MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON.

It was just at the commencement of the year 1710, that I
first spoke to M. d'Orleans. I began by extracting from him an
admission of the neglect into which he had fallen—the dislike
of the King, the hatred of Monseigneur, who accused him of
wishing to replace his son in Spain; that of Madame de Mainte-
non, whom he had offended by his bon-mot; the suspicions of
the public, who talked of his chemical experiments—and then,
throwing off all fear of consequences, I said that before he could
hope to draw back his friends and the world to him, he must
reinstate himself in the favour of the King. He appeared
struck with what I had said, rose after a profound silence,
paced to and fro, and then asked, "But how?'1 Seeing the
opportunity so good, I replied in a firm and significant tone,
" How ? I know well enough, but I will never tell you; and
yet It is the only thing to do." " Ah, I understand you," said
he, as though struck with a thunderbolt; " I understand you
perfectly;" and he threw himself upon the chair at the end of
the room. There he remained some time, without speaking a
word, yet agitated and sighing, and with his eyes lowered. I
broke silence at last, by saying that the state which he was in
had touched me to the quick, and that I had determined in
conjunction with the Marechal de Besons to speak to him upon
the subject, and to propose the only means by which he could
hope to bring about a change in his position. He considered
some time, and then giving me encouragement to proceed, I
entered at some length upon the proposal I had to make to him,
and left him evidently affected by what I had said, when I
thought I had for the time gone far enough.

The next day, Thursday, January 2nd, Besons, fco whom I
had written, joined me; and after I had communicated to him
what had passed the previous evening, we hastened to M.
d'0r!6ans. He received us well, and we at once commenced
an attack. In order to aid my purpose as much as possible, I
repeated to ML d'Orleans, at this meeting, the odious reports
that were in circulation against him., viz., that he intended to
repudiate his wife forced upon him by the King, in order to
marry the Queen Dowager of Spain, and by means of her gold