open, the mistress. The toilet door being I walked in, in hopes of finding her there, but I foon faw my mistake; for upon one of the fophas I discovered a chapeau de bras and fword; which exciting my curiofity, I examined the room more clofely, and, behind the veil of the glafs, to my great delight, I perceived a Green box. In fhort, Monfieur De Sartine, who had come late from his Majefty, was at that moment in Madamoifelle Du The's arms, while his Green box was in mine, and I leave you to think which of the two was the best pleased. I immediately fnatched up this treasure of fecrecy, and, hiding it under my gown, without disturbing my brother, who was occupied in devotion, I haftened home to study politics. I own, at firft I had fome fcruples about opening the box, but I reflected how much it was the duty of my profeffion to difcover all fecrets; and I argued, that if if it was profane even in kings to conceal their thoughts from their confeffors, a minister who locked up his fecrets must be an enemy to religion, and, if not himself, certainly his Green box fhould be put to the question. -But why reveal these fecrets? It's fair to discover, but not to difclose them. -To this I answer, that the papers themselves must be my defence-Poffibly, fome critics may at firft be inclined to compare Sartine's box to Pandora's, and the editor to a fecond Epimetheus; but they will foon do me the juftice to make fome diftinction between us. It was not till after he had opened his box that war and discord broke forth; but all the mischief was done in France, long before I opened M. Sartine's. The fable fays, Hope alone refted at the bottom: an allegory, very flattering to the Editor of the Green box: In fhort, if these papers fhew how little reafon we have have to depend on the French miniftry, or the English oppofition, I fhall truft to the judgment of every friend of France to approve or condemn this publication.—O you, my countrymen, whom I love, and who ought to love me for flying my country for your fake,* will you not at last think and act like Frenchmen of true spirit? As foon as the Editor had determined to publish thefe papers, he thought it advifeable to retire to Holland. The Baftille has never been a friend to the Liberty of the Prefs. |