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in the chamber, and did nothing, the grand chamberlain ferved without commanding. I have feen M. de Bouillon, grand chamberlain, arrive in the midst of dinner; the duke de Beauvilliers first gentleman, wifhed to refign his place to him, but he refufted it, under pretence of a cold.

I have feen alfo, but very rarely, Monfeigneur, and Meffeigneurs his fons, at the private dinner standing, without the king offering them a feat, any more than the princes of the blood. I have feen, in fhort, very often Monfieur going out from the council of difpatches, the only one he afliited at, give the napkin and remain ftanding. The king feeing that he did not leave the room, asked him if he would not be feated; he bowed, and the king ordered a feat to be brought. A tool was then placed behind him, and the king said, brother; fit down, he then bowed, and fat down till the end of the dinner, when he prefented the napkin. At other times, when he came from Saint Cloud, the king would ask him to dine with him; if he accepted of this invitation, a knife and fork were laid, not oppofite his brother, but at the bottom of the table, which was square. The first gentleman, or grand chamberlain, who ferved the king, alfo ferved Monfieur, and he received his fervice with marked politenefs. When he was at dinner, he enlivened the converfation, for the king commonly fpoke very little, unless he found there fome of the nobles whom he was particularly intimate with, to whom he chatted, He feldom had mafic at dinner, unless on fome great holiday, or at Fontainbleau. No lady ever dined with him, excepting the Marechale de la Motte, whom I have fometimes feen dine with him: fhe continued this habit from the time when the was governess of his children, and ufed to bring them to him. As foon as the appeared, a feat was brought, and the fat down. After

dinner the king left the table, and went immediately to his cabinet. This was the moment for people of distinction to speak to him, and he ftopped at the door to liften to them. He was rarely followed by any one into his clofet, and when he permitted it, he always drew the perfon towards the window nearest the door, which was immediately faut. The firft phyfician, who had aflifted at the dinner, only had a right to attend him. in the cabinet, where his familiar friends were permitted to follow. The king amufed himself a few minutes feeding his greyhound, and. chatting carelessly, as people do whilft their dinner is digefting. When he. hunted, he changed h's drefs, and defcended by the back stairs into the marble court. From the ftairs to his carriage, any one might speak to him, and the fame when he returned.

Lewis XIV. was extremely fond of the open air, for when he was de-. prived of it, his health fuffered, and he was troubled with head-aches and vapours: confequently he was little fenfible of the effects of heat, cold, or rain, and it was only very bad weather which could prevent his going out. On fundays and holidays, and when he did not chuse a grand hunt, he went a thooting in the park, and no man in France had a better aim, or did it more gracefully. Once a week, at leaft, and frequently at Marly and Fontainbleau, he hunted the ftag; the uniform was blue, lined with red and trimmed with gold. The king wifhed to fee a certain number of people, but not too many; because a croud disturbed the chace. He thought it very ridiculous in any one, to go without liking it, and he was never difpleated with thofe who did not attend. At the chace, and indeed every where elfe, he would not permit the people to be driven away rudely. He looked at the mob with great kindness and condefcenfion, bowed to the ladies, and

never did any thing which could difplease or hurt them. He frequently went to see his men at work, and walked in his gardens. He carried fometimes ladies into the foreft, and had a collation brought there for them. At Fontainbleau, his airings round the canal were a magnificent fight, efpecially to those who were on the other fide, who faw it reflected in the water. He was accompanied by all his court, either on foot or on horseback, or in a caleche. In his other excurfions, he was only followed by thofe who were in waiting. When he only rode to Trianon, or to Marly, and did not fleep there, no one put on their hats, but when he flept there, and paffed fome days in going out of the castle, he always faid aloud, Meffieurs, le chapeau, and inftantly courtiers, officers, &c. put on their hats, and he would have been displeased if any one had not done fo.

At Marly he would have high playing continually at lanfquenet, and many tables for other games. He paffed from one table to another to look on, and played little himself, excepting during the long winter evenings, with fome lady, or a fimple game of commerce, towards the end. He had formerly been an excellent player at billiards, and he made good players play before him, and at the tennis ball, which he had also excelled in.

On the days which were not faft days, and when there was no council, he went to dine at Marly with Madame de Maintenon and other ladies. After dinner, the minifter, who wifhed to converfe with him arrived, and when his bufinefs was finished, if they did not walk, he converfed, liftened to mufic, played at cards, or helped to draw lotteries, the tickets of which coft nothing, but were all prizes. They were compofed of trinkets, jewels, and fiks, but there were never any fnuff boxes, be

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caufe he could not endure snuff, or fuffer thofe who used it to approach him. In his youth he had been very fond of perfumes, but a liking for orange-flower-water was the only one that he retained. All that Madame de Maintenon gained at those lot teries, fhe gave to him immediately.

In fummer the king was engaged with his minifters, even at Marly, immediately after dinner, as we have just faid. During the fhort days, he was alfo employed with the minifters, at Madame de M.'s but before he went to her, when he returned from walking or the chace, after having changed his drefs, he entered again into his cabinet to hear important difpatches, to write the letters or notes which he wished to write himself, or to read memorials: he feldom read any thing else. He went from thence to Madame de Maintenon's, where he found the minifter whom he had defired to attend, and whom he generally kept till fupper-time. At ten o'clock the maitre d'hotel in waiting informed the captain of the guards who was in Madame de Maintenon's antichamber; he inftantly made his appearance at the door of the chamber, and told the king that fupper was ferved. The king ftill remained a quarter of an hour with Madame de Maintenon, drew her curtains, and went to fup in public with mufic. At Versailles he had only his fons and daughters to fup with him. Elfewhere he admitted ladies; but never any gentlemen, excepting princes the day of their nuptials, when he made a point of inviting them. The circle was always numerous and well dreffed, particularly on the evening before the excurfions to Marly. The women who wished to go there, laboured to be obferved by the magnificence of their drefs, which was called prefenting themselves for Marly. The gentlemen afked it, in two words in the morning, Sire, Marly? However short this ceremony was, it, at last, imṛ port uned

one of his domeftics to inform thofe who were fixed on.

After fupper, the king entered into his chamber; ftood fome moments with his back against the bedpoft, and then bowing to the ladies, ftepped into his clofet.

portuned the king, and he appointed But none of the gentlemen were feated excepting the princes. The con verfation in general turned on indifferent things. The king, before he retired, fed his dogs, and when he returned into his chamber; and after faying his prayers, rofe, and wished the company good night, with an inclination of the head. Whilft they were going out, he ftood by the fire and gave orders. Then began the private audience, and the courtiers might speak to him of their own affairs, provided they were important and did not take up much time. He undreffed himself, and went to bed between twelve and one o'clock. Ten or a dozen years before the king's death, the court finished when he arose from fupper.

He remained there about an hour with his family; he fitting in one arm-chair, and Monfieur in another, for in private they lived like brothers; but the meffeigneurs were left ftanding or fitting on a ftool like the reft. Ladies of honour, the princeffes, &c. and the gentlemen, waited in an adjoining room. At Fontainbleau, the princeffes and ladies of honour entered and formed the circle, ftanding or fitting as far as the feats went, or fitting on the floor without cushions.

Account of a Book intitled "Suite des Confeffions de J. J. Rouffeau formant le fecond Supplement a la Collection de fes Ocuvres."

TH

only after his death; but this is no excufe, when we reflect that the remembrance of a perfor: furvives him, and his character influences the cre dit of his defcendants. But let us attend to our author's own apology.

HE publication of confeffions is not a new defign: many celebrated men of the 9th, 11th, and 15th centuries have written fimiliar testaments; and we ftill remember the advice of the uncle of Bayard, the teftament of Pithon, and that of "Thefe Memoirs were not inde l'Hopital. The confeflions of terefting on account of the facts; I Rouffeau give us a pleafure probably thought that they might be fo in conlefs pure and unadulterated than thofe fequence of the franknefs difplayed in other works: we view, with great them: and I refolved to compofe a fatisfaction, the faithful picture of a work which should be fingular in its heart endued with the most exquilite kind, by a veracity without example, fenfibility, of a foul refined fo deli- that, for once, man might be seen cately, as to feel the highest pain or without difguife. I always fmiled at pleasure from circumftances which the pretended ingenuoufnefs of Mon others would have fcarcely noticed, taigne, who affecting to own his faults, or foon forgotten; but we do not per- has aimed only at rendering himself ceive the neceflity there was, at amiable; while I felt, though I the time he drew his own picture, thought and still think myself, on the for expofing the foibles and weak- whole, the beft of men, that the pur neffes of his friends. Thefe me- eft mind muft conceal fome odious moirs, it may be faid, were to appear vice." In another place he adds, “ I

have

-have told the truth: if any perfon contradict what I fay, whatever proofs he may produce, he is a liar and an impoftor; and, if he refufes to examine and explain thefe difputed circumftances with me, while I am alive, he loves neither justice nor truth. For my own part I declare it boldly, and without apprehenfion, whoever, even without having read my writings, will examine with his own eyes, my difpofition, my character, my manners, my propenfities, my pleasures, my habits, and will believe me a difhoneft man, himself deferves to be hanged," (eft lui meme un homme a etouffer). Avaunt falfe delicacy! Rouffeau muft fpeak in English as he has written in French.

We fee, in every part of this work, the picture of a man fingle hearted rather than fimple; gloomy, but just and good; always doubting of happinefs; whofe fenfibility rifes to an extreme fufceptibility, an acutenefs of feeling which gives an air of importance to common events, and enlarges little objects fo as to fill the mind like thofe which are vaft and magnificent. Nothing is 1s founded than this general confpiracy against him, of which he tells us in every page, he is going to give proofs. Yet it is certain that the great number of philofophers on the continent feemed jealous of his fuccefs. But what man has not experienced the perfidy of a friend? What author of credit has escaped the envy of his rivals? and Rouffeau, whom fo many of his readers feemed to adore, had certainly many fubjects of confolation. It was to Terefa, of whom he speaks fo much, and on whom he refted with confidence, that he owed many of his misfortunes. Her accufations, fcarcely ever fupported, were the caufes of his fufpecting fo many of his friends. She feems to have foured his temper, and to have cherished that diftruft, the difeafe of his imagination, to render herself more neceflary. It is incredi

ble that a man like Rouffeau could have paffed his life with fuch a crea ture: he has himself drawn her picture.

"I wished at first to form her mind, but I lost my labour. I blush not to own that he could never read, though fhe writes tolerably well. At the hotel of Pontchartrain, I had oppofite my windows a fun-dial, on which I laboured for a month to teach her the hours: She scarcely knows them at this moment. fhe could never count the twelve months in their order, and knows not a fingle figure, notwithstanding all the pains I have taken to point them out to her. She knows not how to reckon money, nor the price of any thing. Her words are almost always the oppofites of what the means to fay. I once made a dictionary of her phrafes to amuse Madame de Luxemburg; and her er rors were fashionable among thole with whom I then lived."

The principal charm of this work, lies in the author's talent of making the most trifling objects, and even thofe childish events which would have difgufted in other hands, interefting: numerous examples ocurr in the former books, and there are many fimilar ones in the Supplement. We fhall extract a single inftance of this kind.

In fpeaking of his refidence in Ve nice, where he was fecretary to the ambaffador from France, he tells us of his frequenting the most celebrated amufements in this city, and his taste for the Venetian operas. "But, fays he, a kind of mufic, in my opinion, much fuperior to that of the operas, which has nothing resembling it in Italy or the rest of the world, is that of the fcuole. Thefe fcuole are houfes of charity established for the education of girls without a fortune, to whom the ftate gives portions, ether in marriage or to go into a cloyf ter. Mufic is one of the principal talents cultivated amonft these young

women

women. Every Sunday, at the churches fome perfon, they hegan to enjoy of thefe four fcuole, at the vefpers, themfelves. Uglinefs does not banish motets are executed with a grand cho- the graces, and thefe I difcovered. rus accompanied by a large orcheftra. I faid to myfelf, it is impoffible to They are compofed and directed by fing without a foul; thefe girls certhe chief mafters in Italy, and per tainly have fouls. In fhort, my mode formed in grated galleries only by of thinking made fo great an alteragirls, the oldest of whom is not more tion, that I came out of the house than twenty. I have no idea of any perfectly in love with these frights. thing fo voluptuous or fo interefting I fcarcely dared to return at vefpers, as this mufic. The riches of the art, but I had fomething to encourage me." the exquifite tate of the airs, the I continued to find their finging exbeauty of the voices, and the juft- quifite, and their voices embelnefs of the execution; every thing lifhed their features fo well, that in thefe delicious concerts contri- while they fung I was convinced in butes to produce an impreflion which fpite of my eyes that they were beauis not perhaps in the best man- tiful." ner, but which I believe the heart of no man can refift. Carrio and my felf never failed being at the velpers of Mendicanti, and we were not alone. The church was always full of the lovers of mufic, and the actors of the opera came to form their tafte on these excellent models. What diftracted me was thofe curfed grates, which tranfmitted founds only, and concealed those beautiful angels which could alone utter them. I fpoke of nothing elfe one day when I was talking on this fubject at La Blond's, he replied, If your curiofity to fee thefe little girls is fo great, it is eafy to gratify it. I am one of the ftewards of the house, and fhall be happy to entertain you with the fight. I never left him in peace till he kept his word: on entering the faloon where thefe beauties fo eagerly coveted were, I felt a thivering of love which I ne ver experienced before. M. le Blond prefented in turn these celebrated fingers whofe voices and names only I knew. Come here Sophia: fhe was Lorrible-Come Cattina: fhe had but one eye-Here Bettina: the fmall pox had greatly disfigured her: there was fcarcely one without fome great deformity. The cruel wretch laughed at my furprife; yet two or three appeared tolerable, but they only fung in the choruffes; I was distracted. During the repaft, at the inftigation of VOL. XII. N. 70.

I i

In other parts of the work, the gloom of his mind, a difpofition not uncommon in a man of genius, is too confpicuous. From his own account, he was unhappy, he was diftrufted, envied, and at laft perfecuted. All that he remembers was diftreffing; every step had been marked by oppofition, by evils, and by misfortunes of a fingular kind. His character and his heart feem from his confeffions to have been torn afunder by fhocks, by oppreffion, and by oppofition. Never man appears to have denianded lefs from mankind; no man flies from fociety with fuch feeming pleafure; no one feels fo well the happiness of living alone." When alone, fays he, I have never known what it is to be liftlefs, even when moft completely idle: my imagination filled every vacancy, and was alone fufficient to employ me." Yet, from fome ftrange contradiction, from fome unaccountable fatality, from fome fault of his own or of others, no one feems to have lived lefs according to his own tafte. Thefe volumes give a key to his fingularities, to his melancholy, to his fondness for ret rement. Ge nius, the first prefent of Heaven to mankind, was in him accompanied by a ftate of mind which fullid all profperity, which exacted a fevere penalty for his fame, and overwhelmed him with misfortunes, which he at

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