[Footnote 1:  The story of Eurydice’s death and the descent of Orpheus, her husband, to hell for her recovery, with which Virgil closes the fourth Georgic, is among the most exquisite passages in all Latin poetry.  Pope made it the subject of his Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day; but if Pluto and Proserpine really relented at the doggerel that the English poet puts into the mouth of the half-divine minstrel, they cannot deserve the title of illacrymabiles which Horace gives them.  Some of the pedantic scientists (to borrow a new word) have discovered in this tale of true love an allegory about the alternations of Day and Night, Sun and Moon, and what not, for which they deserve the anathema of every scholar and lover of true poetry.]

[Footnote 2:  “The Botanic Garden,” a poem by Dr. Darwin; chiefly remembered for Mr. Gladstone’s favourite “Upas-tree,” a plant which has not, and never had, any existence except in the fancy of some traveller, who hoaxed the too-scientific poet with the story, which, years afterwards, hoaxed the orator also.]

DISMISSAL OF NECKER—­BARON DE BRETEUIL—­THE DUC D’ORLEANS—­MIRABEAU.

TO THE HON.  H.S.  CONWAY.

STRAWBERRY HILL, Wednesday night, July 15, 1789.

I write a few lines only to confirm the truth of much of what you will read in the papers from Paris.  Worse may already be come, or is expected every hour.

Mr. Mackenzie and Lady Betty called on me before dinner, after the post was gone out; and he showed me a letter from Dutens, who said two couriers arrived yesterday from the Duke of Dorset and the Duchess of Devonshire, the latter of whom was leaving Paris directly.  Necker had been dismissed, and was thought to be set out for Geneva.[1] Breteuil, who was at his country-house, had been sent for to succeed him.  Paris was in an uproar; and, after the couriers had left it, firing of cannon was heard for four hours together.  That must have been from the Bastile, as probably the tiers etat were not so provided.  It is shocking to imagine what may have happened in such a thronged city!  One of the couriers was stopped twice or thrice, as supposed to pass from the King; but redeemed himself by pretending to be despatched by the tiers etat.  Madame de Calonne[2] told Dutens, that the newly encamped troops desert by hundreds.

[Footnote 1:  The Baron de Breteuil had been the Controller of the Household, and was appointed Necker’s successor; but his Ministry did not last above a fortnight, as the King found himself compelled to restore Necker.]

[Footnote 2:  Mme. de Calonne’s husband had been Prime Minister for some years, having succeeded Necker in 1780.]