My　Plans　to　Obtain　the　Grandesse。Treachery　of　Dubois。Friendship　of
  Grimaldo。My　Success。
  CHAPTER　CXII
  Marriage　of　the　Prince　of　the　Asturias。An　Ignorant　Cardinal。I　Am　Made
  Grandee　of　Spain。The　Vidame　de　Chartres　Named　Chevalier　of　the　Golden
  Fleece。His　ReceptionMy　Adieux。A　Belching　Princess。
  Return　to　France。
  VOLUME　15。
  CHAPTER　CXIII
  Attempted　Reconciliation　between　Dubois　and　Villeroy。Violent　Scene。
  Trap　Laid　for　the　Marechal。Its　Success。His　Arrest。
  CHAPTER　CXIV
  I　Am　Sent　for　by　Cardinal　Dubois。Flight　of　Frejus。He　Is　Sought　and
  Found。Behaviour　of　Villeroy　in　His　Exile　at　Lyons。His　Rage　and
  Reproaches　against　Frejus。Rise　of　the　Latter　in　the　King's　Confidence。
  CHAPTER　CXV
  I　Retire　from　Public　Life。Illness　and　Death　of　Dubois。　Account　of　His
  Riches。His　Wife。His　Character。Anecdotes。Madame　de　Conflans。
  Relief　of　the　Regent　and　the　King。
  CHAPTER　CXVI
  Death　of　Lauzun。His　Extraordinary　Adventures。His　Success　at　Court。
  Appointment　to　the　Artillery。Counterworked　by　Louvois。Lauzun　and
  Madame　de　Montespan。Scene　with　the　King。Mademoiselle　and　Madame　de
  Monaco。
  CHAPTER　CXVII
  Lauzun's　Magnificence。Louvois　Conspires　against　Him。He　Is
  Imprisoned。His　Adventures　at　Pignerol。On　What　Terms　He　Is　Released。
  His　Life　Afterwards。Return　to　Court。
  CHAPTER　CXVIII
  Lauzun　Regrets　His　Former　Favour。Means　Taken　to　Recover　It。Failure。
  Anecdotes。Biting　Sayings。My　Intimacy　with　Lauzun。His　Illness；
  Death；　and　Character。
  CHAPTER　CXIX
  Ill…Health　of　the　Regent。My　Fears。He　Desires　a　Sudden　Death。
  Apoplectic　Fit。Death。His　Successor　as　Prime　Minister。The　Duc　de
  Chartres。End　of　the　Memoirs。
  INTRODUCTION
  No　library　of　Court　documents　could　pretend　to　be　representative　which
  ignored　the　famous　〃Memoirs〃　of　the　Duc　de　Saint…Simon。　　They　stand；　by
  universal　consent；　at　the　head　of　French　historical　papers；　and　are　the
  one　great　source　from　which　all　historians　derive　their　insight　into　the
  closing　years　of　the　reign　of　the　〃Grand　Monarch；〃　Louis　XIV：　whom　the
  author　shows　to　be　anything　but　grandand　of　the　Regency。　　The　opinion
  of　the　French　critic；　Sainte…Beuve；　is　fairly　typical。　　〃With　the　Memoirs
  of　De　Retz；　it　seemed　that　perfection　had　been　attained；　in　interest；　in
  movement；　in　moral　analysis；　in　pictorial　vivacity；　and　that　there　was　no
  reason　for　expecting　they　could　be　surpassed。　　But　the　'Memoirs'　of
  Saint…Simon　came；　and　they　offer　merits　。　　。　　。　　which　make　them　the　most
  precious　body　of　Memoirs　that　as　yet　exist。〃
  Villemain　declared　their　author　to　be　〃the　most　original　of　geniuses　in
  French　literature；　the　foremost　of　prose　satirists；　inexhaustible　in
  details　of　manners　and　customs；　a　word…painter　like　Tacitus；　the　author
  of　a　language　of　his　own；　lacking　in　accuracy；　system；　and　art；　yet　an
  admirable　writer。〃　　Leon　Vallee　reinforces　this　by　saying：　〃Saint…Simon
  can　not　be　compared　to　any　of　his　contemporaries。　　He　has　an
  individuality；　a　style；　and　a　language　solely　his　own。。。。　　Language　he
  treated　like　an　abject　slave。　　When　he　had　gone　to　its　farthest　limit；
  when　it　failed　to　express　his　ideas　or　feelings；　he　forced　itthe　result
  was　a　new　term；　or　a　change　in　the　ordinary　meaning　of　words　sprang　forth
  from　has　pen。　　With　this　was　joined　a　vigour　and　breadth　of　style；　very
  pronounced；　which　makes　up　the　originality　of　the　works　of　Saint…Simon
  and　contributes　toward　placing　their　author　in　the　foremost　rank　of
  French　writers。〃
  Louis　de　Rouvroy；　who　later　became　the　Duc　de　Saint…Simon；　was　born　in
  Paris；　January　16；　1675。　　He　claimed　descent　from　Charlemagne；　but　the
  story　goes　that　his　father；　as　a　young　page　of　Louis　XIII。；　gained　favour
  with　his　royal　master　by　his　skill　in　holding　the　stirrup；　and　was
  finally　made　a　duke　and　peer　of　France。　　The　boy　Louis　had　no　lesser
  persons　than　the　King　and　Queen　Marie　Therese　as　godparents；　and　made　his
  first　formal　appearance　at　Court　when　seventeen。　　He　tells　us　that　he　was
  not　a　studious　boy；　but　was　fond　of　reading　history；　and　that　if　he　had
  been　given　rein　to　read　all　he　desired　of　it；　he　might　have　made　〃some
  figure　in　the　world。〃　　At　nineteen；　like　D'Artagnan；　he　entered　the
  King's　Musketeers。　　At　twenty　he　was　made　a　captain　in　the　cavalry；　and
  the　same　year　he　married　the　beautiful　daughter　of　the　Marechal　de
  Larges。　　This　marriage；　which　was　purely　political　in　its　inception；
  finally　turned　into　a　genuine　love　matcha　pleasant　exception　to　the
  majority　of　such　affairs。　　He　became　devoted　to　his　wife；　saying：　〃she
  exceeded　all　that　was　promised　of　her；　and　all　that　I　myself　had　hoped。〃
  Partly　because　of　this　marriage；　and　also　because　he　felt　himself
  slighted　in　certain　army　appointments；　he　resigned　his　commissim　after
  five　years'　service；　and　retired　for　a　time　to　private　life。
  Upon　his　return　to　Court；　taking　up　apartments　which　the　royal　favour　had
  reserved　for　him　at　Versailles；　Saint…Simon　secretly　entered　upon　the
  self…appointed　task　for　which　he　is　now　known　to　famea　task　which　the
  proud　King　of　a　vainglorious　Court　would　have　lost　no　time　in　terminating
  had　it　been　discoveredthe　task　of　judge；　spy；　critic；　portraitist；　and
  historian；　rolled　into　one。　　Day　by　day；　henceforth　for　many　years；　he
  was　to　set　down　upon　his　private　〃Memoirs〃　the　results　of　his　personal
  observations；　supplemented　by　the　gossip　brought　to　him　by　his
  unsuspecting　friends；　for　neither　courtier；　statesman；　minister；　nor
  friend　ever　looked　upon　those　notes　which　this　〃little　Duke　with　his
  cruel；　piercing；　unsatisfied　eyes〃　was　so　busily　penning。　　Says　Vallee：
  〃He　filled　a　unique　position　at　Court；　being　accepted　by　all；　even　by　the
  King　himself；　as　a　cynic；　personally　liked　for　his　disposition；　enjoying
  consideration　on　account　of　the　prestige　of　his　social　connections；
  inspiring　fear　in　the　more　timid　by　the　severity　and　fearlessness　of　his
  criticism。〃　　Yet　Louis　XIV。　never　seems　to　have　liked　him；　and　Saint…
  Simon　owed　his　influence　chiefly　to　his　friendly　relations　with　the
  Dauphin's　family。　　During　the　Regency；　he　tried　to　restrain　the
  profligate　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　in　return　was　offered　the　position　of
  governor　of　the　boy；　Louis　XV。；　which　he　refused。　　Soon　after；　he　retired
  to　private　life；　and　devoted　his　remaining　years　largely　to　revising　his
  beloved　〃Memoirs。〃　　The　autograph　manuscript；　still　in　existence；　reveals
  the　immense　labour　which　he　put　into　it。　　The　writing　is　remarkable　for
  its　legibility　and　freedom　from　erasure。　　It　comprises　no　less　than　2；300
  pages　in　folio。
  After　the　author's　death；　in　1755；　the　secret　of　his　lifelong　labour　was
  revealed；　and　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　fearing　the　result　of　these　frank
  revelations；　confiscated　them　and　placed　them　among　the　state　archives。
  For　sixty　years　they　remained　under　lock　and　key；　being　seen　by　only　a
  few　privileged　persons；　among　them　Marmontel；　Duclos；　and　Voltaire。　　A
  garbled　version　of　extracts　appeared　in　1789；　possibly　being　used　as　a
  Revolutionary　text。　　Finally；　in　1819；　a　descendant　of　the　analyst；
  bearing　the　same　name；　obtained　permission　from　Louis　XVIII。　to　set　this
  〃prisoner　of　the　Bastille〃　at　liberty；　and　in　1829　an　authoritative
  edition；　revised　and　arranged　by　chapters；　appeared。　　It　created　a
  tremendous　stir。　　Saint…Simon　had　been　merciless；　from　King　down　to
  lady's　maid；　in　depicting　the　daily　life　of　a　famous　Court。　　He　had
  stripped　it　of　all　its　tinsel　and　pretension；　and　laid　the　ragged
  framework　bare。　　〃He　wrote　like　the　Devil　for　posterity！〃　　exclaimed
  Chateaubriand。　　But　the　work　at　once　became　universally　read　and　quoted；
  both　in　France　and　England。　　Macaulay　made　frequent　use　of　it　in　his
  historical　essays。　　It　was；　in　a　word；　recognised　as　the　chief　authority
  upon　an　important　period　of　thirty　years　（1694…1723）。
  Since　then　it　has　passed　through　many　editions；　finally　receiving　an
  adequate　English　translation　at　the　hands　of　Bayle　St。　John；　who　has　been
  careful　to　adhere　to　the　peculiarities　of　Saint…Simon's　style。　　It　is
  this　version　which　is　now　presented　in　full；　giving　us　not　only　many
  vivid　pictures　of　the　author's　time；　but　of　the　author　himself。　　〃I　do
  not　pride　myself　upon　my　freedom　from　prejudiceimpartiality；〃　he
  confesses〃it　would　be　useless　to　attempt　it。　　But　I　have　tried　at　all
  times　to　tell　the　truth。〃
  VOLUME　1。
  CHAPTER　I
  Birth　and　Family。Early　Life。Desire　to　join　the　Army。Enter　the
  Musketeers。The　Campaign　Commences。Camp　of　Gevries。Siege　of　Namur。
  Dreadful　Weather。Gentlemen　Carrying　Corn。Sufferings　during　the
  Siege。The　Monks　of　Marlaigne。Rival　Couriers。Naval　Battle。
  Playing　with　Fire…arms。A　Prediction　Verified。
  CHAPTER　II
  The　King's　Natural　Children。Proposed　Marriage　of　the　Duc　de　Chartres。
  Influence　of　Dubois。The　Duke　and　the　King。An　Apartment。Announcement
  of　the　Marriage。Anger　of　Madame。Household　of　the　Duchess。Villars
  and　Rochefort。Friend　of　King's　Mistresses。The　Marriage　Ceremony。
  Toilette　of　the　Duchess。Son　of　Montbron。Marriage　of　M。　du　Maine。
  Duchess　of　Hanover。Duc　de　Choiseul。La　Grande　Mademoiselle。
  CHAPTER　III
  Death　of　My　Father。Anecdotes　of　Louis　XIII。The　Cardinal　de
  Richelieu。The　Duc　de　Bellegarde。Madame　de　Ha