nthehopesofprocuringthedismissalofmy
brother，theyhavechosenforhissuccessor
wretchloadedwithcrimes，acoward，an
extortioner，amurderer——theducd’Aiguillon。
Asforyougentlemen，whonowconstituteour
parliament，yourplaceswillsoonbefilledbya
magistracydrawnfromthedregsofsociety；a
troopofslaves，deafandblind，except
ashewhopaysthembestwillhavethem
exercisethosepowers。
“Thisisnotimeforindolentrepose；wemust
atoncecourageouslyandunanimouslydefeat
theguiltyschemesofourenemies。
Solongas
mybrotherretainshispresentposthewill
supportyouwithhisbestinterest；but，should
hebedismissed，yourbusinesswillsoonbefinished。
“Ibegmybestremembrances，first，toyour
excellentlady，andafterher，tomadameB。
andmadameL。，notforgettingthemarquisede
Chalret，whosewitistrulyAttic；northemarquise
deP——s，whoconcealsbeneaththegracefulexterior
ofaLanguedocianthesoulofoneofCorneille’s
Romanmatrons。
Foryourselfrelyuponmywarmest
friendshipandendeavourstoserveyou。
Mybrother
ismostanxioustoknowyou，aftertheflattering
mannerinwhichIhavementionedyoutohim。
WhenwillyougratifyusbothbyvisitingParis？
“Everyours，“
Nothingcouldhavearrivedmoreforourpurposethan
thisletter。
Iwasstillengagedinitsperusalwhenthekingwas
announced；IwishedtohurryitbackintothehandsofM。de
Maupeou；buthe，morecraftythanI，requestedIwouldkeepit。
“Itisfitting，“saidhe，“thatitshouldbeseenbytherightperson。“
LouisXV，astonishedatthestrangescene，inquiredwhatitmeant。
“Amostshamefulpieceofscandal，sire，“repliedI。
“Aninfamousepistle，“addedthechancellor，“whichoneofmy
friendsmanagedtoabstractfromthepost-office，andforwarded
tome:Ibroughtittomadamelacomtesse，thatshemightadmire
thedeterminedmaliceofourenemies。“
“Youexcitemycuriosity，“criedLouisXV。
“Madame，havethe
kindnesstoallowmetoseethispaper。“
“Indeed，sire，“exclaimedI，“IknownotwhetherIoughttoobey
yourmajesty，soentirelyhasthewriteroftheletterforgotten
therespectductoyoursacredperson。“
“Oh，“saidtheking，“Idonotfearthat；Iambuttoowellused
totheoffencetofeelastonishmentatitsoccurrence。“
IplacedthepaperinthehandofLouisXV，whoseeyeeasily
recognisedthehandwritingofmadamedeGrammont。
“Ah，ah！“
criedhe，“isitso？
letusseewhatthisrestlessladyhasto
sayofusall。“
Iwatchedthecountenanceofthekingasheread，
andsawthefrownthatcovereditgrowdarkeranddarker；
neverthelesshecontinuedtoreadonwithoutcommenttillhe
hadreachedtheend；thensittingdownandlookingfullatthe
chancellor，heexclaimed，
“Well，M。deMaupeou，andwhatdoyouthinkofthisbusiness？“
“Iamoverwhelmedwithconsternation，sire，“repliedhe，“whenI
thinkthatoneofyourmajesty’sministersshouldbeableto
conspirethusopenlyagainstyou。“
“Stay，“criedLouishastily，“thatfactisbynomeansproved。
TheduchessedeGrammontisamadwoman，whoinvolvesthesafety
ofherbrother；ifIonlybelievedhimcapableofsuchtreachery，
heshouldsleepthisnightintheBastille，andto-morrowthe
necessaryproceedingsshouldbecommencedagainsthim:asforhis
sister，Iwilltakecareofherwithinfourgoodwalls，andavenge
myselfforherpastmisconduct，byputtingitoutofherpowerto
injuremefurther。“
“Sire，“saidI，inmyturn，“remembersheisawoman；Ibeseech
youtopardonher，andlettheweightofyourjustindignation
falluponherbrother。“
“Chancellor，“criedtheking，“thisbusinessmustnotbelightly
passedover。“
“Norwithoutdueconsideration，“repliedM。deMaupeou，“your
majestymaylookuponthisletterasthebasisofasecretplot:
asfortheduchess，Iamofmycousin’sopinion；despiseher
audaciousattempts，butsparenotherbrother；healoneisthe
guiltyaswellasdangerousperson。“
Thekingmadenoanswer，butrose，andcrushingtheletterin
hishand，threwitfromhim。
“Would，“exclaimedheatlast，“thatthefiendshadthosewho
takesuchdelightindisgustingmewithmyveryexistence。
Heavens！
howjustlymayIsayIdespiseallmen；norhaveIamuchbetter
opinionofyoursex，madamelacomtesse，Imustwarnyou。“
“Muchobliged，sire，“criedI；“reallyIwasnotpreparedfor
suchgallantry。
Itisratherhardthatyoushouldquarrelwith
mebecausethisdisagreeableduchessbehavesill！
Uponmyword
itisveryunpleasant！“
“Come，come，“saidLouisXV，kissingmycheek，“don’tyoubea
naughtychild；ifIhadnotyou，whereshouldIturnforconsolation
amidstthetormentsbywhichIamsurrounded？
ShallItellyou？
Inthemidstofalltheseperplexingaffairs，therearemoments
inwhichIfearImaynotbepromotingthehappinessofmypeople。“
“Yourmajestyisgreatlymistaken，“repliedthechancellor；“the
nationingeneralmustesteemthemselvesmosthappyunderyour
reign；butitwillalwayshappenthatill-disposedpersonsseekto
pervertthepublicopinion，andtoleadmen’smindsastray。
The
duchess，whentravelling，wasthefaithfulandactiveagentof
herbrother。
Theduke，tosecurehisstayintheministry，will
eagerlyavailhimselfofeveryadventitiousaid；withinyour
kingdomheseeksthesupportoftheparliamentsandphilosophers；
without，heclaimsthesuccourofGermanyandSpain。
Your
majestyiscertainlymasterofyourownwill，anditwouldill
becomemetopointoutthepathyoushouldtread；butmyduty
compelsmetosay，thattheducdeChoiseulisthegreatestenemy
oftheroyalhouse:ofthishegavemeaconvincingproofinthe
caseofyouraugustson；andnow，ifhefanciedheshouldfindit
moreadvantageoustohavethedauphinforhismaster——“
“ChancellorofFrance，“criedLouis，muchagitated，“doyou
knowwhatyouareasserting？“
“Thetruth，sire，“Iexclaimed。
“Thepublicvoiceaccusesthe
ducdeChoiseulofthedeathofyourson；theydeclare——“
“How！
you，too，madam！“
exclaimedthekinglookingat
mefixedly。
“Andwhynot，sire？
Iammerelyrepeatingwhatisinevery
one’smouth。“
“Ihaveheardthishorriblechargebefore，“addedtheking；“the
Jesuitsinformedmeofit，butIcouldnotgivecredittosuch
amonstrosity。“
“Somuchtheworse，“repliedI；
“intheworldinwhichwelive
weshouldalwaysbeonourguard。“
“Sire，“addedthechancellor，withthemostdiabolicaladdress，“I
ampersuadedthatM。deChoiseulisthemosthonourablemanin
theworld，andthathewouldshudderatthebareideaofany
attemptuponthelifeofyourmajesty；buthisrelations，friends，
andcreaturesbelieve，that，supportedbythedauphiness，he
wouldcontinueinofficeunderyoursuccessor。
Whocananswer
fortheirhonour？
Whocanassureyou，thatsomeoneamongthem
maynotdothatforthedukewhichhewouldneverventureto
attempthimself？
“ThisisthepersonaldangeryourmajestyrunssolongasM。de
Choiseulcontinuesinoffice；werehedismissed，theworldwould
soonabandonthedisgracedminister，andthedauphinessbe
amongstthefirsttoforgethim。“
Thekingwaspalewithagitation，andforsomeminutescontinued
traversingtheapartmentwithhastystrides；thenhesuddenlystopped。
“Youarethenconvinced，M。deMaupeou，“criedhe，“thattheduke
isleaguedwiththeparliamentstoweakenmyauthority？“
“Therearepalpableproofstothateffect，“repliedthechancellor；
“yourmajestymayrecollecttheskilfulmannerinwhich，onthe
3doflastSeptember，heavoidedattendingyoutoparliament；
mostassuredly，hadhenotbeenthefriendofrebels，hewould
nothaveshrunkfromevincingbyhispresencehowfullyheshared
yourjustindignation。“
“Thatisbuttootrue，“criedLouisXV；“andIfeltmuchannoyed
atthetime，thathepreferredgoingtoamusehimselfatthehouse
ofM。deLaborde，whenhisdutysummonedhimtomyside。“
“Yourmajestycannotfailtoperceivehoweverythingcondemns
him；hispersonalconduct，equallywiththatofhissister，proves
howlittleheregardshisroyalmaster’sinterest；andshouldyour
clemencyresolveuponsparinghimnow，youmayfindyourmercy
producefataleffectstoyourself。“
“Hisdismissal，“resumedtheking，“woulddisorganizeallmy
politicalmeasures。
WhocouldIputinhisplace？
Iknowno
onecapableoffillingit。“
“Yourmajesty’swisdommustdecidethepoint，“repliedthe
chancellor。
“Mydutyistolaybeforeyouthetruestateof
things；thisIhavedone，andIknowmyselfwellenoughnotto
intrudemycounselfurther。
Nevertheless，Icannothelpremarking，
thatinyourmajesty’scourttherearemanyascapableasM。de
Choiseulofdirectingaffairs——M。d’Aiguillon，forexample。“
“Ah！“
answeredLouisXV；“thisisnotthemoment，whenM。
d’Aiguillonissmartingfromhisseverecontestwiththelongrobes，
toelevatehimovertheheadofmyhitherto-esteemedminister。“
M。deMaupeouandmyselfperceivedthatweshouldbestserve
myfriend’scausebyrefrainingfrompressingthematterfurther，
andwethereforechangedtheconversation。
Nevertheless，aswhat
hadalreadypassedhadtakenitsfulleffectupontheking’smind，
hesuggestedanideawhichIshouldneverhavedreamedofrecommending；
andthatwastoconsulttheabbedelaVilleonthesubject。
TheabbedelaVille，headclerkofforeignaffairs，wasaman
who，attheadvancedperiodoffourscore，preservedallthefire
andvivacityofyouth；hewasacquaintedwithministerialaffairs
evenbetterthanM。deChoiseulhimself。
Havingformerlybelonged