if they had no Sense at all of the public Calamities. The Party was of twelve Cutters at Lansquenet, who began with setting four Lewid'ors, and at last stak'd Rouleaus of a hundred Lewid'ors on a Card. I won seven hundred Lewid'ors there one Night, in less than an Hour's time, and the Duchess de la Ferte trick'd me out of no less than a hundred, besides fourscore that she borrow'd of me, and never paid me again. Perhaps she thought 'twas the best way to make herself amends for the Trouble she was pleas'd to take upon her, of setting my Money upon the Table, there being such a Croud of Ladies round it that I could not get near it.
While the Court was at Fontainbleau, who should come thither but Mr. St. John, since made Lord Bolingbroke, to settle the Plan of the Peace that was afterwards concluded at Utrecht. He could not have been better receiv'd than he was there if he had been a Sovereign Prince, for the King himself had an extraordinary Regard for him. I was one day to see his Majesty dine, when there was to be Music, but as soon as it struck up the King stopt it, by calling out aloud, I am informed that M. de St. John dines with the Duke of Antin. Let my Music wait on him there, and let him know that I send it to him, and that I wish it may give him Pleasure. You will easily imagine, Madame, that all the Courtiers, in imitation of the Monarch, strove who should be most complaisant to the English Minister, who for his part justly merited the Regard that was paid to him.
The Court stay'd at Fontainbleau some time after the Arrival of this Minister, and all the while there was nothing but Merriment and a continual Succession of Pleasures. The Hunting-Matches
were of the utmost Magnificence. The Ladies were there either on horseback or in Chaises in the Retinue of the Duchess of Berry and Madame. So many fine Women mounted on horseback all richly dressed, the King in a Chaise attended by the whole Court on horseback, and the sumptuous Hunting-Equipages to be seen all at once in the pleasant Forest of Fontainbleau, form'd one of the finest Sights that could be. On the Days when there was no Hunting, the King took the Air in an open Calash round the great Canal, accompany'd by Ladies whose Habits were the finest and of the most beautiful Fancy that could be imagin'd. When the Court return'd from their Airing there was a Comedy or else a Drawing-Room at the Duchess of Berry's, where they play'd at Lansquenet.
At those times too when there was no Hunting there were Assemblies at M. le Grand's, and several others of Quality. I observ'd that most of the Nobility were more inclinable to be complaisant at Fontainbleau, than at Versailles: If a Man was ever so little known for a Person of Quality, they freely furnish'd him with the King's Horses for Hunting, which is scarce ever practis'd but in France and Lorrain. Indeed I have seen the same thing done at the Court of Bavaria, but 'twas very seldom.
After I had follow'd the Court for some time to Versailles and Fontainbleau, I went back again to the famous City of Paris. I no sooner arriv'd there but I had a considerable Fit of Sickness, which brought me almost to the Brink of the Grave. I committed myself to the care of the famous Dutch Physician Helvetius. This skilful Doctor set me upon my Legs in a very little time; and when I was able to go abroad, he
advis'd me to take a Walk in the Garden of Luxembourg, which they cry'd up for the best Air in all Paris. I did not fail to pursue the Doctor's Direction, and observ'd indeed, that the Air I breath'd in that Garden was very good for me: But in a little time it had like to have prov'd most pernicious to me. For one Morning as I was walking there, I saw two Ladies coming a good way off, in a Deshabillé, who had both a grand Air, and a most noble Carriage. They were footing it on the very Terrass where I was walking; so that I sat down on a Bench to see them pass by. I confess to you, that I thought their Persons as lovely as their Undress was genteel and noble. As they sail'd by me, one of 'em happen'd to drop her Handkerchief, which I that instant snatch'd up and presented to her. She receiv'd it in a very polite manner, and I pass'd her a Compliment, to which she made a witty Reply. By degrees we entered into a Conversation, which tho' it held only a Quarter of an Hour, cost me very dear; for I fell in Love, and more deeply in Love than I can express to you. The Ladies asked my Name. You will imagine I did not put them to the trouble of asking it twice; the rather, because I hop'd that in requital they would tell me their Names: But notwithstanding all my Intreaty they wou'd not satisfy me. She that I was most enamour'd with at the first View, bid me in very good High-Dutch not to give my self any Uneasiness to know who they were; as she was going away, she said that I should not fail to see them again if I made any stay at Paris. I gave her my Hand and led her to her Coach, which seem'd to be well lin'd. I also saw a Couple of lusty Lackeys who were well clad. All this put together,
confirm'd me in the Notion I had conceiv'd, that they were Ladies of Quality; or, at least, in good Keeping. I wou'd have given all the World to be inform'd exactly who and what they were; but 'twas absolutely impossible for me to make any Discovery. The Lackey that I had with me being a German, and even more a Stranger here than my self, was upon that account an improper Person, for the Management which is necessary for such Discoveries. I remain'd therefore mortally uneasy, and it had like to have made me as light-headed as I was in the Illness from which I was but newly recover'd. I did not fail to go to Luxembourg Gardens every day, and staid there from nine o'clock in the Morning till Night, excepting only the little time it took me to go home to Dinner. All these Jaunts forwards and backwards lasted about a Fortnight, at the end of which I found my self just as forward as I was the first Day. At last, when I had given over all Thoughts of being so happy as to find this Fair-one out, I was surpris'd to see her at a Place where I never dreamt of finding her. One day as I waited upon the Ladies de V—— and D—— to the Play-house where Cid was to be acted, and Quinaut the Elder began with playing Roderigo; judge, Madame, how great was my Surprize when I saw that the Heroine of my Passion was also the Heroine of this Play, in which she perform'd the Part of Clymene. In all my Life I was never so confounded, and began to question whether I ought to indulge a Passion of that nature. I perceiv'd some Reluctance in my Mind against attaching my self to a Person whose Profession is rarely susceptible of those nice Sentiments, which Persons
of Honor always demand in Love. But the Course I took was really the same that a Boy of nineteen years of Age wou'd have done; that is to say, I acted the very contrary to what I ought to have done. I foolishly indulg'd my I Passion, so that I had scarce Patience to stay for the Interval between the Play and the Entertainment, before I went behind the Scenes, where I found my Fair-one, with several Gentlemen of my Acquaintance about her, whom I took at first for so many Rivals; and as if it was not Punishment enough to be in love, I must needs be jealous too. I spoke to D——, (which was the Name of this dissembling Creature) but I perceiv'd that what I said put her into a Flutter; and I observ'd that she was over and above complaisant to a Gentleman of the Long Robe who stood near her. I was not mistaken in my Guess; 'twas B——, one of the Counsellors of Parliament, who bore this Lady's Expences, and at such a Rate too, as if he had been an Officer of the Finances, rather than a Magistrate. I was so vain as to think of supplanting this Lover, or at least, if I could not quite non-suit him, I flatter'd my self that I should put him to a Non-plus. For this end I began to frequent the Comedy, and soon had the Comfort to find that my Love was not repaid with Ingratitude.
The Difficulty was to find a convenient Opportunity of seeing one another; but Love and Fortune soon pav'd the way for our Interview. Young Q——, the Sister of D——, who also liv'd with her, happen'd to have the Small-Pox. The Counsellor, who was extremely afraid of the Consequence, immediately took D—— from those Lodgings, and gave her an Apartment in the Hotel d'Entragues: But my comic Mistress