Note A — CIX. To the Sister Louise-Angélique de la Fayette,[A] at the First Monastery of Paris.

Marie-Louise Motier de la Fayette became maid of honour to Anne of Austria at the age of fourteen. Her beauty and the promise of great ability for which she was afterwards so remarkable attracted the King Louis XIII. His devotion to her which lasted all his life was that of a brother to a most dear sister. He turned to her in his troubles and relied and acted on her advice. When at the age of nineteen she decided to retire into the Monastery of the Visitation, for which she had not ceased to long during her short life at Court, the King opposed her vocation, but seeing that her happiness was bound up with it he at last gave his consent. Yet he never ceased to visit this devoted friend who continued to exercise over him a wise and salutary influence. Richelieu, jealous of her power with the King, was sensibly relieved by her entrance into religion. However, hearing one day that Louis had spent three hours at the Rue St. Antoine with this young religious, he was thoroughly frightened, and sending for Père Caussin, the King's confessor, he said: "I am greatly astonished that the King has made such a mystery to me of this visit. It has caused a great sensation, and the public are persuaded that the consequences of it will be serious. My friends have come to offer to defend me at the peril of their lives." "What can you mean, Monseigneur?" replied the Jesuit Father. "Surely you do not fear Mademoiselle de la Fayette? she is but a child." "You are a simple man," replied the Cardinal, pressing the Priest's hand; "but you will have to learn the wickedness of the world. Know then that this child has had it in her mind to ruin all."

Notwithstanding the discontent—nay, even the abject terror—of the powerful Cardinal, Louis continued his visits, which always took place in the grilled parlour: for although as King he had a right to enter the monastery he never took advantage of this royal privilege.

Upon the foundation of the monastery of Chaillot, for which Henrietta Maria of England herself chose the house, Mlle. de la Fayette, now Sister Louise-Angélique, was sent as one of the foundresses, and was elected Superior there on the decease of Mother L'huillier. After the death of Louis XIII., Louis XIV., Charles II., and James II. of England, Anne of Austria, and Marie Thérèse, all continued to frequent the monastery in order to learn how to sanctify respectively their triumphs or their misfortunes. The unfortunate Queen Henrietta Maria took up her residence there. Mlle. D'Aumale, afterwards Queen of Poland, the Princess Louise Hollandine, daughter of Frederick V. of Bohemia (the champion of Protestanism in Germany) and grand-daughter of James I. of England, were instructed by and lived with the nuns. Later, Marie Beatrice, widow of James II., lived at the monastery. Yet all this concourse of the great ones of the world did not tarnish the virtue nor dissipate the mind of that lover of solitude and of penance, Louise Angélique de la Fayette. She died as Superior at Chaillot, January 11th, 1665, loved and venerated by all who knew her. It is little known that the world owes the birth of Louis XIV. to the wise advice of this holy nun, who pressed home upon the King his conjugal duty.

Taken from, firstly, the original manuscript letter of Père Caussin, S. J., to Sister de la Fayette, found amongst her papers after her death; secondly, from the memoirs of Mme. de Motteville, a personal friend of Sister de la Fayette; thirdly, from the History of Louis XIII., by P. Griffet, who had recourse to the memoir of Père Caussin for these incidents.