It is possible that the representations of the French ministers on D’Eon’s mental condition, received some support from Walpole’s chit-chat to the Earl of Hertford, ambassador in Paris. ‘D’Eon is here still,’ wrote the former, on November 25, 1763; ‘I know nothing more of him, but that the honour of having a hand in the peace overset his poor brain. This was evident on the fatal night at Lord Halifax’s; when they told him his behaviour was a breach of the peace, he was quite distracted, thinking it was the _peace_ between his country and this.’ As Walpole was not present at Lord Halifax’s the evening of October 26, he probably obtained these details from his friend de Guerchy. Thwarted at all points by the Chevalier, who was proving himself to be his superior in shrewdness and audacity, and indeed in every other quality that the circumstances during their sensational disputes necessitated, and dreading the certain exposure, by his intended victim, of the criminal act of which he had been guilty, the ambassador, miserably perplexed, entreated his valued friend de Praslin to extricate him out of a position which had become quite unendurable. The result was a joyous one to de Guerchy, a special courier having brought a request to the British Government for the extradition of D’Eon and the seizure of all his papers; but with his habitual foresight and caution, the King took care to forestall the ministers by despatching a secret messenger with written instructions to his ambassador and to his minister plenipotentiary, neither of whom was to be made aware of the communication received by the other. _Louis XV. to the Count de Guerchy._ ‘Fontainebleau, November 4, 1763. ‘Monsieur le Comte,—The Duke de Praslin transmits to you, this day, a demand for extradition addressed by us to the ministers of our brother, his Majesty the King of Great Britain, having reference to the person of the Sieur D’Eon de Beaumont. If, as we think, his Britannic Majesty accedes to our demand, it will be particularly agreeable to us that you retain the papers you will find in the possession of the Sieur D’Eon, without communicating their contents to anybody. It is our will that they be kept entirely, and without exception, secret, and that the said papers being previously carefully sealed, shall remain in your keeping until you take your next annual trip, when you will deliver them to ourselves in person. We have learnt that M. Monin, your secretary, has some knowledge of the place where these papers are likely to have been deposited by the Chevalier D’Eon. If it is true that M. Monin has any idea of the sort, we request you to make the same known to us, after having communicated to him the contents of this letter in our hand. In thus doing, we shall be specially pleased.