uted to speak to M. de Blacas,
his then favourite, and tell him that his unpopularity was so
great in France that it was desirable he should not return there.
Blacas replied, 'You don't know the King; he must have a
favourite, and he had better have me than another. I shall go; he
will have another, and you should take pains to put a _gentleman_
in that situation, for he is capable of taking the first person
that finds access to him and the opportunity of pleasing him.' He
added that he should not wonder if he took Fouche. He did not take
Fouche, who was not aware of the part he might have played, but he
took De Cazes, who governed him entirely. This continued till the
Royal Family determined to get rid of him, and by threatening to
make an _esclandre_ and leave the chateau they at last succeeded,
and De Cazes was sent as Ambassador to London. Then the King wrote
to him constantly, sending him verses and literary scraps. The
place remained vacant till accident threw Madame du Cayla in his
way.[9] She was the daughter of Talon, who had been concerned in
the affair of the Marquis de Favras, and she sent to the King to
say she had some papers of her father's relating to that affair,
which she should like to give into his own hands. He saw her and
was pleased with her. The Royal Family encouraged this new taste,
in order to get rid entirely of De Cazes, and even the Duchesse
d'Angouleme promoted her success. It was the same thing to him to
have a woman as a man, and there was no sexual question in the
matter, as what he wanted was merely some one to whom he could
tell everything, consult with on all occasions, and with whom he
could bandy literary trifles. Madame du Cayla, who was clever, was
speedily installed, and he directly gave up De Cazes. He told the
Duke that he was _brouille_ with De Cazes, who had behaved very
ill to him, but he had nothing specific to allege against him,
except that his manner to him was not what it ought to have been.
The Ministers paid assiduous court to Madame du Cayla, imparted
everything to her, and got her to say what they wanted said to the
King; she acted all the part of a mistress, except the essential,
of which there never was any question. She got great sums of money
from him and very valuable presents.

[9] [This lady has already been noticed in a previous
portion of these Memoirs, when she visited England. See
vol. i. p. 215 [July 10th, 1829].]

June 1