D'Eon de Beaumont, his life and times; . ays afterwards. The Chancellors papers left no room for doubt as tohis secret schemes. Charged with high treason, it wasowing to Elizabeths mercy that he was not condemnedto death, and was exiled to Siberia. Over eighteenhundred persons were arrested ; Apraxin had just com-mitted suicide, and a movement more favourable toFrench interests was in course of formation at theinstigation of Woronzow, who succeeded his rival inoffice. DEon, whose part in this affair was so active andsuccessful, had, according to La Messeli^re, unwittinglysaved his own head. At
D'Eon de Beaumont, his life and times; . ays afterwards. The Chancellors papers left no room for doubt as tohis secret schemes. Charged with high treason, it wasowing to Elizabeths mercy that he was not condemnedto death, and was exiled to Siberia. Over eighteenhundred persons were arrested ; Apraxin had just com-mitted suicide, and a movement more favourable toFrench interests was in course of formation at theinstigation of Woronzow, who succeeded his rival inoffice. DEon, whose part in this affair was so active andsuccessful, had, according to La Messeli^re, unwittinglysaved his own head. At all events, he had a claim uponWoronzows gratitude, and fresh titles to Elizabethsconfidence; consequently the idea was mooted ofattaching dEon to the service of Russia, and a formalrequest to that effect was made by the Marquis deLHospital to the Abbe de Bernis. The Minister forForeign Affairs and M. Tercier, being at one in thismatter, were not at all opposed to the scheme, suggested,no doubt, by the Czarina herself, whereby an agent. LA CHEVALIERE DEON From the Painting hy Angelica Kaujmann after Latour DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY 49 esteemed at the same time by the ministry and thesecret service should be established at her , although flattered by this proposal, which henever omitted to mention in the rough drafts of hismemoirs, did not think fit to accept it. The favourwhich he enjoyed at Versailles, a career brilliantly openedin diplomacy, the scope given to his aspirations in thearmy—all gave promise of a sufficiently enviable futurefor him in his own country. He knew, too, that foreignersseldom attained to high places in Russia. Fortune wasparticularly fickle there, and her wheel was more oftenthan not broken on the road to Siberia. Lastly, hishealth was beginning to suffer from the effects of thesevere climate; and he did not hesitate to refuse. Had I a bastard brother, he wrote to Tercier, beassured I should prevail upon him to accept such anoffer, but for my
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