t blush to attribute it to me.

"Believe in my respectful attachment, madame, no less than in my cruel
destiny, which renders me odious to those by whom I would be loved. My
enemies, a portion of whom are amongst yours, certainly succeed each
other with frightful eagerness to try my wind. Now they have just
published under my name some attacks on the poor president Henault, whom
I love with sincere affection. What have they not attributed to me to
inculpate me with my friends, with my illustrious protectors, M. le
marechal duc de Richelieu and their majesties the king of Prussia and
the czarina of Russia!

"I could excuse them for making war upon strangers in my name, altho'
that would be a pirate's method; but to attack, under my banner, my
master, my sovereign lord, this I can never pardon, and I will raise
against them even a dying voice; particularly when they strike you with
the same blows; you, who love literature; you, who do me the honor
to charge your memory with my feeble productions. It is an infamy to
pretend that I fire on my own troops.

"Under any circumstances, madame, I am before you in a very delicate
situation. There is in Versailles a family which overwhelms me with
marks of their friendship. Mine ought to appertain to it to perpetuity;
yet I learn that it is so unfortunate as to have no conception of your
merit, and that envious talebearers place themselves between you and it.
I am told that there is a kind of declared war; it is added, that I have
furnished supplies to this camp, the chiefs of which I love and esteem.
More wise, more submissive, I keep myself out of the way of blows; and
my reverence for the supreme master is such, that I turn away my very
eyes that they may not be spectators of the fight.

"Do not then, madame, think that any sentiment of affection has
compelled, or can compel me to take arms against you. I would refuse
any proposition which should rank me as hostile to you, if the natural
generosity of your enemies could so far forget it. In reality they are
as incapable of ordering a bad action as I am of listening to those who
should show themselves so devoid of sense as to propose such a thing to
me.

"I am persuaded that you have understood me, and I am fully cleared
in your eyes. It would be delightful to me to ascertain this with
certainty. I charge M. le marechal duc de Richelieu to explain to you my
disquietude on this head, and the favor I seek at your hands, from y