I received two weeks ago your letter of May 21, but I could not answer
it, for I was not in a state to write, and Mlle. de Rathsamhausen [her
lady-of-honour] spells so badly that I do not care to dictate to
her.[3] I must tell you what has happened to me. Once a month I go
with Monseigneur the dauphin to hunt a wolf. It had rained; the ground
was slippery; we had searched for a wolf two hours without finding
one, and then started for another point, where we hoped to do better.
As we were following a wood-path a wolf sprang up just in front of my
horse, which was frightened and reared on its hind legs and slipped
and fell over on its right side, and my elbow coming in contact with
a big stone was dislocated. They looked for the king's surgeon who
was with the hunt, but could not find him, for his horse had lost a
shoe and he had gone to a village to have it put on. A peasant said
there was a very skilful barber two leagues off who set legs and arms
every day of his life; when I heard he had such experience I got into
a calèche and was driven to him--not without very great pain. As soon
as he had set my arm I suffered nothing and drove back here at once.
My surgeon and Monsieur's surgeon examined the hurt. I think they were
rather jealous that a poor countryman had done the thing so well.
They bandaged my arm again and made me suffer beyond measure; my hand
swelled up in a horrible manner; I could not move my wrist or lift my
hand to my mouth.
It is very true that celibacy is the best condition; the best of men
is not worth the devil. Love in marriage is no longer the fashion, and
is thought ridiculous. The Catholics here say in their catechism that
marriage is a sacrament, but, in point of fact, they live with their
wives as if it were no sacrament at all, and, what is worse, nothing
is more approved than to see men have gallantries and desert their
wives--But not to enlarge upon this subject, I will talk to you about
my wolf.
You have heard by this time that peace has been signed with the
emperor and the empire; that is a great step towards a general peace.
I do not think that war will break out in Poland, for it is not at all
certain that our Prince de Conti will go there; he may renounce it,
which I think would be much better for him than the crown of Poland;
it is a savage, dirty country, and the nobles are too ambitious.
These are dangerous times for young men, and they would do better to
go and seek honour in war than stay here doing nothing and leading the
most dissolute lives, for which, be it said between you and me, my son
has but too great a liking. He says he has taste only for women and
not for other debauchery, which is as common here as it is in Italy,
and therefore he thinks we ought to praise him and be grateful to him;
but his behaviour does not please me at all.
Those who do not know the exact situation of things here imagine that
the king and Court are just what they used to be; but everything is
changed in a sorry way. If any one who had left the Court at the time
of the queen's death returned here now he would think he had stepped
into another world. There is much to be said about this, but I cannot
confide it to paper, because all letters are opened and read. My aunt
used to say that everybody here below is a demon charged to torment
somebody else; and that is very true. We know that all things are
the result of the will of God, and happen as He has fixed from all
eternity, but the Almighty not having consulted us on what He meant to
do, we are in ignorance of the causes of what we see going on about us.