he conversation upon politics, the state of
affairs, and the great desire he felt to undertake the direction of them
in concert with me; he would add, "You might play the part of madame de
Pompadour, and yet you content yourself with merely attempting to do
so; you are satisfied with possessing influence when you might exercise
power and command. Your alliance with a prince of the blood would render
you sole mistress in this kingdom; and should I ever arrive, through
your means, to the rank of prime minister, it would be my pleasure and
pride to submit all things to you, and from this accord would spring an
authority which nothing could weaken."

I listened in silence, and, for once, my natural frankness received
a check; for I durst not tell him all I knew of the king's sentiments
towards him. The fact was, Louis XV was far from feeling any regard for
the prince de Conde; and, not to mince the matter, had unequivocally
expressed his contempt for him. He often said to me, when speaking of
him, "He is a conceited fellow, who would fain induce persons to believe
him somebody of vast importance." Louis XV had prejudices, from which
no power on earth could have weaned him; and the princes of the house
of Conde were amongst his strongest antipathies: he knew a score of
scandalous anecdotes relating to them, which he took no small pleasure
in repeating.

However, all the arguments of the prince de Conde were useless, and
produced him nothing, or, at least, nothing for himself, although he
procured the nomination of another to the ministry, as you will hear in
its proper place; but this was not sufficient to allay the cravings of
his ambition; and, in his rage and disappointment, when open war was
proclaimed between the king and his parliament, he ranged himself on the
side of the latter. He soon, however, became weary of his new allies;
and, once more abandoning himself to the guidance of interest, he
rejoined our party. Well did M. de Maupeou know men, when he said they
all had their price; and great as may be the rank and title of princes,
with plenty of money, they too may be had.

But amongst all the candidates for the ministry, the one who occasioned
me the greatest trouble was the duc de la Vauguyon, who insisted upon it
that he had done much for me, and complained bitterly of his unrequited
services, and of my having bestowed my confidence on others. Up to the
moment of the disgrace of the des Choiseuls, he had been