in which he imparted to Alberoni that the Duchesse and the Duc du Maine were at the head of the conspiracy; he tells him how many times he has seen them, by whose means, and in what place; then he says that he has given money to the Duc du Maine to bribe certain persons, and he mentions the sum.  There are already two men in the Bastille who confess to have received money, and others who have voluntarily stated that they conducted the Ambassador to the Duke and Duchess, and negotiated everything between the parties.  The greater part of their servants have been sent to the Bastille.  The Princess is deeply afflicted; and, although the clearest proofs are given of her children’s crime, she throws all the blame upon the Duke, her grandson, who, she says, has accused them falsely, because he hates them, and she has refused to see him.  The Duchess is more moderate in her grief.  The little Princesse de Conti heartily pities her sister and weeps copiously, but the elder Princess does not trouble herself about her uncle and aunt.

The Cardinals cannot be arrested, but they may be exiled; therefore the Cardinal de Polignac has been ordered to retire to one of his abbeys and to remain there.  It was love that turned his head.  He was formerly a great friend of my son’s, and he did not change until he became attached to that little hussy.

Magni

     [Foucault de Magni, introducteur des ambassadeurs, and son of a
     Counsellor of State.  Duclos says he was a silly fellow, who never
     did but, one wise thing, which was to run away.]

has not yet been taken; he flies from one convent to another.  He stayed with the Jesuits a long time.

1719

They say that the Duchesse du Maine used all her persuasions to induce her husband to fly; but that he replied, as neither of them had written anything with their own hands, nothing could be proved against them; while, by flying, they would confess their guilt.  They did not consider that M. de Pompadour could say enough to cause their arrest.

The Duchess’s fraternal affection is a much stronger passion than her love for her children.

A letter of Alberoni’s to the lame bastard has been intercepted, in which is the following passage:  “As soon as you declare war in France spring all your mines at once.”

What enrages me is that Madame d’Orleans and the Princess would still make one believe that the Duc and Duchesse du Maine are totally innocent, although proofs of their guilt are daily appearing.  The Duchess came to me to beg I would procure an order for her daughter’s people, that is, her dames d’honneur, her femmes de chambre, and her hair-dresser, to be sent to her.  I could not help laughing, and I said, “Mademoiselle de Launay is an intriguer and one of the persons by whom the whole affair was conducted.”

But she replied, “The Princess is at the Bastille.”—­“I know it,” I said; “and well she has deserved it.”  This almost offended the Princess.