King Louis XIV invites Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name as Molière, to share his supper. Painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme.
One day Louis XIV was informed that certain members of the court refused to invite Molière to join them for a meal since he was just a playwright.
One morning, as the king sat down for breakfast, he invited Molière to join him at the table and enjoy the repast. Then, while keeping up the conversation with the acclaimed playwright, Louis XIV called in to the room everyone who normally assisted his breakfast. After this royal lesson, no one ever had qualms again about inviting Molière over for a meal.
Edmond Guérard, Dictionnaire encyclopédique d’anécdotes (Paris: Firmin Didot, 1872), Vol. 2, p. 301. (Nobility.org translation.)
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 452
