“‘I do not like,’ exclaimed the Queen to them, dem yellow irresistibles!’

“Lady Spencer nearly fainted.  ‘Vat make you so frightful, my dear lady?’ said the Queen to her ladyship, who was covering her face with her hands.  ’I am terrified at Your Majesty’s mistake’—­’Comment? did you no tell me just now, dat in England de lady call les culottes “irresistibles"?’—­’Oh, mercy!  I never could have made such a mistake, as to have applied to that part of the male dress such a word.  I said, please Your Majesty, inexpressibles.’

“On this the gentlemen all laughed most heartily.

“‘Vell, vell,’ replied the Queen, ’do, my dear lady, discompose yourself.  I vill no more call de breeches irresistibles, but say small clothes, if even elles sont upon a giant!’

“At the repetition of the naughty word breeches, poor Lady Spencer’s English delicacy quite overcame her.  Forgetting where she was, and also the company she was in, she ran from the room with her cross stick in her hand, ready to lay it on the shoulders of any one who should attempt to obstruct her passage, flew into her carriage, and drove off full speed, as if fearful of being contaminated,—­all to the no small amusement of the male guests.

“Her Majesty and I laughed till the very tears ran down our cheeks.  The Duke of Dorset, to keep up the joke, said there really were some counties in England where they called ’culottes irresistibles.

“Now that I am upon the subject of England, and the peace of 1783, which brought such throngs of English over to France, there occurs to me a circumstance, relating to the treaty of commerce signed at that time, which exhibits the Comte de Vergennes to some advantage; and with that let me dismiss the topic.

“The Comte de Vergennes, was one of the most distinguished Ministers of France.  I was intimately acquainted with him.  His general character for uprightness prompted his Sovereign to govern in a manner congenial to his own goodness of heart, which was certainly most for the advantage of his subjects.  Vergennes cautioned Louis against the hypocritical adulations of his privileged courtiers.  The Count had been schooled in State policy by the great Venetian senator, Francis Foscari, the subtlest politician of his age, whom he consulted during his life on every important matter; and he was not very easily to be deceived.

“When the treaty of commerce took place, at the period I mention, the experienced Vergennes foresaw—­what afterwards really happened—­that France would be inundated with British manufactures; but Calonne obstinately maintained the contrary, till he was severely reminded of the consequence of his misguided policy, in the insults inflicted on him by enraged mobs of thousands of French artificers, whenever he appeared in public.  But though the mania for British goods had literally caused an entire stagnation of business in the French manufacturing towns, and thrown