દર which he hath neglected in this action, as for his readiness in the acceptance of the "combat, and for his valour in the perform

ance thereof with fo favourable a fuccefs;

"for as foon as he had received the challenge, "which was early in the morning, he did not "take the leisure to read it, but put the fame «in his pocket, and made himfelf presently "ready; offering to Riolet, who brought him "the challenge, to go fingle along with him to meet the Baron, who was already but "of the gates; but feeing he was defirous to "have a fecond, he fent fecretly upon another pretence for the faid Knight of Malta'; ‹and "fo having taken each of them a lakey land

A

good horfe out of the Duke of Guise his

ftable, they went forth and met the said "Baron de Luz with his fecond, with whom

they agreed to fight in their fhirts on horseback; which as foon as the Duke of Guife ❝ understood, he caused the gates of his house "to be shut, left that any of his fervants or "friends fhould go to his brother's affiftance'; "which action of theirs hath gotten them

a great reputation here. And fo far was the Queen from fhewing herself offended "with it when the understood the manner thereof, as that both the King and the sent

"presently

presently to visit the Chevalier de Guife, and "all the great ones of this Court have alfo vi"fited him."

HENRI DUC DE MONTMORENCI.

WHEN Henry the Fourth held this illuf trious and unfortunate Prince in his arms as his godfather at the chriftening, he faid, "What a fine infant is this fon of mine! If "the House of Bourbon fhould fail, there is no Family in Europe that has fuch claims

as his to the Crown of France, of which "it has always fupported and increased the fplendor, at the expence of its own blood."

As this illuftrious Nobleman was one day playing at hazard, he won a confiderable fum of money. A gentleman flanding near him faid to his friend, "That now is a fum which would "make a Gentleman's fortune."-" Would it "fo, Sir?" replied the Duke; "take it then, I only wish that it were more."

As the Duke was walking one day in the fields near Thoulouse with another Nobleman, their discourse turned upon the happiness of men in different fituations, and whether those

were

were most to be envied who were in eminent, or those who were in low fituations of life. "Ho!" fays the Duke, on obferving three of four peasants, who were making their frugal meal under a tree," these men fhall fettle the

' point for us.' He comes up to them, and accofting them in his ufual gracious manner fays, "My friends, are you happy? Pray tell ❝ me." Three of them told him, "that

confining their happiness to a few acres "which they had received from their ancestors, "they defired nothing farther." The fourth faid, "that all that he wifhed was to be able

to regain the poffeffion of a part of his pa"trimony, which had paffed into other hands

by the misfortunes of fome of his family." "Well then, my friend, if you had it again, you think that you should be happy?". "As happy, my Lord Duke, I think, as a man

can poffibly be in this world," "What would "it coft you to recover it ?" Two thousand

livres, Sir."-" Well, then," said the Duke, turning to one of his attendants," present him "with the money, that I may say I have had "the fatisfaction to-day of making one perfon 66 happy."

When Louis XIII. prefented him with the Marfhal's staff of France, he faid, "Take it, "my

my cousin; you will do it more honour than "it will do to you." The fame Sovereign feeing him as he was setting out for the expedition against Piedmont, exclaimed, " Voila le plus brave homme de mon Royaume."

After the battle of Veillano, where the Duke behaved with the greatest valour, M. de Cramail asked him, if amidft fo many dangers he had at all thought of death. "I have "learned, Sir," replied the Duke, "from my "ancestors, that the moft glorious life is that "which finishes on a victorious field of bat "tle."

When he was taken prifoner at the battle of Caftelnaudari, and was condemned to death by the Parliament of Toulouse, as bearing arms against his Sovereign, he faid to the two Judges who came to his prifon to fignify to him the fentence which the Parliament had pronounced against him, "Gentlemen, I thank you and your "illuftrious Court. Affure them that I look 66 upon this fentence no lefs as proceeding from "the mercy of Heaven, than from the juftice "of my Prince."

St. Preuil, who headed the troop which took the Duke prifoner after the battle of Caftelnau

dari,

dari, fell at the feet of his Sovereign, to request the life of his illuftrious captive. Richelieu,

who was prefent while he was thus forcibly imploring the clemency of Louis, cried out, "St. "Preuil, if his Majefty were to treat you as you deserve, he would lay your head at your "heels *."

Montmorenci, when brought to his trial at Thoulouse, was, contrary to the custom obferved with state-prifoners in France, placed upon a ftool on a level with the Court. When the Judges delivered their opinions respecting the sentence that was to take place upon this distinguished culprit, the firft to whom the Prefident applied, gave his opinion for death, the dreadful but well-deferved punishment of him who appears in arms against his Sovereign. The reft, one by one, rofe from their feats, uncovered their heads, but faid nothing; too plainly fhewing, by their mournful filence, the cruel neceffity they were under to dispense the rigid fentence of the law, however at variance with their wishes and their affections.

*The Cardinal never forgave St. Preuil for telling his friends, "that if he had known that the Duke was to have "perished on a scaffold, he would have blown his brains "out when he took him prisoner."

VOL. IV.

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The