“Theobjectofyourattackapproaches，“saidLebeltome，“it
wouldbeaswelltoreconnoitrealittle。
Remember，notaword
ofhisrank，nocastdown，timidlooksathissovereignpower；
nobendingofknees，orfalteringofvoice。“
Theadvicethusgivenwasuseless。
ComteJean，whoborethe
reputationof，atleast，amanofmuchcoolimpudence，was，Iam
certain，moredeficientthanmyselfincourageupontheoccasion，
andIverilybelieve，askedhimselfseveraltimeswhetherhedared
appearbeforehisprincewithonewhomhewasfalselyasserting
tobehissister-in-law。
Howeverthesethoughtsmightormight
nothavedisturbedhim，weproceededonwardstillwereachedthe
apartmentwhereourinvitedfriendswereexpectingus；andhere
Iwill，withthereader’spermission，digressawhile，inorderto
sayafewintroductorywordsrespectingthefourpersonageswith
whomIhadthehonorofsupping。
Andfirst，LouisXVth，kingofFranceorashewasuponthe
presentoccasionstyledthebarondeGonesse，wasoneofthose
sentimentalegotistswhobelievedhelovedthewholeworld，his
subjects，andhisfamily；whileinreality，thesoleengrossing
objectwas。
Giftedwithmanypersonalandintellectual
endowments，whichmighthavedisputedthepalmwiththemost
livelyandengagingpersonagesofthecourt，hewasyetdevoured
byennui，andofthishewaswellaware，buthismindwasmadeup
tomeetthisennui，asoneofthenecessaryaccompanimentsof
royalty。
Devoidoftasteinliterarymatters，hedespisedall
connectedwiththe，andesteemedmenonlyin
proportiontothenumberandrichnessoftheirarmorialbearings。
M。deVoltairerankedhimbeneaththelowestcountry-squire；and
theverymentionofamanofletterswasterrifyingtohis
imaginationfromitsdisturbingthecurrentofhisownideas；he
revelledintheplenitudeofpower，yetfeltdissatisfiedwiththe
meretitleofking。
Heardentlydesiredtosignalizehimselfas
thefirstgeneraloftheage，andpreventedfromobtainingthisin
hisopinionhighestofhonors，entertainedtheutmostjealousyof
FrederickII，andspokewithundisguisedspleenandill-humorof
theexploitsofhisbrotherofPrussia。
Thehabitofcommanding，andthepromptobediencehehadevermet
with，hadpalleduponhismind，andimpressedhimwithfeelingsof
indifferenceforallthingswhichthusappearedsoeasilyobtained；
andthissatietyandconsequentlistlessnesswasbymanyconstrued
intomelancholyofdisposition。
Hedislikedanyappearanceof
oppositiontohiswill；notthatheparticularlyresentedthe
oppositionitself，butheknewhisownweakness，andfearedlest
heshouldbecompelledtomakeashowofafirmnesshewas
consciousofnotpossessing。
Fortheclergyheentertainedthe
mostsuperstitiousveneration；andhefearedGodbecausehehada
stillgreateraweanddreadofthedevil。
Inthehandsofhis
confessorheconfidentlybelievedwaslodgedtheabsolutepower
toconferonhimunlimitedlicensetocommitanyoreverysin。
Hegreatlydreadedpamphlets，satires，epigrams，andtheopinion
ofposterityandyethisconductwasthatofamanwhoscoffsat
theworld’sjudgment。
Thishastysketchmaywithsafetybetaken
astheportraitofLouisXV，althoughmuchmightbeadded；yetfor
thepresentIwillconfinemyselftotheoutlineofmypicture，
whichIshallhavefrequentoccasiontoretouchinthecourseof
myjournal；itismyintentiontopresenthiminallpossiblelights
beforethereader，andIflattermyselfIshallproduceaperfect
resemblanceofthemanIseektodepict。
Letusnowproceedto
considertheducdeRichelieu。
Thisnobleman，wheninhisseventy-secondyear，hadpreserved，
eveninsoadvancedanage，allhisformerpretensionstonotice；
hissuccessinsomanyloveaffairs，asuccesswhichhenever
couldhavemerited，hadrenderedhimcelebrated；hewasnowa
superannuatedcoxcomb，awearisomeandclumsybutterfly；when
however，hecouldbebroughttoexercisehissensebyremembering
thathewasnolongeryoung，hebecamefascinatingbeyondidea，
fromthefinishedeaseandgraceofhismanner，andthepolished
andpiquantstyleofhisdiscourse；stillIspeakofhimasamere
manofoutwardshow，fortheduke’sattainmentswerecertainly
superficial，andhepossessedmoreofthejargonofamanof
lettersthanthesoundreality。
Amongotherproofsofconsummate
ignorancehewasdeficienteveninorthography，andwasfool
enoughtoboastofsodisgracefulafact，asthoughitconferred
honoronhim；perhaps，indeed，hefoundthattheeasiestwayof
gettingoverthebusiness。
Hepossessedamostignobleturnofmind；allfeelingsofan
elevatednaturewerewantingwithinhim。
Abadson，anunkind
husband，andaworsefather，hecouldscarcelybeexpectedto
becomeasteadyfriend。
Allwhomhefeared，hehesitatednotto
trampleunderfoot；andhisfavoritemaxim，whichhehasa
hundredtimesrepeatedtome，was，that“weshouldneverhesitate
tosetourfootuponthenecksofallthosewhomightinanyway
interferewithourprojects——deadmen[hewouldfurtheradd]tell
notales！“
Therewasoneperson，nevertheless，whomhedetested
andflatteredatthesametime，andthiswasVoltaire，whowell
repaidhiminlikecoin。
HecalledtheducdeRichelieu，the
tyrantofthetennis-court*，andthedukereturnedthe
complimentbyinvariablydesignatinghim“Scoundrel“and“Poetaster“；
theonlydifferencewasthattheducdeRichelieuonlytreatedthe
poetthusin，whilstM。deVoltairesoughtnotto
conceal，eitherinhiswritingsorconversation，hiscandidopinion
oftheillustriousdukeandpeer；andhemightjustlyaccusethe
dukeofingratitude，forhe，nodoubt，owedaconsiderableportion
ofthereputationheenjoyedasageneral，tothebrilliantverses
inwhichVoltairehadcelebratedhisexploits。
*——tr。
ThemarquisdeChauvelinwasequallyskilfulasawarriorand
diplomatist。
Gentle，graceful，andwitty，hejoinedtothemost
extremeversatilityoftalenttheutmostsimplicityofcharacter。
Onceknown，hecouldnotfailofbeingvaluedandesteemed，and
thekingentertainedthemostlivelyregardforhim。
Thenoble
mindedmarquiswasfarfromtakingadvantageofhissovereign’s
favor，farfromit；heneitherboastedofit，norpresumedupon
it。
Thistrulywonderfulmandied，unhappily，toosoonforme，
forthekingonwhomhebestowedthesagestcounsels，andfor
foreigncourtswhoknewandappreciatedhisworth。
Ishallhave
occasiontospeakofhimhereafter；hehadabrother，awicked
littlehump-backedcreature，braveasCaesar，andabitterenemy
totheJesuits，whomhedidnotalittlecontributetooverturnin
theparliamentofParis，towhichhebelonged。
Thekingdetested
thismanasmuchashelovedandcherishedthebrother，andthat
issayingnotalittle。
ThefourthguestwastheducdelaVauguyon，thereally
tutortotheprincesofFrance，forhehadeducated
foursuccessively。
Hehaddisplayedinthearmybothbraveryand
talent，buthewasaconfirmedJesuit，andconductedhimself
towardsmeuponthestrictestprinciplesofhisorder。
Hewill
appearagainonthescenehereafter，butforthepresentImust
layhimaside，whilstIreturntomytothesaloon，which
Iwasabouttoenter。
ImmediatelyafterLebelhadconductedmeintoit，hewascalled
away，andquittedus。
Thekingroseandapproachedme，saluting
mewiththemostadmirablegallantry，andaddressingtomethe
mostencouragingandgratifyingwords。
Hisgentle，yetpolished
manners，finecountenance，nobleair，andthefreeandunrestrained
glancesofadmirationwhichsparkledinhiseyes，communicated
tomeafeelingofsupportandconfidencewhicheffectually
reassuredme，androusedmefromtheinvoluntaryemotionIhad
feltatthemomentwhenIfirstappearedinhispresence。
The
kingaddressedafewwordstocomteJean，andthenregardedhim
steadily，astho’heweretryingtorecallhisfeatures；buthis
eyequicklyturnedonmeagain，uponwhomhebestowedthemost
intoxicatingattention。
Neverwasfirstsightmoreeffective，and
neverdidaflamesorapidlyincreaseasdidthepassionofmy
nobleadorer。
Erewehadseatedourselvesatthesupper-table，
hewasagesgoneinlove。
Itwouldhaveprovokedasmilefromanycountenancetoperceive
howtherespectandadmirationwithwhichthethreecourtiers
regardedmeincreasedinproportionasthesentimentsoftheking
towardsmebetrayedthemselvesmoreandmore。
AtfirstIhad
beenconsideredasapersonoflittleornoimportance。
Soon，
however，astheirsagaciouseyesdiscoveredthestateoftheir
master’smind，theairoffamiliaritywithwhichtheyhadregarded
megaveplacetoamorestudiedpoliteness，which，initsturn，as
mattersprogressed，wassupersededbythemostdelicateattention；
anderewerosefromtablethesegentlemenwatchedmylookswith
themosteageranxietytoobtainthehonorofmynotice，andhopes
offuturepatronagefromonewhomtheyeasilyforesawwouldbe
fullyqualifiedtobestowit。
ComteJeanobservedallthatwas
passinginprofoundsilence。
Asforme，Italkedandlaughedwith
perfectfreedomfromrestraint，andmyfrankunaffectedmirth
appearedtoenchanttheking；Iknewthathewaswearyofthe
niceformalitiesofcourtlybeauty，anddesiredtorefreshhis
eyesandearswithsomethinglessrefined，andIgratifiedhim
tohisheart’swish。
Theconversationbecamelivelyandanimated，
themeritsofmenofletterswerediscussed，theFrenchand
Italiantheatrepassedinreviewbeforeus，andfinally，weamused
ourselveswithanecdotesrelativetotheintriguesofcourt。