Until that period I had not, like madame de
Pompadour, shown myself the protectress and patroness of men of
letters; and even my warmest friends could not deny, that in
stepping forwards as the encourager of literature, I had made a
very unfortunate choice in selecting the chevalier de la Morliere
as the first object of my patronage. But how could I have done
otherwise? The prince de Soubise, who found this man serviceable
upon many occasions, would have sacrificed any thing to promote
his advancement; and I have been assured, that had the marechal
taken half the pains on the day previous to the battle of Rasbach,
we should not have left it so disgracefully.
The king well knew the unfortunate chevalier for a man as destitute
of modesty as merit; when therefore he saw his book upon the
mantel-piece of my drawing-room, he said,
'So! you are the inspiring muse of the chevalier de la Morliere;
I only warn you, when the day comes for him to be hanged,
not to ask me to pardon him."
"Be assured," replied I, "that I will never deprive the Place de
Greve of one so formed to do honour to it."
In fact, the chevalier was within an ace of reaching it before
his friends anticipated; for, very shortly after this conversation,
he was guilty of the most detestable piece of knavery I ever
heard of. He learned that an unfortunate young man from the
country, into whose confidence he had wormed himself, was to
receive 15,000 livres on his father's account; he invited him to
supper, and, by the aid of two villains like himself, stripped him
of his last sous.
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