I am quite impatient to write to my dearest mother; I have so much to say that I don’t know when I shall have done, but I must tell my dearest mother every thing, and then my mind will be at ease. I have had some dreadful dreams; pray Heaven that all be right. You must assist me with your advice; you must take care to discover every thing that is said of me; we must do every thing to retain our power and influence; I know the people hate me because I hate them. If there are any lampoons handed about in secret, you must procure them, and find out, if possible, the authors. You know I have every thing to dread from my own sex. Paris is an enchanting city; such a continued round of pleasures, balls, operas, and dances;--and, then, such gallantry. You cannot conceive how my toilet is frequented by persons of the first rank, and how my charms are admired! But, O my dear mother, you cannot conceive how my pride is humbled as often as I think of the lowness of my birth! Sometimes I am like to faint when I think of it, but I banish it from my thoughts as fast as I can. What do titles, and beauty, and splendour, and power, avail? After all, I am but the daughter of a trumpeter; but K----se has been of great service to me in this respect, for he has whispered, under the seal of secrecy, that I am the daughter of Baron de S----ts, by a left-handed marriage. This story must be kept alive, and you must nod assent to it; and if a letter or two could be forged, it would stamp it with credit. Consult L--e on this, but if it is not managed with the greatest address, it will make things worse than ever; let me be the daughter of any one rather than the daughter of a trumpeter. I have sent Krebs purposely with this letter; you may trust him. The French women dress to the highest advantage, and Gleim tells me, that some of the first judges of beauty say that I am ten times handsomer than the Countess du Barry was in her finest days. I send you a portrait of her, that you may judge, for I know my dear mother will not deceive me. Gleim is a charming fellow, but I must not trust him too far, though he thinks he is in full possession of all my secrets; he is a vain fellow, but he is a charming fellow for all that. I am often complimented on my accent, and the Abbé de Lille assured me the other morning, that I might be mistaken for a French woman. In that respect, this was a high compliment, for the French are the vainest creatures on earth. I had some verses sent me a few days ago, but the scribbler deceived me, for I find they were written some years ago by Voltaire, on Madame de Pompadour; you cannot conceive how it mortified me. Then, as to my age, I think I may venture to strike off three years; how do I tremble at the idea of wrinkled cheeks! Give me youth, beauty, and birth; these are all I ask, and then I will hold my lover as long as I please, or, if I should lose him, I can soon replace him.