heir to the crown, the Queen being past the age to have
children. Madame de ----- said to me, one day, when I was expressing my
surprise at the King's grief, "It would annoy him beyond measure to have
a Prince of the blood heir apparent. He does not like them, and looks
upon their relationship to him as so remote, that he would feel
humiliated by it." And, in fact, when his son recovered, he said, "The
King of Spain would have had a fine chance." It was thought that he was
right in this, and that it would have been agreeable to justice; but
that, if the Duc d'Orleans had been supported by a party, he might have
supported his pretensions to the crown. It was, doubtless, to remove
this impression that he gave a magnificent fete at St. Cloud on the
occasion of the Dauphin's recovery. Madame de Pompadour said to Madame
de Brancas, speaking of this fete, "He wishes to make us forget the
chateau en Espagne he has been dreaming of; in Spain, however, they build
them of solider materials." The people did not shew so much joy at the
Dauphin's recovery. They looked upon him as a devotee, who did nothing
but sing psalms. They loved the Duc d'Orleans, who lived in the capital,
and had acquired the name of the King of Paris. These sentiments were
not just; the Dauphin only sang psalms when imitating the tones of one of
the choristers of the chapel. The people afterwards acknowledged their
error, and did justice to his virtues. The Duc d'Orleans paid the most
assiduous court to Madame de Pompadour: the Duchess, on the contrary,
detested her. It is possible that words were put into the Duchess's
mouth which she never uttered; but she, certainly, often said most
cutting things. The King would have sent her into exile, had he listened
only to his resentment; but he feared the eclat of such a proceeding, and
he knew that she would only be the more malicious. The Duc d'Orleans
was, just then, extremely jealous of the Comte de Melfort; and the
Lieutenant of Police told the King he had strong reasons for believing
that the Duke would stick at nothing to rid himself of this gallant, and
that he thought it his duty to give the Count notice, that he ought to be
upon his guard. The King said, "He would not dare to attempt any such
violence as you seem to apprehend; but there is a better way: let him try
to surprise them, and he will find me very well inclined to have his
cursed wife shut up; but if he got rid of this lover, she wo