MAINTENON. 
104 
lant, who ufed great feverity to induce her to conform to 
the eftabliftied faith. Her converfion was completed by 
a refidence for fome time in the Urfuline convent at 
Niort. Her mother then took her to Paris, where the had 
a law-fuit pending; but foon after died, leaving her two 
children in indigence. Frances had much more to fuffer 
from the hardinefs of her relations ; and was at length in¬ 
duced, in her fixteenth year, to give her hand to the 
comic poet and novelift Scarron, who was then in a ftate 
of decrepitude from difeafe. She chofe this union rather 
than the other alternative which he offered her, of pay¬ 
ing her portion to be received into a nunnery. The houfe 
of Scarron was frequented by many men of rank and wit; 
and the young wife attracted general admiration by the 
graces of her perfon and the charms of her converfation. 
In this dangerous fituation Ilie conducted herfelf in fuch 
a manner that her virtue was unfufpected, unlefs it were 
by fome who had none of their own. Even her intimacy 
■with the celebrated Ninon de l’Enclos does not feem to 
have injured her reputation; and the teftimony of that 
licentious but fincere female, in favour of her morals, has 
been admitted as goad evidence. Scarron died in 1660, 
and his widow was left in indigence. After fome felici¬ 
tation, the obtained from the queen-mother the penfion 
which her hufband had enjoyed ; but (lie loft this at her 
patronefs’s death, and the intereft of all her friends was 
not able to procure its continuance. At this time a pro- 
pofal was made to her through the Portuguefe ambaffador 
to go to-Portugal, and undertake the education of the 
children of a princels of that nation; and (he determined 
to accept it. Before her intended departure, however, 
. flie waited upon the king's miftrefs Mad. de Montefpan, 
then in the height of favour; and by a well-turned 
compliment pleated her fo much, that (he told her (lie 
mull not think of quitting France. She alfo engaged to 
prefent a new petition for her to the king, (Louis XIV.) 
who, upon feeing the name which had fo often before 
met his eyes, exclaimed, “ Shall I never hear of any thing 
but the widow Scarron?” “ Indeed, fire,” replied the fa¬ 
vourite, “ you ought long (ince to have ceafed to hear of 
lier 5” and, in fine, the penfion was granted, and (lie re¬ 
mained in France. 
Mad. de Montefpan, upon farther acquaintance, con¬ 
ceived fuch an efteem for our heroine, that (he confided 
. to her the fecret of the children (he had by the king, and 
placed them under her care. Mad. Scarron received but 
a fmall penfion for the troublefome office with which (he 
was entrufted ; and had befides the mortification to find 
that (he was difpleafing to the king, who regarded her as 
a wit, a clafs, which his confciouihefs of a narrow edu¬ 
cation, and his jealoufy of fuperior abilities, rendered the 
objedls of his particular averficn. She, however, gradu¬ 
ally rofe in favour ; and, when it was thought neceflary 
to fend the young duke of Maine, Mad. de Montefpan’s 
eldeft fon, to the waters of Barreges with a confidential 
fuperintendant, (he was chofen for the purpoie. This 
fituation engaged her in a dirett correfpondence with the 
king, who found her more a woman of good fenfe than a 
wit; and her fuccefs in forming the mind of the young 
duke operated (till farther to her advantage. The king 
increaied her penfion, and made her a liberal prefent, with 
which, in 1674, (he purcliafed the lands of Maintenon, 
whence (he afterwards took her name. Her ferene and 
equal temper and rational converfe gradually gained upon 
the king, who began .to be wearied with the imperious 
and capricious difpofition of Mad. de Montefpan, now in 
the wane of ber charms. Satiated with beauty, and be¬ 
ginning to feel remorfe for his licentious amours, he 
lought tor a complaifant and tender friend, and found 
one in Mad. de Maintenon. Her age, which exceeded 
that of the king, the moderate (hare of perfonal attrac¬ 
tions which (lie had retained, and the ftriitnefs of her re¬ 
ligious principles, appear fufficient affurances of the inno¬ 
cence of their connexion. She is charged by Voltaire and 
others with ingratitude towards her benefaitrefs, Mad. 
de Montefpan, in taking her place in the royal favour. 
That ambition might lead her to employ fome artifice in 
enforcing the king’s fcruples with refpeft to his illicit 
connexions, is not improbable; but there feems no reafon 
to blame her for promoting a change in his difpofition 
that meliorated his character, and for taking advantage 
of it to render herfelf inftrumental to his comfort. Her 
fituation, however, was for fome years equivocal. She 
was an acknowledged favourite, but of what kind was 
dubious. A fingular mixture of devotion and gallantry 
appeared in the correfpondence between the king and her. 
“ This ((range commerce,” fays Voltaire, “ of tendernefs 
and fcruple on the part of the king, of ambition and de¬ 
votion on that of the new miftrefs, feems to have lalted 
from 1681 to 1686, which was the epoch of their mar¬ 
riage.” This union, which is a ftrong proof that no im¬ 
proper familiarity had preceded it, was propofed by the 
king’s confeffor, father de la Chaife, and privately folem- 
nized by Harlay archbiffiop of Paris, but was never openly- 
declared at court; and Mad. de Maintenon preferved that 
name, whilft (lie was regarded and honoured as a queen. 
The manner in which (he conducted herfelf in this extra¬ 
ordinary degree of elevation, proved the good fenfe and 
moderation by which (be was governed. Nothing could 
be more fimple and modeft than her mode of living, and 
the whole arrangement of her houfehold and equipage. 
Extremely referved in alking favours for herfelf or her 
family, (lie formed a ftriking contrail to preceding fa¬ 
vourites. Indeed, exceflive caution, amounting to timi¬ 
dity, and feeming to extinguifli every warm and generous 
emotion, was a charafleriftic feature in her conduct. She 
devoted herfelf entirely to the ftttdy of pleafing the king, 
and preferving her influence over him ; and this (lie found 
a talk which rendered her high fortune a moll painful 
and joylefs ftation. “ What a punifhment,” (aid (he to 
her niece, “ to he obliged to amufe a man who is no 
longer amufable 1 ” In a letter to an intimate, (he thus 
expreffes herfelf. “ Why cannot I give to you my expe¬ 
rience ? Why cannot I make you leniible of the weari- 
fomenefs to which the great are a prey, and the labour 
they undergo to fill up their time ? Do you not fee that I 
am confumed with melancholy in a condition which it was 
fcarcely conceivable that I fliould ever have attained ?” 
The void (he felt in her ioul (lie attempted to fupply 
by the practices of a minute and fcrupulous devotion; 
and (he infpired the king with a fimilar talle, which gave 
the colour to the latter years of his reign. She was, how¬ 
ever, by no means infenfible of the pleafure of ruling; 
and in the choice of minifters and meafures (he exerted 
an influence which was in many inftances prejudicial to 
the (late. But in this (he was obliged to ufe the utmoft 
circumfpe&ion ; for Louis could not bear the molt dillant 
idea of being dictated to; and, if he fulpected any defign 
to controul his will, he was apt to determine upon the di- 
reft contrary. As Mad. Maintenon lived in perfedl retire¬ 
ment, her apartment was the place in which confultations 
were held with minifters on important affairs, to which 
(lie liftened in filence fitting at her work ; and, if afked 
her opinion, replied with great modefty and deference, at 
the fame time artfully throwing in the weight of her opi¬ 
nion to the fide taken by her favourites and dependants. 
Early habits of conftraint had formed her to a timid, foft, 
and infinuating, character, which in the fummit of power 
lhe never laid alide. 
As the king’s infirmities grew upon him, (he became 
more and more neceflary to his exiftence; and (he (hared 
with his confeffors the poffeflion of his mind to his laft 
hour. Though without the fpirit to incur hazards for 
her friends, (he performed good offices for many whom 
(lie had known in earlier life, and employed a confider- 
able portion of her moderate income in charity. Her 
mod (plendid work was the eltablifliment of St. Cyr, near 
Verfiiilles, including a religious community, and an initi¬ 
ation for the gratuitous education of three hundred 
young ladies of quality. This (he perfuaded the king to 
endow 
