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Table of Contents

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 Richelieu 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 duc; 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.