memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第59节

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exercise　power　and　command。　　Your　alliance　with　a　prince　of　the　blood　would　render　you　sole　mistress　in　this　kingdom；　and　should　I　ever　arrive；　through　your　means；　to　the　rank　of　prime　minister；　it　would　be　my　pleasure　and　pride　to　submit　all　things　to　you；　and　from　this　accord　would　spring　an　authority　which　nothing　could　weaken。〃

I　listened　in　silence；　and；　for　once；　my　natural　frankness　received　a　check；　for　I　durst　not　tell　him　all　I　knew　of　the　king's　sentiments　towards　him。　　The　fact　was；　Louis　XV　was　far　from　feeling　any　regard　for　the　prince　de　Conde；　and；　not　to　mince　the　matter；　had　unequivocally　expressed　his　contempt　for　him。　　He　often　said　to　me；　when　speaking　of　him；　〃He　is　a　conceited　fellow；　who　would　fain　induce　persons　to　believe　him　somebody　of　vast　importance。〃　Louis　XV　had　prejudices；　from　which　no　power　on　earth　could　have　weaned　him；　and　the　princes　of　the　house　of　Conde　were　amongst　his　strongest　antipathies：　he　knew　a　score　of　scandalous　anecdotes　relating　to　them；　which　he　took　no　small　pleasure　in　repeating。

However；　all　the　arguments　of　the　prince　de　Conde　were　useless；　and　produced　him　nothing；　or；　at　least；　nothing　for　himself；　although　he　procured　the　nomination　of　another　to　the　ministry；　as　you　will　hear　in　its　proper　place；　but　this　was　not　sufficient　to　allay　the　cravings　of　his　ambition；　and；　in　his　rage　and　disappointment；　when　open　war　was　proclaimed　between　the　king　and　his　parliament；　he　ranged　himself　on　the　side　of　the　latter。　He　soon；　however；　became　weary　of　his　new　allies；　and；　once　more　abandoning　himself　to　the　guidance　of　interest；　he　rejoined　our　party。　　Well　did　M。　de　Maupeou　know　men；　when　he　said　they　all　had　their　price；　and　great　as　may　be　the　rank　and　title　of　princes；　with　plenty　of　money；　they　too　may　be　had。

But　amongst　all　the　candidates　for　the　ministry；　the　one　who　occasioned　me　the　greatest　trouble　was　the　duc　de　la　Vauguyon；　who　insisted　upon　it　that　he　had　done　much　for　me；　and　complained　bitterly　of　his　unrequited　services；　and　of　my　having　bestowed　my　confidence　on　others。　　Up　to　the　moment　of　the　disgrace　of　the　des　Choiseuls；　he　had　been　amongst　the　most　bitter　of　the　malcontents；　but　no　sooner　were　they　banished　from　court　than　M。　de　la　Vauguyon　forgot　every　thing；　and　hastened　to　me　with　every　mark　of　the　warmest　friendship。

〃Ah！〃　　exclaimed　he；〃　I　have　much　to　scold　you　for；　but　I　will　forgive　you　all　your　past　misdeeds；　if　you　will　perform　your　promise　to　me。〃

〃My　dear　father；〃　cried　I　（for　I　used　jestingly　to　style　him　so；　in　the　same　manner　as　I　designated　the　bishop　of　Orleans　）；　〃are　you；　indeed　displeased　with　me？　　That　is　very　naughty：　for　you　know　I　love　you　with　all　my　heart。〃

〃If　it　be　true　that　you　entertain　any　regard　for　me；　why　have　you　evinced　so　little　towards　me？　　Am　I　not　of　the　right　materials　for　making　ministers？　　Why；　then；　have　you　never　procured　my　appointment　to　any　of　the　vacant　situations？〃

〃Stay；　stay；　my　dear　father；〃　cried　I；　〃how　you　run　on！　　To　hear　you　talk；　any　person　would　suppose　that　places　and　appointments　rained　down　upon　me；　and　that　I　had　only　to　say　to　you；　my　dear　duke；　choose　which　you　please；　then；　indeed；　you　might　complain　with　justice；　but　you　know　very　well；　that　all　these　delightful　things　are　in　the　hands　of　the　king；　who　alone　has　a　right　to　bestow　them　as　he　judges　best；　whilst　I　am　wholly　powerless　in　the　business。〃

〃Say；　rather；〃　replied　the　duke；　quickly；　〃that　you　find　it　suits　your　present　purpose　to　put　on　this　want　of　power。　　We　all　know；　that　your　veto　is　absolute　with　his　majesty；　and　it　requires　nothing　more　to　obtain　whatsoever　you　desire。〃

The　duc　de　la　Vauguyon　was　powerful；　and　represented　the　whole　of　a　partythat　of　the　religionists；　which　was　still　further　supported　by　the　；　but　for　this　very　reason　the　triumvirate；　consisting　of　messieurs　d'　Aiguillon；　de　Maupeou；　and　the　abbe　Terre；　would　not　have　accepted　his　services　at　any　price。

The　good　duke　returned　several　times　to　the　charge；　sometimes　endeavouring　to　move　me　by　gentle　intreaties　and；　at　others；　holding　out　threats　and　menaces；　good　and　bad　words　flowed　from　his　lips　like　a　mixture　of　honey　and　gall；　but　when　he　found　that　both　were　equally　thrown　away　upon　me；　he　retired　offended；　and　by　the　expression　of　his　rage　and　disappointment；　succeeded　in　incensing　both　the　dauphin　and　dauphiness　against　me。　　May　heaven　preserve　you；　my　friend；　from　the　anger　of　a　bigot！

I　think　I　have　detained　you　long　enough　with　the　relation　of　the　intrigues　by　which　I　was　surrounded　upon　the　dismissal　of　the　des　Choiseuls；　and　I　will　now　return　to　the　morning　of　the　24th　of　December。　　When　the　exiles　were　fairly　out　of　Paris；　the　king　found　himself　not　a　little　embarrassed　in　the　choice　of　a　prime　minister。　　Those　who　would　have　suited　our　purposes　did　not　meet　with　the　king's　approbation；　and　he　had　not　yet　sufficient　courage　to　venture　upon　electing　one　who　should　be　disagreeable　to　us；　he　therefore　hit　upon　a　curious　provisional　election；　the　abbe　Terray；　for　instance；　was　placed　at　the　head　of　the　war　department。　　This　measure　was　excused　by　the　assertion；　that　it　would　require　the　head　of　a　financier　to　look　into　and　settle　the　accounts；　which　the　late　minister　had；　no　doubt；　left　in　a　very　confused　state。　Upon　the　same　principle；　M。　Bertin　was　appointed　to　the　direction　of　foreign　affairs；　and　M。　de　Boynes　was　invested　solely　with　the　management　of　naval　affairs。　　This　man；　who　was　counsellor　of　state；　and　first　president　of　the　parliament　of　Besancon；　knew　not　a　letter　of　the　office　thus　bestowed　upon　him；　but　then　he　was　bound　body　and　soul　to　the　chancellor；　and　it　was　worth　something　to　have　a　person　who；　it　might　be　relied　on；　would　offer　no　opposition　to　the　important　reforms　which　were　to　be　set　on　foot　immediately。　　We　required　merely　automata；　and　M。　de　Boynes　answered　our　purpose　perfectly　well；　for　a　provisional　minister　nothing　could　have　been　better。

The　king　had　at　length　（in　his　own　opinion）；　hit　upon　a　very　excellent　minister　of　war；　and　the　person　selected　was　the　chevalier；　afterwards　comte　de　Muy；　formerly　usher　to　the　late　dauphin：　he　was　a　man　of　the　old　school；　possessing　many　sterling　virtues　and　qualities。　　We　were　in　the　utmost　terror　when　his　majesty　communicated　to　us　his　election　of　a　minister　of　war；　and　declared　his　intention　of　immediately　signifying　his　pleasure　to　M。　de　Muy。　　Such　a　blow　would　have　overthrown　all　our　projects。　Happily　chance　befriended　us；　the　modern　Cato　declared　that　he　should　esteem　himself　most　honored　to　serve　his　sovereign　by　every　possible　endeavour；　but　that　he　could　never　be　induced　to　enter　my　service　upon　any　pretext　whatever。　　The　strangeness　of　this　refusal　puzzled　Louis　XV　not　a　little。　　He　said　to　me。　　〃Can　you　make　out　the　real　motive　of　this　silly　conduct？　　I　had　a　better　opinion　of　the　man；　I　thought　him　possessed　of　sense；　but　I　see　now　that　he　is　only　fit　for　the　cowl　of　a　monk；　he　will　never　be　a　minister。〃　　The　king　was　mistaken；　M。　de　Muy　became　one　under　the　auspices　of　his　successor。

Immediately　that　the　prince　de　Conde　was　informed　of　what　had　passed；　he　recommenced　his　attack；　and　finding　he　could　not　be　minister　himself；　he　determined；　at　least；　to　be　principally　concerned　in　the　appointment　of　one；　he　therefore　proposed　the　marquis　de　Monteynard；　a　man　of　such　negative　qualities；　that　the　best　that　could　be　said　of　him　was；　that　he　was　as　incapable　of　a　bad　as　of　a　good　action；　and；　for　want　of　a　better；　he　was　elected。　Such　were　the　colleagues　given　to　M。　de　Maupeou　to　conduct　the　war　which　was　about　to　be　declared　against　the　parliaments。　　I　should　tell　you；　；　that　the　discontent　of　the　magistracy　had　only　increased；　and　that　the　parliament　of　Paris　had　even　finished　by　refusing　to　decide　the　suits　which　were　referred　to　them；　thus　punishing　the　poor　litigants　for　their　quarrel　with　the　minister。

Meanwhile；　the　general　interest　expressed　for　the　duc　　de　Choiseul　greatly　irritated　the　king。

〃Who　would　have　thought；〃　said　he　to　me；　〃that　a　disgraced　minister　could　have　been　so　idolized　by　a　whole　court？　　Would　you　believe　that　I　receive　a　hundred　petitions　a　day　for　leave　to　visit　at　Chanteloup？　　This　is　something　new　indeed！　　I　cannot　understand　it。〃

〃Sire；〃　replied　I；　〃that　only　proves　how　much　danger　you　incurred　by　keeping　such　a　man　in　your　employment。〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　answered　Louis　XV；　〃it　really　seem　as　though；　had　he　chosen　some　fine　morning　to　propose　my　abdicating　the　throne　in　favour　of　the　dauphin；　he　would　only　have　needed　to　utter　the　suggestion　to　have　it　carried　into　execution。　　Fortunately　for　me；　my　grandson　is　by　no　means　partial　to　him；　and　will　most　certainly　never　recall　him　after　my　death。　　The　dauphin　possesses　all　the　obstinacy　of　persons　of　confined　understanding：　he　has　but　slender　judgment；　and　will　see　with　no　eye　but　his　own。〃

Louis　XV　augured　ill　of　his　successor's　reign；　and　imagined　that　the　cabinet　of　Vienna　would　direct　that　of　Versailles　at　pleasure。　His　late　majesty　was　mistaken；　Louis　XVI　is　endowed　with　many　rare　virtues；　but　they　are　unfortunately　clouded　over　by　his　timidity　and　want　of　self…confidence。

The　open　and　undisguised　censure　passed　by　the　w