at　nothing；　and　after　many　gallantries　she　had　linked　herself　on　to　M。　de
  Duras；　whom　she　governed；　and　of　whom　she　was　publicly　and　absolutely　the
  mistress；　living　at　his　expense。　　Children；　friends；　servants；　all　were
  at　her　mercy；　even　Madame　de　Duras　herself　when　she　came；　which　was　but
  seldom；　from　the　country。
  Such　were　the　people　whom　the　King　placed　near　M。　le　Duc　de　Bourgogne。
  The　Duc　de　Gesvres；　a　malicious　old　man；　a　cruel　husband　and　unnatural
  father；　sadly　annoyed　Marechal　de　Villeroy　towards　the　end　of　this　year；
  having　previously　treated　me　very　scurvily　for　some　advice　I　gave　him
  respecting　the　ceremonies　to　be　observed　at　the　reception　by　the　King　of
  M。　de　Lorraine　as　Duc　de　Bar。　　M。　de　Gesvres　and　M。　de　Villeroy　had　both
  had　fathers　who　made　large　fortunes　and　who　became　secretaries　of　state。
  One　morning　M。　de　Gesvres　was　waiting　for　the　King；　with　a　number　of
  other　courtiers；　when　M。　de　Villeroy　arrived；　with　all　that　noise　and
  those　airs　he　had　long　assumed；　and　which　his　favour　and　his　appointments
  rendered　more　superb。　　I　know　not　whether　this　annoyed　De　Gesvres；　more
  than　usual；　but　as　soon　as　the　other　had　placed　himself；　he　said；
  〃Monsieur　le　Marechal；　it　must　be　admitted　that　you　and　I　are　very
  lucky。〃　　The　Marechal；　surprised　at　a　remark　which　seemed　to　be　suggested
  by　nothing；　assented　with　a　modest　air；　and；　shaking　his　head　and　his
  wig；　began　to　talk　to　some　one　else。　　But　M。　de　Gesvres　had　not　commenced
  without　a　purpose。　　He　went　on；　addressed　M。　de　Villeroy　point…blank；
  admiring　their　mutual　good　fortune；　but　when　he　came　to　speak　of　the
  father　of　each；　〃Let　us　go　no　further；〃　said　he；　〃for　what　did　our
  fathers　spring　from？　　From　tradesmen；　even　tradesmen　they　were
  themselves。　　Yours　was　the　son　of　a　dealer　in　fresh　fish　at　the　markets；
  and　mine　of　a　pedlar；　or；　perhaps；　worse。　　Gentlemen；〃　said　he；
  addressing　the　company；　〃have　we　not　reason　to　think　our　fortune
  prodigiousthe　Marechal　and　I？〃　　The　Marechal　would　have　liked　to
  strangle　M。　de　Gesvres；　or　to　see　him　deadbut　what　can　be　done　with　a
  man　who；　in　order　to　say　something　cutting　to　you；　says　it　to　himself
  first？　　Everybody　was　silent；　and　all　eyes　were　lowered。　　Many；　however；
  were　not　sorry　to　see　M。　de　Villeroy　so　pleasantly　humiliated。　　The　King
  came　and　put　an　end　to　the　scene；　which　was　the　talk　of　the　Court　for
  several　days。
  Omissions　must　be　repaired　as　soon　as　they　are　perceived。　　Other　matters
  have　carried　me　away。　　At　the　commencement　of　April；　Ticquet；　Counsellor
  at　the　Parliament；　was　assassinated　in　his　own　house；　and　if　he　did　not
  die；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　his　porter；　or　of　the　soldier　who　had
  attempted　to　kill　him；　and　who　left　him　for　dead；　disturbed　by　a　noise
  they　heard。　　This　councillor；　who　was　a　very　poor　man；　had　complained　to
  the　King；　the　preceding　year；　of　the　conduct　of　his　wife　with
  Montgeorges；　captain　in　the　Guards；　and　much　esteemed。　　The　King
  prohibited　Montgeorges　from　seeing　the　wife　of　the　councillor　again。
  Such　having　been　the　case；　when　the　crime　was　attempted；　suspicion　fell
  upon　Montgeorges　and　the　wife　of　Ticquet；　a　beautiful；　gallant；　and　bold
  woman；　who　took　a　very　high　tone　in　the　matter。　　She　was　advised　to　fly；
  and　one　of　my　friends　offered　to　assist　her　to　do　so；　maintaining　that　in
  all　such　cases　it　is　safer　to　be　far　off　than　close　at　hand。　　The　woman
  would　listen　to　no　such　advice；　and　in　a　few　days　she　was　no　longer　able。
  The　porter　and　the　soldier　were　arrested　and　tortured；　and　Madame
  Ticquet；　who　was　foolish　enough　to　allow　herself　to　be　arrested；　also
  underwent　the　same　examination；　and　avowed　all。　　She　was　condemned　to
  lose　her　head；　and　her　accomplice　to　be　broken　on　the　wheel。　　Montgeorges
  managed　so　well；　that　he　was　not　legally　criminated。　　When　Ticquet　heard
  the　sentence；　he　came　with　all　his　family　to　the　King；　and　sued　for
  mercy。　　But　the　King　would　not　listen　to　him；　and　the　execution　took
  place　on　Wednesday；　the　17th　of　June；　after　mid…day；　at　the　Greve。　　All
  the　windows　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　and　of　the　houses　in　the　Place　de
  Greve；　in　the　streets　that　lead　to　it　from　the　Conciergerie　of　the　palace
  where　Madame　Ticquet　was　confined；　were　filled　with　spectators；　men　and
  women；　many　of　title　and　distinction。　　There　were　even　friends　of　both
  sexes　of　this　unhappy　woman；　who　felt　no　shame　or　horror　in　going　there。
  In　the　streets　the　crowd　was　so　great　that　it　could　not　be　passed
  through。　　In　general；　pity　was　felt　for　the　culprit；　people　hoped　she
  would　be　pardoned；　and　it　was　because　they　hoped　so；　that　they　went　to
  see　her　die。　　But　such　is　the　world；　so　unreasoning；　and　so　little　in
  accord　with　itself。
  CHAPTER　XVI
  The　year　1700　commenced　by　a　reform。　　The　King　declared　that　he　would　no
  longer　bear　the　expense　of　the　changes　that　the　courtiers　introduced　into
  their　apartments。　　It　had　cost　him　more　than　sixty　thousand　francs　since
  the　Court　left　Fontainebleau。　　It　is　believed　that　Madame　de　Mailly　was
  the　cause　of　this　determination　of　the　King；　for　during　the　last　two　or
  three　years　she　had　made　changes　in　her　apartments　every　year。
  A　difficulty　occurred　at　this　time　which　much　mortified　the　King。　　Little
  by　little　he　had　taken　all　the　ambassadors　to　visit　Messieurs　du　Maine
  and　de　Toulouse；　as　though　they　were　Princes　of　the　blood。　　The　nuncio；
  Cavallerini；　visited　them　thus；　but　upon　his　return　to　Rome　was　so　taken
  to　task　for　it；　that　his　successor；　Delfini；　did　not　dare　to　imitate　him。
  The　cardinals　considered　that　they　had　lowered　themselves；　since
  Richelieu　and　Mazarm；　by　treating　even　the　Princes　of　the　blood　on　terms
  of　equality；　and　giving　them　their　hand；　which　had　not　been　customary　m
  the　time　of　the　two　first　ministers　just　named。　　To　do　so　to　the
  illegitimate　offspring　of　the　King；　and　on　occasions　of　ceremony；
  appeared　to　them　monstrous。　　Negotiations　were　carried　on　for　a　month；
  but　Delfini　would　not　bend；　and　although　in　every　other　respect　he　had
  afforded　great　satisfaction　during　his　nunciature；　no　farewell　audience
  was　given　to　him；　nor　even　a　secret　audience。　　He　was　deprived　of　the
  gift　of　a　silver　vessel　worth　eighteen　hundred　francs；　that　it　was
  customary　to　present　to　the　cardinal　nuncios　at　their　departure：　and　he
  went　away　without　saying　adieu　to　anybody。
  Some　time　before；　M。　de　Monaco　had　been　sent　as　ambassador　to　Rome。　　He
  claimed　to　be　addressed　by　the　title　of　〃Highness；〃　and　persisted　in　it
  with　so　much　obstinacy　that　he　isolated；　himself　from　almost　everybody；
  and　brought　the　affairs　of　his　embassy　nearly　to　a　standstill　by　the
  fetters　he　imposed　upon　them　in　the　most　necessary　transactions。　　Tired
  at　last　of　the　resistance　he　met　with；　he　determined　to　refuse　the　title
  of　〃Excellence；〃　although　it　might　fairly　belong　to　them；　to　all　who
  refused　to　address　him　as　〃Highness。〃　　This　finished　his　affair；　for
  after　that　determination　no　one　would　see　him；　and　the　business　of　the
  embassy　suffered　even　more　than　before。　　It　is　difficult　to　comprehend
  why　the　King　permitted　such　a　man　to　remain　as　his　representative　at　a
  foreign　Court。
  Madame　de　Navailles　died　on　the　14th　of　February：　Her　mother；　Madame　de
  Neuillant；　who　became　a　widow；　was　avarice　itself。　　I　cannot　say　by　what
  accident　or　chance　it　was　that　Madame　de　Maintenon　in　returning　young　and
  poor　from　America；　where　she　had　lost　her　father　and　mother；　fell　in
  landing　at　Rochelle　into　the　hands　of　Madame　de　Neuillant；　who　lived　in
  Poitou。　　Madame　de　Neuillant　took　home　Madame　de　Maintenon；　but　could　not
  resolve　to　feed　her　without　making　her　do　something　in　return。　　Madame　de
  Maintenon　was　charged　therefore　with　the　key　of　the　granary；　had　to
  measure　out　the　corn　and　to　see　that　it　was　given　to　the　horses。　　It　was
  Madame　de　Neuillant　who　brought　Madame　de　Maintenon　to　Paris；　and　to　get
  rid　of　her　married　her　to　Scarron；　and　then　retired　into　Poitou。
  Madame　de　Navailles　was　the　eldest　daughter　of　this　Madame　de　Neuillant；
  and　it　was　her　husband；　M。　de　Navailles；　who；　serving　under　M。　le　Prince
  in　Flanders；　received　from　that　General　a　strong　reprimand　for　his
  ignorance。　　M。　le　Prince　wanted　to　find　the　exact　position　of　a　little
  brook　which　his　maps　did　not　mark。　　To　assist　him　in　the　search；　M。　de
  Navailles　brought　a　map　of　the　world！　　On　another　occasion；　visiting
  M。　Colbert；　at　Sceaux；　the　only　thing　M。　de　Navailles　could　find　to
  praise　was　the　endive　of　the　kitchen　garden：　and　when　on　the　occasion　of
  the　Huguenots　the　difficulty　of　changing　religion　was　spoken　of；　he
  declared　that　if　God　had　been　good　enough　to　make　him　a　Turk；　he　should
  have　remained　so。
  Madame　de　Navailles　had　been　lady　of　honour　to　the　Queen…mother；　and　lost
  that　place　by　a　strange　adventure。
  She　was　a　woman　of　spirit　and　of　virtue；　and　the　young　ladies　of　honour
  were　put　under　her　charge。　　The　King　was　at　this　time　young　and　gallant。
  So　long　as　he　held　aloof　from　the　chamber　of　the　young　ladies；　Madame　de
  Navailles　meddled　not；　but　she　kept　her　eye　fixed　upon　all　that　she
  controlled。　　She　soon　perceived　that　the　King　was　beginning　to　amuse
  himself；　and　immediately　after　she　found　that　a　door　had　secretly　been
  made　into　the　chamber　of　the　young　ladies；　that　this　doo