arquis
d'Hernouville, whom no one ever heard of, and directed to a Comte de
Monchevreuil, who is remembered only for one or two instances of gallantry
in the field, and for having been, if I am not mistaken, the governor of
the Duc de Maine.'

'You could not have furnished me with a better opportunity of proving to
you that we always run some risk in assertions upon subjects of which we
know nothing. Oblige me by reading that letter, and then laugh, if you
can, at the importance which I attach to similar papers.'

Never, I must own, was triumph more complete. Not only did I confess,
after having perused it, that it was well worthy of the honor of the
port-folio, but I begged him to let me copy it for publication. I had some
difficulty in obtaining this favor, which was only granted me in exchange
of a letter of Hyder Ali Khan to Suffren, which I promised to send him.

This is the letter of the Marquis, which I certify to be in every respect
a true copy of the original:

'_Paris, the 30 December, 1669._

'I seize the occasion, my dear Comte, afforded me by a cold which has kept
me some days by the fire-side, to send you news from this part of the
country. The most important, and what will give you the most pleasure is,
that M. de Guise has obtained the favor of a cushion at the King's mass;
he did not fail to make use of it on Sunday, and between ourselves, with
rather too much ostentation. Every one expects wonders from the Marquis de
Chastet, who has boasted that he will soon bring the Algerians to terms,
but I have no faith in his predictions. The Duc de Vermandois has been
raised to the dignity of Admiral. Madame de la Valliere received this mark
of the royal favor with the most perfect indifference. I am quite of your
opinion: that woman is not in her proper place.

'Did your brother write you that we went together to the first
representation of Britannicus? Some admirers of Racine had praised the
piece so much to me, that not being able to get a box, I sent my valet at
ten o'clock to keep a place for me. I thought that I should never reach
the Hotel de Bourgogne, although I left my carriage at the corner of the
Rue Mauconseil: without Chapelle and Mauvillain, who know all the actors
in Paris, I should never have succeeded in getting a place. Do not mistake
this eagerness of the public; there was much more malevolence than
curiosity in it. I paid my respects to Madame de Se