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Bastile, a Marquis, who was his fellow-prisoner, used to amuse him with an account of his exploits. He told him, among other things, that in a naval engagement he had himself killed 300 men in one vessel. "And I," replied Bassompierre, "once slipped down a chimney in Switzerland, to visit a lady with whom I was in love." "How the deuce can that be," said the other, "when there are no chimneys in the country ?" "Ah!" retorted Bassompierre, "when I allowed you quietly to kill your 300 men on board the vessel, you might for once have winked at my slipping down the chimney to visit a lady.”

- LXXII. CONTRARY WINDS.

A Venetian, who had never been out of Venice, and consequently was a very indifferent rider, having mounted, for the first time, on a restive horse, who would not advance, notwithstanding the application of the spur, pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, and spreading it to the wind, said," Ah! I see the reason that we can't get on-the wind is against us.'

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LXXIII. ALEXANDRINES.

Alexander of Paris, the first person who made use of French verses of twelve syllables, which have retained the name of Alexandrines, lived about the close of the 12th century.

.LXXIV. A LUCKY HIT.

Two persons, playing for a considerable sum with a pair of dice, agreed that the person who threw the smallest number should be entitled to the stake. The first threw two aces, and claimed

Some such anecdote may have suggested to Smollett the traverse course steered by Commodore Trunnion on his wedding day.

the money. The other stopped him, and contrived to throw the dice in such a manner, that, the one remaining above the other, only one ace was visible, and thus carried off the prize.

LXXV. PHYSICIANS.

Physicians were formerly ecclesiastics. It was only in 1452 that the Cardinal d'Etouteville, du ring his nunciate in France, obtained permission for them to marry.

LXXVI. WALLER.

Waller, the celebrated English poet, composed, in excellent Latin verse, a panegyric upon Cromwell during his Protectorate. Charles II. being restored in 1660, Waller went to present to him some verses he had composed in his praise. The King read them, and told him he had composed better verses in praise of Cromwell. "Sire," replied Waller, "we poets always succeed better in fiction than in truth."

LXXVII. M. DE SELLERY.

The King having sent to ask the Chancellor de Sellery, whether he was willing to submit to a trial, the Chancellor requested the person who brought the message to refer the King to the verse of the Psalms,-"Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."

LXXVIII. ST JOHN AND ST PAUL.

....

Father preaching on the day of St John the Evangelist, said, there was a great difference between St John and St Paul; that the one was far more open and unreserved than the other; "for," said he, "St Paul affects mystery and concealment, and will communicate nothing of what he learned in heaven, while St John speaks

out, and conceals nothing." At these words Madame de Sevigné turned to me, and said, "Methinks he places St Paul very low, and St John very high ?"—"Oh," said I, "come and hear him on St Paul's day, and you will see that he will put St John low enough; he will prove to you that St Paul was wise and prudent in concealing the secrets of heaven, and St John very indiscreet in revealing them."

LXXIX. LANGUAGES.

When one has acquired a certain reputation, he should never venture to speak a language he has not been accustomed to use, however well he may understand it. We lose too much by doing 80. A single mistake is sufficient to throw discredit on our learning. I have composed several books in Italian, yet I never venture to speak it. I am told that the Emperor understands French perfectly; but he never speaks it.

LXXX. COUNT DE BRANCAS.

It is said that the Menalcas* of La Bruyere's work was the late Count de Brancas. He has forgotten two of the most extraordinary sallies of this man. The first is, that one day the Count de Brancas walking in St Germain de l'Auxerrois, M. de la Rochefoucault presented himself to speak to him. "God help you," said M. de Brancas, and walked on. M. de la Rochefoucault began to laugh, and at the same time prepared to address him again. "Is it not enough," said M. de Brancas, "that I have said 'God help you' already?— These beggars are the most troublesome rascals !" Rochefoucault laughed still louder, and after

• The Absent Man.

some time succeeded in convincing Brancas that he was no beggar. The second story was this: M. de Brancas was one day sitting by the fireside reading with deep attention, when the gouvernante of his daughter coming in, he laid down his book, and took the child in his arms. He played with her for some time, when his servant came to announce to him a visit of importance: immediately, forgetting that he had laid down his book, and that it was his daughter that he held, he threw her from him, and walked out of the room. Fortunately the gouvernante saved her life by receiving her in her arms.

HUETIANA.

[Pierre Daniel Huet, the author of this collection, was born at Caen in 1630. Though his education was at first neglected, the native vigour of his mind enabled him to triumph over all obstacles, and by the assistance of his tutor, Mambrun, a Jesuit, and of Bochart, the Protestant Minister of Caen, he obtained a complete acquaintance with mathematics, and became a most accomplished classical scholar. In 1652, he accompanied Bochart to the Court of Christina Queen of Sweden, who wished to induce him to remain at Stockholm. This, however, he declined, and returning to France, published a variety of works, which raised him to a distinguished place in the republic of letters. He was appointed in 1678 to the Abbacy of Aunay, in Normandy; and in 1685, to the See of Soissons, which he afterwards exchanged for that of Avranches. He died in 1721, in his 91st year. His works on the Origin of Romance, and on the Navigation of the Ancients, are those by which he is best known to the foreign reader,

The Huetiana, which contains the detached thoughts and criticisms of this learned and amiable man, is of a graver cast than the most of the Ana. It contains few anecdotes or lively tales, such as those which form the staple of the Menagiana, but consists principally of a series of thoughts and criticisms on various topics of moral philosophy and literature, generally longer and more elaborate than the occasional articles which occur on such subjects in the other Ana. Some of the Bishop's opinions, as will be seen from our short selection, are singular enough, and some of his theories not a little visionary; but the book, notwithstanding D'Alembert's criticisms, is in general distinguished by the good sense of the articles it contains, and the very great clearness both of thought and language in which they are conveyed.]

LXXXI. MONTAIGNE.

The Essays of Montaigne are genuine Montaniana, that is to say, a Collection of the Thoughts of Montaigne without arrangement or

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