"two perfons than there is between a parti"cular man and a particular beast. "Hem, Vir Viro quid præftat! "And there are as many different degrees of "understanding in men as there are feet from "earth to Heaven: nearly without number. "In truth, except the mere name of King, our Kings in France put us very little out "of our way. 66 "Indeed, our laws are free enough," adds the honeft old Gafcon; " and the weight of fovereignty fcarcely affects a French Gentle "man twice in the whole courfe of his life. "The effential and effectual fubjection governs "those only who wish to have it affect them, "and who like to do themselves honour and to "enrich themselves by fuch fubjection. For "the man who likes to keep fnug by his own " fire-fide, and to conduct his affairs without " quarrelling and without law-fuits, is as in dependent a being as the Doge of Venice. "Paucos fervitus, plures fervitutem tenent :Slavery comes but to few perfons, but many perfons come to slavery." PIERRE CHARRON. CHARRON's celebrated Treatife on Wisdom is a kind of Commentary on the Effays of Montagne. The old Gafcon was so pleased with his book and his converfation, that he permitted him to take his name and to bear his arms, The times in which he wrote could fo ill bear the truths advanced in the "Treatife upon "Wisdom," that he was denounced by the University of Paris as a man of irreligious principles. His friend the President Jeannin, fo well known by his negotiations in Holland, faved his book from being condemned, by permitting the fale of it as a book of politics. The frontispiece to the Elzevir edition of Charron's Treatife reprefents the Goddess of Folly leading mankind by their paffions. Charron wrote another Treatise, not so much read as his Treatise upon Wisdom. It is on the Three Great Truths. In the first part he attacks the Atheists; in the fecond he attacks the Pagan and the Mahometan religion; and in the third he defends the doctrines of the Romish Church, * Cardinal Richelieu ufed to call Jeannin's Memoirs of the Negotiations in Holland, the Breviary of Statesmen. Charron begins one of his Chapters upon Wifdom thus: "Nihil eft æqualitate inæqualius * ; "There is nothing fo unequal as equality." There is no hatred fo great as that which takes place among perfons who are equal to one another. The envy and jealoufy with which equals are poffeffed, are the causes of troubles, feditions, and civil wars. In all Governments there must be inequality of rank, but it fhould be moderate. Harmony itself confifts not in a complete equality of tones, but in a difference of tones, that still accord one with another. CARDAN wrote over the door of his Library thefe words; Tempus ager neus-Time is my eftate;” that only eftate which many literary perfons have poffeffed, and which they fhould be permitted to cultivate without interruption. La Motte begins one of his Odes thus; Equality, fo oft addrest, Cardan's Canft thou o'er wretched mortals reign? Chimera boafted but in vain. idea idea was thus dilated by the learned Sculter, and infcribed over the door of his study:" Amice quifquis huc venis, Aut agita paucis, aut abi, HENRY THE THIRD, [1574-1589.] exhibited great courage at the attack made by the Duke de Mayenne upon the City of Tours. Henry the Fourth, then King of Navarre, who ftood near him, faid, "Sire, I am not astonish"ed now, that our people loft the battles of Jarnac and Moncontour, fo fatal to the Huguenot party."-" My brother," replied the King of France, "we ought all to do our duty., Kings are not more expofed to 66 danger than other perfons: balls do not look "out for them more readily than for a com"mon foldier; and I have never heard yet " that F 4 "that a King of France has been killed "by a mufquet ball: it will most probably "not begin with me." On his quitting the Kingdom of Poland to take poffeffion of that of France, a Polish Nobleman faid to him, "Sire, if to have in "poffeffion the affections of a whole Nation be "really to reign, where can you reign more ab"folutely than in Poland? You cannot ex "pect to find in France, in the prefent fitua"tion of that kingdom, that which you leave "behind you with us." This fpeech was but too prophetic of what afterwards happened: he had not long been King of France, before he was affaffinated by a Dominican Friar. The wound was not at first thought fatal; and on the day on which he died, during the celebration of Mafs in his chamber, the Prince exclaimed, with great devotion, "My Lord and my God, if my life will be ufeful to my "people, preferve it! if not, take my foul and "body, and place them in thy Paradife! Thy "will be done!" Henry's character of understanding," fays Thuanus," appears incomprehenfible; in fome "refpects above his dignity, in others below childifhnefs." The Order of the Holy Ghost was |