of no better adviser for his youthful
grandson, in his new and responsible position, than some other woman,
equally gifted, who might guide him safely through the political shoals
which were threatening him at every turn. Madame de Maintenon was called
upon for her advice in this crisis, and she it was who suggested the
Princess Orsini as the one woman in all Europe who could be trusted to
guide the young Philip V. It is interesting to note that there was never
question for a moment of placing a man in this post of confidence; its
dangers and responsibilities were acknowledged as too heavy for a man to
shoulder, and it was merely a question of finding the proper woman for
the emergency. One other woman was needed, however, in Spain at this
time, and that was a wife for the newly crowned king. She was to provide
for the future, while the Princess Orsini was to take care of the
present.

A political marriage was planned, as might have been expected, and after
some delay the fickle Duke of Savoy, who had long been a doubtful friend
to the French, was brought to terms, and his daughter Marie Louise was
promised as Philip's bride. The ceremony was performed at Turin, where
the king was represented by a proxy, the Marquis of Castel Rodrigo, and
the royal party left Genoa in a few days, in gayly adorned galleys,
bound for the Spanish coast. Philip hastened to meet his bride, and
first saw her at Figueras, to the north of Barcelona. There, on October
3, 1701, their union was ratified, in the presence of the "patriarch of
the Indies," who happened to be in Spain at that time. All was not clear
weather in these first days of the honeymoon, for, at the command of the
French king, all of the Piedmontese attendants of the little queen had
been dismissed, as it was feared that she might bring evil counsellors
who would make trouble for the new government. The Princess Orsini, who
had joined the party when they embarked at Genoa, took charge of Marie
Louise on the departure of her friends, and did all in her power to make
the separation easy for her, but Marie was so indignant at this
unexpected turn of affairs that she was in high dudgeon for several
days, and during this time, until she had become thoroughly reconciled
to her fate, the impatience of the boy-king was restrained and he was
forced to consent to a temporary separation. To quote from Coxe's
description: "Marie Louise had scarcely entered her fourteenth year, and
appeared