A I have fent the Upholflerer for your wardrobe at Monreal, and I believe the things will be here very foon, but I doubt if they can be fafely fent hence by Berne, and they will be in still more danger the other way, fo that they muft not be fent forward till you can effectually secure them, for under the paffport which you obtained the other day, our cattle are ftill detained at Bern, and, I fear, I fhall fee no more of them. I have nothing more to say at prefent. I fhall fet out from hence on Wednesday, to go to Monf. de la Va B lette, at Aulx. You fhall hear news of me from thence. Adieu. Semeac, June 30, 1579. I fhould be very glad if Gabriel could come hither, for I have many things for him to do. I beg you would fend me word whether he can come or no, for, if not, I must get somebody elle. FOURTH LETTER. you there it is a place more fuired to your taste than any I ever faw; is it fer this reafon that I muft part with it j foon? It is an island furrounded by a woody morals, cut into many canals for the conveniency of fetching the wood by boats. The water is very clear, not quite ftagnant; the canals are of all dimenfions, and the boats of all fizes; among thefe defarts there are a thousand gardens, which are acceffible only by boats. The island, thus furrounded, is about two leagues in circumference, and a river flows by the foot of the caftle to the middle of the town, which is as habitable as Pau, and there are few houfes that have not a little boat at the door. This river divides itself into two branches, which carry not only large boats, but veffels of 50 tons from Chence to the fea, which is about two leagues; and I, am inclined to think, that what I call a river, is really a ca nal: The other way large boats go quite up to Nyort, which is 12 leagues : in this paffage there is an infinite number of little islands, with mills and manufactures of various kinds, innumerable birds of all forts which fill the air with mufic, and a great variety of fea-fowl, of which I fend you fome of the feathers. The fish are incredible, as well with refpeet to quantity as fize and price. A carp of the largelt fize may be bought for three pence, and a pike for five-pence. It is a place of great traffic, carried on by boats, and the foil, though very low, produces great plenty of corn: One may live there pleasantly in peace, and fafely in war. A lover might here rejoice with the object of his wishes, or filently complain of abfence without intrufion. O how fit is this place for delight! I fhall fet out on Thursday for Pons, where I shall be nearer you, but I fhall not ftay there long. I am afraid my other lacquies are dead, for I hear nothing of them. Let me, my foul, be ftill happy in your favour; believe my fidelity to be without fpot, and without parallel; if this can give you pleasure, be happy for your flave adores you to distraction, I kifs your hands, my life, a thoufand times. June 17. ONE of your lackeys is juft arrived, who was kept prifoner ten days at Brouage t, where they took from him two letters directed for me, one from you, and one from my fifter; being, however, alarmed at the man. ner in which Saint Luke told them I fhould refent it, they fent me the letters by one of their own people, who could not arrive till to night. The veffel that brought him was to return in an hour, I have, therefore, dif patched it, having retained Efpryt, E for reafons which you will foon hear talked of. I had yesterday news from Germany; our army will, on the last of July Old Stile, be at La Place Montre, in France. A horle load of corn in Champaigne and Burgundy, is worth 50 livres, in F Paris 30. It greatly excites ones pity to fee how the people perish here for hunger. If you want a coach horfe, I have one in my troop as handsome as yours. I arrived here latt night from Marans 1, where I went to pro vide for the fafety of the place. I cannot tell you how much I wished G ↑ Morans is a town of Aulnis, in France, Situated upon the Seure Niertoife, in a morals: H It has a caẞle, and is two leagues from the fe, and four from Rochelle. It suffered much in the civil w rs, being fometimes in the hands of the Huguenott, and fometimes in ole of the Catholic. FIFTH LETTER. Monglas is just arrived; he haftens me more than any body else, with reafons which are much to be feared, || The French is, pour ce ceul respect frogs-je apres a les banger. but which I must not write; they Dumont, December 8. I have got two little boars of the wild breed, that are tame, and two fawns; tell me if you will have them. C SIXTH LETTER. *THERE are no lackeys, or at least Monf. Dumeyne has done an act here by which he will not get much credit. He has killed Sacre more, upon his defiring fome recompence for his fervices, by ftabbing him with a poignard, I am told, that not being willing to content him, he feared that being not content he would difclofe fome of his fecrets, with all which he was acquainted, even the enterprise against the King's perfon, in the execution of which he was chiefly concerned. God is thus deftroying them by the hands of each other, for this was the most ufeful fervant they had; he was buried even before he was quite dead. While I am writing Morlans is arrived and one of my cousin's lackeys, who have been plundered of their cloakbags and Letters; Monf. de Turene will he here to-morrow. He has tak en in the neighbourhood of Syjac eighteen forts in three days; and perhaps, I may do fomething better very foon, if it shall please God. The rumour of my death ran to Pau, and Maux, and even to Paris: Some preachers thought fit to mention it as a E F bleffing which had been promised them by providence. I kiss your hands a thousand times. Montauba, Jan. 14. SEVENTH LETTER. Pychery returned hither yesterday, and brought me a fhort Letter from you, telling me that another had been taken from him, all was opened; recollect what you faid to me in the Letter that is intercepted. A man, alfo arrived here yesterday from Paris, with full advice of every thing. The King is arrived there very much in favour with the rabble, and giving out aloud, that the leaguers had only threatened, but that he had driven out the foreigners. The queen-mother expreffed no joy at his arrival, having given out that Monf. de Guife would have done the business without the King. There are other particulars which I cannot write hav ing loft the cypher, which was agreed upon between us. Guytray and Cle ruant have not figned the capitulation, and fay, that they had rather lofe their fortune than not render the fervice they owe to their mafter; they are at Geneva, and I fhall have them here very foon. The capitulation confifts of three articles; those who will obey the edict are to remain free in their houses; thofe who will not obey the edict, but will promife not to bear arms, are to enjoy their for. tunes in a foreign country; thofe who will do neither the one nor the other, are to be conducted out of France in fafe cuftody. Tygnonuyle will be here to-morrow. No army is yet come against us. My life! keep me always in your heart, and be ever affured, that my fidelity fhall be inviolable: I kiss your hands a thoufand times, and thofe of your little fifter. January 12. EIGHTH LETTER, YOU do not think the ways dangerous, when you are to gratify the leaft of your friends; but when you G are to write for my fatisfaction, the ways are very dangerous; fuch is the teftimony you give me of the place I hold in your affections: I wrote the letter required to Meryteyn, and you fent it open; I believe he will take this ill, but I had rather have your favour' than his. I have blockaded Mafdagenes, but I have brought up no artillery, fearing that the Marthall's army would cblige me to decamp from before it in hafte, as the grand prior of Thoulouse, has joined him with the army army of Languedoc. I am going to charge him at the head of three hundred horse, and it is a chance but I do fomething I conclude in a full perfuation that you mean me no good, but it is in your power to give what impreffion you pleafe. I kifs your A hands a thousand time. February 23. NINTH LETTER. I HAVE received a letter from you my M....*, in which you tell me that you mean no harm, but that you can have no confidence in any B thing fo fickle as myself. It gives me the greatest pleasure to learn the first, and you are much in the wrong to doubt the latter. In what inftance have you known me fickle, I mean, with refpect to yourself? Your fufpicions produce a change in yourself, and you think that the change is in c me. I have been always steady in the love and service which I have vowed to you, of this God is my witness: You are of opinon that I am piqued, and I confefs that I am fo, but it is because I cannot help it: It is gene. rally thought an honour to be perfect in diffimulation, but I oppofe that doctrine as much as I can; diffimulation is good only in affairs of itate, and then it fhould be fparingly and cautiously used +. The Marefchal and the Grand Prior came hither yesterday to give us battle, well knowing that I had difiniffed all my troops; this was near the vineyards on the fide of Argen, their force confifted of five hundred horse, and near three thoufand foot. After hav ing fpent five hours in forming, which was at laft very ill done, they marched with a refolution fo force us into the foffe of the town, which indeed they ought to have effected, for all their infantry were brought up. We received them at the wall of my vineyard, which was the moft diftant, and we retired step by step, skirmishing as we retreated, till we came within about five hundred paces of the town, where we joined our main body which D confifted of three hundred Arquebufiers; we then pufhed on to the place where the first affault had been given and it was the fharpeft fkirmish I have ever feen; it had, however, the leaft effect, for I had but three foldiers wounded, and thofe three were of my own guards; the wounds of two of them were very flight. Two of theirs were left on the field, which our people stripped; and others fell whom they carried off in our fight, as well as many who were wounded. My foul, keep me always in your heart; I defire nothing upon earth fo much. In teftimony of this, I kifs your hands a thousand times. March, the ft. TENTH LETTER. TO finish the picture of my fituation, I must tell you that I have juft fuffered almoft the greatest misfortune that could happen to me, the fudden death of Monf. le Prynce. I regret him as what he might have been to me, rather than as what he was. I am at this moment the only object of M....'s perfidy; the viflains have poifoned my friend, fo may God remain the Mafter, and I the inftrument of his vengeance. This poor Prynce, though not in fpirits, run at the Ring laft Thursday, and afterwards fupped in good health; about midnight he was taken with a violent vomiting, which lafted till morning; all Friday he kept his bed; in the evening he fupped, and having refted well in the night, he rofe on Saturday morning, fat up to dinner, and then played at chefs; he afterwards got up and walked about his chamber, chatting firft with one and then with another, but after fome time he cried out fuddenly, "give me "my chair, I feel a ftrange weakness.” He was fcarcely feated before he became fpeechlefs, and very foon after he expired. The marks of poison foon appeared upon his body." The aftonishment into which this event has thrown the people here is incre dible. I fhall fet out at day-break to bring matters again into order. I fore-fee that I am likely to have much trouble and uneafinefs; pray to God earnestly for me: If I efcape, his hand only will keep me back from the Her than I imagine. I remain your grave, to which I am perhaps yet nearfaithful flave. Good night, my foul. Ikifs your hands a thousand times. ELEVENTH LETTER. GOD only knows, with what regret F G gret I leave this place, without coming to kifs your hands. I am certainly, my life, in fortune's truckle bed*. You will think what Lyceran tells you ftrange, and fay that I was not miftaken: The devil is certainly unchained: Iam much to be pitied, and, I wonder I do not fink under the load; if I was not a Hugonot, I would be a Turk: The experiments that are made upon my poor brain are very violent indeed; I muft necessarily turn out either a fool, or a very able man foon; this year will be my touch tone. Domeftic evils are much the hardest to be borne. Every fpecies of diftrefs that a mind can fuffer is inflicted upon mine, and inflicted at once. Pity me, my foul, and do not contribute your part to my afflic tions, for in comparifon of that the reft are nothing. I fhall fet out on Friday for Clayrac. I fhall take your advice, and fay nothing. Believe me that your want of friendship only can change the refolution I have made of being eternally yours, not alwaysa flave; A B † My all! love me; your fa vour is the fupport of my foul under all its diftrefs, and do not withdraw D this fupport from me. Good-night my foul; Ikifs your feet a thousand times. Nerac, March the 8th, midnight. TWELFTH LETTER. Two couriers from St Jean I arrived here yesterday, one at noon, the other in the evening. The first brought me an account that Belcaffel, page to Madame, the princefs, and her valet-dechambre, having fuddenly disappeared, after seeing their mafter dead §, had found two horfes worth two hundred crowns, at an inn in the suburbs where they had been ready a fortnight, and where each of them received a fcrip full of money, and learnt from the hoft that the horses had been placed there by one Brylant, who came every day to fee that they were taken care of, and ordered, that if other horfes had four measures of oats, these Thould have eight, and that he paid alfo double for their standing. (This Brylant is a man whom Madame the Princess has brought into the house, and made governor of it,) He was very foon taken, and confeffed that he had given the page a thousand crowns, Certes. mon Coeur, j'an fuys au Grabat. + The French which fhould be tranflated in thi haẩm, is Mais ouy byen forcere. I D'Angely Probably Monf, le Prynce, mentioned in the tenth letter. and had bought the horses, by his mistresses command, to go to Italy. The fecond courier confirmed this account, and added, that a letter, had been written in the name of Brylent to the valet-de-chambre, who was known to be at Poitiers, pretending that he wanted to fpeak to him, and defiring him to meet him at about a hundred paces from the city gate; that upon receipt of this letter, he came haftily out of the city, and was inftantly feized by the persons that lay in wait to St Jean. He has not yet been exfor that purpofe, and carried prifoner amined, but he said to those who had him in cuftody, as they were carrying him along, How wicked is Madam! let them take the taylor; I will tell all I know which was done. In this ftate the matter refts at prefent. Remember what I formerly told you; I am feldom miftaken in my judgment; a wicked woman is a dangerous beaft. These poifoners are all P. Such are the instructions of ladies. I have discovered a person who was to have difpatched me. God keep me, and I will tell you more in a fhort time. The governor and captains of Taylebourg have fent me two foldiers, and write, that they will open the place to me only, which gives me great fatif faction. They are hard preffed by the enemy, but they are fo bufy in examining the facts I have related, that nothing is done to stop their progrefs. They fuffer no living foul to go out of St Jean, but those who are difpatched to me. M. de la Trimouylle was the twentieth §. They write me that if I tarry long, it may cause great ineonveniencies, which makes me hurry fo that I take twenty horfe || and shall travel day and night, that I may be back to the general affembly at St Foy. My foul, I am well in health, but much troubled in mind; love me, and let it appear that you love me; this will, indeed, be a great confolation to me: I fhall never fail Gin the fidelity I have vowed to you, and, in teftimony of this truth, I kifs your hands a thousand times. E F H This seems to be a proverbial expreffion. The French is as follows: Il n'auoyt encore efié ouy, mais bien, dyfoy-t-yl à ceux qui le me noyent, ba que Madame eft Mechaut quel' ou le taylleur, je diray tout fans gène : ce pregue qui fut fayt. M. de la Trymouyile y eft luy wyngtiems feulemant. || Que je prandre vynt mettres. Ac. Extracts from Voltaire's Dictionaire F Philofophique. (Continued from p. 472.) CHARACTER. ROM the Greek word καρακτης, A C an impreffion, an engraving. It is because nature has engraved it in us; can we efface it? A question of im portance. If I have a wry nofe and cat's eyes, I can hide them with a mafk. Can I fay more of the Character which nature has given me ? A man who was naturally hot and paffionate, comes before Francis the king of B France to follicit a palport. The king's look, the refpectful behaviour of his courtiers, the very place where he is, have a powerful effect on the petitioner; he mechanically looks down, his rough voice is foftened, he most humbly prefents his petition; the courtiers (in that moment at least) believe him naturally as gentle as themfelves, in the midst of whom he is even difconcerted: But if Francis I. had been killed in phyfiognomy, he would easily have difcovered in his eyes, though downcalt, enlightened with a gloomy fire, in the ftretched mufcles of his face, in his lips drawn clofe together, that this man was not fo gentle as he was obliged to appear. He followed that prince to Pavia, was taken prifoner with him, and carried with him to Madrid: The majefty of Francis I, no more made the fame impreffion upon him; he grew familiar with the object of his refpe&t. One day pulling off the king's boots, and pulling them off badly, the king fowered by his misfortunes fell into a paffion; my gentleman bids him go about his bufinefs, and throws the boots out of window. Sixtus was naturally petulent, obftinate, haughty, impetuous, revengeful, arregant. This Character seemed foftened in the proofs of his noviciate. Does be begin to obtain fome credit with his order? He flies into a paffion with his fuperior, and pummels him heartily with his fifts. Is he inquifitor at Venice? He exercifes his office with infolence. He is cardinal; he is feized with the papal rage, della rabbia papale: This rage transports him beyond his nature; he buries in obfcurity his perfon and his character; he pretends to be humble and dying. He is chofen pope; that moment reftores to the spring, which his cunning had bent, all its long loft elasticity; he is the proudest and most defpotic of fovereigns. D E F G Naturam expellas furia tamen ipsa redibit": Religion; morality put a curb on the natural difpofition, but they cannot destroy it. The fot in the cloyfter reduced to half a pint of cyder at every meal, will never get drunk any more, but he will always love wine. Age weakens the Character; it is a tree which produces no longer any but fome degenerate fruit, but they are always of the same nature: It is covered with knots and mofs, it grows rotten, but it is always an oak or a pear-tree. If a man could change his Character, he might give himself one, he might be the mafter of nature. Can we give ourselves any thing? Do we not receive every thing? Try to animate the indolent with activity, to freeze with apathy a foul burning with impetuofity, to infpire with a tafte for mufic and poetry one who wants both taste and ears, you will fucceed no better than if you should undertake to give fight to a man born blind. We bring to perfection, we foften, we hide that which nature has implanted in us; but we implant nothing there. We fay to a farmer, You have too many fif in that pond, they will not thrive; there are too many cattle in your meadows, the grafs falls fhort, they will grow lean. It happens, after this advice, that the pikes devour half his carps, and the wolves half his sheeps the reit grow fat. Will he applaud himself for his oeconomy? You yourself are that countryman; one of your paffions has devoured the reft, and you think you have gained a conqueft over yourfelf. Do not almost all of us refemble that of a general of ninety years of age, who, meeting with fome young officers who were making free with fome girls, faid to them with great warmth, Gentlemen, do I fet you fuch an example? A CURATE'S CATECHISM. Arifton.] And fo, my dear Teotimus, you are going to be a country Curate ? Teotimus.] Yes; I have got a small parish, and I like it better than a large one. I have only a limited portion of understanding and activity. I cannot direct with certainty 70,000 Hand I have always wondered at the fouls, because I have only one myself, confidence of those who undertake the care of fuch immenfe districts. I In Horace it is ufque recurrit. know |