Book Moments: Bits on Louis XIV

It’s the long weekend here in Canada, and I don’t know how I’m getting any reading done…but every little stretch I manage to squeeze Louis in;) So far, I’ve never read so much detailed info on Louis’Court. I got to the part where Louise becomes his mistress. So far, I have to say that Louis was the model son almost from birth. His mom meant the world to him and everything she said really mattered to him.


He was also brought up by Cardinal Mazarin, who was very close to Louis’ mother. So, okay the Cardinal did make sure he looked out for his own interests, but turning Louis into a fine king, is shown to be his first priority (besides wanting to make himself pope)...just in passing…there’s a part about the Cardinal, who loved to gamble and, often cheated. He would call this ‘correcting chance’…I thought that was a clever way to put it.


Then there’s Marie Mancini. I had heard about her before though never in such detail. She was one of Cardinal Mazarin’s nieces- Louis and her were madly in love. Although their love was never ‘consumed’- they had more than a strong infatuation and Louis contested and protested in order to marry her- of course this was denied to him. Marie was shipped away to later be respectfully married. I was unaware of this relationship in such detail.


‘”You love me, you are King-you weep, and I must go.”’ Later these very words inspired Racine to write his Bérénice tragedy…


I think I’d like to read more about marie; there’s a book on her memoirs. If anyone has read this, I’d love to hear about it.



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