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founded together. The following explanation will prevent this :

M. d'Argenson, who was born in 1652 at Venice, where his father was Ambassador, was Lieutenant of Police at Paris, afterwards Keeper of the Seals, and Minister of State. He died at Paris, in the year 1721.

Mark Pierce d'Argenson, his son, was born at Paris in 1696, was Lieutenant-general of the Police, Chief of the Council of Regency, Counsellor of State in 1724, Secretary of State for the War Department, and Superintendant of the Posts. He established the Military School, was disgraced in 1757, and retired to his estate of Ormes in Poitou, where he died in the year 1764.

René Louis d'Argenson, brother of the latter, was minister for Foreign Affairs, and died in 1756. He was a good politician, a worthy citizen, and had an excellent understanding, matured by reading. Being of a reserved disposition, he was called, with equal folly and injustice, d'Argenson the Fool. He wrote Considerations sur le Gouvernement, 1765, 8vo.; and Loisirs d'un Ministre d'Etat, 2 vols. 8vo. 1787.—Mark

Pierce was father of the Marquis de Voyer d'Argenson, who died in 1783, and with whom I was well acquainted.

51. FINE LATIN INSCRIPTION IN THE ALps.

One of the greatest works undertaken in the last age was the Passage of the Grotto, near les Echelles, at the entrance of the Alps. This passage is cut in a rock, which is more than a hundred feet high on each side. It was made by Charles Emanuel the Great, father of King Victor. The following very fine inscription in marble is placed on the spot:

Carol. Eman. Sabaudiæ Dux,

Pedem. Princeps, Cypri Rex,

Publicâ felicitate partâ, singulorum commodis intentus, Breviorem securioremque viam regiam a naturâ occlusam, Romanis intentatam, cæteris desperatam,

Dejectis scopulorum repagulis,

Equatâ montium iniquitate; quæ cervicibus imminebant Præcipitia pedibus substernens, æternis

Populorum cómmerciis patefecit,

Ann. Dom. 1670.

52. BON-Mot relative to Cardinal de

ROHAN.

The Dauphin, father of Louis XVI., said of the Cardinal de Rohan,--"He is a "respectable prelate, a very affable noble" man, and a well-made man."

53. LAUGHABLE ANECDOTE of a PARISIAN HAIR-DRESSER.

The Prince Lanti told me at Rome, that when he was in Paris, he sent one day for a hair-dresser. Soon after, a good-looking man, with a sword at his side, was ushered into his room. He tried all he could to prevail upon him to be seated before he spoke; but the other, having at last told him that he was the hair-dresser, and that he had come to dress him, the Prince sat down, telling him, at the same time, to be quick. "Prince," said the man, "I am "the physiognomist; give me leave to "call my assistant:" and he accordingly brought in a barber's boy, with all his apparatus. Then placing the Prince as he pleased, he looked at him attentively, tak

ing him by the chin, that he might examine his face better: at length addressing himself to his assistant, "Visage à marons,” said he, "maronnez Monsieur," and then withdrew, making a very low bow.

54. LETTER FROM A FRENCH OFFICER, AFTER. the Battle OF ROSBACK.

Some days after the battle of Rosback, the following letter from a French officer was intercepted. It seemed so remarkable, that copies of it were taken, which were circulated at Berlin, and excited much laughter.

"At last the day, so much wished for, is <arrived. We have met the King of Prus

sia, and, contrary to our expectation, we "have been completely defeated. Our <colonel was killed at the head of the re

giment; the Marquis de**, my most <intimate friend, had his head carried away "by a cannon-ball: but this was their busi66 ness; as for myself, I am very well." This was called French gaiety.

55. LETTER FROM THE MARQUIS DE GIRONDE TO THE KING.

The following is another letter, written by a Frenchman, but very different from the preceding. It was the subject of much conversation when it appeared. It is noble and animated, and produced the desired effect. It is from the Marquis de Gironde, and was written in 1783.

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"Sire: Nothing remains for the Mar"quis de Gironde, your Lieutenant Gene"ral of the Isle of France, but to ask as a "favour of your Majesty, that which is

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granted to all your subjects under the "name of justice; the liberty of suing, "before the proper judges, for the restora❝tion of my droit de l'aide of the town of "Clermont, which one of your Majesty's "Controler-Generals has taken from me, "without pretext and without form, and "which another constantly refuses to return

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to me. This patrimony of my ancestors, "which was never dominial, is a noble "freehold, as ancient as the monarchy. "My proprietorship, founded upon nume

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