CHAPTER　III
  Death　of　My　Father。Anecdotes　of　Louis　XIII。The　Cardinal　de
  Richelieu。The　Duc　de　Bellegarde。Madame　de　Hautefort。My　Father's
  Enemy。His　Services　and　Reward。A　Duel　against　Law。An　Answer　to　a
  Libel。M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld。My　Father's　Gratitude　to　Louis　XIII。
  CHAPTER　IV
  Position　of　the　Prince　of　Orange。Strange　Conduct　of　the　King。Surprise
  and　Indignation。Battle　of　Neerwinden。My　Return　to　Paris。Death　of　La
  Vauguyon。Symptoms　of　Madness。Vauguyon　at　the　Bastille。Projects　of
  Marriage。M。　de　Beauvilliers。A　Negotiation　for　a　Wife。My　Failure。
  Visit　to　La　Trappe。
  CHAPTER　V
  M。　de　Luxembourg's　Claim　of　Precedence。Origin　of　the　Claim。Duc　de
  Piney。Character　of　Harlay。Progress　of　the　Trial。Luxembourg　and
  Richelieu。Double…dealing　of　Harlay。The　Duc　de　Gesvres。Return　to　the
  Seat　of　War。Divers　Operations。Origin　of　These　Memoirs。
  CHAPTER　VI
  Quarrels　of　the　Princesses。Mademoiselle　Choin。A　Disgraceful　Affair。
  M。　de　Noyon。Comic　Scene　at　the　Academie。Anger　and　Forgiveness　of
  M。　de　Noyon。M。　de　Noailles　in　Disgrace。How　He　Gets　into　Favour　Again。
  M。　de　Vendome　in　Command。Character　of　M。　de　Luxembourg。　The　Trial
  for　Precedence　Again。An　Insolent　Lawyer。Extraordinary　Decree。
  CHAPTER　VII
  Harlay　and　the　Dutch。Death　of　the　Princess　of　Orange。Count
  Koenigsmarck。A　New　Proposal　of　Marriage。My　Marriage。That　of　M。　de
  Lauzun。Its　Result。La　Fontaine　and　Mignard。Illness　of　the　Marechal
  de　Lorges。Operations　on　the　Rhine。Village　of　Seckenheim。An　Episode
  of　War。Cowardice　of　M。　du　Maine。Despair　of　the　King；　Who　Takes　a
  Knave　in　the　Act。Bon　Mot　of　M。　d'Elboeuf。
  CHAPTER　VIII
  The　Abbe　de　Fenelon。The　Jansenists　and　St。　Sulpice。Alliance　with
  Madame　Guyon。Preceptor　of　the　Royal　Children。Acquaintance　with　Madame
  de　Maintenon。Appointment　to　Cambrai。Disclosure　of　Madame　Guyon's
  Doctrines。Her　Disgrace。Bossuet　and　Fenelon。Two　Rival　Books。
  Disgrace　of　Fenelon。
  CHAPTER　I
  I　was　born　on　the　night　of　the　15th　of　January；　1675；　of　Claude　Duc　de
  Saint…Simon；　Peer　of　France；　and　of　his　second　wife　Charlotte　de
  l'Aubepine。　　I　was　the　only　child　of　that　marriage。　　By　his　first　wife；
  Diana　de　Budos；　my　father　had　had　only　a　daughter。　　He　married　her　to　the
  Duc　de　Brissac；　Peer　of　France；　only　brother　of　the　Duchesse　de　Villeroy。
  She　died　in　1684；　without　children；having　been　long　before　separated
  from　a　husband　who　was　unworthy　of　herleaving　me　heir　of　all　her
  property。
  I　bore　the　name　of　the　Vidame　de　Chartres；　and　was　educated　with　great
  care　and　attention。　　My　mother；　who　was　remarkable　for　virtue；
  perseverance；　and　sense；　busied　herself　continually　in　forming　my　mind
  and　body。　　She　feared　for　me　the　usual　fate　of　young　men；　who　believe
  their　fortunes　made；　and　who　find　themselves　their　own　masters　early　in
  life。　　It　was　not　likely　that　my　father；　born　in　1606；　would　live　long
  enough　to　ward　off　from　me　this　danger；　and　my　mother　repeatedly
  impressed　on；　me　how　necessary　it　was　for　a　young　man；　the　son　of　the
  favourite　of　a　King　long　dead；with　no　new　friends　at　Court；to　acquire
  some　personal　value　of　his　own。　　She　succeeded　in　stimulating　my　courage；
  and　in　exciting　in　me　the　desire　to　make　the　acquisitions　she　laid　stress
  on；　but　my　aptitude　for　study　and　the　sciences　did　not　come　up　to　my
  desire　to　succeed　in　them。　　However；　I　had　an　innate　inclination　for
  reading；　especially　works　of　history；　and　thus　was　inspired　with　ambition
  to　emulate　the　examples　presented　to　my　imagination；to　do　something　and
  become　somebody；　which　partly　made　amends　for　my　coldness　for　letters。
  In　fact；　I　have　always　thought　that　if　I　had　been　allowed　to　read　history
  more　constantly；　instead　of　losing　my　time　in　studies　for　which　I　had　no
  aptness；　I　might　have　made　some　figure　in　the　world。
  What　I　read　of　my　own　accord；　of　history；　and；　above　all；　of　the　personal
  memoirs　of　the　times　since　Francis　I。；　bred　in　me　the　desire　to　write
  down　what　I　might　myself　see。　　The　hope　of　advancement；　and　of　becoming
  familiar　with　the　affairs　of　my　time；　stirred　me。　　The　annoyances　I　might
  thus　bring　upon　myself　did　not　fail　to　present　themselves　to　my　mind；　but
  the　firm　resolution　I　made　to　keep　my　writings　secret　from　everybody；
  appeared　to　me　to　remedy　all　evils。　　I　commenced　my　memoirs　then　in　July；
  1694；　being　at　that　time　colonel　of　a　cavalry　regiment　bearing　my　name；
  in　the　camp　of　Guinsheim；　upon　the　old　Rhine；　in　the　army　commanded　by
  the　Marechal　Duc　de　Lorges。
  In　1691　I　was　studying　my　philosophy　and　beginning　to　learn　to　ride　at　an
  academy　at　Rochefort；　getting　mightily　tired　of　masters　and　books；　and
  anxious　to　join　the　army。　　The　siege　of　Mons；　formed　by　the　King　in
  person；　at　the　commencement　of　the　spring；　had　drawn　away　all　the　young
  men　of　my　age　to　commence　their　first　campaign；　and；　what　piqued　me　most；
  the　Duc　de　Chartres　was　there；　too。　　I　had　been；　as　it　were；　educated
  with　him。　　I　was　younger　than　he　by　eight　months；　and　if　the　expression
  be　allowed　in　speaking　of　young　people；　so　unequal　in　position；
  friendship　had　united　us。　　I　made　up　my　mind；　therefore；　to　escape　from
  my　leading…strings；　but　pass　lightly　over　the　artifices　I　used　in　order
  to　attain　success。　　I　addressed　myself　to　my　mother。　　I　soon　saw　that　she
  trifled　with　me。　　I　had　recourse　to　my　father；　whom　I　made　believe　that
  the　King；　having　led　a　great　siege　this　year；　would　rest　the　next。
  I　said　nothing　of　this　to　my　mother；　who　did　not　discover　my　plot　until
  it　was　just　upon　the　point；　of　execution。
  The　King　had　determined　rigidly　to　adhere　to　a　rule　he　had　laid　down
  namely；　that　none　who　entered　the　service；　except　his　illegitimate
  children；　and　the　Princes　of　the　blood　royal；　should　be　exempt　from
  serving　for　a　year　in　one　of　his　two　companies　of　musketeers；　and　passing
  afterwards　through　the　ordeal　of　being　private　or　subaltern　in　one　of　the
  regiments　of　cavalry　or　infantry；　before　receiving　permission　to　purchase
  a　regiment。　　My　father　took　me；　therefore；　to　Versailles；　where　he　had
  not　been　for　many　years；　and　begged　of　the　King　admission　for　me　into　the
  Musketeers。　　It　was　on　the　day　of　St。　Simon　and　St。　Jude；　at　half…past
  twelve；　and　just　as　his　Majesty　came　out　of　the　council。
  The　King　did　my　father　the　honour　of　embracing　him　three　times；　and　then
  turned　towards　me。　　Finding　that　I　was　little　and　of　delicate　appearance；
  he　said　I　was　still　very　young；　to　which　my　father　replied；　that　I　should
  be　able　in　consequence　to　serve　longer。　　Thereupon　the　King　demanded　in
  which　of　the　two　companies　he　wished　to　put　me；　and　my　father　named　that
  commanded　by　Maupertuis；　who　was　one　of　his　friends。　　The　King　relied
  much　upon　the　information　given　him　by　the　captains　of　the　two　companies
  of　Musketeers；　as　to　the　young　men　who　served　in　them。　　I　have　reason　for
  believing；　that　I　owe　to　Maupertuis　the　first　good　opinion　that　his
  Majesty　had　of　me。
  Three　months　after　entering　the　Musketeers；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　March
  of　the　following　year；　the　King　held　a　review　of　his　guards；　and　of　the
  gendarmerie；　at　Compiegne；　and　I　mounted　guard　once　at　the　palace。
  During　this　little　journey　there　was　talk　of　a　much　more　important　one。
  My　joy　was　extreme；　but　my　father；　who　had　not　counted　upon　this；
  repented　of　having　believed　me；　when　I　told　him　that　the　King　would　no
  doubt　rest　at　Paris　this　year。　　My　mother；　after　a　little　vexation　and
  pouting　at　finding　me　enrolled　by　my　father　against　her　will；　did　not
  fail　to　bring　him　to　reason；　and　to　make　him　provide　me　with　an　equipment
  of　thirty…five　horses　or　mules；　and　means　to　live　honourably。
  A　grievous　annoyance　happened　in　our　house　about　three　weeks　before　my
  departure。　　A　steward　of　my　father　named　Tesse；　who　had　been　with　him
  many　years；　disappeared　all　at　once　with　fifty　thousand　francs　due　to
  various　tradesfolk。　　He　had　written　out　false　receipts　from　these　people；
  and　put　them　in　his　accounts。　　He　was　a　little　man；　gentle；　affable；　and
  clever；　who　had　shown　some　probity；　and　who　had　many　friends。
  The　King　set　out　on　the　l0th　of　May；　1692；　with　the　ladies；　and　I
  performed　the　journey　on　horseback　with　the　soldiers　and　all　the
  attendants；　like　the　other　Musketeers；　and　continued　to　do　so　through　the
  whole　campaign。　　I　was　accompanied　by　two　gentlemen；　the　one　had　been　my
  tutor；　the　other　was　my　mother's　squire。　　The　King's　army　was　formed　at
  the　camp　of　Gevries；　that　of　M。　de　Luxembourg　almost　joined　it：　The
  ladies　were　at　Mons；　two　leagues　distant。　　The　King　made　them　come　into
  his　camp；　where　he　entertained　them；　and　then　showed　them；　perhaps；　the
  most　superb　review　which　had　ever　been　seen。　　The　two　armies　were　ranged
  in　two　lines；　the　right　of　M。　de　Luxembourg's　touching　the　left　of　the
  King's；the　；whole　extending　over　three　leagues　of　ground。
  After　stopping　ten　days　at　Gevries；　the　two　armies　separated　and　marched。
  Two　days　afterwards　the　seige　of　Namur　was　declared。　　The　King　arrived
  there　in　five　days。　　Monseigneur　（son　of　the　King）；　Monsieur　（Duc
  d'Orleans；　brother　of　the　King）；　M。　le　Prince　（de　Conde）　and　Marechal
  d'Humieres；　all　four；　the　one　under　the　other；　commanded　in　the　King's
  army　under　the　King　himself。　　The　Duc　de　Luxembourg；　sole　general　of　his
  own　army；　covered　the　siege　operations；　and