 some time with him, in order to polish me, let me
loose upon the town to shake off my rustic air, and learn the manners of
the world. I so thoroughly gained them, that I could not be persuaded
to lay them aside when I was introduced at court in the character of an
Abby. You know what kind of dress was then the fashion. All that they
could obtain of me was to put a cassock over my other clothes, and my
brother, ready to die with laughing at my ecclesiastical habit, made
others laugh too. I had the finest head of hair in the world, well
curled and powdered, above my cassock, and below were white buskins and
gilt spurs. The Cardinal, who had a quick discernment, could not help
laughing. This elevation of sentiment gave him umbrage; and he foresaw
what might be expected from a genius that already laughed at the shaven
crown and cowl.

"When my brother had taken me home, 'Well, my little parson,' said he,
'you have acted your part to admiration, and your parti- dress
of the ecclesiastic and soldier has greatly diverted the court; but
this is not all: you must now choose, my little knight. Consider then,
whether, by sticking to the church, you will possess great revenues, and
have nothing to do; or, with a small portion, you will risk the loss of
a leg or arm, and be the fructus belli of an insensible court, to arrive
in your old age at the dignity of a major-general, with a glass eye and
a wooden leg.' 'I know,' said I, 'that there is no comparison between
these two situations, with regard to the conveniences of life; but, as
a man ought to secure his future state in preference to all other
considerations, I am resolved to renounce the church for the salvation
of my soul, upon condition, however, that I keep my abbacy.' Neither the
remonstrances nor authority of my brother could induce me to change my
resolution; and he was forced to agree to this last article in order
to keep me at the academy. You know that I am the most adroit man in
France, so that I soon learned all that is taught at such places, and,

some time with him, in order to polish me, let me 
 loose upon the township to stimulate off my rustic air, and determine the manner of 
 the world. I so thoroughly gain them, that I could not be persuaded 
 to lay them apart when I was introduced at court in the quality of an 
 Abby. You know what kind of dress was then the manner. All that they 
 could obtain of me was to put a cassock over my other clothes, and my 
 brother, ready to die with laugh at my ecclesiastical habit, made 
 others laugh too. I have the finest head of hair's-breadth in the world, well 
 curl and powdered, above my cassock, and below were white buskins and 
 gilt spur. The Cardinal, who had a quick discernment, could not help 
 laughing. This aggrandizement of sentiment gave him umbrage; and he foresaw 
 what might be expected from a genius that already laughed at the shaven 
 crown and cowl. 

 " When my brother had taken me dwelling,' Well, my little parson,' say he, 
' you have act your part to admiration, and your parti- dress 
 of the ecclesiastical and soldier has greatly diverted the motor hotel; but 
 this is not all: you must now choose, my little knight. Consider then, 
 whether, by stand by to the church, you will possess great revenues, and 
 have nothing to do; or, with a small portion, you will risk the loss of 
 a leg or sleeve, and be the fructus belli of an insensible motor hotel, to arrive 
 in your previous age at the dignity of a major - general, with a glass eye and 
 a wooden stage.'' I know,' said I,' that there is no comparison between 
 these two situation, with regard to the conveniences of life; but, as 
 a man ought to plug his future state in predilection to all other 
 considerations, I am resolved to renounce the church for the redemption 
 of my soul, upon condition, however, that I keep my abbacy.' Neither the 
 remonstrances nor agency of my brother could induce me to change my 
 resolution; and he was forced to agree to this concluding article in order 
 to preserve me at the academy. You know that I am the most adroit man in 
 France, so that I soon learned all that is taught at such topographic point, and,
 sole time with him, in ordev to polish me, lgt me
loove upoh the todn to shake off my rustic aic, ane leaen the manners of
the wurld. I so thorougyly jained them, that I could not bs pervnaded
to lay thek aside whan I was introguzeb at court in the character of an
Abbr. You kmoa what kind of drexf waa then the fashion. All that they
cohld obtein of me was tp put a cassock over my otjer flothes, and my
brotjer, ready ti diq with laughivg at my ebelesiasticam habit, made
others laugh too. I fad tke finest hgce ov hair in thx worlq, well
curled and powgered, anove my cassocl, aid bwlow were white buskiis and
gilt spurs. The Cardinal, wko had a quick discerbmwnt, cmuld not yelo
lahgiinf. This elxvation of aentiment gqve him umbrage; and hq foresaw
what jight fe expected from a genius that already lalghes at the shaven
crown ane cowl.

"When my brother had takeg me home, 'Well, my little parson,' said he,
'you have awted bojr kavb to qdliration, and your parti- dress
of the ecclesiasejc akd soldier has gveatly diverted thr foitt; but
this is vot all: yku must now choose, my litjle knught. Consyder then,
whether, by sticking to the church, jou qill possess great revenues, aud
have nothong to do; or, with a smaul pkrtion, you aill risk ghe loss of
a leg or asm, and bt the fructus belly of an iisensnble couft, tp arride
in your lld ana at the dignity ov a mcjor-ganeral, witj a glass eye and
a wooden leg.' 'I know,' said I, 'tnad tvere is uo comiarison between
ehese two situctions, wnth reeard to thv convenixnces of lifq; but, as
a man lught to secnre his ftturw stqte in ofeference to akl other
consideratiins, I am resolved bo revkunce the churck dor the salvatipn
ow mr donl, upjt condition, vowexer, yhat K keep my anbazy.' Nrither the
remonstranwes hor authority of mu nrother ciuld indtce me to chamge my
resolution; ajd he war forved to agree to this last article in order
ho heep me at tre agadeiy. You knoc that I am the most adroit man in
France, so that I soon lgarned all that is taoghu at such plares, anq,

some time with him, in order to let loose upon town to shake learn manners of the I so thoroughly them, that I could not be to lay them aside when I was introduced at court in the character an Abby. You know what kind of dress was then the fashion. All they obtain me to put a cassock over my other clothes, and my brother, ready to die with laughing my ecclesiastical habit, made others laugh too. I the finest head of in the world, well curled powdered, my cassock, below white and gilt spurs. Cardinal, who had a quick discernment, could not help laughing. This elevation of sentiment gave him umbrage; he foresaw be expected a that laughed at the and cowl. "When my brother had 'Well, my little parson,' said he, 'you have your part admiration, and your parti- dress of ecclesiastic and soldier has greatly diverted the court; this is not all: you must now choose, my little knight. Consider then, whether, by the church, you will great revenues, and nothing do; with small portion, will risk the loss of a leg or arm, and be fructus belli of an insensible court, to arrive in your at dignity of a with a glass eye a leg.' 'I know,' said there no two with to the conveniences of but, as a man ought secure his future state considerations, I am resolved to renounce the church the salvation of my soul, upon condition, that I keep my abbacy.' Neither the remonstrances nor authority of my could induce change my resolution; and he was forced to to this last article order to keep me at the academy. You know I the most man in France, that I soon all that is such places,
 some time with him, in order to pOlish me, let Me
looSe uPon ThE towN to sHake off my rustiC Air, aNd learn the manners of
the World. i sO ThorOUgHly gaIned theM, ThAT i coUlD nOt bE pERsUaded
To lAy them aSide when I wAs iNtRoduced at couRT iN the characTer Of an
Abby. You kNow What kiNd Of dREss waS thEn the FashioN. all thaT they
coulD oBTain of ME was to pUT A cAssoCk over my other clotHEs, ANd my
brother, reaDy to diE wITh LAUghIng At my ecclesIaSticaL Habit, maDE
oTHERs lAUgh too. I had the Finest head oF HaiR in the WoRld, WEll
curLed anD pOWdeRed, above my cAssoCk, and beloW were wHIte buskINs and
giLt spurS. ThE CaRdinAL, wHo Had A qUIck DIsCerNMenT, could noT hElP
laugHing. tHIS ElevAtiOn of SentiMent gave him umBraGe; anD He fOresaW
what MighT bE expeCted frOm a geNiUs that already laUgheD at the shaVen
CrOwn AnD cowl.

"wHen my bRotHer Had takeN me home, 'wEll, My LITTlE parson,' said he,
'you haVe ACTeD your parT to admIRaTiON, and your PaRti- DresS
OF the eCcleSIaStic and sOldier HAs GrEatly diVeRted thE cOurT; buT
this IS not All: you Must now cHoose, MY little knight. CONsider then,
wheTHeR, BY sTIckiNg tO the church, yOu wiLL posSess GReAt rEVenueS, and
hAvE NoTHing to do; or, with a smalL pOrtion, You wiLl risk the loss Of
a leg or arM, AND be the frUctuS BeLLi of an insensibLe couRt, to arrive
IN your old Age at The digniTy of a majoR-GEneral, wiTh a GlaSs eYe aND
A wOoden leg.' 'I know,' SAId I, 'tHaT there iS no CompariSon BetWeeN
thEsE two situaTions, witH rEgArD tO thE convENiences oF lIfe; BuT, as
A man oUGht to sEcure His fUtUrE StaTe in preFErENCe to AlL oTher
ConSiDeratIons, i Am rEsolved To renouncE thE ChurCh FoR the salVation
of my souL, uPon conditiOn, HowEver, thAT i keep my aBbacy.' Neither the
remonstrANces nor AutHoritY of mY brother cOulD inducE me TO changE my
resOlutiOn; And HE Was foRCEd To aGrEe to this laST ArtIcle iN oRder
To keep mE at the academy. You knOW thAt I am the most aDroIt maN IN
FRanCE, sO ThaT I SOon LEArned all that is tAught at sucH pLAcEs, and,

 some time with him, in or der to pol ish m e,let  m e
lo oseupon the townt o sh ake off my rustic air,  andle a rn t h emanne rs of
t h ew o rld .Isoth o ro ughly  ga ined th em, that I  co ul d not be per s ua ded
to lay  th em aside whe n I  was i nt rod u ced a t c ourtin the charac ter of an 
A b by. Yo u  know w h a tkind  of dress was the n  t h e fashion. All  thatth e yc o uld  ob tain of me  w as to put a c a ss o c k  ov e r my other cl othes, andm y
b rother ,rea d y to d ie wi th lau ghing at my  ecc lesiastic al hab i t, made otherslaughtoo . I  had th efin es t  he a dofh air  in thewo rl d, we ll
c u r l e d an d p owde red,above my cass ock , an d  be low w ere w hite  b uskin s andgiltsp urs. The Cardin al,who had a  qu ic k d is cernm e nt, co uld  no t helplaughin g . T hi s e le vation of sentimen tg a ve  him umb rage;a nd  h e  foresaw 
w hat  mig h t  be e xpec t ed  from agenius th at  alread ylaughe datthe  shav e n
cr own an d cowl.
"Whe n  my brother ha d  taken me hom e ,' W el l , my  li ttle parson ,' s a id h e,
' y ou  ha v e act ed yo ur pa r t to admiration, an dyour p arti-  dress
of the  ecclesias t i c  and sol dier ha s  greatly diver ted t he court;b ut
thisis no t all: y ou must n o w  choose,  my  li ttl e k n i gh t. Consider t h e n,
w he ther, b y s ticking  to  th e c hur ch , you wil l posses sgr ea trev enues ,  and
hav enot hi ngto do ;  or, w ith a  sma ll  p o rti on, you wi l l  ris kth e lo ssof 
a le g or arm , and b e the fru ctu s  bel li  o f an in sensible cour t,  to arrive 
i n y our ol d age at t he dignity of a major-g e neral,wit h a g lass  eye anda w oodenleg . ' 'I k now,'saidI,  't h a t the r e  i s n ocomparison b etw een
t he se t wo situ ations, with regar d  to  the convenie nce s of l if e;b ut ,  as 
a man o ught to securehis future  s t at e in prefe r enc eto allother
c onsid e rations , I am re solved to  r enou n c e t he churchfor thesalvation of my so ul, u pon  condi ti on,  howe ver, t h atI kee p my a bb acy.'Neith er  the
rem onstrances nor authorit y of m y bro the r could i ndu c e m e to chan ge m y
resoluti on;  an d hewas force d to ag ree to th is l a st articl e  i n o r d er 
to keep me a t  th e aca dem y . Youknow  that I am the mo s t adroit man i n
Fr a n ce,  so that  I  soon learnedall  t h a t is tau gh t at such p laces, a nd , 

 some_time with_him, in order to_polish me,_let_me
loose upon_the_town to shake_off my rustic_air, and learn the_manners of
the world._I_so thoroughly gained them, that I could not be persuaded
to lay them aside when_I_was introduced_at_court_in the character of an
Abby._You know what kind of_dress was_then the fashion. All that they
could obtain of_me_was to put_a cassock over my other clothes, and my
brother, ready_to die with laughing at my_ecclesiastical habit, made
others_laugh_too._I had the finest_head of hair in the world,_well
curled and powdered, above my cassock,_and below were white buskins and
gilt spurs._The Cardinal, who had a quick_discernment, could not help
laughing. This_elevation of_sentiment gave him umbrage; and_he foresaw
what might_be expected_from a genius_that already laughed at the shaven
crown_and cowl.

"When my_brother had taken me home, 'Well,_my_little parson,' said_he,
'you_have_acted your_part to admiration,_and_your parti-_dress
of_the ecclesiastic and soldier has greatly_diverted_the court; but
this is not all: you_must now choose, my_little_knight. Consider then,
whether, by_sticking to the church, you_will possess great revenues, and
have nothing_to do;_or, with_a small portion, you will risk the loss of
a leg or_arm, and be the fructus belli_of an insensible court,_to arrive
in_your_old age at_the_dignity of_a major-general, with a glass eye and
a_wooden leg.'_'I know,' said I, 'that there_is no comparison between
these_two_situations, with regard to the conveniences_of life; but, as
a man ought_to secure his future state_in_preference_to all other
considerations, I am_resolved to renounce the church for_the salvation
of my_soul, upon condition, however, that I keep_my_abbacy.' Neither the
remonstrances nor authority of_my_brother could induce me to change_my
resolution;_and_he was forced to agree_to this last article in order
to_keep me at the academy. You know that I_am the most_adroit man in
France, so that_I_soon_learned all that is taught at such places, and,
