She holds out her
children, which are called les enfans de la Reine exclusivement, as
beggars in the streets do theirs, to move compassion. Behold, how
low they have reduced a Queen! But as yet she is not ripe for
tragedy, so John St. John may employ his muse upon other subjects
for a time. To speak the truth, all these representations of the
miseries of the French nation do not seem to me (very decent) proper
subjects for our evening spectacles, and it is not, in my
apprehension, quite decent that Mr. Hughes, Mr. Astley, or Mr. St.
John should be making a profit by Iron Masques, and Toupets stuck
upon Poles.
The D(uke) of Orleans's embassy here is universally considered as
one devised for his own personal safety, and he is equally respected
here and abroad. The subject of his credentials and object of
negotiation had no more in them than to say that his most Xtian
Majesty desired to know how his brother the K(ing) of England did.
The answer to which was, very well, with thanks for his obliging
enquiries. The King speaks to the D(uke) of O(rleans) civilly, mais
il en demeure la. His behaviour to the Duc de Luxembourg(271) and to
other Frenchmen of quality was more distinguished. He talked
yesterday to M. de Luxembourg for an hour and 17 minutes. You know
how exact we courtiers are upon these points.
Charles Fox was at Court, but was scarcely spoke to.
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