第60章

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！