250 Extracts from the Portfolio 
The reign of this prince was that of 
gallantry and generosity, but the more 
profound policy, and persevering ta- 
lents, of his rival Charles V. threw a 
shade over the lustre of his name, 
ANECDOTES OF HENRY IV. OF FRANCE. 
Heury, king of France, having one day 
attended mass, and being about to ap- 
proach the altar ofcommunion, MI. de Ro- 
quclaure, regarding this as a favorable 
moment to obtain a pardoh for one of 
his relations, who had offered violence 
toa magistrate in the discharge of his 
duty, threw himself at the feet of the 
king, and supplicated lum, for the love 
of that Being, whose body he was about 
to receive in the sacrament, and who 
had promised forgiveness to the merciful, 
to extend grace to the culprit, who was 
ready to throw himself upon his clemen- 
cy. Regarding him witha severe aspect, 
“Go,” said Henry, “ and leave me 
at peace: I am astonished that you 
should dare to make to me a request of 
this nature, when I am going to protest 
befure God to do justice, and to implore 
pardon for having at any time omitted so 
todo.” » 
During the league, Henry having Jaid 
siege to the town of Chartres, the be- 
sieved, after a long resistance, came at 
Jenyth to the resolution of surrendering 
themselves, The magistrate, on his ap- 
pearance before the conqueror, began a 
tedious harangue, which he had been for 
some time meditating, by declaring that 
the city, in submitting to his majesty, 
acknowledged his divine and his human 
rights: “* Add (said Henry, interrupting 
him, and quickening his pace to enter the 
town,) the rights also of my cannon.” 
The Swiss being on the point of re- 
newing their alliance with France, the 
provost, the merchants, and the sheriils, 
wished to give a f@tival on the occasion, 
and, for the purpose of furnishing the 
Mecessary expense, requested of Henry 
Permission to lay an impost on the cis- 
terns and fountains. ‘* Search,” replied 
the good prince,‘ for some other means of 
effecting your design; I do not chuse to 
regale my allies at the expense of my 
people; it belongs to God to change wa- 
ter into wine.” 
PHYSICIANS. 
The Romans. having banished from 
Rome the Greek physiciaus who had 
signalized themselves in peopling the re- 
gions of the grave, the ollowing reflec- 
forr was made by Cato. “ The Grecks, 
jealous of the glory of the Romans, and 
leefiig unable to conquer them in- the 
of a Man of Letters. [April 1, 
open ficld, have sent their executioners, 
who kill us in our beds.” J 
The obscurity and uncertainty in 
which the study of medicine has been 
involved, has, in all ages, been de- 
structive to the homan species. Ft 
can scarcely be doubted, that shoulda 
calculation be made respecting the niim- 
bers injured or benefited by the medical 
art,’ the balance would preponderate 
avainst the physician. Systems, to 
which the human mind is s0 prone, are 
in this profession peculiarly dangerous. 
During the reign of Lewis XIV. it 
it was the fashion in France, and in many 
parts of Europe, to bleed the patient in 
every disease, whatever might be its 
symptoms or nature, Madame de 
Sevigné, in her Letters, speaks of the 
Chevalier de Grignan, a relation of the 
family into which her daughter had niare 
ried, who was setzed with the small-pox 
of the most malignant kind, and attended 
with putrid symptoms, ‘Fhe physicians 
immediately had recourse to their fa- 
vorite remedy of blood-letting, tle re- 
petition of which the patient, from the 
dreadful aggravation of the sufferings 
which he experienced, in vain en- 
deavoured to resist. After having been 
bled eleven times, he vielded to the at- 
tacks of the doctor and the disease, and 
expired a Victim to obstinacy and igno- 
rance. J 
LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH 
In the affecting catastrophe which took 
place in the family of Lewis XIV. whew, 
at an advanced period of life, he suffered, 
within a few days, the affliction of losing 
his grand-son and grand-daughter, (the 
dauphin and dauphiness of Franée) with 
their infant son, it is evident that, from 
improper treatment, these illustrious per- 
sonages, the darlings and the hope of 
France, had, from their first seizure, 
no chance of recovery. ‘Their malady, 
Which seems to have been a contavious 
fever, attended with a malignant erup- 
tien, was, with the food credulity of ‘an 
ignorant and credulous age, imputed to 
poison. To this suspicion, of which 
there was neither evidence nor proof, 
the duke of Orleans, afterwards ‘regent, 
had nearly fallen a victim. 
If you have need of ‘a physician, (said 
an ancient sage,) there are thrée'to'which 
you may have recourse : a tranquil mind, 
exercise, and temperance. his alse 
was the idea of M. Dumoulif. This 
celebrated physician, when in the’agos 
Wies of death, and surrounded by his 
brethren of the professien, who ba 4 
‘7 rt t 2 
