de Sartines. The
lieutenant of police not suspecting the favor that awaited me,
as well as that which I already enjoyed, and on the other hand
persuaded of that of the Choiseul family, set all his bloodhounds
on my traces. They did not fail to bring him back a thousand
horrible tales about me, with which he gratified the duchesse,
who, thinking thereby to do me a severe injury, spread in the
chateau a multitude of prejudicial tales against me, hoping that
they would reach the ears of the king and disgust him with his
amour. It was at this juncture that appeared in the "
a la Main>" those infamous articles, collected in what they call
the Collection of Bachaumont. From the same source proceeded
the songs which filled Paris, and were sung
about everywhere. These scandals produced no other effect than
increasing the attachment which the king had for me, and to
diminish that which he felt for the duc de Choiseul.
Passion never reasons; if it had common sense, it would perceive
that it cannot disgust a lover by vilifying his mistress, but, on
the contrary, interests his self-love in supporting her. Thus
all these intrigues scathed me not; I did not mention to my
counsellor comte Jean an insult which I met with in the park
at Versailles from madame de Grammont. I did not tell it to the
king, not wishing to create any disturbance at court.
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