Court of Russia. They are the results of his zeal to the King's service, and of his attachment towards yourself. . . .1 M. D'Eon to M. Tercier. 1 'I have given the Marquis de l'Hôpital to understand all my reasons, and this without any difficulty. I am satisfied, considering his friendship towards me, that he would be sorry were I to leave him, and in forfeiting his friendship I should gain his secret contempt. I have therefore declared to him, not on political grounds, but with all the candour and truth of which a Burgundian is capable, that I will never leave the service of France for that of all the emperors and empresses in the universe, and that no motives can cause me to change my way of thinking-neither honours nor riches. I tell you what I think. I prefer to live from hand to mouth in France to being in the enjoyment of an income of one hundred thousand livres in fear and bondage. Regnare nolo, dum liber non sum mihi. This is the profession of my faith. I am satisfied that neither the Abbé de Bernis nor you will take my way of thinking amiss. Had I a bastard brother, be assured I should prevail upon him to accept such an offer, but for myself, who am legitimate, I am glad to die like a faithful dog in a ditch in my native land.' 2 M. D'Eon to the Cardinal de Bernis. 1. Whilst having the honour of thanking you for your good intentions, and the prospects you have in view in my behalf, I entreat you at once to do me the favour to dismiss me from your memory whenever there is a question of my destiny removing me entirely from France. Since I came to St. Petersburg, my maxim has ever been to keep my back turned upon Siberia, too happy to have escaped being sent there. I long for and look towards my native country. . . .' The Cardinal de Bernis to M. D'Eon. Versailles, August 1, 1758. You will be informed by the Marquis de l'Hôpital that, far from being distressed at your refusal to accept the post 1 Lett. Mém. &c. iii. 14. 2 Gaill. 74. HONOUR AND REWARD. 35 offered to you at the Court of Russia, the motives which induce you not to accept it meet with entire approbation. Continue to serve his Majesty with the same zeal you have hitherto displayed. It will at all times be a pleasure to me to bring to the favourable notice of the King your services, your labours, and your abilities.' 1 It was not at the hands of the Empress of Russia that D'Eon cared to receive honours. For his important services at the Court of that monarch he was promoted by Louis XV. to the rank of captain of dragoons, and awarded a pension of two hundred ducats, to be paid by the Count de Broglio out of the secret service money. In the course of this year D'Eon found time to publish a work, in two volumes, entitled 'Confédérations Historiques sur les Impôts des Egyptiens, des Babyloniens, des Perses, des Grecs, des Romains, et sur les différentes situations de la France, par rapport aux Finances, depuis l'établissement des Francs dans la Gaule jusqu'à présent.'" 1 Lett. Mém. &c. iii. 15. * An English version of portions of this work appeared in the Political Register for 1766, &c. 36 CHAPTER III. Progress of the war-The Duke de Choiseul's designs against England— Change of policy— D'Eon's advice to the French ambassador-Approved by Louis XV.-D'Eon's failing health-The Marquis de l'HôpitalBaron de Breteuil admitted to the secret correspondence-The King's secret orders to D'Eon-Testimonies to his abilities-Leaves Russia for the last time-Gift from the Empress-On the staff of the Marshal and Count de Broglio-Distinguished services during the campaign of 1761-Exile of the Broglios-Death of Elizabeth. APRAXIN'S defection was a fine thing for Frederick. Two great events followed-the humiliating defeat of the French at Rosbach (October 31), by Seidlitz and his cavalry, shall we say? and the battle of Leuthen (December 5), in which eighty thousand Austrians were worsted by thirty thousand Prussians. And thus ended the campaign of 1757. The following year Field-Marshal Fermor, Apraxin's successor, entered Eastern Prussia, occupied Königsberg, and was beaten by Frederick at Zorndorff (August 25, 1758). Prince Soltikoff, who replaced Fermor, was also about to lose a battle at Künersdorff (August 12, 1759); but the day ended happily for him, his ninety thousand men having almost annihilated the forty-eight thousand Prussians by whom he was opposed. This much of what the Russians did, and we shall have got to the end of 1759, after an illustration, from concurrent testimony, of D'Eon's share in the progress of the war. Let us first turn to the pages of Vandal.1 FRENCH DESIGNS ON ENGLAND. 37 On December 30, 1758, was signed by Louis XV. and Maria Theresa a treaty in confirmation of their previous treaty still in force, except that it determined with greater precision respective obligations; France, for instance, binding herself to keep an army of 100,000 men in Germany. Elizabeth was invited to join, and she did so. Of this matter the Duke de Choiseul, for some months Minister for Foreign Affairs, was completely ignorant. There was a time, it was but short, when the duke in his patriotic desire to recover influences lost to France through the feeble administration of the Cardinal de Bernis, his predecessor, had determined upon not entertaining any idea of capitu-. lating with England, so long as soldiers, guns and ships remained, and on prosecuting the war against Prussia until France met with success. A partisan of Austria, his feelings towards Russia were of a different nature, but he was wisely inclined to turn to the best account the alliance with those Powers. As regards Russia, he instructed the ambassador at St. Petersburg (January 9, 1759) to tell Woronzoff, for the information of the Empress, that if the King were to desire peace for the happiness of his people and the repose of Europe, it should only be on conditions honourable to his Majesty and his allies, and which would ensure general tranquillity; but that so far from contemplating such a thing, every arrangement was made for effectively continuing the war during the present and a succeeding campaign, to the end of bringing the enemy to just and reasonable terms. That the Empress might have undoubted proofs of his Majesty's sentiments on the subject, and to do away with every possible misunderstanding, the King was disposed to conclude, jointly with the two Empresses, or with the Empress of Russia alone, such convention as might be considered necessary for strengthening their union, thereby giving fresh assurances that his Majesty would only act in concert with his allies, communicating with them on all points with that entire confidence which should exist between Powers bound by friendly ties, and whose interests were in common. Unable to cope with Great Britain on the seas, the Duke de Choiseul formed a plan of invasion, in which he sought the co-operation of Russia and Sweden, whose spheres of action would be the Scottish coast. 'Should fifty thousand men perish in the first expedition,' he wrote to Count Bernstorff, the King has signed the determination to send other fifty thousand, and we shall not be discouraged so long as we have men in France.'1 The hesitations of those Powers, the destruction of the French fleets in the East Indies, off Cape Lagos, and in Quiberon Bay, and of the flotilla prepared for the invasion of England, upset the whole of the duke's schemes, and gave him good cause to change his tactics. He would now hail peace if he could. He turned to de l'Hôpital (July 8, 1759), and desired him to seize an early opportunity for feeling his way with the Grand Chancellor, and suggesting to that minister, as a private opinion of his own, the desirability of Russia's mediation between Austria and Prussia, whereby she would secure to herself the gratitude of Europe. De Choiseul believed that if the Germanic Powers could but arrange their differences, Russia might become useful in bringing about an understanding between France and England. 1 Duke de Choiseul to Count Bernstorff, July 29, 1759. Si j'étais maître,' de Choiseul used to say, 'nous serions vis-à-vis de l'Angleterre comme l'Espagne vis-à-vis des Maures; si l'on prenait ce parti, l'Angleterre serait détruite d'ici à trente ans.' Louis XV. thought ditlerently. |