eft imaginable fecrecy; and a few days after the paintings were finished, the Colonel in this hall very gave a fplendid entertainment to a numerous affembly.

What a fight for the father at his entrance! This new inftance of filial refpect, the fincere compliments of an illuftrious company, and the remembrance of thofe dreadful fcenes, affected him exceedingly. He had too much opennefs of temper not to be intoxicated with that joy which he felt in his heart, and all present partook of the intoxication.

The old Count ran over the whole with his eye; and turning to his fon with much kindness in his looks, you did well, my son, faid he, to conceal this from me, fince you were determined to execute it. I would have hindered that which is now too late to forbid; and indeed to reproach you for it would be more like affectation than modefty yet the only thing which pleafes me in this matter is the refpect and tenderness which fhow for your father. At the fame time, my fonHere he fhook his head with a doubtful smile on his countenance.

you

What follows, my father? This reprefentation of my life is of the fame kind with all thofe which are written without the knowledge or advice of the principal actor. They fupprefs altogether, or very of ten mention flightly, a characteristical trait which would explain the whole. What must we think of these hiftories, when my fon himself-He ftopped; and his laft words were not the effufion of a heart melting with gladness, there was fomewhat of bitternefs in his smile. They intreated him to go on: he refused a long time; and then with much coldnefs of expreffion he proceeded.

If you have attempted to give a fketch of my life, you have forgotten one remarkable heroic action,

293

without which we would not have been fo happy at this time, nor affembled around this table as we are. Tomorrow morning at breakfast, I will relate the whole affair; for it were a pity fuch an action was not remembered. They infifted that he should relate it to the whole company at that time: but he continued to fmile and refufe. When they were all feated, they foon forgot the action, or appeared not to think of it. The young Count, who had not lo a word of his father's discourse, forgot not, however, to put him in mind of his promife. I expected this, replied the Field Marshal fmiling, and it is proper I acquit myself of my promife; but it is firft neceffary that we go to the hall, and that we be there alone. dition was immediately accepted. You have terminated the first row of pictures on that wall, continued the old Count, with that one wherein the monarch gives me a carte-blanche and the Marshal's Staff. This is altogether wrong. You have united what, in the truth of history, ought to have been kept diftant by the space of fifteen years, and what two fovereigns have done from circumftances widely different. But grant that the fault could be easily amended; doth not this picture, placed in this manner, indicate to all the world that the staff of Field Marshal was given me for one of thefe good actions, or for all my fervices together? Most certainly.

The con

It is nevertheless very falfe. And it is precifely this noble action which hath been fo well rewarded, that you have omitted in these pictures.

What do I hear, my father? Can my memory have

I do not blame your heart, my fon. How could you paint an action you had never heard of? This ignorance is as excufable as the

afto.

aftonishment which the fact occafions. You were young when I obtained this honourable staff. I have never spoken of this affair to you nor any one; and at this moment I am afraid we may be overheard. Be not afraid of it, replied his fon. The old man, lowering his voice, continued the converfation.

Let us take a review of all these actions and their reward. This withered arm is all the advantage which I gained from that battle, when, with as much propriety as good fortune, I threw my colours among the thickeft of the enemy. By this ftratagem I brought back the left wing, who were fying at the very time the right was beginning to yield. My troops renewed the charge with wonderful courage, and the enemy were cut to pieces. I was at that time major; and I continued to be fo. My general, who was the first man that endeavoured to fave his precious life by flight, was rewarded with a confiderable penfion for his bravery on that day.

I was made prifoner in that battle where I fell wounded from my horfe. My wound was but indifferently cured, and I was forgotten in the exchange of prifoners. In fhort, my ranfom was paid by-myself.

Good God!

The father continued without feeming to regard the exclamation of

his fon.

The fear which you fee on my forehead makes me eafily recollect that picture. I received the wound before that fort, the fiege of which had engaged us a whole campaign; and which, I venture to fay, would neither have been taken nor prefer ved without my care and activity. For I first planted my ftandard in the breach; and I was obliged to put to death feveral of my own foldiers to prevent the pillaging and thẻ utter deftruction of the city and its inhabitants.

It is true, the Prince commended my conduct in the face of the whole court, and the fame day gave the government of the place to the fon of his first minifter, a youth of fe venteen years of age, who had not fo much as appeared at the fiege. I mult do him the justice, however, to fay, that he graciously appointed me the fecond in command to the stripling; and appeared much atonished at my refufal

It was with difficul ty, and even by chance, that I escaped banishment, or a prifon for ever; for in concluding that peace, I must confefs I abused a little their carteblanche, and figned it with too much precipitation. I forgot to make the enemy cede a territory of a dozen of acres and three finall villages. I foolifhly reckoned on the expence of another campaign, which would have coft us fome millions of florins and feveral thousand men.

My God, what an indignity!

Allow me to continue, faid the old Count; the best part of the ftory yet remains. You have feen the fnuffbox which I received from my fóvereign when I delivered him from the hands of the enemy. It was foolish in him to hunt in an enemy's country, and at a time when he had reason to expect an enemy, or at least to find fome fpy among his own followers. I had alfo my fpurs, as well as a number of brave fellows on whom I could depend. I compelled the enemy to part with their prize; and I received this box, which is worth one hundred and fifty ducats, to indemnify me for a horfe killed under me worth four hundred. But as a reward for his faithful fervices, he made his chamberlain, who was taken with him, marfhal of the court. This man had attempted to draw his hanger, but unfortunately it clung to the fcabbard.

When they faw me displeased, I was rewarded with this crofs, which hath coft me much expence, and which

Fifteen years! your philofophy perhaps wished it fo?

Yes, I might excite the admiration of the world, by adopting the language of a humble philofopher; but the truth, though lefs honourable, is more valuable to me. I confefs to you, my fon, that my regard for my family made me with for adyancement. I did not remain unrewarded because I refused honours, but because fome perfon of the court, more fortunate or more worthy, was preferred. The prince, whofe life, honour, and perhaps kingdom, I had preferved, was now dead, and his fucceffor was either ignorant of my fervices, or thought the merit of them a fufficient reward. Yes, my fon, weary of their treacherous promifes, and of feeing my hopes always difappointed, I determined all at once to throw up my commiffion, and retire to the country. There I expected to pafs the remainder of my life in an obfcure yet happy manner, when, contrary to my expectation, my good fortune gave me an opportunity of performing an tion which at once loaded me with riches and glory.

ac

What action was this, my father? Oh! it would be a difficult matter to reprefent this properly in a picture. A large river, feveral women of quality weeping on the bank of it, myfelf on horfeback in the middle of the river, holding a little dog, ugly and blind of an eye, almoft drowned, and fpuiting the water on all fides of him. Would not that be the fubject of an inimitable representation?

Do you fpeak ferioufly faid the young Colonel: affistance given to a dog!

This great action, I can affure you, raifed me to that rank and fortune which I now poffefs. There was more glory in it than in my blood fo often fhed for my country. It was of more value than thirty years fervice in war; than the painful labour of many days and nights, in which I was expofed to the hardships of the winter, and the fire of a defperate enemy.

I could eafily increase your fur prife by informing you, that, as a man of honour, I have never pro, nounced the name of my benefac trefs without blushing. But attend to me, and I will relate all the cir cumftacces.

A place of Field Marshal became vacant by the death of Count de Pl. Every one of a great number of candidates had a powerful interest to fupport him. I had the old-fa fhioned claim of my fervices; and, without vanity, I had the best title to the place. I faw, however, that I would not fucceed, for the minifter, the Baron de K. was more fovereign than the King himfelf; and it often happened that thofe who were protected by the King, had to yield to thofe who were protected by the minifter. It is true, he teftified much friendship for me; but he exacted the attendance which was due to my fovereign; and I had too much haughtinefs of fpirit to pay court to a man who had scarcely efcaped from the lafh of his preceptor, while I was covered with the blood of the enemies I had conquer. ed. I could therefore eafily foresee the fuccefs of my folicitations. was in doubt whether I fhould return to my eftate, or expofe myself to a new affront. Reflecting on my fituation, I was one day riding flowly, with a fingle fervant, when my at

I

tention

tention was called to a chariot which paffed me with great rapidity. I obferved in it the mistress of the Minifter, who from chambermaid was raifed to this high ftation. She was inimitably well made, and beautiful as a goddefs, if a woman can be fo without honour and modefty. She returned my falute with great indifference, and a hundred paces farther on fhe alighted to walk on the bank of a river.

As I did not choose to falute her a fecond time, I ftruck into a path on my left, when the cries of the women, whom I faw running back wards and forwards in great diforder, reached my ears. By a natural movement i rode back to their affit. ance at full fpeed. The miftrefs of his Excellency came running to meet me with horror painted in her coun

tenance.

Oh, Mr General, cried fhe, as fhe was hafting towards me, I befeech you, for heaven's fake-come to our affittance, my little favourite-down there

he has fallen into the waterhe cannot extricate himself, and we cannot affift him-See, he is finking in the stream-the torrent-Mr Ge neral, for heaven's fake.

Without reflecting a moment on the nature of this commiffion, which would have much better become my fervant, I plunged into the river, and feized the little favourite juft as he was finking. The fcene was now truly ridiculous. No mother could have expreffed more joy at the safe return of her fon, though fhe had formerly believed him killed in battle.

Then the naufeous compliments of the company; the eagerness to be the first to falute the little favourite; with the fear of dirtying, fullying, Spoiling their clothes; the repeti

tion of falfe alarms; and all the company talking at once, made a very diverting tragi-comical adventure.

As I thought there was no more occafion for my affiftance, I was about to depart; but the miftrefs of the little favourite intreated me to remain a little with fo much earnestnefs, that I alighted from my horfe, and offered her my arm. Mr General, faid fhe, accepting it, and drawing me afide, I know what place you are foliciting; if I forget this fervice, or let it pafe unrewarded ; if the minifter does not become your fat friend, may-my poor favour. ite-You fhall fee whether I can be ungrateful.

I bowed to her without fpeaking a word; for I will confefs to you, that your father was too haughty to acknowledge a favour from fuch a woman, while I was too much a courtier to reject entirely what fhe offered of her own accord. At the fame time I was determined never to put her in mind of her promife.

The next day, at the King's levee, the minifter drew me into a corner, and whispered me that his Majefty had now recollected my name and that he had confervices; my firmed him in his favourable intentions: and that he entertained the greateft hopes of foon congratulating me on my advancement. He had great reafon to say fo; for within the month I received the ftaff of Field Marshal.

Had I not been convinced that I deferved this honour, believe me, I would have refufed it: but on account of my own fervices, and the regard I had for my family and for you, I accepted, without blushing, the reward to which I was intitled.

WE

E think it demonftrable, that the difference of colour in the inhabitants of different climates was never caused by any interpofition of the Deity, but that it muft have proceeded from an incidental co-operation of causes.

:

What these causes are, it is out of the power of human wifdom pofi tively to affert there are facts, however, which, if properly weighed and put together, will throw confiderable light upon the fubje&t.

The first point that occurs to be afcertained, is, What part of the fkin is the feat of colour? The old anatomists usually divided the skin into two parts or lamina; the exterior and thinneft, called by the Greeks epidermis, by the Romans cuticula, and hence by us cuticle; and the inteterior, called by the former derma, and by the latter cutis, or true fkin. Hence they must neceffarily have fuppofed, that, as the true fkin was in every refpect the fame in all human fubjects, however various their external hue, fo the feat of colour must have exifted in the cuticle or upper furface.

Malphigi, an eminent Italian phyfician of the last century, was the first perfon who discovered that the fkin was divided into three lamina or parts; the cuticle, the true skin, and a certain coagulated fubftance fituated between both, which he diftinguished by the title of mucofum corpus; a title retained by anatomifts to the present day: which coagulated fubftance adhered fo firmly to the cuticle, as, in all former ana tomical preparations, to have come off with it; and, from this circumVOL. IV. N° 23.

ftance, to have led the ancient ana tomifts to believe, that there were but two lamina, or divifible portions in the human skin.

This difcovery was fufficient to afcertain the point in queftion for it appeared afterwards that the cus ticle, when divided according to this discovery from the other lamina, was femi-transparent; that the cuticle of the blackeft negroe was of the fame tranfparency and colour as that of the pureft white; and hence the true skins of both being invariably the fame, that the mucofum corpus was the feat of colour.

This has been farther confirmed by all fubfequent anatomical expe riments; by which it appears, that, whatever is the colour of this intermediate coagulated fubftance, nearly the fame is the apparent colour of the upper furface of the skin. Neither can it be otherwife; for the cuticle, from its tranfparency, muft neceffarily tranfmit the colour of the fubitance beneath it, in the fame manner, though not in the fame degree, as the corned tranfmits the colour of the iris of the eye. This transparency is a matter of ocular demonitration in white people. It is confpicuous in every blufh; for no one

can imagine that the cuticle becomes red as often as this happens: nor is it lefs difcoverable in the veins, which are fo easy to be difcerned; for no one can fuppofe that the blue ftreaks, which he conftantly fees in the fairest complexions, are painted, as it were, on the furface of the upper skin. From thefe; and a variety of oP p ther