Mr. Law.
The Times, 1824-02-16T00:00:00

The following anecdotes respecting iMr. Law, the celebrated author of the Mississippi Scheme, are extracted from the entertain. inio " Secret Xezoirls *f tlc Couirt of Louis XI V., by the Duchess of Orlean,s :_ iHe (Law) says, that of all the persons to whom he has explainedl his system, there have been onlv two who have properlv compre. hendedl it; and these al c the King of Sicilv and my son (ihe Dalke of Orleans, Regent of France), ile was quiite astonished at their having so readily utnderstood it. lie is so mtich run after, that he has no repose by day or by night. A duchess even kissed his hand publicly. If a duchess can do tliis, what will not other ladies do ? Another lady, who purnuedi him everywhere, heard that he was at 51adame de.'iitniane's. an(d immediately begged the latter to per- miiit her to tine with her. Madame de siniianc went to her and said she nmust be exc usedI for tltat day, as hIr. Law was to dine with her. Madame de Bouclru replied, ithat it was this reason expressly shewished toheinvited. ladlame de Simianeonly repeated that. shc (lid not choose to have M5r. Law troubled, and so qaitted her. Having, however, ascertaitte(d the linner-honr, Mi\ldame de Bouchiu passed before the house in her coaeh, and made her coachman and footman call out" Fire !" Imnmeffiately all the company quitted the table to know where the fire was. atid amonig themt Mr. Law ap- peared. As soon as Madame de Bouchu saw him, she jumped ott of her carriage to speak to him ; but he, guessing the trick, instant- ly disappeared. " Another ladv ordered her carriare to be driven opposite to illr. Law's hotel, and then to be overtutmed. Addressing herself to the roachman, she said "Overturn here. you blockhead-overturn !" Mr. Law ran out to her assistance,when she confessed to hiluthat dic hIad done this for the sole purpose of having an intenriew with him. iA servant had gainie(l so mnuch in the'Rue de Quincampoix, that lie was enabled -to set up his equipage. lVhen his coach wasbrought home. lie forgot who he was, and mounted behind. His servant crietl out, " Ah. Sir! W1hat are you doitig? This is your own carria-.s" " That is true," said thte ouondant servant; " I had forgotten." Jlr. Law's coachman havnpg also tnade a very conisiderable sum, demanded permission to retire from his service. I-lis master gave it hlm, on condition of his procuring timn another good coacltman. Oni the next day, thc wealthy coachman made his appearance witlh twvo persons, bothi of whom were, he said, good coachmnen; and that Mr. Law had only to choose whtich of them he liked, while he, the coachman, would take the other. i M7Ir. Law is not avariciotst: he gives away large sutns in cha- rity, atnd assists mnany indigent people. "W When my son wanted some duchess to accompany mv daugh. ter to Geneva, some one who hcard him speaking about it, said 'If, Monsieur, you woul(i like t.l select from a number cf duchesses, send to Mr. Law's; you will fin(d tltcln all there.' "Lord Stair cannot conceal his hatred of Mr. Law, and yet he has gained at least three millions by him. " My son has been obliged to displace llr. Law. This person, who was forncrlV worshipped like a God, is now not sure of his lif.e: it is astonishing holv greatly terrified he is. " Law is said to be in such an agony of fear, that he has not been able to venture to my son's at St. Cloud, althostgh he sent a carriage to fetch htn. He is a dead man; he is as pale as a sheep, and it is said can Rever get over his last pani. The people's katred of the Duke ari--es frorn his being t':e frienl of Law, whose children he car- ried to St. Maur, where they are to remain. " Law is gotie to Bmussels; Madame de Prie lent him her chaise; when he returned it, he wrote, thanking her, and at the same tine sent her a ring worth 100,000 livres. The Duke provided him with relays, anti made four of hisown peonleaccompany him. WV-hen he took leave of my son, Law said to him, ' MIonsieur, I have coan- mitted several greatfaults.but they are mnerely such as are incidental to humnanity you will find netther malice nor dishonesty in my conduct.' lis wife wvould net go away until she had paid all their debts; hc owed tohisis rrtieSfC1r alone 10,000 livres." AllR. IA iv.