1653-60.] SCENES AT ST. FARGEAU. 9 



continues, " he kept open table, and many of my 

 people went to cline with him ; for he affected to 

 hold court, and acted as if everybody owed duty 

 to him. The conversation was always about my 

 affair with his Royal Highness [her father), whose 

 conduct towards me was always praised, while 

 mine was blamed. Frontenac spoke ill of Prefon- 

 taine, and, in fine, said every thing he could to dis- 

 please me and stir up my own people against me. 

 He praised every thing that belonged to himself, 

 and never came to sup or dine with me without 

 speaking of some ragout or some new sweetmeat 

 which had been served up on his table, ascribing 

 it all to the excellence of the officers of his kitchen. 

 The very meat that he ate, according to him, had 

 a different taste on his board than on any other. 

 As for his silver plate, it was always of good work- 

 manship ; and his dress was always of patterns in- 

 vented by himself. When he had new clothes, he 

 paraded them like a child. One day he brought 

 me some to look at, and left them on my dressing- 

 table. We were then at Chambord. His Royal 

 Highness came into the room, and must have 

 thought it odd to see breeches and doublets in 

 such a place. Prefontaine and I laughed about it 

 a great deal. Frontenac took everybody who came 

 to St. Fargeau to see his stables ; and all who wished 

 to gain his good graces were obliged to admire his 

 horses, which were very indifferent. In short, 

 this is his way in every thing." 1 



Though not himself of the highest rank, his 



1 Me'iuoires de Mademoiselle de Montpensier, II. 279 ; III. 1G. 



