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his　look　very　serious。

Some　moments　of　silence　passed；　during　which　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　threw
his　eyes　over　all　the　company　（who　appeared　deeply　expectant）；　and　then
fixed　them　on　the　King；　and　asked　if　he　might　announce　to　the　council　the
marriage　of　his　Majesty。　　The　King　replied　by　a　dry　〃　yes；〃　and　in　a
rather　low　tone；　but　which　was　heard　by　the　four　or　five　people　on　each
side　of　him；　and　the　Regent　immediately　announced　the　marriage。　　Then；
after　taking　the　opinions　of　the　council；　which　were　for　the　most　part
favorable；　he　turned　towards　the　King　with　a　smiling　air；　as　though
inviting　him　to　assume　the　same；　and　said；　〃There；　then；　Sire；　your
marriage　is　approved　and　passed；　and　a　grand　and　fortunate　matter
finished。〃　　The　council　then　broke　up。

The　news　of　what　had　taken　place　immediately　ran　over　all　Paris。　　The
Tuileries　and　the　Palais　Royal　were　soon　filled　with　people　who　came　to
present　themselves　before　the　King　to　compliment　him　and　the　Regent　on
the　conclusion　of　this　grand　marriage；　and　the　crowd　continued　the
following　days。　　The　King　had　much　difficulty　in　assuming　some　little
gaiety　the　first　day；　but　on　the　morrow　he　was　less　sombre；　and　by
degrees　he　quite　recovered　himself。

M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　took　care　not　to　announce　the　marriage　of　his
daughter　with　the　Prince　of　the　Asturias　at　the　same　time　that　the　other
marriage　was　announced。　　He　declared　it；　however；　the　next　day；　and　the
news　was　received　with　the　utmost　internal　vexation　by　the　cabal　opposed
to　him。　　Men；　women；　people　of　all　conditions　who　belonged　to　that　cabal；
lost　all　countenance。　　It　was　a　pleasure　to　me；　I　admit；　to　look　upon
them。　　They　were　utterly　disconcerted。　　Nevertheless；　after　the　first　few
days　of　overthrow；　they　regained　courage；　and　set　to　work　in　order　to
break　off　both　the　marriages。




CHAPTER　CVII

I　have　already　said　that　Dubois　looked　most　unfavourably　upon　my　embassy
to　Spain；　and　that　I　saw　he　was　determined　to　do　all　in　his　power　to
throw　obstacles　in　its　way。　　I　had　fresh　proofs　of　this。　　First；　before
my　departure：　when　he　gave　me　my　written　instructions；　he　told　me　that　in
Spain　I　must　take　precedence　of　everybody　during　the　signing　of　the
King's　contract　of　marriage；　and　at　the　chapel；　at　the　two　ceremonies　of
the　marriage　of　the　Prince　of　the　Asturias；　allowing　no　one　to　be　before
me！

I　represented　to　him　that　the　Pope's　nuncio　would　be　present；　and　that　to
him　the　ambassadors　of　France　gave　place　everywhere；　and　even　the
ambassadors　of　the　Emperor　also；　who；　without　opposition；　preceded　those
of　the　King。　　He　replied　that　that　was　true；　except　in　special　cases　like
the　present；　and　that　his　instructions　must　be　obeyed：　　My　surprise　was
great　at　so　strange　an　order。　　I　tried　to　move　him　by　appealing　to　his
pride；　asking　him　how　I　should　manage　with　a　cardinal；　if　one　happened　to
be　present；　and　with　the　majordomo…major；　who　corresponds；　but　in　a　very
superior　degree；　with　our　grand　master　of　France。　　He　flew　in　a　rage；　and
declared　that　I　must　precede　the　majordomo…major　also；　that　there　would
be　no　difficulty　in　doing　so；　and　that；　as　to　the　cardinals；　I　should
find　none。　　I　shrugged　my　shoulders；　and　begged　him　to　think　of　the
matter。　　Instead　of　replying；　to　me；　he　said　he　had　forgotten　to　acquaint
me　with　a　most　essential　particular：　it　was；　that　I　must　take　care　not　to
visit　anybody　until　I　had　been　first　visited。

I　replied　that　the　visiting　question　had　not　been　forgotten　in　my
instructions；　and　that　those　instructions　were　to　the　effect　that　I
should　act　in　this　respect　as　the　Duc　de　Saint…Aignan　had　acted；　and　that
the　usage　he　had　followed　was　to　pay　the　first　visit　to　the　Minister　of
Foreign　Affairs；　and　to　the　Councillors　of　State　（when　there　were　any）；
who　are　the　same　as　are　known　here　under　the　name　of　ministers。
Thereupon　he　broke　out　afresh；　prated；　talked　about　the　dignity　of　the
King；　and　did　not　allow　me　the　opportunity　of　saying　another　word。　　I
abridged　my　visit；　therefore；　and　went　away。

However　strange　might　appear　to　me　these　verbal　orders　of　such　a　new
kind；　I　thought　it　best　to　speak　to　the　Duc　de　Saint…Aignan　and　Amelot　on
the　subject；　so　as　to　convince　myself　of　their　novelty。　　Both　these
ambassadors；　as　well　as　those　who　had　preceded　them；　had　visited　in　an
exactly　opposite　manner；　and　they　thought　it　extravagant　that　I　should
precede　the　nuncio；　no　matter　where。　　Amelot　told　me；　moreover；　that　I
should　suffer　all　sorts　of　annoyances；　and　succeed　in　nothing；　if　I
refused　the　first　visit　to　the　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　that　as　for
the　Councillors　of　State；　they　existed　only　in　name；　the　office　having
fallen　into　desuetude；　and　that　I　must　pay　other　visits　to　certain
officers　he　named　（three　in　number）；　who　would　be　justly　offended　and
piqued　if　I　refused　them　what　every　one　who　had　preceded　me　had　rendered
them。　　He　added　that　I　had　better　take　good　care　to　do　so；　unless　I
wished　to　remain　alone　in　my　house；　and　have　the　cold　shoulder　turned
upon　me　by　every　principal　person　of　the　Court。

By　this　explanation　of　Amelot　I　easily　comprehended　the　reason　of　these
singular　verbal　orders。　　The　Cardinal　wished　to　secure　my　failure　in
Spain；　and　my　disgrace　in　France：　in　Spain　by　making　me　offend　at　the
outset　all　the　greatest　people　and　the　minister　through　whose　hands　all
my　business　would　pass；　draw　upon　myself　thus　complaints　here；　which；　as
I　had　no　written　orders　to　justify　my　conduct；　he　（Dubois）　would
completely　admit　the　justice　of；　and　then　disavow　me；　declaring　he　had
given　me　exactly　opposite　orders。　　If　I　did　not　execute　what　he　had　told
me；　I　felt　that　he　would　accuse　me　of　sacrificing　the　King's　honour　and
the　dignity　of　the　Crown；　in　order　to　please　in　Spain；　and　obtain　thus
honours　for　myself　and　my　sons；　and　that　he　would　prohibit　the　latter　to。
accept　them。　　There　would　have　been　less　uproar　respecting　the　nuncio；
but　if　I　preceded　him；　Dubois　felt　persuaded　that　the　Court　of　Rome　would
demand　justice；　and　this　justice　in　his　hands　would　have　been　a　shameful
recall。

My　position　appeared　so　difficult；　that　I　resolved　to　leave　nothing
undone　in　order　to　change　it。　　I　thought　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　would　not
resist　the　evidence　I　should　bring　forward；　in　order　to　show　the
extraordinary　nature　of　Dubois'　verbal　instructions：　I　deceived　myself。
It　was　in　vain　that　I　spoke　to　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。　　I　found　nothing　but
feebleness　under　the　yoke　of　a　master；　by　which　I　judged　how　much　I　could
hope　for　during　my　absence。　　Several　times　I　argued　with　him　and　the
Cardinal；　but　in　vain。　　They　both　declared　that　if　preceding　ambassadors
had　paid　the　first　visits；　that　was　no　example　for　me；　in　an　embassy　so
solemn　and　distinguished　as　that　I　was　about　to　execute。　　I　represented
that；　however　solemn　and　however　distinguished　might　be　my　embassy；　it
gave　me　no　rank　superior　to　that　of　extraordinary　ambassadors；　and　that　I
could　claim　none。　　Useless！　　useless！　　To　my　arguments　there　was　no
reply；　but　obstinacy　prevailed；　and　I　clearly　saw　the　extreme　malignity
of　the　valet；　and　the　unspeakable　weakness　of　the　master。　　It　was　for　me
to　manage　as　I　could。

The　Cardinal　now　began　ardently　to　press　my　departure；　and；　in　fact；
there　was　no　more　time　to　lose。　　He　unceasingly　hurried　on　the　workmen
who　were　making　all　that　I　required；vexed；　perhaps；　that　being　in　such
prodigious　number；　he　could　not　augment　them。　　There　was　nothing　more　for
him　to　do　but　to　give　me　the　letters　with　which　I　was　to　be　charged。　　He
delayed　writing　them　until　the　last　moment　previous　to　my　departure；　that
is　to　say；　the　very　evening　before　I　started；　the　reason　will　soon　be
seen。　　The　letters　were　for　their　Catholic　Majesties；　for　the　Queen
Dowager　at　Bayonne；　and　for　the　Prince　of　the　Asturias；　letters　from　the
King　and　from　the　Duc　d'Orleans。　　But　before　giving　them　to　me；　the
Regent　said　he　would　write　two　letters　to　the　Prince　of　the　Asturias；
both　alike；　except　in　this　respect；　that　in　the　one　he　would　address　the
Prince　as　〃nephew；〃　and　in　the　other　as　〃brother　and　nephew；〃　and　that　I
was　to　try　and　deliver　the　latter；　which　he　passionately　wished；　but　that
if　I　found　too　much　difficulty　in　doing　so；　I　must　not　persevere　but
deliver　the　former　instead。

I　had　reason　to　believe　that　here　was　another　plot　of　Dubois；　to　cause　me
trouble　by　embroiling　me　with　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。　　The　Regent　was　the
last　man　in　the　world　to　care　for　these　formalities。　　The　Prince　of　the
Asturias　was　son　of　the　King　and　heir　to　the　Crown；　and；　in　consequence；
of　the　rank　of　a　son　of　France。　　In　whatever　way　regarded；　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans　was　extremely　inferior　in　rank　to　him；　and　it　was　something　new
and　adventurous　to　treat　him　on　terms　of　equality。　　This；　however；　is
what　I　was　charged　with；　and　I　believe；　in　the　firm　hope　of　Cardinal
Dubois　that　I　should　fail；　and　that　he　might　profit　by　my　failure。

Finally；　on　the　morning　of　the　day　before　my　departure；　all　the　papers
with　which　I　was　to　be　charged　were　brought　to　me。　　I　will　not　give　the
list　of　them。　　But　among　these　letters　there　was　none　from　the　King　to
the　Infanta！　　I　thought　they　had　forgotten　to　put　it　with　the　others。
I　said　so　to　the　persons　who　brought　them　to　me。　　What　was　my　surprise
when　they　told　me　that　the　letter　was　not　written；　but　that　I　would　have
it　in　the　course　of　the　day。

This　appeared　std　strange　to　me；　that　my　mind　was　filled　with　suspicion。
I　spoke　of　the　letter　to　the　Cardinal　and　to　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　who
assured　me　that　I　should　have　it　in　the　evening。　　At　midnight　it　had　not
arrived。　　I　wrote　to　the　Cardinal。　　Finally　I　set　out　without　it。　　He
wrote　to　me；　saying　I　should　receive　it　before　arriving　at　Bayonne；　but
nothing　less。　　I　wrote　him　anew。　　He　replied　to　me；　saying　that　I　should
have　it　before　I　arrived　at　Madrid。　　A　letter　from　the　King　to　the
Infanta　was　not　difficult　to　write；　I　could　not　doubt；　therefore；　that
there　was　some　design　in　this　delay。　　Whatever　it　might　be；　I　could　not
understand　it；　unless　the　intention　was　to　send　the　letter　afterwards；
and　make　me　pass　for　a　heedless　fellow　who　had　lost　the　first。

Dubois　served　me　another　most　impudent　turn；　seven　or　eight　da