LETTER LXXXI.

Paris.

I Ma

Made a longer stay at Befançon than I intended, and am now about to inform you what detained me. The morning after the date of my last, as I returned to the inn from the parade, where I had been to fee the troops, I met a fervant of the Marquis de F, who ran up to me the moment he knew me, and, in a breath, told me, that his mafter was at Befancon; that he had been exceedingly ill, and thought, by the phyficians, in great danger; but his complaint having terminated in an ague, they had now the ftrongeft hopes of his recovery. I defired to be conducted immediately to him.

I found the Marquis alone; pale, languid, and greatly emaciated. He expreffed, however, equal pleasure and surprise at

this unexpected vifit; faid, he had been in danger of making a very long journey, and added, with a fmile, that no man had ever fet out with lefs inclination, for he hated travelling alone, and this was the only journey he could ever take, without wishing fome of his friends to accompany him. He rejoiced, therefore, that he had been recalled in time to meet me before I should pass on to Paris. "But tell

"for I have ten

"me," continued he, "thousand queftions to afk-but let us "take things in order; Eh bien, donnez "nous donc des nouvélles du Pape? On "nous a dit que vous aviez paffé par la ce"remonie de la Pantoufle. Ne pourroit "on pas pendre au tragique une mifère "comme cela chez vous où le Saint Pere paffe pour une Babylonienne de mauvaise "vie?" Before I could make

any answer I chanced to turn my eyes upon a person whom I had not before observed, who fat very gravely upon a chair in a corner of

the

the room, with a large periwig in full drefs upon his head.

The Marquis, feeing my furprise at the fight of this unknown person, after a very hearty fit of laughter, begged pardon for not having introduced me fooner to that gentleman (who was no other than a large monkey), and then told me, he had the honour of being attended by a physician, who had the reputation of poffeffing the greatest skill, and who certainly wore the largest periwigs of any doctor in the province. That one morning, while he was writing a prefcription at his bed-fide, this faine monkey had catched hold of his periwig by one of the knots, and inftantly made the best of his way out at the window to the roof of a neighbouring house, from which poft he could not be diflodged, till the Doctor, having loft patience, had fent home for another wig, and never after could be prevailed on to accept of this, which had been fo much difgraced. That, enfin,

4

enfin, his valet, to whom the monkey belonged, had, ever fince that adventure, obliged the culprit, by way of punishment, to fit quietly for an hour every morning, with the periwig on his head.-Et pendant ces moments de tranquilité je fuis honoré de la fociété du vénérable personage. Then addreffing himself to the monkey, "Adieu, mon ami, pour aujourdhui

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au plaifir de vous revoir ;" and the fervant immediately carried Monfieur le Medecin out of the room.

Afraid that the Marquis might be the worse for talking fo much, I attempted to withdraw, promifing to return in the evening; but this I could not get him to comply with. He affured me, that nothing did him fo much harm as holding his tongue; and that the most exceffive headach he had ever had in his life, was owing to his having been two hours without speaking, when he made his addreffes to Madam de -; who could never forgive thofe

those who broke in upon the thread of her difcourfe, and whom he loft after all, by uttering a few fentences before fhe could recover her breath after a fit of fneezing. In most people's difcourfe, added he, a fneeze paffes for a full stop. "Mais dans "le Caquet eternel de cette femme ce "n'eft qu'un virgule,"

I then enquired after my friends Dubois and Fanchon.-He told me, that his mother had fettled them at her houfe in the country, where the herself chofe, of late, to pass at least one half of the year; that Dubois was of great fervice to her, in the quality of steward, and she had taken a strong affection for Fanchon, and that both husband and wife were loved and efteemed by the whole neighbourhood. "I once," continued the Marquis, "propofed to Fanchon,

en badinant, to make a trip to Paris, "for the muft be tired of fo much folitude." "Have I not my hufband?" faid fhe, * Your husband is not company," rejoined

I,