told it to me, 'Our friend Pompignan thinks that he is something.'" On
returning home, I wrote down this conversation.

I, one day, found Quesnay in great distress. "Mirabeau," said he, "is
sent to Vincennes, for his work on taxation. The Farmers General have
denounced him, and procured his arrest; his wife is going to throw
herself at the feet of Madame de Pompadour to-day." A few minutes
afterwards, I went into Madame's apartment, to assist at her toilet, and
the Doctor came in. Madame said to him, "You must be much concerned at
the disgrace of your friend Mirabeau. I am sorry for it too, for I like
his brother." Quesnay replied, "I am very far from believing him to be
actuated by bad intentions, Madame; he loves the King and the people."
"Yes," said she; "his 'Ami des Hommes' did him great honour." At this
moment the Lieutenant of Police entered, and Madame said to him, "Have
you seen M. de Mirabeau's book?"--"Yes, Madame; but it was not I who
denounced it?"--"What do you think of it?"--"I think he might have said
almost all it contains with impunity, if he had been more circumspect as
to the manner; there is, among other objectionable passages, this, which
occurs at the beginning: Your Majesty has about twenty millions of
subjects; it is only by means of money that you can obtain their
services, and there is no money."--"What, is there really that, Doctor?"
said Madame. "It is true, they are the first lines in the book, and I
confess that they are imprudent; but, in reading the work, it is clear
that he laments that patriotism is extinct in the hearts of his
fellow-citizens, and that he desires to rekindle it." The King entered:
we went out, and I wrote down on Quesnay's table what I had just heard.
I them returned to finish dressing Madame de Pompadour: she said to me,
"The King is extremely angry with Mirabeau; but I tried to soften him,
and so did the Lieutenant of Police. This will increase Quesnay's fears.
Do you know what he said to me to-day? The King had been talking to him