LE PATISSIER.

VERSAILLES.

BEFORE EFORE I had got half-way down the street I changed my mind: as I am at Versailles, thought I, I might as well take a view of the town; so I pull'd the cord, and ordered the coachman to drive round fome of the principal ftreets-I fuppofe the town is not very large, faid I-The coachman begg'd pardon for fetting me right, and told me it was very fuperb, and that numbers of the first dukes and marquifes and counts had hôtels-The Count de B, of whom the bookseller at the quai de Conti had spoke so handsomely the night before, came inftantly into my mind.And why fhould I not go, thought I, to the Count de B, who has fo high an idea of English books, and Englishmen-and tell him my flory? fo I changed my mind a fecond time-In truth it was the third; for I had intended that day for Madame de R— in the

Rue

Rue de St. Pierre, and had devoutly fent her word by her fille de chambre that I would assuredly wait upon her-but I am govern'd by circumftances-I cannot govern them: fo feeing a man ftanding with a basket on the other fide of the ftreet, as if he had fomething to fell, I bid La Fleur go up to him and enquire for the Count's

hôtel.

La Fleur return'd a little pale; and told me it was a Chevalier de St. Louis felling patésIt is impoffible, La Fleur! faid I.-La Fleur could no more account for the phenomenon than myself; but perfifted in his ftory: he had feen the croix fet in gold, with its red ribband, he faid, tied to his button-hole- and had look'd into the basket and seen the patés which the Chevalier was felling; fo could not be mistaken in that.

Such a reverfe in man's life awakens a better principle than curiofity: I could not help looking for fome time at him as I fat in the remife- the more I look'd at him, his croix and his basket, the ftronger they wove themfelves

C 3

my brain-I

got out of the remife

felves into
and went towards him.

He was begirt with a clean linen apron which fell below his knees, and with a fort of a bib went half way up his breaft; upon the top of this, but a little below the hem, hung his croix. His basket of little patés was cover'd over with a white damask napkin; another of the fame kind was fpread at the bottom; and there was a look of propreté and neatness throughout, that one might have bought his patés of him, as much from appetite as fentiment.

He made an offer of them to neither; but ftood ftill with them at the corner of a hôtel, for those to buy who chose it, without folicitation.

He was about forty-eight-of a fedate look, fomething approaching to gravity. I did not wonder. I went up rather to the basket than him, and having lifted up the napkin, and taken one of his patés into my hand-I begg'd

begged he would explain the appearance which affected me.

He told me in a few words, that the best part of his life had pafs'd in the fervice, in which, after spending a small patrimony, he had obtain❜d a company and the croix with it. but that at the conclufion of the laft peace, his regiment being reformned, and the whole corps, with those of some other regiments, left without any provifion, he found himself in a wide world without friends, without a livre- and indeed, faid he, without any thing but thispointing, as he faid it, to his croix,-The poor chevalier won my pity, and he finish'd the fcene with winning my efteem too.

The king, he faid, was the most generous of princes, but his generofity could neither relieve or reward every one, and it was only his misfortune to be amongst the number. He had a little wife, he said, whom he loved, who did the patifleric; and added, he felt no difhonour in defending her and himself from want in this way -unlefs Providence had offer'd him a better.

It would be wicked to with-hold a pleasure from the good, in pafling over what happen'd poor Chevalier of St. Louis about nine months after.

to this

It feems he ufually took his ftand near the

iron gates which lead up to the palace, and as his croix had caught the eye of numbers, numbers had made the fame enquiry which I had done-He had told them the fame ftory, and always with fo much modefty and good fenfe, that it had reach'd at laft the king's ears -who hearing the Chevalier had been a gallant officer, and refpected by the whole regiment as a man of honour and integrity--he broke up his little trade by a penfion of fifteen hundred livres a year.

As I have told this to please the reader, I beg he will allow me to relate another out of its order, to please myself-the two stories reflect light upon each other—and 'tis a pity they should be parted.

THE