Rousseau，andInow
speakofhim，asyousee，withoutoneparticleofresentment。
ImustnowspeaktoyouofanewacquaintanceImadeaboutthis
Period——thatofthetwoduchessesd’Aiguillon。
Frommyfirst
entranceintothechateauuntilthecloseof1770，madame
d’Aiguillon，thedaughter-in-law，observedasortofarmed
neutralitytowardsme；true，shenevervisitedme，butshealways
metmewithapparentsatisfactionatthehousesofothers；thusshe
managedtosteerclearofonedangerousextremeortheothertill
thedownfallofthedesChoiseuls；whentheducd’Aiguillonhaving
beennominatedtotheministry，sheperceivedthatshecouldnot，
withoutgreatingratitude，omitcallingtooffermeheracknowledgments，
andaccordinglyshecame。
Onmyside，Ileftnomeansuntried
ofrenderingmyselfagreeabletoher；andsowelldidIsucceed，
thatfromthatmomenthervaluablefriendshipwasbestowedonme
withasinceritywhichevenmyunfortunatereverseshavebeen
unabletoshake；andwearetothisdaythesamefirmandtruef
friendswewereinthezenithofmypower。
NotthatIwouldseek
tojustifytheinjuryshesoughttodoourqueen，butImayand
docongratulatemyself，thatthesamewarmthwhichpervadesher
hatredslikewiseinfluencesherfriendships。
IcannotequallyboastofthetreatmentIreceivedfromtheduchess
dowagerd’Aiguillon，who，aswellasherdaughter-in-law，came
toseemeuponthepromotionofherson。
Sheoverloadedmewith
caresses，andevenexceededherdaughter-in-lawinprotestations
ofdevotionandgratitude。
Youshouldhaveheardherextolmy
beauty，wit，andsweetnessofdisposition；she，infact，so
overwhelmedmewithhersurfeitingpraises，thatatlastI
becameconvincedthat，ofthethousandflatteringthingsshe
continuallyaddressedtome，notonewashercandidopinion；
andIwasright，forIsoonlearned，thatinhercircleofintimates
atthehousesoftheBeauffremons，theBrionnes，andaboveall，
themarquiseduDeffant，shejustifiedheracquaintancewithme，
bysayingitwasasacrificemadetotheinterestsofherson，and
amusedtheseladiesbycensuringmyeverywordandlook。
The
dowager’sdouble-dealinggreatlyannoyedme；nevertheless，not
wishingtovexherson，orherdaughter-in-law，Iaffectedtobe
ignorantofherdishonourableconduct。
However，Icouldnot
longrepressmyindignation，andonedaythatshewaspraising
memostextravagantly，Iexclaimed，“Ah，madam，howkindit
wouldbeofyoutoreserveoneoftheseprettyspeechestorepeat
atmadameduDeffant’s。“
Thisblow，sostrongyetjust，rather
surprisedher；but，quicklyrallyinghercourage，sheendeavoured
topersuademethatshealwaysspokeofmeinthesameterms。
“It
maybeso，“repliedI；“butIfearthatyousaysomanyflattering
thingstome，thatyouhavenotoneleftwhenoutofmysight。“
ThemarechaledeMirepoixusedtosay，thatacaressfrommadame
d’AiguillonwasnotlesstobedreadedthanthebiteofM。d’Ayen。
Yettheduchessdowagerhasobtainedafirst-ratereputationfor
goodness；everyonestyledher。
Andwhy，doyousuppose？
Becauseshewasoneofthosefat，
fresh，portly-lookingdamesofwhomyouwouldhavesaid，her
veryfaceandfigurebespokethecontentedgoodnessofher
disposition；forwhowouldeversuspectmalicecouldlurkinso
much？
IthinkIhavealreadytoldyouthatthis
ladyexpiredwhilstbathing，ofanattackofapoplexy，inthe
monthofJune，1772。
Hersonshedmanytearsatherloss，whilst
Iexperiencedbutaverymoderateshareofgrief。
Adieu，myfriend；ifyouarenotalreadyterrifiedatthe
multiplicityoftheletterswhichcomposemyjournal，Ihaveyet
muchtosay；andIflattermyselfthecontinuanceofmyadventures
willbefoundnolessinterestingthanthoseyouhaveperused。
Theking’sfriends——TheducdeFronsac——Theducd’Ayen’sremark——
Manneroflivingatcourt——ThemarquisdeDreux-Breze——Education
ofLouisXV——The——Itshousehold——Itsinmates——Mere
Bompart——Livresexpendedonthe——Goodadvice——
Madame
Iwasnowfirmlyfixedatcourt，theking，morethaneverdevoted
tome，seemedunabletodispensewithmyconstantpresence。
hadsosuccessfullystudiedhishabitsandpeculiarities，thatmy
empireoverhimwasestablishedonabasistoofirmtobeshaken，
whilstmypowerandunboundedinfluenceconvincedmyenemies，
that，solongasthepresentmonarchsatuponthethroneofFrance，
theirattemptsatdiminishingmycreditandinfluencewouldonly
recoiluponthemselves。
LouisXVgenerallysuppedinmyapartments
everyevening，unlessindeed，bywayofchange，Iwenttosupwith
him。
Ourguestswereofcourseofthefirstorder，butyetnot
ofthemostexemplarymorals。
Thesepersonshadtact，andsaw
that，topleasetheking，theymustnotsurpasshim；sothat，if
bychanceheshouldreflectonhimself，hewouldappearto
advantageamongstthem。
Poorcourtiers！
Itwaslabourinvain。
Thekingwasintoomuchfearofknowinghimselftounderstand
thatstudy:heknewthepenetrationandseverityofhisown
judgment，andonnoaccountwouldheexerciseitathisownexpense。
TheducdeDuras，althoughamanoflittlewit，wasyetgayand
alwayslively。
Heamusedme；Ilikedhisbuoyantdisposition，
andforgavehimalthoughhehadrangedhimselfwiththeprotesting
peers。
Infact，Icouldnotbeangrywithhim。
Thefollyof
oppositionhadonlyseizedonhimbecauseitwasepidemic。
The
deardukehadfoundhimselfwithwolves，andhadbeguntohowl
withthem。
Iamsurethathewasastonishedathimselfwhenhe
rememberedthesignaturewhichhehadgiven，andthelovehehad
testifiedfortheoldparliament，forwhich，infact，hecaredno
morethanJeandeVert。
Godknowshowhecompensatedforthis
littlefollyatthechateau。
Itwasbyredoublinghisassiduities
totheking，andbyincessantattentionstome。
Ingeneral，those
whowishedtothriveatcourtonlysoughthowtomaketheir
courageremembered；M。deDuraswasonlyemployedinmaking
hisforgotten。
TheprincedeTerigny，thecomted’Escars，theducdeFleury，
werenottheleastamusing。
Theykeptupalivelystrainof
conversation，andthekinglaughedoutrageously。
Butthevilest
ofthepartywastheducdeFronsac。
Yegods！
whatawretch！
Tospeakillofhimisnosin。
Amangledlikenessofhisfather，
hehadallhisfaultswithnotoneofhismerits。
Hewasperpetually
changinghismistresses，butitcannotbesaidwhetheritwas
inconstancyonhispart，ordisgustontheirs，butthelatter
appearstomemostprobable。
Thoughyoung，hewasdevouredby
goutorsomeotherinfirmity，butitwascalledgoutoutof
deferencetothehouseofRichelieu。
Theytalkedoftheduchess
de——，whosehusbandwassaidtohavepoisonedher。
ThesaintsofVersailles——theducdelaVauguyon，theducd’Estissac，
andM。deDurfort——didlikeothers。
Thesepersonspractised
religioninthefaceoftheworld，andabstainedfromloose
conversationinpresenceoftheirownfamilies；butwiththeking
theylaidasidetheirreligionandreserve，sothatthesehypocrites
hadinthecityallthehonoursofdevotion，andintheroyal
apartmentsalltheadvantagesoflooseconduct。
Asforme，I
wasatVersaillesthesameaseverywhereelse。
Topleasethe
kingIhadonlytobemyself。
Irelied，forthefuture，onmy
uniformityofconduct。
Whatcharmedhimintheevening，would
delightagainthenextday。
Hehadanequilibriumofpleasure，
abalanceofamusementwhichcanhardlybedescribed；itwas
everydaythesamevariety；thesamejourneys，thesame
fetes，
theballs，thetheatres，allcameroundatfixedperiodswiththe
mostmonotonousregularity。
Infact，thepeopleknewexactly
whentolaughandwhentolookgrave。
Therewasinthechateauamostsingularcharacter，thegrand
masteroftheceremoniesofFrance。
Hisgreat-grandfather，his
grandfather，hisfather，whohadfulfilledthesefunctionsfora
century，hadtransmittedtohimtheirunderstandingandtheir
duties。
Allhethoughtofwashowtoregulatethemotionsand
stepsofeverypersonatcourt。
Headoredthedauphinanddauphiness，
becausetheybothdivertedandfatiguedthemselvesaccordingto
therulesinsuchcasesmadeandprovided。
Hewasalwayspreaching
tomeandquotedagainstmetheprecedentsofDianedePoitiers，
orGabrielled’Estrees。
Onedayhetoldmethatallthemisfortunes
ofMademoiselledelaValliereoccurredinconsequenceofher
neglectofetiquette。
Hewouldhavehadallmatterspassatcourt
duringtheoldageofLouisXVasattheperiodofthechildhood
ofLouisXIV，andwouldfainhavehadtheadministrationofthe
，thathemighthavearrangedallwithdueceremonies。
Sincethiswordhasescapedmypen，Iwilltell
yousomethingofit。
Doyouknow，myfriend，thatbutlittleis
knownofthisplace，ofwhichsomuchhasbeensaid。
Icantell
you，betterthananyotherperson，whatitreallywas，forI，like
themarquisedePompadour，tookuponmyselfthesuperintendence
ofit，andbusiedmyselfwithwhattheydidthere。
Itwas，，theblackspotinthereignofLouisXV，andwillcostme
muchpaintodescribe。
ThevicesofLouisXVweretheresultofbadeducation。
Whenan
infant，theygavehimforgovernorthevainest，mostcoxcombical，
stupidestofmen——theducdeVilleroi，whohadsowellservedthe
king，*
*Thecountessalludestothewritten，afterhis
famousdefeat，“。“
Ed。i。e。，author
Neverhadcourtiersomuchcourtiershipashe。
Hesawthe