TheducdelaVauguyonhastenedtocommunicatetomethishappy
stateofthings；andmyjoywassogreat，thatIembracedhim
withthesincerestwarmth，assuringhimthatIshouldalwayslook
uponhimasmybestfriend，andseektotestifymyregardatevery
opportunitythatfellinmywayofforwardinghisinterests。
Somedaysafterwardsthekingbroughtmeasplendidring，worth
thirty-sixthousandlivres。
“Youmustsendthisjeweltoyourgoodfriendtheduke，“saidhe。
“Idarenot，“repliedI。
“Ifearlestitshoulddrawforth
hisdispleasure。“
“No，no，“criedtheking，“’tisnotthefashionatcourttoconstrue
giftslikethisintoinsults，butIshouldwishthistrifletobe
presentedinanindirectmanner“；and，afterhavingconsidereda
moment，“Ihaveit，“exclaimedhe，“Ihavethoughtofaclever
expedient；letusputthisringuponthefingerofthatChinese
mandarinbeforeus，andgivethefigurewiththering，considering
itmerelyanappendagetoit。
Assuredlythemostdisinterested
mancannotrefusetoacceptachinafigure。“
Iextolledtheking’sideaasbeingamosthappyone；andhe
immediatelyfittedtheringuponthelittlefingerofthemandarin，
whichIcausedtobecarriedtotheducdelaVauguyonwiththe
followingbillet:——
“MONSIEURLEDUC，——Youhavebeenmybestfriend；
’tistoyourkindofficesthatIowetheconfirmation
ofmyhappiness；butIwouldsecurethecontinuance
ofyourvaluablefriendship，andforthatpurposeI
sendyoualittlemagicalfigure，which，placedin
yourcabinet，willcompelyourthoughtstooccupy
themselveswithmeinspiteofyourself。
Iam
superstitiousenoughtorelygreatlyuponthe
talismanicvirtueofthecharmedporcelain；andfurther，
Imusttellyou，thatIwasnotitspurchaserinthe
firstinstance，neitherdidIadornitforyour
acceptance。
Ishouldnothaveventuredtooffermore
thantheassuranceofmyeverlastingesteemandregard
foryouracceptance。
Thetriflesentcomesfroma
highersource；andtheaugusthandsodeartobothof
us，deignedtopresideoverthearrangement。
Should
therebeinitanythingatallrepugnanttoyour
feelings，Ibeseechyoubearmenoillwillforit；
fortruly，Imaysay，Ishouldneverhavesummoned
couragetodothatwhichhasjustbeendonebyhim
whomalluniteinlovingandesteeming。“
Thedukereplied，-
“Yourtalismaniswelcome；yetitsmagicpower，far
fromaugmentingthewarmthofmyfeelingstowards
you，wouldhavediminisheditonaccountofacertain
accessorywithwhichmyfriendshipcouldhavewell
dispensed:however，whatyousayonthesubjectcloses
mylips。
Igratefullyacknowledgethedailyfavors
bestoweduponmefromtheaugusthandofwhomyou
speak；andIreceivewiththedeepestrespectmingled
withregretthegraciouspresenthedeignstoconvey
tomebyyou。
IownthatIshouldhavepreferred，
tothesplendidjewelwhichbedeckedthefingerof
yourdeity，aChinesecounterpart，whichmightindeed
haveenabledalladmiringgazerstosay，’thesetwo
aretrulyapair。’Asforyourself，whowouldfain
passfornobodyinthemunificentgift，Ithankyouat
leastfortheflatteringplaceyouassignmeinyour
recollection。
BeassuredIfeelitsfullvalue，and
youmayconfidentlyreckonuponthedisposalofmy
poorcreditaswellascommandthelittleinfluenceI
maybesaidtopossessinthecastle。
Adieu，madame，
Ientreatyouracceptanceoftheexpressionofmy
mostsincereandrespectfuldevotion。“
Theking，havingreadM。delaVauguyon’sletter，sentimmediately
tothechinamanufactorytopurchasethefellowmandarinsomuch
covetedbytheduke，andcausedittobeconveyedtohimwiththe
followingwords:——
“MYDEARGOVERNOR——Youareakind-heartedcreature
Iknow，andagreatpromoterofdomesticharmony；to
fainunitethewifewiththehusband。
Heavengrant
thatsuchameasuremayindeedbringaboutyour
proposedfelicity！
However，bywayoffurtheringyour
schemes，IsendtheChineselady，whosebeautyItrust
willnotdisturbyourrepose，forinspiteofyour
sanctity，Iknowyoucanbeasgallantastherestof
us，andpossiblythisbeautifulmandarinmayproveto
bemorelovelyinyoureyes，thaninthoseofthe
husbandforwhomsheisdestined；but，insober
earnestness，Iwouldwishyoutobeconvincedthat
myintentionisnottoattemptpaymentforthe
servicesrenderedme，butsimplytoevincemysenseof
theirvalue。
Thereisonebesidemeatthismoment
whohasgivenmeakisstotransmittoyou——Youwill
easilyguesswhohashadtheaudacitytoenlistme
intoherserviceuponsuchanoccasion。“
ThiswasoneoftherecompensesofferedtotheducdelaVauguyon，
asacompensationforthepublicclamoranddislikewhichsprung
upagainsthiminconsequenceofhiszealformyservice。
At
Versailles，thegeneralfermentwasatitsheight，whenitbecame
generallyknownthatIhadtriumphedoverallobstacles，andthat
mypresentationwascertainlytotakeplace。
Inthemidstofall
thisthedesperateodiumfellupontheducdelaVauguyon，and
ageneralattackwasmadeuponhim:hisvirtues，reputation，
talents，qualities，weremadethesubjectofblameandscandal——
inaword，hewasrundownbypublicopinion。
Buttheleaders
ofthecabalwerenotthelessstruckbythenewsofmysuccess，
whichsoundedintheirearslikethefallingofathunder-bolt。
ThesillyprincessdeGuemenee，who，withherhusband，hassince
becomeabankrupttosoenormousandscandalousanamount，flew
withoutdelaytoconveythetidingsofmyvictorytotheduchesse
deGrammont，towhomitwasadeath-blow。
Allhercourageforsook
her；sheshedbittertears，anddisplayedaweaknesssomuchthe
moreridiculous，asitseemedtoarisefromtheutmostdespair。
SherepairedtomadameAdelaide，beforewhomsheconductedherself
inthemostabsurdandextravagantmanner。
Thepoorprincess，
intimidatedbytheweaknesssheherselfevinced，indrawingback
aftershehadinamannerespousedtheoppositeparty，durstnot
irritateher，but，onthecontrary，strovetojustifyherown
changeofconducttowardsme，byurgingtheimpossibilityof
refusingobediencetotheexpresscommandoftheking。
Theotherprincessesdidnotevincegreaterfirmnesswhenoverwhelmed
bythecomplaintsofthecabal，andinamannerbenttheirknee
beforethewivesoftheFrenchnobility，askingtheirpardonfor
theirfather’serrorinselectingamistressfromanyrankbut
theirs。
Aboutthisperiodasong，whichIadmiredgreatly，was
circulatedabroad。
Myenemiesinterpretedittomydisadvantage，
butIwasfarfrombeingofthesameopinion。
Itwassuccessively
attributedtothemostclevermeninParis，andIhavemyselfmet
withfourwhoeachassertedhimselftobetheauthor；injustice
itshouldbeascribedtohimwhoappearedthemostcalculated
tohavewrittenit，andwhoindeedclaimeditforhisown——the
chevalierdeBoufflers。
Idonotknowwhetheryourecollectthe
linesinquestion。
Iwilltranscribethemfrommemory，adding
anothercouplet，whichwasonlyknownamongstourownparticular
circle，butwhichprovesmostincontestablythespiritofkindness
withwhichthestanzaswerecomposed。
Lise，tabeauteseduit，
Etcharmetoutlemonde。
Envainladuchesseenrougit，
Etlaprincesseengronde，
ChacunsaitqueVenusnaquit
Del’ecumedel’onde。
Enrit-ellemoinstouslesdieux。
Luirendreunjustehommage！
EtParis，lebergerfameux，
Luidonnerl’avantage
Memesurlareinedescieux
EtMinervelasage？
Dansleseraildugrandseigneur。
Quelleestlafavorite？
C’estlaplusbelleaugredecoeur
Dumaitrequil’habite。
C’estleseultitreensafaveur
Etc’estlevraimerite。
QueGrammonttonnecontretoi，
Lachoseestnaturelle。
Ellevoudraitdonnerlaloi
Etn’estqu’unemortelle；
Ilfaut，pourplaireauplusgrandroi，
Sansorgueiletrebelle。*
*Fromthosereaderswhomayunderstandthischanson
intheoriginal，andlooksomewhatcontemptuouslyon
thefollowingversion，thetranslatorbegstoshelter
himselfunderthewell-knownobservationofLord
Chesterfield，“thateverythingsuffersbytranslation，
butabishop！“
Thosetowhomsuchadilutionis
necessarywillperhapsbecontentedwiththe
skim-milkastheycannotgetthecream-TRANS。
Thybeauty，seductress，leadsmortalsastray，
Overhearts，Lise，howvastandresistlessthysway。
Cease，duchess，toblush！
cease，princess，torave