ledge of national eras, of history, and
diplomacy, gave Favier a credit with the administration, and an
influence over affairs very much beyond his obscure position and dubious
character; he was, in some sort, the minister of the intrigues of high
life of his time.

IV.

Dumouriez seeing the high roads to fortune closed before him, resolved
to cast himself into them by indirect ways; and with this view attached
himself to Favier. Favier attached himself to him, and in this
connection of his earlier years, Dumouriez acquired that character for
adventure and audacity which gave, during all his life, something
skilful as intrigue and as rash as a _coup de main_ to his heroism and
his policy. Favier initiated him into the secrets of courts, and engaged
Louis XV. and the Duc de Choiseul to employ Dumouriez in diplomacy and
war at the same time.

It was at this moment that the great Corsican patriot, Paoli, was making
gigantic efforts to rescue his country from the tyranny of the republic
of Genoa, and to assure to this people an independence, of which he by
turns offered the patronage to England and to France. On reaching Genoa,
Dumouriez undertook to deceive at the same time the Republic, England,
and Paoli, united himself with Corsican adventurers, conspired against
Paoli, made a descent upon the island, which he summoned to
independence, and was partially successful. He threw himself into a
felucca, to bring to the Duc de Choiseul information as to the new state
of Corsica, and to implore the succour of France. Delayed by a tempest,
tossed for several weeks on the coast of Africa, he reached Marseilles
too late; the treaty between France and Genoa was signed. He hastened to
Favier, his friend in Paris.

Favier informed him confidentially, that he was employed to draw up a
memorial to prove to the king and his ministers the necessity of
supporting the republic of Genoa against the independent Corsicans; that
this memorial had been demanded of him secretly by the Genoese
ambassador, and by a _femme de chambre_ of the Duchesse de Grammont,
favourite sister of the Duc de Choiseul, interested, like the brothers
of the Du Barry[19], in supplying the army: that 500 louis were the
price of this memorial and the blood of the Corsicans; and he offered a
portion of this intrigue and its profits to Dumouriez who pretended to
accept this, and then hastening to the Duc de Choiseul, revealed the
manoeuvre, was well received, beli