Louis Xiv

Louis XIV had many great successes in the period of his ruling. One of his most significant achievements was to leave in his wake the image of grandeur and order that it be remembered in the future. In 1670, Louis finally finished his memoir of the early years of his reign, which was intended to advise his first son, the Dauphin, about the secrets of effective rule.

Throughout the memoir Louis provides useful suggestions and information about being the king of France. He informs the Dauphin that it is difficult to obtain honest advice from the crowd of people that work for the king. Louis writes that it is hard to trust people because he encountered so many problems with confiding in his subjects during his reign. For instance, he talks about all of the conspiracies that the state swarmed with. He also refers back to when Conde, one of his own people, went against France and joined the enemy. In saying this, two things remained necessary to Louis; they consisted of a great deal of work on Louis's part and making careful decisions in choosing the people who support him through the situation.

Another piece of advice that Louis talks about is, how he decided to make a rule where he commanded the four secretaries of the state not to sign anything, without first bringing it to his attention. He also stated that nothing should be transacted at the finances without being registered in a book, which remains with the king, so he can keep an eye on the current balance and the expenditures made or pending. In addition, Louis announced that all request for favors of any type had to be directly to him. One of Louis's main desires was not to have a prime minister. Louis states a valuable lesson in his memoir, which is that all of this can be learned but, cannot be taught.

In the written document, Louis writes that it is necessary to obtain a descent reputation with the citizens because the public is impartial and it's

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