of Frederick the Great was the ignis fatuus that led him to ignominy and derifion. The profligate policy of that prince, hid in the splendour of his literary and political glory, seduced Joseph II. to attempts little suited to his talents. Intoxicated with the fame of a legislator and a conqueror, he scorned those humble and useful pursuits which were adapted to the mediocrity of his mind. He was one of those men, whom the parsimony of Nature precludes from splendour, and the elation of vanity hinders from utility -who hover in a sphere too low for their ambition, and too lofty for their powers. Conatus fupra vires, et fupra rem, was confpicuous in every period of his life. But the hiftory of his reign is not without some spots on which the eye may with pleasure rest. Let it be recorded to his immortal honour, that he was the first Catholic prince whe granted unlimited toleration to Protestants, and the first Christian monarch who restored to the rights of men the Jews, those ill-fated defcendants of the favourites of Heaven, the peculiar fortune of whose religious system it has been, that it was by the nations of antiquity contemned and protected, in modern times perfecuted and revered. It is thus that history, while she denies Joseph II. that place to which his ambition aspired, must refuse her sanction to all the invectives that have been fulminated against his name.Weak rather than depraved, goaded by vanity rather than stimulated by malignant passions, he has closed a career of absurd ambition, dishonourable to his memory, injurious to the human race, and instructive to future times. Anecdote of Sir Robert Walpole and Dr Campbell. a IT happened that messenger who was employed by the Jacobites, in England, to carry on their correspondence with the Pretender, had prevailed upon the doctor to write a letter to the Pretender's secretary; and as the messenger was in Sir Robert's Walpole's pay, he carried that letter with the rest to Sir Robert, who fent for the Doctor the follow ing morning (as he often did at other times, having frequently employed his pen in writing in defence of his administration), on pretence of talking to him about fomething he was to write. He took him to a window, which looked into the street, and while they were standing there together, Sir Robert had contrived that the messenger should pass by, and looking up, moved his hat to them; upon which Sir Robert asked the doctor if he knew that man, and who he was? The Doctor, in fome alarm, immedi ately answered that he was very well acquainted with him, and that he could assure him he was a very wor thy, honeft man. He may be so, said Sir Robert, but he is certainly a very careless one, for he gave me a letter yesterday which I believe was not intended to come into my hands, and I think its direction is your handwriting; and pulling out the doctor's letter, he gave it to him back unopened. The Doctor fell upon his knees, and vowed, that as he had given him his life, it should be devoted to his service, and he never ceased to be his fervent advocate throughout the remainder of his life. And Sir Robert was so well convinced of his fincerity, that he would have given him a valuable office: but the Doctor would not sacrifice his principles to his interest, and declined the offer, and continued a nonjurer as long as the old Pretender lived. Lewis the Fourteenth, his Court and the Regent t. : EW sovereigns had ever such obtheir subjects, as this prince. When he assumed the reins of government, the French, who from the time of Henry IV. had been always under the dominion of ministers, felt a pride in obeying a king. The young monarch became the delight of the nation. A fingle word of benevolence, or an action that could possibly be construed into a wish for the national prosperity or glory, was retailed with rapture. From the capital, this loyal spirit flew into the provinces; and hence may be deduced that esteem, confidence, zeal, fidelity, and popular fubmiffion, which he enjoyed to the end of his life. Cardinal Mazarin, charged with the education of the young king, and his brother, Philip Duke of Orleans, commonly called Monfieur, with the queen-mother's approbation, endeavoured to render the one robust and manly, and the other effeminate. Lewis, tall, active, and healthy, succeeded in all his exercises. He had already a commanding aspect without difdain, was ferious without illhumour, and acquired respect at an age when he could be only expected to please. Philip had, in softness, all that his brother possessed in majesty. He had a natural taste for the dress and ornaments of the other sex. This the queen - mother encouraged, and seemed delighted to see him dressed like a girl, and to appear publicly thus travestied with other young courtiers in the same garb. The eldest brother was very early taught to act the Kings and left he should be tired of his part, or escape from his harness, the cardinal took care to provide him with regal amusements suitable to his trappings. Mazarin, who had brought from Italy seven nieces, wished that the VOL, XI. No. 63. U young monarch should fee, or at least admire, no other females. However, the attendants of these ladies seem to have exercised more powerful enchantments over his affections, than had been furnished to them either by nature or art; though Mary Mancini, one of the cardinal's nieces, afterward seems seriously to have attached Lewis, notwithstanding his more tranfient amusements; but the description of this lady's charms excites no pleasurable ideas in the hearts of us old critics for Mad. de Motteville says, that "her complexion was brown, rather bordering on yellow; her neck and arms lean and scraggy, and her mouth wide and flat; but she had good teeth, a fine figure, and eyes, which, though staring and vacant, seemed, as if they might, one day or other, acquire sensibility and animation." This does not seem to imply a prodigy of beauty. Yet, with the freshness of 14 or 15, and a premature spirit of coquetrie, she found little difficulty in touching so new and inexperienced a heart, as that of the young monarch. Indeed, he became so attached to this lady, that if the cardinal's ambitious views had not been checked by the fear of national resentment, she might have been Queen of France. When the time came for forming an alliance for his Majesty, at once conjugal and political, Mary Mancini was placed in a convent, in order to wean the young prince from her society. The separation, says M. Anquetil, was extremely afflicting; and the adieus were of the tenderest kind. The King could not contain his tears. You weep! says Mary, with a forrow mixed with indignation, you weep! who are a king, and yet fuffer me to be torn from you! France was, at this time, at war with with Spain; and both nations, tired of the contest, and the long enmity which had subsisted between them, were glad to terminate their difputes by a marriage between the young Lewis and the Infanta; and which took place in 1660. The description of the festivity on this occafion, in Spain, Germany, and France, is truly characteristic. Marshal de Grammont, the most gallant nobleman of the French court, rode post to Madrid, with his whole suite, sumptuoufly dreffed, to manifest the impatience of his master. The Admiral of Castile gave him a most superb entertainment, " but more for the fight than the palate. Seven hundred dishes," says the Marshal, with the admiralty arms on them, were served; but so faffroned and gilt, that they went away as they came, without any one being able to touch them, though the dinner lasted above four hours." † By Monf. Anquetil. A ceremonial entertainment given in Germany, some time before, to the same Marshal, forms a perfect contraft to this. "The Electors of Mayence and Cologne (says he) were there. The dinner lasted from noon till nine o'clock at night, to the found of kettle-drums and trumpets, which never let the ears of the guests have a moment's rest. At least two thoufand healths were drank. The table being cleared, the Electors, and others of the company, danced on it; and I myself (says the Marshal), tho? Jame, led off a courant, and we all got as drunk as wine could make us." But though this marriage was celebrated at Fontarabia with true Spanish gravity; in France, the rejoicings were less remarkable for magnificence than for hilarity. The people, in general, seemed intoxicated with joy, especially when the King and Queen entered the capital. Mad. Scaron, afterward Mad. de Maintenon, at this time confounded in the crowd, says in one of her letters, written the day after, that the had been, for ten or twelve hours, all eyes and ears; and feeing a little farther than the moment, adds, that "the queen must certainly have retired that evening, well pleased with the husband which the nation had given to her." This alliance, and the consequent peace with Spain, was the summit of cardinal Mazarin's glory. The people, who had before abused and pelted him, now received him with acclamations; and those magistrates by whom he had been proscribed, now hastened to compliment him on this aufpicious occasion. This artful and rapacious minister survived the public joy but a few months; dying, fays M. Anquetil, in perfect tranquillity after his stormy regency, more like a philosopher than a Christian, March 9. 1661, ar fifty-nine years of age. Of his seven nieces, he had three still to provide for, whom he had refused to foliciting sovereigns. During the Pyrenean treaty, he let our Charles II. flip through his fingers, who, offering his hand to Mary Mancini, was thanked by the cardinal; who afterward offered her to Charles when he had afcended the throne, with a portion of five millions of livres, but was then thanked in his turn. But he had all the honour of refusing the princes of Savoy and Lorrain. These princes, indifferent about money, only wished personally to have a strong fortified town put into their hands on the frontiers of France; but the minifter honourably refused to comply with conditions so disadvantageous to the kingdom; and married his niece Mary to the constable Colonna, giving her near fifty thousand pounds Sterling per annum, and his fine palace at Rome. Hortensia, the most beautiful of his nieces, he bestowed on the D. de la Meillerie, grand master of the king's household, on condition that he took the name of Mazarin, with a fortune of 70,0001. per annum, and an immenfe quantity of of rich furniture; and lastly, he fettled on the youngelt a portion sufficient for an alliance to the house of Bouillon, when she became of age. For the others, who were already married in France, he obtained new grants. The king refused him nothing; or rather, he submitted to his wishes with the docility of a pupil, habituated to obedience or through gratitude for the care he had taken in forming him; for it is but just to say, that if during early youth the cardinal only taught him how to act the king, as he advanced to manhood, he instructed him how to be a king indeed. The riches left by the cardinal were enormous. According to the D. de St Simon, in spite of the oppofition of two furious factions, it was proved in court (at the trial of the D. of Mazarin, with his fon, for the restitution of his mother's dowry), that, during an administration which lasted twenty years, he gave this lady upward of a million sterling; beside the prodigious fortunes bestowed on the duchess de Mercœur, the princess of Conti, the duchess of Modena, the conftable Colonna, the countess of Soiffons, and the duchess of Bouillon; together with the immenfe treafures which fell to the D. de Nevers. All this wealth was amassed, not in times of profperity and abundanee, but during civil and foreign wars, which lasted till within a year of his death. It should also be remembered, that, like cardinal Richelieu, he had the fame household military establishment as the king: gens d'armes, lighthorse, with an additional company of mousquetaires, all commanded by noblemen, and persons of quality un der them. M. de St Simon believes, that it was the astonishing possessions of this cardinal, joined to the despotism with which he governed the court, that determined Lewis XIV. never to have a prime minister again, or to admit an ecclesiastic in council. The writer just cited tells us, that this monarch had parts rather above mediocrity, more solid than brilliant; but he had a mind capable of forming itself by obfervation, and of borrowing ideas from those around him, without appearing a servile imitator. He profited extremely, by living with persons possessed of knowledge of the world, and merit of all kinds. When he began to reign, his ministers at home, and in foreign courts, were the most able, and his generals the best in Europe. He learned every thing of them. The capacity of these accomplished persons, and those of their school, was derived from the troubles with which the kingdom was agitated from the time of Lewis XIII. It is the common effect of civil wars to draw forth abilities, and of a long peace to debase them. The queen - mother was devout; and the young queen was timid, appearing embarrassed by a great court, so that the most distinguished and accomplished perfons, male and female, assembled at the house of the countess of Soiffons. As fuperintendant, she had apartments in the palace of the Thuilleries, where she reigned at the time of her uncle's death, and sustained her empire by continuing, in some degree, his former splendour; but still more by her wit and courage. Her residence was the centre of gallantry and intrigue. Here persons in friendship, decorated with titles, and almost all related or allied by marriage, lived together like one family, without admitting new or unknown associates. Here the king acquired that polite and gallant air, to which he afterwards united, during his whole life, decorum and dignity. His fize and majestic figure, which succeeded the bloom of youth, even the found of his voice, and his gait, diftinguished him from other men. U2 The to me. The administration of the kingdom was regulated two days before Mazarin's death, from his plans and counfel; and the machine was already in motion, when Harlai de Chanvalon, president of the clergy then afsembled, inquiring of his majesty to whom he should apply in future concerning matters of business, he faid, The Abbè de Choisy says, that " Lewis XIV. always wished to be thought to govern by himself; and he certainly did, if hearing none but his minifters, seeing with their eyes, and shutting out truth from every other avenue, when it was their interest to conceal it, can be called fo." He had, at this time, three ministers: Le Tellier, for the war department, Lionne for foreign affairs, and Fouquet for finance. The fame author has drawn their several characters with nice difcrimination: " Michell le Tellier (says he) was a handfome agreeable man of an easy temper; timid in his family affairs, but bold and enterprifing in those of the state. Sufficiently firm to execute a plan; fitter, however, for the second place than the first; fearful of making enemies, perhaps because he was a dangerous enemy himself. He was gentle and infinuating; a great promiser; regular and civil in his commerce with the world, where he strewed nothing but flowers; and this was all that could be expected from his friendship. "Hugh de Lionne, a gentleman of Dauphiny, was extremely well versed in the interests of princes, and a dexterous negociator; but this qua- qua lity was fo well known by foreign ministers, that they were always on their guard. He feldom worked, unless pressed by circumstances, and then transacted the whole, himself, with matchless abilities. At other times, sacrificing his fortune, health, and even indolence, to play, good cheer, and other pleasures. "Nicolas Fouquet, rendered famous by his disgrace, had a penetrating mind, great taste for the belles lettres, and fine arts, and still more for voluptuoufnefs. He seemed to be working alone in his study at St. Mande, his country-house; and while the whole court was in his antichamber, praising the indefatigable spirit of this great man, he defcended by a back stair-cafe into a little garden, where certain nymphs, that I could name, condefcended to bear him company, for the weighty compensation of gold. He was the greatest and most daring dissipator that the treasury of a great nation ever fupported." The king worked, every day, with these three ministers, either together or separately. His hour of rifing was eight; he then went to prayers, dressed himself, read books or statepapers, and made a short breakfast; appearing at ten o'clock in council, whence he departed at twelve, and went to mass. The time between divine service and dinner, he either gave to the public, or to the queens in their apartments. After dinner, he usually continued a confiderable time with the royal family; then he again shut himself up with one of his ministers, gave audiences, received petitions, and fixed a day for answering them. The rest of the afternoon was passed in conversations, either with the queens, or at the house of the countess of Soiffons; at play always moderate, and never at games of mere chance; at the theatre, or in walking, according to the feafon; without ever breaking into this arrangement, unless on days of hunting, or extraordinary diversions. His favourite repast was supper; this he prolonged, and sometimes had a ball after it; which was easily formed, as there were always ready for this service, the maids of honour; a title difficult to sustain in so warm a climate. This lively and playful band 1 |