everything　tending　to　advance　his　illegitimate　children　and　to　put　a
  slight　upon　the　Princes　of　the　blood。　　He　could　not　openly　have　made　this
  promotion　without　embroiling　himself　with　the　latter；　but　coming　as　it
  would　from　M。　de　Noailles；　he　had　nothing　to　fear。　　M。　de　Vendome；　once
  general　of　an　army；　could　no　longer　serve　in　any　other　quality；　and　would
  act　as　a　stepping…stone　for　M。　du　Maine。
  From　this　moment　M。　de　Noailles　returned　more　than　ever　into　the　good
  graces　of　the　King。　　Everything　happened　as　it　had　been　arranged。　　But
  the　secret　was　betrayed　in　the　execution。　　Surprise　was　felt　that　at　the
  same　moment　M。　de　Noailles　sent　a　request　to　be　recalled；　he　also　sent；
  and　without　waiting　for　a　reply；　to　call　M。　de　Vendame　to　the　command。
  What　completely　raised　the　veil　were　the　letters　patent　that　he　sent
  immediately　after　to　M。　de　Vendome；　and　that　it　was　known　he　could　not
  have　received　from　the　King　in　the　time　that　had　elapsed。　　M。　de　Noailles
  returned　from　Catalonia；　and　was　received　as　his　address　merited。　　He
  feigned　being　lame　with　rheumatism；　and　played　the　part　for　a　long　time；
  but　forgot　himself　occasionally；　and　made　his　company　smile。　　He　fixed
  himself　at　the　Court；　and　gained　there　much　more　favour　than　he　could
  have　gained　by　the　war；　to　the　great　vexation　of　Barbezieux。
  M。　de　Luxembourg　very　strangely　married　his　daughter　at　this　time　to　the
  Chevalier　de　Soissons　（an　illegitimate　son　of　the　Comte　de　Soissons）；
  brought　out　from　the　greatest　obscurity　by　the　Comtesse　de　Nemours；　and
  adopted　by　her　to　spite　her　family：　M。　de　Luxembourg　did　not　long　survive
  this　fine　marriage。　　At　sixty…seven　years　of　age　he　believed　himself
  twenty…five；　and　lived　accordingly。　　The　want　of　genuine　intrigues；　from
  which　his　age　and　his　face　excluded　him；　he　supplied　by　money…power；　and
  his　intimacy；　and　that　of　his　son；　with　the　Prince　de　Conti　and
  Albergotti　was　kept　up　almost　entirely　by　the　community　of　their　habits；
  and　the　secret　parties　of　pleasure　they　concocted　together。　　All　the
  burden　of　marches；　of　orders　of　subsistence；　fell　upon　a　subordinate。
  Nothing　could　be　more　exact　than　the　coup　d'oeil　of　M。　de　Luxembourg
  nobody　could　be　more　brilliant；　more　sagacious；　more　penetrating　than　he
  before　the　enemy　or　in　battle；　and　this；　too；　with　an　audacity；　an　ease；
  and　at　the　same　time　a　coolness；　which　allowed　him　to　see　all　and　foresee
  all　under　the　hottest　fire；　and　in　the　most　imminent　danger：　It　was　at
  such　times　that　he　was　great。　　For　the　rest　he　was　idleness　itself。　　He
  rarely　walked　unless　absolutely　obliged；　spent　his　time　in　gaming；　or　in
  conversation　With　his　familiars；　and　had　every　evening　a　supper　with　a
  chosen　few　（nearly　always　the　same）；　and　if　near　a　town；　the　other　sex
  were　always　agreeably　mingled　with　them。　　When　thus　occupied；　he　was
  inaccessible　to　everybody；　and　if　anything　pressing　happened；　it　was　his
  subordinate　who　attended　to　it。　　Such　was　at　the　army　the　life　of　this
  great　general；　and　such　it　was　at　Paris；　except　that　the　Court　and　the
  great　world　occupied　his　days；　and　his　pleasures　the　evenings。　　At　last；
  age；　temperament；　and　constitution　betrayed　him。　　He　fell　ill　at
  Versailles。　　Given　over　by　Fagon；　the　King's　physician；　Coretti；　an
  Italian；　who　had　secrets　of　his　own；　undertook　his　cure；　and　relieved
  him；　but　only　for　a　short　time。　　His　door　during　this　illness　was
  besieged　by　all　the　Court。　　The　King　sent　to　inquire　after　him；　but　it
  was　more　for　appearance'　sake　than　from　sympathy；　for　I　have　already
  remarked　that　the　King　did　not　like　him。　　The　brilliancy　of　his
  campaigns；　and　the　difficulty　of　replacing　him；　caused　all　the
  disquietude。　　Becoming　worse；　M。　de　Luxembourg　received　the　sacraments；
  showed　some　religion　and　firmness；　and　died　on　the　morning　of　the　4th　of
  January；　1695；　the　fifth　day　of　his　illness；　much　regretted　by　many
  people；　but　personally　esteemed　by　none；　and　loved　by　very　few。
  Not　one　of　the　Dukes　M。　de　Luxembourg　had　attacked　went　to　see　him　during
  his　illness。　　I　neither　went　nor　sent；　although　at　Versailles；　and　I　must
  admit　that　I　felt　my　deliverance　from　such　an　enemy。
  Here；　perhaps；　I　may　as　well　relate　the　result　of　the　trial　in　which　we
  were　engaged；　and　which；　after　the　death　of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　was
  continued　by　his　son。　　It　was　not　judged　until　the　following　year。
  I　have　shown　that　by　our　implicating　the　Duc　de　Gesvres；　the　Chief
  President　had　been　declared　incapable　of　trying　the　case。　　The　rage　he
  conceived　against　us　cannot　be　expressed；　and；　great　actor　that　he　was；
  he　could　not　hide　it。　　All　his　endeavour　afterwards　was　to　do　what　he
  could　against　us；　the　rest　of　the　mask　fell；　and　the　deformity　of　the
  judge　appeared　in　the　man；　stripped　of　all　disguise。
  We　immediately　signified　to　M。　de　Luxembourg　that　he　must　choose　between
  the　letters　patent　of　1581　and　those　of　1662。　　If　he　abandoned　the　first
  the　case　fell　through；　in　repudiating　the　last　he　renounced　the　certainty
  of　being　duke　and　peer　after　us；　and　ran　the　risk　of　being　reduced　to　an
  inferior　title　previously　granted　to　him。　　The　position　was　a　delicate
  one；　he　was　affrighted；　but　after　much　consultation　he　resolved　to　run
  all　risks　and　maintain　his　pretensions。　　It　thus　simply　became　a　question
  of　his　right　to　the　title　of　Duc　de　Piney；　with　the　privilege　attached　to
  it　as　a　creation　of　1581。
  In　the　spring　of　1696　the　case　was　at　last　brought　on；　before　the
  Assembly　of　all　the　Chambers。　　Myself　and　the　other　Dukes　seated
  ourselves　in　court　to　hear　the　proceedings。　　The　trial　commenced。
  All　the　facts　and　particulars　of　the　cause　were　brought　forward。
  Our　advocates　spoke；　and　then　few　doubted　but　that　we　should　gain　the
  victory。　　M。　de　Luxembourg's　advocate；　Dumont；　was　next　heard。　　He　was
  very　audacious；　and　spoke　so　insolently　of　us；　saying；　in　Scripture
  phraseology；　that　we　honoured　the　King　with　our　lips；　whilst　our　hearts
  were　far　from　him；　that　I　could　not　contain　myself。　　I　was　seated　between
  the　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld　and　the　Duc　d'Estrees。　　I　stood　up；　crying
  out　against　the　imposture　of　this　knave；　and　calling　for　justice　on　him。
  M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld　pulled　me　back；　made　me　keep　silent；　and　I　plunged
  down　into　my　seat　more　from　anger　against　him　than　against　the　advocate。
  My　movement　excited　a　murmur。　　We　might　on　the　instant　have　had　justice
  against　Dumont；　but　the　opportunity　had　passed　for　us　to　ask　for　it；　and
  the　President　de　Maisons　made　a　slight　excuse　for　him。　　We　complained；
  however；　afterwards　to　the　King；　who　expressed　his　surprise　that　Dumont
  had　not　been　stopped　in　the　midst　of　his　speech。
  The　summing　up　was　made　by　D'Aguesseau；　who　acquitted　himself　of　the　task
  with　much　eloquence　and　impartiality。　　His　speech　lasted　two　days。　　This
  being　over；　the　court　was　cleared；　and　the　judges　were　left　alone　to
  deliberate　upon　their　verdict。　　Some　time　after　we　were　called　in　to　hear
  that　verdict　given。　　It　was　in　favour　of　M。　de　Luxembourg　in　so　far　as
  the　title　dating　from　1662　was　concerned；　but　the　consideration　of　his
  claim　to　the　title　of　1581　was　adjourned　indefinitely；　so　that　he
  remained　exactly　in　the　same　position　as　his　father。
  It　was　with　difficulty　we　could　believe　in　a　decree　so　unjust　and　so
  novel；　and　which　decided　a　question　that　was　not　under　dispute。　　I　was
  outraged；　but　I　endeavoured　to　contain　myself。　　I　spoke　to　M。　de　la
  Rochefoucauld；　I　tried　to　make　him　listen　to　me；　and　to　agree　that　we
  should　complain　to　the　King；　but　I　spoke　to　a　man　furious；　incapable　of
  understanding　anything　or　of　doing　anything。　　Returning　to　my　own　house；
  I　wrote　a　letter　to　the　King；　in　which　I　complained　of　the　opinion　of　the
  judges。　　I　also　pointed　out；　that　when　everybody　had　been　ordered　to
  retire　from　the　council　chamber；　Harlay　and　his　secretary　had　been
  allowed　to　remain。　　On　these　and　other　grounds　I　begged　the　King　to　grant
  a　new　trial。
  I　carried　this　letter　to　the　Duc　de　la　Tremoille；　but　I　could　not　get　him
  to　look　at　it。　　I　returned　home　more　vexed　if　possible　than　when　I　left。
  The　King；　nevertheless；　was　exceedingly　dissatisfied　with　the　judgment。
  He　explained　himself　to　that　effect　at　his　dinner；　and　in　a　manner　but
  little　advantageous　to　the　Parliament；　and　prepared　himself　to　receive
  the　complaints　he　expected　would　be　laid　before　him。　　But　the　obstinacy
  of　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　which　turned　into　vexation　against　himself；
  rendered　it　impossible　for　us　to　take　any　steps　in　the　matter；　and　so
  overwhelmed　me　with　displeasure；　that　I　retired　to　La　Trappe　during
  Passion　Week　in　order　to　recover　myself。
  At　my　return　I　learned　that　the　King　had　spoken　of　this　judgment　to　the
  Chief　President；　and　that　that　magistrate　had　blamed　it；　saying　the　cause
  was　indubitably　ours；　and　that　he　had　always　thought　so！　　If　he　thought
  so；　why　oppose　us　so　long？　　and　if　he　did　not　think　so；　what　a
  prevaricator　was　he　to　reply　with　this　flattery；　so　as　to　be　in　accord
  with　the　King？　　The　judges　themselves　were　ashamed　of　their　verdict；　and
  excused　themselves　for　it　on　the　ground　of　their　compassion　for　the　state
  in　which　M。　de　Luxembourg　would　have　been　placed　had　he　lost　the　title　of
  1662；　and　upon　its　being　impossible　that　he　should　gain　the