I went immediately and sought out Chamillart, reproaching him for not having apprised me of this good news.  He smiled at my anger, and said that the King had ordered the news to be kept secret.  I admit that I was flattered at being chosen at my age for an embassy so important.  I was advised on every side to accept it, and this I determined to do.  I could not understand, however, how it was I had been selected.  Torcy, years afterwards, when the King was dead, related to me how it came about.  At this time I had no relations with Torcy; it was not until long afterwards that friendship grew up between us.

He said, then, that the embassy being vacant, the King wished to fill up that appointment, and wished also that a Duke should be ambassador.  He took an almanack and began reading the names of the Dukes, commencing with M. de Uzes.  He made no stop until he came to my name.  Then he said (to Torcy), “What do you think of him?  He is young, but he is good,” &c.  The King, after hearing a few opinions expressed by those around him, shut up the almanack, and said it was not worth while to go farther, determined that I should be ambassador, but ordered the appointment to be kept secret.  I learnt this, more than ten years after its occurrence, from a true man, who had no longer any interest or reason to disguise anything from me.

Advised on all sides by my friends to accept the post offered to me, I did not long hesitate to do so.  Madame de Saint-Simon gave me the same advice, although she herself was pained at the idea of quitting her family.  I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of relating here what the three ministers each said of my wife, a woman then of only twenty-seven years of age.  All three, unknown to each other, and without solicitation on my part, counselled me to keep none of the affairs of my embassy secret from her, but to give her a place at the end of the table when I read or wrote my despatches, and to consult her with deference upon everything.  I have rarely so much relished advice as I did in this case.  Although, as things fell out, I could not follow it at Rome, I had followed it long before, and continued to do so all my life.  I kept nothing secret from her, and I had good reason to be pleased that I did not.  Her counsel was always wise, judicious, and useful, and oftentimes she warded off from me many inconveniences.

But to continue the narrative of this embassy.  It was soon so generally known that I was going to Rome, that as we danced at Marly, we heard people say, “Look!  M. l’Ambassadeur and Madame l’Ambassadrice are dancing.”  After this I wished the announcement to be made public as soon as possible, but the King was not to be hurried.  Day after day passed by, and still I was kept in suspense.  At last, about the middle of April, I had an interview with Chamillart one day, just after he came out of the council at which I knew my fate had been decided.  I learnt then that the King