The prince des Deux Ponts--Prince Max--The dauphin and Marie Antoinette--The
comtesse du Barry and Bridget Rupert--The countess and Genevieve Mathon--
Noel--Fresh amours--Nocturnal adventure-- Conclusion of this intrigue
All my friends were not treacherous as the duc de Villeroi; and I may gratefully
assert I have possessed many true and sincere ones who have ever faithfully
adhered to my fortunes. One in particular I shall mention here, that I may
recommend him to your warmest esteem; for, although of high and distinguished
rank, he did not despise the good opinion of the meanest citizen. I speak of the
prince de Deux Ponts, Charles Auguste Christian. This prince, who chanced to
visit France during the zenith of my court favour, was very desirous of seeing me,
and both he and his brother were presented to me by the comte de la Marche,
their friend, and they quickly requested the honor of my friendship. Auguste
Christian pleased me most by his gentle and amiable manners, although most
persons gave the preference to his brother, Maximilian Joseph, better known by
the name of prince Max. Auguste Christian, in the fervour of his attachment,
speaking openly to me of the delicacy of the situation, proposed to me, in case of
any reverse, that I should seek an asylum in his dominions; and I must do him
the justice to say, that at the death of the king, far from forgetting his proffer, he
lost no time in reminding me of it. Fidelity and attachment such as his, is
sufficiently rare to merit a place in my journal. The prince des Deux Ponts was
presumptive heir to an immense inheritance, that of the electorate of Bavaria,
and the electorate Palatine, to the latter of which he was direct heir after the
decease of his cousin, the present elector. I could almost wish that he had
already succeeded to these possessions: he can never reign too soon for the
happiness of his subjects.
Prince Max had served in France; he was extremely well looked upon at court
both by the king and the princesses. As for the dauphiness, prejudiced against
him as she was by her mother, she naturally regarded him with an eye of cool
mistrust, and manifested her open dislike by never inviting him to any of her
parties. Prince Max spoke of this pointed neglect to the king, who immediately
summoned the dauphin. "My son," said he to him, "I see with regret that prince
Max is never an invited guest at any of your balls and fetes. Remember, he
belongs to a family which has been our most ancient ally, and do not take up the
quarrels of a house which, until your marriage, has ever been disposed in deadly
hatred to us."
If the dauphin was not gifted with a very extensive capacity, he was possessed of
sufficient plain sense to comprehend, and to enter into the views of his
grandfather, to whom he pledged his word, that henceforward prince Max should
be treated with more respect; and he kept his word, for the instant he returned to
his apartments, he commanded the duc de la Vauguyon to add the name of
prince Max to the list of invited persons. When the paper was drawn out it was
carried to the dauphiness, who was with her husband. She read on till she came
to the name of prince Max, which she desired might be erased; but the dauphin
interfered. "Oblige me," cried he, "by suffering this name to remain; his ancestors
