1809. 
end the sarcastic-jokes.he passed upon 
his lazy habits, aud his imaginary illness, 
still he loved him -not the Jess. He one 
day wished to give him a fresh proof by 
augmenting the pension he had settled on 
him; but D’Argens answered him in pre- 
sence of several persons, ‘ Sire, I have 
enough; your Majesty has many poor 
but deserving officers; let it be given ‘to 
them.”—-The king, charmed with. this 
honourable and disinterested reply, es- 
teemed him the more, without dhowever - 
ceasing from timé to.time to joke with 
and. play tricks on him. 
The Marquis, oa his part, appeared to 
be attached to the King as, much, if not 
nore, than to any. of the wits * oh were 
about the Court. 
One cf the most singular traits in the 
character of -D’Argens, was. that mix- 
ture of superstition and -incredulity so 
remarkable in him, and which appeared 
in a thousand different circumstdaces-— 
he believed most firmly in ptedestina- 
tion, and the knowledye of future events 
—a salt-cellar overturne -d, a sudden meet- 
ing with an old woman, a herd of hogs, 
or aman dressed in black, was snough 
to fill him with alarm and uneasiness: as 
soon as ever he got out of bed, he drew 
the curtains close with great care, and 
woe to whoever opened them, either «by 
accident or otherwise; it was a presage 
of the most fearful nature. 
He was no Jess alarmed at the appear- 
ance of a cold or cough; always ill 
through the fear of being so, and dread- 
ing death to such a degree, that he nearly 
died through the apprehension of it,— 
Those who speak of him, ali agree in res 
lating the same weoaleaaates, and attest- 
ing his state of Hypochondriac. No- 
thing was more easy than to make him 
believe he was ill; and if he was only 
told that he looked pale, no more was 
wanting to make him shut himself up in 
his room, and go to bed directly. He 
never went out of it, but when he went 
to visit the King: when he was in his 
bed-chamber, two or three loose morn- 
ing-gowns heaped on: each other, kept 
out the cold; a cotton might cap co- 
vered his ears, and over that was a thick 
woollen one which completed his head- 
dress. If afew passing clouds, a slight 
rain, or a wind rather cold, or more vio- 
lent than usual, were seen or felt, it was 
enough to chagrin him, and put bim in 
@ melancholy humour; to compel him to 
remain at home, and to resist even the 
pressing invitations of the King, He has 
keen known to have remaiued thug im- 
wa 
iidemow of ine wate Marquis PH AVEC Se 581. 
mured for whole weeks together, from 
similar causes. 
M. de Nicolai has furnished us with 
anotirer example of his laughable SUSCE p> 
tibility, and, of his ridiculous extravae 
gant whims, ina like fact. 
During. the Sevan Sai War, the King 
had permitted him to reside at Sans, 
Souci, and had given orders, that all the 
apartments of “the palace shouid be opea 
to him, as freely as if they were hisown, 
Just about this time, Cothenius read a 
treatise at the Academy, upon the dar- 
ger of using copper utensils in kitchens, 
The Marquis was so struck with this trea 
tise, that he was fearful every hour of 
heing poisoned—could talk of nothing 
else every time he sat down to table, and 
made his wife promise most solemnly so 
banish every sort of copper utensil from 
her kitchen. 
Vhe family of the Marquis, (continues 
M, de Nicolai,) lived at Sans Souci ia a 
very retired manner ; aiid his wite though - 
a reasonable woman enoug! h loved amuse- 
ment, One evening she took a fancy te 
give a little family dance at the house of 
the King’s Snel ate own The Marquis 
gave ‘bis consent; bat a they dreaded. 
that his sinwnlarities right disturb the ele 
tertainment, they took great care -to re- 
mark to as that the air was very cold, 
and that thesky was.low ering —they were 
well aware, that an ea of that 
kind was suticient to make him helieve 
he was taken ul, and induce him to take. 
to his bedimmediately. This was exact 
ly the case; and they went directly te 
the. gardener’s house, full sure that the 
Marquis would soon be fast asleep. | He 
very su0n was so; but before lung he 
awoke, his thoughts sleeping, as well as: 
waking, being fixed on copper and on 
‘poison, and loudly called for, La Pierre, 
but no one answered him—all were at 
the ball. He recollected this, and. was 
not sorry for its but finding himself 
alone in the bouse, he took advantage of 
the circumstance to pay a visit fan the 
kiteben at his ease, and to see ift every 
article of copper was banished frona it, as 
they had promised him it should be: He 
got up, and, without putting on his snial}. 
siephes wrapt himself up in a robe de 
chambre, and having light eda wax taper 
at his nigbt-lamp, he went straighr to the 
kitchen. The frst things that met his 
‘eyes weresome Copper sauce-pans ; and 
to complete his terror, one of. them cone. 
tained the remains ofa ragout off which. 
he had dined. Rave iminediatel y got fail 
passession of him; he took up the stew. 
pan, 
ty 
