CHAPTER XIV.

Story of the Queen-mother's Marriage with Cardinal Mazarin Published in
Holland.

Despite the endeavours made by the ministers concerning the pamphlet or
volume about which I am going to speak, neither they nor the King
succeeded in quashing a sinister rumour and an opinion which had taken
deep root among the people. Ever since this calumny it believes--and
will always believe--in the twin brother of Louis XIV., suppressed, one
knows not why, by his mother, just as one believes in fairy-tales and
novels. This false rumour, invented by far-seeing folk, is that which
has most affected the King. I will recount the manner in which it
reached him.

Since the disorder and insolence of the Fronde, this prince did not like
to reside in the capital; he soon invented pretexts for getting away from
it. The chateau of the Tuileries, built by Catherine de Medici at some
distance from the Louvre, was, really speaking, only a little
country-house and Trianon. The King conceived the plan of uniting this
structure with his palace at the Louvre, extending it on the Saint Roch
side and also on the side of the river, and this being settled, the
Louvre gallery would be carried on as far as the southern angle of the
new building, so as to form one whole edifice, as it now appears.

While these alterations were in progress, the Court quitted the Louvre
and the capital, and took up its permanent residence at Saint Germain.

Though ceasing to make a royal residence and home of Paris, his Majesty
did not omit to pay occasional visits to the centre of the capital. He
came incognito, sometimes on horseback, sometimes in a coach, and usually
went about the streets on foot. On these occasions he was dressed
carelessly, like any ordinary young man, and the better to ensure a
complete disguise, he kept continually changing either the colour of his
moustache or the colour and cut of his clothes. One evening, on leaving
the opera, just as he was about to open his carriage door, a man
approached him with a great air of mystery, and tendering a pamphlet,
begged him to buy it. To get rid of the importunate fellow, his Majesty
purchased the book, and never glanced at its contents until the following
day.

Imagine his surprise and indignation! The following was the title of his
purchase:

"Secret and Circumstantial Account of the Marriage of Anne of Austria,
Queen of France, with the Abbe Jules Simon Mazarin, Cardin