the　King　wished　him　to　be　put　between　the　first　and　second　presidents；
  and　this　was　done。　　The　King　accorded　also　to　the　Princesse　de　Conti　that
  her　two　ladies　of　honour　should　be　allowed　to　sit　at　the　Duchesse　de
  Bourgogne's　table。　　It　was　a　privilege　that　no　lady　of　honour　to　a
  Princess　of　the　blood　had　ever　been　allowed。　　But　the　King　gave　these
  distinctions　to　the　ladies　of　his　illegitimate　children；　and　refused　it
  to　those　of　the　Princesses　of　the　blood。
  In　thus　according　honours；　the　King　seemed　to　merit　some　new　ones
  himself。　　But　nothing　fresh　could　be　thought　of。　　What　had　been　done
  therefore　at　his　statue　in　the　Place　des　Victoires；　was　done　over　again
  in　the　Place　Vendome　on　the　13th　August；　after　midday。　　Another　statue
  which　had　been　erected　there　was　uncovered。　　The　Duc　de　Gesvres；　Governor
  of　Paris；　was　in　attendance　on　horseback；　at　the　head　of　the　city　troops；
  and　made　turns；　and　reverences；　and　other　ceremonies；　imitated　from　those
  in　use　at　the　consecration　of　the　Roman　Emperors。　　There　were；　it　is
  true；　no　incense　and　no　victims：　something　more　in　harmony　with　the　title
  of　Christian　King　was　necessary。　　In　the　evening；　there　was　upon　the
  river　a　fine　illumination；　which　Monsieur　and　Madame　went　to　see。
  A　difficulty　arose　soon　after　this　with　Denmark。　　The　Prince　Royal　had
  become　King；　and　announced　the　circumstance　to　our　King；　but　would　not
  receive　the　reply　sent　him　because　he　was　not　styled　in　it　〃Majesty。〃
  We　had　never　accorded　to　the　Kings　of　Denmark　this　title；　and　they　had
  always　been　contented　with　that　of　〃Serenity。〃　　The　King　in　his　turn
  would　not　wear　mourning　for　the　King　of　Denmark；　just　dead；　although　he
  always　did　so　for　any　crowned　head；　whether　related　to　him　or　not。　　This
  state　of　things　lasted　some　months；　until；　in　the　end；　the　new　King　of
  Denmark　gave　way；　received　the　reply　as　it　had　been　first　sent；　and　our
  King　wore　mourning　as　if　the　time　for　it　had　not　long　since　passed。
  Boucherat；　chancellor　and　keeper　of　the　seals；　died　on　the　2nd　of
  September。　　Harlay；　as　I　have　previously　said；　had　been　promised　this
  appointment　when　it　became　vacant。　　But　the　part　he　had　taken　in　our　case
  with　M。　de　Luxembourg　had　made　him　so　lose　ground；　that　the　appointment
  was　not　given　to　him。　　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　above　all；　had　undermined
  him　in　the　favour　of　the　King；　and　none　of　us　had　lost　an　opportunity　of
  assisting　in　this　work。　　Our　joy；　therefore；　was　extreme　when　we　saw　all
  Harlay's　hopes　frustrated；　and　we　did　not　fail　to　let　it　burst　forth。
  The　vexation　that　Harlay　conceived　was　so　great；　that　he　became
  absolutely　intractable；　and　often　cried　out　with　a　bitterness　he　could
  not　contain；　that　he　should　be　left　to　die　in　the　dust　of　the　palace。
  His　weakness　was　such；　that　he　could　not　prevent　himself　six　weeks　after
  from　complaining　to　the　King　at　Fontainebleau；　where　he　was　playing　the
  valet　with　his　accustomed　suppleness　and　deceit。　　The　King　put　him　off
  with　fine　speeches；　and　by　appointing　him　to　take　part　in　a　commission
  then　sitting　for　the　purpose　of　bringing　about　a　reduction　in　the　price
  of　corn　in　Paris　and　the　suburbs；　where　it　had　become　very　dear。　　Harlay
  made　a　semblance　of　being　contented；　but　remained　not　the　less　annoyed。
  His　health　and　his　head　were　at　last　so　much　attacked　that　he　was　forced
  to　quit　his　post：　he　then　fell　into　contempt　after　having　excited　so　much
  hatred。　　The　chancellorship　was　given　to　Pontchartrain；　and　the　office　of
  comptroller…general；　which　became　vacant　at　the　same　time；　was　given　to
  Chamillart；　a　very　honest　man；　who　owed　his　first　advancement　to　his
  skill　at　billiards；　of　which　game　the　King　was　formerly　very　fond。
  It　was　while　Chamillart　was　accustomed　to　play　billiards　with　the　King；
  at　least　three　times　a　week；　that　an　incident　happened　which　ought　not　to
  be　forgotten。　　Chamillart　was　Counsellor　of　the　Parliament　at　that　time。
  He　had　just　reported　on　a　case　that　had　been　submitted　to　him。
  The　losing　party　came　to　him；　and　complained　that　he　had　omitted　to　bring
  forward　a　document　that　had　been　given　into　his　hands；　and　that　would
  assuredly　have　turned　the　verdict。　　Chamillart　searched　for　the　document；
  found　it；　and　saw　that　the　complainer　was　right。　　He　said　so；　and　added；
  〃I　do　not　know　how　the　document　escaped　me；　but　it　decides　in　your
  favour。　　You　claimed　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　it　is　my　fault　you　did
  not　get　them。　　Come　to…morrow；　and　I　will　pay　you。〃　　Chamillart；　although
  then　by　no　means　rich；　scraped　together　all　the　money　he　had；　borrowing
  the　rest；　and　paid　the　man　as　he　had　promised；　only　demanding　that　the
  matter　should　be　kept　a　secret。　　But　after　this；　feeling　that　billiards
  three　times　a　week　interfered　with　his　legal　duties；　he　surrendered　part
  of　them；　and　thus　left　himself　more　free　for　other　charges　he　was　obliged
  to　attend　to。
  The　Comtesse　de　Fiesque　died　very　aged；　while　the　Court　was　at
  Fontainebleau　this　year。　　She　had　passed　her　life　with　the　most　frivolous
  of　the　great　world。　　Two　incidents　amongst　a　thousand　will　characterise
  her。　　She　was　very　straitened　in　means；　because　she　had　frittered　away
  all　her　substance；　or　allowed　herself　to　be　pillaged　by　her　business
  people。　　When　those　beautiful　mirrors　were　first　introduced　she　obtained
  one；　although　they　were　then　very　dear　and　very　rare。　　〃Ah；　Countess！〃
  said　her　friends；　〃where　did　you　find　that？〃
  〃Oh！〃　replied　she；　〃　I　had　a　miserable　piece　of　land；　which　only　yielded
  me　corn；　I　have　sold　it；　and　I　have　this　mirror　instead。　　Is　not　this
  excellent？　　Who　would　hesitate　between　corn　and　this　beautiful　mirror？〃
  On　another　occasion　she　harangued　with　her　son；　who　was　as　poor　as　a　rat；
  for　the　purpose　of　persuading　him　to　make　a　good　match　and　thus　enrich
  himself。　　Her　son；　who　had　no　desire　to　marry；　allowed　her　to　talk　on；
  and　pretended　to　listen　to　her　reasons：　She　was　delightedentered　into　a
  description　of　the　wife　she　destined　for　him；　painting　her　as　young；
  rich；　an　only　child；　beautiful；　well…educated；　and　with　parents　who　would
  be　delighted　to　agree　to　the　marriage。　　When　she　had　finished；　he　pressed
  her　for　the　name　of　this　charming　and　desirable　person。　　The　Countess
  said　she　was　the　daughter　of　Jacquier；　a　man　well　known　to　everybody；
  and　who　had　been　a　contractor　of　provisions　to　the　armies　of　M。　de
  Turenne。　　Upon　this；　her　son　burst　out　into　a　hearty　laugh；　and　she　in
  anger　demanded　why　he　did　so　and　what　he　found　so　ridiculous　in　the
  match。
  The　truth　was；　Jacquier　had　no　children；　as　the　Countess　soon　remembered。
  At　which　she　said　it　was　a　great　pity；　since　no　marriage　would　have
  better　suited　all　parties。　　She　was　full　of　such　oddities；　which　she
  persisted　in　for　some　time　with　anger；　but　at　which　she　was　the　first　to
  laugh。　　People　said　of　her　that　she　had　never　been　more　than　eighteen
  years　old。　　The　memoirs　of　Mademoiselle　paint　her　well。　　She　lived　with
  Mademoiselle；　and　passed　all　her　life　in　quarrels　about　trifles。
  It　was　immediately　after　leaving　Fontainebleau　that　the　marriage　between
  the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne　was　consummated。　　It　was　upon　this
  occasion　that　the　King　named　four　gentlemen　to　wait　upon　the　Duke；
  four　who　in　truth　could　not　have　been　more　badly　chosen。　　One　of　them；
  Gamaches；　was　a　gossip；　who　never　knew　what　he　was　doing　or　saying
  who　knew　nothing　of　the　world；　or　the　Court；　or　of　war；　although　he　had
  always　been　in　the　army。　　D'O　was　another；　but　of　him　I　have　spoken。
  Cheverny　was　the　third；　and　Saumery　the　fourth。　　Saumery　had　been　raised
  out　of　obscurity　by　M。　de　Beauvilliers。　　Never　was　man　so　intriguing；　so
  truckling；　so　mean；　so　boastful；　so　ambitious；　so　intent　upon　fortune；
  and　all　this　without　disguise；　without　veil；　without　shame！　　Saumery　had
  been　wounded；　and　no　man　ever　made　so　much　of　such　a　mishap。　　I　used　to
  say　of　him　that　he　limped　audaciously；　and　it　was　true。　　He　would　speak
  of　personages　the　most　distinguished；　whose　ante…chambers　even　he　had
  scarcely　seen；　as　though　he　spoke　of　his　equals　or　of　his　particular
  friends。　　He　related　what　he　had　heard；　and　was　not　ashamed　to　say　before
  people　who　at　least　had　common　sense；　〃Poor　Mons。　Turenne　said　to　me；〃
  M。　de　Turenne　never　having　probably　heard　of　his　existence。　　With
  Monsieur　in　full　he　honoured　nobody。　　It　was　Mons。　de　Beauvilliers；　Mons。
  de　Chevreuse；　and　so　on；　except　with　those　whose　names　he　clipped　off
  short；　as　he　frequently　would　even　with　Princes　of　the　blood。　　I　have
  heard　him　say　many　times；　〃the　Princesse　de　Conti；〃　in　speaking　of　the
  daughter　of　the　King；　and　〃the　Prince　de　Conti；〃　in　speaking　of　Monsieur
  her　brother…in…law！　　As　for　the　chief　nobles　of　the　Court；　it　was　rare
  for　him　to　give　them　the　Monsieur　or　the　Mons。　　It　was　Marechal
  d'Humieres；　and　so　on　with　the　others。　　Fatuity　and　insolence　were　united
  in　him；　and　by　dint　of　mounting　a　hundred　staircases　a　day；　and　bowing
  and　scraping　everywhere；　he　had　gained　the　ear　of　I　know　not　how　many
  people。　　His　wife　was　a　tall　creature；　as　impertinent　as　he；　who　wore　the
  breeches；　and　before　whom　he　dared　not　breathe。　　Her　effrontery　blushed
  at　nothing；　and　after　many　gallantries　she　had　linked　herself　on　to　M。　de
  Duras；　whom　she　governed；　and　of　whom　she　was