and you would here find too powerful enemies." I heard the Chevalier
d'Eon repeat the contents of this letter, in which Louis XV. thus
separated himself from the King of France, several times at my father's.
The Chevalier, or rather the Chevalaere d'Eon had preserved all the King's
letters. Messieurs de Maurepas and de Vergennes wished to get them out of
his hands, as they were afraid he would print them. This eccentric being
had long solicited permission to return to France; but it was necessary to
find a way of sparing the family he had offended the insult they would see
in his return; he was therefore made to resume the costume of that sex to
which in France everything is pardoned. The desire to see his native land
once more determined him to submit to the condition, but he revenged
himself by combining the long train of his gown and the three deep ruffles
on his sleeves with the attitude and conversation of a grenadier, which
made him very disagreeable company.

[The account given by Madame Campan of the Chevalier d'Eon is now known to
be incorrect in many particulars. Enough details for most readers will be
found in the Duc de Broglie's "Secret of the King," vol. ii., chaps. vi.
and g., and at p. 89, vol. ii. of that work, where the Duke refers to
the letter of most dubious authenticity spoken of by Madame Campan. The
following details will be sufficient for these memoirs: The Chevalier
Charles d'Eon de Beaumont (who was born in 1728) was an ex-captain of
dragoons, employed in both the open and secret diplomacy of Louis XV.
When at the embassy in London he quarrelled with the ambassador, his
superior, the Comte de Guerchy (Marquis do Nangis), and used his
possession of papers concerning the secret diplomacy to shield himself.
It was when hiding in London, in 1765, on account of this business, that
he seems first to have assumed woman's dress, which he retained apparently
chiefly from love of notoriety. In 1775 a formal agreement with the
French Court, made by the instrumentality of Beaumarchais, of all people