第20章

Hehasdonenootherwrongthantodefendthe

authorityofthecrownagainsttheenmityoftheparliaments。“

Wecontinuedsometimetotalkofparliamentsandparliamentmen:

thenweagreedthatM。deMaupeoushouldseemeagain，accompanied

bytheducd’Aiguillon，whoshouldhavethecreditofpresentinghim，

andheleftmewithasmuchmysteryashehadentered。

Whenthekingcametoseeme，Isaidtohim，“Ihavemadeacquaintance

withyourchancellor:heisaveryamiableman，andIhopethathe

willnotconducthimselfimproperlytowardsme。“

“Wheredidyouseehim？“

“Here，sire，andbutashorttimesince。“

“Hecamethentovisityou？“

“Yes，inperson，thathemightobtainthefavorofbeingpermitted

topayhiscourttome。“

“Reallywhatyoutellmeseemsperfectlyunaccountable。

Hehas

thenburstfromthehandsoftheChoiseuls？

Itisamusing。

Poor

Choiseul，whensolicitingforMaupeou，hemosttremendously

deceivedhimself。“

“Atleast，sire，youmustownthathehasgivenyounofool。“

“True。

Thechancellorisamanfulloftalents，andIdonot

doubtbutthathewillrestoretomycrownthatpowerwhich

circumstanceshavedepriveditof。

However，ifyouseehim

familiarly，advisehimnottopersuademetoextrememeasures。

Iwishallshouldworkforthebest，withoutviolentcoursesand

withoutpainfulstruggles。“

Theselastwordsprovedtomethenaturaltimidityoftheking。

“Iknewverywell，“addedtheking，“thatMaupeouwouldnotprove

amanfortheChoiseuls。

Themainpointis，thatheshouldbemine，

andIamcontent。“

LouisXVwasthensatisfiedwiththechancellor，buthewasnot

equallysowiththecomteJean。

“Idonotlike，“saidhetome，“yourDuBarrymonkey。

Heisa

treacherousfellow，whohasbetrayedhisparty，andIhopesome

ofthesemorningsweshallhearthatthedevilhaswrunghisneck。“

CHAPTERIX

ThekingofDenmark——ThecourtesansofParis——TheducdeChoiseulandthebishopof

Orleans——WittyreparteesofthekingofDenmark——

HisvisittomadameduBarry——“ThecourtofkingPetaud，“asatire——

Letteroftheducd’AiguillontoVoltaire——TheduchessedeGrammont

mystified——UnpublishedletterofVoltaire’s

>Fromthismoment，andinspiteofallthatcomteJeancouldsay

againstit，anewcounsellorwasadmittedtomyconfidence。

He

wasthechancellor。

Theducd’Aiguillonandhewereonverygood

terms，andthesetwo，withtheabbeTeray，ofwhomIshallspeak

toyoupresently，formedatriumvirate，whichgovernedFrancefrom

thedisgraceofM。deChoiseultothedeathoftheking。

But

beforeIenteruponadetailofthosepolitics，ofwhichyouwill

findthatIunderstandsomething，allowmetocontinuethehistory

ofmypresentation，andalsotogivesomeaccountofChristianVII。

YouknowthathisDanishmajestywasexpectedwithanythingbut

pleasurebythekingofFrance，andwithcuriositybytherestof

thenation。

Menandwomenwereimpatienttoseeaking，under

twentyyearsofage，whowastraversingEuropewithadesignof

attaininginstruction。

Marriedtoalovelywoman，CarolineMathilde，

hehadleftherontheinstant，withoutsuspectingthatthisseparation

wouldprovefataltoboth。

AtParis，therealcharacterofthis

princewasnotknown，butaconfusedreportofhisgallantrywas

spreadabroad，onwhichallthecourtesansofnoteinthecity

begantotryallartstopleasehim，eachhopingtoattracthimto

herself，anddipintohisstrongbox。

M。deSartinesamusedusone

evening，thekingandmyself，bytellingusoftheplansofthese

ladies。

SomeweregoingtomeethisDanishmajesty，otherswere

toawaithimatthebarrier，andtwoofthemostrenowned，

mesdemoisellesGradiandLaprairie，hadtheirportraitspainted，

tosendtotheyoungmonarchassoonasheshouldarrive。

ChristianVIIenteredParisthelatterendofthemonthofOctober，

1768。MM。deDurascomplimentedhimintheking’sname，and

informedhimthattheywerechargedwiththeofficeofreceiving

hiscommandsduringhisresidenceinParis。

Theinterviewofthe

kingandtheillustriousstrangertookplaceatVersailles。

Christian

VIIcamethitherinthestate-carriage，andwasconductedbythe

ducdeDurasintotheapartmentofthedauphin，whereheremained

untilLouisXVwaspreparedtoreceivehim。

Ihadheardmuch

discussionaboutthisreception。

Itwassaid，thattomakea

distinctionbetweensovereignofapettystateandthatofthe

superbkingdomofFrance，itwasrequisitethattheformershould

awaitforsometimetheaudiencewhichthelatteraccorded。

Iam

surethatwhenthepeacewithFrederickwasagitated，thefaceof

LouisXVwasnotmoregraveandseriousthanduringthispuerile

debateaboutetiquette。

TheducdeChoiseul，whohadthecontrolofforeignaffairs，

wasintheapartmenttoreceivehisDanishmajesty，withhis

colleagues，theducdePraslin，thecomtedeSaint-Florentin

(whomIhavecalledbyanticipationducdelaVrilliere)，M。

Bertin，M。Mainond’Invau，controllerofthefinances，andM。de

Jarente，bishopofOrleansandoneoftheministry。

Hekept

himselfsomewhatinthebackground，astho’fromhumility。

The

ducdeChoiseulcameuptohim，andsaid，withasmile，

“Monseigneur，whatbringsyouincontactwithaheretic？“

“Towatchforthemomentofpenitence。“

“Butwhatwillyoudoifitbecomenecessarytoteachhimhis？“

M。deJarenteunderstoodthejoke，andwasthefirsttojestupon

hisownunepiscopalconduct，replyingtotheducdeChoiseul，

“Thereisapersonpresentwhoknowsit；hewillwhisperitto

me，and，ifnecessary，thealso。“

ThekingofDenmarkwascongratulatedbytheducdeChoiseul，

whodischargedthisdutywithasmuchgraceaswit。

AfterwardsM。

Desgranges，masteroftheceremonies，havingannouncedthat

LouisXVwasvisible，thekingofDenmark，precededbyhis

gentlemenandtheFrenchministersandlords，wenttotheking’s

cabinet，inwhichtwoarm-chairspreciselyalikewereprepared，

buthismajestyofDenmarkpositivelyrefusedtobeseated。

He

enteredintoconversation，andfelicitatedhimselfonseeinga

monarch，whoserenownfilledEurope，andwhomheshouldtakeas

hismodel。

DuringthisconversationChristianVIIdisplayedthe

greatestamiability。

Ourking，speakingtohim，said，“Iamold

enoughtobeyourfather“；towhichhereplied，“Allmyconduct

towardsyoushallbethatofason。“

Thiswasthoughtadmirable；

andattheterminationoftheinterviewLouisXVappearedcharmed

withhisbrotherofDenmark。

“HeisacompleteFrenchman，“saidhe

tome，“andIshouldbesorryifheleftmedissatisfied。“

ThatsameeveningChristianVIIvisitedmonseigneurthedauphin，

inwhomhedidnotfindtheurbanityofhisgrandfather。

The

conversationwasshortandabridgedoutofregardtoourprince，

whoonlystammered，withoutbeingabletofindonepolished

phrase。

Neverwasthereinhisyouthamoretimidandawkwardly

conductedprincethanthepresentking。

Ishallmentionhimand

hisbrothershereafter，butwillnowdirectmyimmediateattention

tothekingofDenmark。

HesuppedthesameeveningwithLouisXV

atatablewithfourandtwentyladiesofthecourt，selectedfrom

amongstthosemostcelebratedforthecharmsoftheirpersonsor

theirwit。

AshisDanishmajestywasgreatlystruckwithmadame

deFlaracourt，thekingaskedhimhowoldtheladymightbein

hisopinion。

“Thirty，perhaps，“wasthereply。

“Thirty，brother！

sheisfifty。“

“Thenagehasnoinfluenceatyourcourt。“

Ishallnotcopythe““totellyouofthe

sojournofChristianVIIatParis。

Iamnot

writingthejournal

ofthisprincebutofmyself。

Thekingonedaysaidtome，

“MybrotherofDenmarkhasexpressedtotheducdeDurasa

greatdesiretopayhisrespectstoyou，ifyouwillaccedetohis

wishes。

Ileaveyouentirelysovereignmistressofyourself，not

withoutsomefearhoweverthattheyoungkingwillstealaway

yourheartfromme。“

“Ah，sire，“Ireplied，“thatisanunjustsuspicion；Ishouldbe

angryaboutitifitwerenotajoke，andwouldrefusetoseethe

kingofDenmarkdidInotknowhowfullyyouareassuredofmy

attachmenttoyou。“

“Ishouldnotbesojealous，madame，ifIdidnotsetsomuchvalue

onit，“wasthereplyoftheking，ashekissedmyhand。

TheducdeDurascamethenextdaytoinformmeoftherequestof

hisnewking。

Itwasagreed，inordertokeeptheinterviewsecret，

thatIshouldreceivehimatmyownmansionintheRuedela

Jussienne，andthatheshouldcometherewithoutsuite，andwith

thestrictestincognito。

Atthedayandhouragreedheenteredmy

house，escortingtwostrangersofadmirablepresence。

Onewasthe

kingofDenmark，underthenameofcomtede——，andtheother

anoblemanofhissuite。

ChristianVIIappearedtomeavery

handsomeman。