Royal Palace, and to fecure the Perfon of the Regent. The Confpiracy was detected almoft at the fame Inftant that it was to have been executed; and of this the Prince de Cellamare himfelf was partly the Caufe; not that I fufpect him of having betray'd the Spanish Minifter, but probably he was too credulous of every one that came to him; for I was told, that the Pacquet containing the whole Mystery of the Confpiracy, and the Names of the Confpirators, was put into the Hands of the Abbat Portocarrero, in Prefence of a Couple of Domefticks, whofe Fidelity was not perhaps Proof against the Lewidors of the Royal Palace. Befides, this Abbat, tho' a Perfon of Merit, had not perhaps Experience or Wisdom enough to behave as was abfolutely neceffary in fo ticklish an Affair. Be this as it will, he fet out for Madrid with fuch Difpatches committed to his Care as contain'd the Fortunes of a great Number of People. He had not travell'd far, when, as he was paffing a Ford, his Chaife broke, and he had like to have been drown'd; but notwithstanding the Danger of his Perfon, he seem'd to be more in Pain for his Trunk than for his Life. This Earneftness for the Prefervation of his Trunk gave a Sufpicion to those who attended him; and the Spies whom the Regent had planted upon him, advertis'd that Prince of it time enough for him to give his Orders to the Commandant of Poitiers to caufe him to be arrested, and his Trunk to be fecur'd. The Abbat was accordingly arrested †, and brought back to Paris. The Prince de Cellamare, being inform'd of what had pass'd, claim'd the Trunk, faying it contain'd the Memoirs of

† Dec. 2, 1718.

his Embaffy: He was given to understand, that his Word was not to be taken; and the Trunk being open'd at the Royal Palace, there was all the Scheme of the Confpiracy, and the Lift of the Perfons that were enter'd into it. The Thing that gave the Regent moft Vexation was, to fee the Names of Perfons there, upon whom he had heap'd his Favours. His Royal Highness acted in this delicate Conjuncture with all the Moderation poffible, and his Behaviour was in every Refpect fo discreet, that it was hardly difcernible that any Thing extraordinary was paffing in France; he caus'd the Abbat Portocarrero to be releas'd, as an infignificant Tool; but as to the Prince de Cellamare, he was invited to a Conference at the Royal Palace, to which he no fooner arriv'd, but Meffengers were fent to clap a Seal on his Effects. The Minifters went with him afterwards to his own Houfe, where he was furpriz'd to find a Guard that was charg'd to be anfwerable for his Perfon. Some Days after this, all his Papers were examin'd, and Three Boxes were fill'd with them in his Prefence, which were feal'd and carry'd to the Louvre, there to be kept till the King of Spain fent Perfons that he could confide in to fetch them. At length on the 13th of December, the Prince de Cellamare fet out from Paris with a Guard : As for the Smugglers, they vanish'd as foon as the Confpiracy was brought to Light: All this pafs'd in the Month of December, 1718.

The 29th of the fame Month the Duke and Duchefs of Maine were arrefted: The Duke had been the Day before to pay aVifit to the Duchefs of Orleans at the Royal Palace, and stay'd there Three Hours, after which he return'd to lye at

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Seaux; where next Morning a Lieutenant of the Guards came and told him, that he had Orders to carry him under a ftrong Guard to the Caftle of Dourlens. The fame Day at Seven in the Morning, the Marquis D'Ancenis, who was Captain of the Guards after the Death of his Father the Duke of Charoft, during whofe Life he had that Poft in Reverfion, had an Order to arreft the Duchefs of Maine: This Officer had fupp'd but the Night before with the Princefs, and stay'd with her very late; guefs then how he must be furpriz'd when he came Home, and found the Letter de Cachet or Warrant, which put him upon an Office that he would have been glad to be excufed from ferving; but the Order muft be obeyed, and therefore he went next Day to the Princess's Apartment, who was then in Bed, as were also her Ladies; fo that the Servants were very much startled to fee M. D'Ancenis there again fo early, and fcrupled at firft to awake the Duchefs; but, as they imagined the Marquis was come about an Affair of great Confequence, the Ladies let him in: The Princefs, being wak'd out of her Sleep by the Noife of the Door, as it open'd, ask'd, Who was there? M. D'Ancenis having told her his Name, The faid to him haftily, Ob! my God! What bave I done to you, that you should disturb me fo Joon in the Morning? He then told her the melancholy Commiffion that he was fent upon, They fay, her Ladyfhip was much more provok'd at this Difgrace than the Duke her Hufband; and fhe could not help dropping fome Words which fhew'd plain enough that the was impatient under her Misfortune. However, the was quickly drefs'd, and getting into a Coach with Three of her Waiting-Women, fhe was conducted

conducted to the Caftle of Dijon: All her chief Domestics were committed, fome to the Bastille, and others to Vincennes. The Prince of Dombes and the Count de Eu were banifh'd to Eu, where they had fo much Liberty however, that this Change of Fortune had not altogether the Air of Difgrace. As for Maidemotfelle de Maine, the Princefs of Conty took her Home with her. The Cardinal de Polignac, who was very much attach'd to the Family of Maine, alfo fhar'd their Fate; for he was banifh'd to his Abbey of Anchin, and had but Two Hours allow'd him to fet his Affairs in Order.

While thefe Things pafs'd in France, the King of Spain, or rather his Minifter, caus'd the Duke of St. Aignan, the Ambaffador of France, to be very ill treated, who having taken Leave of the Kiug and Queen, ftay'd fome Days longer to fettle his domeftic Affairs, perhaps alfo to fee what Turn Things would take, in cafe the King of Spain, who was then dangerously ill, fhould die. I am affur'd that the King having told him, that by his Will he left the Regency to the Queen and Cardinal Alberoni, the Ambaffador made Anfwer, That his Teftamentary Settlement might probably be of as little Effect as Lewis XIV's was. This Anfwer difpleas'd the Cardinal, who thought of nothing but of being reveng'd; and indeed fome time after, the Marquis de Grimaldo, Secretary of State, went to the Duke of St. Aignan, and fignify'd an Order to him from the King, to leave Madrid in Twenty-four Hours, and the Kingdom in Twelve Days. Twas 10 O' Clock at Night when this Order was notify'd, and next Day, viz. the 14th of December, at 7 o'Clock in the Morning, the Ambaffador's Houfe was furrounded by

a Party of Life-Guards, commanded by an Exempt, who having plac'd Centinels at all the Doors of his Lodgings, enter'd the Duke's Apartment, who was ftill a-bed with his Duchefs, made them drefs themselves with all Speed, and then conducted them out of the City.

Cardinal Alberoni, who did not yet know, that the Plot he had laid was difcover'd, wrote with Speed to the Prince of Cellamare, that he might guess what to expect after the Treatment that had been fhewn to the Ambaffador of France; tho' he told him, that ought not to be a Reason for ufing him in the fame manner, and that the Duke de St. Aignan's Misbehaviour had made it neceffary to take that Courfe with him. He exhorted him not to ftir from Paris, till he was coinpell'd to it by Force, nor even then, till he had made all the convenient Protefts. He faid to him in the Conclufion, Put the Cafe that your Excellency be oblig'd to go, you will first fet Fire to all your Mines. Little did he think how terribly they were at that Time countermin'd!

This Letter, which was a farther Confirmation of the Prince de Cellamare's Confpiracy, and the Affront put upon the Ambaffador of the most Christian King, intirely convinc'd the Regent, that the Spanish Minifter was refolv'd to go all Lengths. War was declar'd on both Sides, in which Spain did not come off with Honour. Ifhall have further Occafion to fpeak of it to you fome Time hereafter.

I am next to give you an Account, how it far'd with myself at this Time: Tho' I had no Hand in this Plot, yet I was fhrewdly fufpected; for feveral Conferences were held at my House: I was intimate with those who were deepest in the Secret, and in Fine, whether it proceeded from