This Is What They Call Doing Justice To
The Founder.
Mons.
L - y was placed at the head of the table and
indeed he was the oracle and orator of the company; tall, thin,
and weather-beaten, not unlike the picture of Don Quixote after
he had lost his teeth. He had been garde du corps, or life-guardman
at Versailles; and by virtue of this office he was
perfectly well acquainted with the persons of the king and the
dauphin, with the characters of the ministers and grandees, and,
in a word, with all the secrets of state, on which he held forth
with equal solemnity and elocution. He exclaimed against the
jesuits, and the farmers of the revenue, who, he said, had ruined
France. Then, addressing himself to me, asked, if the English did
not every day drink to the health of madame la marquise? I did
not at first comprehend his meaning; but answered in general,
that the English were not deficient in complaisance for the
ladies. "Ah! (cried he) she is the best friend they have in the
world. If it had not been for her, they would not have such
reason to boast of the advantages of the war." I told him the
only conquest which the French had made in the war, was atchieved
by one of her generals: I meant the taking of Mahon. But I did
not choose to prosecute the discourse, remembering that in the
year 1749, I had like to have had an affair with a Frenchman at
Ghent, who affirmed, that all the battles gained by the great
duke of Marlborough were purposely lost by the French generals,
in order to bring the schemes of madame de Maintenon into
disgrace. This is no bad resource for the national vanity of
these people: though, in general, they are really persuaded, that
theirs is the richest, the bravest, the happiest, and the most
powerful nation under the sun; and therefore, without some such
cause, they must be invincible. By the bye, the common people
here still frighten their wayward children with the name of
Marlborough. Mr. B - 's son, who was nursed at a peasant's house,
happening one day, after he was brought home, to be in disgrace
with his father, who threatened to correct him, the child ran for
protection to his mother, crying, "Faites sortir ce vilaine
Malbroug," "Turn out that rogue Marlborough." It is amazing to
hear a sensible Frenchman assert, that the revenues of France
amount to four hundred millions of livres, about twenty millions
sterling, clear of all incumbrances, when in fact their clear
revenue is not much above ten. Without all doubt they have reason
to inveigh against the fermiers generaux, who oppress the people
in raising the taxes, not above two-thirds of which are brought
into the king's coffers: the rest enriches themselves, and
enables them to bribe high for the protection of the great, which
is the only support they have against the remonstrances of the
states and parliaments, and the suggestions of common sense;
which will ever demonstrate this to be, of all others, the most
pernicious method of supplying the necessities of government.
Mons. L - y seasoned the severity of his political apothegms with
intermediate sallies of mirth and gallantry. He ogled the
venerable gentlewoman his commere, who sat by him. He looked,
sighed, and languished, sung tender songs, and kissed the old
lady's hand with all the ardour of a youthful admirer. I
unfortunately congratulated him on having such a pretty young
gentleman to his son. He answered, sighing, that the boy had
talents, but did not put them to a proper use - "Long before I
attained his age (said he) I had finished my rhetoric." Captain
B - , who had eaten himself black in the face, and, with the
napkin under his chin, was no bad representation of Sancho Panza
in the suds, with the dishclout about his neck, when the duke's
scullions insisted upon shaving him; this sea-wit, turning to the
boy, with a waggish leer, "I suppose (said he) you don't
understand the figure of amplification so well as Monsieur your
father." At that instant, one of the nieces, who knew her uncle
to be very ticklish, touched him under the short ribs, on which
the little man attempted to spring up, but lost the centre of
gravity. He overturned his own plate in the lap of the person
that sat next to him, and falling obliquely upon his own chair,
both tumbled down upon the floor together, to the great
discomposure of the whole company; for the poor man would have
been actually strangled, had not his nephew loosed his stock with
great expedition. Matters being once more adjusted, and the
captain condoled on his disaster, Mons. L - y took it in his head
to read his son a lecture upon filial obedience. This was mingled
with some sharp reproof, which the boy took so ill that he
retired. The old lady observed that he had been too severe: her
daughter-in-law, who was very pretty, said her brother had given
him too much reason; hinting, at the same time, that he was
addicted to some terrible vices; upon which several individuals
repeated the interjection, ah! ah! "Yes (said Mons. L - y, with a
rueful aspect) the boy has a pernicious turn for gaming: in one
afternoon he lost, at billiards, such a sum as gives me horror to
think of it." "Fifty sols in one afternoon," (cried the sister).
"Fifty sols! (exclaimed the mother-in-law, with marks of
astonishment) that's too much - that's too much! - he's to blame -
he's to blame! but youth, you know, Mons. L - y - ah! vive la
jeunesse!" - "et l'amour!" cried the father, wiping his eyes,
squeezing her hand, and looking tenderly upon her. Mr. B - took
this opportunity to bring in the young gentleman, who was
admitted into favour, and received a second exhortation. Thus
harmony was restored, and the entertainment concluded with fruit,
coffee, and liqueurs.
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