The King, entirely occupied with the aggrandisement of his natural children, had heaped upon the Comte de Toulouse every possible favour.  He now (in order to evade a promise he had made to his brother, that the first vacant government should be given to the Duc de Chartres) forced M. de Chaulnes to give up the government of Brittany, which he had long held, and conferred it upon the Comte de Toulouse, giving to the friend and heir of the former the successorship to the government of Guyenne, by way of recompense.

M. de Chaulnes was old and fat, but much loved by the people of Brittany.  He was overwhelmed by this determination of the King, and his wife, who had long been accustomed to play the little Queen, still more so; yet there was nothing for them but to obey.  They did obey, but it was with a sorrow and chagrin they could not hide.

The appointment was announced one morning at the rising of the King.  Monsieur, who awoke later, heard of it at the drawing of his curtains, and was extremely piqued.  The Comte de Toulouse came shortly afterwards, and announced it himself.  Monsieur interrupted him, and before everybody assembled there said, “The King has given you a good present; but I know not if what he has done is good policy.”  Monsieur went shortly afterwards to the King, and reproached him for giving, under cover of a trick, the government of Brittany to the Comte de Toulouse, having promised it to the Duc de Chartres.  The King heard him in silence:  he knew well how to appease him.  Some money for play and to embellish Saint Cloud, soon effaced Monsieur’s chagrin.

All this winter my mother was solely occupied in finding a good match for me.  Some attempt was made to marry me to Mademoiselle de Royan.  It would have been a noble and rich marriage; but I was alone, Mademoiselle de Royan was an orphan, and I wished a father-in-law and a family upon whom I could lean.  During the preceding year there had been some talk of the eldest daughter of Marechal de Lorges for me.  The affair had fallen through, almost as soon as suggested, and now, on both sides, there was a desire to recommence negotiations.  The probity, integrity, the freedom of Marechal de Lorges pleased me infinitely, and everything tended to give me an extreme desire for this marriage.  Madame de Lorges by her virtue and good sense was all I could wish for as the mother of my future wife.  Mademoiselle de Lorges was a blonde, with a complexion and figure perfect, a very amiable face, an extremely noble and modest deportment, and with I know not what of majesty derived from her air of virtue, and of natural gentleness.  The Marechal had five other daughters, but I liked this one best without comparison, and hoped to find with her that happiness which she since has given me.  As she has become my wife, I will abstain here from saying more about her, unless it be that she has exceeded all that was promised of her, and all that I myself had hoped.