arrangingthe，andconcludingthealliance
withtheimperialhouse，theducdeChoiseulhadevincedadmirable
diplomatictalents，andrenderedFrancereal，andimportant，service。
Hisattachmenttohimwasincumbent，andrestedonsolid
foundations。
If，atasubsequentperiod，hedismissedhim，itwas
becausehewasdeceivedbyashamefulintriguewhichitwillcost
mepaintodeveloptoyou，becauseItookbyfartoomuchaleading
partinit，whichnowcausesmethedeepestregret。
Now，bytheactofmypresentation，theducdeChoiseulwouldbe
compelledtomeetmeoften，whichwouldrenderourmutualsituation
verydisagreeable。
Onthisaccountthekingsoughttoreconcile
us，andwouldhavehadnodifficultyineffectinghiswisheshad
heonlyhadtheresistanceoftheministerandhiswifeto
encounter。
Theladyhadnotmuchinfluenceoverherhusband，and
besidesshehadtoomuchgoodsensetostruggleagainstthewishes
oftheking:buttheduchessedeGrammontwasthere，andthis
haughtyandimperiousdamehadsogreatanascendancywithher
brother，andbehavedwithsolittlecaution，thatthemostodious
reportswereincirculationabouttheirintimacy。
Itcouldscarcelybehopedthatwecouldtamethistoweringspirit，
whichsawinmeanodiousrival。
LouisXVdidnotflatterhimself
thathecouldeffectthisprodigy，buthehopedtohaveagreater
ascendancyoverhisminister。
ItwastotheducdeChoiseul，
therefore，thathefirstaddressedhimself，desirousofsecuring
thehusbandandwifebeforeheattackedtheredoubtablesister。
Thenextmorning，aftermywarmassaultontheprincedeSoubise，
heprofitedbyanaudiencewhichthedukerequestedatanunusual
hourtointroducethisnegotiationofanewkind，andthedetails
Igiveyouofthisscenearethemorefaithful，asthekinggave
themtomestillwarmimmediatelyaftertheconversation
hadterminated。
Thestateaffairshavingbeenconcluded，theking，seekingto
disguisehisvoluntaryembarrassment，saidtotheduke，smiling，
“DucdeChoiseul，Ihaveformedformyprivatehoursamost
delightfulsociety:themostattachedofmysubjectsconsider
themselveshighlyfavoredwhenIinvitethemtotheseevening
partiessonecessaryformyamusement。
Iseewithpainthatyou
haveneveryetaskedmetoadmityouthere。“
“Sire，“repliedtheduke，“themultiplicityofthelaborswith
whichyourmajestyhaschargedme，scarcelyallowsmetime
formypleasures。“
“Oh，youarenotsofullyoccupiedbutthatyouhavestillsome
timetospendwiththeladies，andIthinkthatIusedtomeetyou
frequentlyatthemarquisedePompadour’s。“
“Sire，shewasmyfriend。“
“Well，andwhy，isnotthecomtesseduBarry？
Whohasputitinto
yourheadthatshewasopposedtoyou？
Youdonotknowher:she
isanexcellentwoman:notonlyhasshenodisliketoyou，buteven
desiresnothingmorethantobeongoodtermswithyou。“
“Imustbelievesosinceyourmajestyassuresmeofit；but，sire，
thevastbusinesswithwhichIamoverwhelmed——“
“Isnotasufficingplea；Idonotallowthatwithoutaspecial
motive，youshoulddeclareyourselfagainstapersonwhomIhonor
withmyprotection。
Asyoudonotknowher，andcannothaveany
thingtourgeagainstherbutprejudicesfoundedonfalserumors
andscandalousfabrications，Iengageyoutosupwithmeather
apartmentsthisevening，andIflattermyselfthatwhenIwishit
youwillnotcoinaparcelofreasonsinoppositiontomydesire。“
“Iknowtheobediencethatisduetoyourmajesty，“said
deChoiseul，bowinglow。
“Well，then，dofirstfromdutywhatIflattermyselfyouwill
afterwardsdofrominclination。
DucdeChoiseul，donotallow
yourselftobeinfluencedbyadvicethatwillproveinjuriousto
you。
WhatIaskcannotcompromiseyou；butIshouldwishthat
withyouallshouldbequiet，thatnooneshouldstruggleagainst
me，andthattoowiththeairofcontendingagainstaperson’s
station。
Donotreply，youknowperfectlywhatIwouldsay，and
Iknowwhatbelongstomyself。“
Heretheconversationterminated。
TheducdeChoiseuldidnot
becomemyfriendanythemore，butbehavedtowardsmewithall
dueconsideration。
Heusedgraceandinhisproceedings，
withoutminglingwithitanythingapproachingtononsense。
Henever
allowedhimself，whateverhasbeensaid，todartoutinmyfaceany
ofthoseepigramswhichpublicmalignityhasattributedtohim。
Perhapslikemanyotherpersonsintheworld，hehassaidmany
pleasantriesofmewhichhavebeenreportedassaidinmypresence，
butIrepeatthatheneverutteredinmysocietyasinglewordwith
whichIhadcausetobeoffended。
AtthisjunctureIreceivedaletterofwhichIhadthefollytobe
proud，altho’alittlereflectionshouldhavemademethinkthat
mysituationaloneinspiredit:itwasfromM。deVoltaire。
This
greatgeniuswasbornacourtier。
Whetherhelovedtheprotection
ofthegreat，orwhetherhethoughtitnecessarytohim，hewas
constantlyaiming，fromhisyouthupwards，atobtainingthe
countenanceofpersonsbelongingtoahighrank，whichmadehim
servileandadulatorywhilsttheywereinpower，andfullof
grimacetowardsthemwhenthewindfavorceasedtoswelltheir
sails。
ItwasinthiswaythatmesdamesdeChateaurouxandde
Pompadourhadhadhishomage。
Hehadsungtheirpraises，and，
ofcourse，hecouldnotforgetme。
Youwillrecalltomindthe
letterwhichhewrotetotheducd’Aiguillon，onoccasionofthe
pieceofpoetryentitled“。“
Hehaddenied
havingcomposedit，butthisdenialhadnotbeenaddresseddirectly
tome。
Havinglearnt，nodoubt，thatmycreditwasincreasing，he
thoughthimselfobligedtowritetome，thathemightrankmewith
hisparty。
Hemighthaveavailedhimselfoftheintermediationof
theducd’Aiguillon，butpreferredputtingtheducdeRichelieuinto
hisconfidence，andbeggedhimtofulfilthedelicatefunctionof
literaryMercury。
Iwasalonewhenthemarechalcametomewith
anassumedairofmystery。
Hisfirstcarewastolookaroundhim
withoutsayingaword；anditwasnotuntilafterhehadshaken
thecurtains，andpeepedintoeverycorneroftheapartment，that
heapproachedme，whowassomewhatsurprisedathismonkeytricks。
“Iamthebearer，“hesaid，inalowvoice，“ofasecretand
importantcommunication，whichIhavebeenentreatedtodeliver
afterfiveorsixhundredcautionsatleast:itisa，defection
fromtheenemy’scamp，andnottheleastinvalue。“
Fullyoccupiedbymyquarrelwiththeladiesofthecourt，I
imaginedthathehadbroughtmeamessageofpeacefromsome
greatlady；and，fullofthisidea，Iaskedhiminhastethename
ofherwhosefriendshipIhadacquired。
“Good，“saidhe，“itisaboutalady，isit？
Itisfromapersonage
fullyasimportant，agiantinpower，whosewordsresoundfrom
oneextremityofEuropetoanother，andwhomtheChoiseuls
believetheirownentirely。“
“ItisM。deVoltaire，“Isaid。
“Exactlyso:yourperspicacityhasmadeyouguessit。“
“Butwhatdoeshewantwithme？“
“Tobeatpeacewithyou；torangehimselfunderyourbanner，
secretlyatfirst，butafterwardsopenly。“
“Ishethenafraidopenlytoevincehimselfmyfriend？“
Ireplied，
inatoneofsomepique。
“Ratherso，andyetyoumustnotfeeloffendedatthat。
The
situationofthissarcasticandtalentedoldmanisverypeculiar；
hisunquietpetulanceincessantlygivesbirthtofreshperils。
He，
ofnecessity，mustmakefriendsineveryquarter，leftandright，
inFranceandforeigncountries。
Thenecessaryconsequenceis，
thathecannotfollowastraightpath。
TheChoiseulshaveserved
himwithperfectzeal:donotbeastonishedifheabandonthem
whentheycannolongerservehim。
Iftheyfall，hewillbidthem
goodevening，andwillsportyourcockadeopenly。“
“But，“Ireplied，“thisisavillainouscharacter。“
“Ah，IdonotpretendtointroducetoyouanAristidesoran
Epaminondas，oranyothersoulofsimilarstamp。
Heisamanof
letters，fullofwit，adeepthinker，asuperiorgenius，andour
reputationsareinhishands。
Ifheflattersus，posteritywill
knowit；ifhelaughatus，itwillknowitalso。
Icounselyou
thereforetousehimwell，ifyouwouldhavehimbehaveso
towardsyou。“
“Iwillactconformablytoyouradvice，“saidItothe
marechal；
“atthesametimeIowntoyouthatIfearhimlikeafirebrand。“
“I，likeyou，thinkthatthereisinhimsomethingoftheinfernal
stone:heburnsyouontheslightesttouch。
Butnow，tothis
letter；youwillseewhathesaystoyou。
Hebegsmemost
particularlytoconcealfromeverybodythestephehastaken
withyou。
Whathemostdreadsis，lestyoushouldproclaimfrom
thehousetopsthatheisincorrespondencewithyou。
Iconjure
you，onhisbehalf，toexercisethegreatestdiscretion，andI
thinkthatyouareinterestedindoingso；for，ifwhathehasdone
shouldbemadepublic，hewillnotfailtoexerciseuponyouthe
virulenceofhisbitingwit。“
Ourconversationwasinterruptedbyastirwhichweheardinthe
chateau，andwhichannouncedtoustheking。
Themarechalhastily