Hehadinsomedegreecompromisedpopularity
byattachinghimselftomefromthecommencementofmycourt
favour，andthereceptionhebestowedonmeatChantillyhad
completedhisdisgraceintheeyesofnobility。
Hevisitedatmy
houseuponthemostfriendlyfooting；andwheneverhefoundme，
hewouldturntheconversationuponpolitics，thestateofaffairs，
andthegreatdesirehefelttoundertakethedirectionofthem
inconcertwithme；hewouldadd，“Youmightplaythepartof
madamedePompadour，andyetyoucontentyourselfwithmerely
attemptingtodoso；youaresatisfiedwithpossessinginfluence
whenyoumightexercisepowerandcommand。
Youralliancewitha
princeofthebloodwouldrenderyousolemistressinthiskingdom；
andshouldIeverarrive，throughyourmeans，totherankof
primeminister，itwouldbemypleasureandpridetosubmitall
thingstoyou，andfromthisaccordwouldspringanauthority
whichnothingcouldweaken。“
Ilistenedinsilence，and，foronce，mynaturalfranknessreceived
acheck；forIdurstnottellhimallIknewoftheking’ssentiments
towardshim。
Thefactwas，LouisXVwasfarfromfeelingany
regardfortheprincedeConde；and，nottomincethematter，had
unequivocallyexpressedhiscontemptforhim。
Heoftensaidto
me，whenspeakingofhim，“Heisaconceitedfellow，whowould
faininducepersonstobelievehimsomebodyofvastimportance。“
LouisXVhadprejudices，fromwhichnopoweronearthcouldhave
weanedhim；andtheprincesofthehouseofCondewereamongst
hisstrongestantipathies:heknewascoreofscandalousanecdotes
relatingtothem，whichhetooknosmallpleasureinrepeating。
However，alltheargumentsoftheprincedeCondewereuseless，
andproducedhimnothing，or，atleast，nothingforhimself，
althoughheprocuredthenominationofanothertotheministry，
asyouwillhearinitsproperplace；butthiswasnotsufficient
toallaythecravingsofhisambition；and，inhisrageand
disappointment，whenopenwarwasproclaimedbetweentheking
andhisparliament，herangedhimselfonthesideofthelatter。
Hesoon，however，becamewearyofhisnewallies；and，oncemore
abandoninghimselftotheguidanceofinterest，herejoinedour
party。
WelldidM。deMaupeouknowmen，whenhesaidtheyall
hadtheirprice；andgreatasmaybetherankandtitleofprinces，
withplentyofmoney，theytoomaybehad。
Butamongstallthecandidatesfortheministry，theonewho
occasionedmethegreatesttroublewastheducdelaVauguyon，
whoinsisteduponitthathehaddonemuchforme，andcomplained
bitterlyofhisunrequitedservices，andofmyhavingbestowed
myconfidenceonothers。
Uptothemomentofthedisgraceofthe
desChoiseuls，hehadbeenamongstthemostbitterofthe
malcontents；butnosoonerweretheybanishedfromcourtthan
M。delaVauguyonforgoteverything，andhastenedtomewith
everymarkofthewarmestfriendship。
“Ah！“
exclaimedhe，“Ihavemuchtoscoldyoufor，butIwill
forgiveyouallyourpastmisdeeds，ifyouwillperformyour
promisetome。“
“Mydearfather，“criedIforIusedjestinglytostylehimso，
inthesamemannerasIdesignatedthebishopofOrleans
，“areyou，indeeddispleasedwithme？
Thatisvery
naughty:foryouknowIloveyouwithallmyheart。“
“Ifitbetruethatyouentertainanyregardforme，whyhave
youevincedsolittletowardsme？
AmInotoftherightmaterials
formakingministers？
Why，then，haveyouneverprocuredmy
appointmenttoanyofthevacantsituations？“
“Stay，stay，mydearfather，“criedI，“howyourunon！
Tohear
youtalk，anypersonwouldsupposethatplacesandappointments
raineddownuponme，andthatIhadonlytosaytoyou，mydear
duke，choosewhichyouplease；then，indeed，youmightcomplain
withjustice；butyouknowverywell，thatallthesedelightful
thingsareinthehandsoftheking，whoalonehasarightto
bestowthemashejudgesbest，whilstIamwhollypowerlessin
thebusiness。“
“Say，rather，“repliedtheduke，quickly，“thatyoufinditsuits
yourpresentpurposetoputonthiswantofpower。
Weallknow，
thatyourvetoisabsolutewithhismajesty，anditrequires
nothingmoretoobtainwhatsoeveryoudesire。“
TheducdelaVauguyonwaspowerful，andrepresentedthewhole
ofaparty——thatofthereligionists，whichwasstillfurther
supportedbythe；butforthisveryreasonthe
triumvirate，consistingofmessieursd’Aiguillon，deMaupeou，
andtheabbeTerre，wouldnothaveacceptedhisservicesat
anyprice。
Thegooddukereturnedseveraltimestothecharge；sometimes
endeavouringtomovemebygentleintreatiesand，atothers，
holdingoutthreatsandmenaces；goodandbadwordsflowedfrom
hislipslikeamixtureofhoneyandgall，butwhenhefoundthat
bothwereequallythrownawayuponme，heretiredoffended；and
bytheexpressionofhisrageanddisappointment，succeededin
incensingboththedauphinanddauphinessagainstme。
May
heavenpreserveyou，myfriend，fromtheangerofabigot！
IthinkIhavedetainedyoulongenoughwiththerelationofthe
intriguesbywhichIwassurroundeduponthedismissalofthe
desChoiseuls，andIwillnowreturntothemorningofthe24th
ofDecember。
WhentheexileswerefairlyoutofParis，theking
foundhimselfnotalittleembarrassedinthechoiceofaprime
minister。
Thosewhowouldhavesuitedourpurposesdidnotmeet
withtheking’sapprobation，andhehadnotyetsufficientcourage
toventureuponelectingonewhoshouldbedisagreeabletous；he
thereforehituponacuriousprovisionalelection；theabbeTerray，
forinstance，wasplacedattheheadofthewardepartment。
This
measurewasexcusedbytheassertion，thatitwouldrequirethe
headofafinanciertolookintoandsettletheaccounts，which
thelateministerhad，nodoubt，leftinaveryconfusedstate。
Uponthesameprinciple，M。Bertinwasappointedtothedirection
offoreignaffairs，andM。deBoyneswasinvestedsolelywiththe
managementofnavalaffairs。
Thisman，whowascounsellorof
state，andfirstpresidentoftheparliamentofBesancon，knew
notaletteroftheofficethusbestoweduponhim，butthenhe
wasboundbodyandsoultothechancellor；anditwasworth
somethingtohaveapersonwho，itmightbereliedon，would
offernooppositiontotheimportantreformswhichweretobeset
onfootimmediately。
Werequiredmerelyautomata，andM。deBoynes
answeredourpurposeperfectlywell；foraprovisionalminister
nothingcouldhavebeenbetter。
Thekinghadatlengthinhisownopinion，hituponavery
excellentministerofwar；andthepersonselectedwasthe
chevalier，afterwardscomtedeMuy，formerlyushertothelate
dauphin:hewasamanoftheoldschool，possessingmanysterling
virtuesandqualities。
Wewereintheutmostterrorwhenhis
majestycommunicatedtoushiselectionofaministerofwar，
anddeclaredhisintentionofimmediatelysignifyinghispleasure
toM。deMuy。
Suchablowwouldhaveoverthrownallourprojects。
Happilychancebefriendedus；themodernCatodeclaredthathe
shouldesteemhimselfmosthonoredtoservehissovereignbyevery
possibleendeavour，butthathecouldneverbeinducedtoenter
myserviceuponanypretextwhatever。
Thestrangenessofthis
refusalpuzzledLouisXVnotalittle。
Hesaidtome。
“Canyou
makeouttherealmotiveofthissillyconduct？
Ihadabetter
opinionoftheman；Ithoughthimpossessedofsense，butIsee
nowthatheisonlyfitforthecowlofamonk；hewillneverbe
aminister。“
Thekingwasmistaken；M。deMuybecameoneunder
theauspicesofhissuccessor。
ImmediatelythattheprincedeCondewasinformedofwhathad
passed，herecommencedhisattack；andfindinghecouldnotbe
ministerhimself，hedetermined，atleast，tobeprincipally
concernedintheappointmentofone；hethereforeproposedthe
marquisdeMonteynard，amanofsuchnegativequalities，thatthe
bestthatcouldbesaidofhimwas，thathewasasincapableofa
badasofagoodaction；and，forwantofabetter，hewaselected。
SuchwerethecolleaguesgiventoM。deMaupeoutoconductthe
warwhichwasabouttobedeclaredagainsttheparliaments。
I
shouldtellyou，，thatthediscontentofthemagistracy
hadonlyincreased，andthattheparliamentofParishadeven
finishedbyrefusingtodecidethesuitswhichwerereferredto
them；thuspunishingthepoorlitigantsfortheirquarrelwith
theminister。
Meanwhile，thegeneralinterestexpressedfortheduc
deChoiseul
greatlyirritatedtheking。
“Whowouldhavethought，“saidhetome，“thatadisgracedminister
couldhavebeensoidolizedbyawholecourt？
Wouldyoubelieve
thatIreceiveahundredpetitionsadayforleavetovisitat
Chanteloup？
Thisissomethingnewindeed！
Icannotunderstandit。“