When you confider this fact, and recollect the fituation of the present triumvirate council*, you will agree with

me, that Florence is abfolutely governed by a fingle vice-roy, a Lorrainefe,

The English are a happy people, if they were truly confcious, or could in any degree convince themselves, of their own felicity. They are the fortunati nimium. Let them travel abroad, not to fee fashions, but ftates, not to taste different wines, but different governments; not to compare laces and velvets, but laws and politics. They will then return home perfectly convinced, that England is poffeffed of more freedom, juftice, and happinefs, than any other nation under heaven. With thefe advantages, it will be our own fault if we fink into defolation and ruin.

I am, dear fir,

your ever faithful,

CORKE.

See Letter XI.

LETTER

LETTER XX.

Marignolle, May 31ft, 1755.

NSTEAD of thofe grave poli

IN

tical reflections, with which my late letters have been filled, this fhall convey to you, dear fir, fome anecdotes from the Court of Love. They begin in Lorrain, and, after a pretty long journey, will bring us back into Tufcany. If they amuse you, my end is answered. It is of no confequence from what quarter of the globe the amusement comes.

Leopold*, late duke of Lorrain, father

of

"His names were Leopold-Jofeph-Charles. He was born September 11, 1679, and died March 27, 1729. He was restored to his dominions, by the treaty of Ryfwick, in 1698. He was the fon of Charles-Leopold, called Charles IV. and EleoR 4

nora,

of Francis, the prefent emperor of Germany, was a prince of a very amorous constitution, and, 'though married to an amiable and moft deferving princess +, by whom he had feveral children ||, he lavished his time, and the revenues of

nora, daughter of the emperor Ferdinand III.” The present emperor and the great-duke of Tufcany are his grandfons.

+ He died fince this letter was written, August 18, 1765, aged 56.

"Elizabeth de Bourbon, daughter of Philip duke of Orleans, (brother of Lewis XIV.) by his fecond wife Charlotte-Elizabeth, daughter of Charles-Lewis, elector-palatine. She was born in 1676, and married in 1698. Before her marriage fhe was ftyled "Mademoiselle de Chartres.” See Les Souverains du monde, Tome iii. p. 327."

"She owed her marriage," fays Mr. Keyler, "to baron Lilienroth, the Swedish envoy, who, " at the peace of Ryfwick, proposed it to the "houfe of Lorrain, as a means for creating a "better harmony between this court and that of "France." Keyler's Travels, vol. iv. p. 277.

Viz. the late emperor Francis, prince Charles of Lorrain, and two princeffes.

his dutchy, on his miftreffes, his illegi timate offspring, and the fycophantic minifters of his private pleasures, leaving his dutchess, and his lawful heirs, almoft in want of the neceffaries of life. In this diffolute manner he had mortgaged, or given away, fo many different branches of his revenue, that one of his counsellors of state, an old Lorrainefe, of great worth and honour, refolved to withdraw the duke from the brink of ruin by the following method. "Be

pleased, fir," said he, " to reward the "affiduity of my long and faithful fer"vices by a grant of the whole revenue "of your falt-works." Leopold, amazed at fo exorbitant a demand from one who had conftantly endeavoured to retard and stop the lavish gifts, that had been granted to other courtiers, afked him, what inducement he had to require fo profuse a gratuity? Sir," faid he, "I do not make this requeft to your

66

"royal highness, for my own fake, but for 66 yours.

t

1

39

yours. If you grant it, you will be obliged, merely for fubfiftence, to re"call the grant, and with it, I hope "you will recall all thofe exorbitant gifts and alienations, that have been difperfed among the most worthless, "the moft diffolute, and the most ungrateful of your fubjects."

•

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This anecdote will reprefent to you that part of duke Leopold's character arifing from his amours. I will now exhibit to you one or two of the amours themselves.

In the duke of Lorrain's army was a general officer, a Milanefe, the marquefs of * **, who had married a lady of his own country. The husband and the wife were much efteemed and diftinguifhed. He for, his conduct in the field, and his understanding in the cabinet: the, for her beauty, her virtue, and her prudence. The perpetual wars of duke Leopold frequently called the hufband to a confiderable diftance, and left

the