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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 31, 1715
The atmosphere is tense. Louis XIV’s leg is marbled with black. The court prepares to go into mourning. Louis is in a comatose condition the whole day. As a last resource the physicians administer ‘Agnan’s remedy’ for small-pox. It has been sent by the Duchesse du Maine, the wife of Louis’ favourite son by Madame de Montespan. At half past…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 30, 1715
The gangrene spreads further. Dangeau notes “the leg was in such a state that it might have belonged to a man who had been dead for six months“. Louis XIV can still swallow a little jelly and pure water, but his hands need to be held while he is fed, otherwise he would take it out of his mouth again.…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 29, 1715
It is now twenty days since Louis XIV first complained of a pain in his leg and the end draws nearer. Today, upon changing the bandages, it is discovered the gangrene has spread to the thigh. Louis XIV’s leg is slowly rotting, the smell of it almost unbearable. The King hears mass in his bedroom, like every morning. He has lost…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 28, 1715
Wednesday, nineteen days after Louis XIV first complained of a pain in his leg. A ‘quack’ makes an appearance at Versailles, bringing a miracle elixir. He comes from Marseilles and calls himself le Brun. His elixir, so he claims, can cure gangrene at the most advanced stages. After a consultation with the doctors, in which he explained the nature of…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 27, 1715
It is Tuesday, eighteen days after Louis XIV first complained of the pain in his leg. No new black spot appeared during the last days, but the King is becoming weaker by the day. His mind is still clear, but his body merely flesh and bones. Each day his leg is dressed with new bandages in a painful procedure he…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 26, 1715
Louis XIV says his goodbyes. At ten o’clock the bandages are removed and his leg lanced to the bone several times. All the while Madame de Maintenon knelt alone at the foot of the bed. At noon, the King sent for the Dauphin, the future Louis XV. “You are going to be a great King, but your happiness will depend…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 25, 1715
The Gazette published an optimistic medical report on the previous day. Now Louis XIV’s condition is critical. The gangrene spreads fast. It is Sunday. The fete of Saint-Louis, said to be the day when the Sun sets straight above the Grand Canal and aligns perfectly with the Chateau de Versailles, its gardens, and the King’s bedroom. Louis XIV had a…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 24, 1715
Louis XIV is in pain. The King dined in bed and held a council of Finances, then continued to work alone with the Chancellor. In the evening the court was allowed to enter the King’s room in order to see him, in his dressing gown, sup in public. It was the last time they did so. Louis’ leg began to…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 23, 1715
The Marquis de Dangeau writes in his diary: “The King passed the night tolerably quietly. His leg is troublesome. He feels continual pains in it.“ < August 22 > August 24
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Charlatan by Kate Braithwaite
I had the extraordinary pleasure to read Kate Braithwaite‘s novel Charlatan pre-release. Charlatan is a captivating tale set in 17th century France. It takes us to the court of Louis XIV and into the chambers of Madame de Montespan, to the dreadful prison cells of the Chateau de Vincennes and the darkest corners of Paris, where sorceress and fortune tellers await their…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 22, 1715
Louis XIV did not sleep very well till three o’clock. As he woke, the King saw the four physicians he did not see the previous day. Some of them were sure the King suffered of fevers every night, just as Mareschal thought, and ordered remedies to ease the fever. It is not the fever that troubles Louis XIV the most,…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 21, 1715
Georges Mareschal, the Royal Surgeon, has noticed a black spot on the king’s leg. The Marquis de Dangeau writes: “The King passed this night still better than the last. He saw four of the physicians who are assembled here. He will see four others tomorrow, and they are all of the same opinion on the report that has been made…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 20, 1715
Louis XIV slept better. He only drank three times during the night. The King heard mass in bed, being not able to leave it, due to a feeling of weakness, and saw the ambassadors as he ate dinner. Today, he did not go to Madame de Maintenon’s rooms, but asked her to come to his. The King’s leg aches a little…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 19, 1715
It has been ten days since Louis XIV complained of a pain in his leg the first time. He passed another restless night and did not fall asleep before three o’clock in the morning. Like the previous day, Louis was rolled to the apartment of Madame de Maintenon in a wheelchair, where he listened to a little concert at six o’clock.…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 18, 1715
The Marquis de Dangeau writes: “The King passed the night very quietly. He had allowed Monsieur Fagon to sleep in his chamber, which he has hitherto refused to do. Monsieur Fagon perceived neither fever, agitation, nor thirst, in him.“ < August 17 > August 19
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 17, 1715
Louis XIV had a restless night. He did not find much sleep until four o’clock in the morning. The King suffered of thirst again and drank much and often, but then slept soundly until ten o’clock. He was dressed at one o’clock and ate as usual, afterwards held audience with the General of the Order of Sainte-Croix de la…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 16, 1715
The Marquis de Dangeau writes: “The King’s chamber was open for admission at eleven o’clock. He heard mass in his bed, dined there at one o’clock, rose soon after, and gave audience to the envoy from Wolfenbuttel, and then was conveyed to Madame de Maintenon‘s, where he played with the ladies; and in the evening there was a grand concert. He…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 15, 1715
A suspicious-looking sore has appeared below the King’s right knee. Louis XIV’s servants bandage the King’s leg and change the bandages each day. Louis is not able to wear his ordinary clothes due to the bandages. He can hardly walk anymore and takes care of the business of state from his bed. Mass is performed in the King’s bedroom…
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Funny And Not So Funny Things That Happened At The Court Of Louis XIV, Part Four
Madame de Saint-Herem, the one with the thunderstorms, was bathing in the river at Fontainebleau, but because the water was rather cold, she had a quantity boiled on the bank and poured round her in mid-stream, with the result that she was badly scalded, and had to take to her bed for some time. Monsieur La Chatre, would suddenly imagine himself to…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 13, 1715
Louis XIV receives the Persian ambassador in public audience. The King stands the most of the time and seems exhausted. Louis’ sleep was disturbed by the pain in his leg. The physicians can not agree whether the King was feverish or not last night, but order him to take donkey milk and quinine. <August 12 >August 15
