Question

he loved splendour, magnificence, and profusion excess in all things, and encouraged similar tastes in his court; to spend money freely on equipages carriages and buildings, on feasting and at cards, was a sure way to gain his favour, perhaps to obtain the honour of a word from him. motives of policy had something to do with this; by making expensive habits the fashion, and, for people in a certain position, a necessity, he compelled his courtiers to live beyond their income, and gradually reduced them to depend on his bounty for the means of subsistence. this was a plague which, once introduced, became a scourge to the whole country, for it did not take long to spread to paris, and thence to the armies and the provinces; so that a man of any position is now estimated entirely according to his expenditure on his table and other luxuries. this folly, sustained by pride and ostentation extravagance, has already produced widespread confusion; it threatens to end in nothing short of ruin and a general overthrow.... source: f. arkwright, ed., the memoirs of the duke de saint - simon, brentanos 3. a historian would find this passage most useful for explaining king louis xivs attempt to (1) control the elite class (2) establish trust within the court (3) provide necessities to be self - sufficient (4) eliminate taxation on the poorer classes the answer is ______ because 4. which claim is best supported by the evidence in this passage? (1) court visits led to the spread of disease in paris. (2) louis xiv supported religious toleration. (3) louis xivs excessive spending had negative consequences. (4) absolutism in france promoted equality among the classes.

Explanation:

For question 3: The passage states that Louis XIV made courtiers live beyond their income and depend on his bounty. This shows an attempt to control the elite (courtiers).
For question 4: The text mentions that the folly (excessive spending) led to confusion, threat of ruin. So it supports that Louis XIV's excessive spending had negative consequences.

Answer:

1. (1) because the text shows Louis XIV made courtiers (elite) dependent on him.
2. (3) because the passage says the spending led to confusion and threat of ruin.