Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellames. 
fashionable circles. The Duchess of 
Maine, in particular, was enchanted with 
it, and as this princess was the declared 
protectress of talents, her waiting-woman 
became her friend and confidant. 
This degree of favour proved singularly 
unfortunate for Mademoiselle de Launai, 
as she was comprehended, according to the 
horrible system of that day, in the dis- 
grace of tae Duchess, and sent to the 
Bastile, under pretext that she had been 
her accomplice in some political in- 
trigues. 
“ After having passed over some draw- 
bridges, and been saluted with the noise 
made By the chains, the barmony of 
which did not prove of the most agree- 
able cast, I was conducted to a large 
chamber, where I saw nothing but the 
four walls, which were very dirty, and 
appeared to be scrawled over with char- 
’ coal, in order to amuse the leisure of my 
predecessors. It was so entirely destitute 
of moveables, that a jailor went out to 
search for a |ittle chair, in which I was 
to sit, and he at the saine time brought in 
a couple of stones, to support a faggot, 
which he lighted. A small bit of candle 
having been stuck against the wall, my 
governor, after having procured me all 
these comforts, retired. 
“ Tsoon heard five or six locks double- 
bolted upon me.” 
At the end of two years detention, this 
young lady at length obtained her liberty, ° 
and wished to become a nun; but the 
Duchess de Maine, who opposed the pro- 
position, married her to M. de Staal, 
then a lieutenant in the Swiss guards, 
and afterwards a major-general in the 
army. From that moment, she became 
dame @honneur to the duchess, dined at 
the same table, and rode in the same 
carriage. 
Here her memoirs conclude, and we 
only know that she died in June, 1750, 
at about fifty-one, or fifty-two years of 
age. 
Sur M. VAbbé de Voisenon.—M. 
de Voisenon, being the youngest son of 
a great family, and a sorry little crea- 
ture in point of person, there was some 
difficulty in knowing what to do with 
him, Accordingly, on thi*; as in similar 
cases, it was determined &? educate him 
for the church, and like others, so predes- 
tined, he prepared himself for theological 
studies, by reading Terence, Virgil, and 
Horace. These soon determined his 
avocation; but as they did not hold out 
avy promises of subsistence, that is to 
Moxautry MaAc., No. 180, 
663 
say of good fat livings, he became a 
priest, in order to be sure of an abbey. 
In the mean time, his patron, and model, 
was the Abbé de Chaulieu. 
Scarcely had he announced himself to 
the world, by the commission of a few 
wild pranks, when he fell sick. This 
furnished a fine opportunity to his great 
relations, and the ancient friend of his 
family, to bring M. de Voisenon to his 
senses, perhaps to convert a man of the 
world into a saint, and consequently to 
make him a saint-bishop at court! Be- 
hold him accordingly carefully attended, 
caressed, conciliated; preached a little 
to, indeed, and in ashort time so wearied 
out with attention and good advice, that 
by way of conclusion, he frankly and 
openly acknowledged his sins, for the 
benefit of general edification. 
Ile had hitherto conducted himself with 
frankness, but having a great terror, re- 
specting the article of death, this always 
produced a certain degree of horror, 
which continually pierced through that 
gaiety, with which he affected to talk of 
it, 
At length being recoveyed, and the 
demon of the flesh having once more got 
the better of him, be no longer dreamed 
of becoming a bishop, unless it was the 
bishop of Mount Rouge, where the Dyke 
de la Valliere resided; and where he lived 
with a certain degree of intemperance 
common to many of the grandees of his 
day. Accordingly, when Voltaire wrote 
to the Abbé de Voisenon, he scarcely 
ever gynitted to term him the very amiable, 
and very unworthy priest, an equivocal 
kind of compliment, but which was ac- 
tually intended as a real one. | This 
epithet, however, is not applicable to the 
Abbé de Voisenon, in any point of view ; 
for with abundance of wit and talent, he 
had rather inclination to, than taste for 
pleasure; he was too fecble to have any 
passions, and not having any firmness of 
character, he did not know how to sup- 
port the scandal that he. produced. He 
accordingly seemed greatly astonished 
at occasioving it, and was accustomed to 
say to those who were on the watch to 
joke him about M. de FPavart, to whose’ 
wife he was rather partial : 
** Vous autres gens de peu d’etofte, 
Er moins encore de vertu,” 
Prenez Favart pour un cocu; 
Ce n’est pourtant qu’un philosophe.”” 
At length the. Abbé once more. fell 
sick; but the memory of this latter ma- 
lady affected him deeply during the 
4Q whole 
