JO memoirs of Able Blanchet. Marc!} 14. 



slation of some speeches in parliament. The duke di- 

 vided them into three parts, took one himself, gave 

 another to his secretarj, and hastily sent the other to 

 tlie Abbe, who understood Englifh perfectly well, and 

 who had translated different parts of Englilh books. 

 The poor Abbe no sooner sees the packet from the am- 

 bafsador, and learns its contents, and what is expec- 

 ted from him, than he cries out, " Oh heavens ! how 

 I am treated I It is the very day I expect my wafher- 

 woman, and they load me like a jack-afs! What can 

 I do ? what businefs had I in this cursed country ?'* 

 He packed up his things, and returned directly to 

 France. But the best is, that after such behaviour, 

 the duke, who knew him well, pitied him and did not 

 love him the lefs for it, Some few capricious acts 

 and little humours cannot tarnifli so good a charac- 

 ter. I did not promise the life of a perfect, but of au 

 (Excellent mati. 



He did not confine himself to the simple rules of good 

 breeding ; this man whose early infirmities had con- 

 siderably altered his temper, and slackened his acti- 

 vity, found, in his wiflies to serve his friends, a prin- 

 cl,/e of life which made him indefatigable; one might 

 say sometimes that his mind was uselefs to him- 

 self and belonged to others. The distrefs of others 

 was painted in his face ; and when he suspected any 

 cl his neighbours wanted necefsaries, he could not 

 take any food before he had afsisted them. Why did 

 he always succour the blind ? " It is," says he, 

 " because they are in want of the organ which com- 

 niaads pity ; and they must be sought_after so much 



