The Count de Vergennes had succeeded as Minister for Foreign Affairs[275] upon the disgrace and exile of the Duke d’Aiguillon, the avowed enemy of the de Broglios, and whose attitude towards D’Eon had been one of dangerous hostility. Rejoicing in his fall and full of hope in the new order of things, the Chevalier appealed to de Broglio for intercession in his behalf with the young King. ‘His late Majesty and you have deigned to approve, by your letters of August 22, 1766, &c., my conduct in delivering to M. Durand and the Baron de Breteuil the secret papers you required. You equally approved my conduct, by letter of February 10, 1767, in communicating to the Prince de Masseran[276] the discovery I had made of England’s design to invade Mexico and Peru in the approaching war, on the plan devised by the Sieur Caffaro, that is to say, the Marquis d’Aubaret, for which he receives 600_l._ sterling per annum from the English ministry.... You also approved, by letter of September 23, 1769, my vigilance in giving you eight months’ notice of the naval expedition projected by Russia against the Turks, and of which you were a witness. His Majesty, as also the King of England, deigned to approve my conduct in the affair of Dr. Musgrave on the subject of the peace, which created so great a sensation in London in 1769 and 1770. I will not worry you by entering into particulars on the various testimonies of approbation you have deigned to give me, on behalf of his Majesty, as to my zeal in keeping you informed of interesting events that have already occurred, that are now passing, and are yet to take place. ‘It is time, after the cruel loss we have experienced of our Counsellor-in-Chief[277] at Versailles, who, in the midst of his own court, had less power than a king’s advocate at the Châtelet; who, through incredible weakness, ever suffered his faithless servants to triumph over his secret servants who were true to him, and who had ever more largely favoured his declared enemies rather than his real friends; it is time, I say, that you should inform the new King, who loves truth, and of whom it is said that he is as firm as his illustrious grandfather was weak; it is time, for us both, that you should inform this young monarch of your having been the secret minister of Louis XV. during upwards of twenty years, and of my having been under-minister, under his orders and yours; that during the last twelve years I have sacrificed my fortune, advancement, and happiness, in desiring to obey, to the letter, his secret order of June 3, 1763,[278] and the secret instructions relating thereto;’ ...