1831.] The Character and Anecdotes of Nicolas Chamjbrl. 375 



" A courtier observed upon the death of Louis XIV. — ' After the death of the 

 king, we can believe any thing.' " 



This reminds me of a similar specimen of gross flattery paid to the 

 same monarch. IMassillon, the celebrated preacher, commenced his 

 oration upon the late king, the reader will remember, after looking 

 around upon the melancholy symbols of departed magnificence, by 

 lifting his hands, and exclauning in a solemn voice — " Mes freres, Dieu 

 seul est grand !" — a remark which gave great offence to some of the 

 court parasites, who said — " As if Louis mas not great also !" And yet 

 this " glass of fashion, and mould of form,'-" could scarcely read or write ; 

 and as to any real love of literature or the arts, he knew nothing more 

 of it than Scaliger of the " INIonthly IMagazine," or the Emperor He- 

 liogabolus, who feasted upon peacocks"-li vers, of an American Tempe- 

 rance Society. 



I do not remember to have met with the following in any criticism on 

 Moliere : — 



" It is renaarkable that Moliere, who spared no person, however eminent, 

 never lanced any of his arrows against the gens de finance (the Rothschilds of 

 the day) . It is affirmed that Moliere, in common with all the comic writers, 

 had particular commands given them on this subject by Colbert." 



One more, of a different nature : — 



" M. de Fontenelle, when in his 77th year, was fond of saying a thousand 

 gallant things to Madame Helvetius — young, beautiful, and recently married. 

 One day he accidentally passed, without noticing her, to take his place at the 

 table. ' See,' cried the lady, ' how slight account I ought to make of your 

 gallantries ; you pass before my face without ever looking at me.' — ' Madame,' 

 replied the old man, ' if I had looked upon you, I could not have passed you.' " 



The last shall be one of Voltaire's most lively sayings :— 



" Voltaire was one day in the boudoir of Madame du Chateiet, amusing him- 

 self with the Abbe Mignot, then an infant, whom he held upon his knees. He 

 began to play with him, at the same time instructing him. ' My friend,' he 

 said, ' in order to succeed with men, you must have the women on your side. 

 To interest the women, you must know them. You will find, then, all women 

 to be false and immodest.' — ' How ! — all women ! — What say you, sir ?' 

 exclaimed Madame du Chateiet, in anger. — ' Madame,' quietly said Voltaire, 

 ' we must not deceive infancy !' " 



w. 



TlIF, T.ASO ; ITS ORIGIN AXD ITS USE. 



Every British officer who has served in the patriot armies of South 

 America — every traveller who has given to the world the result of his 

 observations, to whatever part of that vast continent he may have 

 directed his steps — whether to the Llanos of Colombia, the table-land of 

 Peru, the extensive vallies of Chili, or the Pampas of Rio de la Plata — 

 one and all, the soldier and the civilian, have broken forth in terms of 

 the liveliest admiration of the extraordinary skill, dispLiyed by the 

 natives of those regions in the use of the laso ; while some among them, 

 carried away by their enthusiasm, and struck with the importance of its 

 use, have strongly recommended its introduction into our own service. 



