ly particular in his ideas of women: No sooner was I sure of Sir George, he had heard that I was a coquette, than I began to look back with reand that made him treat me with a gret on the number of conquests that petrifying politeness, a hundred times I had probably missed making while more mortifying than rudeness would I was subduing him, and to long for have been. I saw clearly that my an opportunity of spreading my nets usual weapons would here be useless; for new admirers. Unfortunately, he he was proof against all the artillery of informed me that he should be blushes, looks, and smiles, and there obliged to spend a few weeks in the was no enlisting his amour propre in country; and on the first evening of my service, for he had no foibles ap- his absence I accepted an invitation parently, not even, as I thought, a to a fancy ball. It so chanced that he master passion. In short, any body forgot some papers of consequence, but myself would have given up the and being obliged to return for them, case as a desperate one; but nil de- he came to pay me a visit at the very sperandum was always my motto. I moment that I had finished dressing laid down a regular plan of opera- for the ball. He flew to me with all tions, and persisted in them, though the impetuosity of love, but stopping for some time without any success: short, and surveying me with a look I began by assuming, when in his of displeasure, or rather of disgust, presence, a thoughtful air at times, said, that as he saw he was evidently soon afterwards I appeared to disre- not expected, he would not intrude gard the attentions of the fops by upon me. Stung at this speech, whom I was surrounded; my dress which was plainly levelled at my by degrees became more simple, and dress, or rather undress, for to say though it was in reality never less the truth I was rather fashionably studied, yet it had an air of easy than decently attired, I made a very negligence: with all this, however, haughty reply. He quitted the room I gained very little ground, but chance with a silent bow, and the next mornstood my friend unexpectedly. I had ing I received a farewell epistle from secretly relieved a poor family; the him, written in a style which convinccircumstance became known to Sired me that all hopes of a reconciliaGeorge, and from that moment he tion would be in vain. regarded me with a more kindly aspect. This gave me fresh courage; as we grew more intimate, I affected to regret the past, and to be determined on an entire change of character: Imade him my Mentor, pretended to consult him on all occasions, and in fine succeeded at last in completely conquering his heart.

But, alas! Mr. Editor, I was in the situation of many others, who work very hard to obtain a treasure, and do not know how to use it properly when they have at last got it.

His loss cost me the severest pangs I ever felt, and it was a considerable time before I could divert my chagrin by collecting round me again the group of triflers whose homage I had for some time appeared to disdain.

It would fill a volume instead of a letter, Mr. Editor, if I were to recount to you the history of all my achievements in this way; suffice it to say, that although I set out with a positive determination to marry before my power over your sex began

to decline, yet the habit of coquetting, coquette is a much more respectable carried me on from conquest to con- character than any conqueror that quest, till at last I was roused from ever existed, from Alexander the the delightful dream of empire, by Great down to Napoleon le Grand. perceiving, that though I was still But I forget that I am not writing a toasted, flattered, and admired, yet vindication of my class, but a histoI was no longer proposed for. In ry of myself, which I beg leave to fact, my character was by this time conclude by stating the motives which so generally understood, that nobody induced me to trouble you with it. could be hardy enough to think of In the first place, I think it an injusmaking a wife of me. My female ac- tice to the class, not to give them quaintance, who still dreaded, though that prominent place which they dethey affected to despise my power, serve among the sisterhood; and in endeavoured to hasten its downfall the next, I think my adventures may by ridiculing me as an old maid, be of service to the younger memthrough my own fault. And here, by bers of our class, who have not yet the way, I must digress a moment to quite reached the verge of old maidobserve, that I don't see there was enism, by inducing them to reflect in any fault in the case: I might per- time, whether it may not be better to haps justly be accused of miscalcu- secure even one loyal and obedient lating my resources, or of want of subject in the person of a husband tact in applying them, but to a point- for life, than to risk being left at blank charge of folly I never can last in that most degrading of all sisubmit; for surely, if the love of tuations, a deposed toast, deprived conquest exalts men into heroes, it of all the pride, pomp, and circummay with equal justice be said to stance of empire; no train of admirtransform women into heroines. What ers in public, no sighing adorers in are the achievements of warriors com- private, no partners contending for pared to the conquests of a coquette? her hand at the ball, no opponents Can the instinct which you dignify eager to lose their money to her at with the name of courage, that in- the card-table. All this, Mr. Editor, duces you to hazard your own lives I have felt; and I have charity and take those of others, merely to enough to wish to prevent others acquire what you call glory, be com- from feeling it, unless they think pared to the magnanimity with which they can console themselves with rewe sacrifice our health, our comfort, citing to some humble cousin, or adnay, often the tender ties of love and miring waiting-maid, the long-past friendship, in order to extend our glories of those days, in which they conquest, not by spilling blood or shone in all the pride and power of devastating provinces, but by subdu- conscious beauty, and broke hearts ing the minds of our enemies, and as easily as they cracked walnuts. I forcing them to bless the hand that am, sir, your most obedient, loads them with chains? Depend upon it, Mr. Editor, that a successful

SERAPHINA.

CHARACTER OF CARDINAL DE RICHELIEU.

chapelles, Bouteville's second, killed Bussy d'Amboise, Beuvron's second. Bouteville and Deschapelles took flight immediately, but they were arrested at Vitrile Brûlé, and criminal informations directly filed against them.

Richelieu reported the case in the privy council, and used every argument that could be urged in favour of Bouteville. His birth, the services that his family and himself had done to the state, his bravery and intrepidity; he even found something to say in defence of his insensate passion for duels; in short, it was impossible to defend Bouteville in a more masterly manner than he did: nevertheless, he had previously determined that the rigour of the law should be executed. This fact is prov

NEVER did any one carry dissimulation farther than this minister: when he spoke in council, it was difficult, nay impossible, to tell to which side he inclined, so great was the seeming impartiality with which he weighed the pros and cons. The condemnation of Bouteville furnishes an example, among many others, of the address with which Richelieu veiled his real sentiments. Duelling, according to the ancient laws of France, was punished with death, but this was a penalty seldom enforced. Bouteville had fought twenty-one duels; twenty-one times he had received his pardon; and, as if in contempt of the lenity shewn him, he again transgressed. He had sought refuge at Brussels, with his cousin Deschapelles. After the commission of his twenty-first offence, the arch-ed by the discontent he manifested duchess, who was governess of the Low Countries, solicited his pardon from the King of France, who replied that he could not grant it; but nevertheless for her sake he would take care, that if Bouteville entered France he should not be apprehend-Richelieu saw the sentence, he said, ed, provided that he did not appear at Paris, and especially at court. Piqued at this reply, Bouteville had the insolence to boast, that he would return to fight a duel in France, nay, even at the Place Royale in Paris, where the king resided. He had been followed to Brussels by Beuvron, who was anxious to fight him, in order to revenge the death of a friend of his, who had fallen in one of Bouteville's preceding duels. He appointed a meeting with Beuvron at the Place Royale, on the 12th May, 1627. They had neither of them any advantage over the other, but Des

at the sentence of the Parliament, in which, contrary to the usual custom, Bouteville was honourably spoken of, and only a third of his property confiscated, though the law directed that the whole should be forfeited. When

in an angry tone, "It is well to be related to the President de Mesmes." The president was father-in-law of Bouteville.

But the talents of the cardinal appeared to still greater advantage in parrying the blow aimed at him by Marie de Medicis, who, after having made his fortune, became his enemy, and sought to banish him from the court, by accusing him of being the principal author of the troubles with which France was at that time torn. When the council of state met to deliberate on the means of appeasing these troubles, Richelieu would at first

have excused himself from speaking enemies. This prince was surroundon a subject that might be consider-ed by confidants, counsellors, and fa

vourites, who employed themselves without ceasing in plotting against the cardinal. Some of these Richelieu contrived to get banished, others he had arrested and put into the Bastille, and many of those whom he dreaded most, he caused to be condemned to death. While we hate his cruelty and dissimulation, we are forc

sence of mind. He gave a striking proof of these qualities in the manner in which he escaped the snare laid for him by Madame Chevreuse. This lady, who had great influence over Gaston, engaged that prince to go to the Chateau de Fleury, accompanied by several of his friends, to ask for a dinner of the cardinal. As they

ed to affect him personally; but being compelled by the king's order to speak, he proposed at some length, and with a great deal of artifice, five measures that might be employed; but having examined each of these in turn, he reduced them to two. One was his own resignation, which he said he would not hesitate to propose, if it could be regarded as a fea-ed to respect his courage and presible expedient, and one that could be resorted to without difficulty; but he took care to add, that with regard to it there were many things to consider; and he drew such a picture of the evils that might attend his quitting the helm of the state, as to prove very plainly, that the remedy was worse than the disease. He then, with great apparent con-judged that Richelieu could not refusion and timidity, passed to the other expedient, which was the exile of the queen mother. He displayed with great appearance of candour all the evils to which this step also might give rise; but, nevertheless, he The cardinal was informed of this ended by proving that it was the on- plan by the commander of Valançay, ly one which could save France from and without losing a moment, he hasthe horrors of civil war. tened to Fontainebleau, where GasConstantly surrounded by nume-ton then was. "Monseigneur," said rous and powerful enemies, it requir-he, "I am informed of the honour ed all the address and the courage of which Richelieu was master, to baffle their efforts. Even these would have been insufficient to guard a man of principle, but the laxity of Richelieu in that respect is notorious: all means were good to him that were necessary for his safety or aggrandizement. He gave abundant proof of this in the manner in which he dispersed the powerful party raised against him by Gaston, the king's brother, who was at once the most constant and the most terrible of his

fuse the rites of hospitality to the prince, it was settled that the latter should, during the time of dinner, create a quarrel, and during the tumult stab Richelieu.

which your royal highness designs me: however charmed I should have been to do the honours of my house to you, I consider it still more expedient to leave your royal highness at liberty to amuse yourself as you please; I have therefore quitted my house, which is entirely at your service."

One may easily imagine how confounded Gaston must have looked. As to the Duchess de Chevreuse, Richelieu took care not to give her any time to devise a fresh plot against