Mémoires & réflexions (Archives des Bourbons)

by Louis XIV

Je n'ai jamais cru que les rois fussent dispen- I sés de l'obligation commune des pères, qui est d'instruire leurs enfants par l'exemple et par le conseil. » À l'apogée d'un règne encore jeune, Louis XIV com­mence à dicter une série de Mémoires pour l'instruction de son fils, le Grand Dauphin. En 1714, le maréchal de Noailles sauvera quelques-uns de ces papiers du feu où le Roi-Soleil voulait les jeter. Les Mémoires éclairent la personnalité du roi et son action au début de son règne. Sa relation des années 1661, 1662, 1666, 1667 et 1668 délivre à son héritier un message qu'aucune autre lecture n'aurait pu lui apporter : la somme de ses expériences, en premier lieu les révoltes et les trahi­sons de la Fronde. Habitué aux « malicieux artifices des hommes », Louis est sans illusion sur l'humaine nature. Il sait à quel point l'aiguillon de l'intérêt est un maître impérieux pour tous ceux qui l'entourent. D'une maîtrise de soi sans cesse en éveil, de la tâche quo­tidienne du partage des emplois et de la distribution des grâces, il a tiré une connaissance aiguë des res­sorts de l'âme humaine, une compréhension subtile des rouages du gouvernement et de la diplomatie. Le Roi-Soleil se révèle, dans ce traité magistral, le meilleur professeur du métier de roi.

127 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

A magnificent court, the expansion of influence in Europe, and the establishment of overseas colonies characterized the longest reign of Louis XIV, known as the Great and the Sun King in history of France from 1643; he waged three major wars and in 1685 revoked the edict of Nantes and thus caused thousands of Huguenots to leave.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV

Reviews

[Elo · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a man! You cannot deny Louis XIV was a great king (humhum the greatest - yes I'm partial) and his "memoirs" truly show that as they are political memoirs. You won't see what kind of man he was, despite that he wrote this, as his focus his to give advices to his son, the Dauphin on political matters and on how to rule.

This is no "diary" and no personal transcrit of the King's life, except that you still get to gauge Louis's personality: he's a king in everything he does.

You get a glimpse of his strategic mind, and he did write this so it's all him, and his values and duties as King of France. The most important thing to him. The man was not kidding.

And while it is formal, there is also a details on "how to visit and show Versailles's gardens properly" which indeed gives you an idea on what kind of mind he was and what he loved.

As we many important history figures, you can only know so much and deductions are needed to make your own ideas about them.

I personally find Louis XIV, our Sun King, to be fascinating. A smart, strict and visionary leader that contributed to France's monarchy and history like no other.

I don't pretend to understand him and despite the fact he was not perfect (absolute monarchy is not the best), there is no doubt he cared for France (his view of it) the most and did everything to serve her.

And that he was a lonely man, fearful of treason. One of the "Guidelines for the Duc d'Anjou (the Dauphin)" is "Care for no one", which I find very telling in itself.