Hehasdonenootherwrongthantodefendthe
authorityofthecrownagainsttheenmityoftheparliaments。“
Wecontinuedsometimetotalkofparliamentsandparliamentmen:
thenweagreedthatM。deMaupeoushouldseemeagain，accompanied
bytheducd’Aiguillon，whoshouldhavethecreditofpresentinghim，
andheleftmewithasmuchmysteryashehadentered。
Whenthekingcametoseeme，Isaidtohim，“Ihavemadeacquaintance
withyourchancellor:heisaveryamiableman，andIhopethathe
willnotconducthimselfimproperlytowardsme。“
“Wheredidyouseehim？“
“Here，sire，andbutashorttimesince。“
“Hecamethentovisityou？“
“Yes，inperson，thathemightobtainthefavorofbeingpermitted
topayhiscourttome。“
“Reallywhatyoutellmeseemsperfectlyunaccountable。
Hehas
thenburstfromthehandsoftheChoiseuls？
Itisamusing。
Poor
Choiseul，whensolicitingforMaupeou，hemosttremendously
deceivedhimself。“
“Atleast，sire，youmustownthathehasgivenyounofool。“
“True。
Thechancellorisamanfulloftalents，andIdonot
doubtbutthathewillrestoretomycrownthatpowerwhich
circumstanceshavedepriveditof。
However，ifyouseehim
familiarly，advisehimnottopersuademetoextrememeasures。
Iwishallshouldworkforthebest，withoutviolentcoursesand
withoutpainfulstruggles。“
Theselastwordsprovedtomethenaturaltimidityoftheking。
“Iknewverywell，“addedtheking，“thatMaupeouwouldnotprove
amanfortheChoiseuls。
Themainpointis，thatheshouldbemine，
andIamcontent。“
LouisXVwasthensatisfiedwiththechancellor，buthewasnot
equallysowiththecomteJean。
“Idonotlike，“saidhetome，“yourDuBarrymonkey。
Heisa
treacherousfellow，whohasbetrayedhisparty，andIhopesome
ofthesemorningsweshallhearthatthedevilhaswrunghisneck。“
CHAPTERIX
ThekingofDenmark——ThecourtesansofParis——TheducdeChoiseulandthebishopof
Orleans——WittyreparteesofthekingofDenmark——
HisvisittomadameduBarry——“ThecourtofkingPetaud，“asatire——
Letteroftheducd’AiguillontoVoltaire——TheduchessedeGrammont
mystified——UnpublishedletterofVoltaire’s
>Fromthismoment，andinspiteofallthatcomteJeancouldsay
againstit，anewcounsellorwasadmittedtomyconfidence。
He
wasthechancellor。
Theducd’Aiguillonandhewereonverygood
terms，andthesetwo，withtheabbeTeray，ofwhomIshallspeak
toyoupresently，formedatriumvirate，whichgovernedFrancefrom
thedisgraceofM。deChoiseultothedeathoftheking。
But
beforeIenteruponadetailofthosepolitics，ofwhichyouwill
findthatIunderstandsomething，allowmetocontinuethehistory
ofmypresentation，andalsotogivesomeaccountofChristianVII。
YouknowthathisDanishmajestywasexpectedwithanythingbut
pleasurebythekingofFrance，andwithcuriositybytherestof
thenation。
Menandwomenwereimpatienttoseeaking，under
twentyyearsofage，whowastraversingEuropewithadesignof
attaininginstruction。
Marriedtoalovelywoman，CarolineMathilde，
hehadleftherontheinstant，withoutsuspectingthatthisseparation
wouldprovefataltoboth。
AtParis，therealcharacterofthis
princewasnotknown，butaconfusedreportofhisgallantrywas
spreadabroad，onwhichallthecourtesansofnoteinthecity
begantotryallartstopleasehim，eachhopingtoattracthimto
herself，anddipintohisstrongbox。
M。deSartinesamusedusone
evening，thekingandmyself，bytellingusoftheplansofthese
ladies。
SomeweregoingtomeethisDanishmajesty，otherswere
toawaithimatthebarrier，andtwoofthemostrenowned，
mesdemoisellesGradiandLaprairie，hadtheirportraitspainted，
tosendtotheyoungmonarchassoonasheshouldarrive。
ChristianVIIenteredParisthelatterendofthemonthofOctober，
1768。MM。deDurascomplimentedhimintheking’sname，and
informedhimthattheywerechargedwiththeofficeofreceiving
hiscommandsduringhisresidenceinParis。
Theinterviewofthe
kingandtheillustriousstrangertookplaceatVersailles。
Christian
VIIcamethitherinthestate-carriage，andwasconductedbythe
ducdeDurasintotheapartmentofthedauphin，whereheremained
untilLouisXVwaspreparedtoreceivehim。
Ihadheardmuch
discussionaboutthisreception。
Itwassaid，thattomakea
distinctionbetweensovereignofapettystateandthatofthe
superbkingdomofFrance，itwasrequisitethattheformershould
awaitforsometimetheaudiencewhichthelatteraccorded。
Iam
surethatwhenthepeacewithFrederickwasagitated，thefaceof
LouisXVwasnotmoregraveandseriousthanduringthispuerile
debateaboutetiquette。
TheducdeChoiseul，whohadthecontrolofforeignaffairs，
wasintheapartmenttoreceivehisDanishmajesty，withhis
colleagues，theducdePraslin，thecomtedeSaint-Florentin
whomIhavecalledbyanticipationducdelaVrilliere，M。
Bertin，M。Mainond’Invau，controllerofthefinances，andM。de
Jarente，bishopofOrleansandoneoftheministry。
Hekept
himselfsomewhatinthebackground，astho’fromhumility。
The
ducdeChoiseulcameuptohim，andsaid，withasmile，
“Monseigneur，whatbringsyouincontactwithaheretic？“
“Towatchforthemomentofpenitence。“
“Butwhatwillyoudoifitbecomenecessarytoteachhimhis？“
M。deJarenteunderstoodthejoke，andwasthefirsttojestupon
hisownunepiscopalconduct，replyingtotheducdeChoiseul，
“Thereisapersonpresentwhoknowsit；hewillwhisperitto
me，and，ifnecessary，thealso。“
ThekingofDenmarkwascongratulatedbytheducdeChoiseul，
whodischargedthisdutywithasmuchgraceaswit。
AfterwardsM。
Desgranges，masteroftheceremonies，havingannouncedthat
LouisXVwasvisible，thekingofDenmark，precededbyhis
gentlemenandtheFrenchministersandlords，wenttotheking’s
cabinet，inwhichtwoarm-chairspreciselyalikewereprepared，
buthismajestyofDenmarkpositivelyrefusedtobeseated。
He
enteredintoconversation，andfelicitatedhimselfonseeinga
monarch，whoserenownfilledEurope，andwhomheshouldtakeas
hismodel。
DuringthisconversationChristianVIIdisplayedthe
greatestamiability。
Ourking，speakingtohim，said，“Iamold
enoughtobeyourfather“；towhichhereplied，“Allmyconduct
towardsyoushallbethatofason。“
Thiswasthoughtadmirable；
andattheterminationoftheinterviewLouisXVappearedcharmed
withhisbrotherofDenmark。
“HeisacompleteFrenchman，“saidhe
tome，“andIshouldbesorryifheleftmedissatisfied。“
ThatsameeveningChristianVIIvisitedmonseigneurthedauphin，
inwhomhedidnotfindtheurbanityofhisgrandfather。
The
conversationwasshortandabridgedoutofregardtoourprince，
whoonlystammered，withoutbeingabletofindonepolished
phrase。
Neverwasthereinhisyouthamoretimidandawkwardly
conductedprincethanthepresentking。
Ishallmentionhimand
hisbrothershereafter，butwillnowdirectmyimmediateattention
tothekingofDenmark。
HesuppedthesameeveningwithLouisXV
atatablewithfourandtwentyladiesofthecourt，selectedfrom
amongstthosemostcelebratedforthecharmsoftheirpersonsor
theirwit。
AshisDanishmajestywasgreatlystruckwithmadame
deFlaracourt，thekingaskedhimhowoldtheladymightbein
hisopinion。
“Thirty，perhaps，“wasthereply。
“Thirty，brother！
sheisfifty。“
“Thenagehasnoinfluenceatyourcourt。“
Ishallnotcopythe““totellyouofthe
sojournofChristianVIIatParis。
Iamnot
writingthejournal
ofthisprincebutofmyself。
Thekingonedaysaidtome，
“MybrotherofDenmarkhasexpressedtotheducdeDurasa
greatdesiretopayhisrespectstoyou，ifyouwillaccedetohis
wishes。
Ileaveyouentirelysovereignmistressofyourself，not
withoutsomefearhoweverthattheyoungkingwillstealaway
yourheartfromme。“
“Ah，sire，“Ireplied，“thatisanunjustsuspicion；Ishouldbe
angryaboutitifitwerenotajoke，andwouldrefusetoseethe
kingofDenmarkdidInotknowhowfullyyouareassuredofmy
attachmenttoyou。“
“Ishouldnotbesojealous，madame，ifIdidnotsetsomuchvalue
onit，“wasthereplyoftheking，ashekissedmyhand。
TheducdeDurascamethenextdaytoinformmeoftherequestof
hisnewking。
Itwasagreed，inordertokeeptheinterviewsecret，
thatIshouldreceivehimatmyownmansionintheRuedela
Jussienne，andthatheshouldcometherewithoutsuite，andwith
thestrictestincognito。
Atthedayandhouragreedheenteredmy
house，escortingtwostrangersofadmirablepresence。
Onewasthe
kingofDenmark，underthenameofcomtede——，andtheother
anoblemanofhissuite。
ChristianVIIappearedtomeavery
handsomeman。