"Sir," rejoined Colbert, "I flatter myself, at any rate, that that word does not apply to me ?" "No," said the king; "but more attention should have been shown.

If you want to know what economy is, go to Flanders; you will see how little those fortifications of the conquered places cost." It was Vauban whose praise the king thus sang, and Vauban, devoted to Louvois, had for a long time past been embroiled with Colbert.

The minister felt himself beaten in the contest he had so long maintained against Michael Le Tellier and his son.

In 1664, at the death of Chancellor Seguier, Colbert had opposed the elevation of Le Tellier to this office, "telling the king that, if he came in, he, Colbert, could not serve his Majesty, as he would have him thwarting everything he wanted to do." On leaving the council, Le Tellier said to Brienne, "You see what a tone M.Colbert takes up; he will have to be settled with." The antagonism had been perpetuated between Colbert and Louvois; their rivalry in the state had been augmented by the contrary dispositions of the two ministers.

Both were passionately devoted to their work, laborious, indefatigable, honest in money matters, and both of fierce and domineering temper; but Louvois was more violent, more bold, less scrupulous as to ways and means of attaining his end, cruel in the exercise of his will and his wrath, less concerned about the sufferings of the people, more exclusively absorbed by one fixed idea; both rendered great service to the king, but Colbert performing for the prince and the state only useful offices in the way of order, economy, wise and far-sighted administration, courageous and steady opposition; Louvois ever urging the king on according to his bent, as haughty and more impassioned than he, entangling him and encouraging him in wars which rendered his own services necessary, without pity for the woes he entailed upon the nation.