Madame de
Maintenon was installed in special apartments at the head of the Marble
Staircase, opposite the Hall of the King's Guards, and a new spirit
dominated the halls of the palace. Under Madame de Montespan a
"haughtiness in everything that reached to the clouds" had held the
Court and attendants in fear, made the lives of all uneasy, and kept
the atmosphere of the palace astir. With the entrance of Madame de
Maintenon into favor a quieter tone pervaded Versailles. Madame was a
woman of great intelligence and wit, and made all feel the gracious
influence of her fine companionship. There was nothing ascetic in her
piety, but, on the other hand, frivolity, immorality, and unworthy
intrigue had no place in her circle. And all those that attended her
held her in esteem and profound respect. With all her incomparable
grace, she was in mind and spirit more truly the queen than mistress.
She was older than the King and her influence was stronger on that
account. She had comprehended the situation at Versailles with
characteristic shrewdness. The King needed her. The Court of France
needed her--and she needed both the King and the Court for the
fulfillment of her supreme ambitions. As one writer has ironically put
it, "With her gracious bearing and her calm, even temper, she must have
seemed to a king of forty-six, who had buried his queen and cast off
his mistress, the ideal wife for his old age.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99