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270 Letters Historical and Galant. Vol. 5.

his leap. That did not hinder him from leaping into the Ditch, which he crossed by swimming, but as the Woman had alarmed the Quarter with her Cries, they ran to catch him. They got before him every where, and notwithstanding all his efforts to escape falling into their hands, being quite spent with swimming, he was forced to surrender. They carried him back to prison, and Every body took it in their heads that he was one of the Sevennes Ministers, that had escaped from among the Camisards. This Opinion made htem shut him up closer than ever, and he was soon after carried under a good Guard to the Bastille, from whence assuredly he had no room to hope, to be able to escape because, humanly speaking it would be attempting an Impossibility. He thought upon it notwithstanding, and as soon as he got in, looked narrowly on all sides, to take notice of that which would be most proper to the design which he made that moment, and found means to execute afterwards, notwithstanding all the difficulties he encountered.

You see, Madam, we are not as near the Conclusion as you imagined, seeing that since my last Letter I have told you a great many things of him, Nay I cannot finish his adventures in this, for this is a new Captivity, that is well worth taking up another, and it would be impossible for me to finish all the history in one breath. So I believe tis best to leave Mr. Abbot in this Prison, as we left him the other day in another. The Periods are much alike, and too remarkable for us to forget them. Let us therefore give our selves time to Breath, the Market is not upon the Bridge and the story is advanced far enough at present, to make you wait patiently eight days longer, to satisfy your Curiosity fully upon it. Adieu then for this time, I shall not talk to you of any thing else now, because I could wish this were finished already and as the proverb says qui trop ebrasse neal etraint too much cookery spoils the broth. I am Your most Humble Servant.

Letter lxxiv. From Paris.

I cannot but thank you for your Favours, Madam, and for the Assurances you give me of continuing them to the End by finishing the History of the Adventures of the Abbot de Buquoit; They seem extraordinary enough to me so far, and I expect his Escape out of the Bastille with Impatience, for methinks that that End crowns the work, and that it is in reality the Masterpiece of his Address. But how eager so ever I am to come to the Conclusion. I can't blame you for drawing breath from time to time; Too long a Narration woujld look more like a book than a letter, if it was not Interrupted properly. Those little interludes you take care to manage, revive the Readers attention and relieve the writers trouble, who must be fatigued by a too long application to one subject.

I wish it was in my power to diversify this, and divert you with some pleasant adventure or other; but we have none here, where they were once so frequent, and Paris is no longer the Theatre of Scenes of Tenderness and Gallantry; Not a word stirring to make us laugh: Every body is taken up with his troubles and Misery: The Court minds nothing but what passes in Spain, and Our Poets are busy with singing the Exploits of the Duke of Vendome, and the Efforts he made for Philip in that Country. They make very great ones for him here, sending him Money, Corn, Troops & Arms, to the hazard of entirely draining the Kingdom; for I can't see where they can get any more new supplyes; Every thing has been put in execution here except the Secret of making what they call the great Work, which the Bishop of Senis in Provence flattered the Court with, when he introduced a Provincal there, that boasted he knew this admirable Secret & was able to make that Metal so previous, and so necessary to France in a juncture like this. But These were illusions for when they pressed the man upon it, and would oblige him to do, what probably he only boasted of in jest, they did not find him very much disposed to comply; Which obliged the Count de Grignan, the King's Lieutenant in that province, to set Guards on that wretch, and send him like a Criminal to Paris. This Violence engaged him to become one indeed; for he rebelled on the road, and hurted some of his Guards, in trying to escape out of their hands. This proceeding Aggravates his trouble, for he has been sent tyed neck and heels to the Bastille, where he will hardl get out as easily as our Abbot; And this to punish him for giving false hopes. And in Plain truth, it seems to be something Chimerical to give attention to a thing that has been exploded long ago, and methinks too tis a little too cruel to punish an unhappy visionary in this manner. Be that as it will, the Opportunity of Making Gold is entirely lost, for there is no great likelyhood of this pretended Chymist's bringing his art to any great Perfection in the place where he is, the Bastille, being in my Opinion, no very convenient Laboratory for it; and supposeing him to be master of that Science so much sought for and so little found, tis not very probably that he will put it in practise; the manner they have taken to engage him to it, is no very engaging one.

The Dutchess Dowager of Daumont, daughter to Marshal de la Mothe, and Sister to the Dutchesses of Vantadour, and Ferte, dyed lately. She was one of Bussi's Heroines; she made a noise in the Old Court, and turned Devotee in this.

But now I mention Devotion, we are not edifyed Very much here with that of our Holy Father. The Prohibition he has lately issued against praying for the Repose of the Soul of the deceased Archbishop of Sebaste does not give