301 [=303]

Lett. lxxxi Letters Historical and Galant. 301

Continuation of the Mercury.

" The Province of Languedoc is now in Repose, its going to be flush of Money too, for the King permits
" it by Letters Patents registred in Parliament the 25th. of October to borrow three hundred Thousand Livres upon
" the Rent of the twelfth Penny. This new Opulence will put them in Condition of giving what they call the free
" Gift, but which may more properly be called the forced one, for the King demands it every year of the States of this
" Province, in a manner not to be refused.; and what was formerly but a little Tribute, is now a great Contribution.

" The poor Queen of Spain would want greatly the power of raising such from her Subjects; for she has been
" obliged, to help her husband, to send her Jewels and Plate to Bayonne, where all was ^pawned to help the Necessities
" of Philip, who has not received from Seville the money he demanded. This is a very melancholy Situation, and
" Crowned Heads methinks should not be exposed to such pressing necessities, their Elevation to the throne should pre
" serve them from them. However the Queen of Spain is not the first that such a thing happened to; Mary de Medici
" Widow, Mother and Mother in law of Kings, dyed so miserably at Cologne, that having Nothing when dying to
" recompence the Fidelity of some of her Women that had not abandoned her in her bad fortune, she made them
" come to her bed side, and asking for a Pair of Scissors divided among them a little Royal Mantle the unfor-
" tunate Remains of her former Grandeur, and the only mark of it she had preserved. I had this Circumstance
" of her Misfortunes from people of Credit, and if it may not be thought new enough for a place in a Mercury
" Galant, I shall answer that Aglae's Conversion is yet more ancient and less worth notice, because tis a thing
" of Devotion, and Devotees are not the Bulk of the Readers of Mercuries Galant.

" Since Mr. Du Fresny tells us that General Hompesch has been named by our Enemies to the
" Government of Douay, I may in example of him tell you that they design that of Aire to the Count de
" Nassau Woudembourg, otherwise called Count Corneille, son of the late Mr. d'Ouwerkerque.

" The Experiment about Vitriol which Mr. du Fresny mentions afterwards, and the method he gives us
" for making it of all colours, does not make me take Courage enough to venture to talk to you about Chymestry,
" or to tell you that the Sieur Porcheron has fix'd up Bills here, boasting to cure all Sorts of Rheumatisms and
" Gouts, let those disorders be never so inveterate, and this by means of a Pomatum composed of Simples. The
" Dean of the Faculty of Paris, has made Experiments of this Remedy and given his Licence for the sale of it.
" I shall say no more of it, and shall imitate Mr. du Fresny, who after telling us of an infallible specifick
" for lengthing the Life of Man by abridging distempers, is better pleased to give us a Song, than tell us
" fine a Secret. So I shall let Mr. Porcheron and his Pomatum alone, and give you a little Song by a very
" good Author, and said to be made for the Countess of **

Song.

Another by the same Hand.