New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-24

Two lines of Treatment present themselves 10
the historian Of the reirn Of Louis XIV. Regard
ing the most puissant era Of the Bourbon dynasty
AS i'm its essence the era of - J." Roi S"."ll. "a
the period in which The ship OF state rod" on an
apparently safe sea- suTuscd with his regal light.
il i. easily possible f. ucat II III an exclusively
decorative, spectacular vein. The omlno"s ground
swell Of moral disinteer1tlon ehGc'"cr'" u! inc
corruption OF the CONT Il then lgroi'" /, Is
hardly necessary TO add that the historian WHO,
on the other hand. is fulir alive to III" s"''ly
fatal direction given the d,stncs ii Frame" by
the grand monarone@ is much more lavish o his
shadows than OF his high lights. Inc picture he
presents is less alluring but it is more cNact AMI
unquestionably mole philosophical thah any Sk''ch
could be which based on the thcatrlci pageant
at Versailles. The latter has fa'ciha'ci NJ I'M
bert de Saint Armand, and while he Is nov 80 super
fetal as 10 commit himself wholly 70 the sP'oionS
outline we have Indicated, he finds II mpossl'e 10
bc the chronclcr of the King without aiS' wing
his a,olocist He would fain draw Louis NV in
profile, and though ne is wis enough 10 perceive
that a silhouette is not IA portrait in the most
satisfactory sense, his only conccs'io" 10 tle lie
c,ssiticS of the ease is frequent rccur'n'" 10
flat strain o. very Gallo moralzns on the cva-
ncsc,nce of earthly grandeur. which Is charact"r-
i.tc of ALI the previous volumes in tbs series.
IT, otbcr words he j. aware that the conduct OF
thc court WAS atrocious and is Willing to adnnt
ga much but he is also impressed by I'll" magnln-
ccncc Of Louis and by the picty when t'a' r''r
WAS accustomed 70 exhibit upon various "c'S'"'E'
There i. no qucnchin. his admiration Ih ''i' hi"-
who cn,bUdrd 81 perfectly tn m"h"rc"'" i''
For such purpos" as " d" SAINT inla"" :.
purpose very pictorial. conccrnr1 c'l''" WV"
tie personalities OF his subjects ana 'h'" '"c''
!; ,.is,, ~ o,cc sentimental AMI historical, t.l'
cpoch Of Louis XIV * cpitom7% w1th esp g"
completeness in the court Of N"rsa'licS. ,P'"
,bo =. cocn visar. OF so much ~ survives from
,b,, .tr,ro. rcutrc the Individuality Of IN" hinT
ia oven now clearly stamped. 1t is artiiiclI' NY
nrions. stately. overloaded with pomp at many
roirts but still. il must he s;iih. nm4Hi"'"'
Tho stream Of princes and counters WHICH :" -
through th, place i, open {" e." 81 No ""F' ''"''
ard inspircs the samc "plth"fS OF "llHhH'i'"'
If NJ dc >aint-Anland were ca'lH "p"h -
fcnd the col ciliatury ton" ~ ~ "''' w. ''"'"
lo,l ro ho,,cr excuse tAar the beauty Of -"
human scene which h" has 1iicnp'"" ~ "'W'
Tho Influence, NJ Lonis wrs MT II the s'rt T.
vrcak itself on landscape and architecture a"'r'
II extended TO all the actors IN the drama ~
which lie chose to play a." l'asina part AM VI
do Saint Armand trIly SAYS that III" roles SIS
stood without reference to 'hc central p'r>"n'''
vbcsc will y,s thor law II was fr III th" Nnn-hins
that each woman borrowed ldstrc. Inc r\ .'P
,ion n this rule was his queen, whose b"aatilnl
character gives her a place apart Marie IN res"
ia n rather colorlcSs aprarition. and with q" h'''
intentions in tlr world VI Il" Saint Nmand mak'S
her chiefly = foil 10 MINI" q" Mont"spn ann
other picturcsuuc company. bat her nitIf' W.
nt.insc1llv finer than that Of Ter consoT'' an
il impcratyriy demands sympathy. >L' 'N'"r'N
adu,iration b. the fofiitui" With which III" Dor"
th. lcritimaiion Of Mm" ii" nt"'I"h
.,hildrrn (onrcrnr that discr.c"iuI "ct 90
IN. Kinq's. by The waN. d" saint \nhn ; III
plication touching ~" opposition ~ SAINT >'"''
j. curors He sp'aLs ~ though q" pIN' VIZ
Outraged hv the destinations - "m'n'r"n'
actions. nn'usiiNhlc nt's"ki upon morality. ~
cictv AMI religion" ~hcica T. j. un1'na'l" th''
what onc.l"i Saint SIMON INST was il" MIG
nitv inflicted upon his 'lil"r SaIn' simon W.
an a,i.,oc.a' of The pur', water u" he'd b.
the traditions of o." nobility with t"lA 49,
rooted in an inc\tinani-Aahlc pride ~ race. IT,"
extent To whch Iouis reco-ni.ri h. own III
Nine de Montcspan's children was naturally
certain 10 tcandalizc - -"y"rc -iick"r f7r ell
quc,ic as the writer u the famous Nom -.
4, the tnc from which VI. Saint Aman1 dates
the principal events oponir! BIZ narrative Lonii
had dclnitiv"ly abandoned his infituation for
Nine. de- Montc-pan. after 81" had swiy"l HE 1h'c-
tions for more than a decade. lie had yielded II
the solicitations Of his spiritual advisers hal r.
formed. had rolapsed, and had finally rescued Lis
too susceptible heart from the ambitious and
beautiful Marquso In the rebound il was NJ
rested. with every crcumstan"" of thc most "N-
cmplarv dcrneanor by Nine de- Miint"non, aud 70
81. 4. f.- eul,e.ru,u'iT the mercantile
wife Of the King W. dr Saiut-imand dcyo'cs tlc
greater number of his pages. The proportion is
justilablc Nine dc Maintcnons career wns cy-
ccssvcly romantic. and long after students Of h"r
period have ceased to calculate her political in
hucncc To attempt the a>certainmrnt Of exactly
what share she had in the revocation of III" "dct
Of Nantes they will find grateful topic in her
rise from obzcuriy to r"nown. She was born In
French prison, the daughter Of man crushed
by debts and political suspicion. Her chIlihood
was spent in poverty in Martinique. pon her re-
turn 10 France al the age Of ten sh" was educated
in very modest style. and seven years later was
married 10 the comic author, Scnrron who was
twenty-five years her senior. She lost that de-
formed and eccentric but very kind husband and
found herself free at the age Of twenty-five. Ten
year, later she became the eovcrncsS, in strict So
cusion Of Nine de- Montcspans children. In 1913
the transformation Of thrc" Of the later into
the Duke du Maine. the Count de NcAin ard
Mile. de Tours respectively was effected
by the King, and they were brought to Versailles
Nine Scairon. as siIc then was, witt.
them. NJ de- Saint-.kmand sums mp the Ell" shs
assumed in n Sinelc quotation There il moth
ing clevcrer, declares the LAZY. than irrcproacl
able conduct Her critics find no difficulty in
reading into such an Gttcrancc as this the key
note to IA deeply laid and sagacionS policy VI.
de San-Amand has the weight of evidence on
lis side t, show that her aim was well meant
and rs gucirss conld be expected OF a
courticr. Louis himself was not prcpos sc,scd in
her favor Ut first, and though, her bluc-stocll-
ing. Later he was attracted by her intelligence
and charm and found serious interest in her