Themarchionessgavetheseanecdoteswithagrace
andtalentpeculiarlyherown；andIsometimesimaginedthat
someofthemanyshefavoreduswithhadperhapstakenplacein
amorerecentperiodthanthatsheassignedtothem；andthat，
inordertodivertoursuspicionsastowhoweretherealactors，
shefrequentlysubstitutedtheforwhatshouldhavebeen
withmorecorrectnessthetime。
Withmannersso
calculatedtowin，shecouldnotfailbeingadelightfulcompanion，
altho’inmyheartIcouldnothelpgivingthepreferencetothe
societyofthemarechaledeMirepoix。
Besides，thepreferenceevincedbythisladyinsogenerously
separatingherselffromallherfamily，inordertoattachherself
tome，wasnotwithoutitsfullvalueinmyeyes。
Iknewmyself
tobegenerallydislikedbyherbrotherandsister-in-law，the
princeandprincessedeBeauvau，thelatterofwhomwassecretly
themistressoftheducdeChoiseul，overwhomsheexercisedan
equalempirewiththeduchessedeGrammont，andIwaseveryday
theobjectofsomefreshattackontheirpart。
Iusedsometimes
tocomplainofthistothemarechale。
“Mydearfriend，“shewould
reply，“Iamsorry，butcannothelpit；inthemidstoftimessuch
aswelivein，andinsuchacourttoo，theprincedeBeauvau
aspirestobeanobleRoman，andwouldfainbetheCatoofhis
countryatleast。
WhenIrecommendtohimagreaterdegreeof
prudence，hetalkstomeofvirtue，astho’atVersaillesduty
didnotconsistinimplicitobediencetothewishesofourroyal
master；eitherobedienceorabsencefromcourtisthegoldenrule
laiddown，fromwhichnonedaredeviate。
Astomysister-in-law
sheaimsattheheroiclikewise，althohermodelsareformedfrom
anotherschool；infact，shehasporedovertheromancesofCyrus。
Cassander，andClelia，tillsheishalfbewildered，andholdsforth
uponthevirtuesofthesefamousheroines，tillIamfrequently
uponthepointofexclaiming，“Ah，mydear，itisallveryfine；
butCleliaandMandanewouldnothavesharedtheirbedwith
theducdeChoiseul。“
Bytheselivelysalliesthemarechalesucceededindivertingmy
angerfromherrelations，andIgenerallyforgotmyresentment
inaheartyfitoflaughter，broughtonbyhersprightly
conversation。
Ifoundmyselfbecomingdailymoreattachedto
her，andherpresencehelpedtoconsolemeforthemanyvexations
Icontinuallyencountered。
ThegreatestdisagreeablenessIencounteredwasoccasionedbythe
capriciousbehavioroftheprincesses，whosometimesreceivedme
withpleasureandatothersevincedadispositiontoannoymein
everypossibleway，accordingasitsuitedthewhimsandwishes
ofthoseaboutthem。
Thefollowingmayserveasaninstanceof
theirversatility。
TheprincedeCondehavingannouncedhisintentionofgivinga
grandfeteatChantilly，theprincessesdeclaredtheywouldnot
bepresentifIwerethere。
TheprincedeConde，spiteofhis
claimstothecharacterofagreatman，wasneverthelessoneof
themostsubtlecourtiers；andassoonashewasinformedofthe
princesses’intention，hecame，withoutceremony，toexplainthe
mattertome。
Thiswasthefirstvisithehadhonoredmewith。
“Madame，“saidhe，“Ihadflatteredmyselfyouwouldhaveembellished
Chantillywithyourpresence；butthebeautiesofthecourt，too
justlyalarmedattheideaofbeingeclipsedbyyourdazzling
charms，havesosuccessfullymanoeuvred，thattheyhavewrought
upontheroyaldaughtersofouraugustmonarchtodeclare，that
thebeautyoftheirattendingnymphsshallnotbeeffacedbyyours。
Youhavetoomuchgoodsensetoseetheaffairinanybutitstrue
light；andthedisappointmentyourabsencewillinflictonmewould
betoocruellyfeltforendurance，didInotseektopacifymy
anxiouswishesonthesubject，byobtainingyourpromisetopay
meavisitwhenthekingnexthonorsChantillywithhispresence。“
Ifeltdeeplyflatteredbytheinvitation。
Theprincecontinued
topaymeseveralelegantandgallantcompliments；andIwas，
uponthewhole，charmedwithourinterview。
However，theking
washighlydispleasedwithhisdaughters’proceedings。
“Ihave
agreatinclination，“saidhe，“toforbidtheirgoingtoChantillyat
all。
Uponmyword，ifIweretolistentothem，theywouldfain
makeofmethesamepuppettheyallowthemselvestobecomein
thehandsofthegreatestsimpletonwhowilltakethetroubleof
leadingthem。“
Iendeavoredtoappeasehisanger，byremindinghim，thathecould
notexpectperfectionfromhisdaughters；andthat，forcedasthey
weretohearmecontinuallyspokenillofbymyenemies，itwas
nexttoimpossibletheyshouldbeabletopreventthemselvesfrom
adoptingtheopinionofthosearoundthem。
“Andthat，“saidhe，
“iswhatIprincipallyfindfaultwith。
Whathavetheytodowith
apingthetoneofthoseaboutthem；andwhatpointoftheirduty
teachesthemtodetestthosewhomIlove？
Iwilltakecaretolet
themknowmydispleasure。“
Allmyendeavorswereinvain；Icouldobtainnochangeofhis
purpose；and，summoningthearchbishopdeSenlis，hespoketo
himinamannerthatplainlyevincedhisintentionofmakinghim
responsiblefortheactionsoftheprincesses。
PoorM。de
Roquelaurecalledallthesaintsinparadisetowitnesshisinnocence。
“Silence，sir，“exclaimedtheking，“Iamperfectlycertainthis
affairhasnotgoneonwithoutyourknowledgeandprobable
participation。
Iknowyouwellforapersondevotedtothe
ladies，asagay，gallantgentlemanneedbe:Iknowlikewise
thatyouexpendtherevenuesofyourbishopricandlivingsupon
theprettiestgirlsofParis；thusIcanhardlysupposeyouwould
havecounselledmydaughters’conduct。
No，Iblamethosewicked
andvindictivescandal-mongers，whoseageistheironlyprotection，
andthoseintriguingmenwhobesetmydaughters’ears。“
“Sire，“protestedthetremblingbishop，“Ientreatyoutobelieve
Iaminnocentofthewholeaffair。“
“Sir，“interruptedtheking，“Iknowwellthatyouareasgooda
courtierasaprelate，butstillIbelieveyoumerelyapeyour
betters；andfarfromentertaininganypersonaldisliketothe
comtesseduBarry，youwouldnotobjecttoreceiveeitherthe
archbishopricofd’AlbiorSensfromherhands，weretheyinher
powertobestow。“
Theconversationwentoninthisstyleformorethanhalfan
hour。
Theking，whohadamusedhimselfhighlyattheterrorof
thebishop，leftoffinexcellenthumor。
ThisinterviewhadnotbeenproductiveofequalamusementtoM。
deRoquelaure，whoseself-lovehadbeendeeplyhumbledbythe
wayinwhichthekinghadspoken。
Nosoonerdidhefeelhimself
atliberty，thanhehastenedtocommunicatetotheprincessesthe
violentdispleasuretheyhadexcited；andtheseladies，sobrave
anddaringwhilsttheirfatherappearedtooffernoshowof
authorityoranger，durstproceednofurtherwhentheyheardof
hisseriouslydisapprovingofit；andtheyfeltthefull
inconsistencyoftheirconduct，infirstadmittingmeintotheir
presence，andthenrefusingtomeetmeatanyotherplace。
The
consequenceoftheirdeliberationuponthesubjectwastodepute
thebishopdeSenlistocalluponme。
Thisaccommodatingprelate
dischargedhismissionwiththeutmostamenity，presentingme
withtheunitedcomplimentsoftheroyalsisters，whoalljoined
inrequestingthepleasureofmeetingmeatChantilly。
Hadnot
theprincedeCondeheldouttheflatteringprospectofgiving
meafetewhollytomyself，inallprobabilityIshouldhave
profitedbytheirinvitation；butknowingofthesecretintention
oftheprince，Ireturnedforanswer，“thatitwassufficiently
flatteringandgratifyingtome，tofindthatIstillpreserved
anyportionoftheprincesses’kindfavor，butthatIwas
abundantlyhonoredbytheintimationofmypresence
beingagreeable。
Nevertheless，asIhadgoodauthorityfor
conjecturingthatitmightnotbeequallysotomanyofthe
ladiesoftheircourt，Ishouldabstainfromgivingoffenceto
anyonebymypresence。“
“Ah，madame，，，criedM。deRoquelaure，“Ientreatofyounotto
insistuponmycarryingthelatterpartofthismessagetothe
princesses，theywouldbesomuchgrieved。“
“Well，then，sir，“saidI，“tellthemthatIamindisposed，and
thatthestateofmyhealthwilldetainmeatVersailles。“
’Thatindeed，“saidhe，“isamorerespectfulmessage；and
furtherIwouldventuretoaskofyourgoodness，thatsinceit
isnotyourpleasuretohonorChantillywithyourpresence，that
youwillhavethekindnesstomentionintheproperquarter，that
farfrommyroyalladiesopposinganyobstacletoyourgoing，
theywouldhavebeenmuchdelightedwithyourpresencethere。“
“Beassured，sir，“answeredI，“thatIshalleverfeelproudand
honoredbytheprincesses’notice；andIwilltakecarethatthe
faithfulaccountofalltheirgraciouscondescensionshallbe
faithfullyandloudlyreported。“
Thebishopdepartedmuchpleasedwiththesuccessof
hisnegotiation；and，aboveall，withtheagreeableturn
theaffairhadtaken。
WhenInextsawtheking，Isaidtohim，“Yourdaughters，sire，
areasamiableasyouwouldhavethem；theyhavebeeninformed
thatsomeevildisposedpersonshaveasserted，thattheyhad
prohibitedmybeingofthepartytoChantilly；andinorderto
testifyhowdifferentlythey
weredisposedtowardsme，they
despatchedthebishopdeSenlis。“
“Amostfitpersontobeintrustedwithsuchacommission，“
repliedtheking；“forIhave，ineveryinstance，endeavoredto
justifythewishesofthisholypillarofthechurch，thisworthy
prelatewithhisdouble-facedpoliteness，towardsthosewhom
heopenlycompliments，andrevilesinprivate，justashisinterest
mayrequireit。
Well！
andwhatdidyousaytohim？“