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 So. 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 Bran"that I have said 'God help you' already?— These beggars are the most troublesome rascals !” -Rochefoucault laughed still louder, and after

cas,

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

connexion. This circumstance has, perhaps, contributed as much as any to render them favourites with our nation, an enemy to the continued attention which long dissertations demand; and with the present age, which dislikes the application required in continuous and methodical treatises. His freedom of thought, his variety of style, and his metaphorical expressions, have been the chief causes of this celebrity which he has enjoyed during the last century, and which he still possesses; for he is, as it were, the breviary of indolent and ignorant men of letters, anxious to acquire some slight acquaintance with the world, and some tincture of learning, You will scarcely find a country gentleman without his Montaigne on the chimney-piece. But this liberty, which has its advantages when used within bounds, becomes dangerous when it degenerates into license. Such is that of Montaigne, who has thought himself entitled to overstep all the laws of modesty and decorum. The source of this defect in Montaigne lies in his vanity and self-love. He thought his merit entitled him to dispense with rules,-to set an example, not to follow one. All his pretended frankness cannot prevent us from perceiving in him a secret vanity of his official situation, of the number of his servants, and of the reputation he had acquired. If we collect all the small hints and occasional touches which he has adroitly introduced into his works, we shall find him, on the whole, his own panegyrist. Scaliger might well say, what is it to me whether Montaigne likes white wine or red? Is it not, in fact, a mere mockery of his readers to amuse them with these petty details of his tastes, and his domestic trifles?