Part 52 (1/2)
The duc d'Aiguillon's first letter-The uillon-Numerous visitors
”My much esteemed friend,-I promised you upon your departure to inforh the task is a mournful one, I will do my best to acquitI rite you an exact detail of all that has occurred during the day The king remains much as you left him, and you must know that already hishi of his recovery, while Bordeu is uine that he shall be enabled to restore him to health La Martiniere persists in his assertion that the attention of the king should be immediately directed to his spiritual concerns The archbishop of Paris remains until called for in the ante-chaust parent
”The king spoke with , and I can assure you, you are the first object in his thoughts; he has begged of ned to repose in me the enviable post of your future protector 'I bequeathprince I took advantage of this opportunity to re Versailles as too precipitate and pre, ”I have acted for the best; I have once been deceived as to ain taken by surprise Tell my beloved and excellent countess how truly I love her'; and hearing the prince de Soubise ed him to embrace you for him
”The dauphin still remains secluded in his apartular correspondence with ar, are carried to the co them to reach the hands of the dauphin
”I am, etc, etc
”VERSAILLES, May 5, 1774, nine o'clock, evening”
Upon awaking the following , as stated to have passed a good night, and even La Martiniere seerounds for abandoning me, and about two o'clock in the afternoon I was favoured with a visit fro up to me, exclaimed with her usual vivacity,
”Oh,me into another chamber, she added,
”Do you know I quiteheavily on my hands What in the world will becoranted to the envied feho are permitted the entree to the petits appartements? For you see,that honour upon me I am too old to form one of her coterie, and I shall be laid aside like the rest of the antiquities of the chateau By the way,” continued the voluble reat cabal in the chateau respecting the for lucrative posts for themselves, all are anxious to introduce their private friends; in theinterests you appear to be already forgotten, which, by the way, is no bad thing for you Your best plan is to re to heridea, this excellent friend proceeded to inquire what the king had bestowed onpresent, ”for,” said she, ”he would not certainly permit you to leave Versailles empty-handed”
”It is a point,” replied I, ”that neither his ht of”
”Then such an oious simpleton,” answered she; ”and were I in your place, I would couillon to make a direct demand of a future provision for you; you really should see about this, and secure to yourself a noble establishht not to suffer for your overstrained delicacy Look at the duc de Choiseul, who has kept a regular court at Chanteloup, and never wanted for a train of courtiers at it”
After this lesson of worldly wisdoave e, and I saw her no ht with it a second letter frouillon, it was as follows:-
”MADAM,-I hasten to acquaint you with the pleasing inforth appears to have returned, he hi health, expressed aloud his regret for having been so hasty in advising your removal from him He has continually repeated, 'Hoeak and selfish of me thus to afflict my dearest countess! would you not advise me, my friend, to request her immediate return?' Of course, my reply was in the affirmative His majesty then put the same question to the duc de Richelieu, who answered, that in his opinion it was the best plan he could decide upon The bulletin signed by the different physicians acco to add but to reco with patience this te return, ht after, than ever The duc de la Vrilliere and the abbe Terray present the assurance of their unbounded respect and devotion, etc, etc”
The duchess,intelligence, and the ensuing day brought a concourse of visitors to Ruel; indeed, any one ht have supposed that fresh swarms of flatterers and courtiers had been created only to swell my numbers of huuest a sht and I felt too happy to be enabled to frown even upon those hen the stor enough to see hat zeal any person, whom I had previously recommended was assisted by the various ministers in the pursuit of their object; the petit saint found himself all at once at leisure to pay his respects tothrough the duc d'Aiguillon Mada, reserved her next call for the following day, but a few hours effected a cruel change in my fortune
CHAPTER XLVI
A third letter fro receives extreme unction-Letter from madame Victoire to the dauphin-M de Machault-A promenade with the duc de Cosse-Kind attention frouillon-Couillon's fifth letter, containing an account of the death of Louis XV-The duc de la Vrilliere-The lettre de cachet-Letter to the queen-Departure for the abbey of Pont aux Da frouillon I shall not transcribe, as it wasThe day following still brought a continuation of favorable accounts, but the next letter was in these words:-
”MADAM, AND MOST HONORED FRIEND,-Arht not to conceal from you that serious apprehensions are entertained for his life; he has passed a wretched night, His daughters, who never quitted his bedside, whispered to hirand al did not see he called the duc de Duras, whom he bade inquire whether M Mandoux were in the chateau; and, if so, to apprize him he wished to speak with him
”At these words the princesses and all who heard the, which was only interrupted by the arrival of the confessor, who, approaching the bedside of the penitent, held a conference with hi concluded, the king, in a low and firm voice, inquired for his ale the duties of his sacred office Histo his afflicted children, 'My daughters, why should what I aitate or alar the small-pox, the etiquette established in my family compels me to receive the last soleation in sub spoke convinced his attendants that he rather strove to re-assure hi extreerous state as a mere act of obedience to an established custom It was then decided that the sacred cere; and here arose so upon the necessity of the king'sand open atonement for what they were pleased to ter's chalooht be seen the different noblemen in attendance upon his y, concealed from the invalid by the closely-drawn curtains; in thefroentle eth understood, that, on account of the extrerand almoner should pronounce in his nay for past offences
”You can scarcely ihout the chateau by the infor was about to receive the last rites of his church The terror and alar into acrowds of persons folloith sole the holy sacra rand al towards all present, pronounced the folloords in the king's name:-
”'Gentle hi hih he is responsible to God alone for his conduct, he yet regrets having caused any scandal to his people by the irregularities of his life, that he sincerely repents of his sins, and, should Providence restore hi henceforward in all the virtue and ion, in preserving a true faith, and in watching over the best interests of his people'
”Yours, h another channel, that (according to custom) forty hours' prayer had been enjoined in every church in France to i I heard too that the shrine of Saint Genevieve had been displayed for the veneration of true believers