This latter spoke briefly and well; but was like a dog running over hot ashes.  He declared for the declaration.  His Royal Highness then called upon M. le Duc for his opinion.  It was short, but nervous, and polite to the peers.  M. le Prince de Conti the same.  Then the Regent asked me my opinion.  I made, contrary to my custom, a profound inclination, but without rising, and said, that having the honour to find myself the eldest of the peers of the Council, I offered to his Royal Highness my very humble thanks and those of all the peers of France, for the justice so ardently desired, and touching so closely our dignity and our persons, that he had resolved to render us; that I begged him to be persuaded of our gratitude, and to count upon our utmost attachment to his person for an act of equity so longed for, and so complete; that in this sincere expression of our sentiments consisted all our opinion, because, being pleaders, we could not be judges also.  I terminated these few words with a profound inclination, without rising, imitated by the Duc de la Force at the same moment; all the rest of the Council briefly gave their opinions, approving what the majority of them evidently did not approve at all.

I had tried to modulate my voice, so that it should be just heard and no more, preferring to be indistinct rather than speak too loudly; and confined all my person to express as much as possible, gravity, modesty, and simple gratitude.  M. le Duc maliciously made signs to me in smiling, that I had spoken well.  But I kept my seriousness, and turned round to examine all the rest.

It would be impossible to describe the aspect of the company.  Nothing was seen but people, oppressed with surprise that overwhelmed them, meditative, agitated, some irritated, some but ill at ease, like La Force and Guiche, who freely admitted so to me.

The opinions taken almost as soon as demanded, M. le Duc d’Orleans said, “Gentlemen, it is finished, then justice is done, and the rights of Messieurs the Peers are in safety.  I have now an act of grace to propose to you, and I do so with all the more confidence, because I have taken care to consult the parties interested, who support me; and because, I have drawn up the document in a manner to wound no one.  What I am going to explain to you, regards the Comte de Toulouse alone.

“Nobody is ignorant how he has disapproved all that has been done in favour of him and his brother, and that he has sustained it since the regency only out of respect for the wishes of the late King.  Everybody knows also his virtue, his merit, his application, his probity, his disinterestedness.  Nevertheless, I could not avoid including him in the declaration you have just heard.  Justice furnishes no exception in his favour, and the rights of the Peers must be assured.  Now that they are no longer attacked, I have thought fitly to render to merit what from equity I have taken from birth; and to make an exception of M. le Comte de Toulouse, which (while confirming the rule), will leave him in full possession of all the honours he enjoys to the exclusion of every other.  Those honours are not to pass to his children, should he marry and have any, or their restitution be considered as a precedent to be made use of at any future time.