Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Private Anecdotes Of Illustrious French Characters.
The Cardinal ' s house , belonging to the parish of St . Paul , at Paris , lie sent one of his gentlemen to the Curate of that parish ,, with orders to come to him on affairs of consequence—the Curate anwered " Very well , " but did notgo . The Cardinal waited a long time , sent to him again—the Curate answered as before ; Du Perron ) greatly irritated at the unpoliteness of the Curate , sent him a third messengerwho had orders to say that the Cardinal was much
of-, fended at his want of respect , and desired he would come without dela )' , or else'he would have reason to repentit . —The Curate coldlv answered the messenger , " Tell my Lord Cardinal ,, that he is Curate at Rome , as I am in Paris ; that I am not in his parish , but he is in mine . " The Cardinal hearing this bold answer , said , "He is right , I am his parishioner ' tis my duty to wait on him ; " and immediatel
, y he set out . As soon as the Curate perceifed him from his window he ran into the street to meet him—the Cardinal embraced him , and gave him his esteem and friendship . One day in dispute with Servin , advocate-general , he accused him of ignorance and stupidity " It is true , my lord , " answered Servin , "I have riot eloquence or wisdom sufficient to prove that there
is " no God ;"—the Cardinal was struck dumb , and appeared greatly confused . That the reader may understand the meaning of this answer , it is necessary to relate , that the Cardinal at a certain time , in conference withHenry III . had the boldness to tell him that he had now convinced him there is a God , but to-morrow , if your Majesty will please to give me audience , I will prove that there is none
at all—which speech inspired the king with such horror against the audacious wretch , that he banished him his presence for evei \
FRANCOIS MALHERBE . HENRY IV . asked the Cardinal Du Perron , one day , how it came he had given over making verses— " Nobody , an ' t please your Majesty , after Malherbe , should attempt any such thing ; that gentleman has brought poetry to the highest pitch of perfection . On the
Cardinal ' s recommendation Malherbe came to Paris , where he remained during his whole life without once returning to the country again ; he would have been the deli ght of town and court had his conversation been more agreeable : bespoke but little it is true , but every word was a stab . One of his nephews came to see him on his return from college , Malherbe ' put an Ovid into his hand ; the young
man was much at a loss , and did nothing but stammer ; the uncle said , " I would advise you to go into the army ; be valiant ; you will never be good for any thing else . " His son being killed in a duel hyDespilas , he sent him a challenge , and upon his , friends representing the ridicule of a man of 73 fighting another ^ of 25— "On that , very account , " replied he , " have I challenged him , ' Do n't you see , that I only venture , a sixpence to a louis d ' or ? "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Private Anecdotes Of Illustrious French Characters.
The Cardinal ' s house , belonging to the parish of St . Paul , at Paris , lie sent one of his gentlemen to the Curate of that parish ,, with orders to come to him on affairs of consequence—the Curate anwered " Very well , " but did notgo . The Cardinal waited a long time , sent to him again—the Curate answered as before ; Du Perron ) greatly irritated at the unpoliteness of the Curate , sent him a third messengerwho had orders to say that the Cardinal was much
of-, fended at his want of respect , and desired he would come without dela )' , or else'he would have reason to repentit . —The Curate coldlv answered the messenger , " Tell my Lord Cardinal ,, that he is Curate at Rome , as I am in Paris ; that I am not in his parish , but he is in mine . " The Cardinal hearing this bold answer , said , "He is right , I am his parishioner ' tis my duty to wait on him ; " and immediatel
, y he set out . As soon as the Curate perceifed him from his window he ran into the street to meet him—the Cardinal embraced him , and gave him his esteem and friendship . One day in dispute with Servin , advocate-general , he accused him of ignorance and stupidity " It is true , my lord , " answered Servin , "I have riot eloquence or wisdom sufficient to prove that there
is " no God ;"—the Cardinal was struck dumb , and appeared greatly confused . That the reader may understand the meaning of this answer , it is necessary to relate , that the Cardinal at a certain time , in conference withHenry III . had the boldness to tell him that he had now convinced him there is a God , but to-morrow , if your Majesty will please to give me audience , I will prove that there is none
at all—which speech inspired the king with such horror against the audacious wretch , that he banished him his presence for evei \
FRANCOIS MALHERBE . HENRY IV . asked the Cardinal Du Perron , one day , how it came he had given over making verses— " Nobody , an ' t please your Majesty , after Malherbe , should attempt any such thing ; that gentleman has brought poetry to the highest pitch of perfection . On the
Cardinal ' s recommendation Malherbe came to Paris , where he remained during his whole life without once returning to the country again ; he would have been the deli ght of town and court had his conversation been more agreeable : bespoke but little it is true , but every word was a stab . One of his nephews came to see him on his return from college , Malherbe ' put an Ovid into his hand ; the young
man was much at a loss , and did nothing but stammer ; the uncle said , " I would advise you to go into the army ; be valiant ; you will never be good for any thing else . " His son being killed in a duel hyDespilas , he sent him a challenge , and upon his , friends representing the ridicule of a man of 73 fighting another ^ of 25— "On that , very account , " replied he , " have I challenged him , ' Do n't you see , that I only venture , a sixpence to a louis d ' or ? "