Lamothe-Langon, Etienne Leon, baron de, 1786-1864
"Memoirs of the Comtesse Du Barry; with intimate details of her entire career as favorite of Louis XV"
I
should tell you,
, that the discontent of the magistracy
had only increased, and that the parliament of Paris had even
finished by refusing to decide the suits which were referred to
them; thus punishing the poor litigants for their quarrel with
the minister.
Meanwhile, the general interest expressed for the duc de Choiseul
greatly irritated the king.
"Who would have thought," said he to me, "that a disgraced minister
could have been so idolized by a whole court? Would you believe
that I receive a hundred petitions a day for leave to visit at
Chanteloup? This is something new indeed! I cannot understand it."
"Sire," replied I, "that only proves how much danger you incurred
by keeping such a man in your employment."
"Why, yes," answered Louis XV; "it really seem as though, had he
chosen some fine morning to propose my abdicating the throne in
favour of the dauphin, he would only have needed to utter the
suggestion to have it carried into execution. Fortunately for me,
my grandson is by no means partial to him, and will most certainly
never recall him after my death. The dauphin possesses all the
obstinacy of persons of confined understanding: he has but slender
judgment, and will see with no eye but his own."
Louis XV augured ill of his successor's reign, and imagined that
the cabinet of Vienna would direct that of Versailles at pleasure.
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