andfather, his
father, who had fulfilled these functions for a century, had transmitted
to him their understanding and their duties. All he thought of was how
to regulate the motions and steps of every person at court. He adored
the dauphin and dauphiness, because they both diverted and fatigued
themselves according to the rules in such cases made and provided. He
was always preaching to me and quoted against me the precedents of Diane
de Poitiers, or Gabrielle d'Estrees. One day he told me that all the
misfortunes of Mademoiselle de la Valliere occurred in consequence of
her neglect of etiquette. He would have had all matters pass at court
during the old age of Louis XV as at the period of the childhood
of Louis XIV, and would fain have had the administration of the
_Parc-aux-Cerfs_, that he might have arranged all with due ceremonies.

Since this word _Parc-aux-Cerfs_ has escaped my pen, I will tell you
something of it. Do you know, my friend, that but little is known of
this place, of which so much has been said. I can tell you, better
than any other person, what it really was, for I, like the marquise de
Pompadour, took upon myself the superintendence of it, and busied myself
with what they did there. It was, _entre nous_, the black spot in the
reign of Louis XV, and will cost me much pain to describe.

The vices of Louis XV were the result of bad education. When an infant,
they gave him for governor the vainest, most coxcombical, stupidest
of men--the duc de Villeroi, who had so well served the king (_si bien
servi le roi_),*

* The countess alludes to the _chanson_ written, after his
famous defeat, "_Villeroi, Villeroi a fort bien servi le
roi_." (Ed.) i.e., author

Never had courtier so much courtiership as he. He saw the young prince
from morning till night, and from morning till night he was incessantly
repeating in his ears that his future subjects were born for him, and
that they were all dependent on his good and gracious pleasure. Such
lessons daily repeated, necessarily destroyed the wise instructions
of Massillon. When grown up, Louis XV saw the libertinism of cardinal
Dubois and the orgies of the regency: madame de Maillis' shameless
conduct was before his eyes and Richelieu's also. Louis XV could not
conduct himself differently from his ministers and his family. His timid
character was formed upon the example of others. At first he selected
his own mistresses, but afterwards he chose