Louis Xiv Quotes

“Little by little, the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him.”
― Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution

“Had you but seen it, I promise you, your high-minded principles would have melted like candle wax. Never would you have wished such beauty away.”
― Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution

“Dixon was not unconscious of this awed reverence which was given to her; nor did she dislike it; it flattered her as much as Louis the Fourteenth was flattered by his courtiers shading their eyes from the dazzling light of his presence.”
― Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

“Ever heard of the Very Reverend William Buckland? No? He was a fucking brilliant Scamp! He was the Duke of Westminster and he actually ate Louis XIV’s heart 150 years after the French king died!”
― Karl Wiggins, Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe

“Every one is fond of comparing himself to something great and grandiose, as Louis XIV likened himself to the sun, and others have had like similes. I am more humble. I am a mere street scavenger (chiffonier) of science. With my hook in my hand and my basket on my back, I go about the streets of science, collecting what I find.”
― François Magendie

“Indeed, King Louis XIV of France, confronted with a revised map of his domain based on accurate longitude measurements, reportedly complained that he was losing more territory to his astronomers than to his enemies.”
― Dava Sobel

“When Marguerite (Marguerite-Louise of France, Grand Duchess of Tuscany), caught malaria, she claimed the royal family of Tuscany was trying to murder her, but that she would, in fact, rather die than return to her husband. Louis XIV asked the pope to threaten excommunication if Marguerite persisted, and the pontiff sent her a harsh letter. She didn't fear hell, she replied she was already living in it.”
― Eleanor Herman, Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics

“those who come after us will think that they are just fairy tales”
― Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz

“It is rare to find, learned men who are clean, do not stink and have a sense of humour.”
― Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz, Letters from Liselotte: Elizabeth-Charlotte, Princess Palatine and Duchess of Orleans

“Jules Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister to Louis XIV, was accused of pushing gambling on the upper strata of society to keep the nobility in thrall, their minds happily occupied by matters other than subterfuge. Their growing gambling losses also kept them indebted to the king.”
― Kelly Clancy