U DE VAUX 176

CONVENT OF VAL DE GRACE 198

THE PALACE OF ST. CLOUD 201

INTERIOR OF ST. DENIS 208

ST. DENIS 236

PORTE ST. DENIS 254

MADAME DE MAINTENON 273

PALACE OF VERSAILLES 297

PARTERRE OF VERSAILLES 324

RACINE AND BOILEAU 339

THE TRIANON 351

MARLY 354

LOUIS XIV. DIRECTING THE SIEGE 362

FRONT VIEW OF ST. GERMAIN 376

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV. 409

LOUIS XIV.

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD.

1615-1650

Marriage of Louis XIII.--Character of Louis XIII.--Character of
Anne of Austria.--Cardinal Richelieu.--The Duke of Buckingham.--His
death.--Estrangement of the king and queen.--Joy of the nation.--Birth
of Louis XIV.--Gift of the Pope.--Condition of Paris.--Reconciliation
of the king and queen.--Orders of Louis XIII. respecting the
dauphin.--Ill health of Louis XIII.--The dauphin declared King Louis
XIV.--Last hours of Louis XIII.--Death of Louis XIII.--Louis
XIV. recognized king.--Palais Royal.--Apartments of the queen
regent.--Educational arrangements for Louis XIV.--Speech of Louis
at five years old.--Dislikes the change of teachers.--Interest in
history.--Mazarin's wicked policy.--Henrietta, queen of Charles
I.--Figure and bearing of the king.--His first campaign.--The
cardinal's nieces.--Anecdote.--Feud between Mazarin and the
Parliament.--Alarm of Mazarin.--Escape of the royal family from
Paris.--Flight of the court.--Discomfort of the court at St.
Germain.--Excitement in Paris.--Issue of a parliamentary
decree.--Origin of the names Fronde and Mazarins.--Two rival
courts.--Straw scarce.--Character of Mazarin.--Termination of the
war.--Society reversed.

Louis XIII. of France married Anne of Austria on the 25th of November,
1615. The marriage ceremony was performed with great splendor in the
Cathedral of Bordeaux. The bride was exceedingly beautiful, tall, and
of exquisite