of Paris, scenes, as yet, of an almost savage disorderliness.  The sight of sick, dead, and dying huddled together in the same bed had excited the horror and the pity of Madame Necker.  She opened a little hospital, supported at her expense and under her own direction, which still bears the name of Necker Hospital, and which served as a model for the reforms attempted in the great public establishments.  M. Necker could not deny himself the pleasure of rendering homage to his wife’s efforts in a report to the king; the ridicule thrown upon this honest but injudicious gush of conjugal pride proved the truth of what Madame Necker herself said.  “I did not know the language of this country.  What was called frankness in Switzerland became egotism at Paris.”

[Illustration:  Necker Hospital——­432]

The active charity of Madame Necker had won her the esteem of the Archbishop of Paris, Christopher de Beaumont, a virtuous, fanatical priest; he had gained a great lawsuit against the city of Paris, which had to pay him a sum of three hundred thousand livres.  “It is our wish,” said the archbishop, “that M. Necker should dispose of these funds to the greatest advantage for the state, trusting to his zeal, his love of good, and his wisdom, for the most useful employment of the said funds, and desiring further that no account be required of him, as to such employment, by any person whatsoever.”  The prelate’s three hundred thousand livres were devoted to the internal repairs of the Hotel-Dieu.  “How is it,” people asked, “that the archbishop thinks so highly of M. Necker, and even dines with him?” “0!” answered the wicked wags, “it is because M. Necker is not a Jansenist, he is only a Protestant.”

Notwithstanding this unusual tolerance on the part of Christopher de Beaumont, his Protestantism often placed M. Necker in an awkward position.  “The title of liberator of your Protestant brethren would be a flattering one for you,” said one of the pamphlets of the day, “and it would be yours forever, if you could manage to obtain for them a civil existence, to procure for them the privileges of a citizen, liberty and tolerance.  You are sure of a diminution in the power of the clergy.  Your vigorous edict regarding hospitals will pave the way for the ruin of their credit and their wealth; you have opened the trenches against them, the great blow has been struck.  All else will not fail to succumb; you will put all the credit of the state and all the money of France in the hands of Protestant bankers, Genevese, English, and Dutch.  Contempt will be the lot of the clergy, your brethren will be held in consideration.  These points of view are full of genius, you will bring great address to bear upon them.”  M. Necker was at the same time accused of being favorable to England.  “M.  Necker is our best and our last friend on the Continent,” Burke had said in the House of Commons.  Knowing better than anybody the burdens which the war imposed