Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/112

106 XIV. during the greater part of his reign, was regarded, not only in France, but over all Europe, as the mot perfect model of a great prince. But what were the talents and virtues by which he acquired this great reputation? Was it by the crupulous and inflexible jutice of all his undertakings, by the immene dangers and difficulties with which they were attended, or by the unwearied and unrelenting application with which he purued them? Was it by his extenive knowledge, by his exquiite judgment, or by his heroic valour? It was by none of thee qualities. But he was, firt of all, the mot powerful prince in Europe, and conequently held the highet rank among kings; and then, ays his hitorian, "he urpaed all his courtiers in the gracefulnes of his hape, and the majetic beauty of his features. The ound of his voice, noble and affecting, gained thoe hearts which his preence intimidated. He had a tep and a deportment which could uit only him and his rank, and which would have been ridiculous in any other peron. The embarrament which he occaioned to thoe who poke to him, flattered that ecret atifaction with which he felt his own uperiority." Thee frivolous accomplihments, upported by his rank, and, no doubt too, by a degree of other talents and virtues, which eems, however, not to have been much above mediocrity, etablihed this prince in the eteem of his own age, and have drawn, even from poterity, a good deal of repect for his memory. Compared with thee, in his own times, and in his&ensp;