Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-05-09

Y s"~ ~ ohu 5"hilb at lflS bTlCcS.
| Who is he that pretends to the slightest
knowledge of Bellies Lettres and does not
know the beauties--the excellence of Mar
montel.-His delightful tales-his Incas of
Peru-indeed all that he has left to poSte-
J rlty is so Interesting, so delightful, so fas-
cinating, and at the same time of such pure
and forcible moral tendency, that his cha
racter rs writer is put beyond the reach
/ of chance and bids defiance to the i'll ma
| ture of Criticism-If criticism itself with
all its ruggedness could be i'll natured while
contemplating Marmontel. His life writ
ten by himself bears in every feature of it
the very same family stamp which charac-
terises all his other charming writings -
being simple, elegant, polished and inter-
esting, and full of anecdote. Not the every
! day aneCdote of the conundrum maker;
but anecdote selected for lis value in inter-
esting the tee ings, investigating the human
heart, aud afOrding instruction From this
( work, which has been reprinted in Ame-
RIGA, we offer our readers an extract 1t
IS taken rather by chance than by choice,
and while 1t will amuse all, and NAV IN
struct some OF or readers, will convey an
idea of the writer's heart and unders, and
ing 1t contains fine reproof to nordinate
vanity and saucy ovcrbearing pride. To
give the whole in detail, would exceed the
limits we allow to extracts, and therefore
we have to state in explanation that Mar
muntel had got into a coach on a journey,
with vain consequent al young slip of no.
bUity-a marquis, whose stupid imperti-
hence so wrought upon even his (M's) tenn
per thar he was compelled 20 rebuke him
severely. -Take his ownwords.
The first day, gave him the back seat,
and, Notwithstanding ,he sickness which the
balancing of the carriage, and tie motion
backward occasioncd me, Isutltred the IN
convenience. ] even dissembled my dis
gust at hearing the most stupid of all spoil
ed children etvrnaliy disp aging, with pu-
Grille emphasis, his noble orig n, his i'm
mense fortune, and the dignity Of president,
with which his father was invested. let
him boast of the beauty of his large blue
eyes and the charms of his face, with
which, he innocently told me, all the wo-
men were in love. He talked to me OF their
lures, of their caresses, of the kisses they
gave his fine eyes ! listened patiently, and
?, said to myself: How ridIculousis vanity y
The next day, he got into the carriage
J first, and seated himself on the back seat
softly, Marquis said l |; in front, if you
| please. To-day it is my turn to sit at my
ease He answered that it was his place,
and that his father had understood that he
should occupy the back seat. | replied
that, if his father had understood it in his
bargain, / had not understood it in mine I;
and that, had he proposed it 10 me, should
not have caseG myself up like a fool, in that
dancing carriage that should now have
been, for the same money, IN the open AIR,
upon a good horse, ENJOYING the scenery
around me that had already been duped
enough for having employed my Ave gui-
meas so i'll, and that ! would not be so much
so, as to give him constantly the best place.
he persisted in keeping it but, thoush he
was as tall as ], / entreated him not TO
cblgc me to force him from ii, and to leave
him in the road. He listened to this argu-
nent, and took the front seat. He was in
i'll humor till dinner time. However, he
cOnteuted himself with depriving me of his
conversation but, at dinner, his superio-
rty required to him. They brought us a
red-legged partridge. He thought himself
an excellent carver: quo geSfN Lehore8, et
qua gaiii1a secetur. md indeed this eS-
ercse had made part of his education
He took the partridge on his p ate, cut off
very judiCiously, the two wings and left me
the legs and the backbone. SC What %
; said1, You like the wings of partridge =
, Yes" said he &" very we'll" And
, too" said / and, smiling, without discom.
= posing myself, j established the equality
Sc You make very free" said he, /" TO take
, wing from my plate :" g You are much
more So" answered /, in firm tone, Sc for
. having taken two from the dish" He was
, rcd with anger but it subsidized, and we
. dined peaceably.
= The next day--"It is your turn" said /,
&c to take the back seat Of the carriage. -
He seated himself there, saying, ''you do
| me great favor:" and our fefe-d-fefe was
going to he as silent as on the evening be-
fore, when an incident animatcdit. The
marqush took sluff II ok to-, thanks toa
, young and pretty girl, who gave me taste
/ for it. In his sulen mood he opened his
. fine snuf-box, and I, who was not in III hui
NOR, extended my hand, G; took pinch, as
= if we had been the best friends in the world
He did not refuse and, after a few minutes
reflection, " / must tell YOU" said he, a
/ circumstance that happened TO NJ dc Ma
niban, first president of the parliament ut
r ThOulouse. | foresaw it was something
impairment, and listened. an. dc Mani
t BAN" continued he, "onCe gave audience.
/ in his cabinet, 20 a gUidam, who had a
Z cause, and who came to solicit his favor.
e The magistrate, as he listened, opened his
b snuff box the Gilidam took pinch
% the president did not discompose himself
( bit rang for his servant, and throwing away
s his snuif-box that the GHidam had touch.
- cd, he sent him for MORE" ] avoided
b, any appearance of applying this story to my.