the cruel Reproaches which you cast upon me Miserable Creature that I am what have I done to be thus expos'd to the Anger of a Deity Nothing can equal my Pains nor the unfortunate Condition to which I am reduc'd Heav'n and Earth conspire against me and my Name it seems is the Sport of Hell What a pretty Art Madam you have to counterfeit and disguise all your Intriegues but there is nothing conceal'd from us in the Inferiour Regions I will shew you in this Book what you would be very unwilling to have known concerning your Amours and all the other Particulars of your Life Oh Sir reply'd Madam Maintenon you may perhaps be very much deceiv'd 'T is a long time since the Charms of this World have had any more then a feeble Operation over me God having infus'd it into me to betake my self to a more satisfactory Retirement I mean the beautiful Abbey of St. Cyr to which I dedicate all the Days of my Life with a Pleasure no way interrupted by the fading Allurements of the World that enchant others without Intermission How ill grounded and unjust are all your Reproaches I beseech yee tell me what mean yee by those Amours and all those Gallantries that supply your daily converse with Merriment and Disdain within those gloomy Mansions where you now abide I have heard you hitherto with a great deal of Patience but I must tell yee I look upon my self as much abus'd and could a Scandalum Magnaium reach yee I should make yee sensible of it for I look upon my Conduct to be Exemplary and that there is no fault to be found with me as being the Model and Pattern by which so many young Ladies and Gentlewomen of Quality are to regulate and square their Lives and Conversations I am well inform'd Madam reply'd Scarron who put it into the King's Head to erect that same What dâ—â—e 〈◊〉 of St. Cyr and to do several other things prejudicial to his Honour and the Repose of his Kingdom The King hearkens to your Advice and you are she that guides the Chariot of his Counsels and his Government Yet all the World too apparently sees that all his Conquests are hardly able to support him I remember I have observ'd in History that Hercules who was once the most Illustrious and most â—â—â—â—ous of all the Heros of Antiquity after all his unparalell'd Atchievements and Exploits at length became the Slave of Women His Love for Omphale Queen of Lydia was so violent as to make him exchange his Club for a Distaff and spin in Petticoats among her Maids only that he might have the opportunity to gaze upon her Beauty and the Honour to be her Waiting-Woman We read in the Histories of France that several of our Princes would have been happy had they not suffer'd themselves to be bewitch'd and possess'd by the Love of Women 'T is a Softness that effeminates the Courage of a Hero and extinguishes the Lustre of his sublimest Qualities Though you Sir in the Heighth of your T'other-World-Gravity reply'd Madam de Maintenon would fain make it out That 't is a Weakness for a Prince to love our Sex yet we cannot forbear being so vain as to boast of it when we make our selves the domineering Mistresses of a Heart so transcending in Value There is nothing so charming as to Reign and for a Woman to see her self the Depository of all the Secrets and Favours of a Court to preside as it were in Council and to dispose of the good or bad Fortune of the Courtiers If all your Accusations were true you had some ground for what you say But lay aside these morose Thoughts you wrong the Magnanimous Heart and Great Soul of our Monarch nor are you acquainted with his Humour while you subject his Absolute Will to Female Controul 'T is true he vouchsafes me some Proofs of his Esteem in Acknowledgment of some Services that I have done him I see Madam said Scarron by your Discourses that you take it for a Celestial Honour to be belov'd by a King and to find that all your Services are not repay'd with Ingratitude But here it is that I must tax yee with a rank Oblivion of that Faith and Oath which you so solemnly swore to me before God and Men That you would never never forget me after my Death never have any more Traffick with the World But I find now that you are no less inveigl'd and transported with the Vanity and Pleasures of it then a Girl of Eighteen and that the dazling Glitter of a Crown has made yee forget your Extraction as being beholding to America for Primitive Day-light and the first Minutes of your Life 'T was enough for you to have been contented with the Honour which I did yee when I raisd yee from the Dust of abject Meanness and matchd yee to our Illustrious Family the most Ancient of all the Scarrons in Paris 'T is true reply'd Madam de Maintenon that the Obligations which you heap'd upon me were infinite and I must as sincerely protest to yee That my first Knowledge of the King was extremely Innocent You know that after your decease I kept my dark Chamber as disconsolate as the Ephesian Matron But I was low and knew not which way i' th' World to turn me so that after I had long mus'd upon my sorrowful Destiny I resolv'd to look out for a Service and one of my Friends promis'd to procure me a Place to wait upon a Lady if I would go into Portugal which Damsel liv'd at that time with Madam de Montespan with whom I was often admitted to Chat when I went to visit my Friend who did all she could to bring me into the good liking of her Mistress One day that I discours'd with the Lady about Indifferent Matters I perceiv'd her to be well enough pleas'd with my Company which infus'd into me so much Confidence as modestly to beseech her to recommend me to some Person of Quality How Mademoiselle cry'd she would you go to Service Most gladly said I for I can assure yee without any Hyperbole I was so cast down for loss of You that I was for any thing in an honest way At the same time Madam de Montespan frequently receiv'd Letters from the King who then and after that most tenderly lov'd her Being indispos'd one Evening she pray'd me to answer him I obeyed her but not without difficulty as thinking my self not fit to write to a Monarch This Modesty of mine was quickly perceiv'd by the King who is infinitely Witty and next Morning he ask'd of his Mistress why she had not writ to him She answer'd That she did according to Custom the Pleasure of writing to him being too charming for her to neglect it Ha! Madam says His Majesty laughing the Complaisance of the Fair Sex is always acceptable to me but tell me truly who was it that did you that piece of Service Madam de Moncespan answer'd
Judgee of the Lower World and against the Sentiments of all disinterested Persons That Prince having broke the Truce which he made with the Dutch for Twenty Years banish'd all the Hugonots out of his Kingdom revok'd the Edict of France and acted a thousand other things contrary to the Peace of a State And not without good reason continues Scarron a part of those Mischiefs are chargeable upon you supported by Father La Chaise and the Archbishop of Paris the sworn Enemies of the Publick Peace so that the Dauphin has but too much reason to hate you and call you his Step-Mother You may remember many Affronts which you your self put upon the Dauphiness and which did not a little contribute to the Distemper that carry'd her off And King James II. of England is also indebted to you for the loss of his Three Kingdoms by your pernicious Counsels If the King has banish'd all the Hugonots from France says Madam de Maintenon it was only to immortalize his Name and Memory according to the Examples of his Predecessors Charles IX and Henry III. by endeavouring as they did to extirpate Herefie the King having a true Zeal for the Service of God The Reverend Father La Chaise and all the Cabinet-Counsel possess'd him with the Apprehensions of a general Ruine impending over his Kingdom if he did not intirely convert all those Hereticks and that he was never to expect the Blessing of God if he did not bring back all those poor Souls to our Holy Mother the Church The King whose Zeal for the Catholick Religion is Exemplary and which is altogether surprising in a Monarch who is at this day the Terrour of Europe and justly pretends that all other Sovereigns ought to submit to him and hold of his Empire subjects himself with a profound Obedience to all those things with which Piety inspires him And by the Foundation of St. Cyr this religious Prince has given a Proof how much Devotion has the Ascendant over him for we may see that Holy Places such as Churches subsist much longer in the Minds of the People then Palaces and Houses for Civil Use In the mean time Madam answers Scarron we see that for the most part those Princes who have ruin'd their Countries and People are those who have caus'd most Churches and Monasteries to be built witness Justinian who fill'd Italy and Greece with 'em after he had ruin'd and pillag'd all the Provinces of his Empire And John Galeas Duke of Milan who founded the Charter-house of Pavia the finest in Christendom Devotion is not always the true Mark of the Vertue and Bounty of Princes Charles IX and Henry III. his Brother being cruel Kings Men of ill Conduct and no Justice yet were the greatest Bigots imaginable in every thing by which they could merit Heaven as going Bare-foot on Pilgrimages in Pentients Habit in the Streets of Paris wearing coarse Hoods having Death's Heads embroider'd upon their Cloaths and shutting themselves up in Oratories with Hermits yet all this external Devotion could not hide their bad Lives and ill Government It 's always Glorious for a King to shew good Example to his Subjects but Lewis XIV is so far from doing so that he imitates the Infidels in every thing The strict Alliance betwixt the French Court and the Ottoman Port makes it apparent that that Prince follows the vitious Manners of the Turks insomuch that he copies their greatest Crimes and has made himself a perfect Mussulman We need go no further then St. Cyr which may truly be call'd a Seraglio under the Title of a Religious Nunnery and I have no reason to doubt Madam that you are the scandalous Instrument of a thousand criminal Intrigues which that Prince carries on there And by this means you also procure to your self a great number of Creatures throughout the Kingdom among those of Eminent Birth and Merit who make their Court to you for an Alliance with those Ladies in hopes of obtaining considerable Employments by your Favour Ah! Sir cries Madam de Maintenon away with Thoughts so impious and be not guilty of such an Outrage against the Modesty of that Holy Place The King having entrusted me with the Conduct of that Spiritual Militia you wound me sensibly and sin also against the Vertue of that Religious Prince 'T is the Noblest and most Glorious Charity that ever was heard of to have so many young Damsels that want Estates bred up at the Expence of that great Monarch and though that agreeable Retirement be within a League of Versailles it may well be call'd a Holy Solitude where nothing troubles their Repose There is nothing there of that Magnificence which is to be found in the Palaces of Kings but a noble Simplicity is its chief Ornament and yet there appears in the same a thousand beautiful Charms When you see all those young Ladies and hear them sing the Praises of Jesus with so much Modesty you cannot but conceive an Idea of the blessed Angels and holy Martyrs in Heaven and to speak sincerely there 's no Religious-House where more of Order and Piety is to be seen All things are so well dispos'd in that Society that Idleness is entirely banish'd thence There they pray to God Day and Night and those Damsels seeing nothing but good Example are bred incomparably better then they could have been in the most pious and regular Families The King who is the sole Founder of that School of Christianity will always be the Admiration of his People and by that Sacred Place his Name and Memory shall be render'd Immortal In fine Madam replies Scarron seeing the time when I must leave you draws near and that Rancune and Rapiniere my Friends do signifie as much unto me Pluto not having allow'd us any more time then what I have spent with you we cannot go beyond his Orders and I observe also that Ragotin's Flambeaux is also burnt out Make good Use of the Conversation which I have had with you consider that your Life passes away like a Dream and that in a little time you may be summon'd before our severe Judges Rhadamanthus and Minos who will pronounce your Eternal Sentence In what a terrible Condition will you find your self if you come to sojourn in the bottomless Abyss for not having reflected seriously upon the Vain-Glory of the World and the Counterfeit-Lustre which attends its Honour I perceive you are engag'd to follow the Course of the Great Ones but if you have any remainder of Shame left I advise you to sacrifice the Interest of the Court and the King's Embraces to your own Honour and mine Retire into a Convent as did La Valiere and spend the rest of your days in the Service of God The King being accustom'd to change will treat you in the same manner as he hath done his other Mistresses I assure you Sir says de Madam Maintenon that I have profited extremely by the good Advice which you have given me and
1. La Maintenon 2. Scarron 3. Ragotin 4. La Rancune 5. La Rapiniere F. H. van Hove sculp SCARRON INCENS'D OR His Appearing to Madam de Maintenon His late Wife Reproaching her Amours with LEWIS the Great Present King of France And discovering several SECRETS of that COURT Written by a Lady in French LONDON Printed for Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall 1694. TO THE READER I Make you this small Present not through any Inducements of Vanity nor to set up for an Author not having the Honour to be known to ye Your Divertisement is my Design and to give you a faithful Account of some Particulars of the Court of France always abounding in Amorous Intrigues which merit Attention and the Pains of committing 'em to White Paper as coming from the most Polite Part of the World and where all the Sweets of Life are tasted with the greatest Pleasure The Subject of my Story is a Real Adventure that lately befell Madam de Maintenon as you will find by the Sequel Scarron appear'd to her with a pensive and louring Air and upbraided her with the whole Conduct of her Life but more-especially with her Amorous Correspondence with Lewis the Great The Persons I have made choice of to accompany his Ghost into this World will make you believe perhaps the Story to be Fabulous but my dear Friend let not that infuse into yee any Sentiments of Incredulity For I only mention the same Persons which the Marchioness of Maintenon nam'd her self in recounting one of her Dreams to a Lady of my intimate Acquaintance for whom she has a passionate Kindness and in whose Breast she lodges all her Secrets who was pleas'd to impart to me the knowledge of it in these Words That she found her self in a deep melancholy for having seen and spoken to M. Scarron who was attended by his Friends La Rapiniere La Rancune and Ragoutin You are not ignorant that these Illustrious Personages were Famous Hero's in the Romances of that Author and that he mentions 'em every day as well as our Heroess for she had also her important Shares in his Conversations for the Pastime of the Court. Moreover the Pilgrimages and Penances which the Marchioness has lately undertaken may be look'd upon as sensible Proofs of the Truth of her Vision those Hardships being thought a sort of Exorcisms to send Scarron to a Place where he may be better employ'd then to take notice of his Wife's Behaviour in this World for 't is thought he is still in Purgatory and is afraid his Wife will follow him thither Which is the reason that the poor Lady is continually at her Prayers especially at St. Cyr whither I have the Honour frequently to accompany her as being very much in her Favour These are the prevailing Reasons why I durst not give this History to the Booksellers in France being assur'd that they would never have printed it by reason of certain Passages in it that nearly concern the Court and you know 't is a dangerous thing to have Potent Enemies Therefore I resolv'd to send it into Holland in hopes it would there be welcome for every Body has an itching Ear for what passes in this Kingdom and more particularly all Men gape after the Secrets of the Louvre If you meet with any Faults in reading this small History be so kind as to remember that 't was a Lady that wrote it pursuing partly such Adventures as she had seen with her own Eyes and partly to deceive her solitary Half Hours In the mean time I should be overjoy'd to hear that she had gain'd her Point which was to please your Fancies with telling Truth and which for that reason occasion'd her Gadding abroad assuring you that merely that Satisfaction would make me gladly to forget the Trouble I have had to keep her secret in this Country SCARRON Appearing TO Madam de Maintenon c. THe Posture of the French Affairs at this day obliges the Most Christian King as every body knows to keep fair with the Northern Crowns from whom as he may reap great Advantages so his Majesty neglects nothing to preserve their Amity Of which his Officious Sedulity which he made appear in the magnificent Entertainments that he gave the Prince of Danemark during his stay in Paris was a sufficient proof and it may be said that the Court of France out-did it self at that time there being nothing omitted to engage that Prince and lock him to her Interests To this purpose Madam de Maintenon and all the rest of the Court Ladies had Orders from his Majesty to caress him with all Imaginable Kindness and therefore to charm the Prince's Youthful Heart she resolv'd to appear in a Ball which the Duke of Orleance prepar'd for 'em in the Palace-Royal This Ball had been preceded by a most Sumptuous Banquet to which the Prince of Danemark Monseigneur the Dauphin the Princes and Princesses were invited Several Healths went briskly about and the King 's and that of the Princes who were Kind to him in the Present War in not entring into the Confederacy against him were drank first after which the Dauphin's Health and the Healths of all the Princes of the Blood went round and then the Prince of Danemark's and that of the Young Princess of ***** his Mistress Presently after this the Duke of Orleance whispering to the Prince gave him to understand the extream Joy of his Majesty and the whole Court to see so perfect a Union and so strict an Amity between the two Crowns to which he added that the most prevailing means to render that Amity and that Union eternal and and inviolable was to see one day his Royal Highness wedded to a Princess of France The Banquet being over they prepar'd for Dancing and the Princesses appear'd with that Pomp and Magnificence that the like had never been seen The Duke of Orleance perceiving that the Company thicken'd by reason of a great number of Lords and Ladies that had not been invited caus'd the Apartment where he was together with the Princes and Princesses to be shut and left the rest of the Croud in the New Gallery of the Palace with the Musick where they made up a second Ball and where several Ladies of Quality were habited in Masquerade In the Prince's and Princess's Apartment the Dutchess of Chartres being Queen of the Ball took out the Prince of Danemark several times to dance Nor was any thing so charming as that Young Beauty the Lustre of whose Jewels drew upon her the Eyes of all the Assembly Madam de Maintenon whose Care did not a little contribute to the Good Order which was there observ'd was taken out in her Turn by the Prince to dance but she refus'd him and repay'd the Honour which he did her with a Profound Reverence without stirring out of her Place She answer'd the Prince of Danemark who address'd to her That her Character of Governess of St. Cyr would not permit her so
de Maintenon settl'd all his Majesties Suspitions by a thousand charming Protestations The Reverend Father La Chaise who by good luck Arriv'd just in the nick of time bestow'd au infinite Number of Benedictions upon her to encourage her in her Noble design Assuring her that he would not cease to offer up his Prayers to God and all the Male and Female Saints that they would be pleas'd to depute a good Angel to be her Companion and Conductor and that he hop'd the Success of her Pilgrimage would be greatly to her Glory Adding withal that it was a good Office of a high Nature which she was going to do for her Husband Thus it was that Pyramus and Thisbe separated with mutual assurances never to be forgetful of each other The Father who was an Ear Witness of all these Protestations stay'd behind with the King discoursing for some time about the Marriage of Boufflers with Mademoiselle de Gramont the Daughter of Antony Charles Duke of the same Name and whose Dowry was no less then 40000 Livres besides a Magnificent Present from the King in Jewels and some talk of several other considerable Emoluments But let us return to our Monarch who was extreamly turmoyl'd and uneasie to be so long a Widower as one that was never Idle in his Amours Therefore to pass time away he went every day to St. Germains to Visit the Queen of England He found that Princess well Built and very Charming and that she had a Heart not altogether insensible of his Caresses And indeed her deplorable Condition after her Husband had lost his Crown cans'd her to entertain the Caresses of our Monarch with a more then ordinary tenderness as being the most probable future support of a King 's unjoyntur'd Widow so that his Majesty succeeded perfectly to his Content For one day that King Jame was at Paris his Majesty had the Opportunity to be all alone a whole afternoon with the Queen and to make her a Formal and Ample Declaration of his Love Lewis the Great 's Declaration of his Love to the Banish'd Queen of England Madam WERE it for that Reason that I must be accounted one of your most Cruel Enemies I could not forbear to Caress the misfortune that brought you so happily into this Kingdom and which has by that means procur'd me the Charming pleasure of your Company I must needs declare to you Madam that ever since that Fortunate day I have always preserv'd a most profound Esteem for your Person which has bred up and cherish'd in my heart something that I can hardly tell what it is I fancy to my self the most pleasing Idea that ever was in the World of all your Sparkling Qualities and I take delight to recall 'em to my mind every Minute of the day and to Dream of you in the Night I have habituated my self to that which appears to me the only thing that asswages the Disturbances of my Love that is to say an unfeigned Vow which is made to your self by the most passionate of Men and who burns with an Ardent desire to let you see how far it is possible for that Passion which he has for you to extend it self The Queen was not a little at a Non-plus to hear such inforcing and passionate Expressions which was the Reason why she could not return a suddain Answer for it behov'd her to look well about her on every side She was afraid least her Husband should take notice of the King's Tenderness and least Madam de Maintenon should turn her mortal Enemy to whom she had been infinitely beholding during her abode in France foreseeing also that her Succor might be very necessary still and for that in her Afflicted Condition it became her to make use of all her Policy and Precaution to preserve her friends On the other side it was not in her Power to look upon the King with an indifferent Eye She felt within her self an Inclination strong enough to love him besides the Offers of his Service and the continual Assurances of his Royal Word never to forsake her and to use his utmost endeavours for the Restoration of her Husband all these Considerations stagger'd the Resolutions of her Chastity and turmoyl'd her with a thousand various thoughts In the mean time the King to whom the Queen had not as yet open'd her Lips since the Vow that he had made her first breaking silence Madam said he I know not to what cause to attribute the disturbance which I behold in your Looks or whither I may be able to make a favourable Construction of it To which the Queen not able to reject the Courtly Addresses of our Monarch and no less willing to keep him in hopes that one day he might see himself Gainer of the Conquest to which he aspir'd Sir said she after a most Amiable and engaging manner The expressions you have made use of to let me understand the Condition of your Heart have plung'd me into a deep Meditation and I can hardly believe that a Prince like you who are the Terror of all Europe should be in want of better Objects to Sigh for a Person whom Fortune has so severely handl'd My Misfortunes are daily before my Eyes and the Fatal remembrance of 'em will never leave me till Death Madam reply'd the King it would be in vain for me to reiterate what I have so often repeated over and over again that I am deeply sensible of your Misfortunes and that they never yet could make me loose the least respect which is due to your Birth I look upon you still as a Queen and what is more absolute over the Empire of my Will and the secret Charms which I have discover'd in your Perfections the force of which is inevitable have constrain'd me to acknowledge the Torments which I suffer Among a thousand Beauties that appear at Court I do not meet with those subduing Allurements which I find in you and by which I perceive my self so mortally Wounded The Queen was about to have return'd an Answer and to have let his Majesty know how infinitely she was beholding to him for his kind Sentiments and Favours bestow'd upon her when King James who had been at Paris to Visit Father La Chaise came in and spoyl'd a good Complement The Reverend Father it seems had carry'd him to his House in the Fauxburg St. Antony where they had spent the whole day together and where among other things they fell into Discourse about the Affairs of England and so by degrees into a deep debate which was the most probable way for the King to regain the three Kingdoms he had lost The Reverend Father whose Brains are Fertile in Counsel and Intrigues had display'd upon that Subject the whole extent of his Eloquence promising the distressed King all the Assistance that he was capable to afford him Those Assurances so sincere and profitable had warm'd the Unfortunate King's Heart and brought into his Countenance an
a pleasant Meadow enamelled with thousands of Flowers and there all the Goddesses appear'd Cibele Queen of the Earth sate Crown'd with Cities and a multitude of of Trees and Animals Round her was Juno in the middle of Kingdoms and Riches follow'd by Hebe the Goddess of Youth who continually fill'd out Nectar for Jupiter to drink Pallas Arm'd all over having a Lance in her hand with the Liberal Arts and the Sciences for her Ornaments she was follow'd by Diana Goddess of the Woods and Huntsmen carrying a Bow and Arrows with her Nymphs attending her Venus the Goddess of Love and Sensuality an incomparable Beauty was drawn in a Chariot with Swans and Doves and followed by the three Graces her Daughters After her came Aurora Laughing in a Guilded Chariot with her rosie Fingers to proclaim the Coming of the Sun she was followed by Blind Fortune having Honour and Riches in her Power and managing a Wheel which she turn'd about without ceasing Flora was in the midst of a fine Garden which produc'd a thousand Flowers caress'd by the Zephyri which never abandon her and Proserpina with her other Nymphs who are always busie in gathering Posies The Third Scene represented Mount Helicon Parnassus the Fountains of Dipnocrania and Aganippides Consecrated to the Muses Apollo sate in the middle of that pleasant Solitude composing Musical Airs and Verses Upon the Mountain sate Pan God of the Shepherds with his Beard Goats Feet and Horns on his head playing on a Melodious Flute The Goat-footed Fauns and Satyrs danc'd several Giggs with the Neighbouring Nymphs Cupid the God of Love hover'd pleasantly over this Illustrious Assembly fluttering his Wings with extraordinary Delight and Sweetness but maliciously surveying all the Arrows in his Quiver with a design to Wound all the Heroes and Heroesles He thought fit to Wound Jupiter as the most sensible and metamorphos'd him into all sorts of shapes as assuming the form oâ— a Ball carrying Europe on his back and passing the Sea at another time into a Showre of Gold descending through a Power of Brass to the fair Danae then into an Eagle to Ravish young Ganimedes and putting himself into all Shapes convenient for his Gallantries so that we must say here with Tertullian that we must not be surpriz'd at those Natural Inclinations to which Love carry men since the Deities themselves give us Examples of it All those Gods and Goddesses were the Idols of the Pagans who moreover believ'd that the Air was full of Petty Gods or Demons and imagin'd that they did ordinarily imploy themselves in humane Affairs They paid them homage every day because of their sublime Vertues and extraordinary Merits coming very near say they to the perfection of the other Deities and they did ordinarily Consecrate a Dragon to them as a Mark of their Immortality to which they were Arriv'd as may be seen in Plutarch where Cleomenes was esteem'd a God by the Aegyptians because they saw a Serpent come out of his body after he was put to Death All those Fictions did strongly seize the Spirits of those people and the young following the Example of the Old made one of the Ancient Philosophers say that Man was a True Animal of Imitation But we must leave those thoughts and return to our Theatrical Piece which was made designedly and by the Dauphin Commanded to be represented by the Kings Comedians on purpose to divert those disquieting thoughts into which that Monarch falls many times in a day upon the Account of France which lies desolate on all sides and cries out that it can do no more if Heav'n don't Bless it with a favourable Aspect Another considerable disquitet which he Labours under is how to find Money to maintain such a pressing War but all those Reflexions don't hinder the King and Court from diverting themselves as if they were in the most profound Peace Every day a thousand pleasant designs are formed to please the Ladies The Comedy entertain'd them a long time in Charming Sports of Wit All the Princes and Lords taking a mighty pleasure to give proofs of their fine Genius by drawing Morals from the Figures represented and applying them conformably to their Inclinations I don't find since France was Govern'd by Kings that there has been any Reign more like this of Louis XIV then that of Hen. III. When Pleasures abounded in spite of the Miseries of the Kingdom Sensuality Triumph'd and led all other passions Captive When that Prince had tri'd all the divertisements which Nature had form'd and deni'd himself nothing which could Charm his Senses he went in Pennance with all his Minions and Lords to the Convent of Augustins and to the Great Church of our Lady two and two like the Votaries of Rome or Avignon clad in White Holland in the same manner that is observ'd by the Religious Fraternities In this Procession the King marcht without Guard or being distinguish'd from others either by Habit or Order the singers went before cloath'd in the same Livery and Singing the Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Melodiously All those Pious Penitents being Arriv'd at Church Sung Salve Regina on their Knees in Charming Musick The Great Rain which lasted the whole day did not hinder them to perform those Mysteries and Exemplary Ceremonies tho' their Hoods c. were Wet through to the Skin 'T is ordinarily the Genius of the most Voluptuous to give some share of their time to Devotion to make it appear by that External preciseness that their heart is always fill'd with good Principles and that all the Pleasures which they are taken up with bear no proportion to their Piety I cannot leave this Subject without taking notice how well Henry III. could make his Devotions and Sensuality agree by an unusual Sympathy After having us'd divers Mortifications during the Festival of Corpus Christi where he was Solemnly present The Week following he made a Feast for the Duke his Brother and the Lords and Captains who accompanied him at the Siege of Charite who were served by all the finest Ladies of the Court clad in Green and in Mans Habit and all the Guests were Cloathed in the same being follow'd by Pages and Gentlemen Cloath'd in like manner so that there was bought in Paris and other Towns 60000 Livres worth of Green Silk for the Solemnity It may be said without Hyperbole that this is to carry on their Criminal Pleasures too far and a very sorry acknowledgment to Heav'n for its Bounties Men in General have Natural Weaknesses with which they can in no manner be Reproach'd without reflecting upon the first Cause as Unjust God having sinish'd and bounded his Nature It is not in the Power of Man to surmount his Infirmities but we must distinguish well betwixt Natural Defects and those acquir'd by Habit or Imitation The Latter may be cur'd by care and our endeavours by good Education to form a second Life in our selves for to continue always in Evil is not to
without Ceremony that I compos'd the Letter and she copied it From that moment I tell you freely His Majesty hath always evidenc'd a great Passion for me Here is also the Copy of the first Letter which His Majesty wrote to me The King's Letter to Madame de Maintenon I Did not believe most Incomparable Lady that after I had seen all the Charming Objeâ—â—s of the Court there had been any thing in the World that could have touch'd me so sensibly The strong Impressions which your rare Qualities have made upon me convince me and accordingly I speak it sincerely That a King would be advanc'd to the highest pitch of Happiness were he as much beloved by you as 〈◊〉 desires Do not then oppose your self my Fairest to that which may render me happy and be firmly perswaded that never any Man was so passionately in Love as I. The Pledges which I design to give you my most An table Lady of a Love so sincere and tender are of a very high Value and merit your most tender Affections The Crown and Scepter which I lay at your Feet my Aderable Lady are sensible Proofs of the high Passion which I entertain for you Farewell my dearest Dear And to engage me further continues Madam Maintenon his Majesty advanc'd me to the Quality of Lady-Governess to the Duke de Maine his Brother the Count de Vexin and the Mademoiselles de Tours and Nantes You cannot imagine what trouble I had to resist all these obliging Methods which his Majesty made use of to bring me to be what I am To say the truth An Ambition to reâ—â—â—â— my self Glorious and Fam'd in the World cancell'd all the Impressions which my Duty or Marriage-Covenant had laid upon me but I love you still in spite of Death which hath made a Separation betwixt us And the greatest part of my Conversation with the King is upon the Loss I have sustain'd of such an Husband who was the Glory of all the Wits of his Age. All those Arguments which you bring Madam replies Scarron to make your Innocence appear don't justifie you in the least for you are still a faithless Woman and I am unhappy to hear you continually talk'd of The Publick takes no notice of your private Treaty of Marriage of which look you here is a True Copy Scarron calls upon Rapiuicre and taking the Contract of Marriage reads it before Madam de Maintenon The Contract of the Private Marriage betwixt Lewis XIV King of France and Navarr sirnam'd The Gift of God and Frances d'Aubigne Marchioness of Maintenon THE Council of Conscience belonging to Lewis XIV sirnamed The Gift of God having most wisely consider'd that the said Prince together with the Dauphine hath sufficiently provided the Crown of France with Heirs so that there 's no reason to fear that it may fall to a Daughter or that the Family of Bourbon should be extinguish'd for want of Heirs Males And moreover there being no Princess in Europe upon whom his Majesty casts his Eyes in order to a second Marriage and his Majesty besides thinking himself of such an Age as it is not convenient for him to meddle any more with the Affairs of the World because of the particular Care which he designs to take for the Quiet of his Conscience and the Salvation of his Soul by sacrificing unto God from his Heart all the criminal Passions which have turmoil'd him from his Youth till now These weighty Considerations prevail'd upon his Majesty with the Approbation of his Confessor to cast his Eyes upon Frances d'Aubigné the Honestest most Vertuous and most Pious Woman of the Age that he might contract a Secret Marriage with her by virtue whereof those Parties are inseparably united together before God and Holy Mother Church And thereupon Lewis XIV promises henceforth to renounce all Commerce which he hath had or might have with other Mistresses in time to come and to acknowledge Frances de Anbigné during the rest of his Life for his true and lawful Spouse to love her tenderly and treat her with the same Respect as he did the late Queen Mary Therese of happy Memory On the other side Frances d'Aubigné promises before God and Holy Mother Church to be Faithful to his Majesty even to her Death to Love and Obey him as a Faithful Spouse ought to do her Husband His Majesty declares further That on the Day of his Marriage he presents Frances d'Aubigné his future Spouse with the Marquisate of Maintenon that she may carry the Title thereof during her Life and doth also promise to found a Nunnery under the Title of The Ladies of St. Cyr whereof she shall be Directress The said Frances d'Abvigné doth further engage in consideration of the Honour which the King hath conferr'd upon her by advancing her to the Dignity of the Queens of France to endeavour with all imaginable Zeal by the Assistance of the Reverend Father La Chaise to extirpate the Hugonot-Heresie whereby she may bring the Blessing of God upon his Majesty's glorious Reign so that all France may have cause to rejoyce in the happy Choice which his Majesty hath made of such a vertuous Spouse Amen You see Madam says Scarron that your Honour is not preserv'd by this Method All the World look upon you for all this as a Harlot and speak of your Amours with the King as they do of those of his other Mistresses Father La Chaise formerly my Friend hath persuaded you that by this secret Treaty of Marriage your Converse with the King would make less Noise but his Design was to destroy Madam de Montespan's Interest who was his Enemy and by this means he surmounts those Difficulties which stand in the way of his Designs and at the same time secures himself of the King's Favour And besides those specious Titles of being Lady Abbess of St. Cyr and Marchioness of Maintenon both Eminent Qualities make a great Noise in the World and draw upon you insensibly all that People say of you Ha! cry'd Madam de Maintenon in anger who could reveal to you this Secret You told me Sir that you hear News every day from this World by those who arrive in yours It could be none but the Marquis de Louvois He acquainted you with this Contract of Marriage Treacherous Villaian This is but a sorry Acknowledgment of his Master 's Royal Bounties who spar'd nothing to raise his Fortune to the heighth first Minister and Secretary of State Commander and Chancellor of the Royal Order Are not these very Honourable Titles besides a thousand other Advantages which he receiv'd from his Majesty who honours him still every day by a continual Regret for the Loss of him It is true the King has great need of his Assistance in this present Juncture to bear a part of the Fatigue which he endures by this present War This War Madam answer'd Scarron which the King maintains with so much heat appears very unjust before our