William Temple

“ Can it be imagined that a Man of Monsieur de Cros's Christian Temper and Complexion will ever be accessary to any Man's Ruine, but especially to that of a great Minister of State, who can be reproached with nothing in the World, p. 12. but only a blind Obedience to the Will of the King his Master? No, no, he is far from pursuing the Destruction of any one, tho' never so great an Enemy to him; and therefore since his Memoirs will most infallibly ('tis his own Expression, ibid) produce so tragical an effect, there's no Question but he may be easily prevailed with to suppress them. ”

“ Those Persons that are never so little vers'd in the true Character of Monsieur de Cros, need not be informed that he promises mighty things, and performs just nothing at all. This unlucky shifting off his Resentments to a fitter Occasion, (tho 'tis certain he can never meet with a more proper one to unload himself of them) looks like making Exceptions to the Ground when a man is to meet his Adversary with his Sword in his Hand in the Field. ”

“ Nay, continues the sweet-tempered Monsieur de Cross, I will not express the least Passion, no, not so much as against Sir W. T. but will do him the kindness to instruct him in abundance of things, which he poor Man has executed without knowing the true Reason why he was set on to do them. ”

“ How consistent Writing in cold Blood and a hot Head is, I leave it to Monsieur de Cros to determine at his Leisure. In the mean time an inconsidering Man who sees such sort of Stuff so often repeated would imagine that our Letter-writer had all the Meekness of a Primitive Saint, and carried no such thing as a Gall about him; when 'tis plain, we may say the same thing of his Gall, what some Physicians have observed of the Liver in a vitiated Constitution, crescente Liene decrescit reliquum Corpus; and that his has increased at the Expence of the rest of his Body. ”

“ No doubt but Monsieur de Cros will write without Complaisance let him begin when he will; so far we readily believe him: But that he will ever be persuaded to renounce two of the dearest Qualities about him, Flattery and Passion, is somewhat hard to digest. 'Tis true he promises fine things all along, but is still so unkind to himself as to give us but very small hopes that he'll remember to be as good as his Word. And 'tis very natural for the censorious World not to regard what a Man promises, especially if he does not regard them himself. ”

“ That 'tis possible for a Man to write more justly and solidly than another (as for instance Monsieur de Cros (if you'll take his own Word for it) can write more justly and solidly than Sir W. T.) and yet after all, with these two Qualifications, is not capable of writing better than he that has neither of them. Writing justly and solidly are none of Monsieur de Cros's Talents ”

“ For let our Monsieur scribble a Cart-load of Books if he pleases, 'tis a sad but undeniable Truth, that 'tis in his Power to injure no man breathing by them but only his Bookseller.
Had I the Vanity like him, says the modest, self-denying Monsieur de Cros, p. 8. to print my Memoirs in my Life-time, I have now a very fair Pretence to do it. Well, certainly there never dropt in this World so unwary a Passage as this from the Pen of a Counsellor of State and all that! ”

“ Lord what an insufferable deal of Impertinence and Noise have we already had about the intended Writings of Monsieur de Cros. First of all he promises, p. 8. to print a Book of Remarks upon Sir W. T's Memoirs, and this Book is to be at least full as big as the Memoirs. In the second place, [Pg 18] p. 9. he promises to visit the World with a Book of his own Memoirs, in which (to see how strangely Children and Books do sometimes degenerate from their Parents) there is to be neither one Word of Complaisance, nor Flattery, nor the least grain of Passion. ”

“ And thus the poor Ant in the Epigram that unfortunately tumbled down the Precipice of a Mole-hill, comforted her self with the Precedent of Phaeton: 'Tis true, says she, I have had a damn'd Fall here; but what then? Sic cecidit Phaeton, Phaeton had one before me.
If I had been a sort of an Agent for Sweden, says Monsieur de Cros, p. 24. as Sir W. T. has represented me, I should not have defended my self upon that score; I should have taken it for a great Honour to be employed by so mighty a King. ”

“ To make good the Charge of Presumption with which Monsieur de Cros taxes the Author of the Memoirs, he cites a Passage, p. 6. which be found accidentally at the first opening of his Book; and assures his Noble Lord, that he doubts not but he shall be able in a short time to produce several others to the same Effect. The Negotiations which I had managed at the Hague, at Brussels, and at Aix la Chappelle, and saved Flanders out of the hands of France in 1668, made them believe that I had some Credit amongst the Spaniards, as well as in Holland. ”

“ For though 'tis no scandal to wear a Cowl, I am sure there's no Credit got by wearing it. In all such large Societies, the number des miserables, d'une basse naissance, gens inutiles, sans honneur & sans reputation, are ten to one in comparison of the tres celebres par la Santeté de leur mœurs, d'un merite extraordinaire, &c. And so much in answer to Monsieur de Cros's Princes and Kings, Cardinals and Popes. ”

“ Well, 'tis no Miracle however to see a Man who is perfectly so unacquainted with his own Humour to be a Stranger to all the rest of Mankind. The Author of the Memoirs was at this time prevailed with by the King to have a Part in a New Constitution of Council ”

“ When we lie under an unavoidable necessity of being encountered in Publick, 'tis some Comfort to be engaged with Bravery and Honour: In such a Case there is Reputation to be got if we come off with Victory; but to be forced to enter the Lists with a feeble, inglorious and despicable Adversary, is somewhat afflicting; there can be no Skill, no Dexterity shown in putting by his Thrusts, and there is no Reputation acquired by gaining the Conquest. ”

“ As for instance if a La fool is to be brought in, he makes a Foot-boy till True wit, that one Monsieur La-fool is coming to pay him a Visit; and before he makes his appearance, True-wit lets his Friends know, and consequently, by them, the Audience, what sort of a Gentleman La-fool is, and what are his best Qualities. ”

“ For a man that pays so small a regard to Truth, as he seems to do, perhaps, may think nothing in the World an infringement of his Duty. But let us hear him explain himself upon this Chapter. I confess, indeed, p. 30. that when he, [Pg 40] meaning Monsieur Barillon, employ'd himself for the Interests of my Master, and of Sweden, I became intirely devoted to him. At last Monsieur de Cros owns himself to be devoted to Monsieur Barillon; however to mollifie it somewhat, he pretends that he never made those Advances till that Ambassador cultivated the Interests of his Master and of Sweden. ”

“ However this pleasant passage puts me in mind of a certain person of the Long Robe who a little after the Restauration, when writing of Plays was more in fashion than it is at present, must needs threaten the Stage with a Play; and as a Hero is a very necessary Ingredient in all or at least most Compositions of that Nature, he designed to furnish himself with a Hero that should work Miracles, defeat Armies, charm the Ladies, and make as considerable a Figure as any Hero that had visited the World for many Ages. ”

“ The whole Nation is indeed satisfied that our Court was at that juncture too much influenced by French Councils; but few will be brought to believe that the French knew more of our own Affairs than we our selves did. ”

“ The Matrimonial Vow is infinitely a greater Curb than the Monastick. A man if he can make Friends with the Pope may get himself absolved from the latter; or in case of Necessity, may turn his own Pope, as Monsieur de Cros did: But a Wife is not to be discarded at that easie rate. 'Tis not the old Gentleman with the Cross-Keys and Triple-Crown, but with the Scythe and Hour-glass that can free a Man from his Spouse, and set him at liberty. [Pg 35]
I had too much Advantage on my side, p. 22. to change the Frock for the Petticoat I have chose, not to do it. ”

“ And now as there are abundance of Husbands in the World, who as soon as their Wives happen to be mentioned in Company, cannot forbear to enlarge upon their several Perfections and Vertues; so it fares with Monsieur de Cros, for now he is got into his Petticoat, he will never have done. 'Tis a Petticoat, continues he, d'une étoffe d' Ecosse, of Scotch Cloth, which has been of far greater Ornament and Service to the Crown of England, than even Sir W. T. himself. Since his Petticoat has done such rare Exploits, by my Consent let Monsieur de Cros write a Panegyrick upon it. ”

“ To their Importunities, and not to his own Inclinations is the Reader obliged for the following Remarks, which as they serve to justifie those particular passages in the Memoirs that are so outrageously exclaimed against by Mr. de Cros, so they discover, en passant, several Intrigues hitherto not so well known or understood.
Though we may safely allow it to be some sort of Mortificatioa for any one to see himself lie under the lash of a Man of Wit; yet certainly [Pg 6] 'tis infinitely more supportable than to be assaulted by a Malice altogether made up of Phlegm and Dulness. ”

“ And thus it is visible, continues Monsieur de Cros p. 16. that the King, a little after the [Pg 25] Peace of Nimeguen neglected him. If making Offers to him of a Secretary's Place immediately after his Arrival, be the Sign of Neglect, all this is certainly true; and seldom employ'd him. 'Tis not as Sir W. T. would make the World believe, the Love of Retirement, and his Indisposition of Body, that made him throw up his Employs; for never Man more passionately desir'd to have his Share in the Publick Administrations than he. ”

“ Heaven be praised Sir W. T. is not the Dispenser of Glory and Immortality. And Heaven be likewise praised, say I, Monsieur de Cros is not the Dispenser of Scandal and Ignominy.
Sir W. T. in his Memoirs, p. 335. speaking of Monsieur de Cros, happen'd to let fall this short particular. At London he had devoted himself wholly to Monsieur Barillon, the French Ambassador, though pretending to pursue the interests of Sweden. ”

“ And besides, continues he, I had Reason to doubt whether these Memoirs were not principally designed to be a Panegyrick upon himself, [Pg 9] and to blacken the Reputation of several Persons of eminent Quality and Merit, because, adds he, I was particularly acquainted with the Pride of Sir W. T. who fansies himself to be the wisest and ablest Politician of his Age. If Sir W. T. is that vainglorious and ill-natured Animal as Monsieur de Cros represents him to be, he here solemnly promises him that he will never come to him to learn either Humility or good Manners ”

“ A very hard Case this, that Sir W. T. shall not have the liberty to acquaint the World that Monsieur de Cros had been a Monk, because, forsooth, his Master was Defender of the Faith: Nor to take notice that he had exchanged his Frock for a Petticoat, because he would not shake hands with the Pope's Nuncio at Nimeguen. ”

“ If Sir W. T. ever failed of doing the best Offices he could for his King and Country, it might perhaps proceed from want of better Information, but his Duty and Affection were never in fault. This he thinks a sufficient Reply to this ill-grounded Calumny; for he never dedicated himself so intirely to the Service of other Persons (Monsieur de Cros must here mean the P. of O.) as to make the least Infringement of his Allegiance. And this will notoriously appear by several Passages in the Memoirs, but particularly p. ”

“ But it is pleasant to observe [Pg 41] what a learned Harangue Monsieur de Cros has made upon this Account. 'Tis a great deal of pity, says he, p. 35. that an Ambassador of England, who had the Secretary's place so often proffer'd him, was not only during his absence, when he was negotiating the Publick Affairs at Nimeguen and the Hague, but even at his return into England, so little instructed in what had passed there, and principally in an Affair of this Importance and Consideration. Perhaps 'tis a great deal of pity, as he says ”

“ In the first place he proclaims it to all Mankind, that he is fitter to write just and solid things than Sir W. T. and secondly, before the Words are well out of his Mouth, he would not be guilty of so much presumption as to think himself better qualified for such an Undertaking than Sir W. T. If there be any meaning in this sensless inconsistent passage, it amounts only to this, viz. ”