Volume III Part 38 (2/2)

I left her in the evening, assuring her that in a few days her bail should be returned to her; and went to the French and Italian plays in succession, taking care to render ht be complete Afterwards I went to sup with Manon Baletti, as too happy to have had an opportunity of spewing her affection for ive up business, for she thought that e with her

The next day was passed with Madareat, while she, in the goodness of her heart, was persuaded that she could make no adequate return to me for the oracles hich I furnished her, and by follohich she was safely guided through the perplexities of life I cannot understand how she, whose as keen, and whose judgment on other subjects was of the soundest kind, could be liable to such folly I was sorry when I reflected that I could not undeceive her, and glad when I reflected that to this deceit of mine the kindness she had shewn usted me with Paris, and made me conceive a hatred of the lahich I feel now I found led in a double maze of knavery--Garnier was my foe, and so was my own counsel Every tist lawyers, and to waste the ti to execution In this perturbed kind of life, so contrary to my inclinations, I resolved to set to work in earnest to ht beco to my tastes I decided in the first place that I would cut myself free of all that bound me to Paris, make a second journey into Holland to replenish my purse and invest my money in a yearly income for two lives, and from thenceforth live free from care The two lives were those of my wife and myself; my ould be Manon Baletti, and when I told her un by ive up Little Poland I then drew the twenty-four thousand francs which werea lottery office in the Rue St Denis Thus I got rid ofmy clerk married I handed over the office to him; in short, I made his fortune A friend of his wife's was his surety; such things often happen

I did not like to leave Madame d'Urfe involved in a troublesome suit with Gareat friend of his, and begged him to induce Gamier to make a co, and so was all theto help o and see hie matters in a friendly manner

Gamier was at Ruelle, where he had a house which cost him four hundred thousand francs--a fine estate for athe last war He was rich, but he was so unfortunate as to be still fond of woe of seventy, while his impotence debarred him from the proper enjoyment of their society

I found hi ladies, all of ere pretty, and (as I heard afterwards) of good families; but they were poor, and their necessities forced theate I stayed to dinner and admired the propriety and modesty of their behaviour in spite of the humiliation which accompanies poverty After dinner, Gairls wholy have rescued from their unfortunate situation if I had been able After Gamier woke, ent into his study to talk over our business

At first heto yield an inch; but when I told hi Paris in a few days, he saw that as he could not keep ht take the suit over and carry it on to infinity, and that he ht lose it at last That made him think it over, and he asked ht The next day, after breakfast, he said,--

”I have made up my mind: I will have twenty-five thousand francs, or keep theday”

I answered that he would find the sum in the hands of Madame d'Urfe's solicitor, and that he could receive it as soon as he had given replevy on the bail at the Fort l'Eveque

I could not persuade Madaeenius had commanded me not to leave Paris before ht be able to accuse one away to avoid creditors whose claims I could not satisfy

Three or four days afterwards I went to take leave of M de Choiseul, who pro a loan at five per cent either with the States-General or a private company

”You can tell everyone,” said he, ”that peace is certain to be made in the course of the winter, and I will take care that you shall have what is due to you on your return to France”

M de Choiseul deceived me, for he knew very well that peace would not begiven M de Boulognefor the Government, the reward of which was not ies, my furniture; I went bail for , as he had several pictures on the easel which he had been ordered to paint by some of his rich and noble patrons I took leave of Manon, whoh I sith the utmost sincerity to come back soon and marry her

At last all my preparations were finished, and I left Paris with a hundred thousand francs in bills of exchange and jewels to the sashut up in a carriage

This Le Duc of hteen, a sharp fellohohly, especially because he did my hair better than anyone else I never refused him a pleasure which a little ood Swiss servant, who served as my courier

It was the 1st of Deceainst the inclemency of the season I was able to read comfortably, and I took Helvetius's ”Esprit,” which I had never had ti it I was equally astonished at the sensation it created and at the stupidity of the High Court which condeely influenced by the king and the clergy, and between theood-heartednovel either in the historical part relating to the morals of nations (in which Helvetius dismisses us as triflers), or in the position that morality is dependent on the reason All that he says has been said over and over again, and Blaise Pascal went much farther, but he wrote more skilfully and better in every way than Helvetius, ishi+ng to reed to retract He preferred a quiet life to his honour and his philosophy His wife had a nobler soul than he, as she wanted to sell all they had, and to take refuge in Holland rather than submit to the shame of a recantation Perhaps Helvetius would have followed the noble advice of his wife if he had foreseen that this monstrous recantation would make his book into a fraud; for he had to confess that he had written without due reflection, that he was uments were mere sophisms But many men of keen intellects had not waited for hi this wretched syste that whatever ratitude is a folly, and virtue and vice identical? Are a villain and a hed in the same balance? If such a dreadful system were not absurd, virtue would be ht to be proscribed by general consent, since it would lead to general ruin and corruption

It ht have been proved to Helvetius that the propositions that the first motive is always self-interest, and that we should always consult our own interest first, are fallacious It is a strange thing that so virtuous asuggestion that he only published his book out of modesty, but that would have contradicted his own system But if it were so, was it well done to render himself contemptible to escape the imputation of pride?

Modesty is only a virtue when it is natural; if it is put on, or reat d'Alembert was the ot to Brussels, where I spent two days, I went to the ”Hotel de l'Imperatrice,” and chance sent Mdlle X C V and Farsetti in my way, but I pretended not to see theot out at the ”Prince of Orange” Onthe host who sat down at his table, he told eneral officers of the Hanoverian arlish ladies, and a Prince Piccolomini and his wife; and this made e

I was unknown to all, and keeping ave my chief attention to the observation of the supposed Italian princess, as pretty enough, and nize In the course of conversation I heard some talk of the celebrated St Ger in the sa of going to bed, when Prince Piccolomini entered, and embraced me as an old friend

”A look in your face,” said he, ”tells nition has been mutual I knew you directly in spite of the sixteen years that have passed sinceeach other at Vicenza To-morrow you can tell everybody that we are friends, and that though I am not a prince I a of Naples, pray read it”

During this rapid le word, and on attentively scanning his features I could only recollect that I had seen him before, but when or where or how I knew not I opened the passport and read the nah; I re-ain his aspect, though ed left no doubt as to the identity of the swordsratulate you,” said I, ”on your change of employment, your new business is doubtless ,” he replied, ”to save er, for ive uised race it