“Sire，“repliedI，“thatonlyproveshowmuchdangeryouincurred
bykeepingsuchamaninyouremployment。“
“Why，yes，“answeredLouisXV；“itreallyseemasthough，hadhe
chosensomefinemorningtoproposemyabdicatingthethronein
favourofthedauphin，hewouldonlyhaveneededtoutterthe
suggestiontohaveitcarriedintoexecution。
Fortunatelyforme，
mygrandsonisbynomeanspartialtohim，andwillmostcertainly
neverrecallhimaftermydeath。
Thedauphinpossessesallthe
obstinacyofpersonsofconfinedunderstanding:hehasbutslender
judgment，andwillseewithnoeyebuthisown。“
LouisXVauguredillofhissuccessor’sreign，andimaginedthat
thecabinetofViennawoulddirectthatofVersaillesatpleasure。
Hislatemajestywasmistaken；LouisXVIisendowedwithmany
rarevirtues，buttheyareunfortunatelycloudedoverbyhis
timidityandwantofself-confidence。
Theopenandundisguisedcensurepassedbythewholecourtupon
theconductofLouisXVwasnottheonlythingwhichannoyedhis
majesty，whoperpetuallytormentedhimselfwithconjecturesof
whattherestofEuropewouldsayandthinkofhislatedeterminations。
“Iwillengage，“saidhe，“thatIamfinelypulledtopiecesat
Potsdam。
MydearbrotherFrederickisaboutassweet-temperedas
abear，andImustnotdismissaministerwhoisdispleasingto
mewithouthispassingahundredcommentsandsarcasticremarks。
Still，asheisabsoluteastheMedesandPersians，surelyhecan
Havenoobjectiontouspoormonarchsimitatinghim；andallowme
thesameprivilegeinmine。
Afterall，whyshouldIneedhisor
anyotherperson’sopinion；letthewholeworldapplaudorcondemn，
Ishallstillactaccordingtomyownbestjudgment。“
OnmysideIwasfarfromfeelingquitesatisfiedwiththe
accountsIcontinuedtoreceivefromChanteloup；aboveallI
felt
irritatedattheparadeofattachmentmadebytheprince
deBeauvau
fortheexiles，andIcomplainedbitterlyofitto
themarechaledeMirepoix。
“WhatcanIdotohelpit，“saidshe；“mysister-in-lawisa
simpleton；who，afterhavingruinedherbrother，willcertainly
causethedownfallofherhusband。
Ibeseechyou，mydear，out
ofregardforme，toputupwiththeunthinkingconductofthe
princedeBeauvauforalittlewhile；hewillsoonseehiserror
andamendit。“
Hedidindeedreturntoourparty，buthis
obediencewaspurchasedataheavyprice。
SomedaysafterthedisgraceoftheducdeChoiseul，Ireceived
aletterfromM。deVoltaire。
Thiswriter，whocarpedatand
attackedallsubjects，whethersacredorprofane，andfromwhose
satiresneithergreatnorsmallwereexempt，hadcontinualneed
ofsomepowerfulfriendatcourt。
Whenhisprotector，M。de
Choiseul，wasdismissed，hesawclearlyenoughthattheonly
persononwhomhecouldhenceforwarddependtoaidandsupport
him，wasshewhohadbeenchieflyinstrumentalinremovinghis
firstpatron。
Withtheseideasheaddressedtomethefollowing
letterofcondolenceor，tospeakmorecorrectly，ofcongratulation。
Itwasasfollows:——
“MADAMELACOMTESSE，——Fame，withherhundred
tongues，hasannouncedto，meinmyretreatthefall
ofM。deChoiseulandyourtriumph。
Thispieceof
newshasnotoccasionedmemuchsurprise，Ialways
believedinthepotencyofbeautytocarryallbefore
it；but，shallIconfessit？
Iscarcelyknowwhether
Ioughttocongratulatemyselfonthesuccess
youhaveobtainedoveryourenemies。
M，de
Choiseulwasoneofmykindestfriends，andhis
all-powerfulprotectionsufficedtosustainme
againstthemaliceofmynumerousenemies。
Mayahumblecreaturelikemeflatterhimself
withthehopeoffindinginyouthesamegenerous
support？
forwhenthegodMarsisnolonger
tobefound，whatcanbemorenaturalthanto
seektheaidofPallas，thegoddessofthelinearts？
Willsherefusetoprotectwithheraegisthe
mosthumbleofheradorers？
“Permitme，madam，toavailmyselfofthis
opportunitytolayatyourfeettheassurance
ofmymostrespectfuldevotion。
Idarenot
giveutterancetoallmyprayersinyourbehalf，
becauseIamopentoachargeofinfidelity
fromsome，yetnoneshalleverdetectme
unfaithfulinmypresentprofessions；atmy
age，’tistimeourchoicewasmade，andour
affectionsfixed。
Beassured，lovelycountess，
thatIshalleverremainyourattachedfriend；
andthatnodaywillpasswithoutmyteaching
theechoesoftheAlpstorepeatyour
much-esteemedname。
“Ihavethehonourtoremain，malady，yours，etc。，etc。“
Youmaybequitesure，myfriend，thatIdidnotallowsosingular
anepistletoremainlongunanswered。
Irepliedtoitinthe
followingwords:——
“SIR，——Theperusalofyouragreeablelettermademe
almostgrieveforthedisgraceoftheducde
Choiseul。
Beassured，thattohisownconduct，
andthatofhisfamily，maybealoneattributed
themisfortuneyoudeplore。
“Theregretsyousofeelinglyexpressforthe
calamitywhichhasbefallenyourlateprotector
dohonourtoyourgenerousheart；but
recollectthatyouroldfriendswerenotthe
onlypersonswhocould
appreciateandvalueyourfinetalents；to
beesteemedworthythehonourableappellation
ofyourpatronisaglorywhichtheproudest
mightenvy；and，althoughIcannotboastof
beingaMinerva，who，afterall，waspossibly
nowiserthantherestofus，Ishallalways
feelproudandhappytoserveyouwithmy
utmostcreditandinfluence。
“Ireturnyoumybestthanksforthewishes
youexpress，andtheattachmentyousokindly
profess。
Youhonourmetoomuchbyrepeating
mynameamidstthebosomoftheAlps！
beassured，
thatIshallnotbebehindhandinmakingthesaloons
ofParisandVersaillesresoundwithyours。
HadI
leisurefortheundertaking，Iwouldgoand
teachittotheonlymountainworthyofre-echoing
it——atthefootofParnassus。
“Iam，sir，yours，etc。，etc。“
Youperceive，myfriend，thatIintendedthisreplyshouldbe
couchedinthewittieststyleimaginable，yet，uponreadingit
overatthislapseoftime，itappearstomethesilliestthing
everpenned；nevertheless，IflatteredmyselfIhadcaughtthe
toneandmannerinwhichM。deVoltairehadaddressedme:he
perceivedmyintention，andwasdelightedwiththeflattering
deferenceitexpressed。
Youknowthevanityofmenofletters；
andM。deVoltaire，asthefirstwriteroftheage，possessed，
inproportion，thelargestportionofconceit。
AfewwordsrespectingJeanJacquesRousseau——ThecomtesseduBarry
isdesirousofhisacquaintance——ThecountessvisitsJeanJacques
Rousseau——Hishouseholdfurniture——Hisportrait——Therese——second
visitfrommadameduBarrytoJeanJacquesRousseau——Thecountess
relateshervisittotheking——BilletfromJ。
J。
Rousseautomadame
duBarry——Thetwoduchessesd’Aiguillon
SpiteofthelittleestimationinwhichIheldmenofletters，
generallyspeaking，youmustnottakeitforgrantedthatI
entertainedanequalindifferenceforallthesegentlemen。
I
havealready，Ifear，tiredyourpatiencewhendwellinguponmy
ardentadmirationofM。deVoltaire；Ihavenowtospeaktoyou
ofthatwithwhichhisillustriousrival，JeanJacquesRousseau，
inspiredme——themanwho，afteralifesofilledwithconstant
troubleandmisfortunes，diedafewyearssinceinsodeplorable
amanner。
AttheperiodofwhichIamnowspeakingthisman，
whohadfilledEuropewithhisfame，waslivingatParis，ina
stateborderinguponindigence。
Imustheremention，thatitwas
owingtomysolicitationthathehadbeenpermittedtoreturn
fromhisexile，Ihavingsuccessfullyintercededforhimwith
thechancellorandtheattorney-general。
M。Seguiermadeno
difficultytomyrequest，becausehelookeduponJeanJacques
Rousseauasthegreatestenemytoasetofmenwhomhemortally
hated——thephilosophers。
NeitherdidM。deMaupeou，fromthe
momentheeffectedtheoverthrowoftheparliament，seeany
objectiontobestowinghisprotectionuponamanwhomthe
parliamentshadexiled。
Inthismanner，therefore，withouthis
beingawareofit，Rousseauowedtomethepermissionto
re-enterParis。
Spiteofthemortifyingtermsinwhichthis
celebratedwriterhadspokenoftheking’smistresses，Ihada
livelycuriositytoknowhim；allthathisenemiesrepeatedof
hisuncouthness，andevenofhismaliciousnature，farfrom
weakeningthepowerfulinterestwithwhichheinspiredme，rather
augmentedit，bystrengtheningtheideaIhadpreviouslyformed
ofhishavingbeengreatlycalumniated。
Thegenerousvengeance
whichhehadrecentlytakenfortheinjurieshehadreceived
fromVoltaireparticularlycharmedme。*
IthoughtonlyhowI
couldeffectmydesignofseeinghimbyonemeansoranother，
andinthisresolutionIwasconfirmedbyanaccidentwhichbefell
meoneday。
*JeanJacquesRousseauinhisjourneythrough
LyonsinJune1770subscribedforthestatue
ofVoltaire——author
ItwasthecommencementofApril，1771，Iwasreadingforthe
fourthtime，the“，“andforthetenth，or，
probably，twelfth，theaccountofthepartyonthelake，when
themarechaledeMirepoixenteredtheroom。
Ilaidmyopen