634 
them. For, in fhort, I muft honeftly tell 
you, my fon, that praife is a very delicate 
thing ; that it is dificult to prevent our 
being dazzled with it, and that it requires 
much difcernmé€nt to know how te diltin- 
guith thofe who flatter from thofe who ad- 
mire us,”* 
His Majefty next obferves, that he de- 
termined to make himfelf acquainted with 
the ftate of the kingdom, and every thing 
that concerned it: after that he formed 
plans and refoiutions, which ‘he deemed 
worthy of being carried into immediate 
effe&.. «© My natural activity,” faid he, 
<¢ the warmth incident to my youth, and 
the violent defire on my part to augment 
my reputation, all infpired me with an 
impatience to aét: but I experienced at 
this moment that the love of glory is ac- 
companied by the fame delicacies—and I 
dare to add, the fame timidity—with the 
moft tender paffions; for, in proportion 
to my ardour to fignalife myfelf, I felt the 
fame apprehenfion of failure, and, confi- 
dering the fhame that accompanies the 
moft trifling faults as a great misfortune, 
I was determined to adopt the moft ri- 
gorous precautions in refpect to my con- 
duct. 
“© Of all that I obferved during the re- 
view I made of my affairs, nothing af- 
fetted both my heart and my mind fo 
much as the knowledge of the milfery of 
my people, in confequence of the burdens 
to which they were obliged to fubmit. 
Accordingly, notwithftanding the princt- 
pal defigns I had foxmed for curing the 
grand evil with which they were affli&ted 
could not be immediately carried into exe- 
cution, on account of the fituation in 
which I found myfelf, yet I did not hefi- 
tate to confent to a diminution of three 
millions on the taxes ef the next year ; 
being fully perfuaded that I could not be- 
gin the plan of enriching myfelf better 
than by preventing my fubjects from fall- 
ing into that rain with which they were 
then menaced. 
< But that the nobles and inhabitants 
of the great cities, who derived no man- 
ner of profit from the diminution of the 
taille, might in their turn reap fome ad- 
vantage from my firft cares, I refolved at 
leat to moderate their expences: and ac- 
cordingly retrenched, by means of differ- 
ent edicts, thofe ruinous fuperfluities in- 
troduced by the luxury of foreign fafhions, 
as well as embroideries of gold and fiiver. 
After thus attending to the moft neceflary 
calls on the part of my fubjeéts, I faw 
nothing very important that folicited an 
immediate remedy, except the diforders 
’ 
Retrofpedt of French Literature—Mofeellanies 
attendant on the adminiftration of juftice. 
This precicus depofit, which God has 
confided to the hands of kings, as @ par- 
ticipation of his wifdom and bis powers 
had been fo altered by the corruption of 
men, that it was degenerated into a vile 
traffic.”’ 
We find, however, notwithftanding 
this high-flown notion of juftice, worthy _ 
an oriental defpot, that his Majefty’s in-_ 
tervention on this fubject extended but a 
little way indeed. He appears to have 
been at no pains to reprefs the venality of 
the magiftrates, or render judicial deci- 
fions leis expenfive. He went no further 
than to check what he was pleafed to 
confider as ufurpations on the part of 
certain courts, which, by either real or 
pretended encroachments on the royal pre- 
rogative, produced the moft determined 
hoitility on, his part. The parliaments, 
of courfe, experienced his indignation; 
and even the aflembly of the clergy, by 
hefitating to comply with certain demands, 
‘was on the point of feeling the hand of a 
matter. So jealous, indeed, was this ce- 
lebrated monarch of his authority, even 
in a military point of view, that, on the 
death of the Duke d’Epernon, he was in- 
duced to fupprefs the appointment of Co- 
lonel General of Infantry, for fear of the 
influence of fuch an officer. Actuated by 
the fame motives, he alfo “* began tomo- 
derate the exceffive authority aflumed by 
the governors of the frontier towns, who, 
forthe moft part, having loft all that re- 
fpect which they owed to the royal au- 
thority, made the fame exactions” it 
is added ‘* on my fubjects as my ene- 
mies ; and dared to afpire, by way of ne- 
gociation, to all the favours which they 
deemed worthy of acceptance. 
«« T however continued,” fays Louis, 
the fortifications of the caftle of Bour- 
deaux, and of the citadel of Marfeilles, as 
much for the purpofe of bridling thofe 
Cities, as for giving an example to others. 
I reprefled with viguor all thofe move- 
ments which feemed to approach to dif- 
obedience, as at Montauban in Provence, 
and at Rochelle, where 1 caufed my or- 
ders to be executed with all neceflary fe- 
verity, having ifiued my commands that 
they fhould be fupporied by a fufficient 
number of troops, with a view of over- 
coming any reffitance that might inter- 
vene. For although it ought to be told 
as a maxim, that on all occafions a prince 
is obliged firft to employ mildnefs, and 
that it is far more advantageous to per- 
fuade than to conftrain his fubjects, it is 
however certain that the moment he difco- 
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