ΤΟ ANECDOTES OF SOME "where less expofed to violence and oppreffion, " nor are their houses less liable anywhere else to • the defolations of war, which in that country • fall only upon the authors of it." Speaking of the education of the nobility of his time, Comines fays, "They poffefs no knowledge " of letters, nor have they any wife perfons about them. They have their governors (their ftewards), to whom thofe fpeak who have any bufiness with them. Thefe perfons manage "their affairs for them, and they give themselves * no farther trouble." 66 My mafter, Louis the Eleventh of France," continues Comines, " told me one day, that too BB great fervices very often proved the ruin of him "who performed them; and that ingratitude was "often the reward of long and faithful service, on "account of the arrogance of those who had thus "behaved themselves, who, prefuming too much " upon their good fortune, behave themselves 66 infolently towards their Prince and their fellow fubjects. He told me too," adds Comines, "that he thought that perfon more likely to be "ftable in his fituation about the Sovereign, who "had been advanced by him beyond his merit " (for that he remained a debtor to his Prince), "than the perfon who, by any signal service, had << laid the Prince under obligations to him; for "that himfelf had always loved thofe perfons with "more affection who were obliged to him, than "those perfons (whoever they were) to whom he "was obliged: fo difficult it is to live happily in "this world." The Emperor Charles the Fifth was fo pleafed with Comines' Hiftory, that he used to take it with him whenever he travelled, and feemed to feel the force of another obfervation of this hiftorian : "God," fays he, "cannot send a "greater plague upon a country, than to give it "an ignorant and an unlearned Prince; for," adds he, “a man learns more in one book in three "months, than twelve men can learn living one after the other." LOUIS THE ELEVENTH, KING OF FRANCE. THE homage which vice is obliged to pay to virtue was, perhaps, never better exemplified than in the inftructions this artful and fanguinary tyrant drew up for the use of his fon Charles the Eighth. "The "The greatest care of a Sovereign,” says he, "is to free his fubjects from all oppressors, and to "take particular care of the widow and of the ❝orphan. "If a Prince wishes to lift up his hands pure "and fpotless to Heaven, he should be contented "with his own domain, and with the old taxes. "He should ever be afraid to raise new impofts, "unless in cafes of the extremeft neceffity, and for "the good of the State. "Princes are not, in general, fufficiently fen"fible of the value of friendship. They should "endeavour to have about them perfons no less "attached to them by perfonal regard than by intereft. "War is a fcourge to a Nation. It brings "with itfelf dangers and evils, the destruction of "the country, of its inhabitants, and of its wealth. "Favours and emoluments were never intended for the idle and the indolent, for perfons who are useless, and a burthen upon the State. "A Prince fhould be very circumspect in his "converfation, as well as in his actions. My tongue," adds he, has perhaps done me as much harm as good." ΜΑΧΙ MAXIMILIAN THE FIRST, EMPEROR OF GERMANY, failed in general in all his projects for want of money. This procured him the title of "Poco"denario," or Lack-money. Amongst his other projects, this Emperor had that of becoming Pope. The following letter to his daughter, the Archduchefs of Flanders, preferved by Godefroi, will fhew upon what good grounds his project rested. "TRESCHIERE & TRES AMEE FYLLE, Sept. 18, 1512. "JE entendu l'avis que vous m'avez donné par “Guyllain Pingun, noftre garderobes vyefs, dont "avons encore mius penfé defus. "Et ne trouvons point pour nulle refun bon, que nous nous devons franchement marier, maes avons plus avant mys notre deliberation & vo"lonté de james plus hanter faem nue. ་ "Et envoyons demain Monf. de Gurce Evefque " à Rome devers le Pape pour trouver fachon que nous puyflins accorder avec ly de nous prenre "pour ung coadjuteur, afin que apres fa mort 66 pouruns eftre affuré de avoer le Papat & devenir "Preftre & eftre Saint & que yl vous fera de ne "ceffité "ceffité que apres ma mort ous feres contraint "de m'adorer, dont je me trouveré bien gloryoes. "Je envoye fur ce ung pofte devers le Roi "d'Arragon, pour ly prier quy nous voulle ayder pour à ce parvenir dont yl eft auffi content "moynant que je refingue l'Empire à noftre "commun fyls Charl, de fela auffi je me fuis * contenté. "Je commence auffi practicer les Cardinaux "dont ijc. ou iijc. mylle ducats me ferunt ung "grand fervice aveque la partialité qui eft inter ❝ eos. "Faet de la main de vostre bon Pere Maxis«milianus, futur Pape, le xvii. jour de Sep«tembre." Maximilian was a Scholar and a Poet. He left behind him in MS. a volume of Poems, and fome Memoirs of his Own Life. The latter are to be found in a scarce German book, of which there is a copy in the College Library of Manchefter. It is intitled, "The Wonderful Adventures and Peer"lefs Exploits of the Noble Knight Sir Tewr "dammaf." It was printed at Nuremberg in 1517, and contains, in German verfe, an account of his various adventures, which conclude with his marriage with Mary of Brabant. It is divided into a great number of Cantos, each of which is adorned with an Engraving from a brass plate, remark |