put his arms in such a position that he seemed to be levelling a musket at the court. The President, a man of humour, tired of this eternal gesture, said to him one day, " Raise your piece a little, sir; you will hurt somebody."

CCXX. FRANCIS I.

Francis I. was one day playing at tennis, when a Monk, who was playing on his side, by a successful stroke, insured the victory to the King's party. "Well done," said the King; "a brave stroke for a Monk !" "Sire," replied the Monk, your Majesty can make it the blow of an Abbé when you please." Some days afterwards the Abbacy of Bourmayen became vacant, and the King presented the situation to him.

..

CCXXI. BENOISE AND HENRY III.

Segræsiana.*-Benoise, secretary of the cabinet under Henry III., having one day left his portfolio in the cabinet of the King, the King opened it, and found a piece of paper, on which Benoise, in order to try his pen, had written, "Treasurer of my privy purse.' The King took up the pen, and added, "Pay to the Sieur Benoise, secretary of my cabinet, the sum of 1000 crowns;" and then signed it. Benoise, on his return, to his great surprise, found the order, and made his acknowledgments to the King so gracefully, that the King, thinking the sum too little, asked him for the order, and added a cipher to the 1000, making the gift 10,000 crowns.

CCXXII. CONDÉ.

In the council of war which was held before the

*Jean Renauld de Segrais, the author of Zayde, and the Princess of Cleves. Died in 1701.

battle of Rocroi, the Prince of Condé having stated all the advantages of fighting in the event of victory, the Marechal de Gassion replied, “But if we lose, what is to become of us?" "I never

'think of that," said the Prince; "I shall be dead first.'

SERIOUS AND COMIC ANA.*

CCXXIII. BOSSUET.

M. Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux, at eight years of age, preached with grace; he delivered a sermon at that age at the Hotel de Rambouillet. It was nearly midnight when he closed, and Voiture, who was present, remarked as he rose to go, "I have never heard a sermon so early-or so late.”

CCXXIV. A BORROWED COUNTENANCE. A Gascon officer, demanding his salary from the minister of war, maintained that he was in danger of dying of hunger. The minister, who saw that his visage was full and ruddy, told him his face. gave the lie to his statement. "Ah! sir," said

L'Art de Desopiler la Rate. A general Collection of Ana, Serious and Comic, in 2 vols.

the Gascon," don't trust to that; this face is not mine. It belongs to my landlord, who has given me credit for a long time past."

CCXXV. M. DE BRISSAC.

M. de Brissac, to whom Henry III. refused the vacant Admiralty, saying that he was worth nothing either on land or at sea, was as much vexed at the reason of the refusal as at the refusal itself. Having afterwards signalized himself in Paris on the day of the Barricades, he observed, "The King says I am worth nothing at sea or on land; at least he may admit that I am of some use upon a stone pavement."

CCXXVI. RICHARD I.

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I

Foulques de Neully, a celebrated preacher of his day, addressing himself in a prophetic style to Richard I. King of England, told him he had three daughters to marry, and that, if he did not dispose of them soon, God would punish him severely. "You are a false prophet," said the King; have no daughter." Pardon me, sir,” replied the Priest," your Majesty has three, Ambition, Avarice, and Luxury; get rid of them as fast as possible, else assuredly some great misfortune will be the consequence." "If it must be so then," said the King, with a sneer, "I give my Ambition to the Templars, my Avarice to the Monks, and my Luxury to the Prelates."

CCXXVII. FINANCIER.

A rich financier had a pair of dapple horses for his carriage, very finely matched. One of them dying, the financier sent his coachman to all the stables in Paris to purchase another of the same kind at any price. "Well," said his master to him when he returned, "have you succeeded?"

"Yes," said the coachman, " I have found your match.'

CCXXVIII. THE MARECHAL D'ETREES.

The Marechal d'Etrees, aged 103, heard of the death of the Duke de Tresme at the age of 93. "I am very sorry for it," said the Marechal, "but not surprised; he was a poor worn-out creature ; I always said that man would never live long."

CCXXIX. POPE INNOCENT XI.

Pope Innocent XI. was the son of a banker. He was elected on St Matthew's day, and in the evening a pasquinade appeared on the statue :— They found a man sitting at the receipt of custom."

CCXXX. THE BROTHERS.

At the siege of Bommel in 1599, two Spaniards, brothers, who, having been separated in early life, had never seen each other since that time, suddenly met on the field of battle. Having recognised each other, they ran and fell on each other's necks, and while in this close embrace, their heads were at once carried off by a cannon-shot, the bodies falling to the ground together.

CCXXXI. THE ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM.

An advocate was pleading a case against a Bourgeoise, and as he indulged in a multitude of digressions, the lady lost patience and interrupted him. My lords," said she, "here is the case in a single word: I engaged to pay to the opposite party a certain sum, for a piece of Flanders tapestry, with figures as handsome as my Lord the President. He attempts to palm off upon me a wretched daub, with figures as ugly as those of the advocate on the other side. Am I not released from my bargain?" This comparison, which flat

tered the vanity of the President, completely disconcerted the advocate, who had no reply to make, and the Bourgeoise gained her cause.

CCXXXII. MATRIMONIAL CONSOLATION.

A younger brother had espoused an old and illtempered wife, but extremely rich. He used to "Whenever I find my temper giving way, I retire to my closet, and console myself by reading her marriage settlement."

say,

CCXXXIII. QUANTITY AND QUALITY.

A marquis said to a financier, “I would have you to know that I am a man of quality." " And I,” replied the financier, " am a man of quantity."

CCXXXIV. A CONDITIONAL GUARANTEE.

A Norman, who had stolen a horse at Rouen, went to sell him at Falaise. The purchaser having agreed about the price, suspected that the animal might have been stolen, and said to the seller, "Will you warrant him everywhere ?" "Everywhere," said the Norman, "except Rouen; but I would advise you to steer clear of that town.”

CCXXXV. LOSS OF TIME.

A female devotee, who confessed the great attachment she had to play, was reminded by her confessor of the great loss of time which it occasioned. "Ah, true," said she, "there is a deal of time lost in shuffling the cards."

CCXXXVI. CANDOUR.

The first President of the Parliament of Paris, asked M. Montauban, one day as he rose to speak, whether he would be long. "Very," replied the advocate coolly. "At least," replied the magistrate, “you are candid.”

CCXXXVII. BREVITY.

Henry IV. liked a brief reply. He once met