Dangeau’s Diary, September 1685
1st. — Intelligence arrived that the Princes de Conti, three days after the taking of Neuville, had left Hungary. That they had already arrived at Strasburg, whence they had dispatched a courier to Monsieur le Prince and that they had repaired there to await the answer, and the King’s commands.
2d. — We heard this evening that all the Huguenots of the town of Montauban had been converted by a deliberation held in the town-house. The King approves of the return of the Princes de Conti to court. A courier was dispatched to Meaux, to carry them the intelligence, and, as his Majesty knew that Monsieur de Turenne had returned to France with them, his Majesty, being much dissatisfied with his conduct, has ordered him to quit France immediately. He will return beyond Strasburg, where he will await his father’s commands as to his future plans. The King told Monsieur le Prince, that he would deprive the Prince de Conti of the Grandes Entrees, which had been granted him, and that he would communicate his intention through the Princess de Conti. Monsieur le Prince replied, that it was the province of the Princess to carry good news, when there was any, and that it was for him to be the bearer of bad; and that therefore he would take upon himself to inform the Prince de Conti of his Majesty’s intentions.
4th. — Monseigneur and the Dauphine dined at Galardon, where the Princes de Conti arrived about ten o’clock in the morning, but not meeting the King there, they would see nobody, but went to wait upon him at Chartres. They threw themselves at the King’s feet, asking his pardon for having offended him and the King replied that he was very happy they were returned and that Princes of the Blood were better near him than anywhere else. They then paid their respects to the Dauphine, and waited for Monseigneur, who arrived an hour after her, as he had amused himself by shooting on the road. The courtiers were much pleased at the return of the Princes de Conti.
5th. — The Dauphine received the sacrament in the subterranean chapel at Chartres, and returned again after dinner to the same chapel, where she remained a considerable time. The King again went to perform his devotions in the subterranean chapel of the Virgin. It is a chapel, dedicated by the Druids, two thousand years ago, to the Virgin about to bring forth, Virgini pariturce.
6th. — Madame de Maintenon returned to Chartres, and the King made her get into his carriage. There were, therefore, eight. The King, the Dauphine, and Madame de Bourbon, behind Madame, and the Princesse de Conti, before Monseigneur, and Madame de Maintenon, at the doors.
9th. — His Majesty has expressed a wish that there should be no playing here, except in the anti- chamber, and even Monsieur has promised not to play at his house.
27th. — The diocese of Embrun and Gap, and the valleys of Pragelas, dependent upon the Abbey of Pignerol, have all been converted without the interference of Dragoons.
