from Madame de Pompadour, and if it can produce no ill consequence to the King’s service, she will give it you.”  He gave me his word that what he requested would have no bad effect; upon which I listened to what he had to say.  He shewed me several memorials, containing accusations of M. de Choiseul, and revealed some curious circumstances relative to the secret functions of the Comte de Broglie.  These, however, led rather to conjectures than to certainty, as to the nature of the services he rendered to the King.  Lastly, he shewed me several letters in the King’s handwriting.  “I request,” said he, “that the Marquise de Pompadour will procure for me the place of Receiver-General of Finances; I will give her information of whatever I send the King; I will write according to her instructions, and I will send her his answers.”  As I did not choose to take liberties with the King’s papers, I only undertook to deliver the memorials.  Madame de Pompadour having given me her word according to the conditions on which I had received the communication, I revealed to her everything I had heard.  She sent the memorials to M. de Choiseul, who thought them very maliciously and very cleverly written.  Madame de Pompadour and he had a long conference as to the reply that was to be given to the person by whom those disclosures were made.  What I was commissioned to say was this:  that the place of Receiver-General was at present too important, and would occasion too much surprise and speculation; that it would not do to go beyond a place worth fifteen thousand to twenty thousand francs a year; that they had no desire to pry into the King’s secrets; and that his correspondence ought not to be communicated to anyone; that this did not apply to papers like those of which I was the bearer, which might fall into his hands; that he would confer an obligation by communicating them, in order that blows aimed in the dark, and directed by malignity and imposture, might be parried.  The answer was respectful and proper, in what related to the King; it was, however, calculated to counteract the schemes of the Comte de Broglie, by making M. de Choiseul acquainted with his attacks, and with the nature of the weapons he employed.  It was from the Count that he received statements relating to the war and to the navy; but he had no communication with him concerning foreign affairs, which the Count, as it was said, transacted immediately with the King.  The Duc de Choiseul got the man who spoke to me recommended to the Controller-General, without his appearing in the business; he had the place which was agreed upon, and the hope of a still better, and he entrusted to me the King’s correspondence, which I told him I should not mention to Madame de Pompadour, according to her injunctions.  He sent several memorials to M. de Choiseul, containing accusations of him, addressed to the King.  This timely information enabled him to refute them triumphantly.