after this to utter a word of witticism on the
subject of the Duchess of Orleans.

CHAPTER VII

THE WAR IN HOLLAND.

1670-1679

Louis's fondness for jewels.--Anecdote.--Superstitions of Louis.--His
dread of the towers of St. Denis.--Ambition of Louis.--He abandons St.
Germain.--Severity of Louis to Madame de la Valliere.--A second flitting
to Chaillot.--Night in the convent.--Disappointment.--Return of Louise
to the palace.--Madame de Montespan.--Louis reproved by the
clergy.--Power of France.--Alarm in Holland.--Humble inquiry of the
Dutch.--Haughty reply of Louis.--Body-guard of the king.--Reply of
the Dutch merchant.--Forces of William, prince of Orange.--Louis's
march unresisted.--The French cross the Rhine.--Death of the Duke
of Longueville.--Passage of the Rhine.--Louis a bigoted
Catholic.--Consternation.--Reception of the Dutch deputies.--Terms
of Louis XIV.--Heroic conduct of the Dutch.--The dikes pierced.--Naval
battle.--Efforts of the Prince of Orange.--Louis returns to Paris.--His
extraordinary energy.--Arch of triumph.--Skill and strategy of
Turenne.--Barbarities of Turenne.--Opinion of Voltaire.--Death of
Turenne.--Peace of Nimeguen.--Penitence and anguish of Louise de la
Valliere.--Takes leave of her children and the queen.--Again at the
convent.--Faithfulness to duty.--Marriage of the Duchess of Orleans
with the King of Spain.--The Countess de Soissons.--Character of the
dauphin.--Monseigneur's indifference.--Francoise d'Aubigne.--Her
apparent death and recovery.--Francoise a Protestant.--Persecutions
in consequence.--Sufferings of Francoise.--Death of her mother.

Madame de Montespan was now the reigning favorite. The
conscience-stricken king could not endure to think of death. He
studiedly excluded from observation every thing which could remind him
of that doom of mortals. All the badges of mourning were speedily laid
aside, and efforts were made to banish from the court the memory of
the young and beautiful Princess Henrietta, whose poisoned body was
mouldering to dust in the tomb.

The king had a childish fondness for brilliant gems. In his cabinet he
had a massive and costly secretary of elaborately carved rosewood.
Upon its shelves he had arrayed the crown jewels, which he often
handled and examined with the same delight with which a miser counts
his gold.

Mademoiselle de Montpensier, in her interesting Memoirs, relates the
following anecdote, which throws interesting light upon