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Review of Literature^ 



[FEB. 



him steady to the interests of France, and the 

 vio\vs of his grandfather. Her letters consti- 

 tute the larger part of the present collection. 



Of the genuineness of this correspondence 

 there is, we believe, no reason to doubt ; 

 they are said to be published from the ori- 

 ginal MSS. in the possession of the D:ike de 

 Cfcoiseul, and indeed seem to carry with them 

 their own vouchers. Though interesting and 

 valuable documents, they serve rather to con- 

 firm than to correct our conceptions of the 

 court of France, or materially to add to our 

 information. Madame de Maintenon's are 

 placed in ihe foreground, though not com- 

 mencing so early as those of the Princess. 

 The Princess went into Spain in 1705, and 

 began her correspondence with Madame in 

 July of that year; the first letter is dated 

 from Bourdeaux, on her way to Spain, and 

 continued it very steadily to the end of 1714 

 the period in which she was daily expect- 

 ing the arrival of the new queen ; the first, the 

 Princess of Savoy, had died a few months 

 before. The first act of the new Queen, and 

 her confessor, Alberoni, was to dismiss the 

 Princess. Of this act we have no account 

 from the Princess herself. Madamede Main- 

 tenon offers her condolence on the occasion, 

 and continues the correspondence till the 

 death of Louis, a few months after, and her 

 own final retirement to St. Cyr. The par- 

 ticulars of the Princess's expulsion from Spain, 

 we remember, among the best morsels of 

 Lacreielle's history. 



The period of the correspondence between 

 these two distinguished women was one of 

 great anxiety for both courts. War raged, 

 after the manner of those days now and 

 then a battle now and then a siege with 

 Marlborough in Flanders, Eugene in Savoy, 

 and the Archduke (Philip's competitor) in 

 Spain. For many campaigns disasters befell 

 the French on all sides. General after gene- 

 ral succeeded to the command of the French 

 army all boasting and all failing alike 

 Villeroy, and Vendome, and Villars, and 

 Boufflers. The new King of Spain was 

 driven more than once from Madrid, and 

 more than once seemed on the point of losing 

 all. The letters are occupied with the cur- 

 rent events ; Madame de Maintenon's ere 

 generally lugubrious ; she is perpetually in 

 despair, and always anticipating the worst, 

 and puzzling herself in wonderment that Pro- 

 vidence should desert the cause of truth in 

 favour of heretics. The Princess seldom in- 

 dulges in lamentation, and seems to take the 

 good and the bad with much sang-froid. 

 She was evidently a clever, active woman ; 

 fit for counsel, and delighting in it ; engaged 

 in business, and taking a natural tone nei- 

 ther affecting to despise it, nor disguising her 

 share in it. Madame de Maintenou is al- 

 ways professing her ignorance of the mobile 

 of affairs; nothing is communicated to her, 

 because her advice is not expected ; it is mere, 

 matter of accident she knows any thing that 

 is passing. But nothing, however, escapes 

 her ; and the trouble she gi/es herself is itself 



pretty good evidence it was not all in vain, 

 or without an object. Her friends and con- 

 nections were not forgotten in the distribu- 

 tion of favours. Notwithstanding, she no 

 doubt met with vexations enough. She was 

 in an equivocal position ; and though with the 

 greater part of the royal family she was on 

 terms of confidence, real or aftected, all who 

 were disappointed were probably her ene- 

 mies, and would make her feel their enmity 

 one way or another. The querulous tone of 

 her letters, when speaking of herself, is suffi- 

 ciently significant. 



I confess to you, says she, on one occasion, that 

 the females of the present day are to me insup- 

 portable: their ridiculous and immodest dress, 

 their snuff, wine, gluttony, coarseness, and indo- 

 lence, are all so opposite to my taste, that it is na- 

 tural for me to dislike them. I prefer modest, 

 sober, and sprightly women, who can be both 

 serious and playful, of a raillery, which conveys 

 praise, whose hearts are good and conversation 

 lively, and artless enough to confess to me that they 

 recognize themselves in this portrait, which, though 

 drawn unintentionally, I think extremely correct. 



The Princess de Vandemont is to be at Paris, but 

 I think she will come to Marly very soon ; we shall 

 remain tl.ere during the whole of July. I dare 

 say I shall see her oftener than her husband ; I am, 

 not dissatisfied to have been able to dispense with 

 his society, however, it has not occupied my 

 thoughts : he has not intimated a wish to see me ; 

 but you know that I am not anxious for visitors. 



Of her influence and interference, in the 

 midst of disclaimers, take her own account. 



It is true, that the archbishopric of "Lyons is al- 

 most hereditary in this family (that of Villeroi), as 

 well as all the higher charges of the province, 

 which is not too good in policy, for all the Ville- 

 rois will not perhaps be like those we know. As 

 to the AbbL- de Villeroi, I do not know enough of 

 him to meddle with his establishment. Places in 

 the church interest the conscience of those who be- 

 stow them, and one has sins enow of one's own, 

 without being answerable for those of others : 

 however, 1 know nothing which should exclude 

 him, but the King's inclination is wholly in favour 

 of the Marshal. It is true, that do not like to 

 meddle with affairs, that I am naturally timid ; 

 but it is also true, that 1 have interfered too much 

 with them. It is I who have brought forward the 

 Abbe de Fenelon, upon the sole reputation of his 

 merit what displeasure has that not cost me ! It 

 is I, who ardently desired the see of Paris ; what a 

 dreadful business we have now againit a prelate 

 (de Noailles), who, though irreproachable in his 

 morals, tolerates the most dangerous party (Janse- 

 nist?) which could rise in the church ; who renders 

 his family miserable, and sensibly afflicts the king 

 at a time when his preservation is so necessary. 

 These faL'ts increase my natural timidity, &c. 



Of the effect of Fene.lon's lessons on his 

 pup;], and the consequences to himself, we 

 have often heard. The following extract is 

 of some interest. The Duke of Burgundy 

 (Pension's pupil) commanded in Flanders 

 in the campaign of 1708, and was equally 

 unsuccessful with his nredecessors. 



