But the King refused them all, and said very bluntly to D'Aubigne, "Is there not a son ?" He had, in fact, always given my father to understand I should succeed him, although generally he did not allow offices to descend from father to son.
Let me say a few words about my father.

Our family in my grandfather's time had become impoverished; and my father was early sent to the Court as page to Louis XIII.

It was very customary then for the sons of reduced gentlemen to accept this occupation.

The King was passionately fond of hunting, an amusement that was carried on with far less state, without that abundance of dogs, and followers, and convenience of all kinds which his successor introduced, and especially without roads through the forests.

My father, who noticed the impatience of the King at the delays that occurred in changing horses, thought of turning the head of the horse he brought towards the crupper of that which the King quitted.