Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/275

Rh to the queen dowager of England, conſort to king James the IId. then reſiding at St. Germains, to whom he paid his court, purſued the fame raſh meaſures as at Avignon.

During his ſtay at Paris, his winning addreſs, and aſtoniſhing parts, gained him the eſteem and admiration of all British ſubjects of both parties who happened to be there. The earl of Stair, then embaſſador at the court of France from the king of Great Britain, notwithſtanding all the reports to the marquis’s diſadvantage, thought proper to ſhew ſome reſpect to the repreſentative of ſo great a family, which had ſo reſolutely ſupported the preſent adminiſtration, eſpecially as he was a young man of ſuch great perſonal accompliſhments, both natural and acquired, and bleſt with a genius ſo capable of ſerving his country even in the moſt eminent ſtation.

Theſe conſiderations induced lord Stair, who was a prudent, diſcerning miniſter, to countenance the young marquis, give him frequent invitations to his table, and to uſe him with diſtinguiſhing civility. The earl was likewiſe in hopes, by theſe gentle meaſures, and this inſinuating behaviour, to win him to his party, which he had good reaſon to think he hated. His excellency never failed to lay hold of every opportunity, to give him ſome admonitions, which were not always agreeable to the vivacity of his temper, and ſometimes provoked him to great indiſcretions. Once in particular, the ambaſſador extolling the merit, and noble behaviour of the marquis’s father, added, ‘That he hoped he would follow ſo illuſtrious an example of fidelity to his prince, and love to his country, by treading in the ſame ſteps.’Upon which the marquis immediately anſwered, ‘That he thanked his excellency for his good advice, and as his excellency had alſo a worthy and deſerving father, he hoped he would likewiſe copy ſo bright an original and tread in all his ſteps.’ This