Memoirs of a Physician (12 page)
“No exaggeration, countess.”
” Half, then.”
*’ Good heavens ! ” cried Louis XV.
” But I am talking folly. What are parliaments, Choiseuls, governments, to me ? What is the king to me, when I am only his makeshift ? “
“Once more that word.”
“Always.”
“Give me two hours to consider, countess.”
” Ten minutes, sire. I will retire into my apartment ; slip your answer under the door there are pen, ink, and paper. If in ten minutes you have not replied, and replied as I wish, adieu. Think no more of me I shall be gone. If not “
“If not?”
” Then you have once more your Jeanne.”
Louis XV. kissed the hands of the countess, who, like
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the Parthian, threw back her most fascinating smile on him as she left the room.
The king made no opposition, and the countess locked herself into the next apartment.
Five minutes afterward a folded paper grazed the silken mat and the rich carpet beneath the door.
The countess eagerly devoured the contents of the letter, hastily wrote some words with a pencil on a scrap of paper, and, opening the window, threw the paper toM. de Richelieu, who was walking in the little courtyard under an awning, in great trepidation lest he should be seen, and therefore keeping himself out of view as much as possible.
The marshal unfolded the paper, read it, and, in spite of his five and sixty years, hastily ran to the large courtyard, and jumped into his carriage.
” Coachman,” said he, ” to Versailles, as quick as possible ! “
The paper which was thrown to M. de Eichelieu from the window merely contained these words, ” I have shaken the tree the portfolio has fallen.”
HOW KING LOUIS XV. TRANSACTED BUSINESS.
THE next day there was a great commotion at Versailles. Whenever two courtiers met there, there was nothing but mysterious signs and significant shakes of the hand, or else folded arms, and looks upward, expressive of their grief and surprise.
M. de Richelieu, with a number of his partisans, was in the king’s antechamber at Trianon, about ten o’clock.
The count Jean, all bedizened with lace and perfectly dazzling, conversed with the old marshal and conversed gaily, if his joyous face could be taken as testimony of the fact.
About eleven o’clock the king passed quickly through the gallery and entered the qpuncil-chamber without speaking to any one.
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At about five minutes past eleven M. de Choisenl alighted from his carriage and crossed the gallery with his portfolio under his arm.
As he passed through the throng, there was a hurried movement among the courtiers, who all turned round as if talking among themselves, in order to avoid bowing to the minister.
The duke paid no attention to this maneuver ; he entered the closet where the king was turning over some papers while sipping some chocolate.
” Good morning, duke,” said the king, familiarly ; ” are we charmingly this morning ?”
” Sire, Monsieur de Choiseul is quite well, but the minister is very ill, and comes to request that your majesty, since you have not yet spoken, will accept his resignation. I thank the king for permitting me to take the initiative in this matter ; it is a last favor, for which I am deeply grateful.”
” How, duke ? Your resignation ? what does all that mean ? “
“Sire, your majesty yesterday signed for Madame Dubarry an order which deposes me. This news is already spread all over Paris and Versailles. The evil is done ; nevertheless, I was unwilling to leave your majesty’s service without receiving a formal order with the permission. For, nominated officially, I can consider myself only dismissed by an official act.”
” What, duke,” exclaimed the king, laughing, for the severe and lofty attitude of M. de Choiseul made him almost tremble, “did you, a man of genius and skilled in official forms, did you believe that ? “
” But, sire,” said the surprised minister, ” you have signed.”
” What ? “
” A letter in the possession of Madame Dubarry.”
” Ah ! duke, have you never felt the want of peace ? You are most fortunate. Madame de Choiseul must indeed be a model.”
The duke, offended by the comparison, frowned.
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” Your majesty,” said he, ” has too much firmness of character, and above all, too much tact and discretion, to mix up affairs of state with what you deign to call household matters.”
” Choiseul, I must tell you how that affair happened ; it is very amusing. You are aware that you are very much feared in that quarter.”
” Bather say hated, sire.”
” Hated, if you will. Well, this mad-cap countess left me no alternative but to send her to the Bastile, or to thank you for your services.”
” Well ! sire ? “
” Well, duke, you must confess that it would have been a pity to lose the sight which Versailles presents this morning. I have been amused since yesterday with seeing the couriers depart in all directions, and watching the faces brighten up or lengthen. Since yesterday Cotillion III. is Queen of France. It is exceedingly amusing.”
” But the end of all this, sire ? “
” The end, my dear duke,” said the king, seriously, ” the end will always remain the same. You know me ; I al-ways seem to yield, but I never yield in reality. Let the women swallow the honeyed morsel I throw them now and then, as to another Cerberus ; but let us live quietly, uninterruptedly, always together. And since we are on the chapter of explanations, keep this one for yourself. Whatever report you may hear, whatever letter yon may receive from me, do not absent yourself from Versailles. As long as I continue to say to you what I do now, duke, we shall be good friends.”
The king extended his hand to his minister, who bowed over it, without gratitude and without anger.
” And now, my dear duke, let us to business.”
” At your majesty’s pleasure,” replied the minister, opening his portfolio.
” Well, tell me something of these fireworks, to begin with.”
” Ah, that was a great disaster, sire.”
“Whose fault was it?”
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” Monsieur Bignon’s, the provost of the merchants.”
” Did the people cry out very much ? “
” Oh ! very much ‘
” Then perhaps we had better dismiss this Monsieur Bignon.”
” One of the members of parliament was nearly killed in the melee, and his colleagues therefore took the matter up warmly. But the advocate general, Seguier, made a very eloquent speech to prove that this misfortune was the work of fate alone. His speech was applauded, and so the affair is over for the present.”
” So much the better ! Let us pass to the parliament, duke. Ah ! we are reproached for that.”
” I am blamed, sire, for not supporting Monsieur d’Aiguillon against Monsieur de la Chalotais. But who blames me ? The very people who carried your majesty’s letter about with all the demonstrations of joy. Eemember, sire, that Monsieur d’Aiguillon overstepped the bounds of his authority in Brittany, that the Jesuits were really exiled, and that Monsieur de la Chalotais was right. Your majesty has publicly acknowleged the innocence of the attorney-general. The king cannot thus be made to stultify himself. To his minister that is nothing, but in presence of his people
” In the meantime the parliament feels itself strong.”
” And it is strong. How can it be otherwise ? The members are reprimanded, imprisoned, persecuted, and then declared innocent. I do not accuse Monsieur d’Aguillon of having commenced this affair of La Chalotais, but I can never forgive him for having been in the wrong in it.”
” Oh I come, duke, the evil is done, think of the remedy. How can we bridle these insolent minions ? “
” Let the intrigues of the chancellor cease let Monsieur d’Aiguillon have no more support, and the anger of the parliament will at once subside.”
” But that would be to yield, duke.”
“Then your majesty is represented by Monsieur d’Aguillon, and not by me ? “
This was a home thrust, and the king felt it.
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” You know,” said he, ” I do not like to affront my servants, even when they have been in the wrong. But no more of this unfortunate business ; time will decide who is right. Let us speak of foreign affairs. I am told we shall have a war ‘
“Sire, if there be war, it will be a just and necessary war.”
” With the English.”
” Does your majesty fear the English ? “
” Oh ! upon the sea.”
” Your majesty may rest tranquil. My cousin, the Duke do Praslin, your minister of marine, will tell you that he has sixty-four men-of-war, not including those which are on the stocks. Besides, there are materials sufficient to construct twelve more in a year. Then there are fifty first-rate frigates a respectable force with which to meet a naval war. For a continental war we have more than all that, we have the remembrance of Fontenoy.”
” Very well ; but why must I fight the English, my dear duke ? A much less skilful minister than you, the Abbe Dnbois, always avoided war with England.”
“I dare say, sire. The Abbe Dubois received six hundred thousand pounds sterling per month from the English ‘
” Oh ! duke.”
” I have the proof, sire.”
” Well, be it so. But where are the grounds for war ? “
” England covets all the Indies ; I have been obliged to give the most stringent and hostile orders to your officers there. The first collision will call forth demands for redress from England ; my official advice is that we do not listen to them. Your majesty’s government must make itself respected by force, as it used to do by corruption.”
” Oh, let us pocket the affront. Who will know what happens in India ? It is so far from here.”
The duke bit his lips*
” There is a casus belli nearer home, sire,” said he.
” Another ? What is that ? “
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” The Spaniards claim tlie Malouine and Falkland Islands. The port of Egmont was arbitrarily occupied by the English ; the Spaniards drove them from it by main force. The English are enraged ; they threaten the Spaniards with instant war if they do not give them satisfaction.”
” Well ! but if the Spaniards are in the wrong, let them unravel the knot themselves.”
” And the family compact, sire ? ? Why did you insist on the signing of this compact, which allies so closely all the Bourbons of Europe against English encroachments ? “
The king hung his head.
” Do not be uneasy, sire,” said Choiseul ; ” you have a formidable army, an imposing fleet, and sufficient money. I can raise enough without making the people cry out. If we have a war, it will be an additional glory to your majesty’s reign, and it will furnish the pretext and excuse for several aggrandizements which I have in the project.”
” But in that case, duke, we must have peace in the interior ; let there not be war everywhere.”
“But the interior is quiet, sire,” replied the duke, affecting not to understand.
” No ! no ! you see plainly it is not. You love me, and serve me well. Others say they love me, and their conduct does not at all resemble yours. Let there be concord between all shades of opinion ; let me live happily, my dear duke.”
” It is not my fault, sire, if your happiness is not complete.”
”That is the way to speak. Well, come, then, and dine with me to-day.”
” At Versailles, sire ?”
” No ; at Luciennes.”
” I regret exceedingly, sire, that I cannot ; but my family is in great alarm on account of the reports which were spread yesterday. They think I am in disgrace with your majesty, and I cannot let so many loving hearts suffer.”
” And do those of whom I speak not suffer, duke ?
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Remember how happily we three used to live together in the time of the poor marchioness.”
The duke dropped his head, his eyes dimmed, and he uttered a half -suppressed sigh.
” Madame de Pompadour was extremely jealous of your majesty’s glory, and had lofty political ideas, sire. I confess that her character sympathized strongly with my own. I often emulated and strove along with her in the great enterprises she undertook ; yes, we understood each other ‘
” But she meddled with politics, duke, and every one blamed her for it.”
“True.”
” The present one, on the contrary, is mild as a lamb ; she has never yet asked me for a single lettre-de-caehet, even against the pamphleteers and sonnet writers. Well, they reproacli~her as if she followed in the other’s footsteps. Oh, duke ! it is enough to disgust one with progress. Come, will you make your peace at Luciennes ?”
” Sire, deign to assure the Countess Dubarry that I esteem her as a charming woman, and well worthy of the king’s love, but “
” Ah ! a but, duke “
“But,”” continued M. de Choiseul, “that my conviction is, that if your majesty is necessary for the welcome of France, a good minister is of more importance to your majesty in the present juncture than a charming mis-
” Let us speak no more of it, duke, and let us remain good friends. But calm Madame de Grammont, and let her not lay any more plots against the countess ; the women will imbroil us.”
‘ ‘ Madame de Grammont, sire, is too anxious to please your majesty ; that is her failing.”
” But she displeases me by annoying the countess, duke.”
” “Well, Madame de Grammont is going, sire ; we shall see her no more. ‘“‘That will be an enemy less.”
” I did not mean that ; you go too far. But my head burns, duke ; we have worked this morning like Louis XIV. and Colbert quite in the style of the ‘ Grand
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Siecle,’ as the philosophers say. Apropos, duke, are you a philosopher ? “
” I am your majesty’s humble servant,” replied M. de Choiseul.
” You charm me ; you are an invaluable man. Give me your arm, I am quite giddy.”
The duke hastened to offer his arm to his majesty.
