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Updated: May 31, 2025
The king was pale with agitation, and for some minutes continued traversing the apartment with hasty strides; then he suddenly stopped. "You are then convinced, M. de Maupeou," cried he, "that the duke is leagued with the parliaments to weaken my authority?"
This power they found in the high magistracy; but since the reign of Louis XIII the mission of the parliaments had finished, the nobility was reduced, and they became no less formidable than the enemy whom they had aided in subduing. "Before fifty years," pursued M. de Maupeou, "kings will be nothing in France, and parliaments will be everything."
Henriette went out, and in a few minutes led in, thro' the private corridors which communicated with my apartment, his highness monseigneur Rene Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, chevalier and chancellor of France. As soon as he entered I conceived a good opinion of him, altho' I had only seen him walk.
He soon, however, became weary of his new allies; and, once more abandoning himself to the guidance of interest, he rejoined our party. Well did M. de Maupeou know men, when he said they all had their price; and great as may be the rank and title of princes, with plenty of money, they too may be had.
I am speaking, however, of the fathers Corbin, Berthier, and Cerulti, for all our efforts could not trace father Dumas throughout all Paris. Nor was the innocence of the parliamentarians less evident; they vented their hatred against the ministry, and particularly against M. de Maupeou, in pamphlets, couplets, and epigrams, both in French and Latin, but they had no idea of conspiracies or plots.
The duc de la Vauguyon was powerful, and represented the whole of a party that of the religionists, which was still further supported by the princesses; but for this very reason the triumvirate, consisting of messieurs d' Aiguillon, de Maupeou, and the abbe Terre, would not have accepted his services at any price.
"I had gained the king a great cause," said Maupeou; "he is pleased to reopen a question which was decided; as to that he is master."
Louis XV., fluctuating between remorse and depravity, ruled by Madame Dubarry, bound hand and foot to the triumvirate of Chancellor Maupeou, Abbe Terray, and the Duke of Aiguillon, who were consuming between them in his name the last remnants of absolute power, fell suddenly ill of small-pox.
"Really what you tell me seems perfectly unaccountable. He has then burst from the hands of the Choiseuls? It is amusing. Poor Choiseul, when soliciting for Maupeou, he most tremendously deceived himself." "At least, sire, you must own that he has given you no fool." "True.
It was at first deliberated whether or not to arrest the whole body of Jesuits then in Paris, but this, although the advice of M. d'Aiguillon, was by no means approved of by the chancellor. M. de Sartines and M. de la Vrilliere were for carrying the idea into execution, but the objections of M. de Maupeou were too powerful to be overruled, and the scheme was for the present abandoned.
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