When he had gone to its farthest limit, when it failed to express his ideas or feelings, he forced it--the result was a new term, or a change in the ordinary meaning of words sprang forth from has pen.

With this was joined a vigour and breadth of style, very pronounced, which makes up the originality of the works of Saint-Simon and contributes toward placing their author in the foremost rank of French writers." Louis de Rouvroy, who later became the Duc de Saint-Simon, was born in Paris, January 16, 1675.

He claimed descent from Charlemagne, but the story goes that his father, as a young page of Louis XIII., gained favour with his royal master by his skill in holding the stirrup, and was finally made a duke and peer of France.

The boy Louis had no lesser persons than the King and Queen Marie Therese as godparents, and made his first formal appearance at Court when seventeen.

He tells us that he was not a studious boy, but was fond of reading history; and that if he had been given rein to read all he desired of it, he might have made "some figure in the world." At nineteen, like D'Artagnan, he entered the King's Musketeers.