Louis made Marie Therese his Queen and consort in 1660, and it was only
a year later when his fancy was caught by the dainty and attractive
little Francoise Louise La Valliere. She was scarcely more than
seventeen years of age when she became the favorite of the King. She
was a delicate little creature, slightly lame, but most feminine in her
appeal, and she caught the King by her very girlishness, as she played
like a child with him in the parks of the palace. She was a simple
maid of honor to Queen Marie Therese when she first attracted the
notice of the King. A few years afterward she was created a duchess
and, as such, retained the royal favor for a time. Then remorse seized
upon La Valliere; she took the veil, and, as Sister Louise of Mercy,
entered a convent, and gave her life in religious solitude to expiate
the grief that she had caused the good Queen. The atonement was only
just, for Louise de Valliere had made Marie Therese suffer bitterly the
tortures of jealousy and offended conjugal affection. The Queen was
not a woman of unusual intelligence, but she was sensible, tactful, and
had a certain native dignity that compelled respect. She was,
moreover, devoutly religious and devotedly attached to her children.
She shared her royal Husband's conviction as to the divine right of
kings, and what he did she considered could not be wrong. Of all the
women that were associated with Louis, no one more truly admired him
nor was more ardently devoted to him than his Queen.
Pages:
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91