281 [=283]

Lett. lxxvii. Letters Historical and Galant. 281

to send you the book, besides that this would swell the Pacquet too much, as those that are printed in Holland are Contraband Goods at Paris, you might be brought into trouble about it, in case your letters should chance to be opened. So as I should be in despair that the least uneasiness might happen you, and study nothing but to procure you pleasure. I thought of a way to do it without Risque; that is to insert every time I write to you, some fragments of this Mercury in my Letters, and to send it to you piece by piece. I shall begin with the Authors preface. Tis proper to let you know that the Author is of the fair sex, and that to give more life to the work tis supposed that a pretended Countess L.M. writes from Versailles to her friends in Provence. It begins as follows.

A New Mercury Galant from the Courts of Europe Versailles. November 1st 1750.

"You do me great honour, Madam, in Applying to me, to know the Success of the new Mercury Galant; you might have consulted a better taste than mine, who have no great right to decide between pieces of Wit. However, if it be only to tellyou the Sentiments of the Court about it, and to certify the truth of some facts. I dare assure you you could not fall into better hands; the rank I hold here and my acquaintance with those that are most in the Confidence of our Divinities, makes me ignorant of nothing almost that passes in our Court so that you may reckon that the News you have from me will be from the first hand. My desire to satisfy your Curiosity made me read the new Mercury with a good deal of Application. The Author's Name had prejudiced me before in his Favour, and I never doubted but that he that gave us such pretty Amusements Serious and Comical, was a proper man for amusing the Publick agreeably. Opinions are however divided at Court and in town in relation to this new Mercury. The hired flatterers extoll it to the skyes. The Rigid Parizans of truth pretend he Ought to speak out a little more boldly; and as I take a mean between two Contraries, I am extremely sorry for the constraint he is under, and Imagine that if he would give a little more flight to his Wit and [???] his book would be much better; and we should find several little pretty stories, which troublesome Politicks do not permit him to insert. This is a sad Situation for an Author, and Methinks Mr. Defresny makes us sensible of his Condition in the following Enigma of his.