enough, and complained of it one day to the Duchess of
Valentinois, who told him she would endeavour to raise a passion
in him for her, in order to make him more sprightly and
agreeable. She succeeded in it, as you see, and this passion is
now of above twenty years' duration, without being changed either
by time or incidents.

"The late King at first opposed it; and whether he had still
love enough left for the Duchess of Valentinois to be jealous, or
whether he was urged on by the Duchess d'Etampes, who was in
despair upon seeing the Dauphin so much attached to her enemy, it
is certain he beheld this passion with an indignation and
resentment, that showed itself every day by something or other.
The Dauphin neither valued his anger or his hatred, nor could
anything oblige him either to abate or conceal his flame, so that
the King was forced to accustom himself to bear it with patience.

This opposition of his to his father's will, withdrew his
affections from him more and more, and transferred them to his
third son, the Duke of Orleans, who was a Prince of a fine person
full of fire and ambition, and of a youthful heat which wanted to
be moderated; however, he would have made a very great Prince,
had he arrived to a more ripened age.

"The rank of eldest, which the Dauphin held, and the King's
favour which the Duke of Orleans was possessed of, created
between them a sort of emulation, that grew by degrees to hatred.
This emulation began from their infancy, and was still kept up in
its height. When the Emperor passed through France, he gave the
preference entirely to the Duke of Orleans, which the Dauphin