There is nothing surprising in the fact that the dauphin [the Duc de
Bourgogne] was in love with the dauphine. She had much intelligence
and was very agreeable when she chose to be. Her husband was devout
and rather melancholy in temperament, while she was always gay; that
served to animate him and disperse his gloom; and as he had a strong
liking for women (humpbacked persons always have), but was so pious
that he thought he committed a sin by looking at any other woman than
his wife, it is very simple that he was much in love with her. I have
seen him squint to make himself ugly when a lady told him he had
fine eyes; though it was not necessary, for the good soul was ugly
enough without endeavouring to make himself more so. He had a shocking
mouth, a sickly skin, was very short, humpbacked, and deformed. His
wife lived very well with him, but she did not love him; she saw him
as others did; and yet I think she was touched by the passion he had
for her; it is certain that no greater attachment could be than that
of the dauphin for his wife. He had many good qualities; he was very
charitable and helped great numbers of officers, though no one knew
it. At his birth the public rejoicings were universal. The dauphine
could make him believe whatever she liked; he was so in love with
her that whenever she looked favourably at him he went into ecstasy
and was quite beside himself. When the king scolded him he seemed so
distressed that the king was obliged to soften down. The old aunt
[Mme. de Maintenon] would also seem so troubled that the king had
enough to do to tranquillize her. In short, to get peace the king at
last left the old mistress to direct all such domestic matters, and no
longer concerned himself about them.
Nangis, who commanded the king's regiment, was not displeasing to the
dauphine, but he had more liking for the little La Vrillière. The
dauphin was fond of Nangis, and thought it was to please him that his
wife talked to Nangis; he was convinced that his favourite had gallant
relations with Mme. de La Vrillière.
My son is no longer a young man of twenty; he is forty-two, and
therefore they cannot pardon him in Paris for running after women
like a hare-brained youth when he has all the weighty affairs of the
kingdom on his hands. When the late king took possession of his crown
the kingdom was in a state of prosperity, and he could then very well
divert himself; but to-day it is not the same thing; my son must
work night and day to repair what the king, or rather, his faithless
ministers, ruined.
I cannot deny that my son has a great inclination for women; he has
now a sultana-queen, named Mme. de Parabère. Her mother, Mme. de la
Vieuville, was lady of the bed-chamber to the Duchesse de Berry, and
that is where he made her acquaintance. She is now a widow, with a
fine figure, tall and well-made; her skin is dark and she does not
paint; she has a pretty mouth, and pretty eyes, but very little mind;
she is a fine bit of flesh. My son has become alarmingly delicate; he
cannot kneel down without dropping over from weakness. When he drinks
too much he does not use strong liquors, only champagne; he does not
care for any other wine.