I learnt the death of the King upon awaking.  Immediately after, I went to pay my respects to the new monarch.  The first blood had already passed.  I found myself almost alone.  I went thence to M. le Duc d’Orleans, whom I found shut in, but all his apartments so full that a pin could not have fallen to the ground.  I talked of the Convocation of the States-General, and reminded him of a promise he had given me, that he would allow the Dukes to keep their hats on when their votes were asked for; and I also mentioned various other promises he had made.  All I could obtain from him was another promise, that when the public affairs of pressing moment awaiting attention were disposed of, we should have all we required.  Several of the Dukes who had been witnesses of the engagement M. le Duc d’Orleans had made, were much vexed at this; but ultimately it was agreed that for the moment we would sacrifice our own particular interests to those of the State.

Between five and six the next morning a number of us met at the house of the Archbishop of Rheims at the end of the Pont Royal, behind the Hotel de Mailly, and there, in accordance with a resolution previously agreed upon, it was arranged that I should make a protest to the Parliament before the opening of the King’s will there, against certain other usurpations, and state that it was solely because M. le Duc d’Orleans had given us his word that our complaints should be attended to as soon as the public affairs of the government were settled, that we postponed further measures upon this subject.  It was past seven before our debate ended, and then we went straight to the Parliament.

We found it already assembled, and a few Dukes who had not attended our meeting, but had promised to be guided by us, were also present; and then a quarter of an hour after we were seated the bastards arrived.  M. du Maine was bursting with joy; the term is strange, but his bearing cannot otherwise be described.  The smiling and satisfied air prevailed over that of audacity and of confidence, which shone, nevertheless, and over politeness which seemed to struggle with them.  He saluted right and left, and pierced everybody with his looks.  His salutation to the Presidents had an air of rejoicing.  To the peers he was serious, nay, respectful; the slowness, the lowness of his inclination, was eloquent.  His head remained lowered even when he rose, so heavy is the weight of crime, even at the moment when nothing but triumph is expected.  I rigidly followed him everywhere with my eyes, and I remarked that his salute was returned by the peers in a very dry and cold manner.

Scarcely were we re-seated than M. le Duc arrived, and the instant after M. le Duc d’Orleans.  I allowed the stir that accompanied his appearance to subside a little, and then, seeing that the, Chief-President was about to speak, I forestalled him, uncovered my head, and then covered it, and made my speech in the terms agreed upon.  I concluded by appealing to M. le Duc d’Orleans to verify the truth of what I had said, in so far as it affected him.