[Cincinna]

It had nothing to do with sex.

Louis XIV was an extraordinaty man, with an extraordinary inyellect and education. His writings show an artistic temperament, but disciplined, well school in the art of statecraft.

[muawiyah]

October 1685 saw Louis XIV revoke the Edict of Nantes and declared Protestantism illegal with the Edict of Fontainebleau.The Madame de Maintenon had appeared on the scene as one of Henry's official mistresses in 1680.

I see a pattern here ~ there's ol' Henry, fat dumb and happy living in a very prosperous France at peace with itself, and with its Protestant neighbors. Then, here comes Madame de Maintenon and she turns Henry to "the Church" whereupon he revokes the very act of official state toleration that kept France's middle class and Protestant merchants at home.

Next thing you know France is up to its eyeballs in conflicts with its Protestant neighbors; the Brits turn hungry eyes on French zones in India, and on the Ohio Valley and on New France!

Real smart Madame de Maintenon!

That's called "screwing the pooch".

[JRandomFreeper]

I am pretty sure I had my tongue planted squarely in my cheek when I wrote that post. I should have used a /s?

No one with a brain would confuse Louis the 14th with anything sexual. Not hetrosexual, anyway.

/johnny