The chevalier de la Morliere--Portrait of the duc de Choiseul-- The duc de
Choiseul and the comtesse du Barry--No reconciliation effected--Madame du
Barry and the duc d'Aiguillon--Madame du Barry and Louis XV
About this period I received a piece of attention, any thing but gratifying if
considered in a strictly honourable sense. The contemptible chevalier de la
Morliere, who detested me, and subsequently pursued me with rage, presumed
to dedicate to me some wretched collection of his compositions, and I had the
weakness to accept the dedication; I had even the still greater folly to receive its
author at my house; this piece of condescension injured me greatly. Until that
period I had not, like madame de Pompadour, shown myself the protectress and
patroness of men of letters; and even my warmest friends could not deny, that in
stepping forwards as the encourager of literature, I had made a very unfortunate
choice in selecting the chevalier de la Morliere as the first object of my
patronage. But how could I have done otherwise? The prince de Soubise, who
found this man serviceable upon many occasions, would have sacrificed any
thing to promote his advancement; and I have been assured, that had the
marechal taken half the pains on the day previous to the battle of Rasbach, we
should not have left it so disgracefully.
The king well knew the unfortunate chevalier for a man as destitute of modesty
as merit; when therefore he saw his book upon the mantel-piece of my drawing-
room, he said,
'So! you are the inspiring muse of the chevalier de la Morliere; I only warn you,
when the day comes for him to be hanged, not to ask me to pardon him."
"Be assured," replied I, "that I will never deprive the Place de Greve of one so
formed to do honour to it."
In fact, the chevalier was within an ace of reaching it before his friends
anticipated; for, very shortly after this conversation, he was guilty of the most
detestable piece of knavery I ever heard of. He learned that an unfortunate
young man from the country, into whose confidence he had wormed himself, was
to receive 15,000 livres on his father's account; he invited him to supper, and, by
the aid of two villains like himself, stripped him of his last sous. Not satisfied with
this, he wrote the father such an exaggerated account of his son's loss and
general bad habits, that the enraged and irritated parent procured an order to
confine his son at Saint Lazare! Did you ever hear of a more infamous and
accomplished rogue than my honourable protege? However, I shall give him up
to his fate, be it good or bad, and proceed with the relation of my affair with duc
de Choiseul.
I had named to madame de l'Hopital the hour at which I could receive the duke.
She had requested, in pursuance of her directions, no doubt, that the
conversation between us should take place either amidst the groves of Versailles
or in the labyrinth of Marly;--the self-love of M. de Choiseul inducing him to desire
that this interview should be so contrived, as to wear the air of a mere chance
rencontre. To this I would not consent; saying, that it did not suit my pleasure to
quit the house; and that when a gentleman solicited the favour of speaking to a
