V 



IN THE JEWEL BOX 



THAT gay gentleman, Philippe, Due d'Or- 

 leans, Regent of France following the 

 death of Louis XIV, organized his life, 

 in general, on the principle that everyone loves a 

 cheerful spender. At times, however, he would sigh 

 with regret that the lower classes, peasantry or 

 canaille, were disposed to be resentful about their 

 taxes, he being well advised that if the taxes were 

 taken away from him he could not continue his little 

 suppers. 



A friend of the Regent was the Due de Saint- 

 Simon, author of the best memoirs of his time and 

 an excellent Boswell to the Grand Monarch and the 

 Gay Regent alike. This worthy duck, duke, or due 

 was ever a steadfast counselor to the mighty always 

 to be mighty and always, so to speak, to throw out 

 a front. One conversation between the Due de 

 Saint-Simon and the Regent was on the question of 

 buying another diamond for the enrichment of the 

 crown jewels of France and incidentally for the 



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