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<DATE>2009-07-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Judith Siefring</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>THE Mercury-Gallant: Containing Many True and Plea&s;ant RELATIONS Of what hath pa&s;&s;ed at PARIS, From the Fir&s;t of <HI>January</HI> 1672. Till the KINGS Depar|ture thence.</P>
<P><HI>Tran&s;lated from the French.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>T. R.</HI> and <HI>N. T.</HI> for <HI>Dorman Newman</HI> at the Kings Arms in the <HI>Poultry,</HI> and <HI>Jonathan Edwin</HI> at the Three Ro&s;es in <HI>Ludgate-&s;treet,</HI> 1673.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<PB REF="3">
<OPENER><SALUTE>To my much honoured Friend, George Bowerman E&s;quire.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_SOme men (not &s;o good as you) might perhaps think that while I have thus long been unfortu|nately hindred from paying the re&s;pects due to your many good Offices and Kindne&s;&s;es, I have blotted them quite out of my me|mory,
<PB REF="4">and become utterly unde|&s;erving both of them, or any fu|ture Favour; and there may po&s;&s;ibly &s;ome Rea&s;ons be urged for the entertainment of &s;uch &s;u&s;picions: but I am more than half confident they cannot at all have reached you: for as your Kindne&s;&s;es were free and un|con&s;trained, out of your own pure and natural Goodne&s;s, &s;o <HI>I</HI> am bound to believe they were accompanied with a Judg|ment which cannot ea&s;ily think it &s;elf deceived, becau&s;e it were both a &s;in and &s;hame it &s;hould be.</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P>And therefore to endeavour the be&s;t I can to di&s;per&s;e any &s;uch Clouds that may be gather|ing, I have taken this cour&s;e to let you perceive that I have pre&s;erved a Remembrance of You and your Kindne&s;&s;es, and am meditating of them, even when you perhaps may believe they are lea&s;t in my Thoughts; and though this be the mi&s;era|ble&s;t way in the World to re|quite Courte&s;ies, and can no way form an Aquittance for any Obligation, yet at wor&s;t 'tis an Acknowledgment, which ge|nerous
<PB REF="5">Minds u&s;e to receive in good part, and where they find it, think the Defection of a Larger Satisfaction, proceeds rather from Misfortune than Fault.</P>
<P>As &s;uch then, Plea&s;e to accept this &s;mall Pre&s;ent I now &s;end you, which when in the Original, was thought worthy of being pre&s;ented unto the <HI>FRENCH KING:</HI> and was a Book He Him&s;elf pa&s;&s;ed the Licen&s;e for under His Seal, when He officiated
<PB REF="5">as His own CHANCEL|LO&V;R.</P>
<P>I will not prevent You with its Contents: Let them &s;peak for them&s;elves. Onely thus much I will &s;ay, That in my Judgment it may be as &V;&s;eful for This Horizon as That for which it was Cal|culated. And if the Plea|&s;ant Stories contained in it, &s;hall give You and other Gen|tlemen that &s;hall peru&s;e it, any Diverti&s;ement, I &s;hall have received my Satisfaction,
<PB REF="6">and have no more to addle, but to beg you to value me &s;till, as one that will ever be,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE> <SIGNED> Your mo&s;t faithful and mo&s;t humble Servant, <HI>J. D.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="6">
<HEAD>THE <HI>French Bookseller</HI> TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_I Believe now I have hit on a Book will plea&s;e all the world, becau&s;e of the di|ver&s;ity of matter it contains. Tho&s;e who are wholly addi|cted
<PB REF="7">to Romantick writings, will here find Stories, though true, yet as plea&s;ing and diver|ti&s;ant, as in any of the mo&s;t exqui&s;ite Books of that Kind; the curious, and the Countrey Gentleman, and the Stranger, who never had the lea&s;t knowledge of many per&s;ons of high birth, and extraordi|nary worth, will in this Vo|lume, and tho&s;e &s;hall follow it, find the &s;prings of their Re|nown, and what has made them e&s;teemable. To know the value of any per&s;on you &s;hall only need to turn over
<PB REF="7">the <HI>Mercury-Gallant,</HI> and find your wi&s;h. Every Six months &s;hall come forth a Volume, and in the &s;econd &s;hall be &s;et down the expre&s;s time of their coming out, that people may know when to expect them; and hereafter we &s;hall take the liberty to &s;peak of Forreign Courts and Countries. The Author begins now to &s;ettle his corre&s;pondencies, and to &s;earch out the ways of the mo&s;t con&s;iderable a&s;&s;i&s;tances, that nothing of Novelty may happen in the world, which his Letters &s;hall not &s;peak of.
<PB REF="8">The&s;e are but E&s;&s;ayes; but by what they are, you may judge what will follow: con|&s;ider therefore this only as the de&s;ign of a work which time will better poli&s;h. Tho&s;e who know any thing of Gallantry, or worthy to be made pub|lick, may bring it to me, who will engage the Author to entertain with it the per&s;on to whom he addre&s;&s;es his Let|ters. I think my &s;elf likewi&s;e obliged to give notice, that this Book has no re&s;emblance with the <HI>Journal des &s;cavans;</HI> that treats only of &s;uch Books
<PB REF="8">of Sciences as are publi&s;hed, and this of pretty Love-&s;tories and intrigues, and of the worth of per&s;ons any way extraordinary, though their Pens never made them fa|mous. It is not of nece&s;&s;ity that all who have wit mu&s;t be writers, there are many proofs to the contrary, and I will add, that if here any Books be &s;poke of, they are only Books of Gallantry, and of which the <HI>Journal</HI> &s;ayes no|thing, and that there is not in the whole Treati&s;e twenty lines to that purpo&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>PAg. 21. l. 19. dele &s;o. p. 22. l. 10. for with r. the. p. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">. l. 7. for woman r. women. p. p. 33. l. 19. for foryed r. forced. p. 44. l: 1. for Balads r. Ballets. p. 51. l. 14. dele and. p. 63. l. 11. for &s;eventy r. &s;everity. l. 19. for. her r. his. p. 71. l. 3. for any r. an. p. 72. l. 12. for &s;weezing r. &s;queezing. l. 13. for his r. her. p: 73. l. 15. for unmatched r. unmasked. p. 74. l. 2. after the&s;e r. per&s;wa&s;ions. l. 11. dele or l. p: 81. l. 16. for it r. its p. 63. l. 18. for Faries r. Farces. p. 98. l. 14. for Je&s;tu r. Te&s;tu.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>THE TABLE OF Matters contained in this Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter I.</LABEL> THe De&s;ign of the Work. The Story of the Neclace of Pearl. Honours paid to the memory of the late Madam <HI>de Montau&s;ier.</HI> The e&s;tabli&s;hment of the Academy of Ar|chitecture, of which the <HI>Sieur Blon|del</HI> is to be Profe&s;&s;or.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter II.</LABEL> The Story of the Green Silk Stockings. The reception of the Duke
<PB REF="10"><HI>de Feuillade</HI> to the charge of Collo|nel of the <HI>French</HI> Regiment of Guards. Elogy of the Mar&s;hal <HI>du Ple&s;&s;is.</HI> Di&s;cour&s;e on <HI>Bajazet</HI> a Tra|gedy of the <HI>Sieur Racines.</HI> Adven|tures happened to a <HI>French</HI> man at <HI>Con&s;tantinople,</HI> by which <HI>Turki&s;h</HI> Gallantry may be judged of.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter III.</LABEL> The Story of a Lady, cho&s;e rather to burn with her Husband, then &s;ee him di&s;loyal. A Di&s;cour&s;e on the Marriage of <HI>Bacchus,</HI> an Heroick Comedy, The arrival of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Courtine</HI> in <HI>Sweden.</HI> The depar|ture of the Duke <HI>d'E&s;trees,</HI> extra|ordinary Amba&s;sador at <HI>Rome.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter IV.</LABEL> The Hi&s;tory of the Family of hope. The publick entrance of the <HI>Marquis de Villars</HI> into <HI>Madrid. Mon&s;ieur de Pompone's</HI> return from <HI>Swe|den.</HI></ITEM>
<PB REF="10">
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter V.</LABEL> The Story of the maiden Souldier Elogy of the Duke of <HI>Coa&s;lin.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter VI.</LABEL> The Death of the Chancellor, and his Elogy. Prai&s;e of the <HI>Marquis</HI> of <HI>Louvoy.</HI> Death of the Prince&s;s of <HI>Conty.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter VII.</LABEL> The Elogy of &s;ix Coan&s;ellors of E&s;tate, and &s;ix ma&s;ters of Request, cho&s;en by the King to be A&s;&s;i&s;tants to the Seal. An accident happened to a young Marchione&s;s on the death of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Gualtier,</HI> the mo&s;t excel|lent ma&s;ter of the Lute.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter VIII.</LABEL> The Story of a man, who would believe he had made him&s;elf a Cuc|kold. <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Pachau's</HI> worth acknowledged by the King. <HI>Meffieurs de Vendo&s;me</HI> their return from
<PB REF="11"><HI>Italy.</HI> The Kings choi&s;e of <HI>Mon&s;i|eur de Camus</HI> for fir&s;t Pre&s;ident of the Court of Aids.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter IX.</LABEL> The death of <HI>Mon&s;ieur De&s;pin|cha</HI> Marquis <HI>de Ternes.</HI> The Reception of the Cavalier <HI>d'Arquien</HI> into his fathers Charge.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter X.</LABEL> The death of Mon&s;ieur <HI>de la Motte Houdancourt.</HI> The promo|tton of Mon&s;ieur the Arch Bi&s;hop of <HI>Tholou&s;e</HI> to the Cardinalate. Di&s;|cour&s;e on <HI>Ariana.</HI> a Tradegy of the younger <HI>Corneilles.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XI.</LABEL> The Story of the Clo&s;et of Looking-gla&s;ses. Di&s;cour&s;e on a Comedy of <HI>Molieres,</HI> called <HI>les Femmes &s;cavantes,</HI> or the wi&s;e Women.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XII.</LABEL> The occa&s;ien of the <HI>French</HI> Aca|demies
<PB REF="11">Voyage to <HI>Ver&s;ailles,</HI> under the Conduct of the Arch Bi&s;hop of <HI>Paris.</HI> Mon&s;ieur the Marquis <HI>de Angeau</HI> his treating the Aca|demy.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XIII.</LABEL> The E&s;tabli&s;hment of all the King of <HI>France</HI> his Forces, as well Hor&s;e as Foot, with the Names of all the Regiments, the Companies they contain, and the number of their Men.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XIV.</LABEL> Di&s;cour&s;e of the Waters, Gardens, and new imbeli&s;hments of <HI>Ver&s;ailles,</HI> with the Names of the Statua|ries.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XV.</LABEL> The Prai&s;es of Cardinal <HI>de Retz.</HI> The E&s;tates of <HI>Brittain</HI> pre&s;ented by <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Duke of <HI>Chaune.</HI> the Duke of <HI>Bethune</HI> mode Lieu|tenant
<PB REF="12">General of <HI>Picardy,</HI> and the Duke <HI>de Duras</HI> Captain of the <HI>Gardes du Corps.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XVI.</LABEL> The In&s;titution of the Academy <HI>Des belles Lettres,</HI> with the names of the Academians. An account of the Iugenuity of <HI>Gas,</HI> Madam the Marquis of <HI>De&s;houlieres</HI> Spaniel. The Death of <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Mo|rangis.</HI> Prai&s;es of the Baron of <HI>Schonborn,</HI> Nephew to the Elector of <HI>Magence,</HI> and bis extraordina|ry Envoy. The Entrance and Au|dience of <HI>Conde de Molina</HI> extraordinary Amba&s;&s;ador from <HI>Spain,</HI> with Ob&s;ervations there|upon.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XVII.</LABEL> An account of the new Modes, as well for Men and Women, as for the furniture of the hou&s;e. The Mar|riage
<PB REF="12">of the primier Pre&s;idents Son, to <HI>Madamoi&s;elle Chaluces.</HI> The Kings choi&s;e of Phy&s;itians, Di&s;cour&s;e on the <HI>Journal des &s;cavans.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XVIII.</LABEL> The Names of the General Offi|cers of the Army. The Names of the Ships, and Commanders of the <HI>French</HI> Kings Navy Royal.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Letter XIX.</LABEL> Di&s;cour&s;e on &s;everal Books of Gallantry. The Namcs of the Au|thors quoted by <HI>Mon&s;ieur Menage</HI> in his Book intituled. <HI>Ob&s;ervations on the</HI> French <HI>Tongue.</HI> The Speech of the Colledge of Phy&s;itians to the three principal Phy&s;itians. Ob&s;erva|tions on the Kings giving the Seals to Mon&s;ieur <HI>d'Aligre.</HI> The departure of the Baggages of the Army. De&s;|cour&s;e on the preparation of a <HI>Mau|&s;oleum,</HI> of which Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Bru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 
<PB REF="13">is the de&s;igner. The Audience of the &s;everal Amba&s;&s;adors and Re&s;idents of the King; as al&s;o of the Sovereign Courts and Provo&s;t of Merchants. The Kings departure, &s;ome words much in Mode; the &s;tory of <HI>Megius,</HI> and his Companion, or the Philo&s;o|phers Stone.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="13">
<HEAD>THE MERCURY GALLANT.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>Letter I.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Madam,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Needed not have been put in mind of the pro|mi&s;e I made you at your going from <HI>Paris,</HI> to &s;end you often an ac|count of &s;uch Novelties as were worthy of the curio&s;ity of the mo&s;t ingenious per&s;ons of that Countrey, which is like for &s;o long a
<PB N="2" REF="14">time to be made happy with your re&s;i|dence. They which have the per&s;on con|tinually in their thoughts, &s;eldom forget their promi&s;es. I doubt not Madam, but you under&s;tand &s;o well what that means, that I need explain it no further. Proceed we therefore to our News, or rather fir&s;t, to the order I have re&s;olved to ob&s;erve in giving you the&s;e accounts. I will pun|ctually write to you once in eight days, and then give you the mo&s;t particular and curi|ous relation I can of all that has happened in the week aforegoing. Sending you things, which the Gazets give no ac|count of, or at lea&s;t not &s;o full and clear a one. The mo&s;t minute things that pa&s;s here &s;hall not e&s;cape my Quill: You &s;hall have all Deaths and Weddings of con&s;e|quence, with &s;uch Circum&s;tances as may create that delight in &s;uch news, which they have not in them&s;elves. I will en|deavour to unravel the truth of all great actions, where valour &s;hall make it &s;elf ob|&s;ervable in the Army, and will often lay naked before you things which fame gives but at random; becau&s;e &s;he not &s;taying to &s;earch the depth of them, the fir&s;t rumours
<PB N="3" REF="14">&s;he &s;preads are for the mo&s;t part &s;hort of truth. I will not forget to tell you who receive favours from our great Monarch; he gives with &s;o endearing a grace, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">hough his gifts are always con&s;iderable, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">he obliging manner with which he gives, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">reeds often as much delight in the hearer; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">s the magnificence of his gifts in the recei|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">er; and whereas there often happens pro|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">eedings &s;o extraordinary, and &s;o full of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ntrigue, that the be&s;t invented Romances <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ome &s;hort of them, I &s;hall nor fail to di|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">erti&s;e you with them, and &s;end you the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">eal Circum&s;tances, which are &s;eldom <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nown but to per&s;ons who make diligent <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">arch after them. Curio&s;ity bringing to <HI>Paris</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ot only many brave people from all Pro|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">inces of <HI>France,</HI> but likewi&s;e numbers of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">rangers. I will give you advice of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">orth of tho&s;e attract any admiration. I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ill &s;end you all &s;uch witty pieces as have <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">y reputation, as Songs, Ver&s;es, or o|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">er &s;uch like works. I will &s;end you the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">cce&s;s of all new Plays, and what Books <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> Gallantry are Printed: I &s;ay of Gallan|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">y, becau&s;e I pretend not to &s;peak of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">o&s;e which concern Arts or Sciences,
<PB N="4" REF="15">not being able to perform it &s;o well as tho&s;e who every fifteen days give us an account of them. But I will do &s;omewhat more then I have yet promi&s;ed, and of|ten &s;end you &s;ome new adventures in form of Hi&s;tories. <HI>Paris</HI> is big enough to furni&s;h me with them, and every day &s;omething con&s;iderable happens there, and tho&s;e who make it part of their bu&s;ine&s;s to under&s;tand the Town often hear of &s;trange adventures, and are &s;ometimes witne&s;s to them: &s;o that I fear not the giving you a new Story almo&s;t every week; and when <HI>Paris</HI> fails by chance to furni&s;h me, I can|not doubt to learn &s;omewhat divert&s;iing from the great number of &s;trangers are continually in this City I will add to this all the News worth hearing from the <HI>Ruelle<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Balls, or any meetings, and here with not omit the new Modes, the Countrey is generally well plea&s;ed to know them, nor can I readily t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ll any thing they more de|&s;ire; I believe likewi&s;e you will be of my mind, that the Mi&s;&s;es of <HI>Paris</HI> will often furni&s;h me with plea&s;ant &s;ubjects, and that all the&s;e things together and apart, will continually &s;upply me with a &s;ack full of
<PB N="5" REF="15">news, wherewithall to entertain you: I &s;hall yet meddle little with forreign news, or matters of State, and &s;peak only of tho&s;e great publick news of which people di&s;cour&s;e every where, who make no pro|fe&s;&s;ion of under&s;tanding them; but as there is no news &s;o publick, but has &s;omething of privacy in it; I will &s;end you the opi|nions of tho&s;e who &s;hould know things be&s;t. If I pro&s;ecute my de&s;ign, and you keep my Letters, they may for the future &s;erve as Memories to the curious, and many things may be met with here, cannot be found el&s;ewhere, becau&s;e of the diver&s;ity of the matter; but it matters not much whether they be u&s;eful to others, &s;o they diverti&s;e you; that's my only aim and therefore I begin with a plea&s;ant Story before I enter upon the particularities of this weeks news.</P>
<P>A young gallant coming &s;ome days &s;ince to vi&s;it a fair Lady, to whom he had no o|ther pretence of love, then to keep him|&s;elf it talk (for 'tis a mo&s;t ordinary pra|ctice here, and the mo&s;t part of our young people, if they be put out of the road of talking a little love to the Ladies, and prai|&s;ing
<PB N="6" REF="16">their beauties, have not a word to &s;ay for them&s;elves) This young blade, who I am telling this &s;tory of, having run over, and over all the Le&s;&s;ons he had learnt, in prai&s;ing every particular charm of the beauty he came to wait on, and at la&s;t quite &s;tranded him&s;elf, not knowing any other way to entertain her; this lovely per&s;on tyred with hearing the &s;ame things again and again, fir&s;t &s;lumbred a little, and at la&s;t fell fa&s;t a&s;leep, though &s;he de&s;igned it not; but having wearied her &s;elf the night be|fore at a Ball, and reli&s;hing &s;o ill now the tedious diverti&s;ement of him that entertain|ed her, &s;leep &s;eized her unawares. The Gallant had a fate quite contrary; the beau|ty of this fair &s;leeper, and the motion of her Brea&s;ts as &s;he breathed, awakened his Sen&s;es; he viewed her with a great deal of pa&s;&s;ion, and his heart oft told him, he ought to improve the opportunity; but whil&s;t he &s;tood gazing, and not knowing what to re&s;olve, he ca&s;t his Eyes on a Neck|lace of Pearl, worth twenty thou&s;and Livers, which &s;he had about her Neck, and ob&s;er|ved, That the Ribbon which tyed it, did as it were pre&s;ent it &s;elf to him. This idle
<PB N="7" REF="16">lover, who&s;e name I will conceal under that of <HI>Cleontes,</HI> was immediately &s;urprized with imaginations quite contrary to tho&s;e he had had but a minute before. He had about two dayes &s;ince lo&s;t all his Money at play, he was naturally expen&s;ive, and al|ready owed &s;o much, that his credit was almo&s;t crackt; be&s;ides, he was young, and had always been a little inclinable to knavery, and all the&s;e incouragements meeting together, &s;oon formed in him a temptation, utterly different from the for|mer; and now all his amorous glances were ca&s;t at the Neck-lace. After having a good while viewed it, he turned his eyes to|wards the door, his thoughts began all at once to run one way, but yet he could not fix them; he gets up, walks two or three turns about the Chamber, comes to the Stairs head to &s;ee if any body might per|chance be coming; but finding all things favouring his de&s;ign, returns to <HI>Beli&s;a;</HI> (for &s;o I &s;hall call this fair Lady in the &s;equel of the &s;tory.) He was no &s;ooner come nigh her, but he grew as &s;tiff as a &s;tatue, and &s;tood like one that had lo&s;t all &s;en&s;e and motion, making reflexions on the action he
<PB N="8" REF="17">was about. I am here alone &s;aid he to him&s;elf, and none el&s;e can be charged with the Neck-lace but my &s;elf, and if I go a|way without &s;aying any thing, I conclude my &s;elf guilty. If I &s;tay after I have taken it, they will make &s;uch &s;trict &s;earch, that they will find it about me, hide it where I can: I had much better let it alone, and relinqui&s;h &s;o vile an attempt. But if I let it alone (replyed he &s;uddenly to him|&s;elf) can I ever in rea&s;on hope fortune &s;hould again do any thing for me, and twen|ty thou&s;and Franks will be a very conveni|ent &s;um for me, he then began to ca&s;t up in his head how he would di&s;po&s;e tho&s;e twenty thou&s;and Livers. He would pay but few debts, but in&s;tead of that he would put him&s;elf into a magnificent Equipage, as to Cloaths, buy &s;uch and &s;uch Points and Laces, and put his Train into the fi|ne&s;t Liveries in the World, and with &s;uch a tempting adju&s;tment, he though him&s;elf &s;ecure of the Conque&s;t of at lea&s;t a dozen hearts of tho&s;e gay women, who are taken with fine out-&s;ides, and are &s;ooner &s;urpri|zed with gaudery then worth, who are &s;o &s;otti&s;h to think he cannot be a worthy man,
<PB N="9" REF="17">who has not brisk accouterments, or keeps but a mode&s;t train. <HI>Cleontes</HI> having thus di&s;po&s;ed the twenty thou&s;and Livers in his Coxcombe, takes the Neck-lace; but he was no &s;ooner ma&s;ter of it, then he felt a trembling over all his body, and &s;ei|zed with a violent fear of being &s;urprized with it about him he re&s;olved to return it: He was ju&s;t about executing what his &s;e|cret repentance had determined, when it came into his head to &s;wallow the Neck-lace, which con&s;i&s;ted of two and thirty Pearls. 'Twas a hard task this, but his greedy de&s;ire of &s;o much money brought it to effect. When he had &s;wallowed the la&s;t Pearl, he began to be as much troubled what to do with the Ribbon; he was a good while &s;tudying how to di&s;po&s;e it, and at length concluded to cut it into &s;uch little &s;craps as were &s;carce perceptible. You mu&s;t think he was a good while doing all this, and therefore may the ea&s;ier believe <HI>Beli&s;a</HI> awakened almo&s;t as &s;oon as he had done, &s;he asks pre&s;ently for her Neck-lace. <HI>Cleontes</HI> denyes the having taken it, &s;he thought he only intended to make her &s;earch for it, and very gallantly turns all into 
<PB N="10" REF="18">a Je&s;t, but was &s;trangely troubled when &s;he perceived he &s;till denyed it, will all that &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s men u&s;e when they would have what they &s;ay thought truth. If you will <HI>(&s;aid he to her)</HI> command another &s;uit of Cloaths to be given me, I will &s;trip my &s;elf before any body you &s;hall name, and leave mine with you; nay, they &s;hall have my very Shirt to &s;earch. <HI>Beli&s;a</HI> was in more then a peck of troubles. Certain &s;he was, &s;he had the Neck-lace on before &s;he fell a&s;leep, and none but <HI>Cleontes</HI> had been in the Chamber, and yet the Neck-lace was not to be found, though &s;he had made as diligent a &s;earch, as &s;he could, and a &s;earch &s;uitable to the greatne&s;s of her lo&s;s. <HI>Cleantes</HI> urged her to &s;earch his Pockets; &s;he believed &s;ince he pre&s;&s;ed it &s;o much, &s;he might chance find it there, and that he on|ly je&s;ted all this while to vex her a little, &s;he re&s;olves therefore to &s;atisfy him, with hopes to &s;atisfy her &s;elf; but ju&s;t as &s;he had put in her hand, <HI>Clidamant</HI> enters in|to the Room, and thinks &s;he was imbra|cing him. This <HI>Clidamant</HI> was one of tho&s;e priviledged lovers, who may come in with|out knocking, or &s;ending word who they
<PB N="11" REF="18">are. 'Twill be an ea&s;ie matter Madam for you to believe, he did or &s;aid &s;ome|thing, that jealous lovers u&s;e to do, when they think they find Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es fal&s;e, he could not re&s;train him&s;elf, and <HI>Cleontes</HI> &s;eemed to rejoyce rather then be troubled at it, he had hopes this new alarme, might &s;uppre&s;s all farther clamour about the Neck-lace, and having &s;ome bravery (for heart none can think he wanted, after a Cordial of two and thirty &s;uch Pills as he had &s;wallowed) he told <HI>Clidamant</HI> he would go forth, and there expect him to decide their difference. The jealous man was a|bout to follow him, when <HI>Beli&s;a</HI> &s;top'd them both, and told the whole adventure. <HI>Clida|mant</HI> thought it &s;o &s;trange, that he could not at fir&s;t believe it; but his jealou&s;y made him determine to try all ways imaginable, to di&s;cover whether <HI>Beli&s;a</HI> had told him truth. He was &s;tudying how to effect it, when three or four of the afflicted Ladies friends, and of <HI>Clidamants</HI> acquaintance, came into the Room; they &s;oon were told how the whole ca&s;e &s;tood. Their amaze|ment was great, but it was yet made grea|ter, when they &s;aw nothing could per&s;wade
<PB N="12" REF="19"><HI>Cleontes</HI> to tell what was become of the Neck-lace. Intreaties and threatnings were both imployed, but all to no purpo&s;e, and the afternoon was quite &s;pent without making any di&s;covery. <HI>Beli&s;as</HI> grief for the lo&s;s of her Neck-lace increa&s;ed more and more, as her hopes of ever finding it decayed, &s;he being a&s;&s;ured, that <HI>Cleontes</HI> mu&s;t have &s;tole it, and hid it where ever it was, having either ca&s;t it into &s;ome by Corner, or thrown it to &s;ome body out of the Window. The manner in which <HI>Be|li&s;a</HI> &s;poke this, made all the Gentlemen believe it to be true, and therefore they re|&s;olved to put it to the utmo&s;t te&s;t, and as &s;oon as it was quite dark they &s;ent for a Sack which was no &s;ooner got, but &s;eizing all four on <HI>Cleontes,</HI> they violently thru&s;t him into it, and having tyed it fa&s;t, carryed him to the Window. That Window was two Stories high, and an&s;wered to a Court, in which lay &s;ome &s;quare &s;tones for build|ing. As &s;oon as they had him at the Win|dow they threatned to throw him down; if he would not confe&s;s what he had done with the Neck-lace, and at la&s;t &s;o terribly frightned him, that he owned he had it,
<PB N="13" REF="19">promi&s;ed to re&s;tore it; but de&s;ired time, 'twas granted him, but on condition he &s;hould tell what he had done with it, he &s;tumbled at that a great while; but finding him&s;elf pre&s;&s;ed too hard, at length confe&s;&s;ed the whole truth. Whereupon they pre|&s;ently took him out of the Sack, &s;tript him in &s;pite of his teeth, and laid him in a &s;umptuous bed. And immediately one of the Gentlemen went, and fetch'd a vo|mit, which he took care &s;hould be &s;trong e|nough, and by its operation you'l believe it was &s;o, <HI>Cleontes</HI> refu&s;ed a great while to take it, but at la&s;t out of the fear of the &s;candal, he &s;ubmitted; for they threatned if he did not, to carry him to Pri&s;on, and to publi&s;h every where that he was a Thief, he had many doleful reachings and &s;trainings, and &s;uffered infinite pangs and gripings; but at la&s;t (though at &s;everal times) he brought up one and thirty of the Pearls: There was one yet behind; he offered to pay double the value for it, but <HI>Clidamont</HI> would have him take the other Potion, which put him to mighty torment before he could bring up the two and thirtieth Pearl, however at length it came, and they
<PB N="14" REF="20">di&s;mi&s;&s;ed the poor unfortunate wretch, who went away purged to the life, and more ca&s;t down then he could have been after &s;ix months &s;ickne&s;s. This Madam, is an adventure happened &s;ome dayes &s;ince, and is yet known to few, there is &s;omething me thinks &s;o new in it, that I dare believe you have &s;carce read the like; but let us proceed to more publick news.</P>
<P>Though I have no intention at other times to entertain you with the Funeral ho|nours paid to tho&s;e, who are of birth emi|nent enough to be &s;poke of it the Gazet, and that I de&s;ign not to trouble you with reading of publick News, unle&s;s they be extraordinary; yet I will not omit ob&s;er|ving what there is of novelty, in tho&s;e affairs, which el&s;e &s;eem fitting to be pa&s;&s;ed over in &s;ilence, becau&s;e of the little plea|&s;ure taken in reading them. I believe the news of the &s;ervice performed at <HI>Ro&ucirc;en</HI> for the late <HI>Madam de Montau&s;ier</HI> is of the num|ber; and that it being &s;o ea&s;ily to be gue&s;t at, (it being &s;o cu&s;tomary a thing to pay Funeral Rites to the dead) I might, and ought to have let it pa&s;s; and yet the extraordinary worth of this Honourable defunct, and the
<PB N="15" REF="20">particular e&s;teem <HI>Mon&s;ieur Pilot primier</HI> Pre|&s;ident of the Parliament of <HI>Ro&ucirc;en</HI> had for her, occa&s;ioned the&s;e &s;ad duties to be cele|brated with &s;ome Circum&s;tances worthy remark, and though that honourable and renowned body never u&s;ed to accompany dead Corps, on the like Ceremony; they would needs conde&s;cend to do &s;omewhat extraordinary to honour the memory of a per&s;on &s;o e&s;teemable for her worth and pie|ty, as the late <HI>Madam de Montau&s;ier.</HI></P>
<P>I know not whether it be in my Rule to tell you, that the Abbot of <HI>Novalles</HI> hath lately made appear his great wit and judg|ment in the <HI>Sorbonne,</HI> even to the a&s;toni&s;h|ment of all the old Doctors; you will &s;ay perhaps reading this news, That if I give you an account of all that maintain a <HI>The&s;is,</HI> I &s;hall &s;tuff my Letters with things not at all curious; but when you &s;hall under&s;tand, that he did in his fir&s;t act on matters of Di|vinity, what others do not till their la&s;t, you may perhaps think this Circum&s;tance makes the news worth &s;ending, and it may induce you to conceive a fancy for this worthy Abbot, which may make you di|&s;tingui&s;h him from others, when you hear
<PB N="16" REF="21">him &s;poke of; for &s;ince it is one of my de|&s;igns in writing you News, to give you a knowledge of the de&s;erts of the mo&s;t con|&s;iderable per&s;ons in <HI>France;</HI> I will let &s;lip no occa&s;ion of &s;peaking of them, and if the News I may &s;ometimes &s;end you of them, have nothing weighty enough in it &s;elf, to make you under&s;tand their particular va|lue; yet the Elogies I &s;hall give them will at lea&s;t make you know them: And thus the lea&s;t curious News may be accep|table.</P>
<P>The King continuing dayly to do &s;ome|thing con&s;iderable for the glory of <HI>France,</HI> has cau&s;ed to be opened here &s;ome dayes pa&s;t an Academy of Architecture e&s;tabli&s;hed by his Maje&s;ty, and <HI>Sieur Blondel,</HI> the Kings Profe&s;&s;or in the Mathematicks, and who is likewi&s;e to officiate in the &s;ame function, in this gave great Te&s;timonies of his wit and judgment in an Oration he made in prai&s;e of the King on this occa&s;ion. I know not Madam whether you are acquainted with this eminent per&s;on; but he pa&s;&s;es in the judgment of mo&s;t men, for a very able man, he has travelled much, &s;een both the <HI>Indies;</HI> had many different imployments, all which
<PB N="17" REF="21">he has di&s;charged with Honour, has com|manded Ships, and 'tis to him that <HI>Paris</HI> is obliged for the de&s;ign of the Cour&s;e, at which he continually labours, and which will beautifie the City from <HI>Port Richlein</HI> to <HI>Port. St. Anthony.</HI> This Madam is all the news I can give you this week, I hope within eight days to &s;end you &s;omething more divertizing, and entertain you about a Piece ready for the Theatre, which friends to the Author mightily cry up. It has not yet been acted, but without doubt they have rea&s;on for wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">t they &s;ay, and the &s;ucce&s;s will be an&s;werable to their judg|ment of it.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>Jan.</HI> 1. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="18" REF="22">
<HEAD>Letter II.</HEAD>
<P>SInce I have propo&s;ed to begin the week|ly news, I have tyed my &s;elf to write as often as I can, with fome extraordina|ry adventure; you have here Madam a true one, which will doubtle&s;s plea&s;e you.</P>
<P>A young Sovereign Gallant, and amo|rous, being one day walking without the ordinary confident of his Gallanteries, af|ter having &s;tudied upon &s;omething for a while, ha&s;tily asks for him, which obli|ged all that Princes Courtiers to look out every was for <HI>Cleodates.</HI> (&s;o will I name that favourite, or rather under that name &s;peak of him in the Story, &s;ince you have given me an <HI>Item,</HI> that I &s;hould put feign|ed names to all the Gallant Adventures, I &s;hall get to &s;end you) <HI>Philemon,</HI> a young Cavalier, more &s;olicitous then any of the re&s;t, to make his Complements to the fa|vourite, was mo&s;thappy, and thought him|&s;elf the more &s;o; becau&s;e as he imagined his ma&s;ter had particularly addre&s;&s;ed him|&s;elf
<PB N="19" REF="22">to him to &s;eek him; he flyes to <HI>Cleo|dates</HI> hou&s;e, which had a back door dire|ctly opening toward the Princes Palace, and which he found only put to, he mu&s;t have gone a great way about to the ordina|ry Gate of entrance, and there to no pur|po&s;e asked for <HI>Cleodates:</HI> For that Cavalier no le&s;s Gallant then his Ma&s;ter, who&s;e Confident he was, had gone out alone, and taking a turn about, came in again by that private door, without being perceived by any of his people. This way then <HI>Philemon</HI> went in without meeting any body; he goes up a little pair of Stairs which &s;tood in a by Corner; but which he knew very well, this not being the fir&s;t time he had tryed that pa&s;&s;age, and came pre&s;ently to the Chamber, where he thought he might find <HI>Cleodates;</HI> but &s;eeing no one there, he was forced to knock at a little Clo&s;et door &s;tood by it. After having knockt a good while, it came into his head to look through the Key-hole; for he thought he heard &s;ome body within, he pre&s;ently ob&s;erved <HI>Cleo|dates</HI> ki&s;&s;ing a Lady, but could not di&s;co|ver who &s;he was, her face being hid from him; only he took notice &s;he had Green
<PB N="20" REF="23">Silk Stockings on, and very rich Garters He ea&s;ily gue&s;&s;ed by their not an&s;wering nor &s;tirring up and down, that they would not have it known they were in that Clo&s;et and that they would not open the doo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> for any one whatever. <HI>Philemon</HI> hereupo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> returns with intention to tell the Prince h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> could not find <HI>Cleodates;</HI> he did &s;o indeed but 'twas in a way made him &s;u&s;pect there was a my&s;tery in it; for he could not for|bear laughing at uttering his name. Th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> Prince would needs know the rea&s;on, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> very earne&s;tly required it, he was &s;oon &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;atisfied for Sovereigns not being to be re|fu&s;ed any thing; <HI>Philemon</HI> told him all h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> had &s;een. This adventure which one would have thought &s;hould have diverted the Prince, begot a dumps in him, made <HI>Philemon</HI> a hundred times repent his weak|ne&s;s in di&s;covering a thing he ob&s;erved grieved his Ma&s;ter, and might be prejudi|cial to <HI>Cleodates.</HI> This Prince loved a young beauty in his Court, and now grew &s;u&s;picious his favourite might be his Rival; he asked <HI>Philemon</HI> if he knew the Lady he had &s;een by her Legs; <HI>Philemon</HI> was &s;o ready to an&s;wer yes, that he had not time to con|&s;ider
<PB N="21" REF="23">how he might by it both di&s;plea&s;e his Ma&s;ter, and loo&s;e his Friend. The Prince replyed, If that Lady were one of the Court he would know her e're it were long, and at that in&s;tant obliged the Prin|ce&s;s his Wife to &s;end for all the Ladies of the Court; and as &s;oon as they were come, propo&s;ed to them to mount immediately on hor&s;e-back, and &s;ee a cha&s;e; &s;ome &s;aid they &s;hould have time given them to put &s;horter Coats, others were of a contrary opinion, The Prince could have wi&s;hed it, that he might the better have &s;een their Stockings; but then he doubted they might in changing Cloaths, change Stockings too; but whatever he feared, he was &s;oon recovered of it, as you will hear by the &s;equel. This Prince, who was natu|rally Gallant, appeared &s;o in this occa&s;i|on, &s;omewhat more &s;o then u&s;ual, and talking plea&s;antly with all the Ladies, told them, that he would &s;et them all on Hor&s;e-back; you may ea&s;ily gue&s;s what he meant by it, and that by this contri|vance he only de&s;igned to di&s;cover the Lady with the Green Stockings. He had already &s;eated a great many, with|out
<PB N="22" REF="24">finding what he feared to find, when at la&s;t he di&s;covered one of the delicate&s;t Legs in the world, and on it a Green Silk Stocking. You will be as much &s;urpri|zed as he was Madam, when you &s;hall un|der&s;tand, that it was upon his Mi&s;tre&s;s he found them; but 'tis no time to &s;tand won|dering now, or if you will wonder what you have yet to hear, will but amaze you will more. The Prince in de&s;pair, &s;tretcht on the extreams of love and jealou&s;y, gave a &s;hreck at the &s;ight of tho&s;e Stockings, and &s;tood like one a&s;toni&s;hed; <HI>Philemon,</HI> who was &s;till near him, perceiving the cau&s;e of his di&s;quiet, told him in his ear, That the Stockings he had &s;een were of a deeper Green, and the Garters of ano|ther Colour. Thou would'&s;t abu&s;e me (replyed the Prince) only to a&s;&s;wage my grief; but if I find no other Green Stock|ins, I &s;hall give no faith to any thing thou &s;aye&s;t. At the&s;e words he endeavered to appear Blith and Gay, as he did before, and with a Countenance full of mirth and jollity, though his heart were heavy, pro|ceeded to &s;eat the re&s;t of his Ladies on Hor&s;e-back. He was come now to the
<PB N="23" REF="24">very la&s;t, without finding any other Green Stockings but his Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es, and the fear he &s;hould fail of finding any other, hindred him from ca&s;ting up his eyes on her who&s;e Leggs he only look'd on, without know|ing who&s;e they were; he was much &s;urpri|zed to find Stockins and Garters both to be like tho&s;e <HI>Philemon</HI> had de&s;cribed. <HI>Phi|lemon,</HI> who thought of nothing more then relieving the Prince from the trouble he had put him, and making it appear he had no intention to deceive him, kept &s;till his Eyes ca&s;t downwards; &s;o that at the &s;ame time both he and the Prince cryed out they had found what they &s;ought for, if their joy were great, their amazement was no le&s;s, when lifting up their Eyes, almo&s;t both at a time they perceived. I believe you are very impatient now to know, and that your curio&s;ity would be very burden&s;ome to you, if I &s;hould long delay it. It was <HI>Philemons</HI> wife, which fight made him look as like a Coxcomb, as indeed he was. The Prince appeared as much amazed as he; but yet could not for|bear laughing from the bottom of his heart. The Srory goes no farther, and &s;ince I
<PB N="24" REF="25">have promi&s;ed to write you nothing but truth, I will add nothing of my own, though it were ea&s;ie to invent a thou&s;and fine things on &s;o delicate an occa&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Duke <HI>de Fe&ucirc;illade,</HI> of the illu&s;trious hou&s;e <HI>D'Bu&s;ton</HI> &s;o con&s;iderable, for the many Hero's i&s;&s;ued from that Fa|mily; and for that great Ma&s;ter of <HI>Rhodes</HI> of the &s;ame name, and &s;o renowned in his own per&s;on, and &s;o well known in the <HI>Ot|toman</HI> Empire, who after a thou&s;and gal|lant Actions done for the Honour and Ser|vice of the King his Ma&s;ter, had the hap|pine&s;s to &s;ee the Infidels cha&s;ed out of <HI>Hungary,</HI> after their being defeated by tho&s;e brave <HI>French</HI> Troops he commanded, who following the Orders he gave them, and imitating his valour, defeated an al|mo&s;t innumerable Army, compo&s;ed of the choi&s;e&s;t Forces of the <HI>Mu&s;ulmen;</HI> he, who&s;e name is at this day &s;o famous, through the whole Empire of the <HI>Turks,</HI> that &s;ame <HI>Moun&s;ieur de Fe&ucirc;illade</HI> has been pre&s;ented by the King with the charge of Collonel of his Regiment of <HI>French</HI> Guards, his Ma|je&s;ty did him the Honour to receive him in per&s;on into this Charge, which is &s;o
<PB N="25" REF="25">much the more glorious, becau&s;e tho&s;e who enjoy it, receive thereby the Honours pavable to the Children of <HI>France.</HI> This Dukes Oath was received by the Mar&s;hal Duke <HI>Du Ple<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">sis,</HI> who was cho&s;en out a|mong all the Mar&s;hals in <HI>France</HI> who are Commi&s;&s;aries of His Maje&s;ties Forces. This Mar&s;hal is famous for his great Employs, for many Towns and Battails won, for the Siege of <HI>Ro&s;es,</HI> where the Over flowings of the Waters, and all the Inconveniences of a hard &s;ea&s;on, &s;eemed to have con&s;pired together to oppo&s;e his Succe&s;s: yet though he a&s;&s;ailed that City with fewer forces then defended it, his valour made the King Ma&s;ter of it, which his Maje&s;ty recompen&s;ed with the &s;taff of Mar&s;hal of <HI>France.</HI> This great Captain is likewi&s;e famous for the gain of the glorious Battel of <HI>Rochel,</HI> which he won with &s;o much ad|vantage, and which decided the fortune of the Realm in a time wherein the Civil Wars had wrought &s;o much confu&s;ion. 'Twas this Battel di&s;per&s;ed the Enemies of <HI>France,</HI> and made the frontiers of the King|dom the Barriers again&s;t the Enterprizes of the Revolted Party.</P>
<PB N="26" REF="26">
<P>Some days pa&s;t was acted on the Thea|tre of the <HI>Ho&s;tel de Burgogne,</HI> a Tragedy called <HI>Bajazet,</HI> which has gain'd the repute of an excellent Work, and you perhaps will think it &s;o, when you hear 'tis a Com|po&s;ition of Moun&s;ieur <HI>Racines,</HI> &s;ince no|thing but what is mo&s;t accompli&s;hed comes from the Pen of that Eminent Author. The Subject of the Tragedy is Turki&s;h, as the Author &s;ays in his Preface: I will tell in two words what I could learn of that Sto|ry from the Hi&s;torians of the Country, by which you may judge of the Admirable Genius of Poe&s;ie, that without taking any thing el&s;ewhere, could form &s;o excellent a Tragedy.</P>
<P><HI>Amurath</HI> had three Brothers when he went to be&s;iege <HI>Babylon,</HI> two he cau&s;ed to be &s;trangled, neither of which was called <HI>Bajazet,</HI> the third was &s;aved from his fury, becau&s;e he had no children to &s;ucceed in the Empire. This <HI>Grand Signior</HI> carried with him in that Voyage his favourite Sultane&s;s. The Grand <HI>Vizier</HI> who was called <HI>Mahomet Ba&s;ha</HI> went likewi&s;e, as we may &s;ee in a re|lation writ by a Turk of the <HI>Seraglio,</HI> and tran&s;lated into French by <HI>Moun&s;ieur du Loir</HI>
<PB N="27" REF="26">who was then at <HI>Con&s;tantinople;</HI> and this was that Great <HI>Vizier</HI> who began the a&s;&s;ault of that famous Town towards the <HI>Levant,</HI> with the Governour of <HI>Greece, Ali Ba&s;ha,</HI> the Son of <HI>Arlan,</HI> and the <HI>Aga</HI> of the Ja|nizaries with his Regiment. At his return he entred triumphantly into <HI>Con&s;tantinople,</HI> as his Ma&s;ter had done &s;ome days before. Yet the Author of <HI>Bajazet</HI> does ingeniou&s;|ly make him &s;tay at <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> under the name of <HI>Achomat,</HI> to favour the de&s;igns of <HI>Roxana,</HI> who is here found in the <HI>Seraglio</HI> at <HI>Byzantium,</HI> though &s;he were indeed in his Highne&s;s Camp, and all this to rai&s;e <HI>Baja|zet</HI> to the Empire, who&s;e name is very well invented. The third Brother of Sul|tan <HI>Amurath</HI> which remained, and e&s;caped his wrath, was called <HI>Ibrahim,</HI> whom this cruel Emperour had the barbarous thoughts of de&s;troying in that extream &s;ickne&s;s which &s;eized him, and of which he died, with de&s;ign (&s;ay they) to leave for Succe&s;|&s;or the young <HI>Mu&s;tapha Capoudan Ba&s;&s;a</HI> his Favourite, whom he had given in marriage to an onely daughter he had by his be&s;t be|loved Sultane&s;s. I cannot yield to them who think this piece expre&s;&s;es not enough
<PB N="28" REF="27">of the Turki&s;h nature. There are <HI>Turks</HI> truly Gallant; and &s;ince it plea&s;es, no mat|ter how; nor co&s;ts it more when we are feigning, to invent hone&s;t and gentile Cha|racters, than tho&s;e barbarous ones which agree not with the humour of the Ladies of our Age, whom 'tis a thing of the greate&s;t Importance to plea&s;e. Gallantry, Bravery, and Goodne&s;s, are not things without Tur|ki&s;h Examples; and we have a very plea|&s;ant Hi&s;tory in a Letter of <HI>Moun&s;ieur de Loir</HI> writ to <HI>Moun&s;ieur de Charpentier</HI> in 1641, which it's po&s;&s;ible you would not be di&s;plea&s;ed if I &s;hould rehear&s;e to you: &s;ome of it you &s;hall have. He &s;ays, &s;peaking of a Friend of his newly arrived at <HI>Con&s;tanti|nople:</HI></P>
<P>He was no &s;ooner got hither, but within three days a Lady gave him private notice of the inclination &s;he had for him; &s;he cau|&s;ed one of her Companions to throw into his Windows Citrons &s;tuck with Cloves, which are here the fir&s;t Letters and Emba&s;|&s;ies of Love, and he finding the &s;weetne&s;s of being beloved, an&s;wered with the &s;ame fervency the pa&s;&s;ion of her that loved him. She was a young Turki&s;h Dam&s;el of very
<PB N="29" REF="27">good quality called <HI>Zenakhoub,</HI> with whom he entertained an Amorous Commerce, of which the Hi&s;tory &s;ets down each particu|lar. And &s;urely if Adventures are thought the more plea&s;ing the more hazardous they are, few can claim preferrence to this in|trigue; and though your &s;elf &s;hould im|po&s;e &s;ilence on me, I cannot forbear telling what at la&s;t happened to him, which is an Adventure worth relating, and cannot be unplea&s;ant in the reading. This ra&s;h man had often di&s;gui&s;ed him&s;elf like a Woman, to &s;ee his Love in Marriage-A&s;&s;emblies, whither he was introduced by a Jew Wo|man intru&s;ted with their &s;ecrets, and pa&s;&s;ed for a young Slave, &s;he &s;aid &s;he had lately bought; his Youth, his Knowledge in the Countrey-Language, and the love he was inflamed with, were a favourable Pa&s;port to him: But it was not long ere by an un|heard-of Boldne&s;s and &s;trange Imprudence, going to &s;ee his Mi&s;tre&s;s in mans Attire, he was like to lo&s;e her, and be lo&s;t. <HI>Zenak|houb</HI> had a long time been &s;ought in Mar|riage, which &s;he had always concealed from this new Lover, re&s;olving never to tell it him till it was impo&s;&s;ible for her to hinder
<PB N="30" REF="28">it longer, and now &s;he found it unavoida|ble. She therefore &s;ent one morning (ve|ry early) to &s;eek her new Love, command|ing him to come immediately with the Jew, whil&s;t the Turks were at their pray|ers at break of day, for that &s;he feared &s;he &s;hould never more have an opportunity to &s;peak with him. He was &s;o &s;hortned in time that he could not onely not di&s;gui&s;e his Sex, but had &s;carce lea&s;ure to hide his own Habits under a Ve&s;t, and to cover his Chin with a fal&s;e Beard, and coming thus to <HI>Zenakhoub,</HI> was at his entrance amazed to find her in &s;uch a &s;erious meditation, but was much more when with many &s;ighs and interrupting &s;obs &s;he told him of her Mar|riage, and that &s;he onely &s;ent for him to take her la&s;t leave of him. He was a&s;toni|&s;hed at fir&s;t, not being able to &s;peak a word, &s;adne&s;s had &s;o &s;eiz'd his Soul: but during his &s;ilence, his Eyes gave evidence to <HI>Zenakhoub</HI> of the extream Grief he felt within. At la&s;t, both having for a good while entertained each other by looks, <HI>Ze|nakhoub</HI> with a great &s;igh gave him notice 'twas time to part. I'll not tell you what they might &s;ay on this occa&s;ion, for be&s;ides
<PB N="31" REF="28">the recital would be too long, I will ea&s;e you of the grief I felt, when he made me the Rehear&s;al, and you may imagine that, but you cannot think what happened to them: He held <HI>Zenakhoub</HI> fa&s;t by the hand, and he has &s;wore to me that he thought ve|rily the fire of his ki&s;&s;es would have burnt her, if the tears he had &s;hed from above, had not allayed and moderated their flame. To &s;peak all in a word, that at la&s;t the vio|lences of his love had tran&s;ported him be|yond tho&s;e bounds of re&s;pect which that virtuous Maid had &s;et him, and within which he had always kept; he would have ki&s;t her mouth, but &s;he who felt her Soul almo&s;t yielding to her Pa&s;&s;ion, and her Rea|&s;on now at la&s;t ga&s;p, fearing her Re&s;i&s;tance would at length too weakly defend her Mode&s;ty, with a &s;trange and &s;udden mo|tion drew forth a Dagger &s;he had at her Girdle, and pre&s;enting it to him, conjured him by all the mo&s;t obliging Con&s;idera|tions, rather to take away her Life, than attempt to offend her Honour. All our Lovers heat at this was turn'd to Ice, but being again by little and little warmed with this Amorous Conte&s;tation, as he was
<PB N="32" REF="29">about to di&s;arm her, pre&s;&s;ing down her hand, he &s;truck the Dagger into her Thigh, &s;o that what with the &s;ight o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> her Bloud, and the other Agitations of her Soul, &s;he fell into a &s;wound. The &s;hreek he gave, &s;eeing her in that condition, was heard by the Woman of the Hou&s;e, who run in pre&s;ently, to whom they could not refu&s;e opening the Chamber-door, but before they got in, <HI>Zenakhoub</HI>'s Nur&s;e had &s;hut up in an Alcove him that had been the cau&s;e of all this noi&s;e; and the blow ha|ving onely raced the Skin, tho&s;e that found it having carried <HI>Zenakhoub</HI> into a Balcony to give her fre&s;h air, imputed it onely to a little faint-heartedne&s;s. Mean time, &s;ome were run to look for her Mo|ther, who came in great ha&s;te, and found her Daughter ju&s;t recovering her &s;pirits with the help of cold Water thrown into her face: but &s;he was about to fall again into her &s;woun, upon &s;eeing her &s;elf in her Mothers Arms, and in the doubts and fears &s;he was in for her Lover. 'Twas well for her &s;he was thought to be &s;o weak, &s;he had otherwi&s;e given too apparent Te&s;timonies of the cau&s;e of her trouble; but before
<PB N="33" REF="29">&s;he was fully come to her &s;elf, &s;he ob&s;er|ved her Mother te&s;tified more kindne&s;s than anger, and judged both by it and by her lamenting her mi&s;hap, that &s;he knew neither of the Author nor Cau&s;e. Yet &s;he was not out of fear for her Lover, who for his part pa&s;t the time no better, and heard no one come near the place where he was, but he imagined they came to him; and he gave him&s;elf over to di&s;|covery, when the Jew feigning to look out &s;ome Cloaths, threw him a Womans Habit to di&s;gui&s;e him&s;elf in. I believe now that you would be glad to be rid of your fears you are in for him: and to that pur|po&s;e it will be enough to tell you, that fa|voured by that di&s;gui&s;e he got out of the hou&s;e: but his love not thus &s;atisfied, for|yed him to another hazard again, to &s;ee <HI>Ze|nakhoub,</HI> before he left her for ever; and, which I almo&s;t tremble at when I but think of it, made him take the boldne&s;s to go in where &s;he was, and to whi&s;per &s;omething in the Jew's Ear, as if he had been a Slave &s;ent to her about &s;ome bu&s;ine&s;s. If <HI>Zenak|houb</HI>'s Mother had not been otherwi&s;e em|ploy'd, or prepo&s;&s;e&s;s'd with grief, or had
<PB N="34" REF="30">taken the lea&s;t notice how the Jew was a|&s;toni&s;hed, and grew pale at his entrance, or how her Daughter changed Counte|nance, which on a &s;udden was all in a flame, it had po&s;&s;ibly put any other thoughts into her head than what &s;he feared, that this &s;ud|den change was a &s;ymptome of <HI>Zenakhoub</HI>'s di&s;temperature: But &s;he &s;u&s;pected nothing, and the &s;ick Lady having called the Jew to her, as if &s;he de&s;ired &s;ome a&s;&s;i&s;tance from her, to help her to rai&s;e her head upon the pillow; &s;he commanded her immediately to carry away that ra&s;h man, to give &s;ome ea&s;e to her Spirit to&s;&s;ed and perplexed be|twixt Fear and Love. They departed immediately, and <HI>Zenakhoub</HI>'s Wound be|ing more favourable than hurtful, &s;erved onely for a pretence to retard the Mar|riage.</P>
<P>But let us return to the Author of <HI>Ba|jazet,</HI> who&s;e Work has occa&s;ioned the recital of this Adventute. I have no|thing to &s;ay to you of his Worth. It is &s;o Great, that there is no place left on <HI>Parna&s;&s;us</HI> worthy to offer him. His Friends would &s;eat him between <HI>Sopho|cles</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="30">and <HI>Euripides,</HI> in who&s;e Works <HI>Dio|genes Laertius</HI> would make us believe <HI>Socrates</HI> had the greate&s;t &s;hare in the &s;u|blime&s;t parts: The Rivals of this <HI>French Euripides</HI> or <HI>Socrates,</HI> would I doubt not be willing to &s;ee him gone to tho&s;e great Per&s;onages among the Greeks, though upon condition that his memory were as glorious as theirs ever de&s;erved to be.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>9 <HI>January</HI> 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="36" REF="31">
<HEAD>Letter III.</HEAD>
<P>_I Cannot tell, <HI>Madam,</HI> whe|ther my Letters have the good fortune to plea&s;e you, but I a&s;&s;ure you, I am ve|ry diligent to inform my &s;elf of the mo&s;t curious No|velties, and mo&s;t &s;urprizing Adventures; and I believe this wherewith I am about to entertain you, will appear no le&s;s wonder|ful than the former. It happened &s;ome|time &s;ince in one of the Provinces of this Kingdom, where it is yet the whole &s;ub|ject of Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Celiantes</HI> a Per&s;on of Quality, hand&s;ome, witty, valiant, and who had given Eviden|ces of his Judgment and Valour in an Age
<PB N="37" REF="31">when others &s;eem but to peep into the World, fell deeply in love with the young <HI>Lydiana.</HI> You may think now I am go|ing to paint her out like a <HI>Heroine</HI> in a Ro|mance, and intend to tell you &s;he was the faire&s;t Per&s;on in the World; but &s;ince I am to relate a true &s;tory, I will leave the Curi|o&s;ity of tho&s;e pretty Imbelli&s;hments to the Ingenious Inventers of Romances, wherewith the plea&s;ant Wits of <HI>France</HI> have often diverted the whole World. All that I can &s;ay for <HI>Lydiana</HI>'s advantage, is, that &s;he had a well-&s;hap'd Body, and had a great deal of Wit; and if &s;he did not pa&s;s for a Beauty, &s;he mu&s;t needs have &s;ome plea&s;ing Features, which though all the World could not find out, appeared &s;o at lea&s;t in the Eyes of her Lover, if it be true that Proverbs never lie. <HI>Lydiana</HI> was of Quality, and had a great Portion, and be&s;ides was to be Heire&s;s to two of her Relations, who had the repute to be the riche&s;t men of their Country. You know <HI>Madam,</HI> that there cannot be much de|ceit; tho&s;e that appear rich in the Coun|trey, are &s;o indeed. Their Wealth ap|pears to the Eyes of all the World, and
<PB N="38" REF="32">their Lands are a &s;ub&s;tance not to be car|ried away in a night. <HI>Lydiana</HI>'s great Ri|ches, and the hopes of tho&s;e great Inheri|tances like to fall to her, gain'd her an in|credible number of Suiters of all Qualities, among whom <HI>Celiante</HI> appeared not the lea&s;t pa&s;&s;ionate. Since &s;he was not fair, and had the wit to know &s;he was not &s;o, &s;he re&s;olved to di&s;po&s;e her heart to him who mixed the lea&s;t Intere&s;t and hopes of Gain with his Love. This was a hard thing to find out. Men know &s;o well how to di&s;&s;emble; and when there is Intere&s;t in the ca&s;e, there are few but find pre&s;ently the way to become <HI>Hypocrites. Lydiana</HI> after having the be&s;t &s;he could examined them all, and tried them by a thou&s;and cun|ning practices, believed <HI>Celiantes</HI> the ho|ne&s;te&s;t man of them all; and judging him the mo&s;t upright and lea&s;t covetous, thought &s;he ought to di&s;po&s;e of her heart to him: He perceived her inclination to|wards him, which made him pre&s;s forward his love the more, and he &s;oon obtained what he wi&s;hed; there can little re&s;i&s;tance be found after &s;uch Re&s;olutions as <HI>Lydia|na</HI>'s. The Intelligence formed between
<PB N="39" REF="32">them was &s;oon found out by the re&s;t of the Suitors of this Ingenious Lady, and her Relations were not long ignorant of it. The Choice of <HI>Lydiana</HI>'s Heart agreed not with Theirs, they had not taken &s;uch precaution in making it as &s;he had done, but the riche&s;t &s;eemed to them mo&s;t worthy to have her. I will not relate to you the cro&s;&s;es the&s;e Lovers met with, nor what <HI>Lydiana</HI> &s;uffered between Love and her Friends; few Amorous Hi&s;tories but will &s;upply you with &s;uch Traver&s;es. I will be &s;atisfied to tell you, that after many Di&s;|putes the prudent <HI>Lydiana</HI> knew &s;o well how to manage things with her Relations, that &s;oon after they not onely yielded &s;he &s;hould not marry whom they had fir&s;t pitched upon, but likewi&s;e con&s;ented &s;he &s;hould e&s;pou&s;e <HI>Celiantes.</HI> Nothing could be more happy than the fir&s;t years of their Marriage, they loved like Lovers; nor was there ever &s;een a more perfect Union, which might happily have endured longer, if the Eyes of the young <HI>Eli&s;a</HI> had not come to di&s;turb their Content and Quiet. Never was there Woman more &s;ubtile, nor practi|&s;ed more Arts and Devices to plea&s;e. She
<PB N="40" REF="33">plea&s;ed indeed <HI>Celiantes</HI> unhappily for him, and knew how to allure him with &s;o much Cunning and Artifice, that he lo&s;t by lit|tle and little all the love he had for his wife, he pre&s;ently forgot his good Humour and Complai&s;ance towards her, from thence pa&s;&s;ed to Indifference, and his Indifference &s;oon turned to Neglect. Neither did mi&s;|chiefs &s;top here, but as the&s;e Mi&s;&s;es are not content with mens hearts, but onely &s;ub|ject them to draw in &s;omewhat el&s;e; <HI>Celi|antes</HI> found him&s;elf in&s;en&s;ibly engaged to make every day new Pre&s;ents to <HI>Eli&s;a,</HI> and that cunning Whore had &s;uch &s;ly contri|vances to bring occa&s;ions about, that they &s;eemed as it were to pre&s;ent them&s;elves. You may ea&s;ily gue&s;s <HI>Lydiana</HI> bore not ve|ry patiently both the lo&s;s of <HI>Celiantes</HI> heart, and the con&s;umption of their E&s;tate. There were many &s;torms about it, that made a thundring noi&s;e, but <HI>Lydiana</HI> loving her Husband pa&s;&s;ionately, &s;till appea&s;ed all the&s;e vehemencies by a compliant &s;ubmi&s;&s;i|on. Till in the end things grew to that height of di&s;tre&s;s, &s;he could no longer for|bear, but was forced loudly to complain; for blows and ill u&s;age followed his Indiffe|rence,
<PB N="41" REF="33">Neglect, and wa&s;te of E&s;tate. The Clamour <HI>Lydiana</HI> made, gladded in&s;tead of afflicting <HI>Celiantes,</HI> he took thence occa|&s;ion to leave his Wife, and to go live with his Mi&s;s. <HI>Lydiana,</HI> who now began to believe &s;he had not &s;o much love as former|ly for her Husband, becau&s;e &s;he had no rea&s;on to love him, was not &s;en&s;ible at once of all her Grief, and all her Love. Nay, now &s;he began to think &s;he might come to hate him, becau&s;e &s;he found her heart endeavouring to entertain a hatred of him: Yet again &s;he would have &s;ome re|turns of kindne&s;s which made her endure all the mo&s;t violent Torments of Jealou&s;ie, which at la&s;t threw her into &s;o furious a de|&s;pair, that at length &s;he determined to ex|ecute what I am about to tell you. She feigned her &s;elf &s;ick, and that &s;he daily grew wor&s;e and wor&s;e, having corrupted a Doctor to aver the &s;ame thing. She de&s;i|red then to &s;ee her Husband, as being un|willing to die till &s;he were reconciled with him. He was &s;ent for in ha&s;te to the Countrey, where he lived with <HI>Eli&s;a:</HI> His Intere&s;t made him come with all &s;peed and diligence, for he had yet &s;ome con&s;idera|ble
<PB N="42" REF="34">things to hope from his Wife, if he made his peace with her before &s;he died. He was no &s;ooner arrived, but he begg'd her pardon, which &s;he as &s;oon granted him, at lea&s;t in appearence; and they &s;eemed the be&s;t agreed people in the World. After the &s;econd day &s;he de&s;ired he would lie in her Chamber, and not at all leave her, he yielded to her reque&s;t, and a Bed was &s;et up for him near to hers. Short time after, &s;he declared her &s;elf &s;omewhat bet|ter, and that there was no nece&s;&s;ity for any other than her Husband to lie in the room, 'twas thought &s;he had &s;omething in private to &s;ay to him; &s;o at la&s;t they con&s;ented, though with &s;ome oppo&s;ition, for fear &s;he might be taken ill in the night. She &s;eem|ed extreamly kind that evening to her Husband; but when he was fa&s;t a&s;leep, &s;he ri&s;es and hides the Key of the Door, then places &s;ome Faggots in the middle of the Chamber with the Tables and Chairs, and &s;o &s;ets fire to it in many places, and to the Matre&s;&s;es of the two Beds. There was al|ready a great flame, when <HI>Celiantes</HI> awoke: he would have run &s;traight to the door, but the &s;moke and fire hindred his finding it;
<PB N="43" REF="34">and if he had found it, it had been to &s;mall purpo&s;e. <HI>You mu&s;t die,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Lydiana,</HI> &s;top|ping him by the Arm; <HI>and though thou woulde&s;t not live with me, I will let thee &s;ee I have love enough for thee to die with thee.</HI> She added &s;omewhat el&s;e, and he an&s;wered her; but tho&s;e who came to help them could neither hear what it was, nor prevent the fires con&s;uming both of them. <HI>Eli&s;a</HI> was &s;o penitent for having been the cau&s;e of &s;o cruel an accident, that &s;he went into a Nunnery, but all her penitence for her Crimes will not re&s;tore Life to the&s;e two unfortunate Per&s;ons, whom Love has made peri&s;h in flames much fiercer than his own.</P>
<P>There is nothing talked of here but plea|&s;ure and diverti&s;ements, nor were ever Balls or Mu&s;ick &s;o much in the mode. The Com|medians have lately acted here a piece &s;tuffed full of them, which is intituled <HI>The Marriage of Bacchus and Ariana;</HI> the Songs took mightily, the Airs being compo&s;ed by the famous <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Moliere,</HI> who&s;e abili|ties are every where known, and who has been for many years imployed to compo&s;e
<PB N="44" REF="35">the Aires for the Kings Balads. He is the Author of <HI>The loves of the Sun,</HI> which got &s;o much fame the year la&s;t pa&s;t, and which this pre&s;ent Winter has been the bu&s;ine&s;s of the Theatre; for almo&s;t two Months I will &s;ay no more of his works; he is too much my friend, and therefore the prai&s;es I give him, may perhaps be &s;u&s;pe|cted.</P>
<P>After having undergone the troubles of a long Voyage, and &s;uffered all tho&s;e inconveniencies which the Sea oppre&s;&s;es them with, who&s;e tempers cannot away with it; <HI>Mon&s;ieur Curtin</HI> is at la&s;t happily arrived in <HI>Sweden.</HI> Though he be yet but young, he manages all tru&s;ts impo&s;ed on him with the prudence and di&s;cretion of the mo&s;t ancient men, and that have been the longe&s;t ver&s;t in imployes. And we mu&s;t needs believe his merits to be great, if we judge of them by the many Services, wherein the King has made u&s;e of him.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Duke <HI>D'E&s;trees,</HI> as intelli|gent in Affairs of Coun&s;el, as of War, parted &s;ome dayes &s;ince extraordinary Emba&s;&s;ador for <HI>Rome;</HI> he is Son to the
<PB N="45" REF="35">late <HI>Mar&s;hal D'E&s;trees,</HI> &s;o famous for the War of the Princes of <HI>Italy,</HI> which his di&s;contents conceived again&s;t the Court of <HI>Rome</HI> made him &s;tir up, and who in ma|ny other Emba&s;&s;es had favourable &s;uc|ce&s;&s;es.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>Jan.</HI> 16. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="46" REF="36">
<HEAD>Letter IV.</HEAD>
<P>THough there be nothing more ordina|ry then Compliment, nothing for the mo&s;t part is more trouble&s;ome and u&s;ele&s;s. I therefore intreat you Madam to excu&s;e them at the front of my Letters, and that I may immediately fall to the Story I in|tend to relate, and take now one, which I'le a&s;&s;ure you is very new.</P>
<P>One of tho&s;e young people, who pretend to know all things, and yet do no|thing, of tho&s;e able Coxcombs who &s;pend mo&s;t part of their lives in waiting for im|ployes, having devoured all his income, which was not much, flattering him&s;elf &s;till with the hopes of a great fortune, at length finding him&s;elf &s;omewhat oppre&s;&s;ed for want of means, believed, that he might more commodiou&s;ly wait for an imploy|ment, to rai&s;e him to the heights he dream'd of, if he married, and eat up a Wives fortune, as he had done his own.
<PB N="47" REF="36">His pretended endowments &s;oon made him find out a woman, and the mighty things he boa&s;ted him&s;elf capable of, made it be thought, that if he could but one day get the lea&s;t imploy in the Trea&s;ury, he might in a little time gain two or three Millions of E&s;tate. He wanted not fa|mous examples of his prodigious fortunes, to authorize his great hopes, and he made it evident, that all tho&s;e who had gained &s;uch great fortunes, were but A&s;les and Fops in Compari&s;on of him. The Pa|rents of her he de&s;ired to marry, &s;wallowed this Gudgeon, and believed, that if one day he came into the management of bu&s;i|ne&s;s, he might give Commi&s;&s;ions to all their Family, and one of the&s;e Gen|tlemen fully relyed upon it, for three or four of his Children. And as many Ne|phews. There was likewi&s;e one of the riche&s;t among&s;t them, who being to give &s;ome recompence to a &s;ervant had waited on him for ten years, opened his Pur&s;e-&s;trings, which he had already untyed, and promi&s;ed him a Commi&s;&s;ion of a hundred Crowns Rent. The man accepted the Bargain, and fancyed to him&s;elf, that
<PB N="48" REF="37">after that Commi&s;&s;ion, he &s;hould get ano|ther; that &s;oon after he &s;hould have his Coach, and po&s;&s;ibly in a little more time might buy &s;ome Marqui&s;ate; nay, he did not de&s;pair, but it might come to a Dutchy; upon the&s;e &s;plendid hopes of the whole family of the future Spou&s;e, all who&s;e Relations had their heads filled with Chimera's, the Marriage was agreed upon, celebrated and con&s;ummated all at once; &s;o earne&s;t were the&s;e imagining peo|ple at it, and &s;o fearful lea&s;t the main En|gine of &s;uch great fortunes &s;hould e&s;cape them, and their Family. There was no|thing but Fea&s;ts and Rejoycings &s;ucceeded the Marriage, at which nothing was talk|ed of, but the future greatne&s;s of the new Husband, two or three Months pa&s;&s;ed in this manner, and no imployments came to &s;upply the expence. The Relations of the Wife be&s;tirred them&s;elves mightily to get one for their new Kin&s;man; they im|ployed their Friends, but with all their &s;o|licitations they could get only a Serving-man; which he refu&s;ed with much di&s;|dain, in the mean time the Portion he got with his wife wa&s;ted, and he became al|mo&s;t
<PB N="49" REF="37">as beggerly as before; and now his vexation was the more, becau&s;e he had now a Wife to maintain, who&s;e humour is a little whori&s;h, and who loved to live high. The Gallants came, and it being now much to the purpo&s;e, were well re|ceived not by the Husband; for he was na|turally jealous; but they told him, That tho&s;e that came thither were per&s;ons of quality, and who might help him to an imployment. Being in the&s;e &s;traits he was forced to make a virtue of nece&s;&s;ity; having hopes to get a Commi&s;&s;ion by their means; but though all the&s;e rea&s;ons made him &s;uffer their coming thither, he could not do it but with much perplexity, and his continual pre&s;ence, growing trouble&s;ome to them, there was one, who to get rid of him, gave him an imployment in the Countrey. He was dubious at fir&s;t whe|ther he &s;hould accept it, not being willing to go from his Wife; but in the end he was per&s;waded to part, the imployment being con&s;iderable. They told him, For|tune offered not her &s;elf every day, and that who once let her e&s;cape, did not ea&s;i|ly find her again. To it then he goes, but
<PB N="50" REF="38">with much reluctancy; &s;o much he feared his Wives growing more whori&s;h in his ab&s;ence; he was not deceived in it, and had notice of it by one of tho&s;e imperti|nent friends, who giving advice to Hu&s;|bands of what their Wives do, wrong them more then their Wives them&s;elves, though all they &s;ay of them be true. This poor Husband endured much &s;orrow, with vexing that his Wife enjoyed more plea&s;ure then he; he was many times about to quit his imployment, and come to be her Goa|ler; but having no rea&s;onable pretence, he &s;aw well that his return would be to no other purpo&s;e then to make his misfortunes more publick. This made him change his determinations, but as a jealous man continually meditating, it came one day into his head, to find out a way that his Wife &s;hould no longer be &s;o fair, belie|ving that with her beauty &s;he would loo&s;e many of her lovers; and this was the Stra|tagem he concluded of, he &s;ent her a Packet by the Po&s;t, into which he made up a very fine Box of Gold. This Box was filled with Gunpowder, and &s;o order|ed, that when the Scrue was opened it
<PB N="51" REF="38">&s;hould take fire by means of a Stone pla|placed to that purpo&s;e. This pre&s;ent was delivered &s;afe to the party to whom it was de&s;igned; but it was given to her in his pre&s;ence from whom her Husband held his Commi&s;&s;ion, he thought it a Picture &s;ent from &s;ome other Lover, and earne&s;tly &s;natches the Box, but his Jealous Curio&s;ity was &s;oon puni&s;hed, for in opening it, it wrought the &s;ame effect on him the Hu&s;|band de&s;ign'd it &s;hould have done on his Wife. This Adventure became a Town-talk. The Gallant believing the Hu&s;|band had &s;ent the Box, and &s;oon after took away his Commi&s;&s;ion, on a fal&s;e pretence of ill management. He returned to his Wife, where he and the whole Family are expecting new Commi&s;&s;ions, which may one day put them in a condition to &s;a|tisfie their mighty hopes.</P>
<P>Moun&s;ieur the <HI>Marqui&s;s de Villars</HI> has made his Publick Entry into <HI>Madrid</HI> with a great deal of Magnificence: You know he is a very comely Gentleman, excellently humoured, and of a tried Valour; and the choice made of him to be Amba&s;&s;adour in
<PB N="52" REF="39"><HI>Spain,</HI> where &s;uch delicacy of Judgment is required, is a certain evidence of his Abi|lities.</P>
<P><HI>Moun&s;ieur de Pompone</HI> is lately returned from <HI>Sweden,</HI> and has already taken his Oath as Secretary of State: His Worth is known to all the World, &s;ince 'tis that has rai&s;ed him to this Dignity. There is no per&s;on but is per&s;waded he will behave him&s;elf worthy of the Choice made of him by the Greate&s;t and Wi&s;e&s;t King of the World; and great things are expected from him. He writes with more &s;pirit and life than can be ob&s;erved in any of the mo&s;t &s;tudied Letters of our Academians.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="53" REF="39">
<HEAD>Letter V.</HEAD>
<P>_SInce I have told you in my la&s;t I would u&s;e no more Complements, but begin all my Letters with the Stories I in|tend to relate; I will keep my word with you, and begin.</P>
<P>An old covetous Fellow, who had yet no Children, and who was de&s;perate fear|ful of any expence, was almo&s;t ready to run mad, when his Wife told him &s;he be|lieved &s;he had conceived; he began to ca&s;t up in his Brain all that a Child would co&s;t him, till it came to be thirty years of Age, and framed &s;o exact an accompt of it, that he reckoned likewi&s;e the food they
<PB N="54" REF="40">took in their Mothers Bellies, alledging that Women with Child eat both for Them&s;elves and their Children: He ad|ded together all the&s;e &s;ums, and then ca&s;t up how much they would purcha&s;e, if he laid them out in Rents, and how much the Intere&s;t upon Intere&s;t would produce. He found the total to amount &s;o high, that he repented a thou&s;and and a thou&s;and times the day that ever he was married, and made a full re&s;olution never to attempt getting any more Children, deeming it a plea&s;ure unbecoming a di&s;creet and under|&s;tanding man. Whil&s;t he was making the&s;e Accounts and the&s;e Reflections, his Wife perceived certainly &s;he was with Child, and no more doubt to be made of it; &s;he told it to her griping Husband, who&s;e grief was twice as much as it had been before, and from that very minute he began &s;everal Retrenchments in his Hou&s;e, that his Thrift might help bear the charges of the coming Infant; but how gripple &s;oever he were, he could &s;ave little this way, &s;ince rather than a &s;uperfluity, there was al|ready a want of many nece&s;&s;ary things. But if his torment were great, to &s;ee his Wife
<PB N="55" REF="40">with Child, it was doubled and redoubled, when about the &s;ixth month &s;he told him that &s;he believed &s;he was with Child with two, and that many knowing Women doubted it; he was then ready to hang him&s;elf; but one we call a Man-midwife, a Friend of his, eas'd him of this vexation, by a&s;&s;uring him the contrary. Soon after, &s;colding with his Wife, he told her 'twas convenient to con&s;ider which would co&s;t lea&s;t, to bring up a Boy or a Girl; and after having well examined the matter, and reckoned at their fingers ends the expence of one and the other, they found that a Boy would co&s;t lea&s;t, becau&s;e he might make his own fortune; but the Father and the Mother mu&s;t make out the Girles, by providing her a portion. I will have you then &s;aid the Husband bring me a Boy. That is neirher in your power nor mine, reply'd the Wife. It &s;hall be as I tell you, replyed the Husband. It may be &s;o, in|deed, an&s;wered the Wife, if Nature has thought good to make one. Let Nature have made one or no, cry'd the old Wreth in wrath, I &s;ay you &s;hall be brought to Bed of a Boy, or at lea&s;t the Child you bring
<PB N="56" REF="41">forth &s;hall appear to the eyes of the world whatever I will have it to be: for if you be brought to bed of a Girl, we will &s;ay 'tis a Boy, and bring it up under that habit. The Woman was forced to con&s;ent, and all the re&s;t of her time they fortified them|&s;elves in this Re&s;olution. Her hour being come, &s;he was brought to bed of a Girl, and to make it be believed a Boy, they took tho&s;e cour&s;es they had before contrived. All that &s;aw it were deceived, and when it grew in years many young Maids fell in love with it. This young Beauty being ill treated by her Father, and wor&s;e fed, re|&s;olved to leave the Covetous Mi&s;er, and as &s;oon as &s;he found her &s;elf able to carry a Mu&s;quet, enli&s;ted her &s;elf and came to the Army, where in the fir&s;t Field &s;he made her &s;elf be taken notice of. All that &s;aw her, took a liking to her, they could give no rea|&s;on for, and &s;he had a kind of mode&s;t and obliging carriage, which hindred tho&s;e who were Enemies to Worth in all others, from envying her. She was always very reti|red; and though &s;he knew not her &s;elf what &s;he was, &s;he lived as if &s;he de&s;igned a concealment; and it &s;ucceeded &s;o happi|ly,
<PB N="57" REF="41">that never any &s;u&s;pected it. She was not yet grown to all the marks nece&s;&s;ary to di&s;tingui&s;h her: for though &s;he was pretty large, &s;he was very young, and had &s;trength enough to undergo the toyls of War. In the fir&s;t Garri&s;on where &s;he quartered, her Landlords Daughter fell de&s;perately in love with her, and fearing her &s;elf to be already with Child by a Lover that was lately dead, and willing to hide her &s;hame by clapping up a Match with this Object of her New Love, &s;he omit|ted nothing might gain his good Will, doing a thou&s;and obliging things for this fair Souldier, to bring her de&s;ign to effect: &s;he followed him every where, gave him meetings in an hundred different places, that all the World might take notice of her love, and &s;peak of it to her Father. Her plot took, for tho&s;e who &s;poke of it told him, That after &s;o much talk of this her Pa&s;&s;ion, he would never find any one would marry her, and therefore to &s;alve his Reputation, he mu&s;t of force give her to him &s;he loved &s;o fervently. The Good Man was of their opinion, and after having a little chid his Daugh|ter,
<PB N="58" REF="42">and given her &s;ome good Le&s;&s;ons, he talked with her about marrying the young Souldier quartered with him. It is to be ob&s;erved that this Di&s;gui&s;ed Maid pa&s;&s;ed for a young Lad of a good Family, and pretty rich, who was come to the Army without his Friends Con|&s;ent; and this was the chief Motive to make mine Ho&s;t re&s;olve to give him his Daughter. I will not trouble you with all that pa&s;&s;ed till the wedding-day, but onely bring this new-married Couple to Bed: There 'tis I believe you expect them. The Bride's heart went pit-a-pat out of fear her Husband &s;hould di&s;|cover another had reap'd tho&s;e Favours &s;hould have been re&s;erved for him: But that fear &s;oon vani&s;hed, when &s;he percei|ved too clearly that he was in a Condi|tion to examine nothing; thus from one danger &s;he apprehended, &s;he fell into a wor&s;e, from which &s;he would &s;oon have with-drawn her &s;elf, if &s;he had not been with Child, by di&s;covering all. But however, &s;he did nothing; and was &s;o long con|&s;ulting with her &s;elf what to do, that her Great Belly appeared; and now &s;he
<PB N="59" REF="42">thought it too late to &s;peak: But un|happily for her, as &s;he was in her Ninth Moneth, and a bed with her pretended Husband, one of her Kin&s;women came into the Chamber while they were a&s;leep, and putting her hand on the bed to wake her Cou&s;in, who &s;tirr'd not at the noi&s;e &s;he made coming in, &s;he met with the Bre&s;ts of the Maiden Husband, which lay uncovered, and pre&s;ently it was known &s;he was a Woman, for the Kin&s;womans a&s;toni&s;hment was &s;o great, that &s;he cried our aloud what &s;he had di&s;covered. This is the original of that Adventure has been of late &s;o much talked of, and which has made &s;o many ignorant people publi&s;h, That one Maid got another with Child.</P>
<P><HI>Moun&s;ieur</HI> the Chancellour finding him|&s;elf much afflicted with his Di&s;temper, has ordered his Children to return the Seals into his Maje&s;ties hands, fearing le&s;t his Malady &s;hould hinder him from &s;erving him with the &s;ame application he had done for this thirty nine years, in which he had officiated in this important Charge. Moun&s;ieur the Duke of <HI>Coa&s;lin</HI> carried
<PB N="60" REF="43">word of it, and did it in a way very &s;atis|factory to his Maje&s;ty. I know not, <HI>Ma|dam,</HI> whether you have ever under&s;tood all the Worth of that Duke; his Valour is well known, and he e&s;teemed one of the be&s;t men in the world, and the mo&s;t offici|ous Friend, earne&s;t to do kindne&s;&s;es, and joyful when he has done them. As for his internal parts, the place he has in the Academy is a &s;ufficient Te&s;timony of them.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>30 <HI>January</HI> 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="61" REF="43">
<HEAD>Letter VI.</HEAD>
<P>_I Am very doubtful Ma|dam whether this Let|ter will have the good fortune to plea&s;e you. and I have a great deal of rea&s;on to doubt it, &s;ince in&s;tead of finding as in the precedent, &s;ome divertizing Sto|ry, you will under&s;tand that &s;uch is my grief for the death of the good Chancellor, that I am not in a condition to relate Adven|tures. That great Chancellor is now no more, nor had death &s;o long &s;pared him, but to make <HI>France</HI> more &s;en&s;ible of his lo&s;s. He was a man of eminent know|ledge, of admirable eloquence, and a Prudence often put to the te&s;t in the Coun|&s;els
<PB N="62" REF="44">of two of the greate&s;t Kings in the world he was a great Benefa|ctor to learning, the Protector of all knowing men, and for a Crown to all his glories, he was the &s;tronge&s;t prop and buttre&s;s of the Church that any age has known. Nor do I &s;ay this but upon the credit of many Prelates, who publi&s;h it as a truth. Never did man better under|&s;tand the Ju&s;tice, Ordinances and Laws of the Kingdom, nor appeared more to value able men of whatever profe&s;&s;ion. He &s;ought with much labour and diligence to under&s;tand what belonged to his em|ployment, or to tho&s;e Coun&s;els he was obliged to give in affairs of State, often acknowledging the &s;earch he had made of per&s;ons who might give him the lea&s;t light, though he had much more under&s;tanding then tho&s;e he con&s;ulted with.</P>
<P>But if death hath ravi&s;hed from us one great Mini&s;ter. The King has made ano|ther by giving <HI>Moun&s;ier de Louvoy</HI> the qua|lity of Mini&s;ter of State, he ows this ad|vancement only to his worth; for it is ap|parent, that his vigilance, exactne&s;s and good conduct in all things depending on
<PB N="63" REF="44">his mini&s;try, have made his Maje&s;ty di&s;|cern in him the mo&s;t accompli&s;hed poli|cies, which obliged him to make choi&s;e of him to a&s;&s;i&s;t in all Coun&s;els in the quali|ty of Mini&s;ter of State. Though he be yet very young, there &s;hines in him all the prudence and &s;agacity of a Coun&s;ellor grown gray in affairs. All his actions are beautified with an incorruptible fidelity, and an exemplary &s;trictne&s;s, which may be ob&s;erved in his &s;eventy towards his de|pendants, when they at any time faulter in their duty, he is always ready to ap|plaud and recompence good &s;ervice, but he is inexorable when men &s;tray from their duty. The choice he makes of tho&s;e he puts into imployments under him, ju&s;tifies the good choi&s;e the King made when he left things to hir di&s;po&s;e, and daily intru&s;ts him with affairs of mo&s;t concern both to the publick, and to his own particular glory.</P>
<P>Death the day before ye&s;terday &s;natcht from us Madam the Prince&s;s of <HI>Conty,</HI> &s;he was as you very well know daughter of Count <HI>Martinozzi,</HI> and of a Si&s;ter of the late Cardinal <HI>Mazarine.</HI> Though nature
<PB N="64" REF="45">had given her a great portion of beauty, her devotion made her neglect it, &s;he lived with <HI>Moun&s;ier</HI> the Prince of <HI>Conty</HI> with that re&s;pect made her reguarded with much kindne&s;s and con&s;ideration. Her great piety none are ignorant of, and her plenti|ful Almes could not be hid from the world. Her care in bringing up her Children was worthy &s;o great a Prince&s;s, and the fruits of her endeavours may be &s;een in tho&s;e little Princes, in whom may be ob&s;erved qualities above the u&s;ual reach of &s;uch ten|der &s;pirits.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>February</HI> 6. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="65" REF="45">
<HEAD>Letter VII.</HEAD>
<P>_I Believe, Madam, fame has already given you an account, how &s;ince the death of the late Lord Chancellor, the King would him&s;elf take the Charge of Keeper of his Seals; but perhaps you have not yet heard, that the fir&s;t day he took that care upon him, he imployed him&s;elf at it for near &s;even hours, and yet that hindred him not from holding the &s;ame day two Coun&s;els of more then three hours and a halfe each. Never was Prince heard of, that took &s;o much pains, or la|boured &s;o hard for the good of his Sub|jects, his Maje&s;ty has &s;ince named to have
<PB N="66" REF="46">care of the Seal with deliberative voice, &s;ix ordinary Coun&s;ellors of &s;tate, who are the <HI>Me&s;ieurs D' Aligre, de Seve, Poncet, Boucherat, Pu&s;&s;ort,</HI> and <HI>Voi&s;in;</HI> he has no|minated likewi&s;e fix Ma&s;ters of Reque&s;ts, which are the <HI>Me&s;sieurs Barretin le Boulan|ger de Haqueville, le Pelletier, de Faucon, de Lamoignon,</HI> and <HI>Pelli&s;on.</HI> The Kings prudence may be judged of by the merit of tho&s;e he has named.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur D' Aligre</HI> is of Sixty Nine years of Age, and Son of a Chancellor, he has been Fifty years in the Coun&s;el, has pa&s;&s;ed through all Charges, and been a long time Director of the Finances; his hone&s;ty and uprightne&s;s are known and e&s;teemed by all the world.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Seve</HI> has been Secretary of the Clo&s;et, Ma&s;ter of Reque&s;ts, and &s;ince Provo&s;t of the Merchants; he is at this pre&s;ent one of the Elde&s;t Councellors of State, and has ever been one of the mo&s;t zealout Servants of his King.</P>
<PB N="67" REF="46">
<P>The many different Charges under|gone by <HI>Mon&s;ieur Poncet,</HI> have got him a great fame, and made his merits be ac|knowledged.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Boucherat</HI> is well known by the great imployments he has had, and the many important Commi&s;&s;ions he has always di&s;charged to his Maje&s;ties content, particularly in <HI>Britany,</HI> where he has been often Commi&s;&s;ioner of the States for the King, he is a man of great Learn|ing.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Pu&s;&s;ort</HI> is e&s;temable for many things, and particularly for the invention of new Laws and Ordinances, which may deliver the <HI>French</HI> from oppre&s;&s;ion,</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Voi&s;in</HI> has Signalized him|&s;elf in many occa&s;ions, re&s;pecting his Mini&s;try, he has been Provo&s;t of the Merchants, where he de&s;erved the place of Ordinary of the Coun&s;el, with which he was honoured.</P>
<PB N="68" REF="47">
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Barretin</HI> is &s;ometime &s;ince re|turned from the Super-intendence of <HI>Poictou</HI> he is Ma&s;ter of the Reque&s;ts, and Pre&s;i|dent of the great Coun&s;el, I know, <HI>Ma|dam,</HI> you are &s;en&s;ible of his worth, and therefore &s;hall &s;ay no more of it.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur le Boulange de Haqueville</HI> is a man who&s;e uprightne&s;s is well known in the Council, he has a great deal of wit, and makes him&s;elf be di&s;tingui&s;hed by a particular way of reporting affairs.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur le Pelletier de la Hou&s;&s;aye</HI> is fear|le&s;s, a good Judge, and who knows how to value a good Cau&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Lamoignon</HI> is Son to <HI>Mon|&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>premier</HI> Pre&s;ident. The great worth of his Father, and the care he had of his Childrens Education, would &s;uffici|ently of them&s;elves &s;peak advantagiou&s;ly of him, if he had not of him&s;elf given par|ticular Evidences of his merit. He has Signalized him&s;elf in the Parliament, and continues to do &s;o every day in the Coun|cil, thereupon his Maje&s;ty has cho&s;en him an A&s;&s;i&s;tant of the Seal.</P>
<PB N="69" REF="47">
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Pelli&s;&s;on</HI> is known by all the world, his judgment and his uprightne&s;s are indi&s;putable, and though he had eve|ry where left Evidences of them, the Fa|vours he continually is receiving from the King, would be an a&s;&s;ured Te&s;timony for him.</P>
<P>The Young <HI>Marchione&s;&s;e,</HI> whom you know very well, who began to play &s;o well on the Lute, is fallen into de&s;pair &s;ome dayes &s;ince. <HI>Mon&s;ieur Gaultier,</HI> who taught her, had a&s;&s;ured her &s;he &s;hould in a little time play as well as Madam <HI>Moi|&s;elle de Lenclos.</HI> 'Twas a bold word that; but he was one might give deci&s;ions in tho&s;e &s;ort of Affairs. Tho&s;e were the la&s;t words that great Ma&s;ter &s;poke about play|ing on the Lute; For at his going from this young <HI>Marchione&s;&s;e,</HI> he fell &s;ick of a di&s;temper, which he is &s;ince dead of. She no &s;ooner heard the News; but re|&s;olving her Lute &s;hould not &s;urvive &s;o great a Ma&s;ter, &s;he broke it all in pieces, and has determined never to play more. I will not di&s;cant on this action, but leave you to judge of it. But if the death of
<PB N="70" REF="48"><HI>Mon&s;ieur Gualtier</HI> hinders her from ever playing on the Lute, &s;o well as <HI>Madam de Lenclos,</HI> &s;he may yet endeavour to re&s;emble her in her wit and judgment, with which you know that excellent per&s;on is infinite|ly well &s;tored.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>February</HI> 13, 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="71" REF="48">
<HEAD>Letter VIII.</HEAD>
<P>_I Cannot tell, <HI>Madam,</HI> whe|ther you may have yet heard of any Adventure happened &s;ometime &s;ince in this City, and which has been occa&s;ion of much plea|&s;ant di&s;cour&s;e this Carnaval in all the Balls at <HI>Paris.</HI></P>
<P>A young married man, being one after|noon with &s;ome of his Friends, told them, that that Evening he had a Meeting at his hou&s;e, and that he gave a Ball to a Si&s;ter of his Wives, that &s;ojourned with her. One of the mo&s;t plea&s;ant fellows of the Company per&s;waded to go in Ma&s;quarade, and told the young married man, His
<PB N="72" REF="49">plea&s;ure would be much the greater, if he came along with them in a di&s;gui&s;e. He con&s;ented, and they pre&s;ently &s;ent for Habits of Ma&s;querade. The Hour of the Ball being come, they all went thither, and their Gentee carriage made many Conque&s;ts. The young Hu&s;band made one, which in the end plea&s;ed him not at all; for his Wife fell in love with him without knowing him, &s;he &s;taid not long before &s;he gave him &s;igns of it, tenderly &s;weezing his hand, and he an|&s;wered his kindne&s;s in the mo&s;t loving man|ner he could; for the Adventure had a little Chilled his Blood, and never was man &s;o vexed to be taken for another; yet he was re&s;olved to &s;ee how far the bu&s;ine&s;s would go; but he found all things &s;o well di&s;po&s;ed, that it was no mighty task to make him&s;elf happy. I mean hap|py in quality of Gallant, for he was not &s;o as Husband. His wife, who had doubt|le&s;s heard &s;ome good Go&s;&s;ips &s;ay, That a favourable occa&s;ion mu&s;t never be lo&s;t; For it is a hard matter to find again tho&s;e we let &s;cape, thought be&s;t to make u&s;e of
<PB N="73" REF="49">this opportunity which the Ball pre&s;ent|ed; and &s;ince the confu&s;ion of &s;o many people as were there gave her the means of &s;tealing &s;afely from them, without being perceived; &s;he thought it a duty to love, and nature to &s;lip &agrave;&s;ide with her new Gallant, and 'twas no &s;ooner thought then done. She led him up a private pair of Stairs into a Chamber, where they could not be &s;urprized. I will not tell you all that pa&s;&s;ed there; but the Lady was very well con|tented; yet it &s;omewhat troubled her, that he would not &s;peak to her, and that for fear to be known he had put out the light before he unmatched him&s;elf. She asked him many times the rea&s;on of it. He would not then an&s;wer her; but as &s;oon as he had proceeded far enough to convince her of di&s;loyalty, he broke &s;ilence, and began to reproch her with her fal&s;ene&s;s. She was &s;o much the more bold to an&s;wer him, becau&s;e there was no light to di&s;cover any change of Countenance, and having there|by time to recover from any &s;urprize. She told him &s;he knew him as &s;oon as he came into the hou&s;e, and that &s;he only contrived
<PB N="74" REF="50">this to laugh a little with him: He was not at all &s;atisfied with the&s;e, but would, and will pa&s;s for what other men are &s;o a|fraid of being accounted; and though it were done by him&s;elf, yet he believed him&s;elf as &s;ub&s;tantial a Cuckold as any man in the world could make him. He would never &s;ee his Wife from that time, and de&s;igns to &s;ue out a &s;eparation from her. I leave you to judge whether he or I have rea&s;on; and pa&s;s to other News.</P>
<P>The King willing to acknowledge the merits of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Pauchau,</HI> and recom|pence his &s;ervices, gave him &s;ome days pa&s;t a Commi&s;&s;ion to be one of the Ma&s;ters of acccounts, and joyned a con&s;iderable &s;um to that gift; his Maje&s;ty likewi&s;e let him know, that he &s;hould attend to the &s;ame &s;ervices under <HI>Mon&s;ieur Pompone,</HI> he had formerly done under <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Lyon.</HI></P>
<PB N="75" REF="50">
<P>The <HI>Me&s;sieurs de Vendo&s;me</HI> are late|ly returned from <HI>Italy,</HI> where they have gained repute in all places where they have pa&s;&s;ed. The vivacity of their Spirits is a thing incredible, and and they compo&s;e Ver&s;es with &s;o much &s;moothne&s;s, as would make great Au|thors jealous if their quality would ad|mit them to do it often. <HI>Mon&s;ieur the Cardinal Patron,</HI> cau&s;ed to be &s;et up for them the repre&s;entation of an <HI>Opera,</HI> to give them &s;ome diverti&s;e|ment. Judge by that, Madam, what con&s;iderable things the&s;e <HI>Opera</HI>'s are, when per&s;ons of &s;uch high quality are concerned in them, and honour them with their pre&s;ence.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Camus</HI> has be&s;towed on him by the King the Charge of <HI>Pre|mier</HI> Pre&s;ident of the Court of Aydes, his merit mu&s;t needs be extraordina|ry, &s;ince he was preferred before &s;o many de&s;erving per&s;ons, and who had the &s;ame preten&s;ions. It is he, who
<PB N="76" REF="51">was formerly Proctor General of the &s;ame Chamber.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>February</HI> 20, 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="77" REF="51">
<HEAD>Letter IX.</HEAD>
<SALUTE>_MAdam,</SALUTE>
<P> I am afraid that at opening this Letter, finding it &s;o &s;hort you will think me Idle: but pray con&s;ider that I can|not be &s;o in any thing relates to you, but throw all the fault on this Weeks bar|renne&s;s of News.</P>
<P><HI>Moun&s;ieur De&s;pincha</HI> Marqui&s;s of <HI>Ternes,</HI> of one of the be&s;t Families of <HI>Auvergne,</HI> Lieutenant General of the Kings Naval Forces and Galleys of <HI>France,</HI> and who had &s;erved under three Kings with much Zeal, Fidelity, and Glory, dy'd &s;ome days &s;ince: His long life may teach tho&s;e who are fear|ful of the Sea-Air, that one may live as long there as on Land.</P>
<PB N="78" REF="52">
<P><HI>Moun&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>Cavalier D' Arquien</HI> is re|ceived in rever&s;ion to the Charge of Cap|tain Colonel of one hundred <HI>Swi&s;&s;ers</HI> of the <HI>Gardes du Corps</HI> of <HI>Moun&s;ieur:</HI> He is remarkable for his plea&s;ant Countenance, and hand&s;ome Garb; which often &s;tretches to Magnificence. He holds one of the fir&s;t degrees among tho&s;e who are accoun|ted hand&s;ome men at Court.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>27. <HI>Febr.</HI> 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="79" REF="52">
<HEAD>Letter X.</HEAD>
<P>_I Expect one of my Friends to come and give me an ac|count of an Adventure new|ly happened, which I de&s;ign to communicate to you: But le&s;t the Po&s;t-hour &s;hould come too quick upon me, I hope Madam, you will pardon me, if at this time I begin my Letter with the Weeks News.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de la Mothe Houdancour</HI> died &s;ome days &s;ince at the age of four&s;core years, he had &s;ignaliz'd him&s;elf at the Siege of <HI>Rochel</HI> and at that of <HI>Montmelian.</HI> The &s;everal Employments and Govern|ments that he had, were the ju&s;te&s;t Evi|dences of his De&s;ervings.</P>
<PB N="80" REF="53">
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Tholou&s;e,</HI> Great Almoner to the Queen, and of one of the mo&s;t Illu|&s;trious Families of <HI>Tu&s;cany,</HI> and which has produced many Cardinals, after having been Emba&s;&s;adour for the King in <HI>Venice</HI> and <HI>Poland</HI> (where he de&s;erved the Nomi|nation of that Crown for a Cardinals Cap) and after Emba&s;&s;adour in <HI>Spain,</HI> and Pre&s;i|dent of the E&s;tates in <HI>Languedoc,</HI> where &s;erving the King very beneficially, he knew likewi&s;e how to plea&s;e and gain the love of all the Orders, is at length honour|ed with the Eminent Dignity of Cardinal, and his Holine&s;s preferred him before ma|ny others upon the Kings Recommenda|tion, who &s;trengthened the Nomination of <HI>Poland.</HI></P>
<P>I will make you no long di&s;cour&s;e of the death of <HI>Madam;</HI> you cannot but know it, and fame flies quick with mi&s;adventures that befal Crowned Heads. Yet it may be &s;he may not have told you that that young Prince&s;s knew the King even in the greate&s;t di&s;traction of her di&s;temper, and even then when &s;he knew no other per&s;on. She was carried to S. <HI>Denis</HI> with all the Pomp due to her Quality, and <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI>
<PB N="81" REF="53">the Cardinal of <HI>Bovillon</HI> made an Oration which drew the admiration of all the A&s;|&s;embly; You know that he joyns to his Great Birth a Capacity above his Age, and a Prudence makes him be look'd on with wonder by all that know him.</P>
<P>The <HI>Ariana</HI> of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Corneille</HI> the younger, which has been &s;o long expected, appeared on the Stage on Fryday la&s;t; there was never any thing writ more feel|ingly; and that Prince&s;s expre&s;&s;es her &s;elf in Conceptions &s;o &s;oft and new, that it is not to be imagined any thing can be done better in that way: And to &s;ay all in a word, the Excellencies of <HI>Bajazet</HI> have not hindred it, Admirers to find &s;ome in this Piece, and to &s;ee it more than once.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>March</HI> 5. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="82" REF="54">
<HEAD>Letter XI.</HEAD>
<P>_I Believe, <HI>Madam,</HI> what I am about to write you of Mon&s;ieur <HI>Le</HI>&mdash; whom you know very well, and better perhaps than I do, will gain the Credit with you to be thought a plea&s;ant Adventure; and that the reading it will contribute no le&s;s to your adverti&s;e|ment, than that of the be&s;t contrived Sto|ry imaginable which is not &s;o true nor &s;o new. You know, Madam, that that &s;mall Friend of ours, (whom I will now call <HI>Cle|antes</HI>) could never be per&s;waded to declare his Choice either of the Church, the Long Robe, or the Sword: for &s;ometimes he
<PB N="83" REF="54">would by all means be an Abbot; and the next morning, quitting that Re&s;olution, he would needs be a Coun&s;ellour; and within a minute or two after, nothing would &s;erve his turn but to be a Souldier. His Relations and Friends having at la&s;t pre&s;&s;ed him to determine upon &s;omething, and having been &s;omewhat &s;evere upon him for his Irre&s;olution, he promi&s;ed them he would very &s;uddenly declare his Choice, and that on the morrow he would advi&s;e what cour&s;e was be&s;t. You will never, Ma|dam, be able to imagine of whom he took Coun&s;el, and what he did to put him&s;elf into a Condition to receive it. He bor|rowed a Sute of Arms, and all the Habili|ments of War: He &s;ent to a Coun&s;ellour who was a Friend of his, for a Lawyers Gown, and he intreated an Abbot that was of his Acquaintance to lend him onely for one Afternoon his Surplice and his Ro|chet. All this Harne&s;s he cau&s;ed to be carried into his Clo&s;et, where he had four great Looking-gla&s;&s;es. In &s;hort, being there alone, and having &s;hut to the Door, he armes him&s;elf Cap-a-pe, puts the pot upon his head, takes the Sword and Pi&s;tol
<PB N="84" REF="55">into his hand, con&s;ults his four Looking-gla&s;&s;es, &s;truts in a warlike manner half a dozen turns up and down his Clo&s;et, furi|ou&s;ly a&s;&s;ails the figures in the Tapi&s;try, and finds in him&s;elf Courage, Strength, and Re&s;olution enough to go to the Army. He therefore examines all the Advantages of that Profe&s;&s;ion, and the fortunes that he might ri&s;e to: Such and &s;uch, &s;aid he with|in him&s;elf, have had &s;uch Commands: Such have been made Mar&s;hals of <HI>France</HI> at &s;uch an Age; &s;uch have made their Acti|ons the talk of the World, and their names have &s;erved to lengthen out Gazetts, they are gazed at whereever they go, and mar|ked out with the finger for Brave Men; None dare &s;peak almo&s;t to them, but their Reputation makes them every where be dreaded. After having run over the&s;e fan|cies in his brain, he began to make reflexi|ons on the plea&s;ures he &s;hould enjoy upon his Return from a Campaign to appear with all the Equipage of a Marqui&s;s; for he concluded that gay and fine people made many more conque&s;ts than others: he be|lieved he &s;aw already a great Plume wag|ging in his Hat, and his Coat glittering all
<PB N="85" REF="55">over with Embroydery, that it out-vy'd the Sun, whereever he went; he fancied all Eyes followed him, and he could not doubt but his manly pre&s;ence &s;upported and &s;et off with this Equipage of a Mar|qui&s;s, and of a Marqui&s;s that was come from the Army, mu&s;t captive the &s;tubborne&s;t hearts, and make the Ladies fall flat before him. The&s;e magnanimous thoughts &s;tir|red up afre&s;h his Courage in the Clo&s;et, and he &s;ummoned all his Courage together, and redoubled his blows again&s;t a Squadron of Hor&s;e that was in the Tapi&s;try; But, O dire mi&s;chance! blinded with too furious a height of Courage, he unfortunately mi&s;t the Hangings, and his Sword lighting up|on one of the Looking-gla&s;&s;es broke it all in pieces; he pre&s;ently throws down his Arms with a re&s;olution never to handle them more: He believed now he &s;hould be unfortunate in the Army, that he &s;hould certainly be &s;lain, and the broken Look|ing-gla&s;s was an infallible pre&s;age of it. Well then, Arms laid a&s;ide, he takes up the Gown, and cloaths him&s;elf like a Coun&s;ellour, putting on a little Minikin Ruff, and a &s;hort white Perriwig: He con|&s;ults
<PB N="86" REF="56">with remaining Looking-gla&s;&s;es, and thinks this Habit became him mighty pret|tily, and begins to feel his Spirits exalted that way: So he &s;ets him&s;elf to examine the Advantages of this Profe&s;&s;ion, which he finds very con&s;iderable. All People that have Courage, &s;aid he within him&s;elf, do not come to be Mar&s;hals of <HI>France,</HI> the number would then be too great, and one mu&s;t have expo&s;ed ones life a thou&s;and times before one can ju&s;tly pretend to that Dignity. This thought made him frown and grow pale at once; he found a Coun|&s;ellours condition much better and &s;ecurer; and in time, thinks he, I may come to be a Judge, without running any hazard of my Life. He propo&s;es to him&s;elf a thou&s;and Plea&s;ures and Delights before it came to that; Fancies to him&s;elf an Anti-chamber, and all the Stairs leading up to it full of Clients ready to ca&s;t them&s;elves on their Knees before him, and calling him, My Lord. He &s;mirks and &s;miles, imagining he &s;ees among them a great many pretty Women, and the&s;e thoughts egg on others which fill his whole Brainpan full of a thou|&s;and ravi&s;hing Conceptions. Here there|fore
<PB N="87" REF="56">he re&s;olves to fix his Standard, and to become a Coun&s;ellour; but yet he will fir&s;t put on the Rochet to &s;ee how it be|comes him. And now he admires his in|comparable Gravity, and being mightily taken with him&s;elf, it comes into his head, that he might one day arrive to be a Car|dinal: O then! how &s;hould he look in a Scarlet Robe! A Coun&s;ellour now &s;eems to him but a Coxcomb, in compari&s;on of a Cardinal: No, no, &s;aid he within him&s;elf, I am not of the humour to undergo the toyls and labour which a man of the Long Robe mu&s;t &s;ubmit to; what a thou&s;and troubles doe continually haunt him, after having &s;pent a whole evening in reading over Breviates, and perhaps the be&s;t part of the Night, he mu&s;t be rouzed by four or five a Clock in the morning, with bawling and crying, Good Sir, Remember my cau&s;e; Pray Sir, Remember my cau&s;e; and this din continues all the while he is within doors, nor &s;capes he when he gets out, but at every corner &s;ome are watching to catch him, and ring their cau&s;e in his ears. If I think to go eat or drink with my Friends, they them&s;elves grow my Tormentors, and
<PB N="88" REF="57">are recommending one Cau&s;e or another; or if I go to court my Mi&s;tre&s;s, and take an hours diverti&s;ement with her, &s;he is wor&s;e than all the re&s;t; and being gained by the almighty power of Pre&s;ents, I mu&s;t not be admitted to the touch of her finger with|out the extracting &s;ome promi&s;e from me, and if I promi&s;e her, I mu&s;t keep my word, and then ten to one fall into inju&s;tice. No, no, I will not be a Coun&s;ellour, 'tis too weighty a Charge; 'tis better being an Abbot, they live as they plea&s;e: They&mdash; He was about to inlarge him&s;elf upon the Advantages of this Profe&s;&s;ion, when a beautiful young per&s;on whom he loved, and was de&s;igned to be married too as &s;oon as he was &s;ettled, entred the Clo&s;et toge|ther with her Mother. He believed he had &s;hut the door very &s;ecurely; but alas, he had left the Key in it, his Brain was &s;o overwhelmed with Imaginations and Whim&s;eys concerning the Choice he was to make. He could not be more &s;urprized to &s;ee them come in, than the Ladies were to &s;ee him in that po&s;ture. They asked him what was the meaning of his being ha|bited in that manner? He told them he
<PB N="89" REF="57">had determined to become a Church-man, and had put on the Rochet to &s;ee how the Habit agreed with him: He was hardly to be known, for he had put off his Perruque, his Hair reach'd but to his Ears, and the &s;quare Cap he had put on, almo&s;t covered them, &s;o that he look'd mighty ridiculou&s;|ly to the Ladies in that di&s;gui&s;e. They asked him again and again whether he would be &s;tedfa&s;t in his Re&s;olution to be|come a Church-man? He told them, Yes, and that they could not ju&s;tly complain of him if he took that Cour&s;e; for if he de|&s;erted his Mi&s;tre&s;s, 'twas for God alone; and that &s;ince he left her not for any other beauty, they ought not to be angry with him, nor could not accu&s;e him of Incon|&s;tancy. They told him they believed they &s;hould be guilty of a great crime, if they &s;hould endeavour by any con&s;iderations to divert him from &s;o pious a de&s;ign; and &s;oon after left him, without &s;eeming either glad or &s;orrowful at the accident. The Mother who knew very well, and had &s;een many evidences of his natural Incon&s;tancy of Mind, was glad to be &s;o rid of him. She had another Match ready for her Daugh|ter,
<PB N="90" REF="58">and that fair Maid had &s;ome inclina|tion for him &s;he de&s;igned her; &s;o that things were ea&s;ily concluded. The pre|tended Abbot heard of it, and was ready to run mad; he comes and throws him|&s;elf at his Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es feet, prote&s;ts, That to enjoy her he would renounce all the Abbeys in the world, and would embrace what|ever profe&s;&s;ion &s;he liked be&s;t. But it was now too late, and things were too far gone, which did &s;o much afflict him, that he is &s;ince turned Monk. I know not how long his unquiet and irre&s;olute Spirit will &s;uffer him to &s;tay in the Convent; but I believe to any one of his humour, confinement will be very tedious and irk&s;ome. Few people know this Adventure, and I am confident, <HI>Madam,</HI> you will find it very extraordinary; and though you may have &s;ome commi&s;eration for our friends misfor|tune; yet you cannot at the &s;ame time for|bear laughing at his follies.</P>
<P>Never did one year produce &s;o many excellent pieces for the Theatre, and the famous <HI>Moliere</HI> has not deceived us in the
<PB N="91" REF="58">hopes he in&s;pired almo&s;t four years ago, that there &s;hould be one day repre&s;ented at the Place Royal a Comical piece after his own Mode, which &s;hould be ab&s;olutely accompli&s;hed. We are excellently di|vertized &s;ometimes by tho&s;e <HI>Pretieu&s;es</HI> or <HI>Femmes Scavantes</HI> (wi&s;e women) &s;ome|times by the plea&s;ant railleries of a certain <HI>Henrietta,</HI> and then by the ridiculous con|ceipts of a Fanta&s;tick, who believes all the world with him, and would per&s;wade o|thers &s;o too; I omit &s;peaking of the Cha|racter of a Father, who would make us be|lieve, that is Ma&s;ter of his hou&s;e, and braves it nobly when he is alone; but is as quiet as a Lamb if his Wife but appear. I &s;ay little likewi&s;e of the humour of <HI>Mon|&s;ieur Tri&s;&s;otin,</HI> who brimful of under&s;tand|ing, and puffed up with the glory he be|lieves he has de&s;erved, appears &s;o full of confidence in him&s;elf, that he looks upon all Mankind be&s;ides as contemptible. The ridiculous opinion which a Mother &s;poil'd with reading, &s;eems to have conceived for this <HI>Moun&s;ier Tri&s;&s;otin</HI> is no le&s;s plea&s;ant, and this humour as violent as that of the
<PB N="92" REF="59">Father in <HI>Tartuffe,</HI> would la&s;t for ever, if by the ingenious Artifice of the fal&s;e news of a Cau&s;e lo&s;t, and of a Bankrout (which is an invention not at all inferiour to that of the Buffoon in the impo&s;tor) a Brother, who though but young, appears a man of exqui&s;ite under&s;tanding, did not break it off by laying open the whole piece, There is in the third Act a quarrel between <HI>Mon|&s;ieur Tri&s;&s;otin,</HI> and another wi&s;e man very diverti&s;ing, and at la&s;t there is the return of a certain Kitching Maid, called <HI>Martina</HI> who makes the whole Audience laugh with an infinite number of Jolly things, which &s;he &s;ayes in her Gibbri&s;h, to prove, That men &s;hould have the preference of women. This is a mo&s;t confu&s;ed ac|count of the mo&s;t con&s;iderable parts of this Comedy, which has got the vogue of all <HI>Paris.</HI> There are throughout the whole a thou&s;and wittly quirks, many happy expre&s;&s;ions, and new and bold ways of &s;peaking, the invention of which can never enough be prai&s;ed, and is im|po&s;&s;ible to be imitated. Many people have made different applications of per|&s;ons
<PB N="93" REF="59">in this Comedy, and a quarrel the Author had about eight years ago with a learned man, whom they think repre|&s;ented by <HI>Tri&s;&s;otin</HI> has given occa&s;ion to the publick talk; but <HI>Mon&s;ieur Moliere</HI> is &s;ufficiently ju&s;tified in that by a &s;peech he made publickly two days before the fir&s;t repre&s;entation of his piece; nor ought &s;uch a pretended Cen&s;ure of this ingenious Comedy give him any trou|ble, if he be as wi&s;e, and as able a man, as 'tis &s;aid he is; &s;ince 'twill only make his merit &s;hine the bright|er, and &s;tir up in people a de&s;ire to know him, read his writings, and hear his Sermons. <HI>Ari&s;tophanes</HI> ble|mi&s;hed not the reputation of <HI>Socrates,</HI> by playing upon him in his <HI>Faries;</HI> nor was that great Philo&s;ophers e|&s;teem at all le&s;&s;ened in <HI>Greece.</HI> But to be the better Judges of the Come|dy I have been &s;peaking of, I would advi&s;e all the world to &s;ee it, and to divertize them&s;elves, without exami|ning things at Random, or li&s;tning to the Critical humour of mo&s;t people,
<PB N="94" REF="60">who think it a mon&s;trous witty thing to find fault.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>March</HI> 12. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="95" REF="60">
<HEAD>Letter XII.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Arch Bi&s;hop of <HI>Paris,</HI> director of the <HI>French</HI> Academy went with them &s;ome dayes pa&s;t to <HI>Ver&s;ailles</HI> to return the King thanks for the Ho|nour he had done to that Illu&s;trious and Learned Society, to take upon him&s;elf the place of their Pro|tector in the room of the dead Chancellor. He made his Compliment to the King af|ter his ordinary rate; that is, with a great deal of Wit and Eloquence. You know well, that with the comline&s;s of his per|&s;on, which plea&s;es at fir&s;t &s;ight, he has a mo&s;t delightful way of utterance, and that never per&s;on brought forth words with &s;o
<PB N="96" REF="61">much ea&s;e, aptne&s;s, and delicacy; be&s;ides he is endowed with all the knowledge of the mo&s;t accompli&s;hed Doctors, which he gives Evidence off on all occa&s;ions; but I undertake not to write hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> Panegerick, leaving it to them de&s;ign his Hi&s;tory.</P>
<P><HI>Moun&s;ieur D'Angeau,</HI> Governour of <HI>An|jou,</HI> and &s;ometime Camp-ma&s;ter of the Regiment <HI>du Roy,</HI> and de&s;igned Amba&s;&s;a|dor for <HI>Sweden,</HI> who is likewi&s;e of this Academy, gave a Magnificent treat to this Prelate, with all the Academians of his confraternity, <HI>Moun&s;ieur de Corin</HI> was not of their number, for fear, as 'tis &s;aid, lea&s;t he &s;hould lay hold on the occa&s;ion, to com|plain to the King of the Comedy 'tis pre|tended <HI>Moun&s;ieur de Moliere</HI> has made a|gain&s;t him; but it is not to be believed, that a man, who often conver&s;es with the chief per&s;ons of Court, and whom <HI>Madam|moi&s;elle</HI> honours with the name of Friend, can be the Object of &s;o bloody a Satyre. The re&s;emblance they attribute to him, agrees not with a man, who has publi&s;hed works with an approbation as general, as that of his paraphra&s;e on the Song of Songs.
<PB N="97" REF="61">I &s;peak not of his works of Gallantry, of which there are many Editions, tho&s;e are Playes he divertized him&s;elf with, before he made profe&s;&s;ion; which &s;ince his fir&s;t embracing it, he has ever held to the &s;ame Au&s;terity he now maintains it with.</P>
<P>There was in this A&s;&s;embly <HI>Moun&s;ieur Quinault,</HI> &s;o well known for his &s;mooth and &s;oft Ver&s;es; <HI>Moun&s;ieur De&s;mare&s;ts</HI> &s;o famous for a great number of extraordina|ry works, which at once &s;et forth both the heighth of Wit, and depth of Knowledge. The Famous <HI>Moun&s;ieur Corneille</HI> the Elder, was here too. I can &s;ay nothing of him, which will not be beneath him; he is the only man who&s;e works may be prai&s;ed without &s;eeing them, and from whom notwith&s;tanding his great Age we may yet expect accompli&s;hed things, as will doubtle&s;s, be his la&s;t Trage|dy, which will appear next Winter un|der the name of <HI>Pulcheria,</HI> and which cannot fail plea&s;ing of tho&s;e, who are in their right Sen&s;es, as it has already plea|&s;ed all have had the happine&s;s to read
<PB N="98" REF="62">it. There were likewi&s;e in this Illu|&s;trious Company the two <HI>Abbeyes Talle|mont,</HI> the one chief Almoner to <HI>Madam,</HI> who&s;e merit is indi&s;putable, and who with &s;o much &s;ucce&s;s and, and &s;o much benefit to the publick, made that excellent Tran&s;lation of the Lives of <HI>Plu|tarch.</HI> The other in a thou&s;and occa&s;ions has &s;hewed his ingenuity, and made him&s;elf be admired, as well for his plea|&s;ant and witty Compo&s;itions, and by hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> Sermons, which declare his Eloquence and Learning. I had forgot <HI>Moun&s;ieur L'Abbot Je&s;tu,</HI> who&s;e Sermons char|med the whole Court, and who&s;e &s;oft and Divine Poems give him the preference before all undertake tho&s;e ways of wri|ting, from whom we might expect many admirable things, did not a di&s;temper of a&s;cending vapours hinder his doing any thing. I cannot forget <HI>Moun&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>Duke D'Anguien,</HI> who&s;e exqui&s;ite Gallan|teries, Frolick&s;ome and Gallant Ver&s;es, and high feats of Arms, are unknown to no per&s;on, who captives all that know him, by an obliging Civility, and by the kindne&s;&s;es he is ready to do for all the
<PB N="99" REF="62">world upon all occa&s;ions. There are many others very con&s;iderable for their Worth and Endowments, who&s;e names I cannot now remember.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>19. <HI>March.</HI></DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="100" REF="63">
<HEAD>Letter XIII.</HEAD>
<P>_I Now &s;end you, <HI>Madam,</HI> what you were plea&s;ed to let me know was much de|&s;ired in your Province; and what you have often wi&s;hed for, to communicate to &s;ome Gentlemen your Friends: for, for the Ladies, I believe they had rather un|der&s;tand the e&s;tate of tho&s;e hearts that &s;igh for them, than that of the KING'<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> Forces.</P>
<P><PB N="101" REF="63"><TABLE>
<HEAD>An Account of all the For|ces, Foot and Hor&s;e, which are in the Kings Service, according to the E&s;tabli&s;h|ment concluded on for their Sub&s;i&s;tence.</HEAD>
<HEAD>Regiments of French Foot, contain|ing <HI>53</HI> Men in a Company, com|pri&s;ing the Officers.</HEAD>
<ROW>
<CELL ROLE="label"><HI>Regiments Names.</HI></CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"><HI>Number of Companies.</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Picardy.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Champaigne.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Navarre.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Piedmont.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Normandy.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><PB N="102" REF="64">La Marine.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Marine.</CELL>
<CELL>32</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Ca&s;telnau.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Avergne.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>De Sault.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Bandeville.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Regiment du Roy.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Regiment Royal.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Regiment d'Anjou.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Pra&s;lin.</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Lyonnois.</CELL>
<CELL>35</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Dauphin.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Cur&s;ol.</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Montaigu.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Turenne.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Motte.</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Dampierre.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Lovigny.</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Grance.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Reyne.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><PB N="103" REF="64">Montperat.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Les Vai&s;&s;eaux.</CELL>
<CELL>70</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Orleans.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Artois.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Bretaigne.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Carignan.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Cha&s;teaneuf.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Sourches.</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Vendo&s;m.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Ferte.</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Conty.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Fere.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Conde.</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Anguien.</CELL>
<CELL>17</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Jonzai.</CELL>
<CELL>18</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Monperoux.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Bovillon.</CELL>
<CELL>16</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Burgogne.</CELL>
<CELL>33</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>La Marine Noveau.</CELL>
<CELL>20</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fu&s;illiers du Roy.</CELL>
<CELL>24</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<PB N="104" REF="65">
<P>In all 46 Regiments, contain|ing 1569 Companies of Foot, of 53 men to the Company, amount in all to&mdash;83157 men.</P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Foreign Regiments of Foot.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Al&s;atia,</HI> Twelve Companies, of 182 men, each, make 2184 men.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Engli&s;h and Scotch,</HI> Twenty Com|panies, of 123 men each, 2460</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rous&s;illon,</HI> Twenty Companies of the &s;ame, 2460</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fur&s;tenburgh,</HI> Twelve Companies, of 182 men each, 2184</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Iri&s;h,</HI> Twelve Companies, of 104 men each, 1248</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Another Iri&s;h,</HI> Sixteen Companies,
<PB N="105" REF="65">of 104 men each: 1664</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Royal Italian,</HI> Twenty &s;even Com|panies, of 104 men each, 2808</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Royal Engli&s;h,</HI> Eight Companies, of 103 men each, 824</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Stoupe Swi&s;s,</HI> Twelve Compa|nies, 200 men each, 2400</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Erlac Swi&s;s</HI> the &s;ame, 2400</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fe&s;ta Swi&s;s</HI> the &s;ame, 2400</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Salis Swi&s;s</HI> the &s;ame, 2400</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Engli&s;h,</HI> Eight Companies, 103 men each, 824</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fifty Unregimented Companies, containing 200 men each, 10000</ITEM>
<ITEM>The whole Number of thirteen Forreign Regiments, and fifty Unregimented Companies of divers Nations, amounts unto 36256 men.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB N="106" REF="66">
<P><LIST>
<HEAD><HI>Gend'armes</HI> light Hor&s;e, and Mu&s;quetiers on Hor&s;e-back.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Four Companies of Guards <HI>du Corps.</HI> 1039 men</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Scotch</HI> Company of <HI>Gend'armes.</HI> 105 men</ITEM>
<ITEM>Two Companies of Mu&s;quetiers on Hor&s;e-back, making 554 men</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Company of <HI>Gend'armes.</HI> 105 men</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Company of Light-hor&s;e. 110 men</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Queens <HI>Gend'armes.</HI> 154</ITEM>
<ITEM>The <HI>Dauphins Gend'armes.</HI> 209</ITEM>
<ITEM>The <HI>Dauphins</HI> Light-hor&s;e. 108</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gend'armes</HI> d'<HI>Anjou.</HI> 105</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gend'arms d'Orleans.</HI> 154</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Orleans</HI> Light-Hor&s;e. 157</ITEM>
<ITEM>Total of the Companies of <HI>Gend'|armes,</HI> Light-hor&s;e, and Mu&s;|quetiers
<PB N="107" REF="66">on Hor&s;e-back above &s;pecified. 2800 men.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Light-hor&s;e, of which the Re|giments are of &s;ix Troops, and 54 men each.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Colonel General of the &s;aid Cavallry</ITEM>
<ITEM>Camp-ma&s;ter General of the &s;aid Cavalry.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Commi&s;&s;ary General of the &s;aid Cavalry.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Royal du Roy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Two Foreign Regiments.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cravates du Roy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>La Regne.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Dauphin.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Orleans.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Conde.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Anguien.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Rouvray.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ga&s;&s;ion.</ITEM>
<PB N="108" REF="67">
<ITEM>Des Forneaux.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Joyeu&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bonaveze.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fourrilles.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Re&s;nel.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cabonet.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Montauban.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Pillois.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Coulange.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Merlin.</ITEM>
<ITEM>St. Loupe</ITEM>
<ITEM>Cachan.</ITEM>
<ITEM>St. Aou&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Derdelin.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Douget.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Duconde.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Nogent.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Tillader.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sourdis.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hi&s;lez.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bligny.</ITEM>
<ITEM>La Fabliere.</ITEM>
<PB N="109" REF="67">
<ITEM>Lambert.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Caberel.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Humieres.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Proville.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bartillac.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Beaupre.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Paulmy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Beaufort.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Carendo.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sanzay.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chenuet.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Novart.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Sommieure.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hanjou.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In all 52 Regiments of &s;ix Troops each, and of 54 men each Troop, make 324 men in a Regiment, in all 16848 men.</P>
<PB N="111" REF="68">
<LIST>
<HEAD>Other Regiments of Hor&s;e, of three Troops each, and fifty four men in a Troop.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Coi&s;lin.</ITEM>
<ITEM>E&s;trades.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bethune.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Montgeorge</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bu&s;enval.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ba&s;leroy.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Thrange.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Langueville</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ragny.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Bouillon.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Auvergne.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Grignan.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Laurieres.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Granville.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Duroures</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mere.</ITEM>
<PB N="110" REF="68">
<ITEM>Thury.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Valavoire.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Arnolfiny.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Harcourt.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Armagnac.</ITEM>
<ITEM>St. Aignan.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In all 66 Troops of the 22 Re|giments above, at 54 men to a Troop, amounts to 3564 men.</P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Foreign Light-hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>The Prince of <HI>Piemont</HI> Ten Troops, &s;ome of 64 and others of 54 men. 556</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Kone&s;mark,</HI> 24 Troops of 54 men each. 1296</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Ten Troops, of 54 men. 540</ITEM>
<PB N="112" REF="69">
<ITEM><HI>Schomberg</HI> 3 Troops of 54. 162</ITEM>
<ITEM>Ro&s;e 3 Troops the &s;ame. 162</ITEM>
<ITEM>Aou&s;&s;et 3 Troops. 162</ITEM>
<ITEM>All the above Forreign Cavalry. 3196 men.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Two Regiments of Dragoons.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Collonel General of the Dra|goons Six Troops, 104 men each. 624</ITEM>
<ITEM>Dragoons du Roy, 6 Troops, 54 men each. 324</ITEM>
<ITEM>Total of the Dragoons, 948</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Forces belonging to the Kings Hou&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>French</HI> Regiment of Guards, 30 Companies 100 men each. 3000</ITEM>
<PB N="113" REF="69">
<ITEM><HI>Swi&s;s</HI> Regiment of Guardes, Ten Companies 200 men each, 2000</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Gend'armes du Roy,</HI> 200</ITEM>
<ITEM>Light-hor&s;e of the Guard, 200</ITEM>
<ITEM>Total 5400 men</ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<ITEM>The Forty &s;ix Regiments of <HI>French</HI> Foot in this E&s;tabli&s;hment, a|mount to 83697 men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Thirteen Regiments of Foreign Foot amount 36256; to which adding the <HI>Swi&s;s</HI> Regiments of Guards of 2000 men, and the fifty loo&s;e Companies of &s;eve|ral Nations, 41318 men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Sixteen Companies of <HI>Gen|d'armes,</HI> 2608 men.</ITEM>
<PB N="114" REF="70">
<ITEM>The Fifty two Regiments of <HI>French</HI> Hor&s;e, 16848 men</ITEM>
<ITEM>Twenty two other Regiments of <HI>French</HI> Hor&s;e, 3564 men.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Twelve other Regiments of <HI>French</HI> Hor&s;e, 648 men</ITEM>
<ITEM>Regiments of Foreign Hor&s;e, 3096</ITEM>
<ITEM>Kings <HI>Gend'armes,</HI> 200</ITEM>
<ITEM>Kings Light-hor&s;e, 200</ITEM>
<ITEM>Total of the Infantry and Ca|valry, 155687 men</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Since this E&s;tabli&s;hment was &s;et|tled, the King in <HI>February</HI> la&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> 1672. gave Commi&s;&s;ions fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> rai&s;ing Three Hundred Com+panies of Foot, making Fif+teen
<PB N="115" REF="70">thou&s;and men, to incor|porate with the old Bodies, and make them 80 Companies each, and &s;ix &s;core Troops of Hor&s;e to con&s;i&s;t of 6000 men, in all  <GAP DESC="blank">  21000.</P>
<P>Which added to 155687,</P>
<P>Makes 176687 men in all.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>26 <HI>March,</HI> 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="116" REF="71">
<HEAD>Letter XIV.</HEAD>
<P>_I Have nothing of News <HI>Madam,</HI> to communicate this Week, unle&s;s it be the Kings Journey to <HI>Ver&s;ailles.</HI> I know you have &s;een that place, and that you have read the excellent de&s;cription given of it by <HI>Madamoi&s;elle de Scudery;</HI> but the <HI>Ver&s;ailles</HI> you have &s;een, and that which &s;he has writ of are much different from that which now is; and the King never is a Month a|way
<PB N="117" REF="71">from thence, but he finds &s;omething new, and the place appears changed, by rea&s;on of the beauties ince&s;&s;antly added. The <HI>Grotto</HI> has been lately imbeli&s;hed with many incomparable Figures, they have placed there a great Sun; with a many Nymphs abour him, Crowning him, and wa&s;hing his feet and his hands. This wonderful piece (the large&s;t yet there) is the Workman&s;hip of <HI>Me&s;sieurs Gerardon,</HI> and <HI>Renaudin:</HI> In two niches which are of the &s;ide of it, are placed four Hor&s;es of the Sun, which &s;eem to breath forth fire, and look as if they were taking their Car|riere, but are &s;top'd by the powerful <HI>Tri|tons</HI> that withhold them. <HI>Mon&s;ieur Guerin</HI> made one halfe of this work, and <HI>Me&s;sieurs Ga&s;pard,</HI> and <HI>Baltazard</HI> the other. There are likewi&s;e placed in this <HI>Grotto</HI> many o|ther curious Figures of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Batti&s;ta</HI> a very famous Arti&s;t, from whence it appears, that <HI>France</HI> do's produce men great in the&s;e works, as well as <HI>Italy.</HI> I &s;hould never have done, &s;hould I &s;peak of all the wonders the Waters produce in that delicious Paradice. The <HI>Sieur Denys</HI> brings
<PB N="118" REF="72">it thither by wonderful Pumps and Aqua|ducts, and <HI>Mon&s;ieur Faucine</HI> do's with it things &s;urpa&s;&s;ing imagination, Witne&s;s the Mari&s;h, the Tree, and the Mount of Water, not to forget the Theatre, where the changes of the Scenes of Water are as quick and fa&s;t as in the other, where the Machines are the thicke&s;t; but one would think there &s;hould want water for all the&s;e things, and &s;o there mu&s;t, but for the great care of tho&s;e that bring it to that place; for there are are very large Terra&s;&s;es excellently Wrought and Imbeli&s;hed, un|der which are Ci&s;terns of Water. The Miracles done by <HI>Mon&s;ieur Nautre</HI> in the&s;e Magnificent Gardens are no le&s;s admira|ble. The great quantities of Orange-trees Planted in the ground, may be a Te&s;ti|mony of it, as well as tho&s;e great Trees tran&s;planted to inlarge the great Walk, a thing never before &s;een. There are yet a thou&s;and things might be &s;aid of this Ca&s;tle, which &s;urpa&s;&s;es the Palace of <HI>Armida.</HI> I might &s;peak of the Build|ings, and tho&s;e who are the Architects; but that would be too long a Story, and
<PB N="119" REF="72">therefore had better put it off to ano|ther time, or rather till they be fini&s;h|ed.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>April</HI> 2. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="120" REF="73">
<HEAD>Letter XV.</HEAD>
<P>_I Know not, <HI>Madam,</HI> whe|ther the News I have &s;ent you &s;ince the Month of <HI>January</HI> hath &s;atisfied your Curio&s;ity. I am of the opinion, that what I have hitherto done, has only &s;hewed my obedience in punctually writing you; but I hope in time to &s;end you more plea&s;ing and plentifull news.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>Cardinal de Bonzy</HI> received this week the Cap from the Kings hands, in the pre&s;ence of the Cardinals <HI>de Retz, Bovillon,</HI> and <HI>Maldoching.</HI> I have alrea|dy writ you &s;omething of <HI>Cardinal Bovillon,</HI> and you are not ignorant of the great merit
<PB N="121" REF="73">of Cardinal <HI>de Retz,</HI> and that both his wit and his misfortunes have made him equal|ly famous as well as his fidelity to his Friends; and you know likewi&s;e, that his Ju&s;tice and Genero&s;ity, of which every one is a partaker, who comes within the reach of his kindne&s;s, make him no le&s;s admired. All men &s;eem'd a&s;toni&s;hed to &s;ee at this Ceremony <HI>Mon&s;ieur Priam,</HI> formerly Pre|&s;ident at <HI>Mantoua,</HI> who had &s;een the for|mer Cardinal of <HI>Bonzy,</HI> great Uncle to this man, and Grand Almoner to <HI>Mary de Me|dicis,</HI> receive the Cap from the hands of <HI>Henry</HI> the fourth.</P>
<P>The Duke <HI>de Chaune,</HI> famous for his Emba&s;&s;is to <HI>Rome,</HI> as likewi&s;e for the good &s;ervice he has done the King in the States of <HI>Brittain,</HI> of which he is Gover|nour; &s;ome days &s;ince pre&s;ented the De|duties of that Province to his Maje&s;ty.</P>
<P>The Duke of <HI>Bethane,</HI> &s;o well known under the Title of <HI>Count de Charo&s;t,</HI> who&s;e &s;ervices, fidelity and acknowledgements to his Benefactors makes as e&s;teemable as his Illu&s;trious birth, which he derives from
<PB N="122" REF="74">the ancient <HI>Count</HI> of <HI>Bethune</HI> has taken his Oath between the Kings hands for the charge of Lieutenant General of <HI>Picardy,</HI> in Exchange of that of Captain of the Guard <HI>du Corps,</HI> which is given to the Duke <HI>de Duras.</HI> You know Madam this Duke is one of the mo&s;t ancient Hou&s;es in <HI>France</HI> that has a va&s;t wit, that he has in all Armies where he has &s;erved, given approved marks of Va|lour and Conduct, and gain'd the e&s;teem of a very great Captain.</P>
<P>You may have heard e're this of the Death of the Dutche&s;s <HI>Dowager</HI> of <HI>Orleans,</HI> her Age, her Family, and her Chri&s;tian Virtues are all &s;o well known to you, that I need not enlarge my &s;elf on that point.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>April</HI> 9. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="123" REF="74">
<HEAD>Letter XVI.</HEAD>
<P>_SInce 'tis your de&s;ire, Ma|dam, after having heard &s;omething concerning the <HI>French</HI> Academy, that I &s;hould likewi&s;e write you &s;omething concerning that of the Abbot of <HI>Aubignac,</HI> of which, as you &s;ay, you have only heard &s;ome confu&s;ed &s;peeches. I will tell you, that it is cal|led <HI>l' Academie des belles Lettres,</HI> and that its in&s;titution was for examining works of Eloquence and Poe&s;y. The fir&s;t day of every Month a di&s;cour&s;e was held of the &s;everal Conditions of man, in which Elo|quence was held nece&s;&s;ary. The holding the fir&s;t di&s;cour&s;e fell to <HI>Mon&s;ieur Blondeau,</HI>
<PB N="124" REF="75">Advocate in Parliament, he held it on the Eloquence of the Bar, and acquitted him|&s;elf very well in the great Hall of the <HI>Ho&s;tel de Matignon,</HI> before an A&s;&s;embly compo&s;ed of many per&s;ons of quality, both of the one and the other Sex. <HI>Mon&s;ieur the Mar|quis de Villaines</HI> gain'd applau&s;e the Month following on Military Eloquence. The im|pre&s;&s;ion this di&s;cour&s;e made is a &s;ign of its Excellence; and therefore I'll &s;ay no more, but pa&s;s to the third, which fell upon <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Abbot of <HI>St. Germain.</HI> The two former having made di&s;cour&s;e; with regard to their profe&s;&s;ion, this illu&s;trious Abbot would make his on the Eloquence of the Pulpit, and had great &s;ucce&s;s in it, to the wonderful &s;atisfaction of the whole A&s;&s;embly. <HI>Mon&s;ieur Perachon</HI> gain'd cre|dit the Month following, and the other Academians addicted them&s;elves from Month to Month to give Evidences of their Wit and Learning. At the end of the&s;e Di&s;cour&s;es they read &s;ome works of Poe&s;y. compo&s;ed by &s;ome of the Gentlemen of the Academy, and the&s;e are the names of the Compo&s;ers.</P>
<PB N="128" REF="75">
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Abbot of <HI>Aubignac,</HI> director</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Vaumorieres</HI> Subdirector.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Gueret</HI> Secretary of the Academy</ITEM>
<ITEM>The late Marquis <HI>de Chatelet.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Marquis <HI>de Villaines.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Marquis <HI>d' Arbaux.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Petit,</HI> Director after the Abbot <HI>d' Aubignac.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Perachon</HI> Advocate in Parlia|ment.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> The Abbot of <HI>Vilars.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Abbot of <HI>Ville&s;erain,</HI> at pre&s;ent Bi&s;hop of <HI>Senes,</HI> Director after <HI>Mon&s;ieur Petit.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The late Abbot of <HI>Ganaret.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur de La<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nay,</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Care</HI> Advocate in Parliament.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Richelet.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Perier.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>The late <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Baurin</HI> Advocate in the Coun&s;el.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Barallis</HI> Phy&s;itian.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Abbot of St. <HI>Germain.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The illu&s;trious Academy has been broke off &s;ince the Abbot of <HI>Ville&s;erain</HI> was made Bi&s;hop of <HI>Senes,</HI> there was a de&s;ign &s;ometime before to bring women in,
<PB N="126" REF="76">and <HI>Madam de Villedieu</HI> was propo&s;ed, who&s;e works were grown &s;o famous; they talked likewi&s;e of Madam the Marchione&s;&s;e of <HI>Guiberminy,</HI> Daughter of <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Mar|quis of <HI>Villaines,</HI> who has a piercing and delicate wit, and cannot be too much prai|&s;ed; nor did they forget Madam the Mar|chione&s;&s;e <HI>De&s;houlieres,</HI> you mu&s;t needs have heard &s;peak of her (Madam) for his worth is every where known, &s;he writes very Politely both in Ver&s;e and Pro&s;e. There run up and down &s;ome Gallant pieces of her Dog called <HI>Gas,</HI> who is lately turned excellent Poet, &s;o that his works de&s;erve to be Printed. This Lady has made him the <HI>Cerberus</HI> of <HI>Porna&s;&s;us,</HI> to defend its en|trance again&s;t Dablers. I have inclo&s;ed a Coppy of his Ver&s;es being a Letter to the Count <HI>L. T.</HI> that you may judge of his wit, and when you have read them, I believe you will &s;ay, you never &s;aw more natural Ver&s;es, nor heard of a more Ingenious Cur; but the rea&s;on is evident, all Spanels have not &s;uch witty Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de Moranges,</HI> Director of the Finances died la&s;t week, he was an hone&s;t
<PB N="127" REF="76">and an ingenious man, and the Gazet&s;ayes &s;o much of him, that I can &s;ay nothing comes near it.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Barron of <HI>Schonborn,</HI> Nephew and Envoy extraordinary of the Elector of <HI>Mentz</HI> had Audience from the King, he demon&s;trated under the face of Youth, a Prudence &s;urprizes the Aged, and bu&s;ine&s;s &s;eems &s;o natural to him, that the mo&s;t knotty things are ea&s;ie, this he has given &s;uch evidences of, and I have been a&s;&s;ured it by &s;o many per&s;ons that know him well, that you may believe all I write of this young Mini&s;ter is true.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>Count de Molina,</HI> extra|ordinary Amba&s;&s;ador from <HI>Spain,</HI> made his Entry accompanied with Mar&s;hal <HI>de Grance,</HI> and &s;ome dayes after was condu|cted to have Audience from the King, by <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the Count <HI>de Armagnac.</HI> You may ob&s;erve one thing, which tho&s;e who have read the Gazets this twenty years, have not perhaps taken notice of, which is, that the Amba&s;&s;adors of Crowned heads, or tho&s;e that are treated, as &s;uch
<PB N="125" REF="77">are always conducted to their Audience by a Prince of the Blood, and that he, who receives them on the day of their publick Entrance, never conducts them to the <HI>Louvre.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>April</HI> 16. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="129" REF="77">
<HEAD>Letter XVII.</HEAD>
<P>_I Promi&s;ed you Madam to &s;end you all the new Modes; and yet I have not, you tell me, writ you one word of them in any of my Let|ters. The Courts being &s;o long in mourning has been the cau&s;e of it. It has put a &s;top to the inventions of many and &s;mothered tho&s;e have come forth in their Infancy; yet I will tell you, That they wear their Gowns &s;o long Wa&s;ted, that it reaches almo&s;t to their Thighs, who have but little Haun|ches.</P>
<P>The men &s;till wear their Hats &s;o large, that the old men (who for fear of appearing
<PB N="130" REF="78">ridiculous; wore great ones while others wear little ones) appear at pre&s;ent what they &s;ought to avoid, becau&s;e they will not change their Mode; and the great Hats of that time, are the little ones of this.</P>
<P>They wear now few Hatbands of Rib|bon or Silk, and Gold Hatbands are come again in Mode. I know not whether it will long be &s;uffered; but within this eight dayes they begin to wear all their Coats Laced or Embroidred with Gold and Silver. 'Tis &s;eldom but the &s;ame thing has happened over again; but time pa&s;t is now no more, and <HI>Mon&s;ieur de la Reynie</HI> attempts nothing he brings not to pa&s;s; he has done things &s;ince he has been Lieutenant of the Policy, that were thought impo&s;&s;ible, and which many ages attempt|ed in vain; no Judge can be more equi|table, uncorrupr or zealous in the &s;ervice of his King. The populacy are &s;o ob|liged to him, they ought to contrive a way to Eternize his memory.</P>
<P>After having &s;poken of the Modes re|&s;pecting the habits of Men and Women,
<PB N="131" REF="78">I mu&s;t now entertain you with one newer then any of tho&s;e I have &s;poken of, and which relates to Hou&s;hold-&s;tuff. I was lately at a Gentlewomans, who is none of the highe&s;t quality; but who&s;e Gallant is extreamly rich; they told me they would &s;hew me a Hall, very neatly furni&s;hed, and they carried me into a Room, who&s;e Hangings were of fine Damask. Whil&s;t they made me look out at a Window had its pro&s;pect on a very fine Garden, that Hanging was gone in an in&s;tant, &s;o that but turning about, I &s;aw the Rooms hung with Hangings of another Colour, and the fir&s;t drawn up like a Corni&s;h about it. Admiring this invention, they bid me pull a little weight that was hid in the Corner of the Room, where it was not &s;een, and yet was fa&s;tened to Strings of Silk and Gold, which I had no &s;ooner as it were touched, but the &s;econd Hanging came up, and di&s;po&s;ed it &s;elf into little folds, making Buttons as it were between the Corni&s;h, and di&s;covered a rich Green Hanging, adorned with many Pictures with curious Frames. Never was any thing &s;o plea&s;ant to me, and I cannot but admire at tho&s;e that found
<PB N="132" REF="79">out this pretty invention, and had I gone out of the Hall as often as it changed, I could never have believed it to be the &s;ame Room. The Inventors of this, they &s;ay, are framing a Bed &s;hall change as often. I thought I could never have &s;ent you &s;o much of new Modes; but I &s;ee this Arti|cle will always furni&s;h me with matter.</P>
<P>One of <HI>Mon&s;ieur</HI> the <HI>primier Pre&s;idents</HI> Sons, has lately married a Daughter of <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Calucet,</HI> Governour of the Ca&s;tle of <HI>Nantes.</HI> I will inform you as &s;oon as I can of the particular endowments of the&s;e young married people.</P>
<P>The King has nominated <HI>Mon&s;ieur D' Aquin</HI> his principal Phy&s;itian. I will nei|ther &s;peak of his worth nor capacity, the Kings choice is enough to make both known.</P>
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur de la Chambre</HI> is nominated principal Phy&s;itian to the Queen; he is much e&s;teemed in Court, and has the re|pute of an able man.</P>
<PB N="133" REF="79">
<P><HI>Mon&s;ieur Renadot,</HI> who&s;e long Experi|ence, and the infinite number of di&s;temper'd per&s;ons he has had for many years to pra|ctice upon, &s;hould be one of the able&s;t Phy&s;i|tians in <HI>Paris,</HI> is by the King cho&s;en Princi|pal Phy&s;itian to the <HI>Dauphin.</HI></P>
<P>Since <HI>January</HI> la&s;t has been continued the publi&s;hing of <HI>le Journal des Scavans,</HI> which you have &s;ometimes read with delight, 'tis a good and a profitable Work, the Author is in much e&s;teem, and has the Honour to be favoured by a great Mini&s;ter of State.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>April</HI> 23. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="134" REF="80">
<HEAD>Letter XVIII.</HEAD>
<P>_I Now &s;end you a Li&s;t of the General Officers nominated by the King to &s;erve him this Campaigne. I will not be &s;o po&s;itive as to affirm it &s;o exact, that no|thing may be forgot, nor nothing altered, or that the degrees are infallibly ob&s;erved; but in &s;hort, 'tis the be&s;t I could get, and I give you part in it. I believe there's many people in your Countrey don't know halfe &s;o much.</P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Names of the General Offi|cers of the Kings Army.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LIST>
<PB N="135" REF="80">
<ITEM>MONSIEUR, <HI>Generalli&s;&s;imo.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Monn&s;ieur <HI>de Turenne,</HI> General.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Lieutenant Generals.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Gadagne.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Duke <HI>de Feuillade.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Count <HI>de Soi&s;&s;ons.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the grand ma&s;ter of Ar|tillery.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Lorge.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Rochfort.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<PB N="136" REF="81">
<HEAD>Mar&s;hals de Camp.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Chevalier <HI>de Lorrain.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Martinet.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Montal.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Fourille</HI> is Camp|ma&s;ter of the Cavalry, and Serves always.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Brigadiers of Hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de M.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de C.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Feuille.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>le Comte du Roy.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Chazeron.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Brigadiers of Foot.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Beauveau.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Adjutants of the Camp.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Count <HI>d' Ayen.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="137" REF="81">
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>D' Albret.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Chevalier <HI>de Nogent.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Marquis <HI>d' Angeau.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Breaute.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de la Roche Courton.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>Officers of the Army of Mon&s;ieur the Prince.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Lieutenant Generals.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Count <HI>d' Guiche.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de St. Avre.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Faucaut.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Mar&s;hals of the Camp.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Count <HI>du Ple&s;&s;is.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Count <HI>de Nogent.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="138" REF="82">
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Magaloty.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Chi&s;euile.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Commi&s;&s;ary General of the Hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de la Cardoniere.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Brigadiers of Hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Beauveze.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Vivien.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Fourneaux.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Brigadiers of Foot.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Pilloy.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD><PB N="139" REF="82">Officers of the Army to com|manded by Mon&s;ieur the Mar&s;hal <HI>de Crequy.</HI></HEAD>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Lieutenant General.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Nanere.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Mar&s;hals of the Camp.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Vaubrun.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur the Cavalier <HI>du Ple&s;&s;is.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Brigadiers of Hor&s;e.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>M.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Pierrefite.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The King has nominated <HI>Mon&s;ieur de Sain&s;andoux,</HI> Major of the Regiment of Guards, Major General of his Army; he has likewi&s;e nominated <HI>Mon&s;ieur Tracy,</HI> Captain of the Guards, Major General to the Prince, and <HI>Mon&s;ieur de la Marrilliere,</HI> Lieutenant Collonel of the Queens Regi|ment, Major general of the third Army,</P>
<LIST>
<PB N="140" REF="83">
<HEAD>General Officers of the Ar|mies of the Allies.</HEAD>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur de <HI>Luxembourg,</HI> Lieute|nant General to the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Munster.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Chamilly,</HI> Lieutenant General to the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Cullen.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Renel</HI> to command the Hor&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur de <HI>Mornas</HI> to command the Foot.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Beaudevis</HI> to command The Army of <HI>Ro&s;&s;illon</HI> to be Com|manded by Mon&s;ieur <HI>le Bret.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>I fancy, that after this account of the Land-Armies, you may likewi&s;e be de&s;irous to know the force by Sea, and that the&s;e-veral names of the Ships may divertize,</P>
<LIST>
<PB N="141" REF="83">
<HEAD>A LIST of the &s;everal Ships of the Fleet, appoin|ted for Service this year 1672.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD><HI>At Rochefort.</HI> Names of the Captains and Ships.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Rabinieres.</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Superbe,</HI> 1300 Tuns, 70 Guns.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Gabaret.</HI></LABEL><HI>LeFoudrogant,</HI> 1300 Tuns, 68 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Gombaut.</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Grand,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 64 Guns.</ITEM>
<PB N="142" REF="84">
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Michaut.</HI></LABEL><HI>LeConquerant,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 64 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Grancay.</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Illu&s;tre,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 70 Guns.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Beaulieu.</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Admirable,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 70 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;. <HI>Le Comandeur de Verdille,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Invincible,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 70 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>De&s;tivall,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Sans-pareil,</HI> 1100 Tuns, 62 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur D'Ymagnion,</LABEL><HI>L' Excellent,</HI> 1000 Tuns, 56 Guns</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur de Blenac,</LABEL><HI>Le Fort,</HI> 1000 Tuns, 54 Guns.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur de Tourville,</LABEL><HI>Le Gallant,</HI> 700 Tuns, 44 Guns.</ITEM>
<PB N="143" REF="84">
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Villeneuf Ferier,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Brillant,</HI> 600 Tuns, 40 Guns.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de la Vigery,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Hazardeux,</HI> 550 Tuns, 34 Guns</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>Fire-Ships.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Rocachon.</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Fin.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Ozcer Thomas,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Perilleux.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Vidaut,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Voile.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>du Rivault,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Inconnu.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Serpaut,</HI></LABEL><HI>De Degui&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="144" REF="85">
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Chabo&s;&s;eau.</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Entreprenant.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD>At Bre&s;t.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Le Comte d' E&s;trees,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' St. Philip</HI> Admiral.</ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Que&s;ne,</HI> Lieute|nant General.</LABEL><HI>Le Terrible.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>des Ardans,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Tonnant.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Vallebelle,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Brave.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Suerdis,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Valliant.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Larcou,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Temeraire.</HI></ITEM>
<PB N="145" REF="85">
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Quyovet,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Oriflame.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Queruville,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Bourbon.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>d' Infreville,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Rubes.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Desbeville,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Duc.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Coquelin,</HI></LABEL><HI>Lacolle.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>Panetier,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Heureux.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Bleor,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Alcion.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>La Rocque Souftreet,</HI></LABEL><HI>Le Hardy.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<PB N="146" REF="86">
<HEAD>Light Frigats.</HEAD>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur&mdash;</LABEL><HI>La Tempe&s;t.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Bellemont,</HI></LABEL><HI>L' Aurora.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Gravencon,</HI></LABEL><HI>La Railleu&s;e.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur de St. Michel,</LABEL><HI>La Subtile.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur de Grosbois,</LABEL><HI>La Lutine.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><LABEL>Mon&s;ieur Delmonts,</LABEL><HI>La Galliarde.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="147" REF="86">
<LIST>
<HEAD>Brulots.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Le Trompeur.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Le Serpent.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><LIST>
<HEAD><HI>Foi&s;ts.</HI> Two Tartans.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur du Que&s;ne</HI> is to Guard the Coa&s;t of <HI>Rochel</HI> with a Squadron of fourteen Ships.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Mon&s;ieur Martel</HI> to Command a Squadron of fourteen Ships for a Re&s;erve.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE>23 <HI>April</HI> 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="148" REF="87">
<HEAD>Letter XIX.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_MAdam,</HI> I now &s;end you a part of the New Books are lately publi&s;hed by <HI>Mon&s;ieur Barbin. The Beralde,</HI> of an unknown Author, you will find well writ. The Exiles of <HI>Madam de Velledieu,</HI> will divertize you extreamly; the Contrivances are well laid, and delicately handled; and that witty La|dy, all who&s;e Writings have yet gain'd ap|plau&s;e, will de&s;erve renewed Prai&s;es. I &s;end you likewi&s;e the Second Tome of the Works of <HI>Mon&s;ieur le Paiis.</HI> The former had great &s;ucce&s;s, be you Judge of this. I will &s;end to you within this eight days a new Book of <HI>Mon&s;ieur Menage;</HI> they are
<PB N="149" REF="87">farther Ob&s;ervations on the <HI>French Tongue</HI> Though a work is not always to be valued by its &s;ucce&s;s, yet may we judge of the worth of this by the general repute it has gained, &s;ince it is with Ju&s;tice it plea&s;es; and I doubt not but in a little time in &s;tead of &s;aying, <HI>Parler Vaugelas,</HI> (&s;peak, <HI>Vauge|las</HI>) to prai&s;e tho&s;e that &s;peak well, we &s;hall &s;ay, <HI>Parler Menage.</HI> This great man (for &s;o we may call him for his abundance of Learning) expo&s;es now all the different manners of &s;peaking which &s;ignifie, or which we would have &s;ignifie the &s;ame thing; he quotes all tho&s;e have made u&s;e of them, and after having given their true derivation, determines for the mo&s;t part in favour of Cu&s;tom, which he &s;ays is the Soveraign Ma&s;ter of Language, which we &s;hould mo&s;t apply our &s;elves to, and fol|lowing which, though we break the Rules, we yet &s;peak well. This deci&s;ion of &s;o fa|mous an Author, will be very profitable, and will in the future bring all the world to under&s;tand and &s;peak things in the &s;ame way, the contrary of which has been pra|cti&s;ed hitherto: for &s;ome knowing men have &s;poke according to Cu&s;tom, and o|thers
<PB N="150" REF="88">according to fancy, that is, &s;ometimes one way, &s;ometimes another, which in time has much ob&s;cured the Language. There|fore <HI>Madam,</HI> all <HI>France</HI> is much obliged to <HI>Mon&s;ieur Menage</HI> for the pains he has taken to teach them to &s;peak. Do but ob&s;erve the Authors he quotes: Mon&s;ieur <HI>Vauge|las,</HI> whom he often approves, and often condemns; Me&s;&s;ieurs <HI>Balzack, Malherbe, Sarazin, Vecture, Mamard, St. Amant, Bre|beuf, Ablancourt, Colletet, Gombaut,</HI> the Father <HI>Rapin, Racon, Mairet,</HI> the Father <HI>Chiflet, De&s;mare&s;ts, Gomberville,</HI> the Ab|bot <HI>Cha&s;teliu,</HI> the Abbot <HI>Sa&s;sy, Mereray, Sorel, Charpentier, Briauville,</HI> the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Vauce, Pelli&s;on la Mothe, le Vayer,</HI> the Fa|ther <HI>Bohours, Patru, Chapelain, Segrais, Ma|rolles, Ben&s;erade, Corneille, Dandilly,</HI> the Author of the <HI>Count du Gabalis, Bary, La Fountaine, Talleucant, Me&s;sieurs du Port Royal,</HI> and <HI>Madamoi&s;elle de Scudery.</HI> I have not ob&s;erved the degrees of the&s;e Great Wits, 'twould be too bold an Enterprize: Mon&s;ieur <HI>Menage</HI> has not ob&s;erved them, not having quoted them, but as he had oc|ca&s;ion of their Works to authorize his opi|nions. He has &s;poken of &s;ome a dozen
<PB N="151" REF="88">others, but their Worth being grown old, I thought it not nece&s;&s;ary to enlarge my Letter with their Names.</P>
<P>The King has given the Seals to Mon|&s;ieur <HI>D' Aligre:</HI> I have told you his Worth already, and his &s;undry Employs and Em|ba&s;&s;ies: His Maje&s;ty, at making him this Great Pre&s;ent, &s;poke much in his prai&s;e; letting, by what he &s;aid, all the World know the Confidence he had in him. It is to be ob&s;erved that a Chancellours Son was never before made Keeper of the Seal.</P>
<P>All <HI>Paris</HI> are running every day to the Fathers of the Oratory, to &s;ee the Mau|&s;oleum of the Late Chancellour, erected by the Contrivance of Mon&s;ieur <HI>de Brun,</HI> When I have &s;een it, I will tell you more, both of the Work and the Contriver.</P>
<P>The Phy&s;icians in a Body, and in their Doctors Habit, and having the Sieur <HI>Puy|lon</HI> their Director in the head of them, have been at St. <HI>Germains</HI> to complement the Three Principal Phy&s;itians to their Ma|je&s;ties. What a brave thing it is to have the&s;e Employments which bring Honour, and &s;omething el&s;e.</P>
<PB N="152" REF="89">
<P>The Equipages of the King, <HI>Monsieur,</HI> the Princes and Officers of the Army, are gone hence this Week. Never was any thing &s;een &s;o great, and for eight days all the Windows were filled with People, as at a Publick Entrance. Among this great number of Mules, Hor&s;es and Chariots richly covered, were to be &s;een four&s;core Waggons, who&s;e coverings were not &s;o rich and gaudy as tho&s;e of the Chariots, but they were better lined, and the Hor&s;es could hardly draw them. They were loa|den, as 'tis &s;aid, with what we call the Nerves and Sinews of War, and guarded with the Kings <HI>Gend'arms</HI> and Light-hor&s;e. The Covetous looked with greedy eyes on this great ma&s;s of Money: Mothers wi&s;h'd it for portions for their Daughters, Lovers to make Pre&s;ents to their Mi&s;tre&s;|&s;es, and Debtors to pay their Debts; In &s;hort, every one wi&s;hed to &s;upply his occa|&s;ions, and the lea&s;t intere&s;&s;ed had their thoughts too. That which was mo&s;t plea|&s;ant in it, was, that every one believed what he wi&s;hed for would not much le&s;&s;en the &s;um, nor do the King or his Armies any wrong; and yet had this Money been to be
<PB N="153" REF="89">di&s;tributed according to every ones wi&s;h, there mu&s;t many yet have remained un&s;ati&s;|fied, and not a denier of it gone out of <HI>Paris.</HI></P>
<P>If the Equipages during the la&s;t week have filled all the &s;treets of <HI>Paris,</HI> the old Ca&s;tle of St. <HI>Germain</HI> has been as full of tho&s;e who went to take their leaves of the King. The Amba&s;&s;ador of <HI>England</HI> has taken it for a long time, being to return to the King his Ma&s;ter; he is of the Hou&s;e of the <HI>Montagues,</HI> which is no le&s;s Honourable in <HI>England,</HI> then well known in <HI>France.</HI> He is a man of excellent Parts, of which the particular re&s;pect he has ever &s;hewn here to men of know|ledge, is a &s;ufficient Witne&s;s. He leaves them very melancholly for his departure, and &s;ome Ladies of very great reputation are &s;harers in their &s;orrow, with whom he u&s;ed to &s;pend the time he could &s;pare from the &s;erious bu&s;ine&s;s of his Imploy; he pre&s;ented to the King the <HI>Sieur de Godol|phin,</HI> who is to &s;tay with his Maje&s;ty during this Campaigne. The Amba&s;&s;a|dor of <HI>Savoy,</HI> the <HI>Swedi&s;h</HI> Re&s;ident, and the extraordinary Envoys of <HI>Mentz</HI> and <HI>Genoua,</HI> took likewi&s;e leave of his Maje&s;ty, and &s;o
<PB N="154" REF="90">did all the Sovereign Courts, and the Provo&s;t of the Merchants. All the Bi&s;hops that are here, were there likewi&s;e, and all per&s;ons of any con&s;idera|tion imitated them. The&s;e marks of re|&s;pect and love to the greate&s;t of Kings had never ended, if his Maje&s;ties Warlike ardour had not made him leave St. <HI>Ger|main</HI> &s;ooner then he intended. He is gone with a &s;mall Train; but he is gone to find an Army &s;o great, and numerous, that never any of his Predece&s;&s;ors &s;aw the like. His Maje&s;ty hath left the admini|&s;tration of Affairs to the Queen, with a Coun&s;el compo&s;ed of the Keeper of the Seal <HI>Villeroy le Tellier</HI> and <HI>Colbert.</HI> Their merit is &s;o well known, that I can &s;ay no|thing to their advantage, which will not be infinitely below it, or which has not been ten thou&s;and times &s;aid.</P>
<P>I &s;hould in my Letter concerning the new Modes have told you of &s;ome words, which though they be not new, yet are at pre&s;ent <HI>a la mode. Par toute Terre</HI> (thorough the whole World) is one of them, and when they would &s;peak highly of any thing that it is approved or plea&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>
<PB N="155" REF="90">They will &s;ay they talk of that <HI>Par toute Terre,</HI> That is liked <HI>Par toute Terre,</HI> That is approved <HI>Par toute Terre.</HI> The Gallants now &s;carce &s;peak fifty words without u&s;ing that ten times, as well as the word <HI>Violant,</HI> which is much wor&s;e applied to all they u&s;e it for, to &s;ay, That is trouble&s;ome, they will &s;ay, <HI>Cela e&s;t violant;</HI> to expre&s;s he has wrong, they &s;ay the &s;ame, and &s;eem to affect to make it &s;erve to expre&s;s things with which it has not the lea&s;t a|greement. I believe, <HI>Madam,</HI> you never heard of the like Foppery; tho&s;e who have hitherto invented new words or expre&s;&s;i|ons, have &s;tudied to make the be&s;t they could &s;ignifie what they would &s;ay. The Verb <HI>De&s;oler</HI> is no le&s;s <HI>a la mode;</HI> and now when any one would &s;ay, That another is truble&s;ome &s;he &s;ayes, <HI>Qu'elle la de&s;ole;</HI> when they would &s;ay, One is melancholly, they &s;ay, <HI>Qu'on e&s;t de&s;ole;</HI> and in &s;hort, they apply this word to any thing has any pain or trouble in it.</P>
<P>I cannot re&s;olve to clo&s;e this Letter, till I give you a Story I have ju&s;t now learned.</P>
<P><HI>Megius</HI> a learned man, and known by many fine works, was lately at a Ladies, his
<PB N="156" REF="91">friends accompanied with <HI>Bretius</HI> a young man of great wit, but who was not very forward in &s;hewing it, having been there a good while, and &s;aid nothing. This Lady (<HI>Megius</HI> his friend) was an admi|rer of A&s;trology, and believed &s;he knew &s;omething of it, which was enough to be|gin a di&s;cour&s;e of it. That brought on o|thers, and at la&s;t they talked of fixing of <HI>Mercury; Megius</HI> &s;aid, That if they would &s;end for &s;ome, he would fix it; &s;ome was pre&s;ently brought, and he did what he had promi&s;ed, to the Ladies great amaze|ment, and more to an A&s;trologers, her friend, that was with her. This preten|ded A&s;trologer asked him how he came to know what he had done, if he had learnt it by reading, if any one had &s;hewed it him; or if by &s;ome chance he had hit of it, or by Art had found out the &s;ecret. By one of the&s;e wayes indeed, an&s;wered <HI>Me|gius,</HI> I learnt what you have now &s;een me do; for look you there, &s;aid he, turning to <HI>Bretius,</HI> who had yet &s;poke only Mo|no&s;yllables, is he that taught me what I have now done; both the Lady and her friend pre&s;ently ca&s;t their Eyes upon him,
<PB N="157" REF="91">they viewed him from head to foot, and blamed them&s;elves in private, that his &s;i|lence had made him pa&s;s with them for a man of no Sen&s;e. They offered him now a thou&s;and prai&s;es, and &s;poke of him with admiration: In the remainder of the con|ver&s;ation, he made them perceive he had his &s;hare of wit; but in&s;tead of &s;atisfying their curio&s;ity in what they de&s;ired, he only told them things that inflamed them the more, and made them pa&s;&s;ionately de|&s;ire to unite a firm friend&s;hip with him. night coming on, obliged them to part &s;ooner then they would have done, for e|very one had his de&s;ign, as you will un|der&s;tand by the &s;equel of the &s;tory.</P>
<P>The A&s;trologer, whom I &s;hall here|after call <HI>Zoroa&s;tes,</HI> came to &s;ee <HI>Bretius</HI> the next morning, and expre&s;&s;ed &s;uch a vehe|ment de&s;ire to learn his &s;ecret, that the young man, who had long wi&s;hed for &s;ome body to make a Fop of, was mighty glad to have found one. <HI>Zoroa&s;tes</HI> on his part pretermited nothing might engage his friend&s;hip; pre&s;ented him, gave him great treats, and all yet to no purpo&s;e; for the young man, who had re&s;olved to make him|&s;elf
<PB N="158" REF="92">&s;port, and was mightily plea&s;ed with the&s;e treats, had the cunning to delay him &s;o long, till him&s;elf was almo&s;t weary of it. At length the day broke, which was to enlighten <HI>Zoroa&s;tes</HI> Knowledge, and all things being prepared, <HI>Bretius</HI> weighs a little Ball of Wax which he had brought with him, and which weighed almo&s;t no|thing, and put it into the  <GAP DESC="blank">  and told <HI>Zoroa&s;tes</HI> after having covered it, that it mu&s;t &s;tand two hours without being looked on, and that in the mean time he might go to his Clo&s;et, and ca&s;t a Figure to &s;ee if the work &s;hould have good effect. The two hours being run out, they found there very good Silver, at lea&s;t it appeared &s;o to the eyes of <HI>Zoroa&s;tes,</HI> who went pre&s;ently to &s;hew it three or four Gld-&s;miths, who affirmed it as good as any they had in their Shops. His Care&s;&s;es now to <HI>Bretius</HI> can|not be de&s;cribed; he almo&s;t &s;mothered him with kindne&s;s, and treated him like a man who was able to teach him a &s;ecret, by which he hoped to become ma&s;ter of more trea&s;ure then all the Kings of <HI>Europe;</HI> &s;wel'd with the&s;e hopes, he conjured him to give him where withall only to make
<PB N="159" REF="92">Silver. <HI>Bretius</HI> gave him one of his Balls, but it melted, and came to nothing with our A&s;trologer. Hecomplains to <HI>Bretius</HI> of it, who told him his curio&s;ity was the cau&s;e, which had made him too &s;oon remove the Cover, he did it over again with him, and it &s;ucceeded as before. <HI>Zoroa&s;tes</HI> was con|vinced, and one day tells the Prince of it, then again tell <HI>Bretius</HI> what he had &s;aid of him: The young man was in a Peck of Troubles, and was forced to acknowledge it was but a trick of Legerdemain, and to &s;hew him his cunning, and &s;o things &s;topt there. There are many people &s;uffer them|&s;elves to be cheated by &s;uch fine outward appearances. Me thinks, <HI>Madam,</HI> this Letter is &s;omewhat long; I know not whether it may divertize you, or whe|ther any of the former have plea&s;ed you: But I know I will u&s;e my endeavour to find out things &s;o plea&s;ant and delightful, that if it be po&s;&s;ible you &s;hall be &s;atisfied.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Paris</HI> <DATE><HI>May</HI> 1. 1672.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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</ETS>
