L’incorruptible probité, Here he declares, that De mes Ayeux noble Heritage, incorruptible Probity, the noble A la Cour ne m’a point quitté. Inheritance he deriv’d from his Libre et franc, sans être sauvage, Ancestors, did not forsake him at Du Courtisan fourbe et volage Court, where being frank and free, L’exemple ne m’a point gâté, without being rude, the Example of L’infatigable activité, the crafty giddy Courtier had not tainted him. He observes the good Effect of his former Miscarriage; that it has made him active and indefatigable; and he hopes Reste d’un utile naufrage, from henceforwards to be happy in Mes Etudes, mon Jardinage, his Studies, in his Garden, and Un Repas sans art appreté, in a plain Diet dress’d by his D’une Epouse œconome et sage frugal prudent Wife, whose good La belle humeur, le bon ménage, Nature is equal to her Œconomy. Vont faire ma félicité.
C’est dans ce Port, qu’en sureté In this Port, says he, my Vessel Ma Barque ne craint point l’orage. dreads no Storm. Let who will defy Qu’un autre à son tour emporté, the Rage of the Winds, while he Au gré de sa cupidité, coasts along the Shore, I laugh at Sur le sein de l’humide plage, his Presumption, and wish him a Des Vents ose affronter la rage; good Voyage; but reserve my Je ris de sa témerité, Courage for a more important Et lui souhaite un bon voyage. Passage, and approach with Je réserve ma fermeté Boldness to the Gates of Eternity. Pour un plus important passage; Et je m’approche avec courage, Des portes de l’Eternité.
Je sai que la mortalité The Poet concludes with a Du Genre humain est l’appanage: Reflection, that since Mortality Pourquoi seul serois-je excepté? is intail’d upon all Mankind, why La vie est un pelerinage: should he alone think to be De son cours la rapidité, exempted? And he says, that since Loin de m’alarmer, me soulage. Life is but a Pilgrimage, the De sa fin, quand je l’envisage, Rapidity of its Race, instead of L’infallible necessité alarming, comforts him; and that Ne me sauroit faire d’outrage. the infallible Necessity of his Brulez de l’Or empaqueté, Death, when he seriously considers Il n’en perit que l’embalage: the Matter, is no more an Injury C’est tour. Un si leger dommage to him, than the burning of a Bale Devroit-il être regreté? of Gold is to the Metal, which remains intire, tho’ the Case that contains it is consum’d; which, he adds, is too trifling a Loss to be regarded.
[54] The King gave this young Duke, when he was but nine Years old, the Reversion of the Post of Great Admiral, for a New-Year’s Gift, on the first of January 1734. He is handsome, well-set, all Life and Spirit, and gives very fair Hopes of being a great Man.
[55] As soon as he arrived, the Place de Vendosme, or the Square of Lewis le Grand, where M. Daguesseau liv’d, was set apart for the Stock-jobbing Trade, which was before carried on in the Street Quinquempoix; and one Morning, a Paper was found at the Chancellor’s Door, with these Words, Et homo factus est, & habitabit cum nobis.
[56] He is actually join’d in the Administration with the Cardinal de Fleury, who was very glad to nominate a Person for his Coadjutor.
[57] He died some time ago at Paris, very much lamented by all that knew him.
[58] The present Archbishop of Ambrun, famous for his Zeal for the Constitution, for the Persecution of the Bishop of Senez, and for his little Council at Ambrun.
[59] He died at Maestricht in the Year 1734, a Cornet in the Regiment of the Prince of Orange-Friseland. But Mr. Law has left an amiable Daughter, who has had a fine Education, and married to Lord Wallingford, Son to the Earl of Banbury.
[60] These Verses are not in the first Edition of these Memoirs, but are added, by the Bookseller, to the second.