gave me notice of her new Quarters; and the very same Day I hir'd a Chamber there too. I took no body with me but one Domestic, who was the Confident of my little Secrets; and there, in spite of my troublesome Argus, it was easy for me to see his Mistress, who would have been glad to be mine, if I had been so generous as he was, to give her 14000 Livres a year. But I chose rather to go snacks with him in the Favors which the Fair-one granted, than to pay so dear for the Exclusion of a Rival. The Counsellor, for his part, was not so indifferent, and having a Mistrust, he left no Stone unturn'd to find out the real Truth of the matter; nor was it long e'er his Curiosity was satisfy'd. Any other Person, not so deeply smitten as he was, might have known what he had to trust to for a Trifle of Expence; but this unbelieving Gallant, who, perhaps, was also too much conceited of his own Merit, and had too great an Opinion of his Nymph's Virtue, to presume to be jealous of her Honor upon slight Appearances, try'd new Experiments. He gave a Bribe to a Chambermaid, who made him see enough with his own Eyes intirely to remove those Suspicions which he had so fondly indulged. In a word, he saw me with his dear Mistress; and at a time too, when we should have least of all thought of being seen together. What a Fury the provok'd Lover was in, is easy to imagine, Nevertheless he was so prudent as to dissemble his Passion till I was retir'd to my own Chamber. Then, like another Roland, he took a Revenge for the Infidelity of his Angelica upon every thing that happen'd in his way. He broke and dash'd all to pieces; he tore off her Topknot, and threaten'd no less than utter Destruction
to all about him. To all this Noise the Damsel return'd no Answer but Tears, which at length wrought so far upon this outragious Lover, as to pacify him: being then more calm, he larded his severe Reproaches with the softest Expressions; and taking the advantage of her Foible, offer'd her to increase her Pension, if she wou'd but promise him inviolable Fidelity. The Fair-one swore that nothing should, hereafter, lead her astray from her Duty; and in a Flood of Tears she consented to receive 2000 Crowns Addition to her Pension, which made it 20000 Livres a year. The Bargain was concluded with great Joy on both sides; but yet it was not strictly perform'd; for I continu'd my Visits to the Damsel, till at length her Sister being recover'd of her Distemper, Miss return'd to her own House. The Difficulties that then occurr'd, together with my own Fickleness, quite cool'd my Passion, which it was the easier for me to get rid of, because it was not in the least founded in Esteem; and perhaps, had it not been purely for the Pleasure of teazing that Limb of the Law, I had withdrawn my Addresses sooner.
My Amour with the fair Comedian did not sequester me from Company; and I will venture to say, that I made a tolerable Figure in a Country where every body that is not French passes readily for a Barbarian. Several Gentlemen who saw how graciously the King receiv'd me at Versailles, were eager to pay me their Respects; particularly the Duke D——, first Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber, made me such a Compliment as I cannot easily forget. I became acquainted with this Nobleman at Versailles. He accosted me with the utmost Civility
in the Great Gallery, the very Day after I had been introduc'd to his Majesty, and told me that I had good reason to be pleas'd with the Reception which the King gave me; but much more with what he said when I was withdrawn; which was, That of all the Foreigners who had been introduc'd to him, no body had saluted him with a better Grace and a more easy Air than the Margrave of Anspach and me. The said Duke made a Proposal to me for my entring into the Service of France; and also promis'd me that I should be made a Colonel, if I would turn Roman Catholic. I thank'd him for his obliging Offers; but assur'd him, that Interest should never make me alter my Religion. I was also at that time full of the Prejudices of the Protestants against the Catholics; moreover, I was of an Age not mature enough for serious Reflections: for I thought of nothing in the world but my Pleasures; and indeed, how could a Man of my years help abandoning himself to them, when all the Kingdom, Paris especially, breath'd an Air of Gayety, which there was no withstanding? France saw that Peace which she had long wish'd for, on the point of being concluded; her late Losses had been expung'd by the Victory at Denain, and other Advantages which the French Troops obtain'd, not only by the raising of the Siege of Landrecy, which the Allies had invested, but by the taking of Marchiennes and St. Amant. The Allies began therefore to think of a Peace, and the English were at last willing to consent to it. I have already had the Honor to acquaint you, that my Lord St. John was come to the Court of France to have a Conference upon the Articles of the
so much desir'd Peace; and that he was receiv'd there as a Man who came with the most important News that 'twas possible for them to receive.
As soon as that Minister was return'd to London, the Congress was open'd at Utrecht for a Peace; and France and England mutually sent their Ambassadors to one another. The Duke d'Aumont was appointed to go in that quality to the Court of England; and before he departed, the King gave him the Order of the Holy Ghost. This Nobleman was perfectly welcome to the Court-Party at London, which was desirous of Peace; but was an Eye-sore to the opposite Party, who hated to hear the mention of it. The French Ambassador was insulted, and treated with such Outrage, that his House was set on fire, and the Loss thereby sustain'd was very considerable; the said Duke having borrow'd the richest Furniture of several Persons, which was entirely burnt. The Duke of Orleans thereby lost a noble Suit of Hangings, and several very scarce Pictures.
The Person who was sent to France, as Ambassador from the Court of England, was the Duke of Shrewsbury, whose Reception by the King, the Court and the Kingdom was sufficient Demonstration how well they lik'd the Commission which he came to negotiate. This Ambassador kept no very great Table at the Court of France; nor was his Equipage very gay. He was indeed a Nobleman of very great Merit, but of a mean Presence; for he was blind of one Eye, and exclusive of that Defect no body would hardly have taken him for a Nobleman, if he had not been adorn'd with the Order of the Garter. He had his Duchess with
him, who was an Italian Lady by Birth, and Sister to the famous P——, so well known in England for his Extravagancies and his tragical Exit. The Duke of Shrewsbury was betroth'd to her in Italy, and married in England. This Duchess appear'd at the Court of France with the most Foreign Air in the World. The Duchess d'Aumont was to have introduc'd her to the King and the Princesses; but as she was at that time indispos'd, she desir'd Madame de Chatillon to perform the Office for her. The King receiv'd the Ambassadress with great Marks of Distinction; and she was afterwards introduc'd to Madame, where she found a numerous Company that came thither out of meer Curiosity; and there it was that I had the Honor of seeing her. She seem'd at first in such Confusion, as if she had never liv'd in any Court, but by degrees she took courage. She talk'd a great deal, and talk'd well.
The same Night the Duchess of Shrewsbury was with the King at Supper, where she was plac'd in the Rank of the Duchesses, exactly behind the Duke of Berry. She talk'd a great deal to this Prince, tho' she had only a Glimpse of him once before at the Duchess of Berry's Apartment. All the Supper-time she did nothing but twitch him by the Sleeve, to advise him not to eat so much. Every body was very much surpriz'd to see this Familiarity of her's; and I observ'd that the Duke of Berry was not a little confounded at it. I forgot to mention one Circumstance wherein I thought the King was over and above polite. As he came to the Table he pass'd by the Duchess of Shrewsbury, without seeing her; but just as he was going to sit down, M. de Livry the Chief Steward acquainted him, that
the Ambassadress of England was come to his Supper. Upon this, the King return'd that instant to the Place where she was, and said to her, That he had pass'd her without saluting her, because he did not see her; and that, he thought she was so fatigu'd with the Visits she had made in the Day that she was retir'd. The King also desir'd her to go and repose her self; but she made her Excuse and said, That 'twas impossible to have the Honor of paying Duty to so great a King as his Majesty, and to complain of Fatigue.