Then he allowed his head to sink between his hands, as if he were really asleep. But at the end of a moment he arose, and opening the window violently, he bathed his burning brow in the keen morning air, which brought to his senses the scent of the trees and the perfume of flowers. A splendid dawn was rising in the horizon, and the first rays of the sun inundated with flame the brow of the young king.
"This dawn is that of my reign!" murmured Louis XIV.
"Is it a presage that you send me, all-powerful God?"
CHAPTER L. THE FIRST DAY OF THE ROYALTY OF LOUIS XIV.
In the morning the news of the death of the cardinal was spread through the castle, and thence speedily reached the city. The ministers, Fouquet, Lyonne, and Letellier entered la salle des séances to hold a council. The king sent for them immediately.
"Messieurs," said he, "as long as Monsieur le Cardinal lived I allowed him to govern my affairs; but now, I mean to govern them myself. You will give me your advice when I shall ask it. You may go."
The ministers looked at one another with surprise. If they concealed a smile, it was with a great effort, for they knew that the prince, brought up in absolute ignorance of business, by this took upon himself a burden much too heavy for his strength. Fouquet took leave of his colleagues upon the stairs, saying:
"Messieurs, there will be so much the less labor for us."
And he got gayly into his carriage. The others, a little uneasy at the turn things had taken, went back to Paris together. Toward ten o'clock, the king repaired to the apartment of his mother, with whom he had a long and perfectly private conversation. After dinner he got into his carriage, and went straight to the Louvre. There he received much company, and took a degree of pleasure in remarking the hesitation of all and the curiosity of each. Toward evening he ordered the doors of the Louvre to be closed, with the exception of one only, which opened to the quay. He placed on duty at this point two hundred Swiss, who did not speak a word of French, with orders to admit all who carried packages, but no others; and by no
