overawe the garrison of Montmelian; and since the duke of Savoy is willing to be at the expence of this, I had no inclination to interrupt him in erecting it. As soor as it is completely furnished with guns and ammunition, it shall become your majesty's without the cost of building." Henry felt the justice of this idea, and the general performed his promise.

TURENNE, on his return from his brilliant campaign in Westphalia, received from Louis the Fourteenth the kindest and most distinguished attentions: and the king, who was usually sparing of his commendation, on this occasion was lavish in his praises; telling him among other things, that the marquis of Saint Arbre should no longer serve under him, because in his letters to the minister, he had blamed some of the general's Why did he not address himself to me?" said Turenne. I should have listened to him with pleasure, and might probably have profited by his advice." He then excused, and even commended, the conduct of Saint Arbre; and obtained for him preferment, with a promise that he should not be deprived of an officer of such distinguished merit.

measures.

IF any one affirms that he has heard things of you which demand satisfactory explanation, ́and

of such a nature that it is indispensable for you to require it, either treat this informer with contempt, or force a full and immediate explanation fron him, in preference to seeking it, perhaps in vain, elsewhere. By these means you will probably impose silence on one who wished to speak ill of you; yon will save a friend, where you might have found an enemy, in refusing to believe what had been falsely reported; and you will rid yourself of characters who are always base and perfidious, and such as no man of honour would desire to have any connection with.

188

LETTER XI.

ON THE DANGER OF THE PASSIONS.

Do not imagine that I am in this letter about to write a treatise of morality. I shall only consider the passions in their relation to the military character. There are three of these which in your profession, above all others, are the causes of the most fatal mischiefs. These ' are the more ensnaring, from being in their principle and nature not dishonourable, but becoming disgraceful only by the excesses to which they too often lead.

I SHALL not say to you, that you must not love, you must not drink, you must never play. On the contrary, I will tell you that honourable love was, in happier times, the great charm of life, and the source of many noble and heroic actions; and true gallantry never excluded any of the military virtues. I will tell you likewise, that in the free and familiar intercourse of the table, where decency and gaiety alike preside, wine, taken in moderation, expands the heart,

animates the spirits, and warms the feelings of friends toward each other.. With regard to play, I shall be the first to advise your acquiring those common games which will not only render you an acceptable companion to the other sex, but supply yourself with an amusement in the hours of intermission from the business and fatigues of your duty. But I conjure you, never to suffer these pleasures to be to you any thing but pleasures: for believe me, they will cease to be such as soon as they assume the character of passions; they will then lead you on from one degree of excess to another, and will not leave it in your power to emancipate yourself from their dominion.

I SHALL make each of these passions the subject of a separate letter.

190

LETTER XII.

ON LOVE.

OF all the passions, love is undoubtedly the most dangerous; for it not unfrequently seduces even reason itself; and as it is upon our sensibility that its empire is established, it assaults us in every point that is most interesting and dear to us. It has the quality of accominodating itself to the ideas of those whom it wishes to surprise; and the beauty that begins to affect us, appears always to us every thing that we desire it should be. Mistrust yourself, in this passion, more than in any other. It is not difficult to drink and to play, without being either a drunkard or a gamester: but it is impossible to tamper with love without becoming its slave; and the only method to resist its charms, is to fly from them.

You may be told, that honourable love has produced the most illustrious actions; and the history of ancient chivalry would furnish you numberless examples of this. But how are the times and the manners changed? It is now seb