One day, I went out to walk, and saw, on my return, a great many people going and coming, and speaking to each other privately:  it was evident that something extraordinary had happened.  I asked a person of my acquaintance what was the matter.  “Alas!” said he, with tears in his eyes, “some assassins, who had formed the project of murdering the King, have inflicted several wounds on a garde-du-corps, who overheard them in a dark corridor; he is carried to the hospital:  and as he has described the colour of these men’s coats, the Police are in quest of them in all directions, and some people, dressed in clothes of that colour, are already arrested.”  I saw Madame with M. de Gontaut, and I hastened home.  She found her door besieged by a multitude of people, and was alarmed:  when she got in, she found the Comte de Noailles.  “What is all this, Count?” said she.  He said he was come expressly to speak to her, and they retired to her closet together.  The conference was not long.  I had remained in the drawing-room, with Madame’s equerry, the Chevalier de Solent, Gourbillon, her valet de chambre, and some strangers.  A great many details were related; but, the wounds being little more than scratches, and the garde-du-corps having let fall some contradictions, it was thought that he was an impostor, who had invented all this story to bring himself into favour.  Before the night was over, this was proved to be the fact, and, I believe, from his own confession.  The King came, that evening, to see Madame de Pompadour; he spoke of this occurrence with great sang froid, and said, “The gentleman who wanted to kill me was a wicked madman; this is a low scoundrel.”

When he spoke of Damiens, which was only while his trial lasted, he never called him anything but that gentleman.

I have heard it said that he proposed having him shut up in a dungeon for life; but that the horrible nature of the crime made the judges insist upon his suffering all the tortures inflicted upon like occasions.  Great numbers, many of them women, had a barbarous curiosity to witness the execution; amongst others, Madame de P------, a very beautiful woman, and the wife of a Farmer General.  She hired two places at a window for twelve Louis, and played a game of cards in the room whilst waiting for the execution to begin.  On this being told to the King, he covered his eyes with his hands and exclaimed, “Fi, la Vilaine!” I have been told that she, and others, thought to pay their court in this way, and signalise their attachment to the King’s person.

Two things were related to me by M. Duclos at the time of the attempt on the King’s life.