application was made, was of all men the most unpitying in his nature; and it was to no purpose that even the King himself, when informed by others of the disastrous condition in which M. Leon, who had served him so well, was plunged with his numerous family, recommended him to the notice of this unfeeling minister; nothing was done to compensate for the privation this faithful servant had suffered; the scanty remnant of property that he and his wretched family had to subsist on, was wearing away with a rapidity that filled their minds with the most dreadful apprehensions; want stared them in the face; till at length, reduced to the last extremity, they found means to have the Dauphiness made acquainted with their misfortunes. She, with the promptness that ever characterised her goodness, instantly declared she would take them under her protection, desiring to see them, that she might personally assure them of it; no sooner had the interview taken place, than with all her feelings tremblingly alive, she hastened to the King, who beheld in the Dauphiness, Beauty in tears, pleading the cause of Virtue in distress. Louis XV. highly pleased with the personal elegance and sympathy of his grand-daughter, answered her in a manner that at once evinced

his goodnature and politeness-" I know well," said he," that there is not an honester man "living than he for whom you interest yourself; "I know too that he has a large and amiable family, and I have already spoken to the "Comptroller-General to give him a situation."

But this he has not done," replied the Dauphiness. "Well, well," rejoined the King, taking hold of both her hands, " perhaps the "Abbé Ferray will pay more attention to the "recommendation of a beautiful woman-send "for him, and make me happy by settling "this business yourself."—" And am I commis"sioned to act as you would do, Sir?"-" Pre

t

cisely."—" Then, rely upon it, I shall assume "all the tone of a king."-" And sure I am, you will give to royalty a superior grace The Dauphiness flew home, with as much eagerness as she had set out, and sent for the Abbé; when, with that air of mingled condescension and dignity, so entirely her own, and clothing her features with a noble and easy smile, such as befitted the tone of authority she assumed, she thus addressed the minister: "Mr. Comp"troller-General, I have been made acquainted "with the calamitous situation in which a "faithful servant of the King, and an excel"lent parent, is involved by the recent abo

"lition of some of the offices in the revenue

department. The name of this person is "Leon; he is in this town at this moment; you "have doubtless seen him, and you are well"informed of the nature of his pretensions. "Now as there are several places actually va"cant in this department, I take upon myself "to nominate him to one; and do you take "care that it be such an one as will amply make

up for that which he has lost. Remember, I "charge you with the execution of this busi"ness, and you must give an account to me "how you have fulfilled the commission; and "not only to me, but to the King likewise," added she, with a smile more strongly marked; "for, believe me, he already expects it from

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you." The Abbé Terray could not avoid smiling himself, and bowing, retired; he returned the next day with the account required, informing the Dauphiness that M. Leon had been appointed to a situation still more eligible than the one he filled before. "This appointment," said the Comptroller-General, "is as yet only known "to the King, to yourself, Madam, and to me. The august patroness of M. Leon has

now to declare by whom she would have "the tiding of his good fortune made known "to him."-" By myself," answered the Dauphiness, who, returning the minister thanks wit

all that lively emotion with which her beneficent design filled her heart, immediately sent for the father, mother, and sixteen children, announced to them the happiness that awaited them, and declared that in making them happy she had made herself so.

Scarcely had this good deed been accomplished, when the Dauphiness, having found that in consequence of some few retrenchments, and a fortunate run at play, she had a considerable sum of money in hand, gave orders to her steward to lay before her a list of all those females belonging to her household who were in straitened circumstances. When the list appeared, she saw many names were omitted; these she afterwards added with her own hand, and herself regulated the distribution of the whole sum of which she had the disposal.

The apprehension of implicating the memory of Louis XV. the regret also with which, in relating such circumstances as refer to this Monarch, I shall submit to the superior claims of truth; and the anxious desire which I feel to throw the veil of respect over the foibles of kings, now that their virtues are assailed by the most stubborn calumny, are all of them causes that forbid my dwelling upon

that meritorous line of conduct, peculiar and intricate as it was, which the Dauphiness, during the latter part of this reign, was too often called upon to pursue. The King's intimate regards were at that time engrossed by a woman, who did not sufficiently consider how indispensable it was for her always to keep in mind that he was a father, if she were desirous of securing to herself any pretensions to the smallest degree of indulgence on the part of his children; and that, remaining satisfied with her power over the person of the Monarch, it was her duty to avoid all occasion of offending the royal dignity, or of sullying the purity of domestic character. Notwithstanding this, however, she sought such opportunities of intruding herself and her connections into the presence of the Dauphin and Dauphiness, as the strict principles of virtue in the one, and the exalted character of soul in the other, could by no means endure. She carried this obtrusive behaviour so far, as even to seek to place one of her relations about their persons, by procuring him an important situation at Court. Louis XV. who well knew what was due to decorum, for a long time resisted her request; at length, however, he yielded, making use of nearly the same expres