Fell asleep, and dreamed of John Gray.
MADAME VILLARS.
When the husband of Madame de Villars, mother of the celebrated general, was ambassador in Spain, the marchioness observes, in a letter to her friend, Madame de Coulanges, that no one who had ever been in Spain would build castles there[1].
In another letter she tells her, that she had been making an excursion on the river, the Mançanares, but found it so dusty, she was obliged to quit it. In explanation of this apparent hyperbole, she adds, that the river consists of a few little streams of water here and there, but not sufficient to moisten the fine sand on the borders, which is raised in clouds by the feet of the horses, that draw the barges along. A wit advised one of the kings of Spain, who had built a long and fine bridge over it, either to sell his bridge, or purchase a river for it.
REGNIER.
James Regnier, a physician of Beaune in France, who flourished in the beginning of the seventeenth century, was celebrated not only for his professional skill, but for his talents as a poet, which he displayed chiefly in the Latin language. He composed many little pieces in verse, in praise of the king, Lewis XIII. and among the rest a couplet, that was placed under a portrait of him. As the pencil of the artist did not do him much credit, a wit of the court observed, that "the poet was the best painter."
FATHER AISEMENT.
Father Aisement, of the order of Minims, having the office of Lent preacher, some of his doctrines did not please a bachelor in divinity, of the name of Thibault. In consequence of this the young divine composed a few indifferent verses, in which he attempted to ridicule the preacher by playing on his name; and employed a person to hand them to him just as he was mounting the pulpit. The reverend father took the paper, read it, and said, "It is from a poor man who has lost his wits, and for whom the prayers of this congregation are desired."
BODONI.
Bodoni, the celebrated printer of Parma, told M. de Creuze, that one day a captain in the Austrian service came into his shop, and asked to see one of his best books. Bodoni put a Horace into his hands, which the officer had the patience to examine very composedly, leaf after leaf, from the beginning to the end, and then said, "Who is Horace?"
FASHIONABLE FURNITURE.
PLATE 19
Is a representation of a window-curtain, the design of Mr. Allen of Pall-Mall, who has lately submitted to the public some of the most chaste and elegant patterns of calicoes we have ever seen.
The taste displayed by him, in the manner of forming the drapery, his connection of the most vivid with the serenest colours, and the tout-ensemble of the production, are equally admirable. We are happy to see the classic elegance of the ancients revived amongst us.
This curtain is intended as an ap-
- ↑ In French, building castles in Spain is equivalent to our expression of building castles in the air.
