when, through an
unfortunate piece of forgetfulness on my part, for which I greatly blame
myself, he became acquainted with the truth. He knew that the king had
lately sent me several messengers, and once having carelessly forgotten
to lock up a casket containing letters from the queen and the cardinals,
he read part and divined the rest through his natural intelligence; and
later confessed to me that he had carried off the letter which told most
explicitly of his birth.

"'I can recall that from this time on, his manner to me showed no longer
that respect for me in which I had brought him up, but became hectoring
and rude, and that I could not imagine the reason of the change, for I
never found out that he had searched my papers, and he never revealed to
me how he got at the casket, whether he was aided by some workmen whom he
did not wish to betray, or had employed other means,

"'One day, however, he unguardedly asked me to show him the portraits of
the late and the present king. I answered that those that existed were
so poor that I was waiting till better ones were taken before having them
in my house.

"'This answer, which did not satisfy him, called forth the request to be
allowed to go to Dijon. I found out afterwards that he wanted to see a
portrait of the king which was there, and to get to the court, which was
just then at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, because of the approaching marriage with
the infanta; so that he might compare himself with his brother and see if
there were any resemblance between them. Having knowledge of his plan, I
never let him out of my sight.

"'The young prince was at this time as beautiful as Cupid, and through
the intervention of Cupid himself he succeeded in getting hold of a
portrait of his brother. One of the upper servants of the house, a young
girl, had taken his fancy, and he lavished such caresses on her and
inspired her with so much love, that although the whole household was
strictly forbidden to give him anything without my permission, she
procured him a portrait of the king. The unhappy prince saw the likeness
at once, indeed no one could help seeing it, for the one portrait would
serve equally well for either brother, and the sight produced such a fit
of fury that he came to me crying out, "There is my brother, and this
tells me who I am!" holding out a letter from Cardinal Mazarin which he
had stolen from me, and making a great commotion in my house.

"'The dread les