word of honour, and that of Madame de Pompadour, that no mention whatever
of what I am going to tell you will be made to the King?"--"I think I can
assure you that, if you require such a promise from Madame de Pompadour,
and if it can produce no ill consequence to the King's service, she will
give it you." He gave me his word that what he requested would have no
bad effect; upon which I listened to what he had to say. He shewed me
several memorials, containing accusations of M. de Choiseul, and revealed
some curious circumstances relative to the secret functions of the Comte
de Broglie. These, however, led rather to conjectures than to certainty,
as to the nature of the services he rendered to the King. Lastly, he
shewed me several letters in the King's handwriting. "I request," said
he, "that the Marquise de Pompadour will procure for me the place of
Receiver-General of Finances; I will give her information of whatever I
send the King; I will write according to her instructions, and I will
send her his answers." As I did not choose to take liberties with the
King's papers, I only undertook to deliver the memorials. Madame de
Pompadour having given me her word according to the conditions on which I
had received the communication, I revealed to her everything I had heard.
She sent the memorials to M. de Choiseul, who thought them very
maliciously and very cleverly written. Madame de Pompadour and he had a
long conference as to the reply that was to be given to the person by
whom those disclosures were made. What I was commissioned to say was
this: that the place of Receiver-General was at present too important,
and would occasion too much surprise and speculation; that it would not
do to go beyond a place worth fifteen thousand to twenty thousand francs
a year; that they had no desire to pry into the King's secrets; and that
his correspondence ought not to be communicated to any one; that this did
not apply to papers like those of which I was the bearer, which might
fall into his hands; that he would confer an obligation by communicating
them, in order that blows aimed in the dark, and directed by malignity
and imposture, might be parried. The answer was respectful and proper,
in what related to the King; it was, however, calculated to counteract
the schemes of the Comte de Broglie, by making M. de Choiseul acquainted
with his attacks, and with the nature of the weapons he employed. It was
from the Count that he received s