The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-21
found better than that of men who make
greater pretensiOns to wisdom

* - lAcH "a PlhlneQ Wnar IL was that he
mad particularly in his mind whether it
was possible to do something to end the
strife and bitterness existing in France.
Il KNOW added the King, "that when
ever seek your advice, you ask me for
time to consider the matter. In three
or four days | shall send for yon again. Y
Upon this the King said goodnight,
and the young counselor withdrew. Three
nights after the King sent for him at the
same hour, when once more the hassock
was placed at the bedside, and Sully pro-
ceeded to answer the Kings question.
The substance Of his opinion was that
there were two modes of giving peace to
France. One was by the way CT violence
and the other by the way Of policy. He
told his self-indulgent and pleasure-lov-
ing master that if he adopted the system
OF force, ne would have endless pain and
difficulty; would have to live ''with a
horse always between his legs" armor on
his back, helmet on his head, pistol in
list, and sword in hand. He would have
to say fareweilsto pleasure, to love, to
hunting, to building. But if he tooksthe
way of policy, he would have much
easier time in this world.
"As to the next world, ''said Sully, IT
don't answer for you"
The King burst out laughing, sat up in
bed, scratched his head several times,
and then said: M
''All you say is true, but 1 see so many
thorns on every side, that some of them,
am sure, will prick me sorely enough.
They continued to converse at great
ength, sometimes seriously, sometimes
jocularly; and the result was, as all the
world knows, that the King adopted the
Catholic religion, secured freedom of wor-
ship to the Professionals, and so gave
France eighty-seyen years of intern a
peace. ...5..e -4, -. IL H.. .#s.
The Duke of Sully was peculiarly useful
as restraint upon the expenditures of the
King. He so often objected to expensive
projects that he acquired the nickname
of Monsieur Negative, and it was SAID that
no one ever heard him say yes. His first
business was to put the finances in order.
which had been disarranged by 50 many
years OF civil war. To use his own lam
guage, he began by Topping arms and
legs from Madame Grivelee, which is
French for Mrs. Pickings. He made a
tour of inspection among the trea urers
and tax gatherers of France, and proved
against them pickings and stealings equal
to about five and half million of francs.
This sum he caused to be placed in
seventy carts, and had them driven to
Rouen, where the King was.
These abuses being suppressed, the
great object Of his policy was to promote
the agriculture of France, which he did
by relieving the farmers and pheasants
from great number of burdensome obi
gatious, and onerous taxes, and by abolis-
ing petty intermediate offices. He sup
pressed surprising number of these, and
endeavored in all ways to Tighten the bur
dens of the men who held the pillow and
fed the country.
'Tillage and pasturage," he would say,
"are the two breasts which Dourish
France. They are the true mines and
treasures Of Peru
He rebuilt the bridges destroyed by the
wars, reopened the roads, and was full Of
designs for system of canals to improve
the internal commerce of the country
He was a ready-muney kind of man. Dur
ing his administration he paid off very
large amount eff public debt, raised the
revenues while relieving the people, and
had fund of about twenty-five million
of francs, in one of the towers of the
Bastile,,as a reserve against scarcity and
times of trouble. ,.s.
He is supposed to have undervalued
commerce with other countries, and OPP
posed the founding of colonies Nor did
he attach Importance to the finer manu-
features. France, he thought, was suffi-
cient for herself, and had enough for all
reasonable purposes without drawing
wealth from other countries. Neverthe-
less it was he who set on foot the first
plantation of Mulberry trees. l-.
After the assassination Of Henry w.,
Sully spent thirty years in retirement,
during which he wrote a number of
hooks; among the rest an autobiography
in four folio volumes, which has been
translated into several languages. I saw
an English copy, not long ago, in fifteen
volumes, exposed for sale on a stand near
the Office of the LEDGER He wrote, also.
some works upon the art of war, and
even some verses, and romance. His
chateau, long one Of the most renowned
in France, still stands, though not in
habited.
A GrasshOpper Wpather-Yane.