Quinault said that a lady was in the case, the plagiary was forgiven.
Perrault afterwards wrote a defence of his _Alceste_. A trifling piece
which Perrault composed on this little affair pleased Fouquet, who had
it copied on vellum, with miniatures and gilt capitals.

In 1657 Perrault directed the construction of a house for his brother.
The skill and taste he shewed induced Colbert to make him his subaltern
in the superintendence of the Royal buildings, in 1663. A vision of a
completed Louvre, and of 'obelisks, pyramids, triumphal arches, and
mausoleums,' floated before the mind of Colbert. Then there would be
_fetes_ and masquerades to describe, and as Chapelain recommended
Perrault, who was already the author of some loyal odes, (such as the
wise write about Jubilee times,) he finally received an elegant
appointment, with 500, later 1000 _livres_ a year. This he enjoyed till
1683. A little Academy of Medals and Inscriptions grew into existence:
Perrault edited panegyrics on the king, and made designs for Gobelin
tapestries.

Perrault's next feat was the suggestion of the peristyle of the Louvre,
introduced into the design of his brother Claude, the architect. After
the Chevalier Bernini had been summoned from Rome to finish the Louvre,
and had been treated with sumptuous hospitality, a variety of disputes
and difficulties arose, and, by merit or favour, the plan of Perrault's
brother, Claude, by profession a physician, was chosen and executed.
People said 'que l'architecture devoit etre bien malade, puisqu'on la
mettait entre les mains des medecins.'

'M. Colbert asked me for news of the Academy, supposing that I was a
member. I told him that I could not satisfy him, as I had not the honour
of belonging to that company. He seemed surprised, and said I ought to
be admitted. "'Tis a set of men for whom the king has a great regard,
and as business prevents me from often attending their councils, I
should be glad to hear from you what passes. You should stand at the
next vacancy."' So writes Perrault, and he did become a candidate for
Immortality. But a lady had begged the next place for an Abbe, and next
time, a doctor had secured it for a _cure_. Finally, the Academy elected
Perrault, he says, without any canvass on his part. Perrault introduced
election for the Academy by ballot, and he himself invented and provided
a little balloting machine, which he does not describe. One day when the
King was being publicly ru