'Your question,' said the King, in reply, 'reminds me of a similar one which was addressed to the famous Duke of Saxe-Weimar, during the thirty years' war, by a veteran officer in a blue riband named Parabère: 'You ask me why I fought the battle,' said Weimar in reply, 'why, sir, I fought it because I thought I should win it;' and then turning to one of his aids, Pray,' said he, in a voice loud enough to be heard by the circle, 'who is this old fool in the blue riband?" Bourdaloue in his sermons lashed the licentiousness of the Court at times with a good deal of freedom. On one of these occasions the courtiers made some complaint to the King. 'Gentlemen,' said he, in answer, Bourdaloue has done his duty; it remains for us to do ours, and I wish we may succeed as well.' At another time, Massillon had been preaching upon the conflict between the flesh and the spirit, described by St. Paul, which he represented figuratively as an internal struggle between two persons contending for the mastery. The King went forward to meet him as he descended from the pulpit, and, taking him by the hand, said to him, ' Ah, mon père ! que je connais bien ces deux hommes là!'- Ah, my good father! I, for one, am but too well acquainted with the two gentlemen you have been speaking of!

In the satirical portrait of Madame de Sévigné by her cousin, Count de Bussy, which has been alluded to, he charges her with being too much dazzled by the pageantry of the Court, and too much elated by any little personal attention from the King or Queen. One evening,' says he, after the King had been dancing a minuet with her, on resuming her seat, which was by my side, she remarked, 'Well, cousin, it must be owned that the King has great qualities; I think he will eclipse the glory of all his predecessors.' I could not,' says Bussy, 'help laughing in her face at the singularity of the apropos,

and replied, ' After the proof of heroism which he has just given in dancing with you, my fair cousin, there can be no doubt about it.' She was on the point,' adds Bussy, of crying out Vive le Roi, before the whole company.'

There would be no great harm in all this, if it were literally true; but as Bussy afterwards disavowed and retracted the whole portrait, it is, of course, unnecessary to attach any importance to this passage. There is no appearance in the letters of excessive admiration of the King. The tone, whenever he is mentioned, is evidently guarded, probably from an apprehension that all letters passing through the post-office were subject to inspection; but the language, though commonly laudatory, does not exceed the bounds of moderation and justice, for Louis XIV. did, in fact, possess great qualities, combined with some great weaknesses, and did eclipse the glory of most of his predecessors. Madame de Sévigné repeatedly gives her opinion, in pretty plain terms, upon the insane passion for war, which was the prominent vice in his character; and, when she praises him, generally does it with discrimination. She commends particularly, on several occasions, his felicity in reply, and the correctness of taste with which he kept up the decorum of his station, or, as the Empress Catherine would have said, enacted the part of king.

The chapter of the King's mistresses is treated in the letters with great discretion; a fact which alone is sufficient to refute Lady Mary Wortley Montague's charge of tittle-tattle, since a lover of mere gossip would have made this topic the principal one throughout the whole correspondence. It is touched upon by Madame de Sévigné very sparingly, and always in the most proper manner. She seems to have had no personal acquaintance with any of the King's successive favorites, excepting Madame de

Maintenon, to whom he was privately married. With her Madame de Sévigné had been somewhat intimate in earlier life, and had sometimes visited her after her marriage to the King. Madame de Montespan is occasionally mentioned, and also Madamoiselle de Fontanges, who was much more remarkable for beauty than for wit. 'The Fontanges,' said Madame, though her hair is rather red, is beautiful from head to foot; it is impossible to see any thing prettier, and she is, withal, the best creature in the world; but she has no more wit than a kitten.' The Abbé de Choisy said of her that she was as 'handsome as an angel, and as silly as a basket,'(belle comme un ange, et sotte comme un panier.) The latter similitude is new to us; we have sometimes heard a smiling face compared to a basket of chips.

Among the ladies of the Court out of her own family, Madame de la Fayette seems to have been the most intimate companion of Madame de Sévigné. She was one of the ancestors of the distinguished friend of America, and was celebrated in her day as the author of several very popular novels. She was one of the first modern writers of fiction who had the good taste to rely for effect on the use of natural incidents and characters. Her Princess of Cleves forms the transition from the romance of chivalry to the modern novel, which is intended as a picture of real life. Madame de Cornuel is often mentioned as the wit of the circle. Several of her bons mots are quoted, which, however, in general, are not very marvellous. One of the best, and that is merely a play on words, was occasioned by a negotiation between the King and the Pope, which was expected to terminate in the publication of certain papal bulls. While the matter was in progress, the Abbé de Polignac arrived at Paris from Rome, bearing despatches which it was generally thought must be the wished-for documents, but

which proved to be merely preliminary articles. 'Ces ne sont pas des bulles qu'il apporte,' said Madame de Cornuel, 'mais des préambules.'

The men of wit and letters constituted the favorite society of Madame de Sévigné, and of these she was particularly intimate with the Duke de la Rochefoucault, Cardinal de Retz, and the Abbé Arnauld. Among the poets her passion was for Corneille, whom she praises throughout the letters in the most exalted terms, and quotes upon all occasions. She preferred him to Racine, and is reported to have said, though the remark does not appear in her letters, — that the taste for Racine was a mere whim, which would pass away, like the taste for coffee. Both have now stood the test of nearly two centuries, and seem to be gaining rather than losing ground in the public favor. Madame de Sévigné herself, at a later period, became more just to the merit of Racine; nd after witnessing the representation of his Esther at Court, speaks of it in terms that must satisfy his warmest admirers. Her account of this affair is, perhaps, as agreeable a specimen as can be given of her letters:

'We went to St. Cyr on Saturday, Madame de Coulanges, Madame de Bagnols, the Abbe Tita, and myself. On arriving we found that places had been kept for us. An attendant told Madame de Coulanges, that Madame de Maintenon had ordered a seat to be reserved for her next to herself. Think what an honor! As for you, Madame,' said he to me, 'take your choice.' I placed myself with Madame de Bagnols on the second bench behind the duchesses. Marshal Bellefonte came and took a seat by my side. We listened to the piece with an attention that was remarked, and occasionally threw in, in a low tone, some complimentary expressions, which could not perhaps have been hatched under the fontanges of all the ladies present.

I can

Madame de Fontanges had given her name to a particular head-dress.

give you no idea of the extreme beauty of the piece. It is something which cannot be described, and can never be imitated. It is a combination of music, poetry, song, and character, so complete and perfect, that it leaves nothing to be wished. The young ladies, who act the kings and great men, seem to have been made on purpose for their parts. The attention is fixed, and no other regret is felt than that so charming a piece should ever come to an end. It is throughout at once simple, innocent, touching, and sublime. The plot agrees entirely with the Scripture narrative; the chorusses, of which the words are borrowed from the Psalms and the Wisdom of Solomon, are so exquisitely beautiful, that they cannot be heard without tears. I was perfectly charmed, and so was the Marshal, who, leaving his place, went and told the King how much he was delighted, and that he had been sitting by the side of just such a lady as ought to be present at a representation of Esther. The King then came up to me and said, 'I understand, Madame, that you have been pleased.' I replied without confusion, 'Sire, I have been charmed. I cannot tell you how much I have been delighted.' 'Racine,' replied the King, 'has certainly a great deal of talent.' 'That he has, Sire,' said I; 'and these young ladies have certainly a great deal, too. They play their parts as if they had never done any thing else.' 'It is true enough,' replied the King. His Majesty then retired, leaving me an object of general envy. As I was almost the only person who had not been present at any preceding representation, the King was probably pleased with my sincere though quiet expressions of satisfaction. The Prince and Princess came to say a word to me; Madame de Maintenon gave me a look as she retired with the King. I was ready with answers to every one, for I was in good luck. We retired in the evening by torch-light, and supped with Madame de Coulanges, to whom the King had also spoken with great familiarity and kindness. I saw the Chevalier, and gave him an account of my little success, for I see no necessity for making a mystery of these things, as some persons do. He was highly gratified. So there you have the whole story. Mr. de Meaux (Bossuet) talked to me a great deal about you, and so did the Prince, (Condè.) I regret that you were not present, but we cannot be in two places at the same time.'