My third child was therefore carried to the Foundling Hospital as
well as the two former, and the next two were disposed of in the
same manner; for I have had five children in all. This arrangement
seemed to me to be so good, reasonable and lawful, that if I did not
publicly boast of it, the motive by which I was withheld was merely my
regard for their mother: but I mentioned it to all those to whom I had
declared our connection, to Diderot, to Grimm, afterwards to M.
d'Epinay, and after another interval, to Madam de Luxembourg; and this
freely and voluntarily, without being under the least necessity of
doing it, having it in my power to conceal the step from all the
world: for La Gouin was an honest woman, very discreet, and a person
on whom I had the greatest reliance. The only one of my friends to
whom it was in some measure my interest to open myself, was Thierry
the physician, who had the care of my poor aunt in one of her lyings
in, in which she was very ill. In a word, there was no mystery in my
conduct, not only on account of my never having concealed anything
from my friends, but because I never found any harm in it.
Everything considered, I chose the best destination for my children,
or that which I thought to be such. I could have wished, and still
should be glad, had I been brought up as they have been.
Whilst I was thus communicating what I had done, Madam le Vasseur
did the same thing amongst her acquaintance, but with less
disinterested views.
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