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 The Ascendency of France under Louis XIV 299 Histoire de France, edited by Lavisse ; Vol. VII, Parts I and II, by Lavisse (Louis XIV, 1643-1685); and Vol. VIII, Part I, by Rebel- liau and Sagnac (the close of Louis' reign). These volumes are announced for early publication. The early part of Louis' reign has been elaborately treated by Che- RUEL, Histoire de France pendant la minorite de Louis XIV, and His- toire de France sous le ministere de Mazarin, 7 vols., 1879— 1883. CoRREARD, Choix de textes pour servir a V etude des institutions de la France. A great part of this excellent and inexpensive little school book is devoted to the reign of Louis XIV. Vast, Grands Traites du regne de Louis XIV, 1893. Very con- venient. Isambert, Recueil general des anciennes lois, Vols. XVIII-XX. Contains the more important legislation. Ezechiel Spanheim (envoy of the elector of Brandenburg at the court of Louis, 1 680-1 689), Relation de la cour de France en i6go (Societe de l'histoire de France). Of memoirs there are many for this period. The chief collections Memoirs are Nouvelle Collection de Memoires, edited by Michaud and Poujou- and letters, lat, 34 vols., 1854, and Archives curieuses de Vhistoire de France, edited by Cimber and Danjou, 27 vols., 1874-1880. The following writers of memoirs deserve special mention : Saint-Simon (1675— 1755), Memoires. Saint-Simon is perhaps the Saint-Simon, most celebrated of memoir writers. He began to make notes very early, probably in 1691, but did not commence to write out his memoirs in their final form until 1740, when he was sixty-five years old. The events he narrates belong to the period 1 692-1 723, and he made much use of the Journal of Dangeau, mentioned below. Saint-Simon's admirable style has led his readers to overlook his inaccuracy and partiality, for he was a good hater. There is an excellent edition of the Memoirs edited by Cheruel, 2d ed., 1873-1877 (22 vols.), cheaper edition in thirteen vols. About half of a new edition in thirty vols., edited by Boislisle, has appeared in Les Grands Ecrivains de la France. The Letters of the duchess of Orleans, sister-in-law of Louis and mother of the regent Philippe of Orleans, form an interesting source. Important for the latter half of Louis' reign. Madame's sharp eyes saw many things, and she wrote very freely and constantly to her friends and relatives. There are a number of French translations of collections of her letters, the most complete of which is that edited by Jaegle, Paris, 3 vols., 1890. Ranke, Franzosische Geschichte, Vol. VI, gives a number in the original German. Letters of the duchess of Orleans.