100 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2'>d S. 711. Jan. 29. '59. 



society during the reign of Louis XV. must be traced far 

 higher than the Regency of the Duke d'Orleans. Even 

 in the beginning of the seventeenth century, under an 

 outward show of decency, immorality prevailed every- 

 where; the commonest, the most elementary principles 

 of propriety had come to be utterly disregarded, and 

 provided men, following the example of the monarch, 

 complied at stated times with the formalities of religious 

 worship, they were free to do, to say, to think, whatever 

 they pleased. " Les princes de I'Eglise eux-memes," says 

 M. Paris, "donnaient parfols I'exemple de ce relache- 



raent En general, I'entrainement du sifecle etait h 



la vie ais^e, k I'epicureisme, aux recreations folatres, aux 

 vanit^s mondaines." The inclination of Maucroix was 

 naturally in that direction, and he allowed himself to be 

 carried easily down the stream. 



The poems of Maucroix, published by M. Louis Paris, 

 are divided into five books : — 



Book I., comprising the pieces written between 1634 and 



1647. 

 Book II. „ „ „ 1647 and 1654. 



Book in. „ „ „ 1654 and 1670. 



Book IV. „ „ „ 1670 and 1689. 



In this book occurs the following piece, which is the 

 best known of Maucroix' poetry. It was published for 

 the first time by Voltaire QSieclede Louis XIV., Hirt.Mau- 

 croix'), and afterwards erroneously given as i7iedlt in the 

 Almanack des Muses for 1775 : — 



" Chaque jour est un bien du ciel que je recjoi, 

 Je jouis aujourd'hui de celui qu'il me donne ; 

 II n'appartient pas plus aux jeunes gens qu'a moi, 

 Et celui de demain n'appartient h, personne." 



The author was more than eighty years old when he com- 

 posed these beautiful lines. 



The fifth book contains various pieces, the dates of 

 which are not known ; and amongst other trifles we find 

 fragments of two tragedies on subjects taken from ancient 

 history. 



It is no use looking into the correspondence of our 

 chanoine et sinechal for anything of a more serious cha- 

 racter than the gossip which he makes the theme of his 

 poetry. A few allusions to the events of the time, com- 

 pliments addressed to the fair ladies who honoured him 

 with their notice, and stories (not of the most edifying 

 description) related a propos of the same fair ladies, — 

 such is the whole sum and substance of the collection. 

 The reader will find, however (pp. 21 — 30.) a curious 

 letter from La Fontaine to Maucroix, containing the nar- 

 rative of the celebrated fete given at Vaux to Louis XIV. 

 par Fouquet. It is well known that the magnificence 

 displayed on that occasion, and Fouquet's audacious at- 

 tempt to supplant the king in the affections of Made- 

 moiselle de La Vallifere, were the original cause of his 

 disgrace. 



Page 213., the reader will meet once more the name of 

 the great French fabulist. A short note written by him 

 to Maucroix ends in the following striking manner : — 



" Hier, comme je reverois, il me prit, au milieu de la 

 rue du Chantre, une si grande foiblesse, que je crus ve'ri- 

 tablement mourir. mon cher, mourir n'est rien : mais 

 songes-tu que je vais comparoitre devant Dieu? Tu sais 

 comme j'ai vecu. Avant que tu receives ce billet, les portes 

 de I'eternit^ seront peut-etre ouvertes pour moi." 



This note bears date February 10, 1695. La Fontaine 

 died shortly after, and the letter numbered 93. in the 

 volume we are now noticing contains a very long, touch- 

 ing, interesting eloge of that author written to Boileau by 

 Maucroix. The epistles which follow immediately after, 

 and which wind up the collection, are also highly in- 

 structiye. The sad death of his friend had evidently the 



effect of sobering Maucroix, and of bringing him to serious 

 thoughts. His last communications, instead of being full, 

 as the former were, of facetim and equivocal stories, are 

 steady, sensible, characterised by sound judgment and 

 correct appreciations of men and things. 



In order to render his edition as complete as possible, 

 M. Louis Paris has likewise printed a few autobiographical 

 chapters, entitled Blemoires de 3Iaucroix. But these me- 

 moirs are of the most trivial description, recording merely 

 the incidents of paltry quarrels between the cathedral- 

 chapter of Rheims and the Archbishop. The only impor- 

 tant public circumstance in which our Canon took a part 

 was the assembly of the clergy in 1C82, when, through 

 the indefatigable zeal of Bossuet, the articles of the Gal- 

 ilean Church were proclaimed as a kind of compromise 

 between Jansenism and Ultramontanism. Maucroix was 

 named secretary general of the council, but he had no 

 share in the debates. Gustave Masson. 



BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES 



WAHTED TO PUIlCnASE, 



Particulars of Price, &c., of the following Books to be sent direct to 

 the gentlemen by whom they are reqnirecl, and whose names and ad- 

 dresses are given for that purpose. 



Bukke's Peerage and Baronetage for 1855, 1856, 1857, or 1858. 

 Winer's Greek Grammar of the New Testament. The American 

 translation. 



Wanted by Rev. C. W. Bingham, Bingham's Melcombe, Dorchester. 



Erratics, by "a Sailor." A thin 12mo. Date about 17/0, professing to 



be dialogues in Rustic dialect. 

 S. AoousTiNi Opera. Paris. Benedictine Edition. 

 S. CiiRYSosTOMi Opera, ditto ditto, 



Blomefield's Norfolk. Last Volume. 4to. Edition. Or " the Hundreck^ 



of West Flegg " only. V - 



Forms op Prayer, 1603—1833. 



Wanted by Rev. Edward S. Taylor, Ormesby S. Margaret, 

 Great Yarmouth. 



History of PuEs. 3rd or later Edition. Cambridge Camden Society. 

 Hints on the Practical Study of Ecclesiasticai. Antiociiies. By 

 the same Society. 



Wanted by E. Johnson, Bookseller, Cambridge. 



Ijife of Ai-mon the Bookseller. 8vo. 1790. 



Nicholl's Topografhia et Genealooica. 3 Vols. Royal 8V0. 



Chalmers' Biographical Dictionary. 32 Vols. 8T0. 



De Foe's Works. 20 Vols. 



Almon's Remembrancer. A set, or odd volumes. 



Arch.t'.oloota. Vol. IX. 



Booksellers' recent Catalogues. 



Wanted by C. J. Sheet, 10. King WiUiam Street, Strand, W. C. 



Among other articles of interest which will appear in our next number, 

 we mau mention one on Royc's Satire on Woleey and the Monastic Or- 

 ders ; Mr. Moi-ley on Bartholomew Fair ; Dr. Gauntlett on Handel's 

 Mode of Composing ; The British Museum and its Dictionaries, &c. 

 Amonfj our next Notes on Books will be notices qf Horace Walpole's 

 Last Memoirs, Andrews' British Journalism, Chamock's Local Etymo- 

 logy, &e. 



Enqoirer. The History of Guy Earl of Warwick is a mere romance. 



Centurion. We havea letter for this correspondent. How shall we for' 

 warditf 



E.C. should consult 3fr. Scott Russell's paper on Waves in the Reports 

 of the British Association for 1838, &c. 



W. S. C. The Earldom of Rochester became extinct in the Wihnot Fa- 

 mily in 1681, xvlien Charles, the son of the celebrated Earl of Rochester, 

 died a minor and unmarried. See Courthope's Historic Peerage of 

 England. 



M. H. R. wiM probably consider J. D. A.'s article on Schiller's Lncy 

 satisfactory. 



"Notes and Quebibs" is published at noon on Friday, and is also- 

 issued in Monthly Parts. The subscriptimi for Stamped Copies for 

 Six Months forwarded direct from the Publishers (including the Half- 

 yearly Index) is Us. Id., which may be paid by Post Office Order in 

 favour o/ Messrs. Beu. and Daldy,186. Fleet Street, E.Ci to Whont 

 ail Commdnicatio.vs for the Editor should be addressed. 



