St. Cloud (pp 815–818)

Eliza writes to her patron from the estate of the King’s brother, describing the decadent atmosphere and the impending French military movements.

“Eliza, Countess de la Zeur, to d’Avaux” — Comte d’Avaux was a premier French diplomat and the ambassador to the Dutch Republic, famous for managing a massive network of spies to counter the influence of William of Orange.

“Monsieur’s only complaint is that the torrid weather causes his makeup to run.” — Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the younger brother of Louis XIV, was known at court simply as “Monsieur.” While he was famously flamboyant and openly bisexual, he was also a surprisingly effective military commander, a fact that often made his brother, the King, jealous.

“his chief lover is the Chevalier de Lorraine.” — A member of the princely House of Guise, the Chevalier de Lorraine was the Duke’s long-term lover and exerted such influence over the household that he was rumored to have orchestrated the poisoning of the Duke’s first wife.

“the Marquis d’Effiat is never far behind” — Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé, Marquis d’Effiat, was another long-time favorite of the Duke; he was frequently implicated in the various intrigues and power struggles within the “Palais-Royal” set.

“Liselotte has been putting up with this for seventeen years now” — Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine, known affectionately as “Liselotte,” was the Duke’s second wife. Stephenson’s annotation: “She wrote thousands of letters to her relatives in Germany, providing a blunt, often scatological, and highly detailed account of the French court.”

“the King reprimanded Monsieur’s lovers but balked at intervening” — Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” maintained absolute power by turning the nobility into a captive audience at court, though he often struggled to control the private scandals of his own family members.

“It was devised by Colbert as a way to neutralize those Frenchmen” — Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the Minister of Finances, systematically used the promotion of luxury goods and rigid etiquette to bankrupt the nobility and ensure they were too busy chasing fashion and favor to plot rebellions.

“another descendant of the Winter Queen, should succeed her late brother.” — Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, was the daughter of James I of England; her vast lineage provided the basis for various Protestant claims to the English throne, as well as the complex territorial disputes involving the Palatinate.

“life at St. Cloud” — The Château de Saint-Cloud served as the primary residence for the Duke of Orléans. It was famous for its tiered gardens and waterworks, which rivaled those of Versailles in beauty and technical sophistication.

“la Palatine” — This title refers to Madame Palatine, who felt like a perpetual outsider in France; she famously hated the “filth” of French court life and preferred the company of her dogs and her voluminous correspondence.

“The King has a pair of hunting-dogs named Phobos and Deimos” — Named after the Greek personifications of Fear and Dread, these dogs serve as a Phobos and Deimos (Allegory) for the French armies. In 1688, Louis XIV was preparing to unleash these “dogs” by invading the Palatinate, an act that would trigger the Nine Years’ War.