. Versailles and the court under Louis XIV. ehis ideals and theories no longer move the world, it wouldbe as absurd to suppose that he was not in his day in touchwith the spirit of his age as to fancy that the powerful im-pression he made on his contemporaries was due solely tohis rank and position. Neither his predecessor nor his suc-cessor enjoyed anything like it. Let us consider him underthree aspects—as a man, as a monarch, as an idealist; inother words, as Louis de Bourbon, as the King of France andNavarre, and as the Sun King. LOUIS DE BOURBON That the eldest son of Louis XIII and Anne
. Versailles and the court under Louis XIV. ehis ideals and theories no longer move the world, it wouldbe as absurd to suppose that he was not in his day in touchwith the spirit of his age as to fancy that the powerful im-pression he made on his contemporaries was due solely tohis rank and position. Neither his predecessor nor his suc-cessor enjoyed anything like it. Let us consider him underthree aspects—as a man, as a monarch, as an idealist; inother words, as Louis de Bourbon, as the King of France andNavarre, and as the Sun King. LOUIS DE BOURBON That the eldest son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria wasphysically fit for the post he filled is without question. Theevidence on that point is overwhelming. The stature of ahero, says Saint-Simon, his bitterest antagonist, and the lastman in the world to be accused of flattery in this connection, his whole figure so naturally endowed with majesty thatit was equally evident in the slightest gestures and the mostordinary actions, without any air of pride, but simple gravity;. 184. By ptmunxm of Braun. CUmtnt f Co Louis XIV His Personal Appearance and Character so admirably well made and proportioned that sculptorsmight have sought him for their model; a perfect face, withthe finest countenance and the grandest air that ever manhad. All these advantages were enhanced by the mostnatural grace, and, what has been given to no other, he worethis air of grandeur and majesty in his dressing-gown, to thepoint of ones being unable to bear his glance, just the sameas in the attire of fetes or ceremonies, or on horseback at thehead of his troops. He excelled in all bodily exercises, andhe liked to see them well done. Neither fatigue nor in-clemency of weather told on him, or made any impressionon that heroic face; showing through rain, snow, cold, sweat,or covered with dust, it was always the same. I have fre-quently witnessed this with admiration, for, unless it wereweather of extreme and rare severity, nothing kept him fromgoi
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