"Such was the conduct and the morals of Philip, when his father, hearing of his debaucheries, and hoping to put an end to them, endeavoured to unite him to the daughter of the Grand Admiral of France.

"To pronounce the name of Mademoiselle de Penthievre, is to pronounce that of virtue. I will not here make her eulogium is there a fingle Frenchman, to whom the beauty and the good qualities of this adorable princefs are known? She was an angel in an human fhape, fent by heaven upon earth, on purpofe to complete the happinefs of any other mortal than him of whom we are now treating.

un

"Lewis XV. folicited the confent of the grand admiral to this marriage, and the ceremony took place under the aufpices of that monarch. The bride was all obedience; the accepted willingly of a husband whom her father had honoured with his approbation.

"The nuptial knot, which often becomes a check upon the paflions, did not in the least change the difpofition of the Duke de Chartres; he ftill continued to purfue his illicit pleafures, and a princefs, calculated by nature to refrain any other than himself, had the unhappiness to beho'd all her efforts unfucccessful.

"Avarice, the fource of crimes in all men, avarice, which feems to be exprefsly excluded from the eccentricities of youth, was another of the crimes that difgraced the conduct of Philip of Orleans. It was this that induced him to form an alliance with the Penthievre family; for their immense wealth had long exited his covetous difpofition. But his confort had a brother, recently united to a charming princefs, and it was neceflary to the completion of his views, that he fhould be gotten rid of. Inceffantly tormented by the defire of fecuring the whole property to himself, the Duke conceived the most horrid expedient, to arrive at the fummit of his wifhes. Having acquired an afcendency over the Prince de Lamballe, he led him into every fpecies of youthful excefs: and he fucceeded but too well; for his unfortunate brotherin-law became the victim of his perfidious

arts, and died in the flower of his age, without leaving any iffue.-This event gave great joy to the Duke de Chartres; but he difguifed his pleasure, and even pretended to be deeply afflicted at the premature death of his relation.

"The paffions fucceed each other with fuch rapidity in the heart of a vicious man, that it is almost impoffible to point out the reigning vice. His highness now became addicted to gaming; and, as in a depraved foul no paffion ever takes root without being accompanied by its correfponding crime, Philip had no fooner become a gambler, than he also became a cheat. A prince of the blood, a nobleman enjoying feveral millions of annual income, to turn black leg, and to be as notorious as any one rogue in the whole capital! This may appear extraordinary, but it is nevertheless true.

"Such was his ardour in the pursuit of illicit gain, that he became pupil to Jonas, Comus, and Pinetti, received leffons from them daily, and was initiated in all the myfteries and fubtleties of the profeffion. From the theory of this perfidious art, he paffed rapidly on to its practice. Taking advantage of the afcendency produced by his rank, he eafily contrived to ftrip the young noblemen at the court of their fortunes. He actually ruined feveral, and the indigence to which he faw them reduced, only ferved to excite his raillery. Another fpeculation of the fame kind alfo proved uncommonly fuccefsful. He introduced horfe-racing, after the English manner, into France; and fo effectually displayed his jockey foip, as to be always victorious. The King being at length informed of the low and defpicable tricks practifed by his unworthy relation, abolished horfe-races; and this is the only punishment which this too indulgent prince inflicted on a wretch who difgraced the blood of the Bourbons.

"Soon after this, the Duke went into England, and made that island the theatre of his exploits. A great perfonage (the Prince of W.) permitted himself to be impofed upon by the apparent amiableness of his manners, and this connec tion coft him feveral thousand guineas,

which the artful Philip procured by means of his ufual practices. But as his royal highness was himself an adept in the game at which the money was loft, he one day perceived that he was cheated, and actually caught the Duke of Chartres in the fact. His foul revolted at an act of bafenefs, which he could not have expected in a man of fuch an illuftrious rank, and he next day fent him a challenge, which he had the cowardice to refufe.

"On the declaration of war against England, Philip, rather from a love of novelty, than a noble and generous ambition, requested to ferve in the navy, under the command of Admiral Count d'Orvilliers. The King, out of refpect to his quality, as a prince of the blood, conferred on him the command of a divifion. Every body is acquainted with his conduct on board the St Efprit, during the engagement off Ufhant. In the heat of the action the rear admiral was frequently feen to defcend into the bold, under different pretexts; the truth is, he was afraid to expose himself to the enemy's fire. After the combat, his highness refigned his command, and returned to the capital to announce the victory, and being now content with the laurels he had fo bravely won, he fwore, that he would never expofe himself any more to the rude conflicts of war.

"The infamous manner in which he cheated the proprietors of the houfes in the immediate neighbourhood of the palais royal, and the converfion of his gardens into streets, rendered him odious to the Parifians.

"It was in order to withdraw himself for fome time from this notoriety, that he repaired to Versailles, and obtained the King's leave to vifit Italy.

"On the death of his father, which occurred foon after, he acquired a degree of opulence, hitherto unattained by any fubject, and on this occafion he fcorned to have recourfe to hypocrify, in order to diffemble his joy!

"A bad fon, a bad husband, the Duke of Orleans was alfo a bad parent. His children, abandoned from their early youth to the negligence of strangers, but

feldom experienced either his cares or his careffes.

"The crimes of Philip had, of course, attracted the fcorn of the royal family. The coward is naturally vindictive, and the famous affair of the diamond necklace furnished this wretch with but too good an opportunity to evince his hatred to the Queen. The disputes also, which about that time took place between the fovereign and the parliament of Paris, furnished the most ample means of vegeance. He accordingly declared himself in favour of that tribunal, and on this occafion, the vulgar, who are always led by appearances, believed him to be a fincere patriot.

"It were needlefs to enter into a detail of the Duke of Orleans' crimes from this period to the revolution. His conduct during the affembly of the notables, and the establishment of the cour plénierè;

in fhort, his reiterated efforts to shake the legitimate authority of the throne, under pretext of fupporting the parliaments, which the people then looked upon as their palladium, are known to every one.

The mortifications which he then experienced, and more especially his exile, made him exceedingly popu lar; and in truth his feemingly patriotic conduct was well caluculated to impose upon the multitude.

"Convinced of the neceffity of being fupported by the public opinion, he alfo courted popularity by every poffible means, and bestowed immenfe fums of money, in largeffes, among the indigent. The recal of M. Necker furnished him with new means of fuccefs. He connected himself more intimately than ever with that minifter, and colouring his private views with the appearance of the public good, he foon converted that foreigner into one of his most zealous partizans. The Duke of Orleans found means to conciliate the favour of a great number of the members of the ftatesgeneral; and Mirabeau, who could never refift gold, became his creature.

"To the arts, intrigues, and money of this prince, we are indebted for the revolution. It was under his aufpices that the Jacobin Club originated; his palace became the centre of all the infur

rections

of all the fanguinary meafures, which were at this period unceasingly directed against the supreme authority.

"Thefe events at length opened the eyes of his partizans. Those who once thought that he acted from motives fimilar to their own, now took the alarm, and Baillie, La Fayette, and Sieyes, perceiving their patron to be influenced by interested views, began to defert him. "He was accordingly obliged foon after to leave France, and repair to England, under pretence of being enployed on fome fecret miffion; but his retreat is to be afcribed folely to his own fear, and the remonftrances of the King, who had but too much reason to be difcontented with his conduct.

"On his return, Philip entered into all the intrigues of the Feuillants, the Facobins, and the Maratifts. Every body is acquainted with the indecent ardour which he difplayed, while cooperating in the moft violent measures of the new conftitution, even in those which difpoiled him of his rights as a prince of the blood, and a gentleman. This apparent difinterestedness was calculated to gain the mab; for this monster renounced every thing, merely that he might invade what did not belong to him, and only ftripped himself of his own rank, in order to obtain the first dignity in the ftate.

"The flight and fubfequent arreft of the King became new fubjects of triumph to the Duke of Orleans. On the acceptance of the conftitution by a prince no longer free, his unworthy relation, who at that period held the balance of the two rival parties in his own hands, threw all the weight into the fcale of the Jacobins, a circumftance which enabled them to triumph first over the Feuillants, and foon after over La Fayette, who loft his character in the eftimation of all good citizens, by the inconftancy of his temper.

"But it was not enough to fap the throne, it was alfo deemed neceflary to overturn the monarchy, and take away the life of a conflitutional fovereign. Lewis XVI. was at that very moment merely

the capital, and to refide in the midst of his enemies, his authority was at first illufory, and from the moment of his arreft, he was detained in a state of the moft deplorable captivity. Orleans, who had already influenced the public opinion, to fuch a degree, as to render the two moft auguft perfonages in France odious to the people, the monster Orleans, left nothing untried, to augment the hatred of their subjects; and the King was foon after depofed, and then murdered! If the Duke had poffeffed the talents of a great man, he would undoubtedly have feized the vacant throne; but impeded in his ambitious projects by the natural pufillanimity of his temper, he was inpable of taking due advantage of fuch an aufpicious event.

"Orleans, who had voted for the death of his fovereign, and glutted his eyes with his blood, alfo incited the populace to the unneceffary and ferocious maffacre of the first and second of September. But the career of this illustrious ruffian was not of long duration, for he himself fell a victim to the animofities Briffot and Robefpierre, and was foon transferred as a state prifoner from Paris to Marfeilles. He revisited the capital only to experience greater humiliations. The difpute between the Girondifts and the Mountain party was the fignal for his death, and the place in which he had glutted his eyes with the laft agonies of his King, was juftly destined to become the fcene where he himself was to lofe his head by the hands of an executioner."

Hated by all men, and difavowed by all parties, the late Philip, heretofore Duke of Orleans, must be allowed to have been a very extraordinary perfonage. If according to a celebrated French author, there are heroes in vice as well as in virtue, M. Egalitè, as far as refpects his private character, may undoubtedly be ranked in this clafs: but we are inclined to fufpect, that, however great and numerous his crimes may have been, they are here confiderably exaggerated by fpleen, prejudice and abhorrence.

ORIGINAL LETTER BY LORD
BURLEIGH TO HIS SON.
SON ROBERT,

THE virtuous inclinations of thy matchlefs mother, by whofe tender care thy infancy was governed, together with thy late education under fo zealous and excellent a tutor, put me rather in affurance than hope, that thou art not ignorant of the fummum bonum, which is only able to make thee happy, as well in thy death as in thy life; I mean the true knowledge and worship of thy Creator and Redeemer, without which all other things are vain and measurable; fo that thy youth being governed by fo all-fufficient a tutor, I make no doubt but he will furnish thy life with moral and divine documents.

Yet, that I may not ceafe of the care beleming a parent towards his child, or that thou shouldst have cause to derive thy whole felicity and welfare rather from others, than from him from whom thou received thy birth and being, I think it agreeable to the affection 1 bear thee, to help thee with fuch advertifements and rules, for the fquaring thy life, as are gained rather by long experience than by reading to the end that thou, entering into this exorbitant age, mayest be better prepared to fhun the vitious courfes whereunto the world, and the lack of experience, may draw thee; and becaufe that I would not confound thy memory, I have reduced them into ten parts; and, next unto Mofes's table, if thou imprint them in thy mind, thou fhalt reap the benefit, and I the contentment. And these they are:

I. When it shall please God to bring you to man's eftate, ufe great providence and circumfpection in the choice of thy wife; for from thence will fpring all thy good or ill and it is an action in which, like a ftratagem of war, a man can err but once. If thy eftate be good, match near home, and at leifure: if weak, far off, and quickly. Enquire diligently of her difpofition, and how her parents have been inclined in their youth. Let her not be poor, how geneVOL. LVI.

rous foever; for a man can buy nothing in the market with gentility: nor choose a bafe, uncomely creature, altogether for her wealth; for it will caufe contempt in others, and loathing in thee. Neither make choice of a dwarf or a fool; for by the one thou fhalt beget a race of pigmies-the other will be thy daily difgrace; and it will vex thee to hear her talk, and thou fhalt find, to thy grief, that there is nothing fo fulfome as a fe fool.

And touching the government of thy houfe, let thy hofpitality be moderate, and according to the measure of thy estate, rather plentiful than fparing, but not coftly; for I never knew any grow poor by keeping an orderly table: but fome confume themfelves through fecret vices, and then hofpitality bears the blame; but banifh fwinih drunkennefs of thy house, which is a vice that impairs health, confumes much, and makes no fhew. And I never heard praife afcribed to a drunkard, but the well bearing of his liquor, which is a better recommendation for a brewer's herfe, or a carman, than for a gentleman, or ferving man. And beware thou spend not above three parts of the four of thy living, nor above a third part of that in thy houfe; for the other two parts will do more than defray thy extraordinarics, which will always furmount thy ordinaries by far; otherwife, thou fhalt live, like a rich beggar, in continual want, and a needy man can never live happy, nor contented; for every the least difafter makes him ready to mortgage or fell, and that gentleman that fells one acre of land lofes one inch of credit, for gentility is nothing but ancient riches; fo that if the foundation fhrinks, the building muft needs follow.

11. Bring thy children up in learning and obedience, yet without aufterity; praise them openly, reprehend them fecretly, give them a good countenance, and a fufficient maintenance, according to thy ability; otherwife thy life will feem their bondage, and whatever portion thou shalt leave them, they will thank death for it, not thee; and I am perfuaded, that the foolish cockerings of fome Bb

parents,

parents, and the over-ftern carriage of others, caused more men and women to go aftray, than their natural inclinations. Marry thy daughters in time, left they marry themselves; and fuffer not thy fons to pass the Alps, for they hall learn nothing there but pride, blaf hemy, and atheifm; and if by travelling they get a few broken languages, they will profit them no more than to have the fame meat ferved up in different dishes. Neither, by my confent, fhalt thou train them up to the wars; for he that fets up his reft to live by that profeffion, can hardly be an honeft man, or a good chriftian; for every war is of itself unjuft, unless the caufe makes it juft; befides, it is a fcience no longer in request than in ufe, for foldiers in peace are like chimnies in fummer. III. Live not in the country without corn or cattle about thee; for he that puts his hand to his purfe for every expence of houfhold, is like him that pretends to hold water in a fieve; and what provifion thou shalt want, learn to buy it at the beft hand for there is one penny in four faved between buying a thing at thy need, and when the markets and feafons are fitteft for it. And be not served by kinfmen, friends, or men entreated to ferve, for they will expect much and do little; nor with fuch as are always, intoxicated, and keep rather a few than one too many. Feed them all, and pay them with the most, and then thou mayft boldly require their fervice and duty.

IV. Let thy kindred and thy allies be always welcome to thy table. Grace them in all other honeft actions; for by this means thou fhalt fo double that bond of nature, as thou shalt find them fo many advocates to plead for thee behind thy back: shake off the glow-worms, 1 mean parafites and fycophants, who will feed and fawn in the fummer of thy profperity, but in any adverse ftorm will fhelter thee no more than an arbour in winter.

V. Beware of furetyfhip for thy best friends, for he that pays another's debts feeks his own decay, but if thou canst not otherwife, choose rather to lend thy money thyself upon good bond, though thou borrow it: fo fhalt thou pleasure thy friend, and fecure thyfelf. Neither

borrow money of thy friend, but rather of a mere ftranger, where paying it thou fhalt hear of it no more; otherwise thou fhalt eclipfe thy credit, lofe thy friend, and "et pay as dear for it as to another. But n borrowing of money be precious of thy word; for he that hath care to preferve days of payment, is lord over other men's goods.

VI. Undertake not a fuit against a poor man without receiving much wrong; for, befides thou makeft him thy competitor, it is a bafe conqueft to triumph where there is no refiftance. Neither attempt law against any man before thou haft thoroughly refolved thou haft right on thy fide; and then spare neither money nor pains: for a caufe or two, fo followed and obtained, will free thee from fuits beft part of thy life.

VII. Be fure to keep fome great man thy friend, but trouble him with no trifles; compliment him often, prefent him with many, yet fmall gifts, and a little charge; and if thou haft caufe to bestow any gra tuity, let it be fome fuch things as may be daily in his fight, otherwife, in thy ambitious age, thou fhalt remain like an hop without a pole, and be made a football for every infulting companion to fpurn at.

VIII. Towards thy fuperiors be humble, yet generous; with thy equals, familiar, yet refpective; towards thy inferiors fhew much humility and fome familiarity, as to bow thy body, ftretch forth thy hand, or uncover thy head, and fuch like popular compliments.-The firft prepares way for thy advancement, the fecond makes thee known for a man well-bred, the third gains a good report, which once got is eafily kept; for high humility takes fuch a deep root in the minds of the multitude, as they are easi er won by unprofitable courtefies, than by churlifh benefits; yet I advise thee not to affect or neglect popularity too much; feek not to be C- and hun to be R—.

IX. Trust not any man with thy life, or credit, or eftate; for it is more than folly for a man to inthral himself to his friend, as, that occafion being offered, he dare not become his enemy.