PARIS, November 26, 1686.
I thought, sir, that in purchasing an office, nothing was necessary but
to find money; but I see that the manner of giving and receiving it is
also to be considered. You will soon be quit of this embarrassment,
from the desire you always have to contribute to your own tranquillity.
Good heavens! how rational and how worthy of you is this disposition,
and how just too is the choice of your company, when we come to speak
and point out its excellence! If we judge from appearances, it is
very superior to our parliaments. I can fancy I hear M. and Madame
de Verneuil say a thousand kind things to you, and receive yours in
return. When this princess mentions me, tell her it is impossible to be
more at her service than I am. You have a sister of Madame de la Troche
with you, who is very amiable; the eldest will place all the attentions
you pay her to her own account. I have presented your compliments to
the Chevalier de Grignan, who has received them graciously; he pointed
out to the prince[306] the silence and discretion of your departure;
nothing can exceed his concern and zeal for your interest: but we can
answer for nothing when we are left-handed. What you told me the other
day of a certain discourse he held with a certain person, makes me
exhort you to preserve the noble tranquility I have always witnessed
in you, on the success of this affair. We only returned from Livri
yesterday; the beauty of the weather, and the health of my daughter,
which has been nearly established there, made us stay out of gratitude.
In the two months we have been there, we have not been able to prevail
on our friend to give us his company for more than ten days. He has
a thousand little affairs there, to which he is accustomed: I know
nothing of his intentions with respect to his departure, I almost doubt
whether the society he meets at M. de Vardes’ will not prevent him
from setting out soon. I assure you I shall reap the advantage of his
inclination to do so with pleasure, but I only contribute toward it by
my wishes. Pray inform us how M. de Vardes finds himself in the midst
of this troop of Bohemians; I can not get this vision out of my eyes.
We shall have a thousand things to tell you of the son-in-law;[307] in
short, it struck us the other day that if Homer had been acquainted
with him, he would have chosen him in point of anger for his Achilles.
We have a new prince and a new princess here.
[306] The Prince de Conti. It has been seen in the letter of June
13, 1684, that M. de Moulceau was judge in a law-suit in which M.
de Grignan was engaged with this prince, and that he was moreover
attached to him for other reasons.
[307] M. de Rohan, who had married the daughter of the Count de
Vardes.