bybestowinganimaginarykissonthatlovelyface，
whichmustsatisfymetillIhavethefelicityof
seeingyouagain。
“Andnow，mydearfriendandfairestcountess，Iwill
endmylengthenedepistlebyprayingGodtohaveyou
everinHisholycareandkeeping。“
Thereceiptofthisletteraffordedmetheliveliestpleasure，and
Iwrotetothekingregularlyeverynightandmorning。
Imight
hereintroduceaspecimenofmyownepistolarystyle，butIwill
not；foraltho’thewhimsicalandextravagantthingsmypengave
utterancetowereexactlytotheking’staste，theymightsurprise
you；butmyroyalcorrespondentlovedthewildandbizarreturn
ofmyexpressions，andIfulfilledhiswishes；perhapsitwasnot
theonlyinstanceinwhichIgratifiedhisinclination。
My，thechancellorofFrance，hadremainedtokeepme
companyinsteadofjoiningthepartyatChantilly。
，
sayyou，andbywhatrightortitlecouldM。deMaupeoubecome
such？
Iwilltellyou。
Firstofallheonlyaspiredtothehonor
ofrelationship，butafterwards，turningoverthearchivesofhis
family，hefoundthemostincontestableproofsofhisbelonging
totheancientfamiliesoftheduBarry；andfullofjoy，he
hurriedtome，unrollingatmyfeethisgenealogicaltree，tothe
greatamusementofcomteJeanandmysisters-in-law，who，after
alongexamination，declaredthathewasjustlyentitledtothe
appellationoffirstcousin；fromthatperiodhealwaysaddressed
me，whichIflatteredhimbyreturningwheneverIwas
inthehumor。
AboutthisperiodIwasthehappyinstrumentinsavingfromdeath
ayounggirlwhosejudgesaswillbeseenwereabouttosentence
hertobehangedwithoutfullyunderstandingwhethershewere
innocentorguilty。
Thisunfortunatecreaturewasayoungand
prettycountrygirl，whoseworthypastor，thecuredeLiancourt，
hadavailedhimselfoftheinfluencehepossessed，andofthe
advantagesofhisauthorityoverthepoorcreature’smind，to
seduceherfromthepathsofvirtue。
Unfortunately，justatthe
timewhensheexpectedtoproducealivingwitnessoftheiramour，
andwhenshetrustedtothecaresofthecuretoprocureforher
thosecomfortsherunfortunatesituationrequired，theauthorof
hershamewassuddenlycarriedoffbyaviolentdeath，andthe
wretchedgirl，eitherthro’ignoranceortheshameofhaving
listenedtotheillicitpassionofapriest，neglectedtomakeany
ofthoseformaldeclarationsrequiredbythelaw，andgavebirth
toadeadinfant。
Thejusticeofthevillage，informedofher
fault，causedhertobearrested，andrecordedagainsthersentence
ofdeath，adecisionwhichwasafterwardsapprovedbyparliament。
Thepoorgirlwasinthisextremitywhen，happilyforher，M。de
Mandeville，aworthymanfromeitherNormandyorPicardy，who
hadservedintheblackmusketeers，resolveduponattempting
therevocationoftheseveresentencewhichhadbeenpassedupon
her，byaddressingthekingthro’mymediation；heaccordingly
followedmetoMarly，whereIthenwas，andlostnotimein
forwardingtomethefollowingbillet:——
“MADAME，——Beautyhaseverbeenfoundthe
inseparablecompanionofgoodness；toyoursI
wouldappealtoobtainthefavorofanimmediate
audience。
Myreasonsforrequestingitarenot
tosoliciteitherplaceorpension，buttosavethe
lifeofanerringcreaturewhosecrimehasbeen
thatofignorance。
Iawaityourreplywiththe
mostlivelyimpatience，andhavethehonorto
remain，etc。，etc。“
Thisnotepuzzledmeexcessively，howeverIgaveordersforthe
immediateintroductionofM。deMandeville，whoseappearance
wasevenmoreprepossessingthanhisnote；helookedandspoke
likeanhonorablemanendowedwiththatsensibilitysoprecious
andsorare；heputintomyhandsthepetition，whilstheexplained
tometheparticularsrelativetoit，andIinstantlywrotetothe
chancellorthefollowingnote，ofwhichathousandcopieswere
takeninthecourseoftheday。
Altho’ithasbeenmanytimesin
print，Ishalloffernoapologiesforagainsubmittingitto
yourperusal。
“MONSIEURLECHANCELLOR，——Idonotprofess
tounderstandyourlaws，buttheyseemtomeas
unjustasbarbarous。
Theyarecontrarytoboth
reasonandhumanity，iftheyputtodeathan
unfortunatefemaleforgivingbirthtoa
still-bornchildwithouthavingpreviouslydisclosed
hersituationtoanyone；andyet，accordingto
thememorialannexedtothis，thepetitioneris
socircumstanced。
Hereisanunhappygirl
abouttopaywiththeforfeitofherlifefor
herignoranceofsuchalaw，orbecausethe
modestyandevenshameattendantuponher
disgracedconditionpreventedherconforming
toit。
Iappealtoyoursenseofjustice；the
wretchedgirl，concerningwhomIwrite，isa
fitobjectfortheexerciseofyourlenity，andI
venturetoassuremyselfthatyouwillatleast
effectthecommutationofherpunishment。
YourownkindfeelingswilldictateallIwould
askfurtherforher。
“Iam，etc。，etc。“
Ifeltverycertainthat，fromthemannerinwhichIhadexpressed
myself，theconsentofM。deMaupeouwasquitecertain；Itherefore
saidtomyvisitor，thehandsomemusketeer，
“Andnow，sir，thenobleworkofcharity，inwhichyouhave
associatedmemustbecompleted:goyourselfandseethechancellor，
tellhimyoucomefromme，anddonotquithimtillyouobtain
thereplyIhavesolicited。“
M。
deMandevilleloadedmewiththanksandpraiseswhichIdid
notreallymerit，becauseinthepresentinstanceIactedasmuch
fromthewishtogratifymyownfeelingsashis。
Mynameandmy
letterweretalismansbeforewhichalldoorsflewopen，andhe
reached，withoutdifficulty，thepresenceofthechiefadministrator
ofjustice，who，havingreadthememorialandthenoteIhad
affixedtoit，said，“Thatissufficient，sir；havethegoodnessto
assuremadamelacomtesseduBarry，mycousin，thatthereprieve
shedesiresisalreadygranted；andasmyfairrelationappearsto
feartrustingimplicitlytomypersonalfriendshipandhumanity，
Iwillsethermindatrestbyputtingyouinpossessionofthe
legalformsrequisitefortheprisoner。“
Heimmediatelyissuedthenecessaryordersforsuspendingthe
executionofthesentence，whichM。deMandevillelostnotime
incommunicatingtothepoorgirl，who，averyfewdaysafterwards，
receivedafullpardon，andwasthus，inamanner，snatchedfrom
anunmeritedandignominiousdeath。
Themusketeerrequested
permissiontopresentmytomynotice。
Shereally
wasaveryprettygirl，herfeelingsoverpoweredher，andshe
faintedinherattempttothrowherselfatmyfeet；Isoonrevived
herbytheaidofthoserestorativeswhichmystaringpeople
stupidlydidnottrytooffer，andthentosendherawayperfectly
happyandcheerful，Islippedintothepocketofheraprona
offiftylouiswhichthekinghadgivenmeforheruse。
AndhereImustremark，thatthisprince，avariciousashenaturally
was，wasyetalwaysreadytoperformagoodaction，and，indeed，
inthisrespect，hepossessedmanyexcellentqualitiestowhichno
onehaseveryetdonejustice。
WhenInextsawthechancellor——“Doyouknow，myfaircousin，“
saidhe，“thatifIwishedtosetyouandtheparliamentquarreling
togetherIneedonlyjustwhisperinwhatmanneryoutreatourlaws？“
“Yourlaws，“exclaimedI，“arebarbarousedicts，maderatherfor
tigersthanformen。
Yourpunishmentsareatrocious，nordoI
seetheirapplicationtocorrectasinglemalefactor；particularly
inthecaseofthisyounggirlitisabominable，andiftheking
wouldlistentomesuchsavageedictsshouldnotlongremainunrepealed。“
“Thatmaydoverywell，“repliedM。deMaupeou，“sometimehence，
butnotjustnow；ereourpenalcodecanberevisedwemusthave
magistratesmoresupplethanthosewhonowdisputeourslightest
innovation；andif，bythegraceofGod，wecanmanagetomakeaclear
houseofthem，whywemayconfidentlyanticipatethenoblestresults。“
Bytheseandsimilarinsinuationsthechancellorbespokethataid
andassistancewhichIafterwardssolargelyrenderedhimwhenhe
commencedtheruinofparliaments。
Uponanotheroccasionmycreditandinfluencewereemployedwith
equalsuccess。
Theobjectsofmypresentexertionswerethe
comteandcomtessedeLouerne。
Bothhusbandandwifeweredeeply
loadedwithdebts，athingcommonenoughwiththenobilityofthe
time；thesedebtstheyneverpaid，anotherthingbynomeansunusual；
theircreditors，whoseflintyheartswerebutlittlemovedbythe
considerationsoftheirrankandhighblood，sentofficersto
enforcepayment，whentheLouernesopposedthemwithpositive
forceandviolence，andthelaws，thusoutraged，condemnedthem
tosufferdeath。
Invaindidpersonsofthehighestrankinthe
kingdomintercedeintheirbehalf，imploringofthechancellorto
interposewiththeking；altho’deaftoeveryotherentreatyhe
instantlygrantedareprieveatmysolicitation，declaringIwas
theonlypersonwhocouldhaveeffectedsomuchinbehalfofthe
distressedculprits，aswellasbeingtheonlysourcethro’which
theking’smercycouldbeobtained。
Immediatelyuponthisnotification，Iwaswaiteduponbythe
comtessedeMoyau，theirdaughter，andthebaronned’Heldorf，
theirdaughter-in-law；boththeseladiescametomeinthedeepest
sorrow，andImingledmysighsandtearswiththosetheyso
plentifullyshed；butthiswasrenderingpoorservice，andifI
desiredtoaidtheircauseitwasrequisiteIshouldspeaktothe
king，whowaslittledisposedtoshowanyindulgenceinsuch
cases，andwasneverknowntopassoveranyattemptsonthepart
ofthenobilitytoresistthelaws；helookedwithhorroron
everyprospectofthereturnofthosetimeswhichhehopedand
believedwerepassedandgonenevertoreturn。
Iwellknewhis