"
As I foresaw, the comte de Broglie was deeply offended, and wrote
to the duc d'Aiguillon a letter full of imprudent expressions. This
was exactly what this latter desired, who eagerly carried and read
the paper to the different members of the council, who heard it
with every expression of surprise and displeasure; the king viewed
it as a piece of open rebellion, and resolved to punish the writer
with his heaviest displeasure; the duc d'Aiguillon asked nothing
better, and ere an hour had elapsed, the duc de la Vrilliere
received orders to draw up a
in which the
king expressed his discontent of the comte de Broglie, deprived
him of the commission he had given him to go and receive the
princess of Savoy, and exiled him to Buffee, one of his estates
near Angouleme.
This was a matter of great talk at the chateau; no one could
imagine what had made the comte de Broglie conduct himself so
foolishly. It was at this period that M. d Marchault said of
him, when he saw him pass his house on his way to Buffee, "He has
the ministry by the tail."
M. de Broglie having gone, his majesty was compelled to look out
for another confidant, and raised to that eminence M. Lemoine,
clerk of his closet. M. Lemoine, in an inferior station had shown
himself competent to fill the highest offices in the state. Such
abilities are rare.
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