The Memoirs of Madame de Montespan, vol 6 | Page 7

he wanted them for himself.

CHAPTER XXII
.
Progress of Madame de Maintenon.--The Anonymous Letter.
Since the birth of Mademoiselle de Blois, and the death of
Mademoiselle de Fontanges, the King hardly ever saw me except a few
minutes ceremoniously,--a few minutes before and after supper. He
showed himself always assiduous with Madame de Maintenon, who, by
her animated and unflagging talk, had the very profitable secret of
keeping him amused. Although equally clever, I venture to flatter
myself, in the art of manipulating speech, I could not stoop to such
condescensions. You cannot easily divert when you have a heart and
are sincere--a man who deserts you, who does not even take the trouble
to acknowledge it and excuse himself.
The Marquise sailed, then, on the open sea, with all sail set; whilst my
little barque did little more than tack about near the shore. One day I
received the following letter; it was in a pleasant and careful
handwriting, and orthography was observed with complete regularity,
which suggested that a man had been its writer, or its editor:
The person who writes these lines, Madame la Marquise, sees you but
rarely, but is none the less attached to you. The advice which he is
going to give you in writing he would have made it a duty to come and
give you himself; he has been deterred by the fear either of appearing to
you indiscreet, or of finding you too deeply engrossed with occupations,
or with visitors, as is so often the case, in your own apartments.
These visitors, this former affluence of greedy and interested hearts,
you will soon see revealed and diminishing; probably your eyes, which
are so alert, have already remarked this diminution. The monarch no

longer loves you; coolness and inconstancy are maladies of the human
heart. In the midst of the most splendid health, our King has for some
time past experienced this malady.
In your place, I should not wait to see myself repudiated. By whatever
outward respect such an injunction be accompanied, the bottom of the
cup is always the same, and the honey at the edge is but a weak
palliative. Being no ordinary woman by birth, do not terminate like an
ordinary actress your splendid and magnificent role on this great stage.
Know how to leave before the audience is weary; while they can say,
when they miss you from the scene, "She was still fine in her role. It is
a pity!"
Since a new taste or new caprice of the monarch has led his affections
away, know how to endure a fantasy which you have not the power to
remove. Despatch yourself with a good grace; and let the world believe
that sober reflections have come to you, and that you return, of your
own free will, into the paths of independence, of true glory, and of
honour.
Your position of superintendent with the Queen has been from the very
first almost a sinecure. Give up to Madame de Maintenon, or to any
one else, a dignity which is of no use to you, for which you will be paid
now its full value; which, later, is likely to cause you a sensible
disappointment; for that is always sold at a loss which must be sold at a
given moment.
Nature, so prodigal to you, Madame la Marquise, has not yet
deflowered, nor recalled in the least degree, those graces and attractions
which were lavished on you. Retire with the honours of war.
Annoyance, vexation, irritation, do not make your veins flow with milk
and honey; you would lose upon the field of battle all those treasures
which it is in your power to save.
Adieu, madame.
This communication, though anonymous, is none the less benevolent. I
desire your peace and your happiness.

CHAPTER XXIII
.
Madame de Maintenon at Loggerheads with Madame de

Thianges.--The Mint of the D'Aubigne Family.--Creme de Negresse,
the Elixir of Long Life.-- Ninon's Secret for Beauty.--The King Would
Remain Young or Become So.-- Good-will of Madame de Maintenon.
This letter was not, in my eyes, a masterpiece, but neither was it from a
vulgar hand. For a moment I suspected Madame de Maintenon. She
was named in it, it is true, as though by the way, but her interest in it
was easy to discover, since the writer dared to try to induce me to sell
her, to give up to her, my superintendence. I communicated my
suspicions to the Marquise de Thianges. She said to me: "We must see
her,--her face expresses her emotions very clearly; she is not good at
lying; we shall easily extract her secret, and make her blush for her
stratagem."
Ibrahim, faithful to his old friendship for me, had recently sent me
stuffs of Asia