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134 
their flatterers, and twenty times a day 
bring blufhes on their own cheeks. My 
memory would exift only to give offence, 
and my unhappy fhade naunt the living 
with unceafing terrors. 
Timidity has been the bane of my life, 
it feems to affect even the organs of my 
body, and my intellect; to arreft my- 
tongue, caft a cloud over my thoughts, 
and confound my languase. I am lefs 
fubjeét to this humiliation before men of 
fenfe than fools, becaufe I truft to their 
perceiving the tram of my ideas. Some- 
times, I have chanced to acquit myfelf 
well enough. Being at Luxembourg, in 
am apartment where the emperor was at 
dinner, Prince Kinfki faid to me—** You, 
Sir, who came from France, will be fur- 
prifed to fee the emperor fo ill lodged.”’-- 
<¢ Sir,” I anfwered, ** I am not forry to 
feea country in which the fubjects are 
better lodged than their fovereign.” 
Being-in Piedmont, the King faid to me, 
<< T underftand, Sir, you are a relation 
of the Abbé de Montefquieu, whom I 
have feen here with the Abbé d’Eftrades.”’ 
<< Sir?) 1 eplied,, “* Your majelty 1s 
like Cefar, who never forgot any one’s 
*name.”” Dining in England with the 
Duke of Richmond, the French envoy 
there, La Boine, who was at table, 
and was ill qualified for his fituation, 
contended that Engiand was not larger 
than the province of Guienne. I oppoied 
the envoy. In the evening, the Queen 
faid to me, ** I am informed, Sir, that 
you undertook our defence againft M. de 
ja Boine.”’. “* Mad2m,” I replied, << { 
cannot perfuade myfelf that a country 
over which you reign, is not a great 
kingdom.” 
I have had the double misfortune+—to 
write books, and to be afhamed of them. 
I never wifhed to increafe my wealth 
by the favors of the court; but, content 
to improve my lanas, have held my for- 
tune dependent only on _ providence. 
IN**##***%*, having certain purpofes to 
an{wer, intimated, that a penfion would 
be granted me. - I replied, ‘* Having ne- 
ver degraded mvfeif by concefiions to the 
court, have no need to feek cenfolation 
in its favours.” 
If I may predict the fortune of the 
SPiRiT OF Laws, it will be more prailed 
than read, Such works afford fatisiac- 
“tion, but are never reforted to for amufe- 
“ment. I conceived the defign ot making 
parts of that book more elaborate and pro- 
tound, but the ftate of my eyes would 
not permit me to puriue the neceflary 
ftudies, 


Mifeellaneous Thoughts, by Montefquieu. 
[Feb. 
If I knew of any enterprize that would 
do myielf a fervice at the expence of my 
family, I would reje& it; if it were one 
that would advance the fortune of my 
houfe to the injury ot my country, £ 
would endeavour to forget it; if it were — 
fomething that would be ufeful to my 
country, but inconfiftent with the intereits 
ot Europe or the human race, I fhould 
regard the profécution of it as a crime. 
My ambition is—to be fimple in my 
manners; to receive as few favours as 
poifible; and to grant as many as pof- 
fible. 
Iam going to do a very foolith thing— 
it is to make a table of my genealogy. 

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS, BY 
MONTESQUIEU. 
(Tranflated from the fame.) 
To takedelight in reading, is to have 
the power of changing thofe moments of 
laffitude that vifit every man, for the moft 
delicious moments of life. 
What an unfortunate neceffity is it in 
the conftitution of man, that his under- 
{tanding is fearcely matured when the 
organs of his body begin to fail! eo 
A. celebrated phyfician was afked—If 
the commerce of the fexes was prejudicial 
to health—** No,”’ faid he, * if provo- 
catives are not uled.”” But I fhould rank 
variety among frovecaiiwves. 
It is a procf that merit is of the higheft 
kind, when it continues to fhine with ac- 
cuftomed luftre, although merit of as high 
a rank is in its prefence. 
TI call genius a fecret gift of the Deity, 
which the poffeffer difplays unknown to 
himfelf. 
He who runs after wit is apt to em- 
brace folly. 
I once faid to Madam du Chatelet— 
«* You poftpone your fleep, to read the 
philofophers ; you fhould read the philo- 
fophers, to haiten your flumbers.” 
Hope is the /zzk that unites all our plea- 
fures. sae 
The interval is tco fhort between the 
time of our being too young and too old. 
It demands a great deal of fiudy to ac- 
quire mederate knowledge. 
Or thefe who make companions of their 
fervants, I have only to fay, that vice is 
its own punifhment. 
Men ot talents govern fools; and fome 
fool or other often governs a man of 
talent. : 
When T refle& on our difcoveries in 
natural philofophy, I think we have gone 
very far for human beings, 
Idlenefs 
