s amount in those
days--M. de Beaufort had calculated that he could not set out for Africa
without a good round sum; and, in order to find that sum, he was
distributing to his old creditors plate, arms, jewels and furniture,
which was more magnificent than selling it, and brought him back double.
In fact, how could a man to whom ten thousand livres were owing, refuse
to carry away a present of six thousand, enhanced in merit from having
belonged to a descendant of Henry IV.? And how, after having carried
away that present, could he refuse ten thousand livres more to this
generous noble? This, then, was what had happened. The duc had no longer
a dwelling-house--that had become useless to an admiral, whose place of
residence is his ship; he had no longer need of superfluous arms, when
he was placed amid his cannons; no more jewels, which the sea might rob
him of; but he had three or four hundred thousand crowns fresh in his
coffers. And throughout the house there was a joyous movement of people
who believed they were plundering monseigneur. The prince had, in a
supreme degree, the art of making happy the creditors the most to be
pitied. Every distressed man, every empty purse, found with him patience
and intelligence of his position. To some he said, "I wish I had what
you have, I would give it you." And to others, "I have but this silver
ewer, it is worth at least five hundred livres--take it."

The effect of which was--so truly is courtesy a current payment--that
the prince constantly found means to renew his creditors. This time he
used no ceremony; it might be called a general pillage. He gave up
everything. The oriental fable of the poor Arab, who carried away from
the pillage of a palace a kettle at the bottom of which was concealed a
bag of gold, and whom everybody allowed to pass without jealousy--this
fable had become a truth in the prince's mansion. Many contractors paid
themselves upon the offices of the duc. Thus, the provision department,
who plundered the clothes-presses and the harness-rooms, attached very
little value to things which tailors and saddlers set great store by.
Anxious to carry home to their wives preserves given them by
monseigneur, many were seen bounding joyously along, under the weight of
earthen jars and bottles, gloriously stamped with the arms of the
prince. M. de Beaufort finished by giving away his horses and the hay
from his lofts. He made more than thirty happy with kitchen utensils;