The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
Ill.

III.
We pass to the situation Of Europe at tho
end of the seventeenth century. The Peace
of Ryswick Qe90 had by no means satisfied
the expectations with which the Allies had
entered into the war against France. Louis
XIV. had not beer compelled TO surrender
all his conquests and to fall back to the
position which had been conceded to him
fifty years before by the Peace of Munster
and the Peace of the ~Pyrennees. Whatever
grounds, however, the Allies had for dis
satisfaction with the Peace Of Ryswick,
that event at least marked the turning
point in Louis's ~strivings after universal
monarchy. He still maintained the fore
most and most prominent place in the eyes
of Europe, but he could no longer dream Of
making the Continent Internationally sub
ject to his will and pleasure. The restitution
Of the duchy of Lorraine, the strengthening
OF Savoy, the closing Of the Alpine pasjes
and the humiliation Of the French party
in the electorate Of Cologne took border
lands and dependencies from France which
her sovereign had ruled almost as abso-
lutely as her own provinces.
In France itself if the King had for
feited nothing Of his absolute power in
the latter half Of his reign, yet he had be-
come personally altered, and angry forces
we're rising around him which augured a
stormy future for his descendants. His
vigorous constitution had been forced to
pay tribute to sickness and approaching
old age. With his frequent ailments and
the fear of death and eternal retribution
there had come a change over his nature
that was carefully encouraged by Nine.
de Maintenon. Festivities and other
amusements were reduced in number,
amours we're renounoed and the monarch
devoted himslf with greater ardor to his
religious duties. The whole court had
been constrained, at least outwardly, to
initiate the sovereign's pious, even mon
astio, way Of life. Bigotry had become
a sure venue to advancement. Nine. dc
Maintenon had her spies everywhere and
let nothing reach the King that could harm
herself. Under the pretext Of a benevo-
lent and sympathetic nature, she took the
distribution Of the royal bounty into her
own hands What with devotees, father
oonfessors, bishops and spies, life at the
Court OF Versailles had become rigidly
precise and unnatural. The oourtiers COM
pensated themselves with wild orgies and
free thinking raillery in Paris. There
gaming fourished more than ever. Prof.
Philippson does not hesitate to assert that
never were morals more corrupt thar dur
ing the pious period Of Louis's life, He
had unfettered all passions and his sub
sequent behests were powerlees to limit
their sway. Priests and mobiles organized
themselves into formal clubs for the joint
practice Of vice and ladies OF the highest
nobility INDUCED in the most s~candalous
profiigacy Against this the King had but
one resource-the iettre de edchet. In the
Bastille were to be found, along with the
victims Of his merciless despotism, HUI
guenots, persons who had offended him,
and foreigners Of influence, the whole
scum Of the rotten and loathsome higher
society OF those days"
By the closing years Of the seventeenth
century the royal Government itself recog-
nized, though only in strictly secret docu-
ments, the universal impoverishment, and
what was even more ominous, the decrease
in the population. As early as 1855 the
famous engineer, Vauban, had represented
to the King the deplorable consequences Of
the persecution OF the H~uguenots. The
maritime trade was at a standstill on the
coasts Of Normandy and Poitou, and in
dustry was Frustrated, bocsuse the people