youngprincefrommorningtillnight，and。
frommorningtill
nighthewasincessantlyrepeatinginhisearsthathisfuture
subjectswerebornforhim，andthattheywerealldependenton
hisgoodandgraciouspleasure。
Suchlessonsdailyrepeated，
necessarilydestroyedthewiseinstructionsofMassillon。
When
grownup，LouisXVsawthelibertinismofcardinalDuboisand
theorgiesoftheregency:madamedeMaillis’shamelessconduct
wasbeforehiseyesandRichelieu’salso。
LouisXVcouldnot
conducthimselfdifferentlyfromhisministersandhisfamily。
His
timidcharacterwasformedupontheexampleofothers。
Atfirst
heselectedhisownmistresses，butafterwardshechosesomeone
whotookthattroubleoffhishands。
Lebelbecamepurveyorin
chieftohispleasures；andcontrolledinVersaillesthehouse
knownasthe。
Assoonasthecourtiersknewoftheexistenceandpurposesof
thishouse，theyintriguedforthecontrolofit。
Thekinglaughed
atalltheirefforts，andleftthewholemanagementtoLebel，under
thesuperintendenceofthecomtedeSaint-Florentin，ministerof
theroyalhousehold。
Theyinstalledthere，however，asortof
militarychief，formerlyamajorofinfantry，whowascalled，
jestingly，M。deCervieres；hisfunctionsconsistedinanactive
surveillance，andinpreventingyoungmenfrompenetratingthe
seraglio。
Thesoldiersattheneareststationhadordersto
obeyhisfirstsummons。
Hispaywastwelvethousandlivresayear。
Afemalestyledthehadthemanagementofthe
domesticaffairs；sheruledwithdespoticsway；controlledthe
expenses；preservedgoodorder；andregulatedtheamusementof
hercharges，takingcarethattheydidnotmixonewiththeother。
Shewasanelderlycanonessofanobleorder，belongingtooneof
thebestfamiliesinBurgundy。
Shewasonlyknownattheas
，andnooneventuredtogiveheranyothertitle。
Shortly
afterthedeceaseofMme。
DePompadour，shehadsucceededin
thisemployawomanoflowrank，whohadamostastonishingmind。
LouisXVthoughtveryhighlyofher，andsaidthatifshewerea
manhewouldhavemadeherhisminister。
Sheputtheharemon
anadmirablesystem，andinstructedthein
allthe
necessaryetiquette。
TheMadameofmytimewasawomanofnobleappearance，tall，
ascetic，withakeeneyeandimperiousmanner。
Sheexpresseda
sovereigncontempt
forallthelow-bornbeautiesconfidedtoher
trust。
However，shedidnottreatherwardsill，forsomeoneof
themmightproduceapassionintheheartoftheking，andshe
wasdeterminedtobepreparedforwhatevermightfallout。
Asto
thenobleladies，theywereherfavourites。
Madamedidnotdivide
herflockintofairanddark，whichwouldhavebeennatural，but
intonobleandignoble。
BesidesMadame，thereweretwo
under-mistresses，whosedutiesconsistedinkeepingcompanywith
theyoungladieswhowereplacedthere。
Theysometimesdined
withnewcomers，instructedtheminpolitebehaviour，andaided
themintheirmusicallessonsorindancing，history，andliterature
inwhichthesewereinstructed。
Thenfollowedadozen
womenoflowerstation，creaturesforanyservice，halfwaiting
women，halfcompanions，whokeptwatchovertheyoungladies，
andneglectednothingthatcouldinjureeachotheratevery
opportunity。
Theworkofthehousewasperformedbyproper
servantsandmaledomestics，chosenexpresslyfortheirageand
ugliness。
Theywerepaidhigh，butinreturnfortheleast
indiscretionontheirpart，theyweresenttolingerouttheir
existenceinastateprison。
Aseverewatchwas
keptoverevery
personofeithersexinthismysteriousestablishment。
Itwas
requisite，infact，thatanimpenetrableveilshouldbecastover
thefrailtiesoftheking；andthatthepublicshouldknownothing
ofwhatoccurredatthe。
Thegeneraltermwasappliedtotheyoungpersonswho
werekeptthere。
Theywereofallagesfromninetoeighteen
years。
Untilfifteentheywerekeptintotalignoranceofthe
citywhichtheyinhabited。
Whentheyattainedthatage，nomore
mysterywasmadeofit；theyonlyendeavouredtopreventthem
frombelievingthattheyweredestinedfortheking’sservice。
Sometimestheyweretoldthattheywereimprisonedaswellas
theirfamily；sometimes，aloverrichandpowerfulkeptthem
concealedtosatisfyhislove。
Onethoughtshebelongedtoa
Germanprince，anothertoanEnglishlord。
Thereweresome，
however，who，betterinformed，eitherbytheirpredecessors，or
bychance，knewpreciselywhatwasinstoreforthem，andaccordingly
builtsomeexceedinglyfinecastlesintheair。
Butwhenthey
weresuspectedtobesoknowing，theyweresentaway，andeither
marriedifpregnant，orcompelledtoenteracloisterorchapter。
Thenobledamselswereservedwithpeculiaretiquette，their
servantsworeagreenlivery。
Thosewhobelongedtotheignobles，
hadtheirvaletsclothedonlyingray。
Thekinghadarrangedthis，
andapplaudeditasoneofthemostadmirabledecisionsofhis
life，andcontendedwithmethatthefamilieswhopaidthisimpost
forhispleasures，weregreatlyindebtedtohimforit。
Iassure
you，myfriend，thatthereareoftenverypeculiarideasinthe
headofaking。
After，the，theyoungladies，camea
lady，whohadnotitleinthehouse，becauseshe“carriedonthe
war“outofdoors，butstillwasamostusefulpersonage。
In
verytruthlaMereBompartwasawonderfulanimal。
Paintto
yourselfawomanrathersmallthanlarge，ratherfatthanlean，
ratheroldthanyoung，withagoodfoot，agoodeye，asrobustas
atrooper，withadecided“call“forintrigue，drinkingnothing
butwine，tellingnothingbutlies，swearingby，ordenyingGod，
assuitedherpurpose。
Fancysuchanone，andyouwillhavebefore
you。
Shewasincorrespondencewithallsortsofpersons，withthe
mostcelebrated，andofcoursewiththemost
notedpimps。
ShetreatedLebelasherequal，wentfamiliarlyto
M。deSartinesandoccasionallycondescendedtovisitM。de
Saint-Florentin。
Everybodyatcourtreceivedhergraciously；
everybodybutthekingandmyself，whoheldherinequalhorror。
Thecostenormoussums。
Thelowestexpense
wascalculatedat150，000livres，topayonlythefunctionaries
andthedomestics，theeducationandtheboardofthe，
etc。
Thisdoesnotincludethecostofthe，
theindemnitiespaidtofamilies，thedowrygivenwiththemin
marriage，thepresentsmadetothem，andtheexpensesofthe
illegitimatechildren:thiswasenormousincost，atleast2，000，000
livresayear，andyetImakethelowestestimation。
The
waskeptupforthirty-fouryears:itcost
annually4or5，000，000livres，andthatwillamountto
nearly150，000，000￡6，250，000。
IfyouthinkImistake，go
throughthecalculation。
AshorttimeaftermysojournatVersailles，whenIwasthe
acknowledgedmistressoftheking，theducdeRichelieuaskedme
ifIhadheardofthe？
Iaskedhim，inmyturn，
whathemeant，andifIcouldprocureanyaccountoftheplace。
HethentoldmeofthecarewhichmadamedePompadourbestowed
Ontheplace，theadvantageshedrewfromit，andassuredmeof
thenecessityforfollowingherexample。
Ispokeofthistocomte
Jean，andbeggedhisadvice。
Mybrother-in-lawreplied:——
“YoumustdoasthemarquisedePompadourdid，andastheducde
Richelieuhasadvised。
Theyspendavastdealofmoneyinthis
house，andIundertaketolookovertheiraccounts。
Nominateme
yourprimeminister，andIshallbethehappiestofmen。
Itis
impossiblebuttheremustbesomethingtobegleanedfrom
hismajesty。“
“Intruth，mydearbrother-in-law，youwouldbeinyourelement；
moneytohandleandyounggirlstomanage。
Whatmorecouldyou
covet？
Youwillestablishagamingtableatthe，
andneverquititagain。“
ComteJeanbegantolaugh，andthenseriouslyadvisedmeto
followtheplaincounseloftheducdeRichelieu。
Idecidedondoingso。
IsentforMadame。
Shecamewithallthe