invaluable.

At court, she opposed all foolish extravagance, such as the endless
fetes and amusements of all kinds which had become so popular
under Mme. de Montespan--a procedure which caused her the greatest
difficulties and provoked revolts and quarrels in the royal family. By
her prudence, tact, wisdom, and the loyalty of her friendship, she won
and retained the respect and favor--if not the love--of everyone. Her
reputation was never tarnished by scandal. "When one reflects that
Louis XIV. was only forty-seven years old and in the prime of life
and Mme. de Montespan in the full blaze of her marvellous beauty,
that this woman of humble birth, in her youth a Protestant, poor, a
governess, the widow of a low, comic poet, should win so proud a man
as Louis XIV., seems incredible."

When one considers that throughout life her one aspiration was
an irreproachable conduct, that her manner of action was always
defensive, never offensive, that her chief aim was to restore the king
to the queen (who died in her arms) and not to replace his mistress,
one cannot withhold admiration and esteem from this truly great woman
who accomplished all those honorable designs.

The obstacles to be conquered before reaching her goal were indeed
numerous, but she managed them all. There were so many persons hostile
to her,--mistresses and intriguers, bishops and priests, courtesans
and valets, princes and members of the royal family,--to overcome whom
she had to be on her guard, make use of every opportunity, show a
rare knowledge of society and court, a profound skill and address,
resolution and will; and she was equal to all occasions.

Her greatest defect was the narrowness of her religious views.
Entirely in the hands of her spiritual advisers, obeying them
faithfully and blindly, she was not inclined to theological
investigation, but was sincerely devout. More interested in the
various persons than in doctrines, she showed a passion for making
bishops, abbots, and priests, as well as for negotiating compromises,
reconciling _amours propres_ and doing away with all religious hatred.
Lacking, above all else, clearness of conception, promptness and
firmness of decision, she was finally persuaded to encourage the
bigotry of Louis XIV. and his intolerance toward those who differed
from him. Hence, in 1685, she permitted that fearfully destructive
persecution of the Protestants, which caused over three hundred
thousand of France's most