Volume II Part 20 (1/2)

”Nothing extraordinary in that,” I answered; ”honestfar away from their native country; and as a proof of it, sixty French in the course of last year between Naples, Rome, and Venice Five times twelve are sixty; so you see that it is only a fair exchange”

The laughter was all on my side, and the fine councillor went away rather crestfallen One of the gentle my answer to his taste, caot acquainted at once

It was M de Marigni, whohted to know for the sake ofevery day M de Marigni was superintendent of the royal buildings, and the Acade was under his jurisdiction I raciously pro nobleman, who conversed with me, invited me to visit him It was the Duke de Matalona

I told hiht years before in Naples, and that I was under great obligations to his uncle, Don Lelio

The young duke was delighted, and we became inti of 1751, and he lodged with an at once to ith success for private individuals; but histo coni, who received hi hireat diligence

M de Morosini had been recalled, and M de Mocenigo had succeeded hiadin had recommended me to him, and he tendered a friendly welcome both to me and to my brother, in whose favour he felt interested as a Venetian, and as a young artist seeking to build up a position by his talent

M de Mocenigo was of a very pleasant nature; he liked gah he was always unlucky at cards; he loved women, and he was not e them Two years after his arrival in Paris he fell in love with Mada it impossible to win her affections, he killed himself

Madaundy, and the rejoicings indulged in at the birth of that child seem to ainst the king The people want to be free; it is a noble ambition, for mankind are not made to be the slaves of one iddy, ill be the end of that revolution? Time alone can tell us

The Duke de Matalona procured me the acquaintance of the two princes, Don Marc Antoine and Don Jean Baptiste Borghese, fro without display I had occasion to remark that when those Roman princes were presented at the court of France they were only styled ”marquis:” It was the same with the Russian princes, to whom the title of prince was refused when they wanted to be presented; they were called ”knees,” but they did not mind it, because that word meant prince The court of France has always been foolishly particular on the question of titles, and is even now sparing of the title of h everywhere every man as not titled was called Sieur I have re never addressed his bishops otherwise than as abbes, although they were generally very proud of their titles The king likewise affected to know a noblest those who served hihtiness of Louis XV had been innoculated into him by education; it was not in his nature When an ambassador presented someone to him, the person thus presented withdreith the certainty of having been seen by the king, but that was all Nevertheless, Louis XV

was very polite, particularly with ladies, even with his mistresses, when in public Whoever failed in respect towards the ever possessed to a greater extent the grand royal virtue which is called dissihted when he knew that no one but himself possessed it

The Chevalier d'Eon is a proof of this, for the king alone knew and had always known that the chevalier was a wo discussions which the false chevalier had with the office for foreign affairs was a coo on, only because it as, and he would have had no faults if flattery had not forced them upon him But how could he possibly have supposed hi when everyone around hi, in the opinion of which he was i of a nature by far too superior to ordinary ht to consider his! Vile flatterers are constantly doing everything necessary to reduce them below the condition of man

The Princess of Ardore was delivered about that ti prince

Her husband, the Neapolitan ambassador, entreated Louis XV to be God-father to the child; the king consented and presented his God-son with a regiment; but the mother, who did not like the military career for her son, refused it The Marshal de Richelieu told h so heartily as when he heard of that singular refusal

At the duchess de Fulvie's I made the acquaintance of Mdlle Gaussin, as called Lolotte She was the lish a he co the beauty of the stars which were shi+ning brightly over her head, saying that she ought to know he could not give them to her If Lord Albemarle had been ambassador to the court of France at the tiland, he would have arranged all difficulties amicably, and the unfortunate war by which France lost Canada would not have taken place There is no doubt that the harmony between two nations depends very often upon their respective aer of a rupture

As to the noble lord'sher She was fit in every way to becohest families of France did not think that she needed the title of Lady Albemarle to be received with distinction; no lady considered it debasing to sit near her, although she ell known as the lish lord She had passed froe of thirteen, and her conduct was always of the highest respectability She bore children whoally, and she died Countess d'Erouville I shall have to ain in my Memoirs

I had likewise occasion to become acquainted at the Venetian Elish baronet na froo in order to insure them the inheritance of their late father, which they would have lost if they had not declared theland She was on her way back to Venice, much pleased with her journey She was accoirl of twelve years, who, notwithstanding her youth, carried on her beautiful face all the signs of perfection

She is now living in Venice, theof Count de Rosenberg, who died in Venice ambassador of the Empress-Queen Maria Theresa She is surrounded by the brilliant halo of her excellent conduct and of all her social virtues No one can accuse her of any fault, except that of being poor, but she feels it only because it does not allow her to be as charitable as she ht wish

The reader will see in the next chapter how I ed to embroil myself with the French police

CHAPTER VIII