When is the presentation to take place?--Conversation on this subject
with the king--M. de Maupeou and M. de la Vauguyon--Conversation on
the same subject with the king and the duc de Richelieu--M. de
la Vrillière--M. Bertin---Louis XV and the comtesse--The king's
promise--The fire-works, an anecdote--The marquise de Castellane--M. de
Maupeou at the duc de Choiseul's--The duchesse de Grammont
In spite of the love of the duchesse de Grammont, the king of Denmark
departed at last. Louis XV having resumed his former habits, I began
to meditate seriously on my presentation; and my friends employed
themselves to the utmost in furthering my desires and insuring my
triumph.
The chancellor, who each day became more attached to my interests,
opened the campaign. One day, when the king was in a rage with the
parliaments, the chancellor seized the opportunity to tell him that
the cabal, who were opposed to my presentation, testified so much
resistance, under the idea, and in the hope, that they would be
supported by the parliaments of Paris.
"If your majesty," added the chancellor, "had less condescension towards
these malcontents, they would fear your authority more."
"You will see," replied the king, "that it will be their audacity which
will urge me on to a step, which otherwise I should wish to avoid."
Whilst the hatred which M. de Maupeou bore towards the parliaments
served me in this way, the love of M. de la Vauguyon for the Jesuits
turned to even more advantage. The good duke incessantly talked to me of
his dear Jesuits; and I as constantly replied, that my influence would
not be salutary until after my presentation, M. de la Vauguyon had
sense enough to perceive the embarrassment of my situation, and saw
that before I could think of others I must think of myself. Having taken
"sweet counsel" with the powerful heads of his company, he freely gave
me all his influence with the king.
Fortune sent me an auxiliary not less influential than these two
gentlemen; I mean the maréchal duc de Richelieu. In the month of
January, 1769, he returned from his government of Guienne to enter on
service. He had much credit with the king, and this (would you believe
it?) resulted from his reputation as a man of intrigue. He told the
king every thing that came into his head: he told him one day, that the
Choiseuls boasted that he, the king of France, never dared introduce his
mistress into the state apartments at Versailles.
"Yes," added the duke, "they boast so loudly, that nothing else is
talked of in the province; and at Bordeaux, for instance, there is one
merchant who, on the strength of the enemies of the comtesse, has made a
bet that she will never be presented."
"And why do you not imprison these persons?" inquired the king, angrily.
"Because, sire, it appears to me injustice to punish the echo of the
fooleries of Paris."
"I will conduct myself as regards the presentation of madame du Barry
in the manner which I think best. But is it not an inconceivable
contrariety, that one party should wish it with the utmost desire,
and another place every obstacle in the way? In truth, I am very
unfortunate, and a cruel tyranny is exercised over me."
The duc de Richelieu, not wishing to appear as one of the tyrants of the
king, gave a different turn to the conversation.
My presentation was, however, a matter of first-rate importance to me
and to my partizans, and the duc de la Vrillière was gained over to my
side, by making him believe that the king would yield to my desires, and
that then I should remember all those who opposed my elevation. The duc
d'Aiguillon also drew over to my party M. Bertin, who bore no love to
the Choiseuls, and who saw that the preponderance of interest was on
my side of the scale. When I was assured of a considerable number of
defenders, I thought I might venture on the master stroke, and thus I
went to work.
One evening the king was with me, and the MM. de Maupeou and de
Richelieu were there also. We were discoursing of different things, and
the king was perfectly tranquillized, little anticipating the scene that
was in store for him. I rose suddenly from my arm-chair, and going up to
his majesty, after a profound courtesy cast myself at his feet. Louis XV
would have raised me, but I said,
"No, I will remain where I am until you have accorded me the favor I
ask."
"If you remain in this posture I shall place myself in a similar one."
"Well, then, since you will not have me at your knees I will place
myself on them"; and I seated myself in his lap without ceremony.
"Listen to me, sire," I said, "and repeat what I say to the king of
France word for word. He must authorize my presentation; for else, some
fine day, in the presence of the whole court, I will go to the state
apartments, and try whether I shall be repulsed at the door."
"Will she have the boldness?" inquired the king to the chancellor.
"I have no doubt of it, sire. A female, young, beautiful, honored with
your kindness, may venture to do anything."
"Is it not distressing to me," I added, "that, graced with your
majesty's favors, I remain thus concealed, whilst women whom you detest
annoy you with their presence."
"Madame is right," replied the duc de Richelieu, "and I see that you
look for her every evening where she is not, and where she ought to be."
"What! you too, duc de Richelieu, do you join the cry of the
chancellor?"
"I would tear out the eyes of these gentlemen," I added, "if they
thought differently from me."
"Oh," said the king, laughing, "this punishment would not be one for M.
Maupeou: justice ought to be blind: and as for you, M. de Richelieu, you
have your _baton_ left."
"Which he has nobly gained," I replied, "by fighting against your
majesty's enemies, and of which he still continues worthy, by now
defending me from my foes."
"This rebellion," said the king, "cannot last, and I see myself
compelled to hold a _lit de justice_ (a judicial sitting or bed)."
"And I swear to you, that I will receive nobody into mine until I have
been presented."
This sally amused the king, who said, "Well, since it must be so, you
shall be presented."
At this I leaped on the king's neck, giving a cry which might have been
heard by my rivals. After that, I advanced to the two gentlemen who had
advocated my cause so well, extending a hand to each, which they took
and kissed with great gallantry.
Louis XV became thoughtful, and continued to mutter between his teeth,
"I wash my hands of it--they will cry out, they will clamor, but it must
be so." I saw the feelings of the king, and took care not to allow him
to go away in this state. Whilst I sought to compose him by my caresses,
the duc de Richelieu told us one of his thousand and one adventures,
which he told so well. I know not if it will please you, but such as it
is I shall give you an abridgment of it.
"I was, you know," he began, "a very good-looking, a very wild fellow:
women have no objection to this. I was travelling, and in my way thro'
D----, M., the intendant of the city, insisted on my taking up my abode
at his house. His lady added her entreaties, and I consented. I must
tell you that the lady was handsome. I had passed the night with her;
but when, on the next morning, as I sought to go out of her apartment, I
found the outer door double locked and bolted. I looked round me on all
sides, but found no egress. Whilst I was lamenting this with the lady's
_femme-de-chambre_, who was nearly as much distressed as her mistress,
I saw in a detached closet a great many machines covered with paper, and
all of different shapes. On inquiry, I was informed that the following
Monday was the lady's birthday, which they were to celebrate with
fireworks. I looked at the beautiful fusees and brilliant suns with
much admiration. Suddenly, thinking of the lady's honor which might be
compromised, I took a light and set fire to a Roman candle; in a
moment the whole was in flames, and everybody took alarm. Great was the
consternation in the house, which was turned out of windows; and in the
uproar, the house-door being broken open, a crowd of persons rushed in;
I ran this way and that way; everybody admired and praised my exertions.
I was compelled to quit the house at last, and ordered my carriage,
whilst M. the intendant was thanking me for the vast service I had
rendered him. I assure you, sire, that I never laughed more heartily."*
*The duc de Richelieu preserved his coolness and
talent at repartee in the most trivial circumstances.
The story is well known of the man who came to
ask for his aid, saying they were related. "How?"
asked the duke. "Sir, by Adam." "Give this man a
penny," said the duke, turning to a gentleman of his
train; "and if all of his relations give him as much
he will soon be a richer man than I am."
If our readers will turn to "Joe Miller," Page 45,
they will find this jest attributed to the witty
duke of Buckingham. It is a very good joke for a
duke, but savors more of a desire to be witty than
to be charitable.
(translator)
This tale amused the king, and M. de Richelieu assured him that he had
never told it before. A thousand considerations had induced him to keep
it to himself until the present time. "But now," said he, "the third
generation of madame l'intendante is no longer young, and I have no fear
of being called out to fight a duel."
Next day there was a general rumor of my presentation. My friends
asserted that I had the king's promise. This was imprudent on their
part, and they injured my interest whilst they flattered my vanity. They
put the Choiseul cabal to work, who intrigued so well that not a person
could be found who would perform the office of introductress. You
know the custom: the presentation is effected by the intermediation of
another lady, who conducts the person to be presented to the princesses,
and introduces her. This custom had passed into a law, and it would have
been too humiliating to me to have dispensed with it.
This was a dire blow for me: it distressed me sadly, and I wept over it
with my friends. The duc de Richelien said to me,
"With money and promises everything can be managed at court. There is no
place where they know better how to value complaisance, and the price at
which it is sold. Do not give yourself any uneasiness; we shall find the
lady we want."
And we did find her, but her compliance was dearly bought. Two ladies
who were applied to stipulated for most outrageous conditions. One, the
marquise de Castellane, consented to present me, but demanded that she
should be created a duchess, and have a gift of five hundred thousand
livres: the other, whose name I forget, asked for her husband the order
of the Holy Ghost and a government, a regiment for her son, and for
herself I forget what. These ladies seemed to think, like Don Quixote
and Sancho Panza, that governments and five hundred thousand livres
were to be picked up on the highway. In truth, they spoke out without
disguise.
At this juncture the chancellor had a singular conversation concerning
me with the Choiseuls. He had been one morning to call on the duke, and
whilst they were discoursing, the duchesse de Grammont came into her
brother's apartment, and entered at once into conversation.
"Ah, my lord, I am glad to see you. Your new friends carry you off from
your old ones. You are wrong to adore the rising sun."
"That was the idolatry of a great number of persons: but I beg of you to
be so very kind as not to speak to me in figures, if you would wish me
to understand you."
"Oh, you play off the ignorant. You know as well as I do what I mean,
and your daily visits to this _fille_."
"Which, madame? There are so many at court!"
This sarcastic reply made the brother and sister smile; both of them
being fully competent to understand the merit of an epigram. The duke
fearing lest the duchess should go too far, judging by what she had
already said, thus addressed him:
"You are, then, one of the adorers of the comtesse du Barry?"
"Yes, monsieur le due; and would to God that, for your own interest, you
would be so too!"
"My brother set foot in the house of this creature!"
"Why not, madame? We see good company there; the prince de Soubise, the
ducs de la Trimouille, de la Vauguyon, Duras, Richelieu, d'Aiguillon,
and many others, not to mention the king of France. A gentleman may be
seen in such company without any disgrace."
"Monsieur le chevalier," replied the duke, "to speak candidly to you,
allow me to ask, if any one who would have the friendship of our house
would be seen in that of the lady in question?"
"Pardon me, duke; that is not the question. Allow me, in turn, to ask
you, why those of your house should not go there? This, I think, is the
real question."
"You offer us a splendid alliance!" said the duchess with anger.
"I offer nothing, madame: I only inquire. For my part, I see no
legitimate motive for this proscription of madame du Barry."
"A woman without character!"
"Character! Why, madame, who has any in these days? M. de Crebillon the
younger would be at a loss to tell us where to find it."
This reply made the duke and his sister smile again. The chancellor went
on thus:
"It appears to me that persons were less difficult in the times of
madame de Pompadour."
"But a creature who has been so low in society!"
"Have you seen her so, madame? And supposing it has been the case, do we
interdict all ladies of conduct not less blamable from an introduction
at court. How many can you enumerate, madame, who have led a life much
more scandalous? Let us count them on our fingers. First, the maréchale
de Luxembourg, one; then--"
"Then the comtesse de Choiseul, my sister-in-law," added the duke; "we
know it as well as you, sir. But this is not the matter in question. You
are not ignorant that our enemies surround this madame du Barry; and it
is of your alliance with them that I complain."
"You see everything with a jaundiced eye, monsieur le duc. But if you
fear the influence of this lady with the king, why do you not present
yourself at her apartments? She would be delighted to receive you."
"No, no!" cried the duchess, "my brother will never present himself
to such a creature. If he would degrade himself so low, I would never
forgive him as long as I live. Since you show your gratitude for what
has been done for you by leaguing yourself with this woman, tell her
from me that I detest her, and that I will never rest until I have sent
her back again to her dunghill."
"Madame," replied the chancellor, "I will evince my gratitude to the
duke by not delivering such a message"; and the chancellor went out.
M. de Maupeou came to tell me the whole of this conversation, which
_Chon_ wrote down under his dictation, that I might show it to the king.
You will see in my next letter what resulted from all this, and how the
ill-timed enmity of the Choiseuls served my interests most materially.