this, to-morrow that one. Where there are not firm, fixed laws, chance alone governs. There is no middle road between immutable laws and the sports of chance. The Ministers and the King himself are only the executors and tools of other people." "You consider France not as a Monarchy but as a royal Anarchy Explain your meaning." "Your Eminence has so happily expressed my meaning in two words, that I cannot be more explicit; Royal Anarchy! It is every where, where the King is the state, and where the people are made for the state. It is every where, where the will of one single man, is the law of the land," and where the capricious humor of a prince is the constitution of the realm. And indeed the will and humor of a single individual beyond whom there is no appeal, changes in the morning and evening according to the state of his stomach. But where there is a law not within the control of the Governor, there only is order and security. "I perceive you have read Abbé Mably, and that with Montesquieu you are an admirer of the English constitution, and are one of the discontented Philosophers!" 'By no means. I have too much reason to be pleased with this royal anarchy, and am modest enough to be convinced that in a monarchy of laws I should never with my humble mediocre talents, have had the honor to serve your Eminence. Yet you yourself will confess that the king in his decision on the most important affairs, may be influenced by his mistress, or a favourite, this one again by another favorite and so downwards to the most insignificant servant." "It may be so. Yet a British Parliament is not always sufficient to counteract royal Anarchy. A prince who has the good of the nation at heart, surrounded by honest counsellors, is better fitted to give the nation the best laws, and to govern it with order and wisdom, than an assembly of lawyers from the various orders of the nation, for the king and his ministers whilst they view the whole, know better and more accurately what may be useful to the people, than singly the best heads in the realm!" 66 'Herein I beg to differ from your Eminence. Were even a new Henry the fourth to sit on the throne, the lowest writer, the Government's meanest servants would influence the making of laws, and assist in deciding state affairs. Nor is it otherwise possible, the king is not ominiscient, he follows the advise of his statesmen, of ministers and counsellors. Nor are the ministers, the chancellors, the secretaries of state, the general controllers, omniscient, but they listen to, and follow the views and advices of the governors of Provinces. The governors draw their information from the chief civilians. These get their in formations from magistrates and other functionaries, these again rely on the informations of their colleagues and subordinates. Does the king then know the state of the realm otherwise than from the reports of often the most ignorant men?" Thus the Cardinal and Henry continued to converse on these circumstances, but the reader might fall asleep over their arguments, or per adventure you Mr. Editor might not insert them, so I may as well spare myself the trouble to say a word more upon the subject. THE EXILE. This dialogue had the effects of raising Henry in the good opinion of the Cardinal, whose confidence in him increased every day, he became his daily companion, and was employed in honourable and most lucrative business. A shower of golden rain descended on the lucky Henry. Henry felt he was obliged to the Cardinal for this fertile shower. "Don't say a word more about it my dear De Launay" said the Cardinal: I have my reasons for employing you in affairs that give little trouble, and without exposing you to any danger are richly productive. To reap without sowing is the real business of nobility. I should wish to anticipate your indemnification if hereafter I should cause you misfortune." "Cause my misfortune? you my Lord? never !" "And should you with all your human knowledge, with your strong common sense be surprised at it? know then, It is you that have brought it to my mind, on what insecure ground I stand. I am minister to-day, do you know whether I shall be so tomorrow. Indeed, my friend, I know it as little as the grand Vizir of the Sultan, whether his master will keep him in office for 24 hours to come, or even suffer him to carry his head on his shoulders; you have the fortune to please me, because you are an honest man. Henry, it is my duty to take care of you. Should I fall, you will fall also, and the new favorite will fill all places with his creatures. Henry was deeply moved. He wished to console the Cardinal in his views of dark futurity, but he himself knew the Court too well, to believe in his own consolations. "To-day," said Margaritte to him, "people bow before you, to-morrow, as the Cardinal's fall will cause yours, they will kick at you. Choose a more prudent part, send in your resignation. The Cardinal's forebodings may be founded on just apprehensions. He seems to wish to give you hints; take them. Thus you will preserve the universal esteem in which you are now held. Let us retire to our estates, the improvement of your land and rural pleasure will agreeably fill up our time, and should we get tired with solitude, for few who wish it can bear it; then let us pass the winter at Paris. What can we wish for more ?” She gave such charms to the description of a rural independant life, and talked so enchantingly of the division of time and labor, of the diversity of their mutual employment, the exquisite pleasures of parental fondness, the progress of the education of their expected child, that Henry was no proof against such a battery of female eloquence; he yielded. The Cardinal was grieved when De Launay sent in his resignation, but yet accepted of it. "Where nothing depends on laws, but all things on the caprice of a single individual and his favorites, the egotism of every one is natural. Go, my friend, I take your resolution not amiss. Go, my dear De Launay, may happiness be your lot, you possess all the gifts of fortune, a handsome country house, a young and beautiful wife, an independent fortune.. Why be servant, when you can be master? Why should you nat enjoy life in the fullness of your unimpaired health and of your best years? Insensibly we grow older, we postpone from year to year our happiness, till-exclaimed he with uplifted eyes-it becomes too late." In a few days Henry received the most gracious congé, and on account of his faithful services a pension for life was attached to it, which he never could have expected. With joy they departed for their rural seat. There in a delightful country with agreeable neighbours, every imaginary want supplied, they soon forgot, and rejoiced to have abandoned, the bustle of the court. Henry deeper in love with his wife, than he ever was of the girl Margaritte, she living only for her beloved husband, both luxuriated in the enjoyment of a domestic and conjugal Paradise. Not long after they read in the newspaper that Cardinal Bernis had asked and obtained of the king his resignation, and that Choiseul had been nominated his successor. A few days after, while the happy couple were engaged in tender conversations, and in plans for their shortly expected child, they were greatly astonished with the sudden appearance before them of the figure of the Cardinal.. It was he. His carriage had. brought him to the inn, whence he was conducted by a foot path to the palace of De Launay. Happy couple! said he, my desire to see you in your paradise will plead my excuse for this intrusion." The Cardinal was intreated to remain with them for the remainder of the season, but he could not be prevailed upon to remain beyond two days. 66 66 "My children," said the Cardinal, you little know whom you receive in your hospitable mansion. I am an exile. I am banished from the land of my forefathers, in my old days, I am. driven away from my country! I am on my way to Rome, there I will blot away from my memory what I was, and endea vour to find consolation in the study of the Muses." "How Monseigneur? you banished from France ?" they exclaimed both at the same time. "To a philosopher like you De Launay, replied the Cardinal, this ought to be no matter of astonishment. That which you replied once to my question of Who is it that Governs? I have now found the truth of. Do you know, how the Duke de Choiseul had got in favor with the king? A pretty girl, Choiseul's relation, maid of honor to the queen, had the honor to please his Majesty. The lady dreamt of playing the part of Madame de Pompadour, of course she was not a prude, and things took their delightful secret ways. The Duke knew all, but did as if he saw nothing. The king was grateful to him for it; as soon as the Duke perceived that the transient passion of the king was departing from the lucky woman, he was the first to make a noise, and caused his relation to be removed from the Court and Paris. The king again felt himself obliged. But the duke as an experienced courtier wished to reap also the thanks of Madame de Pompadour, he therefore, under the deepest secresy and confidence, and out of pure devotion for her person, betrayed the royal amours, and he only then had the girl removed when she requested of him to do so. He played his part as a master, and shortly after he was nominated as ambassador to Vienna. Yet he did not remain long, Madame de Pompadour felt the want of such a devoted man near her person. So that, no sooner did I send in my resignation, for I could no longer endure solely the unfortunate war with Prussia, and that cursed alliance with Austria; than Choiseul was named my successor. "But what drew banishment on you?" asked Margaritte. "A trifle," replied the Cardinal: "I had the misfortune to fall under the displeasure of a sutler wench." "Your Eminence is not in earnest !" cried Henry and Margaritte at the same time. "By all means!" replied the Cardinal: "I have pursued up to its source the stream that carried me so forcibly from the throne. A common sutler wench was the original cause of my misfortunes. One of my grooms about to marry that wench, was discharged from my service, because the fellow got drunk every day, and it was proved by the coachman, that he used to sell the greater part of the oats for my horses, to lay it out in brandy. The wench far gone in pregnancy, threw herself at my feet and implored my pardon, and the re-admission of her red-nosed lover. I sent the wench away: crying loud at my cruelty, she ran to her particular protector a young lieutenant of the guards, not unlikely the cause of her pregnancy. The lieutenant ran to his especial protectress, the lady of a general of division. She prevailed on her husband to speak with me. I refused his request. He, angry and affronted at my positive refusal complained of it to his beloved maid, a maid of honor of Madame de Pompadour. The maid of honor said, the Lord knows what, to the Marchioness, and the Marchioness, the Lord knows what, to the King. Enough, I received a most gracious epistle, in which I was informed, that the liberty was graciously given me to change my residence in France for any other country, only that it must take place in the briefest space of time. And so I am on my way to Rome direct." The Cardinal after a sojourn of two days took his leave from the happy couple, the eyes of all were bathed in tears. Henry and Margaritte felt the happiness of their enchanting seclusion the more. They remained in correspondence with the Cardinal, who, about the sixth year of his exile, after the death of Madame de Pompadour, returned in the full favor of the king. But he took care not to accept of any employment at court. For, thought he, WHO GOVERNS?"* 66 V. R. It will be sufficiently evident to our readers that the above translation is the work of a foreigner, as we have not deemed it necessary to alter the many peculiar and quaint expressions, which give an air of naiveté to the whole composition that we think is any thing but disagreeable.- ED. SONNET. Oh Lady! will it break the brittle spell Oh hearts grow old by feelings not by years, Or think of me as we had never met! |