40 
fuperb range of manfions encrcached on 
the public walks of thofe gaitens which 
had fo long been the delight of the Parifan 
populace. The plan was received with 
difguft ; the queen took part with the peo- 
ple; and once, at court, in {ipeaking to 
the Duc dé Chartres on the fubject, the 
farcaftically remarked,—‘* You wil! eati- 
Jy build your new houles, for .all Paris 
will throw foxes at you!’ The duke re- 
ceived this harp reproof with Glent indig- 
nation, and inftantly retired, uttering 
** curfes, not loud, but deep”. © 
The poiicn of fecret enmity continued 
to {pread its influence fo rapidly, that, for 
the moit trivial cffences, De Chartres was 
twice exiled to his terrz, though only for 
fhort periods: Still the humiliation was 
poignant, as proceeding from the influence 
of an avowed enemy. Philip had, by this 
time, imbibed the very effence of liberty ; 
and his bold, refentful {pirit inftinétively 
rebelled under the repeated {courgings of a 
defpotic ruler. His wealth was enormous ; 
his refources fearcely exhauftible: he lived 
in the moft avowed and fplendid routine of 
prodigal fenfuality; and it is well known, 
that many of the moft illu(trious Engh th 
partook of the feftivitics of the Palais 
Royal and Moucean, though they have 
fince been the mcft forward in execrating 
the condudi of Egalités. 
The villa of Meuceau, near Paris, was 
the rendezvous of pleafure, the abode of 
luxury, the temple of intrigue, Mrs. E}- 
liott refided near the houfe, ai.d the princes 
of the family of Bourbon frequently made 
it the fcene of feflivity. I.deed, every 
houle of this deferipticn near the capital 
of France was equally polluted by thofe 
midnight orgies, thole myftic facrifices to 
Bacchus and to Venus, which were difho- 
nourable to man, ana debafing to human 
nature. -Example is the fun of every 
virtue ; It chears by a tempered influerce, 
but by a perverted power withers what 
it is ordained to cherifh. Vhe abodes of 
¢ 
princes are looked up to, as the {chools of - 
the humbler claffes of fociety ; and where 
their precepts arenot fcllowed by the prac- 
tice of viriue, they only. turn the thaits of 
ridicule with a more fatally barbed point 
againft the breatt of him that aims them. 
This {ketch comesfrom one, who, dur 
ing many years, witnefled the progrefs of 
revolutionary principles undermining the 
de!potiim of the French government; and 
if it tends to elucidate the rancour of &ea- 
lité’s revenge, or to. awaken REFLECTION 
in the feeling mind, the purpeie of the 
writer is fully accompiilhed. 
| Anecdstes of eminent Perfens. 
[Augu ¥, 
ANECDOTES of the lale QUEENOf FRANCE, 
by the fame. 
Gi ha exquilite feeling which pervaded 
the heart of.the beautiful but unfor- 
tunate Marie Antoinette, was never more 
ftrikingiy exemplified than in her condué& 
refpecting Sir Charles Afgil: the letter 
which fhe difpatched to General Wathing- 
ton not only preferved the life of this gal- 
lant officer, but immortalized the benign 
{pirit_ which aétuated the foul of his truly 
illuftrious advocate. The Queen of 
France’s reception of Lady A‘gil at Ver- 
failles, when fhe went to thank her majef- 
ty for the prefervation of a beloved fon, 
was almoft unexampled ; fhe raited the 
amiable mother in her’arms, and mingled 
tears of genuine fenfibility with thole of 
the noblelt, the puretl, maternal fondnefs. 
In the year 1783, Mrs. Robinfon (the 
Englith poetefs) being at Paris, was in- 
duced by curiofity to attend at one of 
the public dinners of Verfailles. The 
queen, who was always fingularly courte- 
ous to fereteners, honoured our country-_ 
woman with particular attention. Mrs. 
Robinfon was then recently feparated from 
an illuftrious perfonage, whofe portrait the 
-wore upon her bofom, richly ornamented 
with brilliants of confiderable value. 
She the following day, received a 
meflage from the queen of France; it 
was conveyed to her by the Duc de Lau- 
zun, and contained a requeft, that fhe 
would lend the miniature, which fhe had 
worn, to the queen for a few hours. Mrs. 
Robinfon complied: and, in return for 
what the amiable Antoinette termed an 
act of obliging politenefs, fhe received a 
purfe beautifully worked by the hands of 
her majefty. Such aéts of amiable conde- 
' fcenfion are ftrikingly chara&teriftie of the 
iluftrious perfonage, whofe laft hours were 
Gevoted to unmerited-calamities. 
When the beautiful Antoinette was 
Dauphinefs of France, the infolent and 
overhearing Du Barry was in the zenith of 
her power ; power which flie exercifed moft 
unworthily on all thofe who either oppofed 
her pride, or condemned herrapacity. Once 
fhe ventured fo far as toinfuitthe Dauphin- 
efs with the moft arrogant language; yet, 
when Antoinette was jeated on the throne, 
Madame Du Barry was permitted quietly 
to enjoy her {plendid fortune: and even till 
the period of the Revolution to refide 
in the fplendid palace of Lucienne! - 
A French apse’, celebrated for his wit 
as much as for his political knowledge, 
was embarrafled for the fum of fivé hun-- 
dred 
