oss of many
prisoners, nearly three thousand horses, and a large part of its
ordnance stores. The royal party, which was at this time in a state of
great destitution, was quite overwhelmed by the disaster. The queen
ordered all the equipages and baggage to be transported to the south
side of the Loire, and the bridge to be broken down. At midnight, in
the midst of a scene of great terror and confusion, this movement was
accomplished. As the morning dawned, the carriages, crowded with the
ladies of the court, were seen on the left bank of the stream, ready
for flight. The queen was, for the only time in her life, so dejected
as to seem utterly in despair. She feared that the triumph of the
Fronde at Orleans would induce every city in the kingdom to close its
gates against the court.

The royal fugitives retreated to Montereau. In the disorder of the
flight they were exposed to great privation. Even the young king lost
several of his best horses. Thence they proceeded to Corbeil, on the
right bank of the Seine, about twelve leagues from Versailles. Here a
scene occurred which is graphically described by M. Laporte, an
eye-witness, who was a prominent attendant of his majesty.

"The king," writes Laporte, "insisted that _Monsieur_[E] should sleep
in his room, which was so small that but one person could pass at a
time. In the morning, as they lay awake, the king inadvertently spat
upon the bed of _Monsieur_, who immediately spat upon the king's bed
in return. Thereupon Louis, getting angry, spat in his brother's face.
When they could spit no longer, they proceeded to drag each other's
sheets upon the floor, after which they prepared to fight. During this
quarrel I did what I could to restrain the king. As I could not
succeed, I sent for M. de Villeroi, who re-established peace.
_Monsieur_ lost his temper sooner than the king, but the king was much
more difficult to appease."

[Footnote E: As Louis XIV. was now king, his brother Philip, eleven
years of age, according to usage, took the title of _Monsieur_. The
title for a time adhered still to the Duke of Orleans, brother of
Louis XIII.]

It is very evident that aristocratic titles, and all the formalities
of court etiquette, do not change the nature of boyhood. Though one of
these little belligerents bore the title of Louis XIV., king of
France, and the other was called Monsieur, the duke of Anjou, they
were in character like all other ungoverned and ungovernable boys