will　permit　me　to　say　it）　are　silly　enough　to　be　annoyed　if　those　titles
  are　given　to　them　in　conversation。　　It　is　certain；　however；　that　these
  titles　emanated　from　landed　creations；　and　that　in　their　origin　they　had
  functions　attached　to　them；　which；　they　have　since　outlived。　　The
  vidames；　on　the　contrary；　were　only　principal　officers　of　certain
  bishops；　with　authority　to　lead　all　the　rest　of　their　seigneurs'　vassals
  to　the　field；　either　to　fight　against　other　lords；　or　in　the　armies　that
  our　kings　used　to　assemble　to　combat　their　enemies　before　the　creation　of
  a　standing　army　put　an　end　to　the　employment　of　vassals　（there　being　no
  further　need　for　them）；　and　to　all　the　power　and　authority　of　the
  seigneurs。　　There　is　thus　no　comparison　between　the　title　of　vidame；
  which　only　marks　a　vassal；　and　the　titles　which　by　fief　emanate　from　the
  King。　　Yet　because　the　few　Vidames　who　have　been　known　were　illustrious；
  the　name　has　appeared　grand；　and　for　this　reason　was　given　to　me；　and
  afterwards　by　me　to　my　son：
  Some　little　time　before　this；　the　King　resolved　to　show　all　Europe；　which
  believed　his　resources　exhausted　by　a　long　war；　that　in　the　midst　of
  profound　peace；　he　was　as　fully　prepared　as　ever　for　arms。　　He　wished　at
  the　same　time；　to　present　a　superb　spectacle　to　Madame　de　Maintenon；
  under　pretext　of　teaching　the　young　Duc　de　Bourgogne　his　first　lesson　in
  war。　　He　gave　all　the　necessary　orders；　therefore；　for　forming　a　camp　at
  Compiegne；　to　be　commanded　by　the　Marechal　de　Boufflers　under　the　young
  Duke。　　On　Thursday；　the　28th　of　August；　all　the　Court　set　out　for　the
  camp。　　Sixty　thousand　men　were　assembled　there。　　The　King；　as　at　the
  marriage　of　the　Duc　de　Bourgogne；　had　announced　that　he　counted　upon
  seeing　the　troops　look　their　best。　　The　consequence　of　this　was　to　excite
  the　army　to　an　emulation　that　was　repented　of　afterwards。　　Not　only　were
  the　troops　in　such　beautiful　order　that　it　was　impossible　to　give　the
  palm　to　any　one　corps；　but　their　commanders　added　the　finery　and
  magnificence　of　the　Court　to　the　majestic　and　warlike　beauty　of　the　men；
  of　the　arms；　and　of　the　horses；　and　the　officers　exhausted　their　means　in
  uniforms　which　would　have　graced　a　fete。
  Colonels；　and　even　simple　captains；　kept　open　table；　but　the　Marechal　de
  Boufflers　outstripped　everybody　by　his　expenditure；　by　his　magnificence；
  and　his　good　taste。　　Never　was　seen　a　spectacle　so　transcendentso
  dazzlingand　（it　must　be　said）　so　terrifying。　　At　all　hours；　day　or
  night；　the　Marechal's　table　was　open　to　every　comerwhether　officer；
  courtier；　or　spectator。　　All　were　welcomed　and　invited；　with　the　utmost
  civility　and　attention；　to　partake　of　the　good　things　provided。　　There
  was　every　kind　of　hot　and　cold　liquors；　everything　which　can　be　the　most
  widely　and　the　most　splendidly　comprehended　under　the　term　refreshment：
  French　and　foreign　wines；　and　the　rarest　liqueurs　in　the　utmost
  abundance。　　Measures　were　so　well　taken　that　quantities　of　game　and
  venison　arrived　from　all　sides；　and　the　seas　of　Normandy；　of　Holland；　of
  England；　of　Brittany；　even　the　Mediterranean；　furnished　all　they
  containedthe　most　unheard…of；　extraordinary；　and　most　exquisiteat　a
  given　day　and　hour　with　inimitable　order；　and　by　a　prodigious　number　of
  horsemen　and　little　express　carriages。　　Even　the　water　was　fetched　from
  Sainte　Reine；　from　the　Seine；　and　from　sources　the　most　esteemed；　and　it
  is　impossible　to　imagine　anything　of　any　kind　which　was　not　at　once　ready
  for　the　obscurest　as　for　the　most　distinguished　visitor；　the　guest　most
  expected；　and　the　guest　not　expected　at　all。　　Wooden　houses　and
  magnificent　tents　stretched　all　around；　in　number　sufficient　to　form　a
  camp　of　themselves；　and　were　furnished　in　the　most　superb　manner；　like
  the　houses　in　Paris。　　Kitchens　and　rooms　for　every　purpose　were　there；
  and　the　whole　was　marked　by　an　order　and　cleanliness　that　excited
  surprise　and　admiration。　　The　King；　wishing　that　the　magnificence　of　this
  camp　should　be　seen　by　the　ambassadors；　invited　them　there；　and　prepared
  lodgings　for　them。　　But　the　ambassadors　claimed　a　silly　distinction；
  which　the　King　would　not　grant；　and　they　refused　his　invitation。　　This
  distinction　I　call　silly　because　it　brings　no　advantage　with　it　of　any
  kind。　　I　am　ignorant　of　its　origin；　but　this　is　what　it　consists　in。
  When；　as　upon　such　an　occasion　as　this；　lodgings　are　allotted　to　the
  Court；　the　quartermaster　writes　in　chalk；　〃for　Monsieur　Such…a…one；〃　upon
  those　intended　for　Princes　of　the　blood；　cardinals；　and　foreign　princes；
  but　for　none　other。　　The　King　would　not　allow　the　〃for〃　to　be　written
  upon　the　lodgings　of　the　ambassadors；　and　the　ambassadors；　therefore；
  kept　away。　　The　King　was　much　piqued　at　this；　and　I　heard　him　say　at
  supper；　that　if　he　treated　them　as　they　deserved；　he　should　only　allow
  them　to　come　to　Court　at　audience　times；　as　was　the　custom　everywhere
  else。
  The　King　arrived　at　the　camp　on　Saturday；　the　3oth　of　August；　and　went
  with　the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne　and　others　to　the　quarters　of
  Marechal　de　Boufflers；　where　a　magnificent　collation　was　served　up　to
  themso　magnificent　that　when　the　King　returned；　he　said　it　would　be
  useless　for　the　Duc　de　Bourgogne　to　attempt　anything　so　splendid；　and
  that　whenever　he　went　to　the　camp　he　ought　to　dine　with　Marechal　de
  Bouffiers。　　In　effect；　the　King　himself　soon　after　dined　there；　and　led
  to　the　Marechal's　table　the　King　of　England；　who　was　passing　three　or
  four　days　in　the　camp。
  On　these　occasions　the　King　pressed　Marechal　de　Boufflers　to　be　seated。
  He　would　never　comply；　but　waited　upon　the　King　while　the　Duc　de
  Grammont；　his　brother…in…law；　waited　upon　Monseigneur。
  The　King　amused　himself　much　in　pointing　out　the　disposition　of　the
  troops　to　the　ladies　of　the　Court；　and　in　the　evening　showed　them　a　grand
  review。
  A　very　pleasant　adventure　happened　at　this　review　to　Count　Tesse；　colonel
  of　dragoons。　　Two　days　previously　M。　de　Lauzun；　in　the　course　of　chit…
  chat；　asked　him　how　he　intended　to　dress　at　the　review；　and　persuaded　him
  that；　it　being　the　custom；　he　must　appear　at　the　head　of　his　troops　in　a
  grey　hat；　or　that　he　would　assuredly　displease　the　King。　　Tesse；　grateful
  for　this　information；　and　ashamed　of　his　ignorance；　thanked　M。　de　Lauzun；
  and　sent　off　for　a　hat　in　all　haste　to　Paris。　　The　King；　as　M。　de　Lauzun
  well　knew；　had　an　aversion　to　grey；　and　nobody　had　worn　it　for　several
  years。　　When；　therefore；　on　the　day　of　the　review　he　saw　Tesse　in　a　hat
  of　that　colour；　with　a　black　feather；　and　a　huge　cockade　dangling　and
  flaunting　above；　he　called　to　him；　and　asked　him　why　he　wore　it。　　Tesse
  replied　that　it　was　the　privilege　of　the　colonel…general　to　wear　that　day
  a　grey　hat。　　〃A　grey　hat；〃　replied　the　King；　〃where　the　devil　did　you
  learn　that？〃
  〃From　M。　de；　Lauzun；　Sire；　for　whom　you　created　the　charge；〃　said　Tesse；
  all　embarrassment。　　On　the　instant；　the　good　Lauzun　vanished；　bursting
  with　laughter；　and　the　King　assured　Tesse　that　M。　de　Lauzun　had　merely
  been　joking　with　him。　　I　never　saw　a　man　so　confounded　as　Tesse　at　this。
  He　remained　with　downcast　eyes；　looking　at　his　hat；　with　a　sadness　and
  confusion　that　rendered　the　scene　perfect。　　He　was　obliged　to　treat　the
  matter　as　a　joke；　but　was　for　a　long　time　much　tormented　about　it；　and
  much　ashamed　of　it。
  Nearly　every　day　the　Princes　dined　with　Marechal　de　Boufflers；　whose
  splendour　and　abundance　knew　no　end。　　Everybody　who　visited　him；　even　the
  humblest；　was　served　with　liberality　and　attention。　　All　the　villages　and
  farms　for　four　leagues　round　Compiegne　were　filled　with　people；　French；
  and　foreigners；　yet　there　was　no　disorder。　　The　gentlemen　and　valets　at
  the　Marechal's　quarters　were　of　themselves　quite　a　world；　each　more
  polite　than　his　neighbour；　and　all　incessantly　engaged　from　five　o'clock
  in　the　morning　until　ten　and　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　doing　the　honours
  to　various　guests。　　I　return　in　spite　of　myself　to　the　Marechal's
  liberality；　because；　who　ever　saw　it；　cannot　forget；　or　ever　cease　to　be
  in　a　state　of　astonishment　and　admiration　at　its　abundance　and
  sumptuousness；　or　at　the　order；　never　deranged　for　a　moment　at　a　single
  point；　that　prevailed。
  The　King　wished　to　show　the　Court　all　the　manoeuvres　of　war；　the　siege　of
  Compiegne　was　therefore　undertaken；　according　to　due　form；　with　lines；
  trenches；　batteries；　mines；　&c。　　On　Saturday；　the　13th　of　September；　the
  assault　took　place。　　To　witness　it；　the　King；　Madame　de　Maintenon；　all
  the　ladies　of　the　Court；　and　a　number　of　gentlemen；　stationed　themselves
  upon　an　old　rampart；　from　which　the　plain　and　all　the　disposition　of　the
  troops　could　be　seen。　　I　was　in　the　half　circle　very　close　to　the　King。
  It　was　the　most　beautiful　sight　that　can　be　imagined；　to　see　all　that
  army；　and　the　prodigious　number　of　spectators　on　horse　and　foot；　and　that
  game　of　attack　and　defence　so　cleverly　conducted。
  But　a　spectacle　of　another　sort；　that　I　could　paint　forty　years　hence　as
  well　as　to…day；　so　strongly　did　it　strike　me；　was　that　which　from　the
  summit　of　this　rampart　the　King　gave　to　all　his　army；　and　to　the
  innumerable　crowd　of　spectators　of　all　kinds　in　the　plain　below。　　Madame
  de　Maintenon　faced　the　plain