enforced among the Austrian troops. This task was the more easy, because the whole regiment was formed of Germans, and all commands were issued in the German language. The proprietors of German regiments in the service of France were besides allowed perfect latitude in all that concerned the equipment and the discipline of their soldiers.

Prince Auguste passed a year with his regiment, during which period he made short excursions into Languedoc and Provence; he visited Montpellier just at the time that the states of Languedoc were there assembled. M. le Prince de Beauvau, who was at the head of the provinces, kept open house in that town with great magnificence. The Archbishop of Narbonne, M. de Dillon, the Archbishop of Toulouse-afterwards Cardinal de Brienne-were there at the head of the clergy; they were then extremely popular, and were considered very efficient administrators of affairs. The province of Languedoc, while under the regulation of these States, was said to be extremely well managed. Luxury and magnificence abounded at Montpellier during the sitting of the States, and, as it was the first time Prince Auguste had ever witnessed such a sight, he formed a high idea of a country where so much splendour and grandeur reigned in a town of one of its provinces.

During his stay in Provence, he visited Marseilles, the commerce of which sea-port was in a most flourishing condition; Toulon, with its beautiful naval institutions, kept him in a state of perpetual admiration. Prince d'Arenberg quitted Uzès at the end of a year, and proceeded to Paris. And now it is that he may be said to make his first entrance into the world. The German princes connected with a line of sovereigns held no rank in the court of France. Now the Duc d'Arenberg was exceedingly tenacious about the dignity of his house, and was particularly anxious that his son, whose destiny it was to be attached to this court, might not find himself inferior in rank to anybody there: accordingly, he employed the following means to carry out his wishes on this subject.

Since the house of Bourbon had reigned in Spain, it had been decided by the two courts of France and Spain, that the dukes and peers of France, and the grandees of Spain, of the highest class, should reciprocally enjoy the same rank and the same honours. In consequence of the death of the old Count de la Marck, which happened in 1773, the Duc d'Arenberg applied to the court of Spain for permission for his son, Prince Auguste (whom we shall henceforth designate as the Comte de la Marck), to assume his deceased grandfather's rank. The court of Spain immediately granted this request, which had been made by Marie Thérèse, as well as the Duc d'Arenberg, The young Comte de la Marck, therefore, appeared at the court of France in possession of the rank of duke and peer, and of all the dignities of his new rank. But the estates of the house of La Marck, which fell into the hands of the house of Arenberg, were to become the property of the eldest son. These titles and new rank at the court of France, which had become the share of the Comte de la Marck, gave him on his arrival in Paris, in October 1773, all the advantages for entering upon a brilliant career. About this time he became intimate with the Prince de Poix, and the Vicomte de Noailles, the sons of the Comte de Noailles, who was afterwards Maréchal of France, under the title of Duc de Mouchy. He, as well as his wife, afterwards displayed the most noble firmness and courage when they perished on the revolutionary scaffold. The Comtesse de Noailles had been lady of honour to the queen, Marie Leczinska, and at this time

fulfilled the same duties about the person of the dauphiness, Marie Antoinette. Though the Comte and Comtesse de Noailles were, perhaps, rather too particular in matters of etiquette, yet their goodness in all essential points, caused this slight weakness to be readily overlooked. It is quite probable that among the number of those people who ridiculed the Comte and Comtesse's singularity, were some who, at a later period, visited upon Marie Antoinette, as a great crime, her frequent contempt of etiquette, and chose to consider this as one of the causes of the revolution. Justice is a virtue which is very little exercised in courts or elsewhere.

The Comte de Noailles, as well as his eldest brother, the Duc de Noailles, had passed his youth with Louis XV.: their family, partly on account of its connection with that of Madame de Maintenon, had been treated with great consideration by the court since Louis XIV.'s time, and was in possession of all those offices which brought it near the person of the sovereign. Thus the Comte de Noailles was governor of Versailles, of the Trianon, of Marly, and St. Hubert. Louis XV. was frequently in the habit of making little excursions to these residences, and it was the Duc de Noailles to whom he mentioned the persons he should wish to be invited to these parties of pleasure, and who made the list of of them.

The Comte and Comtesse de Noailles had become much attached to the Comte de la Marck, and treated him with almost parental kindness. As court favours were highly valued by them, they were exceedingly anxious that their protégé should enjoy some of them. Soon after the arrival of the Comte de la Marck in Paris, the court took up its abode at Fontainbleau for five weeks, the Comte de Noailles procured him an invitation, and, consequently, apartments in the château. These pleasureexcursions to Fontainbleau were always performed with great magnificence, and during the residence of the court there, all kinds of entertainments were given, and there were generally numerous hunting parties All the great houses were open to foreigners, where they were received with much more splendour and consideration than they would have been in any other country. Foreigners flocked, therefore, in great numbers to France at the time when these excursions were so frequent; and as the foreign ministers and ambassadors held very brilliant establishments at Fontainbleau, everybody found the hours of each day agreeably occupied. The ambassador of the Emperor of Germany, the Comte de Mercy Argenteau, who was a friend of the Duc d'Arenberg, and his son's guardian in France, explained to the latter that it was essential for him to be presented to Madame du Barry. Marie Thérèse was extremely anxious that anybody who went from the court of Austria to the court of France should not be wanting in attention to this favourite. In consequence of this circumstance the Comte de Mercy, a few months later, presented to her the Maréchal de Lacy, and the Duc d'Arenberg, the father of the Comte de la Marck, who happened to be in France. The education which M. de la Marck had received from his parents at Brussels, had grafted in him principles of honour and moral habits which were strangely wounded with what he beheld at his presentation to Madame du Barry. Ambassadors, foreign ministers, and persons of the highest distinction thronged a small ante-chamber to await the appearance of the favourite. After expecting her for half-an-hour she at length arrived; then there was much crushing and pushing against each other to make room for her to pass, and so much anxiety displayed to pay her homage. When the

Comte de Mercy presented the Comte de la Marck to the Comtesse du Barry, he explained to her that he had newly entered the king's service, and would henceforth dwell in France. She addressed a few commonplace questions to M. de la Marck, just as a princess might have done, and he had scarcely time to answer them before his place was taken by others who were desirous of gaining the notice of the favourite, or of obtaining one of her glances. Though M. de la Marck was young, he was much distressed at this sight, which completely overturned the ideas which he had formed with regard to true dignity.

After three weeks' stay at Fontainbleau, M. de la Marck paid a visit to Brussels; here he was surrounded by a moral and well-regulated family; by parents who loved him, and was in the habit of going frequently to the court of Prince Charles of Lorraine, that prince who was so well known for his goodness, and on account of the affection which his subjects bore him in the Low Countries. Thus M. de la Marck lived in quite a different atmosphere to that of the court of France. His superior mind and character, which already discovered that noble dignity for which he was so remarkable all his life, made him feel quite at ease in this distinguished and right-thinking society: it was with considerable regret, therefore, that, at the end of three months, he set out again for France. But on his return to this country he was fortunate enough to meet with some friends and agreeable acquaintances, who, in some measure, supplied the place of his family; these were the Prince de Poix, the Vicomte de Noailles, the Vicomte de Ségur, and the two sons of the Comtesse de Grammont. Madame de Grammont, who had been in childhood the Duchesse d'Arenberg's friend, took particular delight in treating M. de la Marck as her own son. From this time his intimacy with the Vicomte de Noailles, and the Vicomte Louis de Ségur may be dated. He was continually at Versailles, for the Comte de Noailles procured him constant invitations to hunt with the king; and more often than not he was present at suppers which were given after the hunting parties, and which were called, les soupers dans les cabinets. Madame du Barry was always to be seen at these suppers, and a few other ladies joined them as well; the Maréchale de Mirepoix, for instance, the Comtesse de Rosen, and the Comtesse d'Harville. Among the guests, too, were generally about thirty courtiers, who were selected from those who held offices about the court, and perhaps about twenty other persons who frequented the court, and were in the habit of joining the hunting parties. The Prince de Poix, the eldest son of the Comte de Noailles, was always present in right of the position which he held, for at that time he was governor of Versailles, Trianon, Marly, &c., while his father, who was called upon to fulfil the duties connected with these offices, was to succeed to the dignity in case of his son's death. This singular mode of bestowing a post on a son, with the reversion to the father, and of requiring the latter to fulfil the duties of it during his son's life, was then quite common. The king always played at piquet with Madame du Barry at these suppers, most frequently in opposition to the Maréchale de Mirepoix and the Prince de Soubise, and sometimes against the Marquis de Chauvelin, who was among the king's favourites.

It was about this time that the marquis, who was playing with the king, fell down dead suddenly in an apoplectic fit: he was immediately carried into the gallery, but the king showed very little feeling about the melancholy occurrence. Other parties for piquet were formed in the

same apartment, as well as the king's, but the game always concluded before his was finished, in order that those present on these occasions might draw near him. Louis XV. was remarkably polished, especially towards women, and though at the period of which we are speaking he was more than sixty years old, his face was still very handsome, and his smile most agreeable. During the winter, excursions to Marly frequently took place; in the evening everything went forward precisely like the suppers dans les cabinets.

Nobody dined with the king, but a good dinner was prepared for everybody. Each day there were hunting-parties, and those who did. not join them, spent their time in playing at eards; then there was the ceremony every day of the lever and the coucher, and all who had received invitations to Marly were obliged to be present on these occasions. These excursions to Marly, &c., were frequently very wearisome to the Comte de la Marck. He did not fully appreciate the honour which others so eagerly sought to obtain; and he often sighed to return to Paris, which to him possessed so many attractions. Sometimes, therefore, as soon as the king went out hunting, he would spring into a carriage, and hasten to Paris, in order to enjoy a few hours there. He was always careful to return by the supper hour; but if the Comte de Noailles caught him in these pranks he always severely reprimanded him.

While this was the usual mode of living at the court, very different were the habits of that society of which the dauphin and dauphiness formed a centre. The dauphin, whose morals were very strict, did not unfortunately possess a very agreeable address, and expressed himself awkwardly and abruptly, but the dauphiness charmed all who approached her, by the elegance and dignity of her manners, and especially by her goodness of heart. Monsieur the Comte de Provence and Madame had separate establishments. Monsieur early showed a desire to seek for superior intelligence and information in those who surrounded him; he had a natural love of reading and study, and was gifted with an extraordinary memory, of which he was not a little vain; he delighted in telling anecdotes, and in making quotations. His address, however, was anything but pleasing, and his pedantry wearied the dauphiness. Madame lived in great privacy, and spent most of her time with her ladies in waiting, but she was not without intelligence.

M. le Comte d'Artois possessed a very pleasing countenance, and fine figure, and his manners were particularly fascinating; he excelled in all manly exercises, for he displayed so much grace and agility; he was anxious to please, and was very fond of the dauphiness's society. She, on her side, entertained a sincere friendship towards him. Madame la Comtesse d'Artois, who was ugly, awkward, and dull, disgusted everybody; her natural tastes were of a less exalted nature than those of her sister. Both of these princesses offered few attractions in the way of society to the dauphiness.

It was in these very different circles that the Comte de la Marck was in the habit of moving, when his military duties did not require him to join his regiment; he was much more energetic in the performance of them, than most colonels were at that period. He had studied military science in all its branches, and had taken care to apply his knowledge towards improving his regiment which was spoken of as one of the most distinguished in the French army.

It does not form part of our place to enumerate all the events which

took place either in France or Europe, after the death of Louis XV., and during the first few years of Louis XVI.'s reign; but it will be necessary to allude to the war which broke out between England and France, when the United States of North America declared their independence. This war, as is well-known, extended all over the globe, and gave the French navy an opportunity of distinguishing itself, and of wiping away the recollection of the disasters which attended it during the Seven Years' War. M. de la Marck's regiment was despatched to India, and its colonel was placed under the command of lieutenant-general Count de Bussy, and accompanied the squadron so brilliantly headed by the Bailley de Suffren. Though the campaign in India was not attended with very fortunate results, M. de la Marck succeeded in distinguishing himself in the little army of which he formed a part. He was seriously wounded at the battle of Gondelour, by a ball which entered his chest, the effects of which he felt for a long time. After the peace he returned to France with his regiment, and was, soon after, mixed up in a duel, which created a great sensation in Paris, and was followed by most unfortunate consequences to himself.

RAMBLES THROUGH ROME.*

THE name of Italy has the power to awaken a thousand pleasant associations. Let us be ever so old, what is left to us of imagination kindles at the mention of Livy, Sallust, Horace, and Virgil. Our earliest days are the longest remembered, and memory leaps over the intervening years between the present and the days when we exulted at the eloquence of Cicero, at the wit and fancy of Horace, and at the biting sarcasm of Juvenal.

The history, the cities, the people, the very climate of Italy exercise a fascination. With what pleasure have we trod the Forum, mounted the Capitol, and seized the full-moon night for a visit to the Coliseum ! How have we sported on the blue Bay of Naples, whilst the white smoke of old Vesuvius wreathed in circles over the summit of the mountain, and the waves sparkled under the warm beams of a southern sun! Nor unknown to us is the shady Cascine at Florence; nor the Boboli, resort of many a laughing girl; nor the Lung' Arno, where, as the shades of evening crept on, we stole along to see the moon rise and bathe in its silver light the waters beneath. As we have gazed, before sunset, from the Campanile of Venice, full many a sight has rewarded us. Well, too, we know old Milan, with its Corso Francesco, up and down which, on a lazy afternoon, lounge the sun-loving Milanese. From the top of the Duomo, too, we have looked over the plains of Lombardy, and, far and wide, luxuriant vegetation has met the eye. Looming in the distance, snow-capped, rise the Alps.

Though Italy has been so often treated of, still the last news from the Flaminian Gate, if they come not in the form in which they came last autumn, are welcome. But the Chevalier de Chatelain is not the man * Rambles through Rome, by the Chevalier de Chatelain.

VOL. XXX.

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