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HENRY IV. OF FRANCE.

KING HENRY IV. of France received an education very different from that usually bestowed on princes. From his infancy his person was exposed to all the rigour of the season: his clothing was plain, his diet coarse and spare ; he was instructed to deport himself with humility to the meanest object, and to familiarise himself to the manners of all ranks of people. This last custom grew into inclination with him, and he never departed from it during his life. Some few weeks after the conclusion of the treaty of peace with Spain and Savoy, the king was returning from a shooting party, and had, as was frequently his custom, dismissed his attendants. He was accompanied by three gentlemen closely wrapped up in great cloaks, to secure them from the inclemency of the weather, which had turned out wet and boisterous. Stopping upon that part of the quay where the college of the four nations now stands, the king cast his eyes upon a man who rowed the boat (as is still the custom) from shore to shore, on the river Seine; and, turning to those about him, "I observe," said he, "something of an impatient discontent in that fellow's countenance: methinks I have a curiosity to be acquainted with the subject of his chagrin. In saying these words, he descended to the river side, and entered the boat. Being soon seated, and turning to the man, Well, my friend," says the king, " what think you of the peace ?" "I don't know, not I, what to think of it," replied the man: "I am not a farthing the better for this same peace they make so much noise about: I don't find things a jot better than they were before; the taxes are as high as ever, and the Lord knows when they will be lowered. I don't find fish, flesh, or fowl, or wine, or bread, a bit the cheaper for their peace. I am forced to tug this cursed boat from morning till night, in heat and in cold, in rain and in sunshine, and, when I have done all, I can scarce live by my labour; almost all goes to the king." "What

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then," said Henry, "is your opinion of the king?" "His majesty," replied the ferryman, " may be a good sort of a man enough; but that's no matter he keeps a mistress that is as extravagant as the devil: she spends more money in fine gowns, trinkets, and suchlike things, than would support half a dozen provinces ; and, at last, it is such poor starving dogs as I must pay for all; though between you and I, if the truth may be told, she has other gallants besides him." The king landed extremely well satisfied with the conversation that had passed between him and the ferryman, resolving to divert himself yet more with it, by relating the whole to his mistress, the famous Gabrielle d'Estrees, duchess of Beaufort, on whose beauty so many encomiums have been made. The duchess received the account with the utmost rage, and ordered that the fellow might appear before her the day following, and in the presence of the king. The ferryman was brought in the condition of a man led to execution, and in no small apprehension of that doom which very probably might have been his fate, had he been at the mercy of a prince less remarkable for the goodness of his heart, and the sweetness of his disposition; but it was the contrary with the duchess, who obstinately persisted to have him hanged. "Poh, poh, you are a fool," says the king: "cannot you see that this is a poor

devil dissatisfied and out of humour with his condition? I will make his boat free, and engage that he will bawl all the rest of his days, Long live Henry! and long live Gabrielle !"

THE ABBE'S REVENGE.

SOME young persons walking lately in the wood of Boulogne, perceived there an Abbé singing at the foot of a tree they drew near and surrounded him. The Abbé, startled at his auditory, stopped short. The

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forwardest of them addressed him, and told him, "That, attracted by the charms of his voice, they were come there to listen to him." The singer excused himself. They insisted; he refused. The petulant orator lifted up his cane, and threatened to take the measure of his shoulders if he required any further entreaty. "A pretty method, indeed, to teach people to sing," said "I agree that it is rather harsh; but we will cut off your ears for you, if you like that better." The poor devil, seeing there was no reasoning with these gentlemen, set about his part, and sung, as we may imagine, very ill. "To it again, sir," said the we shall perform better the second time." In short, they made him pass through the whole scale of music; after which they withdrew, with great commendations on his voice, and, above all, on his complaisance in singing. The Abbé, who had this scene much at heart, lost no time; but, while the gentlemen continued their walk, laughing at his expense, he hastened to the gate of Boulogne, and, by the description he there gave of them, he found out their coachman: from him he learnt that the orator was the count of

orator: 66

a black musqueteer, and got particular information of his residence. The next morning, very early, the Abbé,, dressed like a gentleman, hastened to his house, where he procured immediate admittance to him. Being left alone with the count, who was yet half asleep, he told him who he was, and that he was come to demand satisfaction for the affront given the evening before. An apostrophe of this kind was well adapted to rouse the musqueteer, who continued still dozing. "You are

absolutely a brave fellow," said the count: "I love Abbés who are ready at every thing; and nothing, to be sure, is more reasonable than what you demand; but, pray, do you understand the sword?" "That is no matter of yours," said the Abbé: "you shall see byand-by." "Be it so," replied the count: "but where shall we fix the field of battle?""On the very spot where the affront was given," rejoined the Abbé. "With all my heart," said the count, and, dressing

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himself instantly, ordered his horses to be put to the carriage. Our two champions repaired to the gate of Maillot, and, getting out there, proceeded to the place of rendezvous. While the musqueteer was stripping, the Abbé took a pistol out of his pocket, and clapped it to his breast: "We are not come here to fight, sir, said he; you made me sing yesterday against my will: I take you to be a very good dancer, and you shall dance, or I will blow out your brains." In vain the soldier, startled at the pistol, would have pleaded the laws of honour. "You were a stranger to them yesterday," said the Abbé, "and deserve no other usage. No more ceremony, or I avenge myself immediately, let what will come of it." The musqueteer squeezed his ears, and was obliged to comply. Accordingly he asked, submissively, what he must dance?" Cupris' minuet is what I am going to sing," said the Abbé, who thereupon warbled out the tune, directing his pupil all the while by the pistol. When the minuet was over, the Abbé required a country dance, then a hornpipe, rigadoon, &c. At last, throwing aside his pistol, and drawing his sword, "We have now nothing to reproach each other with: let us fight." 66 No," cried the count,

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we will not you are too brave a conqueror; you have corrected my folly. I am to thank you for the lesson let us be friends." The two combatants embraced each other, and went to seal their friendship over a bottle.

A CURE FOR GAMING.

THE late Colonel Daniel, who took great pleasure in giving advice to young officers, guiding them in their military functions, the management of their pay, &c. whenever he was upon the article gaming, he used always to tell the following story of himself, as a warning to others, and to show that a little resolution may conquer this fatal passion. In Queen Anne's wars, he was an ensign in the English army then in Spain; but

he was so absolutely possessed with this evil, that all duty, and every thing else that prevented his gratifying his darling passion, was to him most grievous: he scarce allowed himself time for rest; or, if he slept, his dreams presented packs of cards to his eyes, and the rattling of dice to his ears: his meals were neglected, or, if he attended them, he looked on that as so much lost time, and swallowed his meal with precipitance, and hurried to the dear gaming-table again. In one word, he was a professed gamester. For some time, fortune was his friend; and he was so successful, that he has often spread his winnings on the ground, and rolled himself on them, in order that it might be said of him, "He wallowed in gold." Such was his life for a considerable time; but, as he hath often said, and we dare say every considerate man will join with him, it was the most miserable part of it. After some time, he was ordered on a recruiting duty, and at Barcelona he raised one hundred and fifty recruits for the regiment; though this was left entirely to his serjeant, that he might be more at leisure to indulge his favourite passion. After some changes of good and ill luck, the fickle goddess declared so openly against him, that in one unlucky run, he was totally stripped of the last farthing. In this distress, he applied to a captain of the same regiment with himself for the loan of ten guineas, which was refused, with this speech: What, lend my money to a professed gamester! No, sir, I must be excused; for of necessity I must lose either my money or my friend; I therefore choose to keep my money. With this taunting refusal, he retired to his lodging, where he threw himself on the bed, to lay himself and his sorrows to a momentary rest, during the heat of the day. A gnat, or some such vermin, happening to bite him, he awoke, when his melancholy situation immediately presented itself to him. Without money, and no prospect how to get any to subsist himself, and his recruits to the regiment, then at a great distance from him ; and should they desert for want of their pay, he must be answerable for it; and he could expect nothing but

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