“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。