Life of Coiint Rumford. 529 



nobleman." She says he was a great favorite with the 

 ladies, though some of them sharply censured him for 

 the four following faults : " First, for living so short a 

 time with his wives, considering him from it a bad hus- 

 band ; second, for taking sides against his country; 

 third, letting his daughter get on as she could, he revel- 

 ling at the time in the city of Paris ; fourth, that he 

 should pitch on Paris as a permanent residence, when 

 both in Munich and in London he had made himself 

 so useful, had won such honors, and had such distin- 

 guished associates and friends." One of these female 

 critics, the Countess adds, repeated against him, "for 

 leaving his ladies in so easy a manner," the lines of 

 Cowper, 



" Shows love to be a mere profession ; 

 Proves that the heart is none of his, 

 Or soon expels him if it is." 



Another of the sex, on being told of his dereliction 

 towards his native country, repeated with a sigh, 



" O ye winds ! breathe not my faults ! " 



Sarah writes as if several of these "female critics" had 

 once freely discussed her father's faults and merits in 

 her own hearing, and she appears to have made an im- 

 partial report of them. One of these women intimated 

 that the Count in his early manhood had been enticed 

 from the service of his native country by the contrast 

 between the appearance of the British officers, with their 

 fine accoutrements and splendid discipline, and the raw 

 and uncouth American volunteers, " possibly with tat- 

 tered garments, giving a shot, and then running behind 

 a tree." "Yes," interrupted another woman, "you 

 know the Count is fond of external show. But you 

 would not have caught your glorious Washington tak- 

 34 



