"fionally mixed in the converfation, and took

efpecial care that not one of the company "fhould go away without having received a "fharp word or two from her. Salmafius was

not naturally inclined to talk, but when once " he began he displayed a wonderful fertility of «mind, and an immenfe erudition. I remember 66 once, that I took to Salmafius' circle a "French gentleman who had never seen him; "and as we were going thither, we agreed to

make him talk about the amusements of the "field. We put him upon that fubject, and my "friend told me on his return, that himself, "who was an old fportfman, could not have "talked more pertinently upon the matter. He

was aftonished that a man of letters, who had "fpent fo much time in his ftudy, and who was "befides fo bad a horfeman, had been able to "pick up fuch variety of information upon a "subject not peculiarly interesting to him, for he "told us not only what he had been able to get <from those who had exprefsly written upon "the fubject, but what he could not know, "unless he had really been upon the ground, and « had himself killed a great quantity of game.

Our converfation was often infefted," fays Sorbiere, "if I may fo use the word to ex

prefs more strongly our indignation, by a "Scotch

Scotch Profeffor, by name David Stuart, a "Regent of a College, who in the dulleft and "moft infipid manner contradicted everything "that was advanced; and this tiresome fellow "made us lofe much of the converfation of Salmafius, to whom indeed we afterwards complained, that he, who was in general pretty apt "to be violent on fuch occafions, did not repress ❝ the pedantry of the Scotch Profeffor; repeating "to him, "Oro qui reges confuevis tollere, cur "non bunc regem jugulas? Operum hoc mihi crede tuorum eft,"

Salmafius, not contented with attacking Milton's arguments in defence of the execution of Charles the First, attacked the Latinity of his verfes He begins his Apology for Charles the First in this fingular manner;

"O ye English, who tofs about the heads of "Kings as if they were tennis balls, and play at "bowls with crowns, and treat fcepters with no more regard than if they were toys!"

FATHER

FATHER BOUSSIERES.

ONE of the most fingular dedications, perhaps, in the world, is that of this learned Monk's Parterre Hiftorique" to the Virgin Mary, whom he thus addreffes;

MATRI DEI REGINÆ MUNDI.'

To the Mother of God and the Queen of "the World.

"After fuch auguft titles, O great Queen, I

am nearly afhamed to offer to you fuch a trifle as "this book is; but I have fo ftrong a defire to "let mankind know that I owe you everything, "that I am tempted to do it, without paying that "refpect which I ought to do to your greatness; "though indeed, to speak truly, I diminish not "a tittle of your greatnefs, when I have recourfe "to your kindness. Permit me then, O great "Queen, again to renew the offering which I "make to you in confecrating to you the first

fruits of my ftudies, hoping that this work "of mine (however inconfiderable in itself) will be in fome degree efteemed by the world on account of your adorable name, which it

"bears

<< bears infcribed on the first page of it, and that the Author chofe expressly to procure for it "fafety and protection."

"La Parterre Hiftorique," Lyon, 1672,

SEGRAIS,

the Author of the celebrated Romance of Zaide," who lived in the reign of Louis the Thirteenth of France, and in the early part of that of Louis the Fourteenth, fays, "I find myself "much more happy in France under its present "Government, than a Dutchman is with all his "pretended liberty. He pays fo many taxes, that

fuppofing he had fix thoufand livres a-year, he "must pay two thousand out of them; whilft I, "by paying fometimes for the register of my coat ❝of arms, and occafionally fome other fmall fum "for the neceffities of the State, live in peace

and fecurity. A Dutchman has no idea how any man can bear a Government fo defpotic as "that of France. But with us, at prefent, indi❝viduals are more happy than they were before, "when the leaft bit of a Gentleman would play "the petty tyrant upon his eftate. In our whole "Province of Normandy we had only two or

"three

se three Noblemen who behaved themselves like "brave and honeft Gentlemen. The rest of them, who used to tyrannize over their Farmers, and beat them, are all gone to the Devil. Was it " not a shameful and a fcandalous thing, that a "miferable Counfellor of Parliament had it in his power to make every-body within twelve "miles afraid of him !"

"Cardinal de Retz," fays Segrais, "told as a truth fomething of which I knew pofitively the contrary. To avoid mentioning that his Emi"nence had told a lie, I obferved to him, that he "ought to do as the late Madame de Montpenfier

did, who used to fay, that the never told an untruth, but that she made use of her imagination "to fupply the defect of her memory."

"When I was young," fays Segrais in his Memoirs, "I was fond of making verses, and of reading them indifferently to all forts of perfons. But I perceived, that when M. Scarron, who was however my intimate friend, took out his portefeuille, and read me fome of his verfes, he bored me exceffively, although his verses were very good. I then began to reflect, that as my verfes were not near fo good as his, I must in "a greater degree bore my friends (who moft "probably did not like poetry as well as I did);

and I then laid myfelf down a resolution, never

(( to