est, or by condescension to a woman." Still
more amazing is the fact that, for years, the court of Madrid was
ruled by a Frenchwoman, Madame des Ursins, the _camarera mayor_ of
Philip's queen, who made and unmade ministers, controlled all public
appointments, and even persuaded the French ambassador to submit all
despatches to her before sending them to France. Madame de Maintenon
was equally omnipotent at Versailles; she decided what letters should
or should not be shown to the king, kept back disagreeable news, and
held everybody in the hollow of her hand, from humblest subject to
most exalted minister. This was the atmosphere from which men were
sent to meet the new and more potent combination of States that
opposed the Spanish succession. Chamillart, a pitiful creature of
Madame de Maintenon's, sat in Colbert's place; gone were Turenne and
Conde and Luxembourg; the armies of the descendant of St. Louis were
led by the Duke of Vendome, a foul lecher, whose inhuman vices went
far to justify the gibe of Mephistopheles that men use their reason
"_um thierischer als jedes Thier zu sein_."

The victories of the Duke of Marlborough and of Prince Eugene spread
consternation at Versailles. When, in 1704, the news of Blenheim oozed
out, the king's grief was piteous to see. Scarce a noble family but
had one of its members killed, wounded, or a prisoner. Two years later
came the defeat of Ramillies, to be followed in three months by the
disaster at Turin. The balls and masquerades and play at Marly went
merrily on; but at news of the defeat of Oudenarde and the fall of
Lille, even the reckless courtiers were subdued, and for a month
gambling and even conversation ceased. At the sound of an approaching
horseman they ran hither and thither, with fear painted on their
cheeks. Wildest schemes for raising money were tried; taxes were
levied on baptisms and marriages; sums raised for the relief of the
poor and the maintenance of highways were expropriated, and the
wretched peasants were forced to repair the roads without payment,
some dying of starvation at their work. King and courtiers, with
ill-grace, sent their plate to the mint and a plan for the recapture
of Lille was mooted, in which Louis was to take part, but, for lack of
money, the king's ladies were not to accompany him to the seat of war
as they had hitherto done.[145] The expedition was to remain a
secret; but the infatuated Louis could withhold nothing from Madame de
M