Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 08

In the waning years of Louis XIV’s reign, France is mired in a financial nightmare threatening to swallow the kingdom. The court is besieged by worthless paper money, a maze of ever‑growing taxes, and a desperate king whose sleepless nights betray a nation on the brink. Desmarets, the king’s trusted minister, proposes a sweeping “Royal Tithe” to replace the endless levy of bills and duties. Engineers like Vauban and economists such as Boisguilbert champion the plan, yet it provokes dread among nobles, officials, and ordinary citizens.

As the proposal reaches the throne, Louis XIV wrestles with his conscience, torn between the state's crushing needs and the moral weight of extracting his subjects’ wealth. He summons physicians and advisors, seeking reassurance that the Crown’s claim is just, while the court watches his every sigh. The narrative captures the tension between grand ambition and human frailty, painting a monarch haunted by policies meant to save his realm. Listeners are drawn into a kingdom where each new edict may either rescue or ruin the lives it touches.