  her  pension. 

Her  contemporaries  mention  her  but  seldom,  and  when 
they  do,  it  is  generally  in  reference  to  some  squabble  on 
a  point  of  etiquette,  such  as  that  with  her  sister,  the 
Princess  of  Modena,  described  elsewhere.1  During  the 
last  years  of  her  life  she  became  exceedingly  devout, 
passed  the  greater  part  of  her  time  in  devotional  exercises, 
and  refused  to  receive  any  one.  She  died  of  dropsy,  at  the 
Luxembourg,  on  June  16,  1742,  and  was  interred  in  the 
Church  of  Saint-Sulpice,  the  simple  inscription  :  "  Cy 
gtt  Elisabeth,  reine  douariere  d'Espagne  ,:  being,  by  her 
own  instructions,  engraved  upon  her  tomb. 

Her  death  was  hailed  with  relief  by  her  relatives  on 
both  sides  of  the  Pyrenees ;  and  the  Due  de  Luynes 

1  See  p.  351,  infra. 
z 


338  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

relates  that  when  Campo-Florido,  the  Spanish  Ambassa- 
dor, came,  with  great  ceremony,  to  make  the  official 
announcement  of  this  event  to  the  Royal  Family,  on 
account  of  the  absence  of  Louis  XV.,  "  he  was  unable  to 
refrain  from  smiling,  and  was  received  also  with  smiles 
by  the  Queen,  the  Dauphin  and  Madame.1 

The  sister  who  had  accompanied  her  from  Spain  had 
predeceased  her  by  more  than  eight  years.  During  this 
time  more  than  one  matrimonial  alliance  appears  to  have 
been  suggested  to  her,  only  to  be  refused,  for  Mile,  de 
Beaujolais  still  cherished  the  hope  of  being  one  day 
reunited  to  the  prince  from  whom  the  exigencies  of 
politics  had  separated  her,  but  whom  she  was  unable  to 
forget.  The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  from  motives  of  ambition, 
entered  into  her  daughter's  views,  and  when,  towards  the 
end  of  1730,  diplomatic  relations  between  France  and 
Spain  were  resumed,  and  the  Comte  de  Rothembourg 
was  despatched  as  Ambassador  to  Madrid,  she  seized  the 
opportunity  to  approach  Fleury  on  the  subject. 

The  report,  however,  which  Rothembourg  despatched 
to  his  Government  of  his  first  audience  with  their  Catholic 
Majesties,  in  which  the  Queen  refused  to  take  any  notice 
of  the  Ambassador  until  Philip  entreated  her  to  think 
only  of  their  nephew  and  of  the  harmony  which  ought  to 
exist  between  them,  must  have  convinced  Fleury  that  she 
was  still  far  too  hostile  to  France  to  entertain  such  a 
proposition.  Indeed,  shortly  afterwards,  the  two  nations 
were  once  more  on  the  verge  of  war. 

When,  however,  in  1732,  Elizabeth  Farnese,  after  so 
many  years  of  intrigue,  won  her  first  substantial  triumph, 

1  M&moires,  July  15,  1742. 


DON      CARLOS 

K^u  dcN^apl&f  e(rcU  J'uilc . 
iillDliililllllUJlillii  iilllll 


Don  Carlos,  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies  (afterwards 
Carlos  III.,  King  of  Spain) 

From  an  engraving  by  Roy,  after  the  painting  by  Delle  Piane 


■_    <      C  c  c 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  339 

and  Don  Carlos  took  possession  of  the  duchies  of  Parma 
and  Piacenza,  the  hopes  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  and  her 
daughter  revived. 

The  Marquis  de  Bissy,  the  French  resident  at  Parma, 
was  instructed  to  sound  the  inclinations  of  that  Court  in 
regard  to  the  project  so  unhappily  frustrated  in  1725, 
and  circumstances  seemed  to  augur  well  for  its  eventual 
realisation.  He  received  a  confidential  communication 
from  the  Duke  of  Parma's  chief  physician,  to  the  effect 
that  the  prince  had  not  been  less  faithful  to  his  first  love 
than  she  to  him  ;  that  he  cherished  as  a  precious  souvenir 
of  the  princess  a  ring  which  she  had  given  him  at  Madrid, 
and  might  often  be  seen  contemplating  it  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  and  that,  in  short,  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  was  "  the 
occupation  of  his  days  and  the  torment  of  his  nights."  l 

Encouraged  by  this  intelligence,  Bissy  approached  Don 
Carlos  himself,  who  informed  him  that  the  marriage  was 
the  dearest  wish  of  his  heart,  and  was,  moreover,  desired 
by  all  the  Spaniards  who  had  accompanied  him  to  Parma. 
And  he  urged  the  Minister  to  use  every  endeavour  to 
conclude  the  matter  with  the  least  possible  delay. 

Unhappily,  the  young  prince  was  not  yet  free  to  dis- 
pose of  his  hand  ;  and  the  aged  Minister  who  directed 
the  policy  of  France  and  in  whom  the  "Termagant  of 
Spain  "  had  inspired  a  veritable  dread,  feared  that  the 
least  indication  of  such  negotiations  would  appear  to  that 
jealous  and  vindictive  princess  as  an  enterprise  against 
her  authority.  He  therefore  professed  himself  unable  to 
take  any  steps  to  further  the  union  of  these  true  lovers, 
until  he  could  feel  assured  of  meeting  with  no  active  oppo- 
sition on  the  side  of  Spain,  and  recommended  to  Bissy 

1  Lemontey. 


340  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

an  extreme  reserve  in  regard  to  confidences  of  this 
nature. 

In  the  following  year,  the  War  of  the  Polish  Succession 
broke  out,  which  was  to  bring  to  Don  Carlos  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Two  Sicilies.  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  did  not  live  to  see 
that  day.  At  the  end  of  April  1734,  she  was  attacked  by 
measles — in  those  days  a  malady  very  much  dreaded — 
to  which  she  succumbed  on  the  21st  of  the  following  month, 
to  the  great  regret  of  both  the  Court  and  the  public. 
"  Everybody  is  in  tears,  and  I  also,"  writes  Mathieu 
Marais  to  his  friend,  the  President  Bouhier ;  "  she  was  a 
charming  princess." 

Born  on  December  18,  1714,  Philippine  Elisabeth 
d'Orleans  had  not  yet  completed  her  twentieth  year. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

Unfortunate  effect  of  the  Regent's  death  upon  the  situation  of  the 
Princess  of  Modena — Her  discreet  conduct — Arrangement  with  her 
father-in-law,  who,  however,  continues  to  subject  her  to  all  kinds 
of  petty  humiliations — Death  of  her  little  son — The  prince  and 
princess  make  their  way  to  Strasbourg,  in  the  hope  of  being  per- 
mitted to  enter  France  ;  but  are  compelled  to  return  to  Italy — 
Intolerable  situation — Interference  of  the  French  Government — 
New  arrangement  with  the  Duke,  which  the  latter  again  contrives 
to  evade — Cruel  indifference  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  to  her 
daughter's  unhappy  lot — Invasion  of  the  duchy  of  Modena — The 
prince  conies  to  Paris,  but  his  wife,  after  reaching  Lyons,  is  ordered 
to  return  to  Italy — She  at  length  secures  authorisation  to  visit  Paris, 
on  condition  that  she  preserves  a  strict  incognito — Odious  behaviour 
of  the  Palais-Royal  towards  her — Quarrel  with  the  Queen  of  Spain — 
Repeated  endeavours  of  her  mother  and  brother  to  secure  an  order 
for  her  departure — Death  of  Duke  Rinaldo  and  accession  of  Fran- 
cesco d'Este — The  Duchess  of  Modena  remains  in  Paris — Her  de- 
parture for  Italy. 

CONTRARY  to  what  might  have  been  anticipated, 
the  birth  of  a  son  to  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Modena  was  far  from  bringing  about  a  reconciliation 
between  them  and  Duke  Rinaldo.  The  old  gentleman, 
indeed,  received  the  news  with  comparative  indifference, 
and,  though  he  offered  to  pay  a  visit  of  felicitation  to  his 
daughter-in-law,  it  was  on  conditions  so  humiliating  to 
the  latter  and  her  husband  that  Francesco  d'Este,  be- 
lieving that  his  future  was  now  assured,  declined  the 
honour. 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  came  the  death  of  the  Regent, 
an  event  which  not  only  dissipated  all  the  princess's  hopes 
of  being  permitted  to  return  to  France,  but  deprived  her 

34i 


342  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  her  only  effectual  protection  against  the  tyranny  of  her 
father-in-law.  Her  despair  was  such  that  for  more  than  a 
week  she  was  absolutely  prostrated,  and  her  physicians 
considered  it  advisable  to  bleed  her  ;  and  for  some  time 
afterwards  she  continued  in  a  state  of  the  most  profound 
dejection.  One  day,  she  inquired  of  Colibeaux  if  he  were 
continuing  his  reports  to  France,  and,  on  his  answering  in 
the  affirmative,  burst  into  tears  and  exclaimed  :  "  Cease 
writing  ;  my  father  is  no  more  ;  and  I  now  count  for 
nothing." 

Her  situation,  indeed,  had  changed  altogether  for  the 
worse.  The  Due  de  Bourbon,  who  had  become  Prime 
Minister  on  the  death  of  the  Regent,  was,  as  we  know,  the 
implacable  enemy  of  the  House  of  Orleans,  and  his 
accession  to  power  meant  the  loss  of  her  family's  political 
importance  and  her  own  abandonment.  This,  indeed,  was 
soon  apparent.  Aware  that  there  was  now  little  prospect 
of  the  French  Government  intervening  on  behalf  of  his 
daughter-in-law,  the  Duke  of  Modena  became  more  and 
more  exacting  ;  while  the  prince  actually  proposed  to 
his  wife  to  enter  a  convent,  in  order  to  leave  him  at  liberty 
to  retire  to  Vienna,  where  a  brilliant  position  in  the 
Imperial  service  had  been  offered  him. 

In  the  face  of  these  adverse  circumstances,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  Charlotte  d' Orleans  conducted  herself  with 
commendable  discretion.  Knowing  that  there  was  now 
nothing  to  hope  for  on  the  side  of  France,  she  resolved 
to  endeavour  to  conciliate  her  father-in-law,  and  secure 
for  herself  an  establishment  in  Italy  commensurate  with 
her  rank,  and  where  she  might  be  enabled  to  live  in 
comfort  and  tranquillity.  Thanks  to  the  intervention  of 
the  Cardinal  de  Rohan,  a  kind  of  treaty  was  finally  signed 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  343 

with  the  Duke,  whereby  the  latter  agreed  to  purchase  for 
the  princess  a  country-house  near  Reggio,  where  she  was 
to  reside  in  future,  with  permission  to  pay  five  visits  a  year 
to  Modena  :  at  Easter,  at  Christinas,  and  on  the  birthdays 
of  the  Duke,  her  husband  and  herself.  The  expense  of 
these  visits  was  to  be  borne  by  the  Duke,  and  she  also 
secured  "  the  privilege  of  writing  to  him  without  previous 
permission,"  which  had  been  at  first  refused  (April  1724), 

Unfortunately,  although  the  attitude  of  the  princess 
towards  her  father-in-law  was  quite  irreproachable,  the 
Duke  continued  to  subject  her  to  all  kinds  of  petty 
humiliations;  and  in  July  the  princess,  in  despair, 
appealed  to  the  French  Government,  through  the  Cardinal 
de  Rohan,  for  permission  to  visit  France. 

The  request  was  not  officially  refused,  but  conditions 
were  attached  to  her  visit  which  made  its  realisation 
altogether  impossible,  such  as  the  permission  of  the  Duke 
of  Modena,  and  an  undertaking  from  him  to  defray  all 
the  expenses  of  the  journey  and  of  her  stay  in  France  ; 
and  the  only  result  of  her  appeal  was  to  exasperate  the 
Duke,  who  proceeded  to  deprive  her  of  her  horses  and 
carriages,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  preventing  her 
from  visiting  Modena,  and  to  reduce  her  pension  by  more 
than  one  half. 

In  these  proceedings  he  was  abetted  by  his  eldest  son, 
who  appears  to  have  been  hopeful  that  this  continuous 
persecution  would  drive  the  princess  into  committing 
some  act  of  folly,  which  would  justify  them  in  relegating 
her  to  a  convent.  His  expectation  was  not  gratified,  for 
Charlotte  d'Orleans  testified  under  these  trying  con- 
ditions a  really  admirable  resignation  ;  while  Colibeaux 
addressed  the  most  touching  appeals  on  her  behalf  to 


344  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

Versailles,  declaring  that  "it  was  a  spectacle  worthy  of 
compassion  to  see  a  princess  brought  up  at  the  Palais- 
Royal,  and  who  had  the  honour  of  being  aunt  of  the 
greatest  King  in  the  world,  reduced  to  a  Court  in  which 
everything  was  lacking." 

At  length,  the  Due  de  Bourbon  decided  that  the 
humiliating  situation  of  the  princess  was  calculated  to 
injure  the  prestige  of  France  in  the  eyes  of  Europe,  and  at 
the  beginning  of  October  he  addressed  a  remonstrance  to 
the  Duke  of  Modena.  His  intervention,  however,  does 
not  appear  to  have  produced  much  effect. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  following  summer,  the  princess's 
little  son  died.  This  sad  event  put  an  end  to  the  com- 
parative harmony  which  existed  between  Francesco 
d'Este  and  his  father,  who  once  more  began  intriguing 
to  get  Prince  Frederico  declared  heir  to  the  throne  ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  brought  about  a  reconciliation  between 
the  prince  and  princess.  By  September,  the  old  Duke 
had  contrived  to  render  their  situation  so  intolerable 
that  they  quitted  Reggio,  and,  having  assumed  the  names 
of  the  Comte  and  Comtesse  de  Saint-Felix,  made  their 
way  to  Strasbourg,  in  the  hope  of  being  allowed  to  enter 
France.  But,  though  their  friend  the  Cardinal  de  Rohan 
warmly  espoused  their  cause  with  the  French  Government, 
the  Due  de  Bourbon  refused  them  permission  to  cross  the 
frontier,  unless  they  obtained  the  consent  of  the  Duke  of 
Modena  and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  ;  and,  after  spending 
some  weeks  at  the  little  Court  of  Luneville,  the  truant 
couple  returned  to  Reggio. 

On  October  6, 1726,  the  princess,  who,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  previous  year,  had  given  birth  to  a  daughter, 
presented  her  husband  with  a  son,  Ercole  Rinaldo,  who 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  345 

was  one  day  to  succeed  to  the  ducal  throne  of  Modena. 
This  increase  in  their  family,  however,  was  not  followed 
by  any  augmentation  of  their  income  ;  indeed,  the  Duke, 
notwithstanding  the  stipulations  of  the  contract,  had  the 
meanness  to  pay  his  daughter-in-law's  pension,  which, 
besides,  was  greatly  in  arrears,  in  Italian  liri,  much 
inferior  in  value  at  this  period  to  the  French  livre.  The 
consequence  was  that  the  unfortunate  pair  found  them- 
selves reduced  to  the  most  cruel  straits  and,  in  the  autumn 
of  1728,  leaving  their  children  at  Reggio,  they  fled  to 
Genoa  and  threw  themselves  on  the  protection  of  Campre- 
don,  the  French  resident. 

The  Court  of  Versailles,  fearful  lest,  after  all,  it  should 
be  obliged  to  accord  an  asylum  to  the  princess,  this 
time  intervened  with  firmness,  and  Fleury,  who  had 
replaced  the  Due  de  Bourbon  at  the  head  of  affairs, 
directed  Campredon  to  proceed  to  Modena  and  bring 
the  Duke  to  reason.  Campredon  obeyed,  but  the  only 
reply  that  he  could  at  first  obtain  from  the  old  tyrant 
was  an  assurance  that  his  son  and  daughter-in-law 
might  return  to  Reggio,  "  provided  they  did  not  trouble 
his  repose."  When,  however,  the  envoy  assumed  a  firmer 
tone  and  threatened  him  with  the  displeasure  of  the 
French  Government,  he  offered  to  agree  to  the  financial 
concessions  demanded  of  him,  on  certain  conditions, 
which  included  the  dismissal  of  two  of  the  prince's  and 
one  of  the  princess's  favourite  attendants,  on  the  ground 
that  they  had  incited  their  master  and  mistress  against 
him  ;  the  immediate  return  of  the  fugitives  to  Reggio 
and  their  engagement  "  to  no  longer  trouble  his  repose," 
which  meant  that  they  were  not  to  present  themselves 
at  Modena,  except  at  his  express  invitation;    and  the 


346  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

surrender  of  their  little  son,  with  whose  education  he 
proposed  to  charge  himself. 

The  princess  at  first  flatly  refused  to  accept  these 
conditions,  but  eventually  a  sort  of  compromise  was 
arrived  at,  and  at  the  beginning  of  September  1729  she 
and  her  husband  returned  to  Reggio.  But  the  old  Duke 
as  usual  proceeded  to  evade  his  engagements,  and  the 
situation  of  the  unfortunate  couple  remained  as  intoler- 
able as  ever. 

We  may  here  observe  that,  whatever  faults  the  princess 
may  have  committed  before  her  marriage,  no  breath  of 
scandal  had  tarnished  her  reputation  since,  and  she  had 
certainly  done  nothing  to  deserve  the  humiliating  treat- 
ment to  which  she  was  subjected.  Nor  can  one  blame  too 
severely  the  profound  indifference  shown  by  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  to  her  daughter's  unhappy  lot.  If  the  ordinary 
sentiments  of  a  mother  were  not  to  be  expected  from  the 
duchess,  one  would  at  least  have  thought  that  she  would 
have  been  concerned  to  defend  the  honour  of  a  person 
so  nearly  related  to  her.  But  her  only  anxiety  seems  to 
have  been  to  prevent  the  unfortunate  princess  finding  an 
asylum  in  France ;  and  when,  at  the  beginning  of  1730, 
the  latter  addressed  to  her  mother  a  reproachful,  though 
perfectly  respectful,  letter,  pointing  out  how  persistently 
she  had  denied  her  the  sympathy  to  which  she  was 
entitled,  and  how  entirely  she  had  misjudged  her  motives 
in  seeking  authorisation  to  come  to  France,  it  remained 
unanswered. 

Towards  the  end  of  1733,  events  afforded  Charlotte 
d'Orleans  the  opportunity  of  realising  the  dream  she  had 
so  long  cherished.  The  War  of  the  Polish  Succession 
broke  out,  and  the  Duke  of  Modena,  notwithstanding 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  347 

that  he  had  hastened  to  declare  himself  neutral,  saw  his 
dominions  occupied  by  foreign  armies.  He  retired  to 
Bologna,  to  await  more  tranquil  times ;  while  his  eldest  son 
set  out  for  Paris.  The  princess  followed  him,  but  she  did 
not  dare  to  venture  farther  than  Lyons,  and  it  was  agreed 
between  her  and  her  husband  that  she  should  remain 
there  until  he  had  succeeded  in  procuring  from  the 
Government  permission  for  her  to  join  him.  But  Francesco 
d'Este  allowed  himself  to  be  talked  over  by  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  and  her  son,  who  wished  at  all  costs  to  keep 
the  princess  at  a  distance,  and,  instead  of  furthering  his 
wife's  wishes,  he  wrote  advising  her  to  remain  where  she 
was. 

The  princess,  after  writing  a  very  sharp  letter  to  her 
husband,  appealed  to  Fleury,  and  received  in  reply  a 
formal  order  to  return  to  Italy  and  take  up  her  residence 
with  Campredon  at  the  French  Legation  at  Genoa,  which 
she  did  not  dare  to  disobey.  However,  towards  the  end 
of  the  following  summer,  a  rumour  spread  that  Duke 
Rinaldo  and  his  eldest  son,  notwithstanding  their  pro- 
fessed neutrality,  were  making  common  cause  with  the 
Imperialists  ;  and  the  Duke,  much  alarmed  by  this  report, 
as  matters  were  now  going  very  badly  with  Austria,  begged 
his  daughter-in-law  to  go  and  plead  his  cause  at  the  Court 
of  France.  The  princess  eagerly  consented,  and  embark- 
ing at  Leghorn  on  the  galley  of  her  half-brother,  the 
Chevalier  d'Orleans,  landed  in  the  last  days  of  September 
at  Marseilles. 

Her  fond  relatives  at  the  Palais-Royal  were  terribly 
alarmed  on  learning  of  her  approach,  and  entreated  the 
Government  to  stop  her,  with  the  result  that,  when  she 
arrived  at  Aix,  she  was  met  by  one  Boisgnorel,  an  exempt 


348  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

of  the  Gardes  du  Corps,  bearing  an  order  from  the  King 
couched  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  My  aunt,  having  learned  that  you  have  arrived  at 
Marseilles  without  my  permission,  and  not  judging  it 
opportune,  for  important  considerations,  that  you  should 
approach  nearer  Paris  than  the  town  of  Lyons,  I  write  you 
this  letter  to  tell  you  that  you  are  not  to  go  farther  until 
I  inform  you  more  particularly  of  my  will."  * 

At  Lyons,  the  princess  remained  for  more  than  four 
months,  when,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  the  Prince  of 
Modena,2  and  on  the  understanding  that  she  should  not 
remain  in  Paris  without  her  husband,  that  she  should 
maintain  a  strict  incognito,  and  should  take  her  departure 
at  the  first  request  to  do  so,  her  mother  and  brother 
withdrew  their  opposition,  and  the  royal  interdict  was 
raised. 

On  receiving  this  joyful  news,  Charlotte  d'Orleans  lost 
no  time  in  leaving  Lyons,  and  on  March  12  she  arrived  in 
Paris,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  fifteen  years.  But, 
though  she  had  reached  the  end  of  her  desires,  she  was 
not  at  the  end  of  her  trials  and  humiliations.  With  the 
exception  of  her  kind-hearted  cousin,  Mile,  de  la  Roche- 
sur-Yon,  who  met  her  at  the  last  stage  before  reaching 
Paris,  no  one  troubled  to  come  and  welcome  her,  and 

1  Archives  des  Affaires  Etrangeres,  published  by  Barthelemy. 

2  If  we  are  to  believe  the  Melanges  of  Boisjourdain,  Francesco  d'Este 
only  succeeded  in  overcoming  the  opposition  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  by 
resorting  to  a  ruse.  Aware  that  the  duke,  after  a  somewhat  irregular 
youth,  had  become  a  devot  of  the  most  rigorous  type,  he  intimated  to 
him  that  he  could  not  answer  for  his  fidelity  to  the  princess  if  they 
were  any  longer  kept  apart,  and  pretended  to  make  advances  to  a 
certain  Mile.  Carlon,  of  the  Opera,  who,  being  a  party  to  the  deception, 
received  them  with  much  apparent  favour.  Whereupon  the  Due 
d'Orleans  "  consented  to  the  visit  of  his  sister,  in  order  to  save  his 
brother-in-law  from  sin." 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  349 

when  she  alighted  at  the  Palais-Royal,  the  reception  she 
received  from  her  mother  and  brother  was  of  the  most 
frigid  description.  "  They  embraced  her  coldly,  talked 
about  indifferent  matters,  yawned,  and  at  the  end  of 
half-an-hour  of  ennui  they  separated,  without  there  having 
been  any  question  of  offering  her  either  accommodation 
or  refreshment.1 

As  her  relatives  had  declined  to  offer  her  the  hospitality 
of  the  Palais-Royal,  the  princess  went  to  live  with  her 
husband  at  the  Hotel  de  Luynes,  in  the  Rue  du  Colombier, 
not  far  from  the  Abbey  of  Saint-Germain-des-Pres,  from 
which,  however,  they  shortly  afterwards  removed  to  the 
Hotel  de  Lyon,  in  the  Rue  des  Petits-Champs,  which  was, 
of  course,  much  nearer  the  Palais-Royal. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  is  said  to  have  sent  his  sister  25,000 
ecus  to  defray  the  cost  of  her  stay  in  Paris,  but  in  other 
respects  both  he  and  his  mother  behaved  in  the  most 
odious  way  towards  her,  and  seemed  resolved  to  spare 
her  no  mortification.  They  endeavoured  to  prevent  her 
from  being  received  by  the  Queen,  on  the  ground  that  it 
would  afford  her  the  means  of  raising  the  incognito  which 
she  had  promised  to  maintain  ;  they  persuaded  the  King 
to  write  to  her,  forbidding  her  absolutely  to  discuss  the 
political  situation  in  Italy  with  the  Ministers,  and  begged 
Fleury  to  speak  to  her  in  such  a  manner  "  as  to  leave  her 
no  hope  of  charging  herself  with  any  negotiations  "  ;  and, 
some  days  after  her  arrival,  the  duke  instructed  the  cure 
of  Saint-Paul,  his  confessor  and  almoner,  to  inform  the 
poor  people  among  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  distribute 
the  prince's  alms  that,  so  long  as  the  Princess  of  Modena 
remained  in  Paris  at  the  expense  of  his  Royal  Highness, 

1  Boisjourdain,  Mdlanges. 


350  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

they  must  expect  nothing  more  from  him.  This  mean 
action  naturally  served  to  excite  the  populace  against 
the  unfortunate  lady ;  and  the  fact  that  she  was  not  lodged 
at  the  Palais-Royal  and  was  compelled  to  go  about  in  a 
modest  equipage  hired  from  a  livery-stable,  since  her 
brother  had  refused  to  lend  her  any  of  his  own  carriages, 
created  a  most  unfortunate  impression.  Her  servants 
were  insulted  in  the  streets,  and  one  evening,  when  leaving 
the  Opera,  she  herself  was  subjected  to  the  most  gross 
indignity,  the  rabble  bawling  out  to  her  coachman  to  drive 
her  back  to  Modena,  where  she  might  accord  her  father- 
in-law  the  favours  which  she  had  once  granted  to  her 
father  in  Paris.1 

At  the  end  of  May  1735,  Francesco  d'Este  announced 
that  urgent  affairs  recalled  him  to  Italy;  but,  since  he 
proposed  to  visit  Holland  and  England  first,  he  expressed 
the  hope  that  his  wife  would  be  permitted  to  remain  in 
France  until  he  could  return  for  her.  The  Due  d'Orleans 
immediately  wrote  to  Fleury,  begging  him  to  compel  his 
sister  to  leave  Paris  and  retire  to  some  town  near  the 
frontier,  "  until  it  might  please  the  prince  to  come  and 
fetch  her."  But  Charlotte  d'Orleans  had  not  wasted  her 
time  since  her  arrival  in  Paris.  She  was  still  a  very 
attractive  woman,"  even  after  fifteen  years  of  marriage  "  ;2 
she  knew  how  to  make  the  most  of  her  charms,  and, 
moreover,  the  discretion  with  which  she  had  conducted 
herself  had  impressed  the  Ministers  very  favourably. 
Accordingly,  notwithstanding  the  resistance  of  the  Palais- 
Royal,  Louis  XV.  gave  her  permission  to  remain  in  Paris, 
on  condition,  however,  that  she  should  retire  to  the 
Val-de-Grace  and  not  leave  it  without  express  permis- 

1  Boisjourdain.  a  Ibid. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  351 

sion.  At  the  request  of  her  husband,  this  restriction  on 
her  liberty  was  subsequently  withdrawn,  though  she 
was  forbidden  to  visit  the  theatres  or  to  approach  the 
Court. 

Francesco  d'Este  returned  at  the  beginning  of  1736  ; 
but  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  leave  Paris,  and  he  and  his  wife 
settled  down  again  at  the  Hotel  de  Lyon,  to  the  intense 
disgust  of  the  Orleans  family.  In  the  spring,  a  violent 
quarrel  took  place  between  the  princess  and  her  sister,  the 
Queen  of  Spain,  over  a  question  of  ceremonial.  On  Palm 
Sunday,  both  happened  to  visit  the  Jesuit  Church  in  the 
Rue  Saint-Antome,  to  hear  a  sermon  by  Pere  Neuville, 
a  preacher  of  great  celebrity.  The  Fathers  sent  a  carpet 
to  the  princess's  tribune,  but  her  loving  sister  pretended 
that  she  had  no  right  to  one  in  her  presence,  and  des- 
patched an  officer  of  her  guards  to  order  her  to  remove  it. 
This  she  refused  to  do,  alleging  that  she  owed  this  respect 
only  to  the  Queen  of  France.  The  widow  of  Luis  I.  was 
furious,  and  the  Due  d'Orleans  warmly  espoused  her  cause, 
and  wrote  to  Fleury  suggesting  that  this  was  "  a  fine 
opportunity  to  order  the  Princess  of  Modena  to  retire,  if 
not  to  Italy,  at  least  into  some  provincial  town."  He 
added  that  his  mother  was  of  the  same  opinion. 

Fortunately  for  the  princess,  she  had  the  prudence  to 
obey  the  orders  of  Louis  XV.  to  apologize  to  her  sister,  or, 
at  any  rate,  she  sent  Francesco  d'Este  to  make  her 
excuses ;  and  the  matter  was  allowed  to  drop.  The  quarrel 
was  revived  a  few  weeks  later,  when  her  coachman,  either 
by  her  orders  or  on  his  own  initiative,  declined  to  stop 
his  carriage  to  permit  that  of  the  Queen  of  Spain  to  pass. 
The  Due  d'Orleans,  unwilling  to  allow  any  opportunity  of 
humiliating  his  elder  sister  to  escape  him,  demanded  that 


352  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  King  should  order  her  to  go  in  person  to  apologize  to 
the  outraged  Queen ;  but,  on  the  princess  representing 
that  the  affront  was  an  accident,  she  was  permitted  to 
send  a  letter  of  regret  instead. 

On  September  30  of  that  year,  Charlotte  d'Orleans 
gave  birth  to  a  daughter.  The  approach  of  this  interesting 
event  had  naturally  furnished  her  with  an  excellent 
pretext  for  postponing  her  departure  ;  but  no  sooner  was 
her  health  re-established  than  the  Due  d'Orleans  renewed 
his  efforts  to  secure  an  order  for  her  to  leave  Paris. 
Fleury,  however,  who  sympathised  with  the  princess, 
and  secretly  sustained  her  against  the  malice  of  her 
family,  acceded  to  her  request  to  be  permitted  to  remain 
until  the  return  of  her  husband  from  Hungary,  whither 
he  was  about  to  proceed  to  take  command  of  the  artillery 
of  the  Imperialist  army  operating  against  the  Turks. 

On  October  26,  1737,  Duke  Rinaldo,  whom  the  con- 
clusion of  peace  between  the  belligerent  Powers  in  the 
previous  spring  had  enabled  to  return  to  his  capital,  died, 
and  Francesco  d'Este  became  Duke  of  Modena.  The 
fact  that  her  husband  was  now  a  sovereign  prince  did  not, 
however,  cause  Charlotte  d'Orleans  to  be  treated  with  any 
more  consideration  by  the  Court  of  France ;  and,  thanks 
to  the  opposition  of  her  brother,  with  whom  she  was  now 
engaged  in  an  acrimonious  lawsuit  over  some  disputed 
family  property,  the  gates  of  Versailles  still  remained 
closed  to  her.  However,  she  appears  to  have  preferred 
the  affronts  to  which  she  had  to  submit  in  Paris  to  the 
pleasures  of  domination  at  Modena,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  end  of  June  1739  that  she  set  out  for  Italy.  For 
some  time  past  she  had  not  been  on  speaking  terms  with 
her  relatives  at  the  Palais-Royal,   and  though  Fleury 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  353 

begged  her,  for  form's  sake,  to  pay  them  a  farewell  visit, 
she  refused.  "  I  have  the  honour  to  tell  your  Eminence," 
she  writes,  "  that  if,  after  the  unworthy  manner  in  which 
the  Duke  of  Modena  has  seen  me  treated  by  my  family, 
he  were  to  perceive  that,  at  the  last  moment,  I  had  all 
the  imaginable  baseness  to  visit  them  again,  it  would 
teach  him  that  I  required  to  be  guided  by  blows  from  a 
cudgel."  x 

1  Lemontey. 


2  A 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

The  death  of  the  Regent  deprives  the  Abbess  of  Chelles  of  her  influence 
in  ecclesiastical  matters — She  continues,  however,  her  efforts  on 
behalf  of  the  Jansenists — She  issues  a  manifesto,  which  is  sup- 
pressed by  a  decree  of  the  Council — Her  adventure  with  the  Cardinal 
de  Bissy — She  is  forbidden  to  leave  her  convent — She  resigns  her 
abbey,  and  retires  to  the  priory  of  the  Benedictines  of  la  Madeleine 
du  Trainel — Piety  of  her  last  years — Her  Reflexions  morales  sur  le 
Nouveau  Testament — Her  death. 

THE  death  of  the  Regent  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the 
Abbess  of  Chelles.  Not  only  did  she  lose  a  kind 
and  indulgent  father,  to  whom  she  was  warmly  attached, 
but  she  saw  disappear,  at  the  same  moment,  the  influence 
which  she  had  derived  from  her  near  relationship  to  the 
head  of  the  State.  "  The  authority  which  his  affection 
for  me  had  given  me,"  she  wrote,  "  was  annihilated  with 
him.  His  Ministers,  formerly  so  submissive  to  his  orders, 
so  assiduous  in  paying  their  court  to  me,  resumed  their 
natural  pride.  My  family  itself  abandoned  me  on  a  slight 
pretext.  I  arrived  at  the  Val-de-Grace  ;  what  a  differ- 
ence for  a  soul  as  vain  as  mine  !  My  rooms,  which,  in  my 
father's  lifetime,  were  always  full  of  people,  were  empty. 
The  thousands  of  petitions  and  memoirs  which  it  used  to 
please  my  vanity  to  receive  had  changed  into  the  ordinary 
demands  of  the  poor.  I  returned  to  my  abbey,  rage  in 
my  heart,  and  very  determined  to  console  myself  by 
every  means  that  I  could  find.  This  unhappy  incident 
has  been  the  cause  of  all  the  faults  that  I  have  com- 

354 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  355 

mitted  from  the  age  of  twenty-five  up  to  that  of 
thirty-three."1 

Nevertheless,  she  continued  her  efforts  on  behalf  of  the 
Jansenists,  more  persecuted  than  ever  after  Fleury  had 
replaced  the  Due  de  Bourbon  as  First  Minister,  and 
sheltered  many  of  them  at  the  Val-de-Grace,  as  she  had 
previously  done  at  Chelles.  The  Jesuits  summoned  to 
their  aid  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  an  ardent  Molinist,  and 
persuaded  her  to  represent  to  her  daughter  the  iniquity 
of  her  conduct ;  but  the  abbess  bitterly  resented  the 
interference  of  her  mother,  and  the  only  result  was  another 
violent  quarrel  between  the  two  princesses.  The  Jesuits 
thereupon  caused  a  rumour  to  be  propagated  that  Mile. 
d'Orleans  had  repented  of  her  errors  and  returned  to  the 
true  fold,  and  "  all  Paris  was  persuaded  of  it."2  The 
abbess  replied  by  a  species  of  manifesto,  under  the  title  of 
Lettrc  de  S.A  .R.  Mme.  d'Orleans,  abbesse  de  Chelles,  a  une  de 
ses  amies,  "  full  of  errors  which  the  Church  has  long 
condemned,  and  expressions  contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
submission  which  the  monastic  state  which  she  has  em- 
braced obliges  her  to  observe."3  The  Council  issued  a 
decree  directing  that  all  copies  of  this  manifesto  should  be 
collected  and  destroyed  by  the  police,  but,  at  the  same 
time,  in  order  to  spare  the  feelings  of  the  House  of  Orleans, 
declared  its  opinion  that  the  condemned  letter  was  not 
the  work  of  the  princess,  on  the  ground  that  she  was  there- 
in styled  "  Royal  Highness,"  whereas  her  proper  appella- 
tion was  "  Most  Serene  Highness." 

Soon  after  this,  Mile.  d'Orleans  had  an  adventure  with 

1  MSS.  of  Mile.  d'Orleans,  formerly  in  the  library  of  M.  Leber,  pub- 
lished by  Barthelemy. 

-  Soulavie,  Memoir es  du  due  de  Richelieu. 
8  Marais. 


356  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  Cardinal  de  Bissy,  Bishop  of  Meaux,  one  of  the  most 
bitter  persecutors  of  the  Jansenists,  which  occasioned  a 
great  deal  of  talk.  Soulavie  gives  the  following  account 
of  this  affair  : 

"  Madame  de  Rohan,  Abbess  of  Hyeres,1  used  to  visit 
Madame  de  Chelles,  who,  in  her  turn,  went  to  visit  her. 
One  day,  the  Cardinal  de  Bissy,  chief  of  the  Molinist 
party,  came  to  see  Madame  de  Rohan,  and  asked  her 
what  was  the  conduct  of  her  community  in  relation  to 
the  Bull  [Unigenitus].  The  latter  replied  that  she  had  only 
one  convert  Sister  who  was  unwilling  to  obey  the  Bull. 
Bissy  asked  that  she  should  be  sent  for,  and  Madame  de 
Rohan  sent  for  Madame  d'Orleans,  who  was  not  recog- 
nised, as  she  had  assumed  the  dress  of  a  convert. 

"  Bissy  spoke  of  submission,  and  the  Abbess  of  Chelles 
spoke  to  him  of  appeal  and  reappeal.  The  cardinal, 
becoming  angry,  threatened  to  make  her  do  penance  ; 
and  the  Sister,  in  a  very  assured  tone,  related  to  him  the 
history  of  his  life,  and  told  him  that  he  was  only  playing 
his  present  role  through  ambition.  Fury  seized  the 
astonished  cardinal,  who  told  the  convert  Sister  that  she 
was  unaware  that  he  was  a  prince  of  the  Church  ;  but 
the  Sister,  who  possessed  the  gift  of  eloquence,  said  so 
much  that  she  disconcerted  him.  Madame  de  Rohan, 
who  was  listening  to  this  conversation,  began  to  laugh, 
and  Bissy,  observing  more  closely  the  countenance  of  the 
convert  Sister,  recognised  Madame  d'Orleans.  Thereupon 
he  rose  from  his  chair,  and  offered  her  the  most  humble 
apologies  ;  but  the  princess  turned  her  back  upon  him, 
and  said  :  '  Profit  by  this  lesson  !  '    The  cardinal,  deeply 

1  This  is  an  error.    Madame  de  Rohan  was  at  this  time  Abbess  of 
Jouarre. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  357 

mortified,  had  no  longer  any  wish  to  dine  with  Madame 
de  Rohan  who  had  invited  him,  together  with  Madame 
de  Chelles  ;  and  left  the  convent  murmuring."1 

Mathieu  Marais  gives  a  less  piquant  version,  which, 
however,  is  probably  the  more  correct. 

'•'  The  princess  is  badly  advised.  She  is  a  friend  of  the 
Abbess  of  Jouarre,  whom  she  visited  at  Jouarre,  after 
which  they  came  together  to  Paris,  to  a  convent  in  the 
Faubourg  Saint- Antoine.  The  Cardinal  de  Bissy,  Bishop 
of  Meaux,  went  to  visit  Madame  de  Jouarre,  who  belongs 
to  his  diocese.  The  princess  concealed  herself,  in  order 
to  listen  to  their  conversation,  in  which  the  cardinal 
reproached  the  abbess  with  her  intimacy  with  Madame 
de  Chelles,  who  was  a  mad-brain.  Upon  that  she  emerged 
from  her  hiding-place,  and  had  a  wrangle  with  the 
cardinal,  who  took  back  his  words  and  fled." 

And  Marais  adds:  "Subsequently,  the  princess 
received  an  order  from  a  high  quarter  to  return  to  her 
abbey  and  not  to  leave  it." 

After  this  disgrace,  we  hear  very  little  of  Mile.  d'Or- 
leans.  In  October  1734  she  resigned  her  abbey  in  favour 
of  Anne  de  Clermont-Gessen,  one  of  its  former  nuns,  who 
had  been  for  some  years  superior  of  the  monastery  of 
Beaurepaire,  near  Vienne,  and  retired  to  the  priory  of  the 
Benedictines  of  la  Madeleine  du  Trainel,  transferred  since 
1644  to  the  Rue  de  Charonne  in  Paris.  The  prioress,  Lucie 
d'Artagnan,  a  niece  of  the  Marechal  de  Montesquiou, 
had  been  one  of  her  particular  friends  at  the  Val-de- 
Grace,  and  owed  her  promotion  to  the  good  offices  of  the 

princess. 
Here,  in  a  spacious  apartment  which  the  prioress  had 

1  Memoires  du  due  de  Richelieu. 


358  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

prepared  for  her,  Adelaide  d'Orleans  passed  the  remainder 
of  her  life,  which  was  consecrated  to  prayer,  study,  and 
works  of  charity.  Her  conversion  was  sincere  and 
complete,  and  is  attested  by  both  the  sceptical  Duclos 
and  the  severe  Saint-Simon.  "  Madame  de  Chelles," 
says  the  latter,  "  gradually  returned  to  devotion  and 
regularity,  and,  although  en  ftrincesse,  lived  a  life  which 
grew  more  and  more  edifying,  up  to  the  time  of  her  death, 
which  did  not  occur  until  several  years  later,  in  the 
same  convent,  without  her  having  quitted  it." 

It  was  here  that  Louis  Racine  addressed  to  her  these 
touching  verses  beginning  : 

"  Plaisirs,  beaute,  jeunesse,  honneur,  gloire,  puissance, 
Ambitieux  espoir  que  permet  la  naissance, 
Tout  au  pied  de  FAgneau  fut  par  elle  immoleV' 

And  it  was  here  that,  in  all  probability,  she  composed 
her  Examen  de  conscience  de  I'abbesse  de  Chelles,  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  Lescure,1  is  less  a  self-examination, 
with  her  life  and  her  recollections  as  its  theme,  than  a 
continuation  of  a  very  remarkable  manuscript  entitled : 
Reflexions  morales  sur  le  Nouveau  Testament,  d  I' usage 
de  Madame  Louise- Adelaide  d'Orleans,  abbesse  de  Chelles, 
which  was  found  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  in  the 
possession  of  a  family  in  the  environs  of  Chelles,  and 
passed  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century  into  that  of 
Leon  Techener,  who  communicated  its  contents  to  the 
Baron  Ernouf,  Edward  Barthelemy,  Lescure,  and  other 
bibliophiles.  The  first-named  published  a  very  interesting 
notice  upon  it  in  the  Bulletin  du  Bibliophile  for  the  year 
1859 ;  Barthelemy  cites  a  number  of  passages  in  his  work 
on  the  daughters  of  the  Regent,  and  Lescure  has  made 

1  Les  Confessions  de  I'abbesse  de  Chelles. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  359 

extensive  use  of  it  in  writing  his  pseudo-autobiography, 
les  Confessions  dc  Vabbcssc  dc  Chclles,  mentioned  else- 
where. All  three  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  not  only  a 
wonderful  revelation  of  the  workings  of  a  human  soul, 
but  a  document  of  quite  extraordinary  literary  merit, 
and  that  the  beauty  of  some  of  the  reflexions  will  bear 
comparison  with  anything  of  the  kind  to  be  found  in 
modern  literature. 

The  Abbess  of  Chelles — for  she  preserved  that  title 
up  to  the  last — died  of  smallpox  on  February  19,  1743, 
in  her  forty-fifth  year. 


CHAPTER    XIX 

Louise  Diane  d'Orleans,  Mile,  de  Chartres,  youngest  daughter  of  the 
Regent — Her  birth — Her  marriage  with  the  Prince  de  Conti — Dis- 
pute between  the  unmarried  Princesses  of  the  Blood,  on  the  question 
of  bearing  the  train  of  her  mantle — A  delicate  conversation — Birth 
of  a  son — Death  of  the  princess — "  Joj^ous  life  "  of  the  Duchess  of 
Modena,  which,  however,  is  soon  interrupted  by  the  outbreak  of 
the  War  of  the  Austrian  Succession — The  Duchess  secures  author- 
isation to  return  to  France,  where  she  is  now  treated  with  all  the 
honours  due  to  her  rank — Her  enviable  situation  at  Versailles — 
She  marries  her  eldest  daughter  to  the  Due  de  Penthievre — She 
occupies  herself  with  her  husband's  interests — Francesco  d'Este, 
disgusted  with  his  treatment  by  France,  throws  himself  into  the 
arms  of  Austria — The  Duchess  falls  into  disgrace  at  Versailles — 
She  returns  to  Italy — Her  death. 

IF  we  may  say  of  princesses,  as  of  nations,  that  those 
are  the  happiest  who  have  no  history,  then  Louise 
Diane  d'Orleans,  the  youngest  of  the  Regent's  daughters, 
ought  to  have  been  the  happiest  of  all,  for  few  facts  of 
any  interest  concerning  her  are  to  be  found  in  the  memoirs 
and  correspondence  of  her  contemporaries.  It  is  true 
that  she  was  cut  off  in  the  flower  of  her  youth — when  she 
was  scarcely  twenty  years  old — but  before  reaching  that 
age  each  of  her  sisters  had,  as  we  have  seen,  contrived  to 
make  in  one  way  or  another  a  considerable  stir  in  the 
world. 

This  princess,  who  took  the  name  of  Mile,  de  Chartres, 
which  had  been  borne  by  two  of  her  elder  sisters,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  and  the  Abbess  of  Chelles,  made  her 
appearance  upon  the  scene  on  July  7,  1716.  Her  arrival 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  particularly  welcome,  for 

the  House  of  Orleans  had  already  a  plethora  of  daughters. 

360 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  361 

"  At  the  moment  when  I  concluded  my  letter  to  the 
Princess  of  Wales,"  writes  Madame,  "  they  came  to 
announce  to  me  that  Madame  d'Orleans  was  in  labour. 
It  was  just  eleven  o'clock  when  my  carriage  was  ready, 
and  at  a  quarter  to  one  I  entered  the  ante-chamber,  and 
was  told  in  a  low  voice  :  '  Her  Royal  Highness  was  safely 
brought  to  bed  an  hour  ago.'  But  this  was  said  in  so 
sad  a  tone  that  I  did  not  doubt  that  Madame  d'Orleans 
had  brought  into  the  world  a  seventh  daughter,  and  that 
unfortunately  is  what  has  happened." 

Mile,  de  Chartres,  if  we  are  to  believe  her  grandmother, 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  very  attractive  in  her 
infancy.  "  She  is  not  ugly,"  writes  Madame,  "  but  she 
is  peevish  and  sulky;  as  soon  as  one  looks  at  her  she 
begins  to  cry."  However,  if  she  was  an  unattractive 
child,  she  grew  into  a  very  pretty  and  amiable  girl,  and 
it  is  sad  to  reflect  that  the  only  two  of  the  Regent's 
daughters  who  were  afforded,  so  to  speak,  a  fair  start 
in  life,  should  both  have  died  at  so  early  an  age. 

On  January  22, 1732,  the  young  princess  was  married  to 
Louis  Francois  de  Bourbon,  Prince  de  Conti,  who  was  a 
few  months  younger  than  herself.  The  marriage  was  the 
occasion  of  an  acrimonious  dispute  between  the  un- 
married Princesses  of  the  Blood,  on  the  question  of 
which  of  them  was  to  support  the  train  of  the  bride's 
mantle,  a  duty  which,  though  supposed  to  be  an  honour, 
was  apparently  regarded  by  them  as  a  menial  service. 
It  was  only  ended  by  the  Dowager-Princesse  de  Conti 
announcing  herself  ready  to  carry  the  train  of  her 
daughter-in-law's  mantle  herself,  if  none  of  these  haughty 
damsels  were  willing  to  do  so.  Upon  which  Mile,  de  Sens 
reluctantly  consented  to  demean  herself. 


362  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

After  the  ceremony,  we  are  told,  the  dowager  suggested 
to  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  that,  having  regard  to  the 
youth  of  the  happy  pair,  it  would  be  inadvisable  to  permit 
them  to  pass  more  than  a  part  of  the  wedding-night 
together.  To  which  the  Duchess  replied  that  "  from  the 
day  of  the  marriage,  she  had  promised  not  to  interfere 
in  anything  which  concerned  Mile,  de  Chartres  ;  and  that 
it  was  her  mother-in-law's  affair  entirely." 

On  September  i,  1734,  the  Princesse  de  Conti  gave  birth 
to  a  son,  who  in  1755  married  his  cousin,  Marie  Fortunee 
d'Este,  third  daughter  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Modena.  Two  years  after  the  birth  of  her  little  boy,  the 
young  princess  died  at  the  magnificent  chateau  of  the 
Contis  at  Issy.  Mile,  de  Clermont,  one  of  the  sisters  of  the 
Due  de  Bourbon,  was  nominated  by  the  Queen  to  go  to 
Issy  as  her  representative,  and  sprinkle  holy  water  upon 
the  body  of  the  deceased  ;  and  the  Due  de  Luynes  con- 
siders it  necessary  to  devote  nearly  four  pages  of  his 
journal  to  an  account  of  this  visit,  and  to  a  breach  of  eti- 
quette of  which  Mile,  de  Clermont  was  guilty,  and  which 
appears  to  have  greatly  disturbed  the  worthy  nobleman. 

The  Prince  de  Conti  did  not  marry  again  ;  in  fact,  he 
entered  the  Order  of  Malta,  and  became  in  1745  Grand 
Prior  of  France.  He  did  not,  however,  abjure  feminine 
society,  and  his  gallantries  were  for  many  years  the 
talk  of  Paris.  Happily,  he  distinguished  himself  also  in 
another  direction,  and  was  one  of  the  ablest  soldiers 
whom  France  produced  in  the  eighteenth  century.  He 
served  with  distinction  in  the  War  of  the  Polish  Suc- 
cession, and,  when  scarcely  more  than  a  boy,  had  risen, 
by  sheer  merit,  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-general ;  and  in 
that  of  the  Austrian  Succession  he  commanded  French 


Louisk  Diane  d'Orleans  (Mi. i.e.  de  Chartres), 
Princesse  de  Conti 

From  the  painting  by  Pierre  Gobert,  at  Versailles 
(Photo  by  W.  A.  Manse!!  &  Co.) 


••;< 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  363 

armies  with  conspicuous  success  in  Italy  and  Germany. 
But  in  the  Seven  Years'  War,  when  France  stood  so 
sorely  in  need  of  an  able  general,  the  hatred  of  Madame 
de  Pompadour  prevented  him  from  being  employed  in 
any  military  capacity ;  and  he  was  condemned  to  remain 
idle  at  the  Court,  while  the  Soubises  and  Clermonts  were 
leading  the  troops  which  should  have  been  entrusted  to 
him  to  defeat  and  humiliation. 

The  Prince  de  Conti  died  in  1776,  in  his  sixtieth  year. 

The  Duchess  of  Modena  outlived  all  her  sisters.    For  a 
year  or  two  after  her  return  to  Italy  she  appears  to  have 
led  a  very  agreeable  existence,  and  to  have  transformed 
completely  the  little  Court  of  Modena,  which,  from  being 
one  of  the  dullest  and  most  parsimonious,  became  one 
of  the  gayest  and  most  extravagant  in  Europe.     The 
President  de  Brosses,  who  visited  Modena  during  the 
carnival  of  1740,  found  the  duchess  "  living  the  most 
joyous  life  possible."    She  plays  biribi  all  night,  sups  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  goes  to  bed  at  eight,  and  gets 
up  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon."    She  had  established 
an  excellent  French  opera  in  the  town,  with  a  remarkably 
fine  corps  de  ballet,  of  which  she  was  extremely  proud ; 
while  the  Duke  had  made  extensive  improvements  at  the 
palace,  including  a  hall  which  was  an  exact  copy  of  that 
of  the  Tuileries.     He  was  also  an  enthusiastic  collector 
of  pictures,  and  his  gallery  promised  to  become  one  of 
the  finest  in  Italy.    The  ducal  pair  gave  the  most  splendid 
fetes,  and  practised  the  most  prodigal  hospitality.     On 
Shrove  Tuesday  1740,  after  the  opera  was  over,  they 
entertained  the  company,  the  musicians  of  the  orchestra, 
and  the  whole  audience,  to  a  supper  in  the  theatre,  and 


364  UNRULY  DAUGHTERS 

the  Court  to  another  at  the  Ridotti.  Then  the  Court 
returned  to  the  Opera-house,  which,  in  the  meantime, 
had  been  converted  into  a  ballroom,  while  at  either  end 
of  the  salle  apartments  had  been  prepared  for  faro  and 
lansquenet ;  and  dancing  and  gambling  went  on  until  far 
into  the  next  day. 

The  president  describes  the  duchess  as  "  still  a  rather 
pretty  woman  ;  very  stout,  with  a  rather  high  colour, 
and  a  majestic  air,"  and  adds  that  "  she  is  getting  more 
and  more  to  resemble  the  late  Regent,  her  father." 

But  this  life  of  pleasure  did  not  last  long.    The  death 
in  1741   of  the  Emperor  Charles  VI.  was  followed  by 
the  War  of  the  Austrian  Succession.     Francesco  d'Este 
desired  to  remain  neutral ;    but  Charles  Emmanuel  of 
Sardinia  advanced  to  the  Modenese  frontier,  called  upon 
him  to  decide  on  which  side  he  would  declare  himself, 
and,   while   he   still  hesitated,   invaded  his  dominions. 
The  duke  and  duchess,  leaving  their  children  at  Sassuolo, 
where  Charles  Emmanuel  had  consented  to  respect  their 
liberty,  retired  to  Venice ;  and  Francesco,  having  decided 
to  embrace  the  cause  of  the  Allies,  solicited  and  obtained 
from  Philip  V.  the  command  of  the  Spanish  troops  in 
Italy.     His  wife  then  demanded  permission  to  come  to 
Paris,    and   though,    owing    to    the    opposition   of   the 
Orleans  family,  this  request  was  at  first  refused,  her 
old  lover  Richelieu  interested    himself   on  her  behalf 
and  persuaded  his  friend,  the  Duchesse  de  Chateauroux, 
Louis  XV. 's  maitresse  en  litre,  to  plead  her  cause  with 
the  King.    The  favourite's  intervention  proved  successful, 
and  the  Duchess  of  Modena  not  only  received  the  per- 
mission solicited,  but  was  accorded,  on  her  arrival,  all  the 
honours  due  to  her  rank. 


UNRULY    DAUGHTERS  365 

The  princess  did  not  fail  to  pay  assiduous  court  to 
Madame  de  Chateauroux,  and  the  friendship  of  that  lady 
assured  her  quite  an  enviable  position  at  Versailles.  The 
death  of  the  mistress  at  the  end  of  1744  affected  it  but 
little,  since  Charlotte  d'Orleans  had  succeeded  in  marrying 
her  eldest  daughter  to  the  young  Due  de  Penthievre, 
son  of  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  and  had,  moreover,  con- 
ducted herself  with  admirable  discretion,  making  useful 
friends  whenever  the  opportunity  presented  itself  and 
giving  offence  to  no  one.  She  occupied  herself,  too, 
unceasingly  with  her  husband's  interests,  and  it  was 
certainly  not  due  to  any  lack  of  effort  on  her  part  that 
at  the  Peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  the  Duke  had  to  be 
content  with  the  restoration  of  his  States,  without 
receiving  any  indemnity  for  the  losses  he  had  sustained. 

When  peace  again  reigned  in  Italy,  the  Duchess  did 
not  return  thither,  infinitely  preferring  the  gaiety  and 
splendour  of  Versailles,  where  she  had  been  allotted  a 
suite  of  apartments  in  the  chateau,  to  residence  at  a 
little  Court  now  so  impoverished  by  the  war  as  to  be 
unable  to  offer  her  any  of  her  former  diversions.  Had 
she  done  so,  she  might  possibly  have  kept  her  husband 
faithful  to  France.  As  it  was,  the  Duke,  deeply  chagrined 
at  seeing  his  faithful  services  so  poorly  recompensed, 
decided  to  accept  the  very  flattering  offers  he  received 
from  Vienna ;  and  in  1753  married  his  daughter  Beatrix 
to  the  Archduke  Leopold,  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany,  and 
was  nominated  acting  governor-general  of  Lombardy 
until  the  majority  of  his  son-in-law,  upon  whom  this 
dignity  had  devolved. 

Meanwhile,  Francesco  d'Este,  impatient  at  the  long 
absence  of  his  consort,  had  summoned  her  repeatedly  to 


366  UNRULY   DAUGHTERS 

return  to  him,  but,  on  various  pretexts,  she  declined  to 
obey.  Gradually,  however,  it  became  apparent  that  she 
had  outworn  her  welcome  at  the  French  Court ;  Louis  XV. 
had  never  cared  for  her,  and  in  the  summer  of  1754  she 
had  the  misfortune  to  offend  the  Queen  on  a  point  of 
etiquette,  for  which  Marie  Leczinska  was  a  great  stickler. 
From  that  time  she  appears  to  have  fallen  into  a  kind  of 
disgrace,  and  for  nearly  three  years  the  Due  de  Luynes, 
the  Dangeau  of  those  times,  does  not  once  mention 
her  name. 

In  November  1755,  the  duchess  married  her  third 
daughter  to  the  Comte  de  la  Mar  die,  afterwards  Prince 
de  Conti.  In  the  spring  of  the  previous  year  she  had  lost 
her  eldest  daughter,  the  Duchesse  de  Penthievre,  who 
had  died  in  childbed. 

Finally,  in  1759,  she  decided  to  return  to  the  domestic 
hearth,  where  she  found  that  her  husband,  having 
apparently  abandoned  all  hope  of  seeing  her  again,  had 
found  consolation  in  the  society  of  the  Marchesa  Simonetti, 
a  widow  of  sixty.  The  duchess,  feeling  doubtless  that  she 
was  responsible  for  this  romance,  was  reluctant  to  in- 
terrupt it ;  and  remained  as  little  as  possible  in  Modena, 
preferring  to  travel  about  in  search  of  distraction.  It  was, 
however,  during  one  of  her  brief  sojourns  at  her  husband's 
Court  that  she  was  seized  with  a  sudden  illness,  which  ter- 
minated fatally  on  January  19, 1761.  Towards  the  end  of 
her  life  she  is  said  to  have  become  very  devout. 

Francesco  d'Este,  who,  in  the  following  year,  contracted 
a  morganatic  marriage  with  the  Marchesa  Simonetti, 
survived  his  consort  nearly  twenty  years.  He  died  at 
Varese  on  February  23,  17S0. 


INDEX 


Alberoni,  Cardinal,  214,  216,  292 
Albret,  Due  d',  157 
Albret,  Duchesse  d\  127 
Alencon,  Due  d',  89 
Altamira,  Duquesa  de,  314,  326 
Amboise,  Marquise  de  Clermont, 

d',  105 
Ana  Victoria  (Infanta  of  Spam), 

280  et  sqq.,  302,  332-3 
Anjou,  Due  d',  44 
Antin,  Marquis  d',  88 
Arco,  Duque  del,  287 
Argenson,   Marquis  d',   176,   214, 

219 
Argenson,  Madame  d'  (mistress  of 

the  Regent),  12,  243 
Armagnae,     Louis    de    Lorraine, 

Comte  d',  3 
Armenonville,  d'  (Siene),  115-16 
Armenonville,  Madame  d',  116 
Armentieres,  Marquis  d',  105 
Armstrong,    Mr.   Edward    {cited), 

309,  318 
Arpajon,  Madame  d',  1 12-13 
Artagnan,  Lucie  d',  357 
Aumont,  Due  d',  no 
Auvergne,  Madame  d\  13,  127-8 
Auvergne,  Mile,  d',  157 


Bacqueville,  Madame  de,  233, 
239  et  sqq. 

Barthelemy,  M.  Edouard  (cited), 
28,  90,  144,  151.  i76-7.  196, 
215,  219,  274,  304,  310-11,  348, 

355.  358 
Baudrillart,     Pere     [cited),     308, 

318-19 


Bauregard,   131 
Beauvau,  Madame  de,  13C-7 
Beauvilliers,  Due  de,  50 
Berry,   Charles,    Due    de,  84,  87, 
162  ;     intrigues  which   precede 
his  marriage  with  Mademoiselle, 
34   et   sqq.  ;    early   life,    43-4  ; 
his  ungovernable  temper  as  a 
boy,  44-5  ;   his  appearance  and 
disposition,  45-6  ;   his  marriage 
to    Mademoiselle,    46   et   seqq.  ; 
his  affection  for  his  young  wife, 
58-9,    91  ;      his    estrangement 
from  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Burgoyne,  63,  70  ;    his  grief  at 
Monseigneur' s   death,   68  ;     his 
altered    position,    71,    and   the 
rumours    concerning    the    rela- 
tions between  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  and  her  father,  73  et  sqq.; 
his     liaison     with     his     wife's 
waiting-woman,  92-3  ;    his  ill- 
ness and  death,  94  et  sqq. 
Berry,    Marie    Louise    Elizabeth 
Duchesse     de     (Mademoiselle), 
her  birth,  9,  29  ;    her  early  life, 
30  et  sqq.  ;    her  father's  singu- 
lar affection  for,  31,  274;  sups 
with    the     King,     31-2  ;      her 
mother's     ambitions      for,     34 
et  sqq.  ;    matrimonial  schemes 
for,   34  et  sqq.  ;    her  marriage 
to  the  Due  de  Berry,  46  et  sqq.  ; 
her  personal  appearance,  56-7  ; 
Madame's    portrait    of,    56-7  ; 
her  character,  57  et  sqq.  ;    her 
intimacy  with  the  Duchesse  de 
Burgogne,  59,  60  ;   her  gluttony 
and  intemperance,'6c— 1,  63, 135; 
her  treacherous  conduct  towards 
the  Duchesse  de  Bourgogne,  61 
et  sqq.,  69  et  sqq.  ;  her  Household 
organised,  63  ;   reprimanded  by 
the   King,  64,  78  et  sqq.;    and 


367 


568 


INDEX 


Monseigneuy's  death,  68  el  sqq.  ; 
her  annoyance  at  Monseigneur's 
will,  72—3  ;  atrocious  rumours 
regarding  Due  d'Orleans  and, 
73  et  sqq.,  129  et  sqq.;  birth  of 
a  daughter  to,  76-7 ;  her  treat- 
ment of  her  mother,  77  et 
sqq.,  107  ;  and  the  Duchesse 
de  Bourgogne's  death,  84 ; 
Madame's  remonstrances  with, 
85-6 ;  precautions  to  which 
she  has  to  submit  during 
pregnancy,  87-S ;  cruel  dis- 
appointment which  she  inflicts 
upon  the  Marechal  de  Bezons, 
88  ;  birth  and  death  of  her 
son,  89 ;  enjoys  the  favour 
of  Louis  XIV.,  90-1,  103  et 
sqq.,  109  ;  her  relations  with 
her  husband,  91  et  sqq.  ;  her 
amours,  94-5,  220 ;  and  the 
Due  de  Berry's  last  illness,  97  ; 
her  exaggerated  pretence  of 
grief  at  his  death,  10 1-2  ;  birth 
and  death  of  another  daughter, 
102  ;  Louis  XIV. 's  generosity 
towards,  102-3  ;  obtains  the 
Luxembourg  as  a  residence, 
106-7  ;  Madame  despairs  of, 
108  ;  her  exorbitant  preten- 
sions, 109  et  sqq.,  166-7  '•  ner 
quarrel  with  the  Prince  de 
Conti,  111-12  ;  her  adventure 
in  the  Luxembourg  Gardens, 
112  et  sqq.  ;  disliked  by  the 
Parisians,  114;  insults  the 
civic  dignitaries  of  Paris, 
1 1 4-1 5;  obtains  possession  of 
La  Muette,  n 5-1 6  ;  her  liaison 
with  the  Chevalier  de  Rion, 
117  et  sqq.  ;  her  evil  genius, 
Madame  de  Mouchy,  118  et  sqq., 
240  ;  submits  to  the  tyranny 
of  Rion,  121-2,  173  et  sqq.  ; 
takes  an  apartment  in  the 
Carmelite  convent  in  the  Fau- 
bourg Saint- Jacques,  124  et 
sqq.  ;  assists  at  the  orgies  of 
the  Regent,  128  ;  visited  by 
Peter  the  Great,  134  ;  her 
quarrel  with  Mesdames  de  Cler- 
mont et  de  Beauvau,  136-7 ; 
gives  a  magnificent  ball  in 
honour  of  the  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  Lorraine,  158  et 
sqq. ;      reconciliation     between 


her  and  Madame,  161  ;  altera- 
tion in  her  conduct  towards 
her  mother,  162  ;  "  greatly 
edifies  "  the  Carmelites,  162  ; 
magnificently  entertained  by 
the  Due  de  Bourbon  at  Chan- 
tilly,  163  et  sqq.  ;  her  un- 
gracious behaviour,  165  ;  re- 
sumes her  efforts  to  usurp  the 
honours  of  a  queen,  166-7  '• 
becomes  enceinte,  167  ;  her 
efforts  to  conceal  her  condition, 
168-9  J  gives  birth  to  a 
daughter,  and  is  in  serious 
danger,  169  ;  refused  the 
Sacraments,  169  et  sqq.  ;  re- 
covers, 172  ;  her  secret  mar- 
riage with  Rion,  173  et  sqq.  ; 
consideration  of  the  question 
at  what  date  this  event  took 
place,  175  et  sqq.  ;  leaves  Paris 
for  Meudon,  180 ;  wishes  to 
announce  her  marriage,  181  ; 
has  the  double  tertian  fever, 
1  Si  ;  unable  to  prevent  Rion's 
departure  for  the  army,  183  ; 
painful  scenes  with  her  father, 
183  ;  gives  a  supper-party  on 
the  terrace  at  Meudon,  184  ; 
falls  ill,  184  ;  removes  to  La 
Muette,  184  ;  her  cruel  suffer- 
ings, 185  ;  believed  to  be  con- 
valescent, 186;  has  an  alarming 
relapse,  186;  her  last  days,  186 
etsqq.  /  her  death,  191 ;  chansons 
upon,  192  ;  her  obsequies,  193  ; 
her  debts,  195  ;  her  ring-case 
stolen  by  Madame  de  Mouchy, 
195  et  sqq. 

B6senval  (cited),  225,  230 

Bezons,  Marechal  de,  88 

Bissy,  Cardinal  de,  356-7 

Bissy,  Marquis  de,  339 

Bled,  M.  Victor  du  (cited),  276 

Blois,    Mile.    de.        See  Duchesse 
d'Orleans 

Boisjourdain  (cited),  34S  et  sqq. 

Bonnivet,   Marquis  de,   116,   119, 

174 
Bordes,  Madame  des,  145-6 

Borgia,  Cardinal,  288-9 

Bosquetti,  Contessa,  256 

Boudin,  65 

Bouhier,  President,  340 

Bouillon,  Cardinal  de,  8 

Bouillon,  Chevalier  de,  108 


INDEX 


369 


Bourbon-Conde,  Due  de,  33 

Bourbon-Conde,  Duchesse  de 
(Madame  la  Duchesse),  19,  20, 
33  et  sqq.,  46,  48  et  sqq.  ;  66, 
73-4,  92,   128,   165,  210 

Bourbon-Cond6,  Louis  Henry,  Due 
de,  Prince  de  Conde  {Monsieur 
le  Due),  44,  46,  101,  114,  163 
et  sqq.,  204-5,  210,  314,  322-3, 
332  etsqq.,  342  et  sqq. 

Bourbon,  Mile.  de.  See  Conti 
(Louise  Elisabeth  de  Bourbon- 
Conde),  Princesse  de 

Bourbon-Conti,  Marie  Anne,  Du- 
chesse de,  165 

Bourgogne,  Due  de,  31,  34,  37, 
44,  46,  59  et  sqq.,  66,  69  et  sqq., 
83-4,  87,  90,  ioi,  290 

Bourgogne,  Duchesse  de,  31,  34, 
37  et  sqq.,  46,  49,  59  et  sqq.,  66, 
69  et  sqq.,  76,  83-4,  90,  101, 
104-5,  290 

Brancas,  Comtc  de,   126 

Brancas,  Comtesse  de,  105 

Brancas,  Duchesse  de,  155 

Bretagne,  Due  de,  31,  83-4,  87 

Breteuil  (actor),  no 

Breteuil,  Baron  de,  160 

Broglie,  126 

Brosses,  President  de,  363 

Buvat  {cited),  107,  113,  116,  127, 
172,  186-7,  !92,  195.  210,  226, 
229,  230,  369,  277 


Canillac,  Marquis  de,  126 
Carlos,  Don,  259,  306  et  sqq. 
Carlyle,  Thomas,  281 
Carteret,    John    (Earl   Granville), 

309,  321 
Castries,  Abbe  de,  188,  193 
Castries,  Madame  de,  24-5 
Castries,  M.  de,  24-5 
Cauchereau  (singer),   142-3,   164 
Caylus,    Madame   de    {cited),    19, 

24,  66 
Caylus,  Marquis  de,  295 
Chamilly,    Archbishop   of    Tours, 

Francois  de,  278 
Charency,  M.  de,  12 
Charles  VI.,  Emperor,  280,  364 
Charles  II.,  King  of  Spain,  285 
2   B 


Charolais,  Mile,  de,  210  et  sqq., 
265-6 

Charolais,  Comte  de,  206 

Chartres,  Ducde.  See  Philippe  II., 
Due  d 'Orleans 

Chartres,  Due  de  (son  of  the 
Regent),  51,93-4,  155,  188,  192, 
228,  281,  284-310,  349  et  sqq. 

Chateauroux,  Duchesse  de,  364-5 

Chateauthiers,  Madame  de,  7,  155 

Chavigny,  Comte  de,  246,  254-5, 
257  et  sqq.,  304,  307-8 

Chelles,  Abbey  of,  52  et  sqq.,  138 
et  sqq.,  145  et  sqq.,  203,  268 
et  sqq. 

Cheverny,  Comtesse  de,  284 

Chevreuse,  Due  de,  82 

Chirac,  Dr.,  97,  189  et  sqq. 

Choin,  Mile.,  36 

Clavereau  (actor),  no 

Clermont,  Madame  de,  136-7 

Clermont,  Mile,  de,  362 

Clermont-Gessin,  Anne  de,  357 

Coetenfao,  Madame  de,  105 

Colibeaux,  Abbe,  240,  249  et  sqq., 
257,  261,  266-7,  3°3.  342>  344 

Comedie-Francaise,  the,  no  et 
sqq.,  141,  205,  208 

Conti,  Louis  Armand  de  Bour- 
bon, Prince  de,  3,  22,  111-12, 
176,  200,  204 

Conti,  Louis  Francois  de  Bour- 
bon, Prince  de,  361  et  sqq. 

Conti,  Mile,  de,  90 

Conti,  Princesse  de  (Louise  de 
Bourbon),  19,  23,  154 

Conti,  Princesse  de  (Louise  Elisa- 
beth de  Bourbon-Conde),  36 
et  sqq.,  43,  62,  90 

Coulanges,  Abbe  de,  314 

Cceur  de  Balleroy,  Marquise  de  la, 
176 

Coxe,  William  {cited),  319,  334-5 

Craon,  Madame  de,  158 


D 


Dangeau,  Marquis  de  {cited),  58, 
81-2,  98  et  sqq.,  103-4,  I33« 
141,  144,  149,  153,  159,  160, 
162,  166,  172,  181,  183  et  sqq., 
188-9,  199,  201,  227,  234,  237, 
248 


370 


INDEX 


Daubenton,  Pere  (confessor  to 
Philip  V.  of  Spain),  281,  303, 
308 

Desgranges,  234-5 

Desmares,  Charlotte  (mistress  of 
the  Regent),  12 

Destouches,  308 

Devaize,  Mile,  de  la,  47 

Dombes,  Prince  de,  141,  144-5, 
150,  205 

Dubois,  Abbe  (afterwards  Cardi- 
nal), 4,  n,  14,  i7i  2I4>  216,  221, 
223,  277  et  sqq.,  308 

Duchevron,  216 

Duclos  (cited),  21,  121,  143,  169, 
217,  274 

Dulibois,  Colonel,  225 

Durand,  no 

Duras,  Due  de,  310 

Duras,  Duchesse  de,  310 


Effiat,  Marquis  d',  126 
Eley,  Monseigneur  d',  229 
Elizabeth     Farnese      (Queen     of 
Spain),  281,  288-9,  292  et  sqq. 
P  3°3  et  sqq     312,  323-4,  331,  338 
Lmike,     Mile,     (mistress    of    the 
,  Regent),  214 
Epinay,  Madame  d',  154 
Etampes,  Duchesse  d',  136-7 


Farges,  126 

Fenelon  (Archbishop  of  Cambrai) 
291 

Fleury,  Cardinal,  345,  349  et  sqq^ 

355 
Florence,  Mile.,   12 
Fretteville,  Madame  de,  54    nq 

271  °y' 

Funck-Brentano,   M.   (cited)     12- 
130  '     ~J' 


Gace,  Madame  de,  127 
Garus,  Dr.,  189  et  sqq. 


Gesvres,  Duchesse  de,   127 
Grimaldo   (Prime  Minister  of 
Spain),  282,  307,  318 


H 


Hautefort,  Marquis  d',   135 

Henault,   President,  334 

Henri  IV.,  King  of  France,  15-16 

53 
Huxelles,  Madame  d'  (cited),  52 


James  II.,  King  of  England,  8-9 
Journal  de  la  Regence  (cited),  114, 
Ii6,   134 


La  Chaise,  no 
La  Fare,  Marquis  de,  126 
La  Grange-Chancel,  129 
La  Haye  (lover  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry),  94,  98,  107,  116,  174 
La  Muette,  Chateau  of,  115  et  sqq., 

I34-5,^(>2,  18^  et  sqq.,  ig^et  sqq'. 
Languet,  Abbe,  169,  172 
Lassay,  Marquis  de,  165 
Laubrussel,  Pere  de,  303,  313 
Launay,  Mile,  de,  218 
Lauzun,  Due  de,  117,  121-2 
Le  Blanc,  173  et  sqq.,  215,  219 
Ledoux,  Pere,  152,  270-1,  275-6 
Lemontey   (cited),   222,   235,   240, 
244.    254,    256,   290,    292,    323! 
_   330.  336,  353 

Lescure  (cited),  11,  54,  209,  358 
Le  Tellier,  Pere,  102 
Levis,  Madame  de,  82,  88 
Levisani,  Marchesa,  252,  255,  257 
Liria,  Condesa  de,  310 
Livry,  Abbe  de,  334-5 
Lorraine,  Chevalier  de,  3,  4 
Lorraine,    Leopold    I.,    Duke    of 

159,  321 
Lorraine,  Charlotte  Elisabeth  d  'Or- 
leans, Duchess  of,  159,  161,  321 


INDEX 


37i 


Louis  XIV.,  1  et  sqq.,  19,  58,  194, 
216,  272 ;  and  his  daughter's 
marriage,  3  et  sqq.,  21  ;  and 
family  quarrels,  23,  33  et  sqq., 
48;  honours  Mademoiselle,  31-2; 
and  the  marriage  of  the  Due 
de  Berry  and  Mademoiselle, 
36  et  sqq.  ;  reprimands  the  Du- 
chesse  de  Berry,  64,  78,  81  et 
sqq. ;  and  Monseigneur's  illness 
and  death,  65  et  sqq. ;  and 
Court  etiquette,  71  ;  and  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry's  first  preg- 
nancy, 76,  77 ;  favours  he  ac- 
cords to  Duchesse  de  Berry  by, 
91,  102,  104-5,  109  ;  and  the 
Due  de  Berry's  death,  95  et  sqq.; 
his  death,  106,  140 

Louis  de  France  (Monseigneur, 
son  of  Louis  XIV.),  6,  34,  36 
et  sqq.,  46,  61-2  et  sqq.,  115, 
166 

Louis  de  France  (son  of  Louis 
XV.),  338 

Louis  XV.,  40,  109,  114,  189,  227 
et  sqq.,  247,  280  et  sqq.,  309,  315, 
332  et  sqq.,  328  et  sqq.,  364, 
366 

Louise  Elisabeth  d'Orleans,  Queen 
of  Spain,  her  birth,  10,  29,  52  ; 
bears  the  train  of  Mile,  de 
Valois's  mantle,  228 ;  negotia- 
tions for  her  marriage  with  the 
Infant  Don  Luis,  Prince  of  the 
Asturias,  259,  279  et  sqq.  ;  her 
dowry,  282  ;  her  betrothal  fetes, 
283  ;  sets  out  for  Spain,  284  ; 
her  unpleasing  character,  284-5 ; 
Madame 's  portrait  of,  285  ;  her 
journey  to  the  frontier,  285-6  ; 
exchanged  for  the  Infanta  on 
the  lie  des  Faisans,  286-7  »  re~ 
ceived  by  the  King  and  Don 
Luis  at  Cogollos,  287-8  ;  her 
marriage  and  its  pretended 
consummation,  288  et  sqq.  ; 
her  letter  to  the  Regent,  291  ; 
affectionately  welcomed  by 
Philip  V.  and  Elizabeth  Farnese, 
295  ;  falls  ill,  296 ;  her  ex- 
traordinary behaviour,  297-8  ; 
refuses  to  attend  the  State 
ball  arranged  in  her  honour, 
298  et  sqq.  ;  her  incredible 
vulgarity  at  Saint -Simon's 
farewell    audience,    302  ;    tem- 


porary    improvement     in     her 
conduct,    303-4  ;     affection    of 
Don  Luis  for,  305  ;    jealous  of 
her    younger    sister,    Mile,    de 
Beaujolais,    312-13  ;      consum- 
mation of  her  marriage,   313  ; 
lives  on  affectionate  terms  with 
her    husband,     313  ;      resumes 
her  eccentricities,  313-14  ;     in- 
dulges in  vulgar  and  malicious 
practical  jokes,   314  ;    discards 
both  stockings  and  petticoats, 
314  ;    becomes  Queen  of  Spain, 
314  ;    treats  her  husband  with 
contempt,  320  ;   scandalises  the 
Court    by    her    eccentric     be- 
haviour,   320-1  ;     accuses    her 
major-domo,  FoucaultdeMagny, 
of    grossly    insulting    her,    321 
et  sqq. ;  antipathy  of  Elizabeth 
Farnese  towards,   323-4  ;   curi- 
ous observations  of  the  Marechal 
de  Tesse  concerning,  324 ;    de- 
spair of  Luis  I.  at  the  conduct 
of,  324-5 ;  laughs  at  his  remon- 
strances,  325  ;     severely  repri- 
manded   by    Philip    V.,     325  ; 
her    adventure    at    San    Ilde- 
fonso,    325  ;     turns    her    back 
upon  her  husband,   325  ;    con- 
tinues  her   irregularities,    326  ; 
is  conducted  to  the  Alcazar  and 
kept  in  close  confinement,  326 
et  sqq.  ;  visited  by  the  Marechal 
de   Tesse,    327  ;     released    and 
restored  to  favour,  328  ;  death 
of  her  husband,  329  ;  her  con- 
duct   during    his    last    illness, 
330  ;    falls  ill  of  smallpox,  but 
recovers,     330  ;      her     pitiable 
situation,   331  ;    her  return  to 
France     decided     upon,     332  ; 
sets  out  for  France,  335  ;    her 
journey,  335-6  ;    takes  up  her 
residence    at    Vincennes,    336 ; 
in   pecuniary   difficulties,    337  ; 
removes   to   the   Carmelites   of 
the     Faubourg     Saint-Jacques, 
337  ;    goes  to  live  at  the  Lux- 
embourg, 337  ;    her  last  years 
and  death,  337-8  ;    her  quarrel 
with  the   Princess   of   Modena, 

351-2 
Luis  I.,  King  of  Spain,  259,  280 

et  sqq.,  312  et  sqq.,  317  et  sqq. 
Luynes,  Due  de  [cited),  337-8,  362 


372 


INDEX 


M 


Machiavelli,    Marchese    Rangoni, 

222-3 
Magny,  Foucault  de,   160-1,   321 

et  sqq. 
Maine,   Due  du,   19,  23,  25,   106, 

I4I«  !53-4-  !63.  214 
Maine,  Duchesse  de,  214,  218 
Maintenon,    Madame    de,    7,    22, 

26,  36,  38-9,  41-2,  64,  66,  80, 

82,  90,  104-5,  272 
Marais,  Mathieu  {cited),  127,  277- 

8,  336,  34°.  353.  357 

Margrais,  Madame,  195 

Maria  Anna  of  Neuburg  (Queen 
of  Spain),  285 

Maria  Theresa  of  Austria  (Queen 
of  Spain),  107 

Marie  Leczinska  (Queen  of  Louis 
XV.),  333,  366 

Marini,  214,  216 

Marselot,  Madame,  266 

Mary  (of  Modena,  Queen  of  Eng- 
land), 8,  9,  50 

Maselot,  M.,  259 

Massillon,  Jean  Baptiste,  176-7 

Maulevrier,    Marquis    de,    281-2, 

295 
Mdmoires  de  Maurepas  {cited),  12, 

173 

Mingard,  56 

Miraval,  Don  Luis  de  (President 
of  Castile),  318 

Modena,  Charlotte  Aglae  d 'Or- 
leans (Mile,  de  Valois),  He- 
reditary Princess,  and  after- 
wards Duchess,  of  Modena ;  her 
birth,  10,  29  ;  sent  to  the 
Abbey  of  Chelles,  48,  51  et  sqq.  ; 
her  deceitful  disposition,  51, 
207  ;  withdrawn  from  Chelles, 
141,  203  ;  present  at  the  con- 
secration of  Mile.  d'Orleans  as 
Abbess  of  Chelles,  155  et  sqq.  ; 
makes  her  appearance  in 
Society,  203 ;  matrimonial  pro- 
jects concerning,  204  ;  refuses 
to  marry  the  Prince  de  Dombes, 
205  ;  harshly  treated  by  her 
mother  in  consequence,  205-6  ; 
sent  to  her  grandmother  at 
Saint-Cloud,  206 ;  Madame's 
portrait  of,  206-7 ;  her  vio- 
lent passion  for  the  Due  de 
Richelieu,  208,  210  et  sqq.  ;  her 


jealousy  of  Mile,  de  Charolais, 
212,  214  ;  warns  Richelieu  of 
the  discovery  of  his  treasonable 
dealings  with  Spain,  215-16 ; 
and  the  arrest  of  the  duke,  217  ; 
visits  him  in  prison,  218-19  .' 
exasperation  of  Madame  at  the 
"  frightful  coquetry  "  of,  219- 
20  ;  failure  of  the  negotiations 
for  her  marriage  with  the 
Prince  of  Piedmont,  220  et 
sqq.  ;  demanded  in  marriage 
by  Francesco  d'Este,  Heredi- 
tary Prince  of  Modena,  222-3  ." 
consents  to  espouse  this  prince 
in  consideration  of  the  release 
of  Richelieu,  224  ;  visited  se- 
cretly by  her  liberated  gallant, 
225  ;  her  aversion  to  the 
marriage  arranged  for  her, 
226;  her  dowry,  228;  her  be- 
trothal ceremony,  22S  ;  her 
marriage,  228-9 ;  falls  ill  of 
measles,  which  she  has  pur- 
posely contracted,  230-1  ;  her 
despair  at  leaving  France,  231- 
2  ;  sets  out  for  Italy,  233  ;  her 
retinue,  233  ;  her  premedi- 
tated delays,  234  ;  indulges  in 
nightly  gambling-orgies,  235  ; 
her  strained  relations  with  the 
Duchesse  de  Villars,  236;  ridicu- 
lous passion  of  the  Conte  di 
Salvatico  for,  237-8  ;  incurs 
his  implacable  enmity  by  re- 
fusing to  listen  to  him,  238  ; 
her  reception  at  Lyons,  238  ; 
dispenses  large  sums  in  alms, 
239  ;  visits  the  Ghetto  at 
Avignon,  239 ;  and  her  un- 
worthy favourite,  Madame  de 
Bacqueville,  239  et  sqq.  ;  arrives 
at  Antibes,  242  ;  embarks  for 
Italy,  243  ;  informed  of  the 
recall  of  Madame  de  Bacque- 
ville, 243  ;  arrives  at  Genoa, 
245  ;  unpleasantness  over  the 
payment  of  her  dowry,  246 ; 
received  by  the  Duke  of  Modena 
and  his  two  sons  at  Reggio, 
247  ;  unfavourably  impressed 
by  her  husband,  247  ;  arrives 
at  Modena,  248  ;  persecuted 
by  Salvatico,  249  ;  seeks  to 
instil  a  little  animation  into 
the  Court,  250-1  ;  reprimanded 


INDEX 


373 


by  the  Duke,  250  ;  falls  seri- 
ously ill  of  smallpox,  but  re- 
covers, 250-1 ;  her  marriage  not 
yet  consummated,  252  ;  singu- 
lar relations  with  her  husband, 
253  et  sqq.  ;  severity  of  the  Duke 
of  Modena  towards,  255 ;  goes 
on  a  pilgrimage  to  Loretto,  256  ; 
persuades  her  husband  to  ily 
with  her  to  France,  257  ;  her  let- 
ter to  her  father,  258 ;  refused 
by  the  Regent  permission  to  en- 
ter France,  259  et  sqq.  ;  her  de- 
spair, 261  ;  returns  to  Modena, 
262  ;  her  mortifying  reception, 
262  ;  Salvatico  resumes  his 
persecution  of,  262-3  ''  goes  on 
a  visit  to  Lucca,  264  ;  again 
refused  permission  to  come  to 
France,  265  ;  takes  up  her 
residence  with  her  husband 
near  Reggio,  265  ;  her  anguish 
on  learning  of  the  reported 
marriage  of  the  Due  de  Riche- 
lieu, 266  ;  becomes  more  recon- 
ciled to  her  lot,  267  ;  gives 
birth  to  a  son,  267  ;  unfortu- 
nate effect  of  the  Regent's 
death  upon  her  position,  341-2  ; 
her  discreet  conduct,  342  ; 
tyranny  of  the  Duke  of  Modena 
towards,  343-4  ;  loses  her 
little  son,  344  ;  reconciled  to 
her  husband,  344  ;  flies  with 
him  to  Strasbourg,  344 ; 
obliged  to  return  to  Italy,  344  ; 
her  intolerable  situation,  345  ; 
takes  refuge  with  the  French 
resident  at  Genoa,  345  ;  cruel 
indifference  of  her  mother  to- 
wards, 346  ;  comes  to  France, 
but  is  ordered  to  return,  347  ; 
secures  authorisation  to  visit 
Paris,  348  ;  her  reception  at 
the  Palais-Royal,  349  ;  odious 
behaviour  of  her  relatives  to- 
wards, 349-50  ;  insulted  by 
the  populace,  350 ;  quarrels 
with  her  sister,  the  Queen  of 
Spain,  351-2  ;  efforts  of  her 
relatives  to  drive  her  from  Paris, 
351—2  ;  becomes  Duchess  of 
Modena,  352  ;  returns  to  Italy, 
353  ;  "  living  the  most  joyous 
fife  possible,"  363-4 ;  com- 
pelled, by  the  outbreak  of  war, 
2  b  2 


to  retire  to  Venice,  364  ;  se- 
cures authorisation  to  return 
to  France,  364  ;  her  enviable 
position  at  Versailles,  365  ; 
marries  her  eldest  daughter  to 
the  Due  de  Penthievre,  365  ; 
occupies  herself  with  her  hus- 
band's interests,  365  ;  but 
refuses  to  rejoin  him,  366  ;  falls 
into  disgrace  at  Court,  366 ; 
returns  to  Italy,  366 ;  her 
death,  366 

Modena,  Francesco  d'Este,  He- 
reditary Prince,  and  afterwards 
Duke,  of,  222  et  sqq.,  228  et  sqq., 
237,  247  et  sqq.,  252  et  sqq.,  341 
et  sqq. 

Modena,  Rinaldo  d'  Este,  Duke  of, 
229,  240,  242,  247  et  sqq.,  257, 
260  et  sqq.,  352 

Montelano,  Duquesa  de,  286 

Montespan,  Madame  de,  3,  19,  24 

Montesquiou,  Marechal  de,  357 

Morancourt,  La,  no 

Mouchy,  Madame  de,  1 12-13,  II8 
et  sqq.,  136,  168  et  sqq.,  178  et 
sqq.,  188,  196  et  sqq.,  240 

Mouchy,  M.  de,  197  et  sqq. 


N 


Nesle,  Madame  de,  127,  210 
Neuville,  Pere,  351 
Nevers,  Duchesse  de,  24 
Noailles,  Cardinal  de  (Archbishop 

of  Paris),  149,  153.  i55~6,  l69 

et  sqq.,  179,  224-5,  270 
Noce,  Comte  de,  14 
Nolent,  Mile  de,  25 


O 


Orleans,    Anne   Marie   Louise   d', 

Mile,  de  Montpensier  (la  Grande 

Mademoiselle),  175 
Orleans,    Charlotte    Aglae.      See 

Modena 
Orleans,  Chevalier  d'  (natural  son 

of  the  Regent),  243,  310  et  sqq., 

347 


374 


INDEX 


Orleans,  Elisabeth  Charlotte, 
Duchesse  d'  (mother  of  the 
Regent),  58,  64,  94,  106,  131-2, 
137.  153,  158,  176,  302,  338  ; 
her  disapproval  of  the  Regent's 
marriage  to  Mile,  de  Blois,  2 
et  sqq.  ;  depicts  the  character 
of  the  Regent,  10  et  sqq.,  14—15, 
22  ;  her  dislike  of  the  Abbe 
Dubois,  11  ;  on  the  Regent's 
personal  appearance,  14  ;  her 
dislike  of  her  daughter-in-law, 
20—1,  23,  26  et  sqq.  ;  her  fond- 
ness for  the  Due  de  Berry,  43 
et  sqq.  ;  offers  to  take  charge  of 
her  younger  grandchildren,  51— 
2  ;  her  description  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  57  ;  her 
grief  at  Monseigneur's  death, 
67  ;  reprimands  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry,  78  et  sqq.,  S4  et  sqq., 
108;  on  the  Due  de  Berry's  affec- 
tion for  his  wife,  91  ;  and  the 
duke's  amours,  92-3  ;  and  the 
duke's  death,  95-6,  99  ;  her 
anecdote  concerning  Dr.  Chirac, 
97  ;  visits  Duchesse  de  Berry, 
1 01  ;  on  the  widowhood  of  the 
duchess,  103  ;  on  Madame  de 
Mouchy,  119;  Duchesse  de 
Berry's  gluttony  described 
by,  135,  181  ;  objects  to  Mile.  , 
d'Orleans  becoming  a  nun, 
140,  142,  145  et  sqq.  ;  and  the 
proposed  marriage  between  this 
princess  and  the  Prince  de 
Dombes ;  her  account  of  her  con- 
secration at  Chelles,  154  et  sqq.  ; 
is  reconciled  to  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry,  161-2  ;  her  funeral 
oration,  177  ;  and  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry's  marriage  to  Rion, 
182  ;  visits  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  during  her  last  illness, 
183,  185  ;  and  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry's  death,  191  et  sqq.  ; 
and  Madame  de  Mouchy's 
heartless  behaviour,  199,  201  ; 
and  Mile,  de  Valois's  personal 
appearance  and  character,  204 
et  sqq.  ;  on  the  Due  de  Riche- 
lieu's attraction  for  women, 
208  ;  and  Richelieu's  treason, 
216 ;  and  Mile,  de  Valois's 
liaison  with  Richelieu,  219- 
20  ;   and  matrimonial  projects 


concerning  Mile,  de  Valois, 
221-2,  226,  228,  230  et  sqq.  ; 
and  Salvatico's  infatuation  for 
Mile,  de  Valois,  237  ;  and  Mile. 
de  Valois's  protracted  wedding 
journey,  241-2  ;  her  portrait  of 
Mile,  de  Montpensier,  285  ;  of 
Mile,  de  Beaujolais,  307;  her 
delight  at  the  proposed  marriage 
of  Mile,  de  Beaujolais,  309  ;  on 
the  birth  of  Louise  Diane 
d'Orleans,  361 
Orleans,  Francoise  Marie  de  Bour- 
bon, Mile,  de  Blois,  Duchesse  d' 
(wife  of  the  Regent),  57,  60, 
106,  132,  136,  166,  168,  233, 
279.  3°2,  311.  336;  her  be- 
trothal and  marriage,  2  et  sqq.  ; 
her  children,  9  ;  circumstances 
of  her  birth,  19  ;  her  personal 
appearance,  20  ;  her  conversa- 
tional powers,  20 ;  her  extra- 
ordinary indolence,  20,  21  ;  her 
"  almost  Satanic  "  pride,  21  ; 
her  relations  with  her  husband, 
21,  22  ;  her  affection  for  her 
elder  brother,  the  Due  du 
Maine,  23  ;  her  Court,  23  et  sqq.; 
antipathy  between  her  and 
Madame,  25  et  sqq.  ;  her  deplor- 
able indifference  to  her  duties 
as  a  mother,  22,  28  et  sqq.,  103  ; 
her  ambitions  for  her  chil- 
dren, 31  e<  sqq.  ;  her  spite,  48  ; 
sends  Miles,  de  Chartres  and  de 
Valois  to  the  Abbey  of  Chelles, 
51  et  sqq.  ;  insolence  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  towards, 
69,  78  et  sqq.,  107  ;  and  the 
Due  de  Berry's  death,  97,  99  ; 
visited  by  Peter  the  Great,  133  ; 
desireSj.to  marry  Mile.  d'Orleans 
to  the  Prince  de  Dombes,  141  ; 
endeavours  to  compel  her 
daughter  to  consent,  144,  145; 
indignant  at  Mile.  d'Orleans 
supplanting  Madame  de  Villars 
as  Abbess  of  Chelles,  154 ; 
quarrels  violently  with  her, 
154  ;  does  not  attend  her  con- 
secration, 155  ;  treated  with 
more  consideration  by  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  162  ;  and 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry's 
marriage  to  Rion.  182  ;  and 
the   Duchesse   de   Berry's   last 


INDEX 


375 


illness,  185  et  sqq.  ;  and  the 
death  of  the  duchess,  192  ; 
seeks  in  vain  to  persuade  Mile. 
de  Valois  to  marry  the  Prince  de 
Dombes,  205  ;  conceives  the 
most  intense  dislike  for  her 
daughter,  205  ;  endeavours  to 
promote  the  marriage  of  Mile. 
de  Beaujolais,  338  ;  her  cruel 
indifference  to  the  unhappy 
lot  of  the  Princess  of  Modena, 
J46  ;  endeavours  to  prevent 
her  obtaining  authorisation  to 
come  to  Paris,  347  ;  her  frigid 
reception  of  her  daughter  on 
her  arrival,  349  ;  remonstrates 
with  the  Abbess  of  Chelles  on 
her  heterodox  views,  355  ;  and 
her  youngest  daughter's  mar- 
riage, 362 
Orleans,  Louise  Adelaide  d'  (Mile, 
de  Chartres),  Abbess  of  Chelles, 
her  birth,  10,  29  ;  sent  to  the 
Abbey  of  Chelles,  48,  51-2  ; 
attends  the  betrothal  ceremony 
of  Mademoiselle,  49  ;  her  early 
years,  50,  51-2  ;  her  life  at 
Chelles,  139;  announces  her  in- 
tention of  taking  the  veil,  139  ; 
removed  from  Chelles  to  the 
Abbey  of  Montmartre,  139;  re- 
ported to  have  renounced  her 
religious  aspirations,  139-40 ; 
project  of  her  mother  to  marry 
her  to  the  Prince  de  Dombes, 
140  ;  makes  her  appearance  in 
society,  140-1  ;  her  portrait 
by  Madame,  14 1-2  ;  and  the 
singer  Cauchereau,  142  ;  and 
M.  de  Saint-Maixent,  142-3  ; 
declines  to  marry  the  Prince  de 
Dombes,  144  ;  harshly  treated 
by  her  mother,  145  ;  refused 
permission  to  become  a  nun, 
145  ;  goes  on  a  visit  to  the 
Abbey  of  Chelles,  145-6  ;  and 
announces  her  intention  of 
remaining  there,  146-7  ;  futile 
efforts  of  the  Regent  to  per- 
suade her  to  renounce  her 
resolution,  147  ;  takes  the 
habit,  147-8  ;  declines  to  allow 
herself  to  be  nominated  Abbess 
of  Montmartre,  148  ;  pro- 
nounces her  vows,  149  ;  dis- 
satisfied  with   the  subordinate 


position  which  she  occupies, 
151  ;  intrigues  against  the 
Abbess  of  Chelles,  Madame  de 
Villars,  152  ;  and  obliges  her 
to  resign  her  post,  153  ;  retires 
temporarily  to  the  Val-de- 
Grace,  153  ;  has  a  violent  scene 
with  her  mother,  153-4  >  nomin- 
ated Abbess  of  Chelles,  154  ;  her 
consecration,  155  et  sqq.;  exe- 
cutes improvements  at  the  con- 
vent, 268  et  sqq. ;  constitutes 
herself  the  official  protectress  of 
the  persecuted  Jansenists,  270— 
1 ;  refuses  to  renounce  her  het- 
erodox views,  271  ;  defies  the 
Regent,  271  ;  seeks  to  conciliate 
him,  271-2  ;  transforms  her 
abbey  from  a  monastic  retreat 
into  a  kind  of  country-house, 
272  ;  and  leads  with  her  nuns 
a  life  of  pleasure,  272-3  ; 
calumnies  against,  273,  274  ; 
Saint-Simon's  portrait  of,  274  ; 
passes  on  a  sudden  from  dissi- 
pation to  austerity,  275  ;  visits 
her  tomb,  275  ;  chansons  at  her 
expense,  275-6  ;  leaves  Chelles 
and  becomes  temporary  superior 
of  the  Val-de-Gra.ce,  276-7  ; 
brief  return  to  worldhness, 
followed  by  increased  austerity, 

277  ;  becomes  more  fervidly 
Jansenist  than  ever,  277-8  ; 
seeks    to   convert   the    Regent, 

278  ;  reprimands  him  for  his 
scandalous  abuse  of  his  ecclesi- 
astical patronage,  278  ;  de- 
prived of  her  influence  by  her 
father's  death,  354  ;  continues 
her  efforts  on  behalf  of  the 
Jansenists,  355  ;  issues  a  mani- 
festo, which  is  suppressed  by  a 
decree  of  the  Council,  355  ;  her 
adventure  with  the  Cardinal 
de  Bissy,  356-7  ;  forbidden  to 
leave  the  Val-de-Grace,  357  ; 
resigns  her  abbey  and  retires  to 
the  priory  of  the  Benedictines 
de  la  Madeleine  du  Trainel,  357 ; 
piety  of  her  last  years,  358  ; 
her  Reflexions  morales  sur  le 
Nouveau  Testament,  358-9  ;  her 
death,  359 

Orleans,    Louise   Diane   d'    (Mile, 
de  Chartres),  Princesse  de  Conti, 


37& 


INDEX 


her   birth,    10,   299,    361  ;     her 

appearance      and      disposition, 
361  ;     marries    the    Prince    de 
Conti,    361  ;     gives   birth   to   a 
son,  362  ;    her  death,  362 
Orleans,    Louise   Elisabeth,   Mile, 
de    Montpensier.      See    Louise 
Elisabeth,  Queen  of  Spain 
Orleans,  Philippe  I.,  Due  d'  {Mon- 
sieur), 3  et  sqq.,  12 
Orleans,     Philippe     II.,     Due    d' 
Orleans     (the     Regent),     97-8, 
104,    249,    251,  260  ;    gets    his 
ears  boxed  in  public  by  Madame, 
1-2  ;    his  marriage  with  Mile, 
de  Blois,  2  et  sqq.  ;   his  children, 
9-10 ;      his     birth,      10 ;       his 
character,    11;     his   precocious 
gallantries,  11-12  ;  no  destroyer 
of    domestic    felicity,    12  ;     his 
treatment     of    his    mistresses, 
13-14  ;  and  of  his  *'  roues,"  14  ; 
his  mother's  opinion  of,  14-15  ; 
remarks  of  Voltaire  concerning! 
15  ;    Saint-Simon's  portrait  of, 
15  et  sqq.;    his  relations  with 
his    wife,  21-2,  27  ;    spoils    his 
daughters,  30 ;   saves  the  life  of 
his  eldest  daughter,  30-1  ;    his 
singular  affection   for  her,   31, 
69  ;     in  very  bad  odour  with 
Louis   XIV.,   17,   36,  69;    asks 
the    King's    consent   to   Made- 
moiselle's   marriage    Avith    the 
Due    de    Berry,    40-1  ;     sends 
Miles,     de     Chartres     and     de 
Valois  to  the  Abbey  of  Chelles, 
52  ;      visits    them    there,    52  ; 
abominable    rumours    concern- 
ing    his     relations     with     the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  73  et  sqq., 
92,     100-1,     128    et    sqq.  ;     his 
incredible     weakness     in     the 
affair  of  the  diamond  necklace, 
80  ;   becomes  Regent,  106  ;  and 
the  extravagant  demands  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  107,  109  et 
sqq.  ;    indignant  at  the  public 
reign  of  the  duchesse's  amant  en 
titre,  the  Chevalier  de  Rion,  125  ; 
but  tamely  submits  to  it,  125  ; 
his  orgies  at  the  Palais-Royal! 
127-8  ;    remonstrates  with  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,    137,    167  ; 
his    futile    opposition    to    the 


determination  of  Mile,  d 'Orleans 
to  become  a  nun,  145  et  sqq.  ; 
consents      to      her      becoming 
Abbess      of      Chelles,      153-4  : 
attends  her  consecration,   155  ; 
his  conduct  during  the  interest- 
ing event  at  the  Luxembourg, 
168  et  sqq.;  refuses  to  consent 
to  the  declaration  of  the  Duch- 
esse de  Berry's  marriage  with 
the  Chevalier  de  Rion,   180-1  ; 
visits   her   but   twice   in   three 
weeks,    181  ;     his   conversation 
with  Saint-Simon,  182  ;    orders 
Rion  to  join  his  regiment,  182  ; 
painful     scenes     between     the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  and,    183  ; 
sups  with  her  at  Meudon,  184  ; 
and    the  duchess's  last  illness, 
186    et    sqq.;    and   her   death, 
1 9 1-2  ;    and  the  officers  of  her 
Household,  194  ;  and  her  debts, 
195  :   and  Madame  de  Mouchy's 
theft  of  the  Duchess's  ring-case, 
197  et  sqq.  ;  and  Mile,  de  Valois, 
204  ;    indignant  at  her  intrigue 
with  the  Due  de  Richelieu,  213  ; 
deprived     of     a     mistress     by 
Richelieu,     213  ;      and     Riche- 
lieu's treasonable  dealings  with 
Spain,    216    et    sqq.;    pretends 
that  he  is  resolved  to  bring  the 
duke  to  trial,  217-18  ;    anxious 
to    marry    Mile,    de    Valois    to 
some  foreign  prince,  220  ;    and 
the  proposed  alliance  between 
her    and   the    Prince   of   Pied- 
mont, 220-1  ;    and  the  Prince 
of  Modena's   proposal  for   her 
hand,   222-3;    accords  her  the 
liberty  of   Richelieu,  in   return 
for  her  consent  to  this  marriage, 
223-4  I    his  contribution  to  her 
dowry,  228  ;    takes  her  to  say 
farewell    to    Madame,     231-2  ; 
accompanies    her   on   the   first 
stage     of     her     journey,     233  ; 
remonstrates   with  her  on  her 
continual  delays,   236  ;    recalls 
her  favourite,  Madame  de  Bac- 
queville,  240  et  sqq.;    singular 
letters  of  the  Abbe  Colibeaux 
to,  253  et  sqq.  ;  sends  Chavigny 
to  investigate  the  matrimonial 
difficulties   of   the    Princess   of 
Modena,  254-5  ;    his  letters  to 


INDEX 


377 


him,  258,  261  ;  refuses  her  and  j 
her  husband  permission  to  come 
to  France,  259  et  sqq.,  264  ; 
remonstrates  with  the  Duke  of 
Modena  on  his  treatment  of  the 
prince  and  princess,  265  ;  en- 
deavours to  persuade  the  Abbess 
of  Chelles  to  renounce  her 
Jansenist  views,  271  ;  exiles 
her  almoner,  P6re  Ledoux,  271 ; 
a  frequent  visitor  at  Chelles, 
272,  273  ;  calumnies  concerning 
the  Abbess  and,  274  ;  visits  her 
at  the  Val-de-Grace,  277  ;  repri- 
manded by  her  for  his  abuse  of 
his  ecclesiastical  patronage, 
278  ;  his  death,  279,  314,  340, 
354  ;  his  Spanish  policy,  277, 
280  ;  negotiates  the  marriage 
of  Louis  XV.  to  the  Infanta 
Aila  Victoria  and  of  Mile,  de 
Montpensier  to  the  Prince  of 
the  Asturias,  280  et  sqq.  ;  his 
contribution  to  Mile,  de  Mont- 
pensier's  dowry,  282  ;  accom- 
panies her  on  the  first  stage  of 
her  journey  to  Spain,  285  ;  her 
letter  to,  291  ;  laughs  heartily 
on  hearing  of  her  incredible 
vulgarity,  303  ;  negotiates  the 
marriage  of  Mile,  de  Beaujolais 
to  Don  Carlos,  307  et  sqq.  ;  letter 
of  Elizabeth  Farnese  to,  311  ; 
resemblance  of  the  Duchess  of 
Modena  to,  364 
Orleans,  Philippine  Elisabeth  d' 
(Mile,  de  Beaujolais),  her  birth, 
10,  279 ;  her  beauty  and 
amiable  character,  307  ;  nego- 
tiations for  her  marriage  to  the 
Infant  Don  Carlos,  259,  307  et 
sqq. ;  her  dowry,  310 ;  her  trous- 
seau, 310;  sets  outfor  Spain,  310; 
her  reception  at  Madrid,  311  ; 
mutual  affection  of  her  and  her 
fiance,  311  ;  letters  of  Eliza- 
beth Farnese  concerning,  311  ; 
conquers  all  hearts,  312  ;  ex- 
cites the  jealousy  of  her  elder 
sister,  the  Princess  of  the  As- 
turias, 313  ;  rupture  of  the  mar- 
riage arranged  between  her 
and  Don  Carlos,  335  ;  is  sent 
back  to  France,  335  ;  her 
journey,  335-6  ;  remains  faith- 
ful   to    Don    Carlos,    338  ;     is 


"  the  occupation  of  his  days  and 
the  torment  of  his  nights," 
339  ;    her  death,  340 


Parabdre,    Madame    de,    12,    126 

et  sqq. 
Penthievre,  Due  de,  365 
Penthievre,  Duchesse  de,  365-6 
Pescatori,  Laura,  308,  318 
Peter  the  Great,  133-4 
Peze,  M.  de,  290 
Phalaris,  Madame  de,  13 
Philibert,  Abb6,  259,  261,  263-4 
Philip  V.,  King  of  Spain,  17,  34, 

214,  279  et  sqq.,  287  et  sqq.,  329 

et  sqq.,  338,  364 
Piche,  Madame,  215,  252-3,  256, 

266 
Piedmont,  Prince  of,  220-1 
Polignac,  Comtesse   de,  118,  127, 

210 
Pompadour,    Marquise   de,    88-9, 

97.  363 
Pons,  Madame  de,  105,  117-18 
Prie,  Marquise  de,  333 


R 


Racine,  272,  358 
Rangoni,  Marchesa,  256 
Ratzamhausen,  Madame  de,  155 
Razilly,  Marquis  de,  44,  82 
Richelieu,  Due  de,  127,  208  et  sqq., 
214    et   sqq.,    223    et   sqq.,    251, 
265-6,  364 
Riglet,  Pere,  123 

Rion,  Chevalier  de  (lover  and 
afterwards  husband  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry),  108,  117 
et  sqq.,   162  et  sqq.,   168  et  sqq., 

192,  200  et  sqq.,  227 
Rochefoucauid-Roye,       Chevalier 

de  la,   82,    88,    107,    in,    116, 

174 
Rochefoucauld-Roye,  Madame  de 

la,  1 12-13 
Roche-sur-Yon,  Mile,  de  la,  154, 

193,  348 


378 


INDEX 


Rohan,  Cardinal  de,  228,  265,  342 
Rohan,  Chevalier  de,  216 
Rohan,    Madame   de    (Abbess    of 

Jouarre),  356-7 
Rohan-Soubise,  Prince  de,  286-7 
Rolland  (cited),  96,  99-101 
Rothembourg,  Comte  de,  338 
Rue,  Pere  de  la,  99 
Rulhiere  (cited),  210 


Sabran,  Madame  de  (mistress  of 

the  Regent),  12,  229 
Sabran,  Marquis  de,  229 
Saint- Jacques,      Faubourg,      the 

Carmelite    convent    of,    124    et 

sqq.,  162,  169,  198 
Saint  -  Maixent,      Chevalier      de, 

143 

Sainte-Maure,      Comte     de,      82, 

88 
Saint-Pierre,  Due  de,  24,  133 
Saint-Pierre,     Duchesse    de,     24, 

33° 

Saint-Simon,  Due  de  (cited),  8, 
15  et  sqq.,  20,  22,  24,  34,  37,  40, 
43.  45.  57  et  sqq.,  67,  69,  74 
et  sqq.,  86,  92,  94,  96,  98,  100, 
108,  111-12,  117-18,  123,  130, 
147,  150-1,  164,  168,  170  et  sqq., 
180,  182  et  sqq.,  187  et  sqq.,  198 
et  sqq.,  202,  221,  230,  275,  278, 
283,  288  et  sqq.,  293,  296  et  sqq., 
3°6,  358 

Saint-Simon,  Duchesse  de,  45,  47, 
50,  60,  64,  69,  70,  75-6,  137, 
147,  168,  197  et  sqq. 

Saint-Simon,  Mile,  de,  193 

Saint- Viance,  M.  de,  137 

Salvatico,  Conte  di,  223,  228,  237- 
8,  240  et  sqq.,  246,  248  et  sqq., 
255,  262  et  sqq.,  267 

Salvert,  M.  de,  94 

Santa -Cruz,  Marques  de,   286-7, 

295 
Saumery,  M.  de,  160 
Sebastien,  Pere,  269 
Sens,  Mile,  de,  361 
Sforza,  Duchess,  24,  28 
Simiane,  Chevalier  de,  126 
Simiane,  Madame  de,  233,  236 
Simonetti,  Marchesa,  366 


Soubise,  Princesse  de,  284,  286 

Soulavie,  Abbe  de  (cited),  127,  209, 
210,  213,  215,  218,  266-7, 
355-6 

Souris,  La  (mistress  of  the  Re- 
gent), 213 

Stanhope,  Lord,  309,  321,  334 


Tallard,  Duchesse  de,  336 
Tencin,  Madame  de,  13 
Terrat,  M.,   149 
Tesse,  Marechal  de,  295,  314-15, 

324,  326  et  sqq. 
Thianges,  Duchesse  de,  24 
Toulouse,  Comte  de,   19,  23,  25, 

I36.  l63.  365 
Tresme,  Due  de,  no 
Trevoux,  Pere  de,  102,  271 
Trudon,  M.,  114 


U 


Ursins,  Princesse  des,  292 


Valero,  326 

Valhere,  Louise  de  la,  3,  124 
Vaudreuil,  Madame  de,  89 
Vauxcelles,  Abbe  de,  120 
Vendome,  Louis  Due  de,  18 
Vendome,     Philippe     de     (Grand 

Prior  of  France),  18 
Ventadour,     Duchesse     de,     284, 

286 
Victor    Amadeus    II.    of    Savoy 

(King       of       Sardinia),      220, 

308 
Vienne,  Mile,  de  (favourite  of  the 

Duchesse  de  Berry),  79,  81-2, 

118 
Vieuville,  Madame  de  la,  47,  97, 

117 
Villars,  Agnes  de,  54,  151  et  sqq., 

268,  270 


INDEX 


379 


Villars,  Duchesse  de,  230,  233, 
236,  240,  242  et  sqq.,  246-7 

Villars,  Marechal  de,  52,  153 

Villeroy,  Marechal  de,  109,  233, 
283 

Vivonne,  Due  de,  24 

Voisin,  Mile.,  50 


Voltaire,  15,  129  ct  sqq. 
Vrilliere,  Due  de  la,  200 


W 

Wales,  Princess  of,  361 


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