One that got away

At reference 1 and elsewhere, I have noticed the short history of the Bourbons by Shennan, a book which might prompt me to revisit our own troubles here in England, during the same transition from old-style kingdom to new-style state.

In the meantime, a couple of days ago I picked up his reference 2, a journal of the childhood of Louis XIII kept by his French doctor. A journal which runs to hundreds of pages. Perhaps not as wordy as his near contemporary Saint Simon but not a bad effort, a unique insight into the formation of an important king. Food for thought and worse by psycho-analysts everywhere.

Thinking to take a peek, I quickly turn up a book which has been digitised as part of the google world knowledge project and I found myself the proud owner of 526 pages of pdf, being the photographic copy of the first volume of an extract taken from the original in the middle of the 19th century.

I have now decided that this is one which I will allow to get away. It might have been the start of a fascinating journey, but life is too short.

PS: but before it got away, I learned that not only was Louis XIII born in public, before the eyes of the assembled noble lords and ladies, all the great and the good, the midwife also made sure that they were all looking when she separated Louis from his mother, when she cut the cord. There was to be no doubt about his provenance.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/veils-of-secrecy.html.

Reference 2: Sur l'enfance et la jeunesse de Louis XIII (1601-1628) - Jean Héroard - to 1628.