86 
tually screened, and the lady as effectually 
cut off from all political intrigues. The pub- 
lic neither suffered, nor was suspected of suf- 
fering. This manceuvre was communicated 
to Maurepas, who very highly approved of 
it, and even to the King, who did not in. 
deed applaud, but considered it a very good 
arrangement. 
Montbarey was a zealous opponent of 
all innovations, military and political. Of 
Neckar and his financial plans he had an 
early dread, and seemed to think, accurately 
enough, that he was only pushing off the 
evil day, instead of taking measures towards 
effectual retrenchment. He himself drew 
up a plan for abolishing sinecures, in his 
own department, upon a pretty sweeping 
seale, which fell to nothing; and all his 
efforts to prevent the alliance with America 
were over-ruled by the influence of the 
liberal party. Maurepas’ administration is 
well depicted, with his undisturbed gaiety 
ers indolent nonchalance ; the King’s amia- 
but feeble character, "and his indefati- 
gable attention to business, and respect for 
his ministers, and the Queen’s early dispo- 
sition to listen to the cabals of hungry 
courtiers. The party that gathered around 
her prejudiced her very strongly against 
the Prince de Montbarey, who was regard- 
ed as an impracticable sort of courtier. A 
very curious scene is given of the Queen. 
The story is told at great Jength and very 
eircumstantially. We can give onlya slight 
idea of it. At the time Montbarey was a 
coadjutor of the war-secretary’s, attending 
a council, he was desired by the King to 
give his opinion of three persons, who were 
competitors for a coloneley of dragoons ; 
and the commission was presented in con- 
sequence of his representation. Unluckily 
one of the rejected candidates was a pro- 
tegé of the Queen: of this Montbarey 
‘was ignorant. The same evening he was 
sent for to the Queen's apartment. He 
found her in a fever of indignation, and in 
spite of his deprecations and protestations, 
Monthly Review of Literature. 
(Jury, 
he was obliged to endure the storm of her re- 
proaches for half an hour, when she suddenly 
left him, and flung the door after her with 
a violence that shook it on its hinges, He 
went straight to the King, and communi- 
eated the “whole affair to the King, who 
assured him of his protection, and only 
begged him to abstain from appearing at 
the Queen’s evening parties, till he received 
further directions. For six long weary 
weeks did the prohibition continue; sub- 
jecting him all the while, poor man, to the 
cruel exultation of his enemies on his im- 
pending ruin—when at last he was again 
sent for by the Queen, who received him 
very graciously, and placing him in the 
same spot where she had so vehemently 
rated him very handsomely and winningly 
begged him to forget what had passed. 
The Queen told him she had a favour to 
request, which was that he would prevent 
the new colonel, who was setting out that 
very day to join his regiment, from quitting 
Paris for eight days, and that this might 
be accomplished through the young gentle- 
man’s sister—a lady, who for some reason 
or other was not received at the Queen’s 
parties. In vain he alleged that he was 
unknown to the lady; he was compelled 
to undertake the commission ; and fortu- 
nately, after great difficulty brought the 
lady to terms. She insisted that she should 
be allowed to attend at the Queen’s party, 
after all were assembled, that the Queen 
should rise and advance to receive her, and 
should herself ask the favour. To these 
terms the Queen acceded; stipulating 
only, that a letter to the brother should 
first be written, and deposited as a security 
in Montbarey’s hands. What was the im- 
portant object of this awful negociation? 
Simply to save the Queen’s credit. Her 
protegé was going to receive a similar ap- 
pointment within eight days, and thus 
would be able to join the army as early, 
and with the same rank as the other. 
NEW MUSIC. 
“€ Sacred Melodies,” arranged with Sym- 
phonies and Accompaniments, by W. Fitz- 
patrick, the Poetry by J. Bellamy, Esq- 
Cramer, Addison and Beale. No. 1. 6s.— 
Though Mr. Fitzpatrick has with great 
modesty designated himself as the mere 
arranger of this excellent selection, we are 
inclined to give him more credit than if the 
original airs were completely his own. He 
-has-had to contend with many awkward- 
“nesses in the adaptation, and, in several 
instances, has been obliged so completely 
to alter the subject that we can scarcely 
Tecognize it; the harmonization, sympho- 
“nies, and accompaniments, are new and 
-altogether excellent of their class. The 
present number. contains six melodies, 
chiefly abstracted from Webbe’s services of 
the Catholic church: in point of style it 
approaches near Mr. Moor’s work of the 
same title, but, isin our opinion, much more 
appropriate to the subject. Were we to 
particularize any of these airs as peculiarly 
-striking, we should select “* Hil-fated haugh- 
-ty Babylon’’ as a most beautiful composi- 
tion in the energetic class, and ‘‘ Daughter 
of Sion,” from Mozart, as a lighter move- 
-ment of great elegance, this latter reminds 
us strongly of Avery’s “ Sound the loud 
Timbrel,” to which if harmonized as a trio. 
“would become.a formidable rival; the ar- 
Tangement of the second verse is excellent, 
and would, ofitself, establish the composers’ 
character as an elegant and sound musician. 
