Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de MONTPENSIER (1627-1693) la Grande Mademoiselle; daughter of Gaston d'Orléans, heroine of the Fronde, where she commanded the cannons of the Bastille against the royal troops; she secretly married Lauzun. L.A.S., November 12, 1665, to Colbert; 6pages in-4, addressed with black wax seals of arms (broken). Very beautiful, long letter in which the Grande Mademoiselle complains that Louis XIV is making fun of her, that she is being insulted, and that promises to repair her Luxembourg palace are not being kept. No work has been done on the repairs, no money has been given to her: "the vans have come who have bocoup endomage sette modite maison qui me cosera jamais que de lenuy". Yet she had signed the contract stipulating "that we would repair the house and that I would be mistress. It is being destroyed every day, and my mother-in-law [Marguerite de Lorraine, second wife of Gaston d'Orléans] is ordering everything without speaking a word. I am writing to you and to the king to complain [...] japrans de tous cotes que le roy tourne en ridiculle mes plintes et temoigne de la joie de coy jay ocasion den faire. [...] the king is doing me a great justice if he makes me doper sins without a thousand frans to moter a house that is going to be in such a state that it can no longer be sheltered, being destroyed every day, at least I'll be at rest". She could no longer bear her mother-in-law's complaints, a real persecution for which she paid dearly. The king always promises her justice, but her mother-in-law continues to do as she pleases. "If they don't want to give me the sins without a thousand francs, or let me enjoy this house as I should, let them let me rent it out, unless my argan is lost. I know that the proposal is quite extraordinary for someone of my age, but given the state of my affairs, I can't have sin without a thousand useless francs". She begs them to stop persecuting her: "I think I'm leaving Paris well with the King, I'm very satisfied, and as soon as I'm out they're insulted and say it's by his orders. Je vous avoue que je suis trop sansible et que si je resistes plus a deplesirs je seres plus sage". She begs for mercy...