by the law, and gave birth to a dead infant.
The justice of the village, informed of her fault, caused her to be
arrested, and recorded against her sentence of death, a decision which
was afterwards approved by parliament.

The poor girl was in this extremity when, happily for her, M. de
Mandeville, a worthy man from either Normandy or Picardy, who had served
in the black musketeers, resolved upon attempting the revocation of the
severe sentence which had been passed upon her, by addressing the king
thro' my mediation; he accordingly followed me to Marly, where I then
was, and lost no time in forwarding to me the following billet:--

"MADAME,--Beauty has ever been found the inseparable companion of
goodness; to yours I would appeal to obtain the favor of an immediate
audience. My reasons for requesting it are not to solicit either place
or pension, but to save the life of an erring creature whose crime
has been that of ignorance. I await your reply with the most lively
impatience, and have the honor to remain, etc., etc."

This note puzzled me excessively, however I gave orders for the
immediate introduction of M. de Mandeville, whose appearance was even
more prepossessing than his note; he looked and spoke like an honorable
man endowed with that sensibility so precious and so rare; he put
into my hands the petition, whilst he explained to me the particulars
relative to it, and I instantly wrote to the chancellor the following
note, of which a thousand copies were taken in the course of the day.
Altho' it has been many times in print, I shall offer no apologies for
again submitting it to your perusal.

"MONSIEUR LE CHANCELLOR,--I do not profess to understand your laws, but
they seem to me as unjust as barbarous. They are contrary to both reason
and humanity, if they put to death an unfortunate female for giving
birth to a still-born child without having previously disclosed her
situation to any one; and yet, according to the memorial annexed to
this, the petitioner is so circumstanced. Here is an unhappy girl about
to pay with the forfeit of her life for her ignorance of such a law,
or because the modesty and even shame attendant upon her disgraced
condition prevented her conforming to it. I appeal to your sense of
justice; the wretched girl, concerning whom I write, is a fit object
for the exercise of your lenity, and I venture to assure myself that you
will at least effect the commutation of her punishment. Your o