” 580 
ways a tender mother, and full of anxi- 
ety for her children, had sent him that 
assistance the most proper to fortify him 
in the critical situation in which he was 
placed. | He exhorted him strenuously 
to resign himself; and then raising the 
eounterpane’ of the bed, he poured 
_ whole flask of sweet oil “over the fine 
‘dressing-gown, telling his dying brother, 
that this emblem of grace would infalli- 
bly give him faith ead courave, neces- 
sary to pass in a proper manner from 
‘this world to the next. After which the 
“procession retired in the same grave and 
solemn manner as it entered. 
Jt is by no means difficult to conceive 
what amusement this scene afforded to 
. the whole Court, and at the Marquis’s 
expense 5° but what affiictcd bim the 
thust was the Joss of the dressing-gown, 
~which, by 'this farce, was so cumpletely 
soiled as not to be fit to wear again. 
Fhe Marchioness had no idea of such 2 
complete and holy mystery ; but Frede- 
ric had already played several such 
pranks, in which the Marquis himself had 
borne no inconsiderable part, and which 
made hinrtully acquainted with what he 
had to expect from’ him on similar occa- 
sions. 
D’Argens passed much of his time in 
reading ancient books and authors, par- 
ticularly the Holy Fathers, from which be 
made several extracts, which he applied 
to the subjects he treated of, either in 
his- writings or conversation. 
M. de Nicolai relates an aneedote on 
this subject, which deserves a place here. 
The King was fond of contradicting 
him on his: taste fur this species of eru- 
dition—he used coe. to say to hin, 
“* Dont talk to me of your Fathers: they 
are bodies without souts.”— Wien he al- 
jotted bim apartments in the new palace 
of Sans Souci, he himself conancted the 
Marquis and his Lady, and pointed out 
to them their ourboable situations and 
their convenience: he had given <a 
to have a handsotie book-case, whereo 
folios handsomely bound appeared in 
-large letters— The Works of the Holy- 
Fathers.”—“ Here 2} Marquis,” said - the 
King, as they ebtered: the room, * you 
will Gnd here your good friends in all 
their glory.” When they got te the 
bed-chamber— It would be wrong,’ 
said he “to stay here long; we must 
not disturb the Marguis, bat Jeare him 
to his ease and his night-cap” —s50 saying 
he withdrew. 
“The King had no sooner retired, than 
the < Spit in. a haste, flew to the 
Memotr of the late Marquis D'argens, 
[July 1, 
bookcase to examine the works with 
which it was filled—he quickly opened 
one of the volumes of the “Holy Fa- 
thers;” but in place of the homilies of 
St. Chrysostom, be found nothing bat 
blank paper ; and thé same was the case 
with ali the rest. 
The King amused himself much by 
playing sir aula tricks on the Marquis. 
We shall relate’ anot ther, more pointed 
than the eit one, "and which was 
a subject of great mortification to the 
Marquis. 
One evening that he was. “at's supper 
with Frederic, “that Prince said to bim— 
““'Ma-quis, I have made ‘a purchase for 
you. near this, of a very neat house and 
garder here i is the deed; you may take 
possession of it when you “please.” The 
Marquis was not insensible to this inark 
of tavour; he returned home full of. im- 
patience, ‘and anxiously wished the night 
were over, that he might go and take a 
view of this new acquisition, Next 
morning, notwithstanding his laziness, 
he rose very early, and was driven to 
his new mansion—he ran over the gar- 
den, examined the apartments, found 
every thing charming, and in the neatest 
taste; he went into the saloon, which 
was A very handsonie room, ‘aad: full of 
pictures: but what was his astonishment, 
when, on looking at them, instead - of 
landscapes, battle, or sea-pieces, he be- 
held the most’ hamcurous ‘scenes, and - 
most comic anecdotes of his life. 
Here, the Marquis, as an officer, found 
himself drawn at the siege of Philips- 
bourg, and expressing strong symptoms 
of fear—theré hé was on his knees to 
‘his handsome comedian—a little further, 
his father disinherited him—another 
painting represented him at Constanti- 
nople—in another,a surgeon was seen per= 
Polini an operation, which his adven. 
tures of gallantry had rendered neces- 
sary—again, nuns were seen pulling him 
up by night in a basket through the win- 
dow of their convent... In all these. pic- 
tares the Marquis, who was easily re- 
cognized, was represented in the most 
ludricous and comie attitudes: 4 
This unexpected spectacle put him 
into the most violent rage—he examined 
them all, and then sent for’ a house- 
painter, and made him efface them, — 
The King informed of this scene, was 
highly delighted: with it, and related it 
to every one who. would nave parece to 
hear i it, 
It: spite, however, of the. species of - 
wariare which ss Monarch carried on, 
and 
