o his mistresses; there was always one
among them that had the title and honours of mistress, but the ladies
of the small band, as they were styled, shared his favour by turns.
The loss of the Dauphin, his son, who died at Tournon, and was thought
to be poisoned, extremely afflicted him; he had not the same affection
and tenderness for his second son, the present King; he imagined he did
not see in him spirit and vivacity enough, and complained of it one day
to the Duchess of Valentinois, who told him she would endeavour to
raise a passion in him for her, in order to make him more sprightly and
agreeable. She succeeded in it, as you see, and this passion is now of
above twenty years' duration, without being changed either by time or
incidents.

"The late King at first opposed it; and whether he had still love
enough left for the Duchess of Valentinois to be jealous, or whether he
was urged on by the Duchess d'Etampes, who was in despair upon seeing
the Dauphin so much attached to her enemy, it is certain he beheld this
passion with an indignation and resentment, that showed itself every
day by something or other. The Dauphin neither valued his anger or his
hatred, nor could anything oblige him either to abate or conceal his
flame, so that the King was forced to accustom himself to bear it with
patience. This opposition of his to his father's will, withdrew his
affections from him more and more, and transferred them to his third
son, the Duke of Orleans, who was a Prince of a fine person full of
fire and ambition, and of a youthful heat which wanted to be moderated;
however, he would have made a very great Prince, had he arrived to a
more ripened age.

"The rank of eldest, which the Dauphin held, and the King's favour
which the Duke of Orleans was possessed of, created between them a sort
of emulation, that grew by degrees to hatred. This emulation began from
their infancy, and was still kept up in its height. When the Emperor
passed through France, he gave the preference entirely to the Duke of
Orleans, which the Dauphin resented so bitterly, that while the Emperor
was at Chantilli, he endeavoured to prevail with the Constable to
arrest him without waiting for the King's orders, but the Constable
refused to do it: however, the King afterwards blamed him for not
following his son's advice, and when he banished him the Court, that
was one of the principal reasons for it.

"The discord between the two brothers put Mad