SUPPER being ferv'd foon after the Departure of Cleodon, they fat down with that Eafe and noble Liberty which appear'd in every little Action of this agreeable Society; and having ended it, retir'd into the Apartment of Camilla and Florinda, where the former, apprehenfive that the Converfation would turn again on the Subject of her Change of Behaviour, becaufe they defired the fhould give them a Theme.-The Adventure, faid fhe, of the Mariner with the Crocodile and Tyger, has afforded a much better one than any I can propofe; nothing I can think, can be more useful than those little Memento's how very neceffary it is to have a ready Thought and Prefence of Mind on all Occafions.

THEY began, continued fhe, in the Miniftry of Cardinal Richlieu, to put in practice with the utmost Severity the Edicts against Duelling: A Gentleman named Bonneval, being accufed and convicted at Lyons, of having fent a Challenge to another, was condemned by the Grand-Provost of that Place. As they were carrying him to the Place of Execution, he faw a Courier belonging to the Cardinal pafs by; the unfortunate Delinquent told the Officers of Juftice that were conducting him, that he had a Secret of the laft Importance to communicate to that Courier, and defired leave to speak to him, fince what he had to fay, concern'd the State in general, and that Minifter in particular to whom he belong'd. He obtained the Permiffion he ask'd, and the Courier approaching, he repeated to him the fame thing, but added withal, That he could not deliver it to any Perfon but the Cardinal bimfelf.

THE Courier on this told the Grand-Provost, that this Man having Secrets of Confequence to impart to his Mafter, he would be highly blameable if he prolong'd not his Life till he return'd with Orders from that Minifter. On which he was remanded to Prison, and the Execution fufpended.

THE Courier made all imaginable hafte to Paris, and having inform'd the Cardinal of this Adventure, that great Minifter, who neglected nothing, fent immediate Orders that Bonneval fhould be conducted to Paris.

WHEN

WHEN he was brought before the Cardinal, who' demanded of him what he had to reveal, My Lord! faid be, pardon the Prefumption of a Man, who, on the Brink of Death, had no other way to escape the Gulph before bim.-The Sight of your Courier, juft in that fatal Momen, put a Defign into my Head, which before I had not a Thought ofIimpos'd on him, and on the Grani-Provost flattering myself that if I was permitted to come into your Eminency's Prefence, I should obtain Favour; if not, at leaft Ifhould die much better pleas'd, in having once in my Life beheld the Man whofe Fame the World is fo full of

THE Cardinal could not help admiring the ready Wit of this Man; and judging by his Spirit in this, that he was capable of being ferviceable in any other Affair committed to his Care, he spoke of him to Lewis the Thirteenth, and obtained his Pardon. Bonneval being fet at Liberty, went to return Thanks to his Preferver, affuring him that the Life he had redeem'd, fhould be ever devoted to him: The Cardinal, who perfectly knew Mankind, approv'd of him,and afterwards employ'd him in many things, which he executed to his Satisfaction.

'Tis certain, faid Urania, that there are a thousand Advantages in this one Virtue; every Day gives us Proofs of it; we find it even in the smallest Accidents of Life ; and without it, the greatest Wit would be deficient

To convince you yet more of this Truth, added TheTamont, I will recite you a little Paffage, which, as often as I think of it, gives me Admiration. Monfieur de la Tremouille, being General of the Army which Charles the Eight fent into Bretagne against the Duke of Orleans, who then govern'd in the Name of Lewis the Twelfth, furnam'd, The Father of his Country; the Battle was fought at St. Aubin. Tremouille was victorious, and the Duke of Orleans made Prifoner: But the General in the midst of Conqueft, preferving that Prudence which ought neither in Profperity nor Adverfity to be forgotten, regarded the Duke with all the Honour imaginable, paying him all the diftant Homage which was owing from him to fo great a Prince; and behaving rather like a Man who had been vanquifh'd by

him, than one who had overcome him. He had him conducted to the Caftle of Loches, and never ceas'd interceeding with the King till he had obtain'd his Liberty.

Ir feem'd as if the gallant Warrior had a Forknowledge of what was foon to enfue, and that the Memory of the King, who died fome time after, would not be fufficient to protect him from the Refentment of the new one. On the Acceffion of the Duke of Orleans to the Crown, the oppofite Party trembled, but he foon diffipated their Fears; and fome People reminding him, how muchhe had fuffer'd by the Conqueft of Tremouille, he made this generous and memorable Anfwer, That the Moderation of the Victor had effaced and blotted out the Memory of the Lofs; and that it belonged not to the King of France to revenge the Quarrels of the Duke of Orleans. This was a Pattern for all Kings, Princes, and Minifters, and, in fine, for all Mankind in general. Lewis the Twelfth was always Wife, Valiant, and Generous And during his whole Reign, never deviated in the leaft from this Character, but died ador'd by his Subjects, and admir'd by the whole World.

IF Lewis the Twelfth, faid Urania, had not, by this Behaviour to Tremouille, given us the Idea of a Prince truly great and wife, the Moderation of that General had taught us never to abuse the Glory of a noble Action.

It is true, faid Orfames, but all Men are not always the fame on different Occafions. Perhaps, if Tremouille had been the Vanquish'd, he could not have behav'd with the fame Temper, as, being Conqueror, he did. But, continued he, I believe we have faid all that is neceffary on this Subject, and it is now time to leave Florinda and Camilla to the Liberty of their Reflections.

AT these Words all the Company took leave of these fair Coufins, and our happy Couples retir'd to tafte the Sweets of that Repofe, which Virtue and rewarded Tenderness can never fail to afford.

THE

THE

EIGHTH DAY.

U

RANIA was no fooner drefs'd, than fhe went into the Apartment of Camilla and Florinda, where the found the amiable Julia, who having been fome time out of Bed, were preparing to come to her. The lamont, Oropbanes, and Orfames, came in the Moment after; none of this agreeable Society being miffing but Felicia, Urania engaged them to reproach her with preferring the Charms of Sleep to their Converfation, or the Pleafures which the Morning affords.

I ASSURE you, anfwer'd Orophanes, that you have nothing to reproach her with on that fcore; the rofe this Morning with Aurora, and it was only the Fear that your Inclinations would not correfpond with hers, which made her not difturb you. This Day being the Firft of May, he is gone into the Gardens, indulging Contemplation with those Ideas which the Seafon affords.

THIS Information of Orophanes's was followed by a long Difcourfe on the Beauties of the Spring, which at length turn'd the Conversation on the Order of Nature, and the Divine Power by which it was governed and directed. If one made thefe Reflections frequently, faid Urania, Humanity would be enabled to preserve itfelf from falling into Errors; and Juftice and Equity would be the eternal Guide of all our Actions.

How, replied

replied Orophanes, do you believe then, Madam, that to be juft and equitable, there needs to have recourfe to things fo high? Doubtless, faid Thelamont, all Men are born with a Defire to pass for virtuous: 'Tis a Title we fet fo great a Rate upon, that there is nothing of which we are so jealous, however the Corruption of Inclination, or Examples, may render our Actions vaftly distant from deferving it. I believe the most vicious of Mankind, if he looks ferioufly into himself, will find he is not without thofe Seeds of Justice put into him by Divine Providence, tho' ftifled and kept from Growth by_the Prevalence of deftructive Paffions.

THE Man, who free from Malice, Envy, or SelfIntereft, takes in hand no Enterprize prejudicial to his Neighbour, who willingly gives to every one the Honour which is due to him; and who truly weighs the Degrees of Merit he fees other People poffeffed of; who gratefully remembers every little Service done him, and is proud of all Occafions to return the Favours he receives; fuch a Man, I think, may be allowed to be juft.

On the contrary, a Man who on every little Occafion, or Ill-humour, fhall detract from the Merits of his Friend, or throw undeferv'd Afperfions on his Enemy, cannot be accounted any other than a dangerous Perfon, and whofe Society ought to be avoided by all Lovers of Tranquillity.

I Do not here pretend to make a Contrast between the Virtues or Vices of Mankind, but only to prove, that one cannot acquire the one, without looking up to the Divine Source of it; nor fall into the other without forgetting him.-That Virtue which appears voluntary in our Actions, is first regulated and fashioned by our Intentions; and what can form thofe Intentions, but that Spark of the heavenly Effence, which gives us, in fome measure, a Similitude of our Maker; and which, before we can be guilty of Ill, muft either be not remembred in the fudden Heat of fome outragious Paffion, or ftifled by a continual Practice of Vice ? And of these latter Sort I hope we have but few Examples. Farther, to prove the Truth of what I fay, make but

your