Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 15 | Page 8

Versailles, seeing no one, and seen by no one, ready to be led to the
King the moment the time should arrive. The Regent went over with
me all the measures to be taken, and I returned to Meudon, resolved not
to budge from it until they were executed, there being nothing more to
arrange.
On Sunday, the 12th of August, 1722, M. le Duc d'Orleans went,
towards the end of the afternoon, to work with the King, as he was
accustomed to do several times each week; and as it was summer time
now, he went after his airing, which he always took early. This work
was to show the King by whom were to be filled up vacant places in
the church, among the magistrates and intendants, &c., and to briefly
explain to him the reasons which suggested the selection, and
sometimes the distribution of the finances. The Regent informed him,
too, of the foreign news, which was within his comprehension, before it
was made public. At the conclusion of this labour, at which the
Marechal de Villeroy was always present, and sometimes M. de Frejus
(when he made bold to stop), M. le Duc d'Orleans begged the King to
step into a little back cabinet, where he would say a word to him alone.
The Marechal de Villeroy at once opposed. M. le Duc d'Orleans, who
had laid this snare far him, saw him fall into it with satisfaction. He
represented to the Marechal that the King was approaching the age
when he would govern by himself, that it was time for him, who was
meanwhile the depository of all his authority, to inform him of things
which he could understand, and which could only be explained to him
alone, whatever confidence might merit any third person. The Regent
concluded by begging the Marechal to cease to place any obstacles in
the way of a thing so necessary and so important, saying that he had,

perhaps, to reproach himself for,--solely out of complaisance to him,
not having coerced before.
The Marechal, arising and stroking his wig, replied that he knew the
respect he owed, him, and knew also quite as well the respect he owed
to the King, and to his place, charged as he was with the person of his
Majesty, and being responsible for it. But he said he would not suffer
his Royal Highness to speak to the King in private (because he ought to
know everything said to his Majesty), still less would he suffer him to
lead the King into a cabinet, out of his sight, for 'twas his (the
Marechal's) duty never to lose sight of his charge, and in everything to
answer for it.
Upon this, M. le Duc d'Orleans looked fixedly at the Marechal and said,
in the tone of a master, that he mistook himself and forgot himself; that
he ought to remember to whom he was speaking, and take care what
words he used; that the respect he (the Regent) owed to the presence of
the King, hindered him from replying as he ought to reply, and from
continuing this conversation. Therefore he made a profound reverence
to the King, and went away.
The Marechal, thoroughly angry, conducted him some steps, mumbling
and gesticulating; M. le Duc d'Orleans pretending to neither see nor
hear him, the King astonished, and M. de Frejus laughing in his sleeve.
The bait so well swallowed,--no one doubted that the Marechal,
audacious as he was, but nevertheless a servile and timid courtier,
would feel all the difference between braving, bearding, and insulting
Cardinal Dubois (odious to everybody, and always smelling of the vile
egg from which he had been hatched) and wrestling with the Regent in
the presence of the King, claiming to annihilate M. le Duc d'Orleans'
rights and authority, by appealing to his own pretended rights and
authority as governor of the King. People were not mistaken; less than
two hours after what had occurred, it was known that the Marechal,
bragging of what he had just done, had added that he should consider
himself very unhappy if M. le Duc d'Orleans thought he had been
wanting in respect to him, when his only idea was to fulfil his precious
duty; and that he would go the next day to have an explanation with his

Royal Highness, which he doubted not would be satisfactory to him.
At every hazard, all necessary measures had been taken as soon as the
day was fixed on which the snare was to be laid for the Marechal.
Nothing remained but to give form to them directly it was known that
on the morrow the Marechal would come and throw himself into the
lion's mouth.
Beyond the bed-room of M. le Duc d'Orleans was a large and