New-York tribune., 1905-12-30
Il KING AND HIS COUSIN.
ArUede BARNES Book on Louis xiv
and La Grande MademoiseIIe.

Arvede
trated. svo, PIP. S94. G. P. Putnam's Sons
If this volume were a less workmanlike per-
formance than it Is It would still be welcome.
for its subject is one of inexhaustible interest.
The reign OF the Sun King is. from many points
Of view, one Of the most dramatic IN history:
the life Of his cousin, Mile de Montpensier, was
curious tissue of the ludicrous and the pa
thetic. Arvede Barine has dealt with these two
personages in the agreeable anecdotic fashion
which is nowadays characteristic of the minor
historian and generally with careful reliance
upon authority. The reader is, on the whole, too
well entertained to spend time in challenging
conclusions with which he is not in agreement,
or in criticising translation which is not fault
less.
The Louis with whom make acquaintance
in this volume is the young King-a figure re-
mote and indstinct beside that of the older
Louis to be studied in Saint-Simon's pages. The
author has drawn largely upon the Kings own
memories and on those of mademoiseile. and
has succeeded in painting a vivid portrait
Louis undoubtedly merited severe judgment, yet
we must wonder that with his absurd rearing
he became as judicious a ruler as he was,
Madame de Mantenon tells us that his gov
ernesses gossipped all day and left the child in
the hands of their maids, and in their turn the
maids left him to wander into the kitchens with
Monsieur,
he could lay his hands on, without paying atten-
ton to it's healthfuness,'' breaking bits from
the food that was cooking over the fire and
being driven away by the cooks with blows from
dishcioths His most frequent companion at
play was the child of a servant, "and when
says our author, he was Withdrawn from such
surroundings to be led to his mother, Or to figure
in some ceremony, he appeared bashful boy
who looked at people with embarrassment with
out knowing what to say, and who cruelty SUI
fered from this shyness." He learned nothing
from his tutors Mazarin ruled France in his
place. and, "for reasons known to himself
would not oblige the young King to work
Circumstances favored the views Of the first
study impossible on account of the complete up
Settling Of the daily life Of the. Court of FRANCE:
on the move. Louis XIV was fourteen at the date
Of the reinstaliaon Of the 6 court at f9 H reeover
the lost time; he thenceforth passed his days in
amusing amusing Himself @ With % the nieces Of the cardinal
The political world believed that It dvneG @ eRe
pressed its opinion about IT. os n9 k1hg iseE Tr45e f
entire day to learning the ballet. . :. Games,
dances and comedies are the only subjects OF con
turn him aside from affairs more solid and i'm
portant-"
If the youth did not care to attend the coun-
Gil he can hardly be considered blamable, since
the powerful NIinister-who is often said to have
been his step-father-permitted him voice
therein. The court thought that he lacked in
telligence, and he was quoted himself saying:
Il am very stupid" There was more signifi
cance in another remark which he made at
seventeen: Il never judge subject about which
know nothing" At this age his patriotic sub
5ects outside the court. though they knew little
about him, began to have hopes of him. He was
a strong. graceful young fellow; he had Sc
rious air and "a dislike to debauchery in any
fornl'' the dissipated youths of the court found
him a bore. He hated ceremony at that time,
this King to whom etiquette was to become one
Of the pillars of his monarchy.
The author describes with excellent effect the
revelation Of force and foresight in the King,
which astonished everybody few hours after
Mazertn breathed his last The dawdler and
ballet dancer suddenly became King in truth
even while his mother and the courtiers laughed
at the idea the transformation came. Il dis
covered in myself mind which I did not know
existed" he wrote long afterward, land re-
preached myself for having so long ignored this
low The ignorance in which his neglected
education had left him aIled him with mortifica-
ton and worry. A knowledge OF history was in
dispensable to an active sovereign; and no less
necessary was proficiency in Latin, language
in which the most important dispatches in
Europe were then written. Behold, then. Louis
the King taking LaIn i0SSuIIS db tNSi4bS -IIiASC
and nassing all the hours he could spare in
writing themes! Let the effort at least be ac-
counted to him for wisdom, though the result
was comparative failure,
.I am ignorant" was admission repeatedly
heard from his lips throughout the rest Of his
life At the affairs Of state he worked like a
Trojan; his was an eight-hour day, and the
to,,rgeoise welcomed the news with delight.
Tbus began amid satisfaction and admiration
the absolute monarchy that was to exalt France
hugely and then to lead her gradually down the
steps of an abyss.
We have said that the life Of Anne Marie
To,,is d'Orleans had both ludicrous and pathetic
fea lures. Nothing could be more comic than
the varlike capers of La Grande Mademolselle
when. an imitation Bellona, she was as much
Laughed at as applauded. Vain. kind hearted
,,rsneakabIy proud, reckless, yet calculating,
AFadennotselle had her moments OF right feeling
as we'll as her hours Of Stiffness. She was by
+,,,os a very great lady and goose, by turns
q laughing stock and a princess OF vast wealth
,,,orsbfpped for ability to bestow benefactions.
7. &c the later years OF her life. dominated as
thew were by her crazy passion for Lauzun. that
noove US with a sense of pathos. Not one true
friend. apparently, had this daughter OF France;
r,ocl,ed and cheated, piteous butt and laugh
,nz stock. she sank into her grave.
Although readers expect, and publishers are
,,s,,aIIv ready to grant. short respite in the
oa+,,,9 out OF new books iul1nsiiately after
,I+o. tba Macmillan Company keeps mer-