Aax. IIL Melanges d'lli.^foirc et de Litterature, 8vo. pp. 45ii 

raris, 1817. 

^T^His vohmie has never, we understand, been published; and 
it iri ;uxompanicd by no preface or notice which mi^^ht lead 
the reatk r to a knowledge, either of the auUior, or of the grounds 
ibr believuig in the authenticity of its contents. But having ac- 
cidentally obtained a copy, ana been infi>rmed at the stune tim€ 
of its history, we feel jua^tlfied in giving our readers an account 
of ity which there is no reason for believing will prove offensive 
in any quarter* 

■■I I I H W^ I I I > I I 

4eiD duo ridenda et male perconciliata.sunt. Fater, dico male per^ 
conciliata per illos qui tali expresserunt : nam vestre litere discretiua 
et consultius clausulate nicil de talibus continebant. estne bta revoca- 
tio glqriosa qua d. alL (i* e* Dantbs Allighsrius) revocatur ad 
patriam per mlustrium fere perpessus exilium ? hecne meruit con- 
scientla raanife=f;i quiburllbet? hcc sudor ct labor continuatus in 
fstndiis ? absit a viro philosophic domestico teineraria terreni cordi* 
huuiiiitiis, ut more cujusdam cioli et aliorum infamiam quasi vinctui 
ipse se patiatur offerri. absit a viro predicante Justitiam, ut perpes- 
sus injuriam inferentihus. velud beneraerentibus, pecuuiam buani sol- 
vat, non e5t hec via redeundi ad patriam, Pater lui, sed si alia per 
vos, auit deinde per alias iavenietur que fame d. (DanHs) que onoii 
sion deroget, iUam non Jentis passibus acceptabo. quod si per mil* 
]am talem Florentia tntraitur, nunquam Fkineiitiam introibar quid 
ni ? Doftne solis astrorumque specula ubique conspiciam ? nonne aul- 
cisstmes veritates potero specidart ubique sub celo^ ni prius ingloriunn^. 
imo ignoQiiniosum populo» Elorentineque civitali me raddam ? quip* 
pe panis non deficiet. 

* ISee Purgat. Cant. 11. towards Ibe end* 



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Melanges d'Histoire et de LUlerahtre, Sq>tp 



Tho editor and compiler is !Mr Qumtin Crawfonl, ft very re- 
spectable frentlcnian, of a Scotch family, hut who hn«? long been 
settfe<l at Paris, wliere lie is alike known tor hi:» Iiospitality ami 
the elegance of his litcraiy leisure. Haviii£r become p<i>sess- 
ed of the original pjipers, wlucli lorm the frroiimlwork oi 
volume, he appears to have justly thought that the press furnish- 
ed the best means of prcservintr them ; and we trnst that he will 
be further prtjvailetl upon to alJon the public at large access to 
them. Some of them are indeed curious and interestiug, in a 
high degree, to the lovers of Literary History, Those tracts 
which are not expressly stated to be the productions of others^ 
ve presume are written by Mr Crawford nbnselC 

The first (necerdates to Abelord and EU»sa,and the Paraclete. 
It consista of two modem letters upon th« story of those veoikir^ 
timate peraonsi written by a person whom Mr Crawford praises 
highly as a sound and sagacious critic, but does not name ; and 
oitwo antient epistles ham Petnis YeneralHlis, Abbot <^ Ooni^ 
to Elolsa^ together with a catalogue and short account of all the 
Abbesses of the Paradete, to the number of twenty*nine» j[usl* 

rcf^rded by the editor as only interesting to the families from 
which those holy persons sprung, and a few Papal Bulls respect* 
ing the sam:; establishment. ITie author of the two critictu let-' 
tei*s, rather triumphs a little too much over his unfortnnate pre* 
dccessors — upon his superior felicity and discernment in therec- 
tification of certain points of much antiquarian importance, 
chiefly connected with the grand matter of dates : But this is by 
immemorial usage the undoubted right of all criticks and anti- 

S»rics ; and we must allow him the praise of adding consider- 
ly to the knowledge hitherto {xissessed on the subject* The 
common story, indeed^ of Abclard being employed as a tutor 
to Eloisa, and his being punished as soon as her tmcle knew 
of her dishonour, is exceedingly remote from the truth- It i» 
well known that Ahelard was a pci'son of the very highest em\- 
ncnce in philosophy jind all the literature of his ag-c ; — that ha 
became enamoured of Eloisa, and tempted the avai ice of the 
old Canon, Hubert, witii whom she lived, by offering him a 
large board on condition of his taking him into the house;— 
that the Canon added to the bargain, the further oblisration of 
instructing his niece ; — and that upon her proving with child, 
they both made their escape, she iyini^-iii at his sister's, and he 
soon after retuminpr — apparently withtnit any loss of respect- 
to prosecute his slLidu\s, ainl continue his sclioul of piiilosophr. 

Our autlior fixes the date of her delivery in the year 1118, when 
she was eighteen, and he thirty-eight years old. He soon found 
mcaiu to u^jpease Ilubeiti by promising marriage; but Eloisa, 

I 



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MiUaigiei d'Histoire ei de Liiferaiwe* 



(as u'o know from one of those exquisite letters which Pope hnar 
iniitatfMl), * in u fit of romantic attachment, refused to be any 
thing more (or less) than his mistress, — and would not listen to a 
project which, according to the customs of the age, would iiaT(? 
put an end to tlie princi]inl occnprttton of his life. A secret niar- 
riap-e was then agreed upon, to satisfy the nncle, with whom she 
coDtiiufed to reside; while the lover pursnied his ordinary occu- 
pations — seeing her very seldom. At length some worthy nuns 
began to gossip, and to complain of tlie reverend canon's com- 
plaisance. He assurctl them of the marriage, which the lovers 
denied ; and this produced a quarrel with Hubert, and a second 
elopment of his niece. Our autln^r jodicionsly suggests, that 
the extreme unwillingness of Abelard to teriiiiiij?te all their tlilli- 
culties by a public marriage, and his sufiiiTing Eloisa to sacrifice 
herself for his advantage, may show tliat{as not unfrcquently hap- 
pens in such attachments) there wm more lore on her side than 
on his. Hie catastrophe followed to all probability soon alter 
the second elopment ; and five persons were engaged in it, be- 
side Huborty md a treacherous servant of Abelard's* Of thesey 
onl^ one and the servant were taken ; th^ suffered by the lex 
iakontst and had their eyes put out besides; and Hubert's goods 
were confiscated to the ijhurcb* 

Abelard, resolving now to retire fitm the world, made his un- 
fortunatie mistress do tlie same; though she seems not to hove 
finally made tip her mind for two years* She tovk the veil in 
1.122, at Argenteuil, after the usual noviciate of a year; and he 
soon after professed at St Denis. Being of a turbulent, austere, 
and even quan^elsome disposition, . he could not remain lon^ in 
this fraternity, but retired to a wild forest^ near Ni^ent-sur-Seme, 
where he founded tlie Paraclete, sometime between 1128 and 
1 130. Although, at first, he had only a log-house for a chapel, 
and a few miserable huts tor habitations, his great fame4ittracte<l 



* The closeness of the imitation in many places approaches to 
translation. — Wharton has cited part of the original of the celebrat- 
ed passage alluded to in the text ; but he has stopt short where the 
resemblance become?? strongest. — * Etsi uxoris nomen sanctins et vn- 
Jfdius videtur, dulcii;s tnihi semper extitit Amicae vocabulum, aut si 
non indis^oeris, Concubmaj vel Scorti. Deuni testeni invoco, si me 
Augustus, universo praesidtns iiiundo, mati iiiiunii honore dignaretur, 
totunique mihi orbein coniirniaret in |^>erpetuo prss^demluni^ clwius 
mihi et dignius mihi videtnr tqadioi Meretrix qtiam illius Imperatrix. ' 
Many of the amplifications of Pope upon the various parts of ^e 
original are to be found in the Count Bussy Rabutin^s publication of 
the Letters, and in die HiHoirecC Ih loise et (TAlfeilar^ Hague^ 1^3- 
^ if a'e may judge from the citations ia Baylc^ 



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$3A MManges^d^IIUtoire et de Lilierature. Sept^ 

•cholars^ Who ffoefeed around him, atid Idd tbe life of hennit% ' 
to receive hia instructions. In (diis situation, he was chdsoi 
Abbot of St Gildas de Rujrr, whither he immedifltely re> 
paired* Meantime Eloisa's convent was dissolved, by the ap- 
pr()]}riation of its lands to another hotise; and Abeiard invited 
her to become AU)ess of the Paraclete^ where she estal^ished 
hmelf with some other refuoeesi among whom were two nieces 
of his. At St« Gildas, to which he returned as soon as he had 
put Eloisa in possession of the Paraelete^ he,' as usual, quarrelled 
with his monks : — his misfortunes, indeed, seem to have soured 
his temper, naturally irritable* Peter of Clnni affbirdcd him 4 
retreat; and he died in that monastery, of a cii(;uieous disease, 
in April 1142, at the age of sixty-diree. Eioisa survivec] him 
twenty years, and died at the same age. Their only child> who^ * 
from his extraordinary beauty, was named Astrolabe, tot^k or- 
ders, obtained a canonry through the interest of the g(K>d Ab- 
bot of Cluni, and survived his father; but has left i;io further 
traces of himself in history. Some of Eloisa's le^rs speak of 
her anxiety for his advancement in tlie Church, with hercharao-^ 
teristic earnestness and warmth of affection. 

TJie remains of Abeiard were transported to the Paraclete by 
Kloisa's desire, and she was herself buried in the same coffin. The 
bodies were afterwards separated, but in 1779 they w ere attain unit- 
€il; and, in openiTiij the coffins, it was then obseiMHl that Abelard's 
bones were reduced to dust, except tlic skull, which was of an ex- 
traordinai y thickness ; that Eloisa' s were much better preserved ; 
that her skull was also peculiarly thick, and the teeth of a beau- 
tiful wliiteness. These remains were, during the RevolLition, 
carried to Paris, and were, till lately, in the Museum of Ancient 
MonuniciUs; but the piety of the i cstt)red goyernment has con- 
signed them to a more conseci ated place in the cemetery of Pere 
Lachaise. The following account of the Paraclete, when visit- 
ed by our author, may interest the curious reader; but we give 
4t as an example of belter regulations than are usually to be 
found in such establishments; and we may add, Uuii the nar- 
rative confirms an opinion entirtaiiied by nuniy, that such cloy- 
sters might, under pro})er management, be productive of ex- 
cellent effects, even in our times, provided voluntary residence 
could be reconciled with the infirmities of the human temper. 
The reader will perceive, that some partlculm are tpite at va« 
riance with the aecomit of a similar excnrston given m the An- 
nual Register for 1 768,-r-for instanoe, the statement in the latter, 
Uiat lione of the Inhabitants seemed to. know any thing, about 
the founders, or their adventares. 

* En entrant dans le parloir on salle de compagnie de Tabbess^* 
im yein^ tont frappes par plusiaurt portraits gravel d'AMUard et 



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d'Heloise ; eiie les a sur sa tabatiere et dans toutes les pieces de son 
appartement, meme au cbcvet tie son lit. J'entrai dans plusieui« 
cellules des religicuscs, ou Us mumes portraits domioent parmi leg 
crucifix et les reliques. Le Paraclet est, je crois, ddiiB ie luonde^ 
runique convent oCi les plaisirs et les malheurs de deux amans soient 
Oil Mijct uOQtiiitifil 4e reflexions ec de diBeotin. 

* Le monaiter est -chef d'ordre> iouiiiit k la regie de St B^oit* 
^ut ne prescrit aucune aiuterit6» el etu ftkt d'aiUean adoucie par lea 
modifications qu'j appoitat Abeillara. Les religieuses sont propre* 
meat et commodement logte, les murs bien blanchiSf les parquets eft 
les meubles d'un travail assez grossier, mais cir^ avec le mtoe soiii 
<jucla plus belle marquetcrie. Les lits m*ont paru horn ; on les gar- 
ni t Tete des rideaux de toile de coton blanche ; et I'hiver, de serge 
bleue. Les religieuses sont bien nourries, portent des chemises de 
toile quand elicii ies prefcrent k celles de laine, se couchent a huit 
ou neuf heures, se levent k quatre heares du matin en ^t^, et a six 
heures. en hiver, et out en tout cinque ou s»ix heures d'offices, a dif- 
fercntes ^poques de la journee. Le v^tement des religieuseS) sem- 
Uable dit*on i 'celm que portolt Hdoise» est asses amable; et 
^ttoiqu'elles aient la tkte rasSSe^ leur genre de coiffure ne deplait pas. 

* Lorsqu'une fiUe se presence pour £tre revise au Paraclet, ellif 
coimnence seion Tusage par mi noviciat ; aprds lequel on I'exhorte & 
bien consulter sa vocation ; et afin de lui donner line id6e infiniment 
juste du mondc qu'elle veut quitter, on hii en fait, autant qu'on le 
peut dans ce lieu, epT0Uv6r tous les agremens. D'abord on la laisse 
promener, autant qu'il lui plait, dans une garenne voisine du con^ 
vent. L'abbesse la mene diner chez le cure d'Avant, village a une 
lieue du Paraclet, et qui Icur fait la raeiiieui e chere qa*il peut. C*est 
de ce Cur^ lui-mDme que je tiens ces details qu i! me les ratfonta en riant. 
Quand la novice a ainsi pasjj6 le tenue de »on noviciat, si vucaLioii 
se soutienty on Tadmet k faire profession, et prononoer les Tceux« 
Ces victimes volontaim ne m*ont paru ni tttstes ni ftroucfaes. ^ 

Our author adds» that the tradition of the place is not very 
finrourable to the amenttjr of Eloisa's temper and manners in hef 
retreat, however exalted a notion it may give of the charms of 
her oonversation-^charms to which all accovmts bear witness! 
and, indeed, the remains of her correspondence themselves im* 
press lis with an extraordinary sense of her merits. The best 
judges, as is here remarked, have given to her style the preifer* 
ance over that of her friend and master, for purity and nutXL* 
ral grace. Her temper, like hi% was in all likelihood a£Eect- 
td by their calamities. 

' Tne letters of Peter of Cluni are curious specimens of monk** 
ish dbrrespond^ice^ Th^ are translated from the Latin, and 
begin, " Peter, himible Abbot of Cluni, wishes the eternal life 
wmch God has promised those who love him, to the venerable 
Abbess £loisa, bis vay dear sister in Jesus Qirist**' He ^ 
rot* XXX, K0« 60* A a 



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MSangeg tTHistoire tt de LktertOure*. 



• 

presses die greatest admiration of lier, and the mo&t entire de* 
▼otion to her service; but his Ivdy gallantry is of a very difFer" 
ent comptoxion from Abclai d's^ — ^for it i» the graces of tne ^irit 
alone that he has in contemplation. He appears to have made 

a visit to tlic Paraclete, and to have returned impressed with a 
wonderful reverence for her sanctity and talents. * A\'e knovr 
not, lunvever, if the minute particulars respecting Abelard, 
which he details in one of the letters, are wholly (hie to pious 
enthusiasMi. The good abbot probably felt, that he coiild not 
more acce}){!ibly serve his venerable sister than by dwelliug on 
a subject so dear to the woman as well as the nun. 

* La Providence qui dispose tie tout avcc tagesse, eu nous rcfusant 
cette faveur (viz. qu Ueloise fut de i'ordre de Cluni), nous en a ac- 
cords une semblable, en nous envoyant un autre vous-m€me ; c*est 
assez desi^er le Maitre, f ce grand sectateur de la philosopbie de 
Jesus-Clinst. J*ai incessamment son nom k la boiiche> et tottjoiirB je 
le prononce avcc un nouveau respect. La divine Providence I'avoit 
conduit ik Cluni dans les dcrniers annto de sa vie ; e'est le plus pre- 
cieux present qu*elle pouvoit nous faire. 11 me faudroit un long dis- 
cours pour vous rendre I'inipression qu*a faite sur tous nos freres sa 
conduite aiissi humble qu'edifiante : Non, je necrois pas avoir un son 
serablable en huinilite, tant pour les vetemens que pour le maintien ; 
je i'ubligeois a tenir le premier rang panni iiotre nombreuse commu- 
maxtt, et il paroissoit le dernier de tous par la pauvrete de son habit. 
Dans les processions comme il marchoit devant md, suivant la cou- 
tume, j'admirois comine^it un homme d*ttne si grande reputation pou* 
vent s^diaisser de la sorte et se m^priser lui-m^me. 11 observoit dans 
la nourriturc et dans tous les besoins du corps la mhne simplicitS que 
dans ses habits, et condaninoit par ses diseours et par son exemple, 
Ron'sculement le superflu, mais tout-ce qui n'est pas absolument ne- 
ccssaire. II lisoit souvent, prioit beaucoup, gardoit un silence per- 
petuel, si cc n'est quand il etoit force de parler, ou dans les confe- 
rences, ou dans les sermons qu'il faisoit a la communaule. II offroijt 
frequemuient le sacrifice, et nienie presque tous les jours, depuls que 
par mes lettres et par mes solficitations il avott H/k recoiieilid avec le 
Sunt-Si^ge. Que dirai-je davantage ? Sen e^rit, son cceur, toutes 
ses facultes etoient occupy de la meditationi ou de reposition el 
de renseignement des veiiU» de la reUgioo ou de la pbflpst^pliie. ' 

It is remarkable, that her person is by no means spoken of la 
raptures by him who should have prized it most hig^y. Com per 
^iciem non esset infima, per abundantiam litterarum erat suprema)** 

says Abelard himself. 

■f It was thus that Abelard was always named by the singular ve- 
neration of the age in which he lived* notwithstanding the broils ia 
wliich his temper involved hinu 



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1818. M&mig& ^Hittmre H de IMterature. 557 

• 

He then describes his having b^cn removed when he fell iJl, 
for a change of air, to the neighbourhood of Chalons. His laa^ 
lady increased; but he continued the same holy life; and, at 
last, ylcldetl up his breath in the midst of pious men, and in the 
performance of devout offices. * Avec quelle piete * (adds the 
trorwl A])hot), ' sivec quels scntimens de religion il fit d'abord sa 
coiitessioii dc tbi, puiscellr de ses peches ! Avec quelle saiiitc avi- 
dite il re^utle saint viatique 1 Avec tbi il ?i riH^onimande 

a iintre Seigneur son ame ef son corps ! 11 y u cu autant de te- 
moins de ces pieiix sentimens, qu'il y a de religieux dans le mo- 
nastere de Saint Marcel. Ainsi (he concludes) terniina sa car- 
riere ce fameiix Docteur, qui du haut de sa chiiii e a lait retentir 
sa voix jus(|u'anx cxtremitesde la terre. * Wo trust it may not 
be deemed ucrinic in the courts of romance, if u e a<l(i, that this 
distinguished sage und gallant, in point of fact, iiied of the itch 
or mange. ' Plus solito scabie et quibusdam corporis infirmita* 
tibiis gravabfltiur, * says the account in his works. It is remark* 
able, that no notice » taken of Astrolabe by Bayle i — Moreri 
makes mention of him. 

The next of these pieces is a dissertation apparently by the 
editor himself upon that quastio veaata the Man in the Iron 
Mask, All the evidence upon this subject is collected, and the 
diflferent opinions are stated and discmned. Among the^, one 
is truly astonished to ilud, that one so absurd as the conjecture 
of its being the Duke of Monmouth could have found a sii^e 
supporter among men of any pretensions to historical know- 
ledge; tor none but the class of literary men, of course, ever 
took pnrt in this controversy. The prisoner was detained in 
custody from 1661 till the time of his death in 1703 ; while Mon- 
mouth was going about in the English coin*t and array till 1685, 
when he was pubHckly executed in London ; and, supposins^- tliQ 
diflicnfty of t!ie <lnte to be f^ot over, \\ hat possible reason could 
the French Court have for cuntiiuntx him in order to secure the 
tranquillity of England and strengthen the title of King William 
and Queen Anne, with both of whom France was at war, — with 
the latter, indeed, at the moment of tlie prisoner's deatli ? — 
Common sense rejects some of the other explanations as plainly 
as the most ordinary historical knowledge does the supposition 
of Muumouth. Thus, wlio can listen to the notion of a certain 
Due de Beaufort second son <*f the Due de Vendome, a bastard 
of Henry IV. by the celebrated Gabrielle? Still mote ridiculoua 
is the fancy broached by Mr Dutens in his Correspondanee /«- 
terceptSe^ Uiat it was a minister of the Duke of Mantua, who 
had shown great skill in negotiations against the French interests, 
and whom, on ^at account, the French ambassador carried tfit 

Aa2 



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Mehngn d^HUtmre de IdUenUure* 



having invited him to a shooting party. It is mantfest tbatfloch 
tlieories would be absurd in Uie highest degree, even if support- 
ed by the most plausible appearancies of external evidence ; be* 
cause nothing can overcome the incredibility of the Couit tak- 
ing (he steps known to have been pursued towards this unhappy 
personage^ without some adequate motive; — and that can only 
be foiiTKl in the supposition of liis havinir been a man of »uch 
importiUK as to create eKtrenie alarm to the Govcrimicnt. All 
the probabihties are certamly in favour of his being a brotlier of 
Louis XIV., so like him Uiat his^ rescmbUmce would have made 
the dangerous dibtdosure. But whether he was a twin brother 
legitimately born, or an adulterous child of Anne of Austria, 
or her natural son bom so soon after Louis XlV'.'s death as to 
render his legitimacy possible, we can have no means ol decid- 
ing. Our author inclines towards tlie Lust opinion. The solu- 
tion of the question is not of very high importance : But it is 
of great moment to reflect on the state of a country subject to a 
goremment like that which could with unponily shut up in: dis^ 
tout dan^ns) and afterwards in the heart of its metropolis^ dur- 
ing a period of above forty years, an imfiTidual so distingoished» 
that his jailor, always a person of high rank and trusty served 
him with his own hands ; that durinsr so long a titse this victim 
should have been compiled to hide his face * on pain of instlmt . 
death* which the ^uard had orders to inflict by firing en him 
when he went to mass if he showed himself ; that no public 
mention should ever have been made of the incident, until Vol* 
taire, many years afterwards^ told the story; that though miUiy 
persons saw acts of violence committed in securing him, the sub^ 
ject should have so long been confined to whispers ; and that se>» 
veral persons should have been found dead suddenly, after acci- 
dentidly being placed in situations where they micrht have made 
the important (li'=;rovprv. This is the state of things to which 
many of our wise politicians bid us cast our eyes as tranquil and 
happy; this is the kind of government which is deemed by them 
as far preferable to any change* and most of ail to the change-. 
efiectcM^l by the Revolution. 

This tlissertation upon the Iron Mask is foflQwed by a num- 
ber of short pieces, contaiiling anecdotes and reflections 
various political and historical subjects. There is none of these 
tracts that require particular attention, unless it be one upon 
the fortunes amassed by Ministers of State iu France. iVii exact 
^c^lsition makes the sum* got and spent by Cardinal Mazanu 
during hii|.|idministration, inchiding his buildings, foundations, 



* Tlie mask was not of iron, but of black velvet clasped with StCfl 
aad a hiugei t>y m&w ^ whi^ii h« «9uld <?ftt. 



4 



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ISIS. MOanges d^Histoire et de LiUeraiure, 9S9 



portions to relations, and money left to his heirs, amount to tlie 
enormous sum oi 8,333,333/. Sterling, (two hundred millions ofli- 
vres). Dubois, at his death, enjoyed an income of above J 1 0,O00/« 
a>yeaiv in which our author includes a pension of 4-0,0QU/. trom 
England, whicli he appears, we know not upon what autlioi i- 
ty, to think was unquestionably paid to this profligate wrctclu 
How noblv does Flcury appear anion^ such scenes of rapacity, 
confimng himfldif to SOM* a year» with all the revenues of the 
State aod Church at his diq>osal during a long and prosperous 
ministry ! It seems even the virtuous Sullv had above SOtOOoL 
a year, in places and church preferment held by him notwithv 
standing his being a prolestant; a sum equal to €0 or 7(>»000^ 
in the present cby. Colbert* hom the many hin^ offices united 
in his penoQ} is reckoned to have- had nearlv as much; beside 
the large sums which he oecasionaUy recdved from the King» and 
which were equal to his other appointments. Le Tellier and 
Louvois had revenues and emoluments upon the same enormous 
scale ; and our author estimates the gains of five ministers include 
ing Colbert, during fbrly-two years of Loub XIV/s reign, at two 
hundred millions* Theae>men are above all suspLcion of faanng 
ttwed their fortune to peculation or illegal exactions ; but the 
result is, that they and Mazarin together, received from the peor 
pie of France for their ministerial services about seventeen miW 
lions sterling being a sum equivalent perhaps to fifty millions in 
this country and at the present day. A cardinal who had no 
legitimate family whose inheritance could gratify liis vanity, might 
now and then seek to perpetuate his name by endowments w a 
charitable and religious kmd ; but laymen spent the sums thus 
obtained in the usual wm. Thus, Louvois spent above half a 
million upoa a house, ft is probable that Milton may have had 
< these things in his eye, rather than what he «aw at home, when 
lie said that the trappings of a monarchy would suf!ice to set up 
a commonwealth. It seems, however, that such gains were re- 
■servcd for the Prime Minister; — in Louis XV.'s reign, at least, 
13 e find the salary of Secretary of State only about 6000/. a year, 
nnd those of Comptroller-General, Chancellor, and l^eejp^ of 
ahe Seals, at from 5500/. to 6500/. 

Wo now come to the last, the longest, and by far tlie most 
/curious of tliese miscellaneous pieces. It is a kind of irregular 
Journal kept by a certain Madame du Hausset, femme-de-cham- 
bre of the celebrRted Madame Pompadour, and occupies about 
170 pages of this volume. The E<iitor properly introduces it 
by stating tlie luajuier of obtaining it. Al. Marjp;iii, it scem% 
brother of the royal favourite, was one morning burning some old 
|)ap€(r^ when a friend of (lis, M. de Senac de Meillian, caUecj 

4 

0 



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360 Melanges tCHisloire et de LUlcraiw e, bapu 

upon liiiti. The former happening to say, * Here is a joiimal 
of my sister's waitiiig-maid, who was a very worthy person, ' — 
M. de Senac saved it iVoni the flames, and asked him tor it, to 
which he assented. Mr Crawford purchasct? it from diis gen- 
tlein:i;i; aiu! loiind it iiJ written and l)4idly ^})ek, without any 
arrftnii;eineiu, and, as might be supposetl, full of defects in style; 
for, though a gentlewoman, Mad. dq Haiissct was but ill edu- 
cated. In the present publicatiqn nothing has been changed 
exc;:pi the orthography, and some of the proper names, which 
-were confounded. §}ie begins by mentioning, that she kept the 
Journal at the requt'st of a friend, who was a woman of ta* 
lents, niid who wished her to write a book after the manner 
of Mad« de Caylus's Souvenirs^ Her intention was to give her 
friend the Journal, that it might be made more like its model. 
But we cannot help rejoicing tliat things took another course ; 
for the work appears now in all the simplicity of its original 
^composition ; and one advantage, among many, which it de- 
rives from thence, is the air of natvdi and honesty that }ior~ 
vades itall, and gives the reader an csitire confidence m its truth. 

Of course we do not mean to give any general account of the 
King's private habits — of his decorous visits in secret to Mad. 
de Po»ii]xidour — of his seraglio at the Pare aux Cerf^, where he 
generally enrricd on intrigues of an inferior de>.scription — of liis 
mistress*s alarnih lest other persons of rank might su})plant her, 
while slie had hardly ever any jealousy of those low amours — 
or of the kind ot liie generally which was led by tlio principal 
pr'rsons who are mentioned in this piece. We shall only select 
%om^ of the most interesting })articulars which are to be found 
in it ; preferring those which throw light cither upon remark- 
able men, or upon the administration of the French government 
in Ibnucr times, to tliose jxissages wliich only gratify an idle, 
curiosity. 

One -of the fortunate circumstances attending this journal is, 
jfchat Madvdu Hauisct happcneil to be mistress of die celebrated 
Quesnay, the founder of the sect of the Economists. He was, 
as is well known, a distinguished phpician, and began to prac- 
tise physic at Nantes, from whence* he accompanied the Due 
de Viilcroi to Farb, as his medicai attendant. There, as Mr 
Crawford informs us in a valuable note, he happened to be in 
the Duke's carriage when Mad. d'£strades, M«de Pompadour^a 
favourite, atid d'Argenson's mistress, was taken ill with an ^i- 
leptic attack.; and being called in, he concealed the nature of 
llie malady with such discretion from all the fiunily, that she 
recommended him to her powerful friend, wlio made him her ^ 
jph3'8tci(in^ and obtained for him a pl^ce at C!ourt, as irdl a^ 



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iBlS. MUoiiges (Tllisloii e el de Lkterature,' 361 

apartments at Versailles. He was the son ol' a |)!(uio-liinaii : and 
liaviiif^ passed his early years in tlie counlrv, n Uiiiied ior it<? 
pntNuits a strong predilection, whicli perhaps lielped to bias his 
j)c>iilieal doctrines. His disciples or f()IIovvers, tlic Kconfiinists, 
reverenced liiuk as the ancient philosophers did the fnuudcrs of 
their sects ; they caUed him * /c MaUre^ ' and used to say * le 
MaUre Va flit. * Of a most active and indefatigable nature, he 
required new food ior his mind, juid brpran to cuhivate the nui- 
theinatical sciences with success, wlieii lie was upwards of seven- 
ty. Ho died in I??*, i\t the age of eighty: and the Marcjuis 
cle Mirabcjui (distin^uishctl by the name of Mirabeau here from 
bis well-known son) pronounceti a funeral discourse u])on him 
to a ;^reat assembly of Economists in dee}) mourninfj. Onr au- 
thor terms it a ' chel-d'u,Hivre d'absurilite et de ridicule. ' He 
adds the following particulars respecting this celebrated per- 
soiiiige. 

* Quesnay avoit beaacoup de gaieti et de bon hommie ; il se plaisoit 
dans la conversation k faire des especes d'apologues qui avoient en 

generale pour principc quelque objet de la .campagne. II dissertoit 
avec beaacoup de chaleur sans envie de briiler. Loge dans un petit 
nppartement qui tenott de tres pres h celui de Mad. de Pompa£>ur, 
il y recevoit quelques gens de lettres et quelques personnes de la cour. 
On y parloit trcs-librenicnt, mais plus des choses que des personnei* 
Le roi fappeloit son pcustvtr il lui accorda drs lettres dp noblesse; 
et voidant lul-menie composer ses armes, U fit mettre sur I'ecusson 
la fleur apj^elee jjcuscc, * 

It is singular how complete on account of a man, pleasing 
and evesk delightiiii in society* these few particulars contaui ; and 
tha|; this character was possessed by (he founder of the Econo- 
mists, we were certmnly little prepared to expect. Every tiling 
relating to him in the Journal, however, confirms the remarks « 
the Editor^ and only makes us regret that more is not known of 
Quesnay, — perhaps, too, that he did not apply himself more to 
lighter studies. Mad. du Hausset introduces In'ni to our notice 
at the very beginning of her narrative, with iier ii<;!ia! simpli- 
city. * J*etois dcvenue en peu de temps I'amie du docteur 
Quesnay, qui venoit souvent ]vas*^er deux ou trois heures avec 
nioi. 11 recevoit chez lui des personnes de tons Ics j-jartis, mais 
on petit nombre, et qui toutes avoient une tres grande confiance 
on lui. On y parloit tres-hardimcnt de tout; et cp qui liiit leur 
elou:e ct le sien, jamais on n'a rien rcpete. * — ' Quclquefois, mais 
rarement, j'ai voyage daiis sa voiturc avec le docteur, n cjui Ma- 
dame (de Pompadour) ne disoit pas quatre paroles, (jiioitpie ce 
fut un houmic (I'mi grand esprit. * Mr Crawford mentions the 
Doctor's way of amusing himself in society, by conveying hii 



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S6^ Mdangei d^HisUnr$ et de fMteraime^ Sef»t 

arguments, or giving instriu tions, in the form of fables. Mad. 
du Haiisset has in this .Unirnal pj'cscrvcd one ot* these, which 
is interesting enough, Irom the econoniical tinge of the ideas. 
We shall extract the passage, as it shows, nioi er, the way 
in which this singular little groupe, the King, the jnitsUiisb, the 
maid and the phih)M)pher, idl livwl together. 

* Le Roi sortit pour alier a la tigiierie avcc Madame, et bientot 
aprt^^ entra Quesnay, ensuite M. de Marigni. Je parlai avee raepris 
de qaelqu'un qui aimoit beaucoup fargeat; et ie docteur s'etant 
mis a rire, dit : " J'ai fait un drole de reve cette nuit. J'etois dans 
le pays des anciens Germains ; uia iiiaison itimi vabte, et j'avuis 
d€s tas de bl^j dc& bestiaux en gri^d noinbre» et de grandk ton* 
Beaux pleins de cervoise ; mais je souffirob du riieumatisme, et ne 
mvois comment faire pour alter a dnquante lieues de ia.i one fon<* 
^ne dont I'eau me querirdt. II falloit {mui chez un peiqple etranger. 
Un enchanteur parut et me dit : Je suis toucfa4 de ton emban as ; 
tiensy un petit paquet de poudre de Prdit^npin / toua ccva^ a 
qui voua en dooneraa, te logeront, te nourriront et te feront toutes 
sertes de politesses. Je pris la poudre et le remerciai bien. " All I 
Comme j'aimerois |a poudre de prelinpinpiny lui dis-je ; j*en voudroia 
avoir plein mon armoire. " Eh bien, dit le docteur, cette poudre, 
c'est I'argent que vous nieprisez. Dites moi de tous ceux qui vien« 
nent ici quel est celui qui produit ie phis d'effet ? ** Je n'en sais rien, 
lui dis-je. " Eh bien ! c'est M. dc Montmartel * qui vient quatre 
ou cinq fois I'an " — Pourquoi est-il consider^? " Parce qu'il a des 
coflfires plein de prtUttpinpn " (il tira quclques Louis de sa poche) 

tout ce tjui LJviste est renferme dans ces petit^s pieces, qui peuvent 
vous conduire commedetneot au bout du raonde. Tous les homm^ 
tfWBsent k ceux qui ent cette poudre, et s'empreiieBl de les servir* 
C'eat m^riser le bonheuft la liberty, les jouiannoes de t»«t i^enre, 
que de Blepfiaer I'lligentt " Un cordon bleu passa loua lea ftnetrea; 
fBt je dis : Ce, seigneur, eat bien plua content de son cordon que de 
isiille et niil}e de vpa pieces— Quand je demande au roi une peiir 
|ion,*' reprif; Que(HM|y< " C est cpmme ai je lui disois: Donnez moi 
jm moyen d'avoir un meilieur diner, d avoir un babit piua chauds une 




peuple me reparderd'un ceil betement admirateur, et se ranger devant 
moi ; je voudrois biun, quand ^'entre dans une chambre, faire un effet 
^t fixer I'attention de gens qui se moqui roui peut-etre do moi u mon 
depart, je voudrois bien etre appele IVJouseigneur par la multitude. 
Tout cela n'est^il pas du vent I Ce ruban ne lui servira de rien dang 
l^resque toua les pa^s ; il ne lui donne aucune puissance : mais 

* Alora banquier de la cour, qui laiasa une fortune de tmte^deoi 
":ops sen nla le Marquis de ftunoy*— £d 



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1818. Mehfiges d'Histoire et de Litteralure* ' S65' 

pieces me dotmeut jKiriout ks moyens de secourir les malhcureux- 
Vive la toute-puissarUe poudre de prelinpinpin ! " A ces dernieri* 
mats on entendit rire aux ecUUs dans la piece d a cot^, qui n etoit 
^paree aue par one portiere. La porte etant ouverte, le roi entra 
avec Maaanaey et AL de Gontant. U dit> Vive la poudre de prtUnpin' 
pin ! docteuTy pounriez vous m'eii procurer ? Le roi 6toit entr^, et il 
M avoit pris fantaisie d'ecouter ce que Ton disoit. Madame fit dea 
grandes amitite au docteur, et le roi, riant et parlant de la poudre 
avec eloge, sortit. Je m*en allais et le docteur aussi. Je me mis 
aussitdt k ecrire cettc conversation. On me dit depuis que A]. 
Quesnay etoit fort instruit de certaines choses qui ont rapport aux 
finances, et qu*il 6toit un grand Econnn?r^te : Maif? je ne ?ais pas trop 
ce que c'ept. Ce qu'il y a de certain c \ st <|u'il avoit hccmcoup d'e- 
sprit ; il etoit fort gai et fort plaisant, t r trt s habile medecin. * 

The sect of Quesnay, ius is well known, wwc vt^ry far from 
being enthusijiiits on certain subjects which lill oitiinary men 
with anxiety and deligiil; they were no lovers of liberty; on 
the contrary, a regular despotism, * despotisme Icgal^ * was tlie 
government of which they rather approved. 80 ignorant hns 
been the clamour raised against them by senseless partisans in this 
country, and even in France, w^here they have been ridiculously 
confounded with the promoters of the Revolution. But, erro- 
neous as their views were upon some ol those great questions 
which most nearly concern the lia})piness<)f mankind, they could 
ill brook, in the government, any base or sordid artiiices, incon- 
sistent with, and inimical to publick morals. Quesnay is repre- 
sented as always ready boldly to bear testimonv to the tnuli on 
such matters, even within the precincts of tiie court. Thus tlie 
Joumah giving a pretty minute <letail of the method pursued 
systematically by the government to obtain the conUiUs of let- 
ters sent by post, anil which had grown into a regular depart- 
ment, with a superintendant and six or seven clerks. Mad. du 
Hausset adds — * Le docteur Quesnay, pkisieurs Ibis devantraoi, 
s'est mis en fureur contre cet hfamc iniiiisterc^ commc il Tappo- 
loit ; et a tel point que TccuDie lui venoit a la bouche. Je ne 
dinerois plus vok>nliers avec I'intendant des pcstcs qu'avec le 
bourreau, disoit le docteur. ' * II faut avouer (.^Iie adds natu- 
rally enough), que dans Tappartemei.t de la maitre«se du roi il 
est etonnant d'entendre de ptrrcils propcs; et cela a dure vingt 
ans sans qu'on en ait parle. C*etoit la probite qui parloit avec 
vivacite, disoit M. de Marigni, et non i'humeur ou la malveil^ 
lance t^ui s*exhaloit. ' 

Upon another occasion, she relates some inRirniation which 
she had from this upright and able ivian, respecting v. hat had 
recently passed between the King and several ol his most powTr- 
ful piipisters. At the time, no doubt, tlie ajiecdotc bofc thq hi^h^ 

i 



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S64 Melanges d;llisluty€ ti de Lille) alttre, i^ept. 

estviiliio: but tlic miiiislcrc nnd their masUM' too v.rc now almoM 
ft)r£!;ott('ii : and the r.iR'tdott' \v,}.s lost its interest, oi* im]\ retains 
niiy importance from the eii eumstance of a trnly eminent person 
havinix related it, and hcin.'>- tlius aeeidentr.llv brouifht into our 
view. * A'rYila fsays tlie JournaHst), cc (|Uo le roi avoit dit, ce qu6 
nicconlia men ami Quesnny, qui etoit, par paranthese, un i;r;uid 
frenie stiivant Pcniinion do tons ceiix (jni I'avoit connn, et de phis 
un honnne Ibrt ii,ai. II ainioit cnnM r avec moi de lacaujpagne; 
j'y avo!< ete eh'vee, et il me faisoit pui lcr <les herhai^es de Nor- 
inandie et du Poitoii, de hi riciicsse des ferniiers, et ile la inaiiiorc 
de ciihi> ( r. C'etoit le nieilleiir honnne du monde, et cjui etoit 
euiigr.'- de la plus petite intri<rue. 11 ctoit bien plus occupe a 
la cour (ie la meiiieure maniere de cultiver la terre que de tout 
ce qui sV passoit. * She jidds, that M. de la Riviere was the 
man whom he eNteeme{! the most, and whose cnpaeity he tluniirht 
the liip;ht»st; d{*cminf^' him the oiily fit person tor the adniims- 
tration of the /inances. The reader is aware, that this able iiii- 
liister, who had been Jviciulant at Marti niqiir, was the most 
early, and ainoji*j[ the m{)st distinguished loiiov\ers ol Qiiesnnv. 

Qucsnny ap|)ears, like the rest of his seet, to have been im- 
pressed witii a ]M>cnliar dislike and tlread of the bigotted party 
in France. \\ hen they had faiU^l in their attempt to make the 
King dismiss IvLulame de Pompailom', after the ailair ol' Daniiens, 
thevnieaidypaid the utmost court to her, though in private: They 
came in great numb<Ms to wait irjion her; and female tlevotccs 
were pernli'jrly anxious to show their respect. ' The doctor 
made himself very merrv, siiys our authoress, with this chan"c of 
operations ; and, when 1 urged in delence of those good ladies, 
that thev miuht, after all, be sincere, Ave. sitid he, but then thev 
raust take care how they ask lor anything;' — a siigacious re- 
mark, which we reconnnend to the attention of our statesmen iu 
the present day, to those especially wlio may turn their minds 
towards the political history of the rat species. About this time. 
Mad. (hi Ilaussct reliiie^ a curious conveisation respecting the 
Daupiiin, afterwards Louis XA'l., occasioned by t lie fears of the 
philoj-e'])hei-, that perseaition would revive. * Un jour j'etois 
chez le docten.r (^uesnay pendant que Madame etoit a la C(.>me- 
die. Le Marquis de ^liiabeau y vint; et la conversation fut 
queique tems fort ennu\ eiise }Knir moi, n'y etant question que du 
produit net ; enfin on ]iarla tl'autros choses. ' As the ahiiins 
-^vhich occupied them h:ive been more than falsified by the event, 
we need not give the conversation : but Quesuay's opinion of the 
J)auphin is worth recording. He thought him virtuous ami 
full of gcHni intentions, and a man of j)arts, but likely to be ruled 
by the bigots; and he expected that the Molinisls and JansenLsts 



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1818. Melaftges d'Histoire et de Lilleraiure. 365 

would unite ngalnst tlio i)}iilosoplicrs, and he sup])orted by the 
new Queen, Marie Anioinette. A savinir of M. du Muy, that 
Voltaire deserved the ])uiil<linu"nt of death, ahirined him with 
tlie prospeet of a })ersecuting reiirn ; and lie added, that he 
hoped he sliould not live lon*^ enoua;h to see those evil days. 
Tiiere is niueh oood sense in IMirabean's remark upon tliis oc- 
casion. He said, the philosophers on their side were pushing 
matters too far ; and they both agree in conunending a hrte say- 
ing of Duelos — ' Ces philosophes en feront tant qu*iis me force- 
ront a aller a vepres et a la grande messc. * They all agreed, too, 
in regarding the continuance of Louis XV.'s reign as of extreme 
importance to the cause of toleration and liberality ; but a little 
incident occurred, which one should have thought calculated to 
give .th<»n some doubts of that monarch's gentleness, where he 
was himself concerned, and even to create a suspicion, that their 
favourite ivnrm of government, absolute monarchy, was not al- 
wajfs safe for philosophers, any more than for the bulk of man- 
kind. One day Quesnay came in all in despair. Mirabeau had 
been suddenly carried oif by the agents of the best of possible 
(Systems, and shut up in the castle of Vincennes, for some ex- 
pressions in his work on Taxation. The constitutional means of 
redress adopted on this melancholy occasion, according to the 
true principles of the most perfect government, are worthy of 
notice; the more so, because, as extremes often meet, it happens, 
th«t, in our times, siome of the lowest and niost ignorant under- 
standings in the world are recommend ini; France to l eiiew the 
verv same order of thin«rs which thev ajjfroo with the truly en- 
lightened Economists in holding to be the pui cst kind ol consti- 
tution. First, Mad. de Mirabeau was to ' throw herself at Mad. 
de Pompadour's feet ; ' — these are Quesnay's own exj)ressions. 
Then he himself, through the /cm me-de'c// a nibrr, interceded with 
the sanu^ illustrious lady ibr his noble and philosophical friend; 
and the conversation is given at full length. At first, th(* 
worthy concubine was i)leased to s])eak favourably of the Mar- 
quis, and to observe, that his work I' Ami firs Hommes had 
clone him credit. At this moment o])portunely entered the 
Lieutenant of the Police, of whom she asked whether h.e had 
read the new book on Taxation. Yes, said the Lieutenant, — 
but justly deeming himself officially an object of suspicion, he 
added, that it was not he who had denounced the autnor. Be- 
ing further asked his opinion of it, he cited the passage which 
seems to have caused the arrest. It is simply h remark, that 
the King, with 20 millions of subjects, could not obtain their 
services Tor want of money. At this the dear lady takes the 
alann — ^ Quo! 1 il y a cela, docteur ? ' she exclauns. He trijes 



Melanges d'Histoire et de LiUercUure* 



to soften her, and succeetls ; — ^the King arrives, and the doctor 
retires, leavin<j her to ur^e his snit. She found the King, we 
arc told, turiuivs against Mirabeau, but did all she could to ap* 
pease hini, and was seconded by the Lieutenant. 

It seems that Quesnay never was ea^ in the King's presence^ 
•^-oot from bosfafulnetfy out from a kind of foar, whioi is thus de- 
scribed : * Ud Jour le roi lui parlant ch^ moi| et le doeteur ayant 
I'air tout troubl^, apres que le roi fAt sorti, je lui dis-^^ Voug aves 
Fair embarassc devant le roi, et cependant il est si bon 1 * M»« 
dame, m'a-t-il repondu, je suia dorti a quarante ans de mon iriU 
iogey et j'ai bienpeu d'experience du monde, auquel je m'habitue 
difiicilement. Lorsqne je suis dans une chamore avec le ra» 
je me dis, voiU un homme qui peut roe faire cooper la t«te» et 
<ette id^e me trouble. ' She urges conaolatory topics, taldi^ 
his expressions Uterally^' Mais la jnstice et la bont6 du roi ne 
devroient-elles pas tous rassurer ? ' He answers, that the a{- 
fsit is one of feeling, and not of reason : — and the Editor, in • 
note, seems to take it much in the sense of xhjifomme-^erchambrc^ 
only tliat his remedy is of a more constitutional description : he 
argues that, by law, no King of Fraace can cut off any man's 
head without a trial. It is singular enough, that neither Mad. 
du Haussct nor Mr Crrnvford sliouid have reflected on the pre- 
ceiling story of Mirabeau's arrest for puttm;^ the King in a pas- 
sion by a remark upon the principles of Uixation ; they might 
there have })erceive({ the ground of Quesnay 's alarms, whichue 
described with a little jocose exaggeration. 

We trust our readers will easily pardon lis for having dwelt 
so long upon tlie subject of this excellent peison. The ser- 
vices wlilcli he has rendered to science and to inankiiid are 
worthy of a greater iame than he enjo}^. Without adopting 
the opiiiii)ns of the sect which he founded, opinions in many 
respects erroneous, but chiefly from being pushed too far, 
we cannot hesitate in ascribing to his theory the high merit 
of having first given to pdliticu economy the fonn ot a regu- 
lar science; of Laving begun the destruction of the mercan- 
tile system, which Dr $mith .completed; of having turned the 
attention of statesm«it as well as theorists^ to the paramount 
importance of agriculture ; and, above all, of halving first put 
rulers out of .ooncdt with too much govenung. The ridicule 
cast upon Qnesnaj's sdiool by persons ignorant of its great me- 
lits, chiefly by mere men of the world, would be hardly wordi 
our notice^ but that it shows itself a litde in some of Mr Craw- 
ford's comments* The sight of a real sect of philosophers, ac- 
knowledging a master, bound together by a community of prin* 
cipjci^r as well as by private friendship, and devoted to the pro- 



1816. 



Mikmgn tTMisi&ire H de LUteraiuu. 



867 



pagation of thoie tenets with enthudasnr, had in it somethmg 
•trange^ which easiW becaine Ittdicrous, in the polished and gay 
court near which they sprung up. But while superficial men 
made themselves mer^ at thmr expense^ the more rational ob- 
aerrer could not fail to respect Ihem for their -merits and their 
▼hrtueSi and to be interested in Uie revival of a kind.of con- 
nexion li^ known in modem times, but &mous for having first 
planted and cultivated philosophy among mankind* The Eco- 
nomists were, in rtellty, and not merely in appearance, a sect 
of philosophers; th^ acted from honest zeal tor the truth, and 
not from iadiion, eccentric tastes, or the love of singularity; 
their sole object was to enlighten and improve mankind ; and to 
them, among political inquurers, belongs the rare praise of hav- 
ing first pointed out the natural order of things, or the observed 
course or nature in the conduct of the world, as the example 
and guide of human polity. 

Secta fiM servare modum, finemfue tuerif 
I^aiMTampu: sequt^ vitamqug impendere vm, 
Nec dhi sed toto genitum se credere nmndo. 
In the course of this article we have seen several notable 
lustrations of the manner in which the most important af!airs 
were managed under the tranquil, regular and legitimate go- 
verilment of the Bourbons as long as they owed their crown 
solely to divine right, and had no occasion jto think of their sub* 
jects. The sycophants of those days, as well as of the present^ 
called it paternal i but it should seem that the interests of tlie 
dear children were somewhat less attended to than the whims of 
the tmttress^ a sort of stepmother whose power was so great and 
whose interference so continual, that we marvel no one ever 
atarted against the phraae gouvememerUpaiemelf that of gouvernc^ 
mem de mardtre. The following passage deserves to be extract- 
ed as carryinc^ with it decisive evidence of the gross misman^e* 
ment of publick afliiirs, wherever the people have no voice. 
Jt is a specimen of tiie manner in which the wheels of govern- 
ment are moved when left to the Prince's sole direction. It is 
in fact the history (but, of course, the secret history, for in such 
states there can be no other) of a great chaiiire of ministry ; 
the dismissal of a Keeper of tile Seals, and a cViief Minister of 
State. We therefore humbly recommend it to the diligent peru- 
sal of the Lords Eldon and Castlereagli, who are suppcsod to 
feel oar rustic mode of governing by parliaments, trials by jury 
and a free press, as somewhat cumbrous and burthensome. By 
way of preface, we should mention that ihc ilvie when the follow- 
ing drama begins, is immediately alter Damien's attc-in])t on tlie 
Kmg's life, when the efforts made by the pa ?ii dcvot to procure 
the &vourile's diimiiifMd had iieariy succeeded. The £lace is the 



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I 



3QB Melanges (CHktoire et de LtHenOure. Sept. 

favourite's room ; the actors npeak for themselves, and the ac- 
tion takes up abmit two days. All the rules of the drama are 
well observed. As tlic laii^uai^e of the original is not the Law 
French known to tlie Chancellor, and as it diifers as widely, bodi 
in genders, grannnar and vocabulary from that French which our 
Foreign Secretary is said to talk with great fluency and impertur- 
bable boldness — being in short still further removed from his 
Lordship's French than his parliamentary discourse is from the 
vulgar tongue, we feel the necessity of departing from our usual 
plan, and giving a tnmslatlon of the original scene, for tlie be- 
nefit of those noble |)eL*sonnges; bat it shall be a faithful and 
even a literal one. 

' (Enter, first, Mad. La Marechale de Mirepoix, confidante of Pom- 
padour ; and on coming in she immediately begins) — 

Mad. lie M, VVliat's the matter, Ma'am? What are ail those 
packages ? Your servants say you are going. 

Mad, de Pompadour. Aias ! My dear friend, tlie Master* will havs 
it so, according to Mons. de Macbarvt. -f- 

Mad. de M, And w hat advice did he give the King ? 

Mad. de. P. That I should go witliout delay. Hausset ! (ealling 
to tlie ^hiid — who conies in and undresses h^r, that she may be more 
a> her ease upon the sofa.) 

Mad. de M, He wishes to have it all hia own way, this Keeper of 
ours, and he is betraying you ; whoever leaves the table loses the gamer 

(Enter the Abh6 de Bernis, M. deBoubise and M« de MarigDi— . 
who. all remain closetted with the ladies for an hour.' Then 
exeunt. Then follows a scene between M. de Marigni and 
the Maid.) 

M. de Marigni, She remains ; but mum mum. ;[: She'll pretend ts 
go, that her ejieuiies may be quieted — 'Tis the little Marechale has de- 
cided the matter, but her Keeper will pay tlie reckoning. (Enter Dr 
Quesnay — who teiis a fable of a ibx, who being at table with other 
beasts, persuaded one of them that his eneinics were in pursuit of him, 
in order to fall heir to his share of the i'ood.) The rest of tlie piece, 
its deiiuiieinent, \vc must <z:ive in the narrative of Mad. du Hausset. 

* I did not see Uiy laistr*. ^^) again tiU late at niglit, when I put her 
to bed. She was more composed ; tilings were going on better and 
better for her and Machant ; her f^thless friend was dismissed. The 
King returned to his former habits of frequenting her apartment. I 
learnt from M. de Marigni that the abh^ had been to M. d'Argenson 
(the Minister of War) to persuade htm to live on a more amicable 
footuig with my mistress, and that he had met with a cold feception* 



* Not Dr Quesnay — but the King. 

f . Keeper of the Seals and of Mad. de Mirepoix, as well as Mi^ 
ni&ter of tlie Marine. 

% Orig. Maius, which is a vulgar word for silence— and may be if 
use to our great negotiator at the impending Congress. 



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IBiS. Mdlanges tCHisloire ei de LiUaulme, ^ ' 



*' He is puffed up with Macluuit's dismissal, said tlie abbe, us it leaves 
the lield open to the ablest and most experietu iul : nnd 1 tear adieiul-- 
<ui .stru«j:gle may ensue. " Tlie next day my uusirtss having ordered 
lier ciiair, i was eurious to know where she was going, iis she sel- 
dom went out except to cliurcb, or to some of the ministers. I 
leamt that she went to M, d'Argenson's. An hour afterwards, slie 
returned, and appeared to be very much out of sorts. She stood 
leaning over the chimney*pi^e, with her eyes fixed on the jambs. 
The abbe came in. I waited wlule she took off her cloak and gloves 
^she kept her hands in her nmfF. The abbe looked at her for 
some minutes, and then said — " Vt)u have the aiv of a sheep in a 
reverie." She roused herself and answered, throwing her niuit ou 
the sofa — " It's the wolf that throws the sheep into a reverie. " I 
left the room. The Kin^' came soon alter, and I heard niy mistress 
sobbing. The abbe came and bid me bring some Hofl'man's drops. 
The King himself prepared llie cordial with sugar, and gave it to her 
with the most gracious air possible— she candidly smiling and kissing 
his hands. I left the room ; and heard early in the morning, the next 
day but one, that M. d'Argenson was banished. It was all his own 
fault; and this is the greatest proof of her inHuenoe my mistress ever 
gave. The King was extremely fond of M. d'Argenson; and the 
war both by sea and land required those two ministers to have re- 
nuuned in office. Such, at i^^i, was the pruvuiiiag opiuioiij at the 
time, among all classes. ' 

We nuiy add ta tliis, that her protege M. <le Soiihise was 
kept ill the command of the armv bv her influence, while he 
ruined the campaign. The baulc oi Kosbach, iiccortliii^ly, 
threatened to shake her iiscciidancy, and attempts wore iiiade tt> 
dismiss lier; but some trifling success soon after was ^iiiiieil by 
the Marshal^ and she wan confirmed m tavour ; although ouV 
journalist mentions a cruel mortification that happened, from 
some one to whom Mad. de Pompadour was talking of the 
^ ^9^^ victory ' of her friend, ncvei* having heard of it. 

jThere is no reason whatever to doubt the accuracy of all Mod. 
du Hausset^s details; for, beside the strong internal evidence of 
the style, and tlie testimony borne to her character by M. do 
Marigni, the coincidences of her story, with the narratives of 
other writers^ who were in all probability unknown to her, 
wherever they touch on the same subject, afibrd irrefra^ ililc 
pr€X>f of her correctness. This remark applies also to the Me^ 
nunres Secretes of Duclos, which were not publisliuii till nftur 
INfad. du Hausset*s death. The disuiiss^s,, for instance^ of 
which we have just seen the secret springs, are uienticned bv 
him (torn. II. p. ^^l, 516'.) in terms quite consistent v.ith the 
statement of the Journal, as far as he knew the cause of" tiiat 
thange; except tiiat he speaks of Machaiit as Minister of the Ma- 
rine only, and does not iuention the l:;eais : lie udd^ tliat never 

7 



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^70 



ifelanges £Histoire et de LiUeraimm 



was there any thing w<)i*sc timed than turning out those ex- 
perienced rninisttTK, more especially as their successors were 
persons of tlie most manifest incapacity. Iiidetc], this author 
(and be it recollected, that he was no *^ossiping waiting maid, 
but the Ilistoriogi'aphcr of Finance) soems to have been abun- 
iLuuiy sensible of the pernicious iiifliu'iice enjoyod by Royal 
mistresses at the old legitimate Court ot" Versailles. To Ma- 
dame de Maintenon he ascribes in detail, the ciiange of I-rewis 
XIV.'s plan of campaign, when she procured the dismiss{il of 
Chomillart ; and inaeea her power during a period of thirty- 
five year% was generally admitted by all Europe* Mtid. de 
Pompadour ^ercised an equal sway : Perhaps, from the charao* 
ter of the King, and the complexion of the times, her inflit* 
ence waa more important* Dudos ascribes to it enturely the al« 
liance with Austria, and the war of 1756, admitted by all Frencb 
politicians to have been the greatest error ever made in foreign 
a£&irs» and the cause of all the mischiefs that happenad previ- 
ously to the Revolution. The flatteries of Maria Ihmsit ttud 
the vanity of being jthought her personal inend) were the sole 
cause of this line of policy. 

A trifling anecdote in the Journal shows the trifiing causes 
which were snpjiasccl to infiuence so important a mattei* as tlie 
patronage of the ministers. Mad. du Haussct obtained a mili- 
tiiry post for a relation, from a person of hip^h rank, on the con- 
Jition that she made her mistress <T!ve the latter a part to play 
ttt their private theatricals, which had only a lew linens to recite. 
It must be admitted, however, that these pajres are lull of j^roofs 
showin<r how generally and cordially the favourite was hated by 
the publick. The fear of this breaking out in >ome act of vio- 
lence, seems now and then to have restrained her ; it was in- 
deed the only obstacle to her absolute sway ; and it certainly had 
this effect upon her worthy and philosophical hi otlier, M. de 
Marigni, who, greatly to her chagrin, constantly resisted all 
oflers of promoliun, whether by place, rank or nuuria^e, say- 
ing, that for himsell' he loved a quiet life, aiid for her, it would 
be far worse if he acceded to ber earnest' wishes — * as the Ro v al 
mistresses are always suflicicndy hated on their own account, 
without sharing in the odium belonging to ministers.'' 

At the period to which the Joumid refers, Turgot was a young: 
inan entering into publick life; but there is one passage relating 
to lUm whicn we snail transcinbe, although of no very remark-' 
able interest 

* Un jour que f^tois iL Riris j'allois diner ches le docteur* II avoit 
assez de monae contre son ordinaire, et entre autres un jeune raaitre 
des requites d'une belle figure^ qui portoit un nom de terra 4aoxlt 



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iHlanges ^Hidaire et de tdtteralure. 



871 



Vie me souviens pas, mais qua etolt fils du prerdt des Marchands, 
Turgot. On p^trla beaqCoup d'administration, ce qui d*abord ne 
m'anima pas ; ensuite il fut question de ramoiir des Francois pour 
leur roi. M. Turgot prit la parole, et dit — " Cet amour n*egt point 
aveugle, c'est un sentiment profbnd et un souvenir confus de grands 
bienlaits. La nation, et je diriii plus T Europe et riiumanit*-, doivent 
^ un roi de France, (j'ai oublie le nom) * la liberie ; il a etabli le« 
communes et donne a une multitude immenne d'hoiiime une existence 
civile. Je sais qu on peul dire avec raisoo, qu'il u servi son interet 
en leKafianchiMttit ; qu*ils lui oot paye les redevenoet, et qu'enfin 
il ft voultt par la, affiDiblir la puissaaoe det grands et de la ndblesse i 
Mais qu'en resulte-t-U? Que cette operation est ft la fois utile, po» 
Utique el huraainew''-^Des rois en general, on passa i Louts XV.; et 
le tndme M« Tuigot dit que son regnc seroit u jamais celebre pour 
I'avancement des sciences, le progrcs deslumieresetde la philosopbie. 
II ajouta qu'il manquoit a Louis XV. ce que Louis XIV* avoit de 
trop, une grande opinion de lui-meme ; qu*il etoit instruit ; que per- 
sonne ne connoissoit mieux que lui la topographic de la France; 
qu*au cen8eil, son avis ( toit toujours le plus juste ; qu'il etoit fa- 
cheux qu'il n'eut pas plus de confiance en lui-nicnie, et ne pla^ut pas 
sa confiance dans un premier ministre approuvc de la nation. Tout le 
monde fut de son avis. Je priai M. Quesnay d'ecrire ce qu'avoit dit 
le jeune Turgot, et je le montrai a Madame. £lle fit a ce sujet 
Teloge de ce oaaftre des requites; et en ayant parl6 an roi, il dit» 
^ c'est une bonne race. ** ' 

Perhaps, without iptending to throw the slightest imputation 
^ an artifice ot an intrigue upon M. Turgot, we tasy be per* 
HUtted to auspecti that tws coiiversatioa was designed to reach 
^ royal ear, through the fidthfid Mad. du Hausset* These 
are neceisarily the means of influencing courts and their policj 
in an. arbitrary government. In EngTund. M. Turgot wcHold 
"have aittaAed the mmiatry openly in Parliament^ or through 
^e press* In France^ he wa& obliged lo sjpeak of the waiting* 
woman of the King's mistress. 

• TWe are inany traces in this Joumaly of the alarms which 
jtfafaildn^ mm felt, even at thai time, at the state of pubiick afFairs, 
and their conviction tliat some dreadful catast|ropJie would •one day 
be rendered ineritabie by the blind obstinacy dt the :«C6urt<^^Kt 
its pertinacious refosal of all propositions for a inform of abusegl 
'After some short and ineiiicient administrations hud succee^gd 
to that of tl'Ai^enson and Machant, the Due de Choiseul, 

is well known, was appointed, and carried on the war tor the la^^ 
Soar years, t6 ihe ruin and discomfiture of the French arms* 

■ ■■ ■ I I .. ^ 

* PhOippe-le-Long« 

• Toil. XXX, KO. 60* B b 



' 572 M&ange$ d^HistPtre if de IMtemiurew Sqit. 

He was, however, the greatert of all Mad. de Pompadoui's far 
vourites; DiiFerent persons view the same character in various 

ahfcfi. 1 A grave writer describiss him as a * petit*maitre 8an» 
ens et Kaus instruction, qui a un peu de phosphore dans Te* 
^rit, ' Bat our Journalist, seeing him with her lady's eyes» ex- 
|uains at once the cause of the favour he enjoyed, and of hi^ r^ 
maining so long in the three highest offices 4h the state, in spite 
of his constant failures. * Ses maniers avec elle etoient les.plus 
aimablcs du moiule, rcsnoctucuses et g:ilantes; il n'etoit pas un 
jour sajis la voir. * Her brother and her physician thought very 
diiierently of him ; they agreed wltli the grave writer. 

* Ce n est qu'un petit-maitre, dit le docteur, et s*i] etoit plus joli, 
&it pour ^tre un favori d'FIenri Le Marquis de Mirabeau 

entra avec M. de la Jliviere. Ce royaume, dit Mirabeau, est bieti 
mal ; il n'v a i^f sentiment energiques, ni ariiront nonr suppleer. 
II ne pcut-ctre regviiere, dit la IHviere, que {)ar uiic conqutte comme 
a la Chine, ou par quelque grard boulevcTseincnt interieur. Mais 
malhcur a ceux qui s'y trouveront ; le peuple Francois n*y va pas de 
main niorte. Ces paroles me firent trembler, et je m'tiiipressai de 
sortir. M. de Marigni en iit de mCrne, sans avoir I'air d'etre afFecte 
de ce qu*on disoit. Vous avez enfendu, me dit'il; niais n*aye2 
pas peur ; Hen n'est repet£ de ce^ui se dit ehes le docteitr ; ae* sent 
d1iomi6tes gens quoiqu'un peu cbimeriques ; Us ne savent pas s'ane- 
ter. Cependant ils sont je crois dans ui bonne vdie; le maiheor est 
qu'Os passent Je but. J ccris cela en rentiant* 

But tlie Kinfr, and the former favourites of either sex, re* 
ceived a vexy smemn warning to the same effect in a remark-- 
able anonymous letter sent to tliem mysteriously, as well as to 
the Police. Our Journalist has kept a copy of this piece, whick 
xs written with a force and clearness worthy of Jmiios^ hat per- 
haps in a more chaste style, and ^itli less of manncrismm We 
conclude oar extracts with the introduction of the letter, which 
i« addressed to the King, 

*■ Sire — This address proceeds from oaewho issealousm your ser- 
vice. Trutli is always unpalateable, especially to princes. Habita- 
ated to ftnttrry, they only see objects in those colours which are 
pleasing to t^Jcir eyes, lint I have meditated and read much ; and I 
lit-re oti'er ttv your Majesty the result of my reflexious. You hu\ c 
joii|x been living invisible in the hands of persons who had an interest 
in pi t vLiuiiig you from being iseeii, and niaiviug you afraid to speak. 
Ail direct conimuuication is thus cut olf between the sovereign and 
his people. Shut up in the recesses of your palace, you become daily 
more Uke the eastern emperors; but think, Sir, I beseech vou, of their 
usual £ite. You will probably rely on your troops ; and so did th^ 
•^But he who trusts to this resource, and makes himself only tke king 
of the soldieYs, is doomed, ere long, to see those soldiera^eel'tieir 
^weri andiihiiae it Your finances ^ in the i;|tmoft disordor^ vA 



181$; ileUuiges (THtsioire et de lAtteratkrei $73 



most states have owed tlieir ruin to this cause. The ancient com- 
moiiweultlis were maiiituiucd ihe spirit of jmtriotism, which united 
all their citiieBS together for the general safety. In our times, ino> 
Hey has become its substitute; this is now the uiuTersal agent, vsA 
you have it not. The spirit of parse-pride infects all parties, , and do- 
mineers at court ; everything has bt>come venal, and all ranks are' 
confounded. Since the dismissal of Messrs d'Argenson and Machantt 
your ministers are without genius, and without capacity for business. 
You aJone are blind to their inefficiency, because thf^y bring to you 
the work of clt rks somewhat abler than theniseives, and pass it for 
their own. Tlii y carry on the business by experinjehts from day to 
day ; bat there is nothing iike a government, i he army is disgusted 
with the changes in the military administration ; and the best officerg 
are retiring from it. A seditious spirit shows itself in the Parlia^ 
nients ; you betake yourself to the resource of corruption, and the re- 
medy is worse than the mischief ; it is introduciog vice into the sane-' 
tuary of Justice, and infecting the noble pans of the State. Would ar 
corrupted Parliament uvvr have bravtd the fury of the league to pre^ 
serve the crown for its rightful sovereign ? * 

We here must dose our account of this cuiious Journal, and 
of tlie volume to which it l)ehnii:,s. If, in the course of our rc- 
marks upiMi French intrigue in lorrr.er tinies, we n»ny seem to 
have (Iwck much upon tne vices of the okl (i(»vernnieiit, it is 
only because we feci the importance to France anil to En<(laiid 
of correct notions bein<y entertained upon the subject. 1 here 
is a senseksh antl a profli<Tate party in both countries, whose ei- 
forts arc, without intermission, directed to the ^)raisc of the old^ 
and the disparagement of the new order of thnigs, estahUshcd 
amonp^ our neighbonrs. Nothing but the grossest i^ioranccf^ 
can obtain a hearing for such miserable folly on eltlier aide of 
the Channel.. But it is the duty of every triend of his country, 
and of human improvement, to contribute his efforts towards 
withstanding and exposing the attempts thus made to eilcct a 
counter-revolution, which could only, if it succeeded, iead^ 
through confusion and slnnghtC'r, to a renewal of systematic 
misgovefmment and opprcssroiv Happily^ indeed, its success 
now seems wholly out of the question; but the attempt would 
ensure vast temporary misery lEo France herself, and would en- 
danger the pence of all her neighbours. How far the present 
government of that country is tlie best of winch the nature of 
thin2:swil] admit, is another (|UCstion, into which we forbear en- 
tering on this occns*u>n. We are disposed, however, to regard 
it with a very favour j'.blc eye, and to give all credit to those who 
have of late so steadily administered it. Certainly its prodi- 
gious superiority over the former constitution is too nmnifest to 
admit of a doubt; and those wlio :irc impatic;iu tc see it stiiU 

Bb3 



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S74 M^anges ^Hiaoire ei de LiUeraHire. SepL 



mofe ricnrly resemble our own, sliould reflect, that outs was not 
the work of contrivance^ but of time; that there is an essential 
clifierenGe in tiic present political character and habits of the 
two nations ; and that the peaceful continnancc of th^ existing 
order of things, b^ preparing our neighbours fot a still greater 
share of liberty, will, in all human probability^ ensure to them 
the possessioui with the Capacity of enjjoymg it.