Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/276

266 This was a ſevere ſarcaſm, as the ambaſſador’s father had betrayed his maſter in a manner that was quite ſhameful. He acted the ſame part in Scotland which Sunderland did in England. They puſhed on king James the IId. to take violent and unconſtitutional meaſures, to make his ruin certain: They ſucceeded in their ſcheme, and after the Revolution, boaſted their conduct as meritorious; but however neceſſary it might be for king William, upon principles of policy to reward the betrayers, he had yet too good a heart to approve the treachery.—But to return to the marquis, we ſhall mention another of his juvenile fights, as an inſtance to what extravagant and unaccountable exceſſes, the inconſtancy of his temper would ſometimes tranſport him.

A young Engliſh ſurgeon, who went to Paris, to improve himſelf in his buſineſs, by obſerving the practice in the celebrated hoſpitals, paſſing by the embaſſador’s houſe on the 10th of June at night, took the liberty to break his excellency’s windows becauſe there was no bonfire before his door. Upon this outrage he was ſeized and committed priſoner to Fort L’Eveque. This treatment of the young ſurgeon was reſented by the marquis; but he ſought for no other ſatisfaction than to break the ambaſſador’s windows a ſecond time. Accordingly his lordſhip propoſed it to an Iriſh lieutenant-general, in the ſervice of France, a gentleman of great honour and of the higheſt reputation for abilities in military affairs, deſiring his company and aſſiſtance therein. The general could not help ſmiling at the extravagance of the propoſal, and with a great deal of good-nature adviſed his lordſhip by all means not to make any ſuch attempts; ‘but if he was reſolutely bent upon it, he begg’d to be excuſed from being of the party, for it was a method of making war to which he had never been accuſtomed.’ We