1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: I'm Katie Lambert, joined today by Sarah Dowdy. How are you, Sarah? 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: I'm great, Katie. How are you click? Um. Today we're 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: gonna be talking about the ultimate rags to riches story, 6 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: So pretty excited. Everyone likes a rags to riches story. 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: And today we've got Madame de Montenal, the mistress or 8 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: was it wife of Louis the four team, But she 9 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: wasn't born Madame de Montenal. She was born Francoise d'aubigner 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: in November of six and at the time her father 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: was actually in the in a prison. Her mother was 12 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: the daughter of his prison guard. Um. Although Madame de 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: marten or Francoise at the time, was not actually born 14 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: in prison. That's a little his historical myth that you 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: might hear toss you're busting you're busting it. And though 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: I believed it earlier in the day. Her father was 17 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: in prison for a conspiracy against Rigelio, but he'd also 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: been accused of abduction and rape. So he's really not 19 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: a stand up guy. He's kind of a loser, even 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: though his father is a pretty impressive guy, is a 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: celebrated poet. Yeah, Huguenot soldier companion of Henry the fourth, 22 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: but those traits were not passed on to his son, 23 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: and being a Huguenot made them something of an outsiders. Then. 24 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: You know, France was very Catholic, but her mother was Catholic, 25 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: so she got a Catholic baptism, even though she was 26 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: raised Protestant, which turned out to be fortunate later in life. Yeah. 27 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: So she's raised with her relatives until about age seven 28 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: when the family all ups and moves to the island 29 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: of Murray Gallant, which is, you know, on the other 30 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: side of the ocean. Her father hoped he was going 31 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: to get a governor a position, but when they get there, 32 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: you know, oops, there's no position. It's not vacant. So 33 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: he heads back to France and leaves them behind. Thanks. 34 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: So that wasn't really good fortune for them, and Francoise's 35 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: childhood at this point had been not so great. When 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: she was living with relatives, she was definitely treated as 37 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: their their poor relation, and she wore their cast off 38 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: clothes and didn't have a fire in her room, so 39 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: she was well acquainted with what poverty looked like and 40 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: in contrast, what a nicer life looked like. Definitely, But 41 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: by the time she's back in France, when you know, 42 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: she and her mother and brothers finally leave Martinique Um. 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: She goes back to live with her aunt, but because 44 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: her aunt is Protestant, another Catholic aunt ends up claiming 45 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: her and moves her. Yes, I think a relative of 46 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: her godmother actually, So she takes her to Paris at 47 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: the age of sixteen, and she's raised pretty sternly by 48 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: this relative. Yes, she's not worldly at all at this point. 49 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: And she goes there and she's very eager to please, 50 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: and she's pretty, if she's a bit too tan for 51 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: the standards of the time. And she's also very feminine. 52 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: So after her mother dies, her guardian is faced with 53 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: this orphan teenage orphan decides she's going to try to 54 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: unload or try to marry her off. Along comes a 55 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: satirical writer, Paul Scoun, who was twenty five years older 56 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: than France Swaws and also severely crippled by arthritis. Right, 57 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: and he wasn't again a real stand up guy. He 58 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: was kind of shady judging from what we read, I 59 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: keep on seeing his name linked with the word rascal, 60 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: which is what you want for a sixteen year old girl. 61 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: In her marriage in sixteen fifty two, he made her 62 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: an offer which was marry me or I'll give you 63 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: the dowry you need to be in a convent, and 64 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: France Laws had no interest in being a nun. She 65 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: later said, I preferred to marry him rather than a convent, 66 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: so she chose the marriage, and she wasn't particularly pleased 67 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: with marriage. She's quoted as saying, don't hope for perfect 68 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: happiness from marriage to someone else's advice. And no one 69 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: knows if their marriage was actually consummated. No. Once again, 70 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: he had very bad arthritis, but um, judging by his rascal, 71 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: I don't behavior. No one's quite sure. They think if 72 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: there may have been attempts made at least, but she 73 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: wasn't interested in sex after that, so I'm assuming it 74 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: didn't go well for little France Laws. But she does 75 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: end up nursing him and running his salon, where she 76 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: meets a lot of very influential important people, and she 77 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: learns to become a very good conversationalist and an even 78 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: better listener, which again will serve her well because those 79 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: were considered great virtues and woman at the time as 80 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: they are now. Who doesn't want to have a good conversation. Um, 81 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: So obviously, this teenage girl married to this crippled satirical 82 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: writer uh presiding over his saloon, has a lot of 83 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: offers or flirtations from his visitors, but most people think 84 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: she resisted that, although she sort of perfected the art 85 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: of flirtation, but she kept her reputation largely intact, which 86 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: served her well later. Again, yes, she was a forward 87 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: thinker from Salas Dubner well, I guess from Slis Garran 88 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: at this point. But eight years into their marriage, Paul 89 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: Scarand dies and there are some scirless rumors that pop 90 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: up yet again that after his death, perhaps she had 91 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: engaged in a little bit more than flirtation. One source 92 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: said she even considered becoming a courtesan, but ended up 93 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: taking a room at a convent and sort of becoming 94 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: a saloon lady instead of respectable, well read woman of culture. 95 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: She may have had lovers at this point though, although 96 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: if she did, she was very discreet and almost considered 97 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 1: somewhat of a prude or at least extremely devout. Right, 98 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: we came into we came to blows about this earlier. 99 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: That's not entirely true, because I was reading Antonia Fraser's 100 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: Love and Louis the fourteenth, which is what I was 101 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: doing a lot of my research on, and Sarah had 102 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: different sources, and a lot of them disagree. So Sarah's 103 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 1: going to go ahead and say that she had lovers, 104 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: and I am going to maintain that she did not. 105 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: She discreet with her lovers. But she was also known 106 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: for being very virtuous, and she really loved children, which 107 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: was actually unusual at the time because childhood hadn't been 108 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: so sentimentalized as it is now, so people didn't think 109 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: that women should fall and over children. It wasn't really expected. 110 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: But she really loved being around them and teaching them 111 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: to read and teaching them their catechism. And this is 112 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: how her next opportunity comes up. Well, and before we 113 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: even go into that, she really walked the line quite 114 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: well between uh, this motherly devout persona and something a 115 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: little more sensual, and she maintained a friendship with the 116 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: most famous courtisan at the time and still managed to 117 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: you know, come out of that with a solid reputation, 118 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, in part because of this very motherly um 119 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: face she put forward. Well, and I love the detail 120 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: that she apparently loved fine petticoats. And she went to 121 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: her confessor one day and he'd said, you know, I 122 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: know you say you always wear normal things, but I 123 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: can tell by the russell you know you're wearing something 124 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: nice through the screen under the dress. So she wasn't 125 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: immune from vanity. So Francois great opportunity comes in sixteen 126 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: sixty eight when her friend Marie de Montespa, who was 127 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: the king's favorite mistress at the time, gets pregnant and 128 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: she was offered the position of taking care of the 129 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: royal bastards because they were, you know, the King's kids, 130 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: but they were also supposed to be a bit out 131 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: of a spotlight. So he ended up buying a house 132 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: for her to take care of all of them in. 133 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: And she asked her confessor, the abbeg o Blam, whether 134 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: she should do this or not, you know, do you 135 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: take the post as governess? And he said yes, that 136 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: it was her duty or possibly even her holy destiny. Again, 137 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: according to the book I was reading, and this is 138 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: where her good reputation in her discretion really come into play. Uh, 139 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: Marie de Montespa was married, obviously the king was married, 140 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: so these kids were We're more secret than you might expect. 141 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: Francois's role is literally like whisking away these children to 142 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: their new residents and caring for them. And that made 143 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: for a bit of friction between her and the royal 144 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: stress because it's always hard, I think child care when 145 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: someone's with your children all day long and you were not, 146 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: So they didn't necessarily get along as much as one 147 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: would have hoped. And apparently fran sUAS thought about quitting 148 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: or maybe even becoming a nun, and we know how 149 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: she felt about that. It must not have been very 150 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: fun for her. Now, plus the king is starting to notice, 151 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: uh the widow scarone a little more, and he's making 152 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: his visits. He's you know, he's visiting his kids, and oh, 153 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,439 Speaker 1: their lovely governess also happens to be there. So they're 154 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: starting to get to know each other but well, and 155 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: she is so different from Marie de Montespond because she 156 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: is so very motherly, whereas you know, his mistress is 157 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: very very sensual and very sexual and demanding and demanding 158 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,599 Speaker 1: fran sUAS is subservient and motherly, and he'd come to 159 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: see her, you know, and she'd have children in her lash. 160 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: She's very serious, very good, intelligent. You could kind of 161 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: imagine them having a quiet conversation, right. She wasn't necessarily 162 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: very funny, maybe or even extremely entertaining, but she was 163 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: clearly a sweet woman and one who had her head 164 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: on straight. So in sixteen seventy four, the King gives 165 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: from sUAS quite a bit of money, and as a reward, 166 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: she buys land at Mantena, which is about twenty five 167 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: miles from their side, because it reminded her where she 168 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: used to live when she was a kid with her relatives. 169 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: And this is when she gets her title Madame de Montenen, 170 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: which the King gives her permission to use, because you 171 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: can't just do that on your own. And I like 172 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 1: the detail, according to Fraser's book, that she insisted her 173 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: Linen's bestored with lavender as her fragrance instead of rose petals, 174 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: which is sounds lovely. It was usually it does sound lovely, 175 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: and for people who are wondering if you know, the 176 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: King promoting her in this way kind of out the 177 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: whole secret household of his illegitimate children. He had actually 178 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,199 Speaker 1: recognized his his illegitimate children the year before, so they 179 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: were getting titles and more out in the open than 180 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: they had been, and he had quite a few of them. 181 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: He had a lot, was very fertile, and it wasn't 182 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: just two or three kids in a house. We're talking 183 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: a lot of kids. And their family tree gets so 184 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 1: confusing at this point if you try to go and 185 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: look at one. But a change comes in the king's 186 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: relationship with his mistress in the Easter of sixteen seventy 187 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: five when a priest refuses to give absolution to the 188 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: king's mistress and he and the mistress end up breaking 189 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: up because they both think that they're going to be damned. 190 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: But the king and his mistress were a pretty good couple, 191 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: and he was still in love with her, and he 192 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: spent a lot of money on her property. He tried 193 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: to have other affairs to sort of stay away from her, 194 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, too, didn't occur to him to stop having 195 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: sex rebound rebound affairs. Um. But the two and back 196 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: and up back together and they have even more kids 197 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: and um after those last kids are born. Though the 198 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: sexual relationships stops and from sUAS at this point is 199 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: also very worried about the king's salvation. Like this had 200 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: become a nationwide thing. People in France were talking about 201 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,599 Speaker 1: the king and whether he was going to hell for 202 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,439 Speaker 1: having this mistress, because adultery was considered so much worse 203 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 1: than fornication. They were both people exactly engaging in the 204 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: sexual relationship, and people truly thought, you know, their king 205 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: was going to hell. So no one knows quite when 206 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: fran sUAS and the King became lovers. Originally she tried 207 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: to be his friend, but she was very concerned with 208 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: the idea of salvation, and at some point must have 209 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: realized that unless she was sleeping with the king, someone 210 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: else was going to be. Yeah, there needed to be 211 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: that extra dimension to their relationship, so she stepped up. Yeah, 212 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: even though it's ironic that at the time she's also 213 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: persuading the king to sort of rekindle his romance with 214 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: his wife, which made the Queen Marie Torre very happy. 215 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: You know, she had very much missed her husband, and 216 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: that just sort of goes along with francois a virtuous thing. 217 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: She thought it was very important that he was involved 218 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: with his wife. And if she thought she could save 219 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: him and having a sexual relationship with him was necessary, 220 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: then the means at some point justified the ends, and 221 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 1: she wrote to her confessor that maybe her small acts 222 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: of charity made up for some of the bad things 223 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: that she was doing. So obviously things are winding down 224 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: with the king's former mistress, Marie de Montespa, and that 225 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: really comes to a close when she's accused of participating 226 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: in a black mass and buying poison. This was a 227 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: while back, and it's very sensationalized and just a lot 228 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: of rumors flying, but it's further bad press basically to 229 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:06,479 Speaker 1: their already stormy relationship, and it's so tabloid scandalous it's ridiculous, 230 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: like all the poison she bought and her designs upon 231 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: the king, when it would have made no sense for 232 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: her to poison the king at all, because that's how 233 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: she had what she had, so why would she even 234 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: want to do that? Um And at the same time, 235 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: people in the court are really confused about what's going 236 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: on with Francoise and the king. You know what, what 237 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: kind of relationship are they actually Are they even having 238 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: a sexual relationship or is she really just she that devout. 239 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: Are they just friends? Is she his you know, spiritual 240 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: advisor or is something else going on? And she has 241 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: this weird set of rooms at fair Side. They are 242 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: very tiny and they aren't well heated, and at this 243 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: point she's starting to develop arthritis, so it's really not 244 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: comfortable for her. And this is in contrast to like 245 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: his mistress's rooms or the queen's rooms, which are sums. 246 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: Some historians think six eight two is when her rel 247 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: fationship began with a king, because she started kind of 248 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: freaking out about making her Easter in six eight three. 249 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: Because I'm still a little confused about this. I'm not 250 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: going to lie, but it was very public and you 251 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: had to go do your penance, you know, in your 252 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: confession beforehand, and then make this public appearance. And if 253 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: you were, say, living in sin, then you wouldn't want 254 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: to be doing It's a religious right, oh yes, but 255 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: also a very public one. So she was really uncomfortable 256 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: with that right then. So we're thinking something had started 257 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: at that point, and there's a big development in s Yes, 258 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: the poor neglected queen dies and um Louise actually early 259 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: sad about it. He says that that was the most 260 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: dying is the most trouble she ever gave him. But 261 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: she sat at the picture and um, Louie is ready 262 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: to move on. And her last words, as a side note, 263 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: I think you're so sad. Supposedly she said, since I 264 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: have been queen, I have had only one happy day. 265 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: It is and I think his is even sadder. That's 266 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: the only trouble she ever gave it. And did given 267 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: him more trouble, Marie Tourne. So the king isn't super old, 268 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: and um, the kingdom wants him to marry again, and 269 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: he seems like he doesn't want to or did because 270 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: he said to have engaged in a Morganatic marriage with 271 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: from squaws. And if you've never heard of it, it's 272 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: a marriage that was legal within the church but not 273 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: the state. So you get married in a chapel with witnesses, 274 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: but then you don't register it anywhere, so legally it's 275 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: not recognized, but it is sanctioned by the church. It's 276 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: for two parties who are not social equals. Right, so 277 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 1: in the eyes of God, you're married, whereas the eyes 278 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: of the public would think it was a ridiculous match. 279 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: I think you should be marrying some princess us oversimplify it, right, 280 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: and your kids wouldn't inherit your title or anything if 281 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,479 Speaker 1: you had a Morganatic marriage, But that wasn't really an 282 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 1: issue by then anyways, since from sUAS is in her 283 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: early fifties and she's past the point of having children. 284 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: And we think this might have happened in October of 285 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: that year in the old chapel at Versailles, because after 286 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: this she had a new status from Suaz could sit 287 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: down in the presence of royalty, and the pope showed 288 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: her respect and sent her gifts, so he must have 289 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: known about the relationship, or obviously he wouldn't have been 290 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: doing it. And she also got better rooms in the palace. 291 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 1: And she also, you know, obviously had an ear with 292 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: the king and increasingly influenced his religious behavior and the 293 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: court life that vers i. Um it's less like the 294 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: glorious Versailles son King court that you imagine at this point. 295 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: It's more toned down. Um. But a lot of historians 296 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: debate how much influence she really had. Politically, she was 297 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: sort of demonized after her death for you know, just 298 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: convincing him to make all these awful mistakes and do 299 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: all these awful things. Um, but it's pretty likely she 300 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: didn't have much to do with anything before Sevre at least, 301 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: and certainly didn't have anything to do with the um 302 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: revocation of the Edictive Knots, which denied the denied rights 303 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: to all the Protestants in France. It was a pretty 304 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: pretty big deal when she thought. She's recorded as saying 305 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: something along the lines of, you know, if you want 306 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 1: a better life in this world and the next, maybe 307 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: you'd better be Catholic. Because clearly it was in one's 308 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: bust interests in France at the time to convert to Catholicism. 309 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: So she was fairly practical about that sort of thing. 310 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: And also, again her personality was pretty subservient. She was 311 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: obedient to the king, so it's not like she was 312 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: going to go requesting favors from him all the time. 313 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: In six she found a school for impoverished noble women. Um. 314 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: It's usually just called sacr um, but she really got 315 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: to go back to her motherly teaching inclinations. Here another 316 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: things she loved taking care of children and raising them. 317 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 1: The teachers of the school were known as the dom 318 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: and the students were called the demoiselle. Of Salois, And 319 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: this is when the king kind of gets to switch 320 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: to a patriarchal role instead of his former rather lecherous one, 321 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: because he was known for how much he loved young women, 322 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: but there was nothing untoured about his relationship with the 323 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: girls at Saints Here, and Francois cared about every detail 324 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: of this school. She provided dentistry services to the girls, 325 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: and she was interested in details from everything to themingerie 326 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 1: to their food. And the object of this school, you know, 327 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: is to make them good Christian women. And she told 328 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: them to be cheerful and to learn to speak French 329 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: with the correct accent and study religious texts. But they 330 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: were also allowed to study theater because the king was 331 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: such a big fan. And they even have a racine 332 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: writes esther for the school, and they perform it a 333 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: bunch of times. But it's so kind of parallel to 334 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: the King's life that he has to add a prologue 335 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: at the end to let this is not actually about 336 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: the son king, but his health starts to decline quite 337 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: a bit in sixteen eighties six, not that it was 338 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: all that great to begin with. His idea of dinner 339 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: was a pheasant, a partridge, four kinds of soup, a 340 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: large salad, two slices of ham mutton with gravy, a 341 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: plate of sweet cakes, fruit, and hard boiled eggs. Something 342 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: about the eggs at the end of the meal, just 343 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: like puts it over the final straw, but imagining eating 344 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: all that and then topping a few hard boiled eggs. 345 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: So by this time he's being purged once a month 346 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: and given enemas of milk, honey and almond oil. He 347 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: has a boil on his thigh and has a terrible 348 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: case of gout. He could hardly walk, and gout is 349 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: incredibly painful. If you don't know any rich food, we'll 350 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: do it shellfish and drinking. And then he got an 351 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: anal fistula which had to be operated on, and there 352 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: was no anesthetics, so surgery was painful, more painful than 353 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: I would even like to imagine. Let's let's move on 354 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: from so, moving on to her health, which is a 355 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: little less gory um but still very disabling. She suffered 356 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: from rheumatism, and the King insists on having all the 357 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: windows open, which is not the most cozy environment for 358 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: someone with rheumatism, and the cold especially it was really 359 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: hard for her. But more health troubles hit in seventeen 360 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: eleven and seventeen twelve, when smallpox and means hit the 361 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: royal family and kill quite a few members all in 362 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: a row, and it was absolutely devastating for the king 363 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: and for everyone else, sudden, very sad deaths. And by 364 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: the summer of seventeen fifteen, Louis is starting to look 365 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: pretty sick. And I was really surprised to learn this, 366 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 1: but bookies actually start taking bets on whether he would die. 367 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it's like some kind of death watch website 368 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: or something. Now we have those now, and we had 369 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 1: them in the seventeen hundreds. So he has gout hardening 370 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 1: of the arteries, and his leg has um started to 371 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: get a case of gang green, which I mean, all 372 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: you can do is amputate at that point once it's 373 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: gotten that bad. And they didn't want to amputate the 374 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: king's leg. But he was still participating in festivals and things, 375 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: or at least trying to oversee them, and he said, 376 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: I have lived among the people of my court. I 377 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: want to die among them. They have followed the whole 378 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: course of my life. It is right that they should 379 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: witness the end of it, and he started declining pretty quickly, 380 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: and told the five year old Duke d'Anjou that he 381 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: would make a good king, and then also told him 382 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: to remain at peace with your neighbors, because Louis the 383 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: fourteenth had quote loved war too much unquote and the 384 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: king in France walls have a few interactions kind of 385 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: in this decline. She comes and visits him from the 386 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: school um, and he was actually worried about her because 387 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: she didn't really have anything in terms of money now, 388 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,120 Speaker 1: and he hadn't lavished money on her as he had 389 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: with didn't just ask for it. She didn't even want 390 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: it with us. What she did have a lot of 391 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: it she donated to charity or put into the school. 392 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: Her her house she had given to her niece and um. 393 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: She was very generous, but not that demanding herself. The 394 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,640 Speaker 1: king gave her a rosary and she helped him burn 395 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: his papers, and he carried a miniature of a portrait 396 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: of her in his westcoat pocket it until he died, 397 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: which I think is a very sweet detail. And he 398 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: died September one, seventeen fifteen, and as a true marker 399 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 1: of her position as the king's wife, if not the Queen. 400 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 1: Foreign dignitaries end up sending her letters of condolence, the 401 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: type of letters that you would send to the queen, 402 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: and mentioning her very special loss and how hard they 403 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: knew it must be for her. She's been in his 404 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: life for a long time, thirty plus years. So she 405 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 1: went on to live at the school, and Peter the 406 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,479 Speaker 1: Great came to visit her, apparently, and she died at 407 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: eighty four, and as a true measure of her standing, 408 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: her ashes were disentered during the French Revolution, just like 409 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: all the other royals, so she got the same scanual treatment. 410 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: If you want to hear more about where things went 411 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: from that point, check out how the French Revolution worked, 412 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: and if you have any questions, you can email us 413 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: at his Street podcast at how stuff works dot com, 414 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: and don't forget to check out the blog and also 415 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: our homepage at www dot how stuff works dot com. 416 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 417 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Let us know what you think, 418 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: send an email to podcast at how stuff works dot 419 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: com and be sure to check out the stuff you 420 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: missed in History Class blog on the how Stuff works 421 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: dot com home page,