I do not believe, as good a poet as you are, that you can make finer landscapes than those about the king's houses, or with all your descriptions raise a more magnificent palace than Versailles. I am however so singular as to prefer Fontainebleau to all the rest. It is situated among rocks and woods, that give you a fine variety of savage prospects. The king has humored the genius of the place, and only made use of so much art as is necessary to help and regulate nature, without reforming her too much. The cascades seem to break through the clefts and cracks of rocks that are covered over with moss, and look as if they were piled upon one another by accident. There is an artificial wildness in the meadows, walks, and canals; and the garden, instead of a wall, is fenced on the lower end by a natural mound of rockwork that strikes the eye very agreeably. For my part, I think there is something more charming in these rude heaps of stones than in so many statues, and would as soon see a river winding through woods and meadows, as when it is tossed up in so many whimsical figures at Versailles. To pass from works of nature to those of art. In my opinion, the pleasantest part of Versailles is the gallery. Every one sees on each side of it something that will be sure to please him. For one of them commands a view of the finest garden in the world, and the other is wainscoted with looking-glass. The history of the present king until the year 16- is painted on the roof by Le Brun, so that his majesty has actions enough by him to furnish another gallery much longer than the present.

The painter has represented his most Christian Majesty under the figure of Jupiter, throwing thunderbolts all about the ceil ing, and striking terror into the Danube, and Rhine, that lie astonished and blasted with lightning above the cornice.

There are vast windows into the garden, and the same in lookingglass opposite to them, on the blank side, which produce a fine effect, for you see the garden on both sides of you as you walk along the gallery.

But what makes all these shows the more agreeable, is the great kindness and affability that is shown to strangers. If the French do not excel the English in all the arts of humanity, they do at least in the outward expressions of it. And upon this, as well as other accounts, though I believe the English are a much wiser nation, the French are undoubtedly much more happy. Their old men in particular are, I believe, the most agreeable in the world. An antediluvian could not have more life and briskness in him at threescore and ten: for that fire and levity which makes the young ones scarce conversible, when a little wasted and tempered by years, makes a very pleasant and gay old age. Besides, this national fault of being so very talkative looks natural and graceful in one that has gray hairs to countenance it. The mentioning this fault in the French must put me in mind to finish my letter, lest you think me already too much infected by their conversation; but I must desire you to consider, that travelling does in this respect lay a little claim to the privilege I am, sir, &c.

of old age.

MY LORD-I have now for some time lived on the effect of your Lordship's patronage, without presuming to return you my most humble thanks for it. But I find it no less difficult to suppress the sense I have of your Lordship's favor, than I do to represent it as I ought. Gratitude for a kindness received is generally as troublesome to the benefactor as the importunity in soliciting it; and I hope your Lordship will pardon me if I offend in one of these respects who had never any occasion or pretence to do it on the other. The only return I can make your Lordship will be to apply myself entirely to my business, and to take

such a care of my conversation, that your favors may not seem misplaced on my Lord, your Lordship's, &c.

To my Lord Chancellor.

Paris, September 1699.

VII. TO MR. SANSOM.

[It is not known who this gentleman was.]

DEAR SIR-You may be sure I have not been in a little hurry at my first arrival in Paris, that I could so long forget returning you my thanks for your last kindness: and truly I think I have paid no small compliment to the shows of the place in letting them take up my thoughts so far as to make me deny myself the satisfaction of writing to you. Your letter to Mr. Breton has gained me the acquaintance of a gentleman who is in all respects such as I should have guessed Mr. Sansom's friend to have been; his conversation at Dover made my stay there very pleasant, as his interest in the officers made my departure easy. The great talk of this place at present is about the king's statue that is lately set up in the Place Vendôme.' It is a noble figure, but looks very naked without a square about it: for they have set up the furniture before the house is half built. If I meet with any thing here worth your knowledge, I will trouble you with the relation of it, and in the mean time, am, dear sir, &c.

To John Sansom, Esq.

Paris, September, 1699.

VIII. TO COLONEL FROWDE.

[This gentleman was an Oxford friend, and is supposed to have afterwards filled the place of Comptroller of the Foreign Office at the Post office.-G.]

1 On the site now occupied by Napoleon's triumphal column.-G.

DEAR COLONEL-I was extremely glad to receive your letter, not only because I saw Colonel Frowde's name at the bottom of it, but because it was written in English, a language that had not been spoken to me six weeks before, so that I read it over with the same pleasure as a man sees an old acquaintance. I was sorry however to hear in it that you had bid farewell to poetry by the instigation and contrivance of my brother Garr, that friend to strong drink and enemy to the Muses; but I hope you will repent of so rash a resolution, and that you have so much of the ambition as well as the other talents of a poet as to value fame and immortality beyond ten pound. If you are to forfeit so much for every copy of verses you write, you may consider for your comfort that the poorer you grow the more you will resemble those of your brotherhood. As for myself, I am so embarrassed with nouns and verbs that I have no time to think of verse, but am forced to decline and conjugate words, instead of putting them into rhyme. I could wish as well as you that I were able to learn the language sooner, and so hope to see you quickly in England: but I have so much of a wit in me that I have a bad which hinders me from performing my task so speedily as I would wish. However, as bad as it is, it will never let me forget how much I am, &c.

To Colonel Frowde. Paris, November, 1699.

memory,

IX. TO MR. ADAMS.

[Another Oxford friend, known to fame by this letter.-G.]

DEAR SIR-I have been lately very much indisposed with a fever or I would have answered your letter sooner, but am at present very well recovered, notwithstanding I made use of one

1

of the physicians of this place, who are as cheap as our English farriers and generally as ignorant. I hope the news you sent me of Sir Edward Seymour's act will prove true, for here are a couple of English gentlemen that have turned off a fencing-master on the strength of it. I have here sent you a scrip of Dr. Davenant's new book as it came to me in a letter. It is levelled against the ministry and makes a great noise in its own country, &c. To pass from statesmen to the cloth-hat you left with me: You must know that it has travelled many miles and run through a great variety of adventures since you saw it last. It was left at Orleans, for above a week, and since that fell into the hands of a hackney-coachman that took a particular liking to our English manufacture, and would by no means part with it; but by many fair words and a few menaces I have at last recovered it out of his hands; though not without the entire loss of the hatband. I hear there is at present a very great ferment in Maudlin College, which is worked up to a great height by Newnam ale and frequent canvassings. I suppose both parties before they engage will send into France for their foreign succors. I am, &c.

To Mr. Adams. Blois.

X. TO MR. CONGREVE.

[Congreve had been one of Addison's early friends, and lived to receive the dedication of the Drummer from Steele, after Addison's death. By comparing this with No. V. it will be seen that Addison kept copies of his letters and made them serve his literary purposes.-G.]

DEAR SIR-I was very sorry to hear in your last letter that you were so terribly afflicted with the gout, though for your com fort, I believe you are the first English poet that has been com

Dr. Davenant an early writer on political arithmetic, and a bitter enemy of King William's Whig ministry.-G.