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unable to refuse, but it only tended to confirm the paffion that carried him flowly to his grave.

The Chevalier de MENIL was fet at liberty, but exiled to his estate at Anjou. She was detained fome months longer. The correspondence by letters was renewed: but MENIL, now at liberty and among his acquaintances, was lefs paffionate and exact than MENIL in the Bastile.

"Being at a window, I faw MAISON-ROUGE coming "in a great hurry across the court with a paper in his "hand. He entered my room in a state of perturba"tion that alarmed me. While I was looking at him "with aftonishment, he gave me the paper-it was "the lettre de cachet that set me at liberty :-You are

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now free, said he, and I lofe you-I most ardently "defired this moment-I would have given my life to

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procure your liberty—it is obtained, and I fhall cease "to see you!" She was discharged from the Bastile on the 6th of June 1720. The cat, that had amused her in her folitude, became the favourite companion of MAISON-ROUGE.-He fays, in a letter to her, dated the 7th, "I wished you away-you are gone, and I wretched."

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am

The robust health of MAISON-ROUGE from this time

VOL. IV.

5 Y

gradually

gradually declined. To reftore it, he was fent to drink the waters in his native province, where in a few months he ended his life," of which he had long been weary."

Mademoiselle de LAUNAY refumed her place about the perfon, and in the confidence, of the Duchefs of MAINE. But the impatience of de MENIL to fee her, fell infinitely fhort of what she had expected. The impreffions he had received, while a prisoner like herself, were gone off; and after a few months spent in pretexts on one hand, and disappointment on the other, their connection ended,

RONDELL was taken into the fervice of the Duchefs of MAINE.-Mademoiselle de LAUNAY refused several proposals of marriage, and, among others, of DACIER, after the death of his celebrated wife. She at last married Monfieur de STAAL, an officer of a good family, but small fortune, and a widower with two daughters. She died at Paffy, on the 15th of June 1750.

.SECT.

SECT. XCIX.

HABIT.

-This is an art

which doth mend nature, change it rather; but

the art itself is nature.

SHAKESPEARE.

THERE is hardly any delufion by which men are greater fufferers in their happiness than by their expecting too much from what is called pleasure; that is, from thofe intenfe delights which vulgarly engrofs the name of pleasure. The very expectation spoils them. When they do come, we are often engaged in taking pains to perfuade ourselves how much we are pleased, rather than enjoying any pleasure which springs naturally out of the object. And whenever we depend upon being vaftly delighted, we moft frequently go home fecretly grieved at miffing our aim. Likewife, when this humour of being prodigiously delighted has once taken hold of the imagination, it hinders us from providing for, or acquiefcing in, thofe gentle foothing engagements, a due variety and fucceffion of which are the only things that fup5 Y 2

ply

ply a continued fiream of happiness. It has been fhewn, there is a limit at which they ever afterwards decline. They are by neceffity of short duration, as the organs cannot hold on their emotions beyond a certain length of time; and if you endeavour to compenfate for this imperfection in their nature, by the frequency with which you repeat them, you lose more than you gain by the fatigue of the faculties and diminution of fenfibility. We have in this account faid nothing of the lofs of opportunities, or the decay of faculties, which whenever they happen leave the voluptuary deftitute and desperate; teafed by defires that can never be gratified, and the memory of pleasures which must return no more. On the contrary, moderate enjoyment, admitting frequent reiteration without diminution, and occupying the mind without exhaufting it, gets gradually ftronger, till it becomes a HABIT. As business is often painful, and is never pleasant beyond a certain bound, the habitual increase of moderate pleasures, are admirably contrived for reconciling us to whatever courfe of life may be our lot. The HABITS themselves are much the fame; for whatever is made habitual becomes fmooth, and eafy, and often almost indifferent. The return to an old habit is likewife eafy, whatever the habit be. Therefore the advantage

advantage is on the fide of thofe habits which allow of indulgence in the deviation of them. The luxurious receive no greater pleasure from their dainties than the peasant does from his bread and cheefe; but the peasant whenever he goes abroad finds a feaft, whereas the epicure must be well entertained to escape difguft. Those who spend every day at a coffee-house reading the magazines and papers, and those who go every day to the plough, pass their time much alike; intent upon what they are about, wanting nothing, regretting nothing, they are both in a state of ease: but then, whatever fufpends the occupation of the frequenter of the coffeehouse distresses him; whereas to the labourer, every interruption is a refreshment: and this appears in the dif-' ferent effect that Sabbath produces upon the two, which proves a day of recreation to the one, but a lamentable burden to the other. The man who has learned to live alone, feels his fpirits enlivened whenever he enters into company, and takes his leave without regret: another, who has long been accustomed to a crowd or continual fucceffion of company, experiences in company no great elevation of spirits, nor much higher fatisfaction than what the man of a retired life finds in his chimneycorner. So far their conditions are equal: but let a

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