The Sun.
London, England, 1803-03-02 00:00:00

C.41tD1314i rtgrikY•

The celebrated Cardinal FLEVIVY.ante ilittrnaed
so muck attention, and the measures he ,adoptitd had
so much influence on Europe and its dependencies,'
that though his charader is in general well known,'
our readers may he graritiedin seeing -a new portrait
of that distinguished Minister, a's recently drawn
by the ingeninus;industrious, and intelligent Mr.
Coxit, the Travellee.
.!14.
C Andrew Hercules de Fleury; wilt ion of a Re-
,
ceiver of Tythes in the Diotese of Lodeve, in the
Province oF.Languedoc. He was born on the 22d
of June, t 653, and discovering early Signs of quick
.comprehension, was sent,to Paris at the•age ofsix,
and prosecuted his studies with great assiduity and
suetiSs„ `undit the Jesuits,
,and in the school offlar.
court. He diStinguished himself by diS.
serrations in Latin and Greek, in which he.explain-.
eel, with cpnsiderahle learning, the prineipal doc-
trines of the Achenian:Phitosophers. Being des.
tinedto the Church, he obtained, in /668, a Ca.
nonry of MOntpellier, by the recommeruhition of
Pierre: de Bonzi, Bishop of Beziets, whose,protec„
don his father had acquired. This Prelate, after,
wards better known.under: the title of Cardinal di
Booth Archbishop of Narbonne; and grand-All-10.-
m to the Queeti,
,was fascinated with the . ri .tea
talents and insinuating address of young- Fleury, in_
trodaced: him at Court, and procured for hon
' appointment of chspla:in co the Qaeen cl L:.03; the
Fourteenth, at the age of twenty. 'On death of
the Queen he was noruinated, by ;the trite;
Chaplain to the King. Under, the ait.picze,
powerful protedor, he was, introdifeisi to the first
societies of Paris, and increased the favourable itn
pression of a pleasing figure and I.4),:Alliti log c.a.mie.
nittlC, by the amenity of his mannsrsy the charms
of his conversation, and the discrelior,l a his cop-
, .
These amiable qualities, which acquired hitu
many friends, zmongst the first persons of the realm,
fur some time retarded his promotion. Louis the
Fourteenth was displeased with his courtly,mnoners
and general acquaintance, which appeared to him
marks of dissipation ; and in reply to the numerous
cpplications for a Bishopric, Said,-,‘:‘ Fleury has too
many friends, and is too much a nun of the world
to fulfil the duties of an episcopal situation."
Eteury submitted patiently to these disappoint-.
punts, and was at, length,,•by. the, iinportuintrof:
. the. Archbishop' of ,Parts, promoted 'to .the See of
:Frejus, in Provence. Retiring to his. BiShoprie,
he performed his professional duties with extreme
regularity, tempered the !dignity of his high of se
with his charadetistic suavity .of disposition,
liqut-
!dated, by the
.strictest economy, the debt!: which
his predecessors' had
.entailed upon. the Piecesq, and
rendered himself equally, beloved arid respeded.'
4,,He performed the molt essential, service to the
town and district of Frejus, when Victor Afflacietl,
'Duke of Savoy, and P.rinee Eugene, led.a.consitlep.
'able army against , Toulon., The. inhabitants of .
Frejus, alartued at the approach of the enemy, were
prepating to retire, but. were preevented by the
Bishop, whose . interposition ,with the, Duke of Sa.:
voy, saved; the WWII from. pillage on the payment
1 of wmodoracc cgm.r4nition. _

4 During three 44)1, Which the, Duke and Prince
Eugene passed in she episcopal palace, they distin.
guished.the Bishop witli..incgmm..rn marks, of :men-
tion; and.Viseicor Amadeus was so touch delighted
with his conversation and manners, that he 'nesse&
him to accept the of .of Governor to his son,
afterwards Charles Emanuel. the Pirsr, an honour
which the Bishop declined; but lie of Louis
the Fourteenth by performing,Te Dann in the C.. 10.
thedral of Frejus, and puhlicly otreriog the holy
water to the Duke of Saltily, which was. maliciously
represented. as an ad of rejoicing for the /111,CCeli5 of
his arms; circumstances. which added obstacles to
his further promotion.
4 During his residence in. his .Bishopric, he col.
leAed various memorials relating to the revenue,
and the improvement .of several branches. of Cone.
merce, Manufactures, and, Agriculture,
.which in.
creas.ed his knowledge. 1-le. did not totally.
bury himself in Isis Diocese ; but made occasional
excursions, appeared at Court, arl in ,the capital,
and kept alive,his.ancient.connexioos„
with the families of • Isroailles and Villeroy, . to
whom he principally owed his subsequent elevatiou.
Louis the Fourteeoch, having, at the instiga,
non of Madam de Maintenon,..made by will an ac't
of settlement for the government of the kingdom,
during the„ minority
.of his. grandson, which divided
the administration, and the 'care of the .young
King's person, between the,Dukes of Wean,/ and
Mdine, uder. the controul of Council_ of Re...
gency, appointed .M.ashal Villeroy Governor ; but
was embarrassed in the.ehoice of a lereceptor, who
was capable of that important trust, and calculated'
to conciliate the different, parties., After much hesi,
ration and difficulty' he was, induced, by. the im..
portuoity of Marshal. VillerOy" to nominate Fleury,
who, aware of this arrangement, had, recently re.
signed the Bishopric of Frejus for the Abby of
Tournus.

g Although the ,Duke of Or!eons, on the death
of Louis the-Fourteenth, annulled the will, of *the
Monarch, and assumed the sole regency ; ypt, he
confirmed the appointment of the Governor and Bre-
ceptor. During the turbulent and, iniriguiog period
of the Regency, Fletuy contluded_ himself, wish
such circuinspeElion as, to give no, umbrage to the
Duke of Orleans .ot the. Cardimil do Bois; he en-
tered into no cabals, he made no applications, either
for himself or, his friends.; but seemed wholly,at„
tentive to fulfil the duties of his trust, and in-
stantly gained an uncommon influence over the mind
of his royal pupil. In the cumse of his employ-
ment, he omitted nu opportunity. of obtaining
formation on the domestic and foreign affairs of
France, thus qualifying himself for the station which
he afterwards attained. _ _

g The: disgrace- of his
.patron Marshal \tiller°
whichh-seemed likely, to involve , hiw in the 3anie
catastrophe, contributed to strengthen.hia infblence.,
and perpetuate his power,. 'peering(' of Villernyt,
arrest, he, precipitately quitted the Curt,,arA
area to Bawdier a seat belonging toy Ilk friend De
Lantignon. The young Kitig, 4.lceply ith

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the loss of hit Governor. and Preceptor, refuld all
sustenance, took no rest, and endangered his life by
• the excess of his grief. In: this alarming situation,
the retreat of Fleury being either purposely or. -ac.
c,identally, discovered, a letter from. the King, al.,
feftionately urging his retuln, and another from the
Regent, in' terms no less ftitteriog; after some af-
leied delays,,,:drew him.- to Versailles, 'where 'his.
presence instantly- restored' the king to health and
tranquillity. He.resumed his office, under the Duke,
of charast,.. the, new Governor and though he.
suffered 'the imputation 'of ingratitude for deserting
his former benefador, yet he secretly exulted in
the'reiroval!of an ihiperious master, and anticipated
the most glbriotis prospects of future 'elevation.
6.- Soon: after 'this event,. Fleury -gave • a proof of
great disinterestedness, or still .greater ambition,'
' by. declining the. Archbishopric of Rheims,- the first
station' in the kingdom, except. that of a prince of
the blood; declaring to the 'Regent, whn pressed
him to accept it, that hepreferred his station abinit
the King's person, and .in :the Council, to all :the
dLgitities upon cavil—. It ,is likewise a striking
proof,
‘either of his prudence of his integrity, that
did not supplant the Duke of Orleans, and ac-
cept the 'office of.. Prime Minister,' offered. him
by the King, 'on ,the death. of Cardinal du Bois.
He seems to tnive stood in ale of the* Regent ;
nd even before the disgraCe of his patron Villeroy,
he seldoniventured,kmd not without great appar..s:)t
lifflience, to be present in the Cabinet, when the
Ihke el Orleans transadedbOsiness with the King,
,41,1 concealed his views under an air of candour
and simplicity.
Hitherto Fleury, adhering to
.his, unobtrusive
manner, had kepi in the back ground ; but he now
became a prominent figure. in the French Admini.
stration, abilities, however, were at this pe-
riod so little appreciated, that he was merely .con.
sidered as a learned bigot, wholly ignorant of Fo-
reign .politici. -Even Mr. Walpole, notwithstanding
his dkeernmentrof charaffer, did not at first sul)i-
ctently appreciat the! independence and spirit 'of
Fleury. Althouilvhe mentions him in Ids first dis-
patch to Lord Townshend as:a man of great learn.,
nig, abilities, and credit with the King yet, he
also considered him as. a creature and spy of the
Duke of Qrleons.' •

N E. 11;,5'

CSIAVLiEND, 28.

Paised by—the Weyinouth, Weldon', 'tiorn Samna.
Sailed —ttie R.obert, 'f'born, for regnort; ; Aeilve, Bart-
lett, for Seville 4. Two JF Awls; Vpso, fqr 14ert-Yorizr;. Bru-
tus, Bum!, for Virginia ; Aurora, —r,
for ,Rotterdarn ; LesGebrockrs, Cornelitip, for Rouen';
and Twe 6esusters, —, and Clupca, —, for Amsterdam,