ition, we talked a little upon mine. Although I was a
Catholic and a pupil of Montreuil, although I had fled from England
and had nothing to expect from the House of Hanover, I was by no means
favourably disposed towards the Chevalier and his cause. I wonder
if this avowal will seem odd to Englishmen of the next century!
To Englishmen of the present one, a Roman Catholic and a lover of
priestcraft and tyranny are two words for the same thing; as if we could
not murmur at tithes and taxes, insecurity of property or arbitrary
legislation, just as sourly as any other Christian community. No!
I never loved the cause of the Stuarts,--unfortunate, and therefore
interesting, as the Stuarts were; by a very stupid and yet uneffaceable
confusion of ideas, I confounded it with the cause of Montreuil, and
I hated the latter enough to dislike the former: I fancy all party
principles are formed much in the same manner. I frankly told
Bolingbroke my disinclination to the Chevalier.

"Between ourselves be it spoken," said he, "there is but little to
induce a wise man in _your_ circumstances to join James the Third. I
would advise you rather to take advantage of your father's reputation at
the French court, and enter into the same service he did. Things wear a
dark face in England for you, and a bright one everywhere else."

"I have already," said I, "in my own mind, perceived and weighed the
advantages of entering into the service of Louis. But he is old: he
cannot live long. People now pay court to parties, not to the king.
Which party, think you, is the best,--that of Madame de Maintenon?"

"Nay, I think not; she is a cold friend, and never asks favours of Louis
for any of her family. A bold game might be played by attaching yourself
to the Duchesse d'Orleans (the Duke's mother). She is at daggers-drawn
with Maintenon, it is true, and she is a violent, haughty, and coarse
woman; but she has wit, talent, strength of mind, and will zealously
serve any person of high birth who pays her respect. But she can do
nothing for you till the king's death, and then only on the chance of
her son's power. But--let me see--you say Fleuri, the Bishop of Frejus,
is to introduce you to Madame de Maintenon?"

"Yes; and has appointed the day after to-morrow for that purpose."

"Well, then, make close friends with him: you will not find it
difficult; he has a delightful address, and if you get hold of his
weak points you may win his confidence. Mark