Thou'rt certain to get excellent abbotries and to be a bishop early.

Then thou'lt be able to realize thy fine dreams of administration and to become a statesman at thy leisure, whilst doing all manner of good in thy diocese.
It depends on thyself alone to make thyself useful to thy country, to acquire a high reputation, perhaps to carve thy way to the ministry; if thou enter the magistracy, as thou desirest, thou breakest the plank which is under thy feet, thou'lt be confined to hearing causes, and thou'lt waste thy genius, which is fitted for the most important public affairs." "I am very fond of you," my dear friends," replied M.Turgot, "but I don't quite understand what you are made of.

As for me, it would be impossible for me to devote myself to wearing a mask all my life." He became councillor-substitute to the attorney-general, and before long councillor in the Parliament, on the 30th of December, 1752.

Master of requests in 1753, he consented to sit in the King's Chamber, when the Parliament suspended the administration of justice.

"The Court," he said, "is exceeding its powers." A sense of equity thus enlisted him in the service of absolute government.