第15章

Hewasnotdeficientinsense，butyetbehavedlikeaboor:

hepassedhistimeinrunningovertheacademies，libraries，and

manufactories:Ineversawsuchanill-bredman。

Imaginehim

embracingmeatourfirstinterview，andcarryingmeinhisarms

asoneofmyvaletswouldhavedone。

Hewasdirty，coarse，and

ill-dressed。

Well，alltheFrenchmenranafterhim；onewould

havesupposedbytheireagernessthattheyhadneverseena

regalcountenance。“

“Yettherewasnooccasiontorunveryfartoseethehandsome

faceofaking。“

“Holdyourtongue，madamelabaronnedePamklek，youareaflatterer。

Thereisacrownedheadwhichforthirtyyearshasdesiredtovisit

France，butIhavealwaysturnedadeafear，andwillresistitas

longaspossible。“

“Who，sire，isthekingsounfortunateastobanishedbyyoufrom

yourmajesty’spresence？“

“Who？

Thekingofphilosophers，therivalofVoltaire，mybrother

ofPrussia。

Ah，mydearbaronne，heisabadfellow；hedetestsme，

andIhavenoloveforhim。

Akingdoeswisely，certainly，tosubmit

hisworkstothejudgmentofaFreron！

Itwouldbeoutrageous

scandalifhecamehere。

Greatandsmallwouldcrowdaroundhim，

andtherewouldnotbetwentypersonsinmytrain。“

“Ah！

sire，doyouthinkso？“

“Iamsureofit。

TheFrenchnow-a-daysdonotcarefortheir

kings，andwillberenewedatanearlyday。

After

all，philosophersbelievethatFrederickIIprotectsthem:the

honestmanlaughsbothatthemandme。“

“Atyou，sire？

Impossible。“

“No，no；Iknowtheimpertinencesheisguiltyoftowardsme:

butlethim。

Iprefermakingmycourttotheprettywomenofmy

kingdominsteadoftomypages。

Youmaydependuponitthatif

hecametoVersailleshewoulddebauchsomeofthem。“

Theking，charmedathavingsaidthismaliciousspeech，rubbed

hishandsagain。

“Really，sire，“Ireplied，“Iamastonishedthatthisprince，

havingsuchdisgustinginclinations，canhavemuch

attachedtohisname。“

“Ah，thatisbecausehehasgreatqualities:hewillnotallow

himselftobecheated。

Doyouknowthatheisacquaintedwith

thedisposalofhisfinancestothelastfarthing？“

“Sire，hemustbeamiser。“

“No，madame，heisamanofmethod。

Butenoughofhim。

Astohis

majestyofDenmark，altho’hewouldhavebeenaswelcometostay

athome，Ishallreceivehimwithasmuchattentionaspossible。

The

kingsofDenmarkandSwedenaremynaturalallies。“

Thekingchangedthesubject，andsaid，“Thereisanabbe，named

laChapelle，whomIthinkhalfcracked。

Heflattershimselfthat

hecan，thro’themediumofsomeapparatus，remainonthewater

withoutsinking。

Hebegsmypermissiontoexhibithisexperiment

beforeme；andifitwouldamuseyou，wewillhavetheexhibition

to-morrow。“

Iacceptedtheking’sproposalwithpleasure。

Onthenextdaywewentinabodytotheterraceofthechateau。

Thekingwasnearmewithhishatinhishand；theducdeDuras

gavemehisarm。

M。l’abbewaitedusinaboat:heflunghimself

bodilyintothewater，dressedinasortofcork-jacket，movedin

anydirectioninthewater，drank，ate，andfiredoffagun。

Sofar

allwentoffwell，butthepoorabbe，toclosetheaffair，wrotea

lettertotheking。

Theletterwascarriedingreatpomptohis

majesty。

ItcontainedtwoversesofRacine，whichhadsome

doubleallusiontotheexperiment。

This，youmaybesure，was

interpretedintheworstmanner。

Theducd’Ayengavethefinishing

stroketothewhole，onhisopinionbeingaskedbytheking。

“Sire，“saidhe，“suchmenoughttobethrownintothewater；but

allwecanwishforthemis，thattheyshouldremainthere。“

Theabbewasnotmorefortunateintheevening。

Hepresented

himselfatsupper，butthekingdidnotaddressawordtohim，and

hewascompelledtobearthemaliciousjokesofthecourtiers。

But

letusleaveChoisyandtheexperimentalist，andreturntoVersailles

andmyself。

Myfriendswereexcessivelydesirousformypresentation，which

woulddecidemypositionatthechateau。

AsyetIonlyhadan

equivocalexistence，havingrankneitheratplay，theatre，orpublic

festival；sothatifthekingshouldbecapriciousIcouldbe

dismissedasoneofthedemoisellesofthe。

The

ducd’Aiguillon，whoseattachmenttomeincreased，calculated

accuratelyalltheadvantagesofthispresentation。

Itwouldplace

meonthesamefootingwithmadamedePompadour，andcompel

theministerstocomeandworkwithme。

Thedukedidnotdoubt

butthatM。deChoiseulwouldrefusetopayhistome，

andthathisresistancewouldleadtohisfall。

Butformy

presentation，itwasnecessarynotonlythatthekingshould

consent，forofthatIwascertain，butthatheshoulddesireit，

andhisdesirecouldnotbedependedon。

LouisXVwasexcessivelytimid:withanairwhichappearedofa

dreadnaughtquality，hewasfearfulatheart。

Theclamorsof

Versailleskepthiminalarm；andhekeptathisowncourtand

atforeigncourtssecretagents，whoseonlycarewastoreport

tohimthecomplaintsofthepeopleandthesarcasmsandsatires

ofsociety。

Thekingwasattachedtothem；andwhentheforceof

circumstancescompelledhimtoabandonthem，hestillsupported

themclandestinelywithallhispower。

AproofofwhatIadvance

maybeknownasregardsthechevalierorchevaliered’Eon，Iknow

notwhich。

Butthesesecretagentswere，unknowntotheking，all

devotedtotheparliaments，andconsequentlyinimicaltocourtiers，

favorites，andespeciallymistresses。

Godknows

howtheydisposed

ofus！

Bytheseunpropitiouschannelsthekinghadlearntallthe

hatredwhichwasbornetomadamedePompadour。

Hewasafraidof

excitingthediscontentofthepeoplebyannouncinganothermistress，

andwasnolessintimidatedattheseverityofmadameLouise，and

theill-humorofhisotherchildren。

Helovedhispleasuremuch，

buthiseasemore。

ComteJean，whowasrestrainedbynoconsiderations，advisedme

tooverleapalldifficulty，byaskingthekingmyselfforthefavor

whichIcoveted。

Hisadviceseemedrational，andIwasbesides

urgedontodoso。

Eachdaybroughttomeimpertinencessaidof

mebythenobleladiesofthechateau。

Ilearntthattheyboasted

thatIshouldneversetfootinthegreatapartments，butshould

remaintheobscuremistressoftheking。

Thismademeimpatient，

andbydegreesdeprivedmeofmynaturalgaiety。

Onedaywhenthekingwaswithme，heperceivedmywantofspirits。

“Whatailsyou？“

saidbe，withthegreatestsolicitude。

“Whatailsme！“

repliedI，“IwishIweredead，ratherthansee

myselfthebuttofallthescandalofthefoul-mouthedgossips

ofyourcourt。“

Theking，suspectingtheconfidenceIwasabouttoreposeinhim，

wassorryhehadaskedforit，andwassilent。

Hebegantoplay

atattoowithhisfingersonthechimney-piece。

Atthismoment

mademoiselleChoncamein。

Theking，delightedatseeingher，

instantlyinquiredintoherstateofhealth。

She，afteraprofound

reverence，said，

“Sire，howcanIbewellwhenthereistroubleinmyfamily？“

“Ah，！

whatisthis？“

saidhe，turningtome。

“Iaminsulted，hooted:theysaythatIhavethemisfortunetobe

nolongerinthegoodgracesofyourmajesty。“

“Ah，tellthemtheylieintheirthroats，“repliedtheking，

kissingmeontheforehead；“youarethewomanofmyheart，and

shewhomIwouldfainloadwithhonors。