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 and precautions of which my '' is the object; and I am  encountering '' some of those fair ladies who would fain usurp your place; sometimes bedecked with jewels rare; and sometimes; as Racine says;

〃《 dans le simple appareil D'une beaute; qu'on vient d'arracher au sommeil。》'

〃Madame de Grammont; for instance; takes an infinity of trouble respecting my choice of your successor; which she is resolved shall be either herself or one of her choosing。  I protest to you that I find all these plots and counterplots very amusing; and can only say; that my daughters; who are completely duped by those practising them; must be more completely deceived than I had imagined possible。  Nor can I quite deny that I feel a half mischievous delight in reducing to despair;

〃''

〃 (which; of course; means me) keeps one perpetual reply to all their high…sounding praises and eulogiums of such or such a lady。  'She is well enough;  certainly; but the comtesse du Barry excels her a hundredfold': then follow such shrugs; such contortions of countenance; and such vain efforts to repress the rage of disappointed vanity and ambition; that I am nearly ready to die with laughter。

〃Apropos of dying; I inquired the number of deaths which took place at Chantilly last week; only four; they say!  Now I think that number quite sufficient for the size of the place。  I walked as far as the village cemetery; which is large and judiciously placed。  I must tell you; that one of my footmen has gone to that last journey from which none return: he was a tall; presuming sort of fellow; remarkable for nothing but his impertinence; and the continual scrapes he was forever getting into amongst the soubrettes。  However; he met with his death in some sudden brawl。  My people sought to conceal this piece of intelligence from me; but having once heard of it; I despatched Flamarens to ascertain in what corner of the cemetery he has been interred。

〃The duc de Tresmes talks much of you; and boasts greatly to the honor of your friendship; he has dubbed himself your ''; this is not amiss for a peer of France; and what is still more gratifying; he has assumed a title which; I believe; no one in the kingdom will attempt to dispute his incontestable claim to call his own。  Villeroi is all impatience to return to Versailles。  The dukes of Richelieu and d'Aiguillon; both uncle and nephew; recommend themselves to your kind recollection。  Thus you see you may reckon upon a few devoted and attached friends; even without him; whose hand is busily tracing these lines; and he; I can promise you; is inferior to none in the truest love and affection for you。

〃The ladies of whom I would have you be most on your guard are mesdames de C。; de B。; de P。; de G。  They really throw themselves in my way till I can call them nothing but fools for their pains; but I must do them the justice to say that they are less ambitious than you; and so that they could rob you of your place would care very little whether I could offer them my heart with the other honors to which they aspire; in fact; 'tis time we were together again; for the people here seem determined to profit by my stay amongst them。  My cousin entertains us magnificently; and pleasure succeeds pleasure in a continual round of enchantment: he tells me he has others still more charming in store against the time when you will honor him with your presence。  Am I right in promising this will be ere very long?  Adieu; what a long letter have I written you。  I will now conclude by bestowing an imaginary kiss on that lovely face; which must satisfy me till I have the felicity of seeing you again。

〃And now; my dear friend and fairest countess; I will end my lengthened epistle by praying God to have you ever in His holy care and keeping。〃


The receipt of this letter afforded me the liveliest pleasure; and I wrote to the king regularly every night and morning。  I might here introduce a specimen of my own epistolary style; but I will not; for altho' the whimsical and extravagant things my pen gave utterance to were exactly to the king's taste; they might surprise you; but my royal correspondent loved the wild and bizarre turn of my expressions; and I fulfilled his wishes; perhaps it was not the only instance in which I gratified his inclination。

My ; the chancellor of France; had remained to keep me company instead of joining the party at Chantilly。  ; say you; and by what right or title could M。 de Maupeou become such?  I will tell you。  First of all he only aspired to the honor of relationship; but afterwards; turning over the archives of his family; he found the most incontestable proofs of his belonging to the ancient families of the du Barry; and full of joy; he hurried to me; unrolling at my feet his genealogical tree; to the great amusement of comte Jean and my sisters…in…law; who; after a long examination; declared that he was justly entitled to the appellation of first cousin; from that period he always addressed me ; which I flattered him by returning whenever I was in the humor。

About this period I was the happy instrument in saving from death a young girl whose judges (as will be seen) were about to sentence her to be hanged without fully understanding whether she were innocent or guilty。  This unfortunate creature was a young and pretty country girl; whose worthy pastor; the cure de Liancourt; had availed himself of the influence he possessed; and of the advantages of his authority over the poor creature's mind; to seduce her from the paths of virtue。  Unfortunately; just at the time when she expected to produce a living witness of their amour; and when she trusted to the cares of the cure to procure for her those comforts her unfortunate situation required; the author of her shame was suddenly carried off by a violent death; and the wretched girl; either thro' ignorance or the shame of having listened to the illicit passion of a priest; neglected to make any of those formal declarations required by the law; and gave birth to a dead infant。  The justice of the village; informed of her fault; caused her to be arrested; and recorded against her sentence of death; a decision which was afterwards approved by parliament。

The poor girl was in this extremity when; happily for her; M。 de Mandeville; a worthy man from either Normandy or Picardy; who had served in the black musketeers; resolved upon attempting the revocation of the severe sentence which had been passed upon her; by addressing the king thro' my mediation; he accordingly followed me to Marly; where I then was; and lost no time in forwarding to me the following billet:

〃MADAME; Beauty has ever been found the inseparable companion of goodness; to yours I would appeal to obtain the favor of an immediate audience。  My reasons for requesting it are not to solicit either place or pension; but to save the life of an erring creature whose crime has been that of ignorance。  I await your reply with the most lively impatience; and have the honor to remain; etc。; etc。〃

This note puzzled me excessively; however I gave orders for the immediate introduction of M。 de Mandeville; whose appearance was even more prepossessing than his note; he looked and spoke like an honorable man endowed with that sensibility so precious and so rare; he put into my hands the petition; whilst he explained to me the particulars relative to it; and I instantly wrote to the chancellor the following note; of which a thousand copies were taken in the course of the day。  Altho' it has been many times in  print; I shall offer no apologies for again submitting it to your perusal。

〃MONSIEUR LE CHANCELLOR;I do not profess to understand your laws; but they seem to me as unjust as barbarous。  They are contrary to both reason and humanity; if they put to death an unfortunate female for giving birth to a still…born child without having previously disclosed her situation to any one; and yet; according to the memorial annexed to this; the petitioner is so circumstanced。  Here is an unhappy girl about to pay with the forfeit of her life for her ignorance of such a law; or because the modesty and even shame attendant upon her disgraced condition prevented her conforming to it。  I appeal to your sense of justice; the wretched girl; concerning whom I write; is a fit object for the exercise of your lenity; and I venture to assure myself that you will at least effect the commutation of her punishment。 Your own kind feelings will dictate all I would ask further for her。

〃I am; etc。; etc。〃

I felt very certain that; from the manner in which I had expressed myself; the consent of M。 de Maupeou was quite certain; I therefore said to my visitor; the handsome musketeer;

〃And now; sir; the noble work of charity; in which you have associated me must be completed: go yourself and see the chancellor; tell him you come from me; and do not quit him till you obtain the reply I have solicited。〃

M。  de Mandeville loaded me with thanks and praises which I did not really merit; because in the present instance I acted as much fr

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