The Day of a King
Morning
Here we have recorded the burst of activity of the servants who attend
to the King when he awakens. Lewis uses a touch of sarcasm at times in describing
the morning routine. He thanks history for recording the grace in which the
King puts his Royal pants on.
Hunting
Hunting was a favorite sport of Louis and all the aristocrats who were
one of the privileged to be living at the court. One sometimes wonders if the
King’s insistence in organizing the hunt for such large parties was something
to keep everyone busy.
Gambling
There were three passions that all nobility of 17th century
France aspired to: Eating, Gambling, and Sex. (Well, actually sex did lose it’s
charm once the prohibition on adultery was removed. This only furthered the
passion for cards) To do these things at Versailles was considered the apex
of one’s life. With all the decorous rules governing standing before people
of higher rank (and considering the mystic maze of aristocratic France no simple
order!) we begin to see that gambling was one of the few times one was allowed
to stay seated before someone of higher rank. Or, as I like to put it –
losing money has it’s privileges.
Dinner
By the time Lewis is finished the one thing I had driven home to me was
that this man loved to eat…and eat a lot at that. Being reminded of the
fact that he "never ate between meals" after describing a meal suitable
for a half dozen people 
strikes
me as the height of irony. Oh, and that's NOT counting the bedtime snack…
Retiring
Yes, ritual formality following the King right into the bedchamber as
he retires for the evening. Laying the King to bed (coucher) was a revered
privilege, mostly used to ask the King for money. I couldn’t help but wonder
if it wasn’t like asking dad for money at the moment he was too tired to
say anything but "yes."