.
M. Poisonnier replied, that he was more than a prince, and that
in fact the lives of all princes depended upon him, for he was
a physician. 'What!' exclaimed the priest, 'you are not M. le
Prince de Talmont?' 'He has been dead these two years,' replied
the Duchesse de Choiseul. 'But who, then, is in this carriage?'
'It is Madame la Duchesse de Choiseul,' replied some one.
Forthwith, not a whit disconcerted, he commenced another
harangue, in which he lauded to the skies the excellent
education she had bestowed on her son. 'But I have no son,
monsieur,' replied the duchess quietly. 'Ah! you have no son; I
am very sorry for that;' and so saying his reverence put his
harangue in his pocket, and walked off.

"Adieu, my worthy friend. We shall reach Bordeaux on Thursday.
I intend to feed well when I get there."

What an edifying picture of the state of the high and low clergy of
France at this epoch is presented to us! The Abbe de Voisenon rolling
along in his carriage, indulging in the anticipatory delights of some
good 'feeds' when he shall get to Bordeaux; and a hungry priest
haranguing right and left the first comers who may present themselves,
in order to obtain the wherewithal to procure a dinner.

It is to Madame Favart that Voisenon writes from Bordeaux:--

"We arrived here at ten o'clock yesterday evening, and found
Marshal de Richelieu, who had crossed the Garonne to meet the
Duchesse de Choiseul. This city is beautiful viewed at a
distance--all that appertains to the exterior is of the best;
but what afflicts me most of all, is the sad fact that there
are no sardines to be had on account of the war. I was not
aware that the sardines had taken part against; however, I
revenged myself upon two ortolans, which I devoured for supper,
along with a _pate_ of red partridges _aux truffes_, which,
though made as long back as November last--as Marshal de
Richelieu assured me--was as fresh and as _parfume_ as if it
had been made but the night before."

If the reader should feel astonished that an asthmatical patient could
eat partridges and truffles without being horribly ill, his astonishment
will not be of long continuance. The following day Voisenon wrote to
Favart:--

"Oh, my dear friend, I have passed a frightful night. I was
obliged to smoke and take my _kermes_. I shall n