An ANECDOTE of Mademoiselle ST. CLERCY, a French Lady. Ademoiselle de St. Clercy, the only her recovery, fhe fell at their feet, and protefted her innocence with tears of mingled fhame and grief.-They looked Mademoiselle St.Clercy merchant on each other, and knew not what to of that name, was, in the feventeenth year of her age, feized with a violent diforder in her head and stomach, which, at length, threw her into convulfion fits, in one of which the expired, at leaft the feemed to expire, in the opinion of all about her, no fymptoms of any remains of life being perceivable through her whole frame. It is the custom all over France, to make the day of interment the next, or the next but one, at fartheft, after that of the decease. Poor Mademoiselle St. Clercy was dreffed in her funeral habiliments, carried into a room hung with black, and laid on a couch covered with the fame: the equipage of death was all fet forth her parents, and the rest of her friends withdrawn: nobody remained, but two priests, who were appointed to attend the corpse, and pass the night in prayer for the peace of her departed foul Their oraifons were not half told over, before fome fymptoms of life appearing in their fair charge, the family were immediately roufed, who finding breath was indeed returned, put her into a warm bed; which, with the help of cordials, and other reviving spirits, prescribed by the phyficians, in a few hours, reftored her both to her fpeech and fenfes. For a few days the feemed to enjoy a most perfect health; her convulfions had quite left her, her eyes refumed their former luftre, and her complexion all its freshness: but foon the roles faded in her cheeks, and a livid palenefs overspread her face; fhe grew extremely lean, yet her wait fo much enlarged itself, that the was judged in danger of a dropfy remedies proper for that distemper were given to her, but without effect. Her diforder, as it proved, fprung from a very different caufe, than what it was afcribed to.-In fact, the was great with child, and the physicians having difcovered it, acquainted her parents with it. It is not to be doubted, but that fo alarming an information must involve them in the utmost confufion: they flew to the apartment of their daughter, and upbraided her with the deception he had put upon them. The firft fhock of this accufation threw her into a fwoon: on think; and both were equally tempted to fufpect the skill of the phyficians, rather than the veracity of a young creature, whom they had bred up in the strictest rules of truth and virtue, and whom they had never found to deviate from either. They fent, however, to confult other gentlemen of the faculty, and also several fkilful women, who all joined to confirm what the former had alledged, to the diftraction of the young lady, and the perplexity of her kindred. At laft the dreadful hour of conviction came on:-he fell into thofe agonies,' which all women are condemned to fuffer in becoming mothers; yet still the perfifted in denying the ever tranfgreffed the laws of chastity believing herself in the pangs of death, the begged her fpiritual director might be fent for.-He came.After confeffing to him those trifling offences which human nature can never be faid to be totally free from, she defired abfolution; which he refufed, telling her, he was well affured the had not been fincere in her confeffion, and then exhorted her not to deceive the world, or heaven. He remonstrated to her, that the crime of which the was accufed was venial, in comparison with that of denying it in thofe folemn moments. On this fhe wept bitterly, but still avowed her innocence. This manner of behaviour appeared fo monstrous in her, that every one cried out, the merited no pity or affiftance. Her mother, however, fuffered a midwife to come to her relief, and he was foon after, amidst horrors inconceivable, delivered of a son. The meafares which had been taken to prevail on her to relate the truth, and her teady perfeverance in attefting her ignorance of what was laid to her charge, even after a living proof of it was brought into the world, afforded much matter for fpeculation: the ftory spread from one to another, till it became the general difcourse. The ecclefiaftics were most of all concerned, and knew not how to judge of it; the whole conduct of Mademoiselle St. Clercy had, till this unhappy accident, been unblameable, and they could not not account for her becoming, all at once, fo hardened in guilt. Some among them had the fuperftition to imagine the had been, unknown to herself, made pregnant by an incubus, and therefore urged that both the and the infant fhould be committed to the flames. The affair was laid before the bishop, and a grand confultation was held among the reverend fathers, in what manner the fhould be dealt with: his lordship was willing to question her himself, before he would determine on any thing; and for this purpose she was cited to appear at his palace, where feveral of the fuperior clergy were alfo required to be prefent. The day appointed being arrived, fhe went, led by her weeping parents, who almolt ftood in as much need of fupport. The answers the gave to the bishops interrogatories, were the fame as heretofore to others; on which he was going to pronounce fentence, which it was thought would not have been the most mild; when a young gentleman, who had the appearance of an officer, rufhed haftily into the Toom, crying out nothing could be decreed, with justice, against that lady, till what he had to urge in her defence was heard. The permiffion he defired being granted, he approached the throne where the bishop was fitting, and after making his proper fubmiffions, furprised the whole affembly with the following fpeech: "Pardon me, my lord, and you, moft reverend fathers, that thus uncalled, I prefume to appear before your facred tribunal; but truth, justice, and all those laws, by which an honeft foul is bound, oblige me to vindicate the spotlefs innocence of Mademoiselle St. Clercy, and to confefs that the guilt you are about to condemn, is all my own: fhould my life be judged the fole expiation of the crime, I voluntarily offer, even that, a facrifice to the offended laws, and the fame of this much injured lady: but I will not detain your lordship's attention by any unneceffary prelude. Being intended for the church, I was a novice of the order of St. Francis, at the time of Mademoiselle St. Clercy's fuppofed death, and was made choice of to affift father Belcourt in his devotions on that occafion: the clofenefs of the room, the heat of the weather, or some other cause, affected the good father fo much, he was obliged to go out for a little air. I had heard much talk of this Sept. 1766. : lady's beauty, but never faw her; and having this opportunity, had the curiofity to lift up the lawn with which her face was covered; the feemed indeed extremely lovely:-I could not think her dead: I fancied I faw breath iffue from her lips: I put my hand upon her bosom, and felt fome warmth in it: a diabolical propensity that inftant feized me; my reafon was extinct religion, honour, decency, no longer had any place in me. It would be to add to the crime to repeat the manner of it. What I have already said, and the confequences, with which your lordhip is acquainted, prove it but too plain. I fhall only fay, that in the struggle between life and death, fhe was entirely ignorant of the violation I had the impiety to perpetrate. Father Belcourt foon after returned, and we alarmed the family. As to myself, the death of an elder brother, giving a fudden turn to my affairs, I quitted the altar, to which, indeed, I had no real call, and went into the army. I returned but last night to this city, when, upon hearing the whole circumitances of this unhappy affair, I hefitated not a moment to reveal the truth, as I should have looked upon it a greater crime to have fuffered it to remain a myftery, than that of committing the act itfelf. After this declaration, he refigned himfelf to the judgment of the bishop; but the affair was of too much importance to admit of an immediate decifion. The whole affembly was filled with the utmost astonishment at what they heard, and for the prefent could only order him. into confinement, and acquit Mademoifelle St. Clercy of all blame. Monf. Uraimont had many friends, particularly an uncle, who was prior of the Benedictines; thefe alledged in his favour, that the crime he had been guilty of, came not under the denomination of facrilege, the lady not being actually dead at the time of committing it, and this argument joined to the generolity of his behaviour, pleaded fo ftrongly in his behalf, that it was thought proper to drop all further profecution. Nothing now remained, but for Monf. Uraimont to make what fatisfaction was in his power, to the injured family of St. Clercy; which he did, by publickly efpoufing the young lady, and fettling on her a yery large dowry. the Duke of Cumberland, July 10, 1765; and was removed, upon a plan fettled by the Earl of Chatham on July 30, 1766, having lafted just one year and twenty days. In that space of time The distractions of the British empire were compofed, by The repeal of the American ftamp-act; But the conftitutional fuperiority of Great Britain was preferved, by The act for fecuring the dependance of the Colonies. Private houfes were relieved from the jurifdiction of the excife, by The repeal of the Cyder-tax. The perfonal liberty of the fubject was confirmed, by The refolution against General Warrants. The lawful fecrets of bufinefs and friendship were rendered inviolable, by The refolution for condemning the feizure of paperside of America was fet free from injudicious and ruinous impofitions-Its revenue was improved, and fettled upon a rational foundation-Its commerce extended with foreign countries; while all the advantages were fecured to Great Britain, by The act for repealing certain duties, and encouraging, regulating, and fecuring the trade of this kingdom, and the British dominions in America. Materials were provided and infured to our manufactures-The fale of these manufactures was encreafed-The African trade preferved and extended-The principles of the act of navigation purfued, and the plan improved-And the trade for bullion rendered free, fecure, and permanent, by The act for opening certain ports in Dominica and Jamaica. Whilft that administration provided for the liberty and commerce of their country, as the true bafis of its power, they confulted its interefts, they afferted its honour abroad, with temper and firmness; by making an advantageous treaty of commerce with Ruffia; by obtaining a liquidation of the Canada bills, to the fatisfaction of the proprietors; by reviving and railing from its afhes the negotiation for the Manilla ranfom, which had been abandoned by their predeceffors. They treated their fovereign with decency; with reverence. They discountenanced, and, it is hoped, for ever abo practice of removing military officers for their votes in parliament. With the Earl of Bute they had no perfonal connection; no correfpondence of councils. They neither courted him not perfecuted him. They practifed no corruption; nor were they even suspected of it. They fold no offices. They obtained no reverfions or pensions either coming in or going out for themselves, their families, or their dependants. In the House of Reprefentatives, of Maffachufets Bay, New England, June 5, 1766. Voted, that the following Address be prefented to his Excellency, in Anfwer to bis Speech to both Houfes, the 3d Infant. (See p. 490.) May it please your Excellency, your boucellency's speech of the HE have fully confidered third inftant, and beg leave to observe, that as, on the one hand, no confideration fhall ever induce us to remit in the leaft of our loyalty and gratitude to the beft of kings, fo, on the other, no unprovoked afperity of expreffion, on the part of your excellency, can deter us from afferting our undoubted charter rights and privileges. One of the principal of thofe is that of annually chufing his Majesty's council for this province. Had the most excellent letter from one of his majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, which has been communicated to the house, arrived fooner, it could not have prevented the freedom of our elections; nor can we on the strictest examination of the tranfactions of the day of our general election, fo far as the houfe was concerned, discover the leaft reafon for regret.-So long as we fhall have our charter privileges continued, we muft think ourfelves inexcufable, if we fhould fuffer ourselves to be intimidated in the free exercise of them. This exercife of our rights can never with any colour of reafon be adjudged an abuse of our liberty. Left Left we should be at a lofs for the proceedings and tranfactions which have given your excellency fo much uneafineis, you have been pleafed to inform us in exprefs terms, that you mean the excluding from the king's council the principal crown offic rs--men not only refpcctable in themf-lves for their integrity, their abilities and their fidelity to their country, as well as to their king, but alfo quite neceflary to the ad miniitration of government in the very station from whence we have difplaced them. Had your excellency thought fit to have favoured us with your fentiments and opinion of the candidates previously to the election, it could not have more arrested our attention as a breach of our privileges; and it would furely be as proper to give intimations of this kind before, as now the business is paft a remedy, for this year at leaft. The affembly of another year will act for themfelves, or under fuch influence and direction as they may think fit. The two crown officers, who were of the honour able board of the last year, and not chofen this, are the lieutenant governor and fecretary. The other gentlemen of the board last year who are not chofen this, hold only provincial commiffions, This province has fubfifted and flourished, and the administration of governinent has been carried on here entirely to the royal approbation, when no crown officers had a feat at the board, and we trust this may be the cafe again. We find not in the fecretary of state's letter the leaft intimation that it was expected by his majesty or his ministry, that we fhould elect into his majesty's council the principal, or indeed any other crown officers. For any thing that appears in the letter, we are left entirely to the exercife of our own judgment and best difcretion in making our elections, agreeably to the royal charter. If it is not now in our power, in fo full a manner as will be expected, to hew our respectful gratitude to the mother country, or to make a dutiful, affectionate return to the indulgence of the king and parliament, it fhall be no fault of ours, for this we intend, and hope we shall be able fully to effect. We cannot perfuade ourselves that it must and will be underfood, that thofe gentlemen were turned out, as your excellency is pleased to exprefs it, for their deference to acts of the British legiflature. We have given the true reafon of this proceeding in our an fwer to your excellency's firft fpeech of this fellion. We are under no apprehenfion that when the true grounds and reafons of our proceedings are known and candidly confidered, we fhall be in the leaft degree chargeable with unthankfulness and diffatisfaction, on ground of former heat and prevailing prejudice, or on any other ground. Your excellency fays, it is impoffible to give any tolerable colouring to this proceeding. The integrity and uprightnefs of our intentions and conduct is fuch, that no colouring is requifite, and therefore we fhall excufe ourlelves from attempting any. We hold ourselves to be quite free in our fuffrages; and provided we obferve the directions of our charter, and the laws of the land, both which we have ftrictly adhered to, we are by no means accountable but to God and our confciences for the manner in which we give them. We believe your excellency is the first governor of this province that ever formally called the two houses of assembly to account for their fuffrages, and accufed them of ingratitude and difaffection to the crown, because they had not bestowed them on fuch perfons as in the opinion of the governor were quite neceffary to the adminiftration of government. Had your excellency been pleaf d in feason to have favoured us with a lift and pofitive orders whom to caufe, we should, on your principles, have been without excufe. But even the most abject flaves are not to be blamed for difobeying their malter's will and pleafure, when it is wholly unknown to them. Your excellency fays, "If it fhould be juftified by afferting a right, that is, a legal power to chuje whom we please, without regard to any confiderations whatever, the juftification itself will tend to impeach the right." We clearly affert our charter rights of a free election; but for your excellency's definition of this right, viz. "A legal power to chufe whom we pleafe, without regard to any confiderations whatever," we contend not. We made our elections after the molt mature and deliberate confideration, and had fpecial regard to the qualifications Aaaa 2 of of the candidates, and all circumftances fave the credit of this province:" but confidered, chofe thofe we judged moft we conceive, that when the true ftate of likely to ferve his majefty, and promote the province is reprefented and known, the welfare and profperity of his people. its credit can be in no kind of danger.— We cannot conceive how the affcition The recommendation enjoined by Mr. of our clear charter right of free election Secretary Conway's letter, and in confecan tend to impeach that right or charter. quence thereof made to us, we fhall emWe would hope that your excellency brace the first convenient opportunity to does not mean openly and publicly to confider and act upon. In the mean time threaten us with a deprivation of our cannot but obferve, that it is conceived charter privileges, merely for exercifing in much higher and stronger terms in the them according to our best judgment and fpeech than in the letter. Whether in difcretion. As dear to us as our charter thus exceeding, your excellency speaks is, we should think it of very little value, by your own authority, or a higher, is if it should be adjudged that the fenfe not with us to determine. and fpirit of it require the electors fhould be under the abfolute direction and controul of the chair even in giving their fuffrages. For whatever may be our ideas of the wisdom, prudence, mildness and moderation of your adminiftration, and of your forgiving fpirit, yet we are your fucceffor will poffefs thofe fhining virtues. not fure We are very fenfible, that be our right of election ever fo clear and abfolute, there is a diftinction between a right and the propriety of exerciling it. This diftinction, we hope, will apply itself with full force, and all its advantage to your excellency's reluctant exertion of the prerogative in disapproving fix of the gentlemen chofen by the two houfes of affembly: But this being a matter of difcretion, is folely within your excellency's breaft, and we are taught by your just diftinction, that fuch is the gift of our fuffrages. It therefore gives us great pain to have our difcretion questioned, and our public conduct thus repeatedly arraigned. Your excellency has intimated your readiness to concur with us in any palliative or expedient to prevent the bad effects of our elections, which you think must furely be very hurtful to the province, if it fhould be maintained and vindicated. But as we are under no apprehenfions of any fuch effects, especially when we reflect on the ability and integrity of the council your excellency has approved of, we beg leave to excufe our felves, from any unneceffary fearch after palliatives or expedients. We thank your excellency for your kind affurances of "ufing all means to However, if this recommendation, which your excellency terms a requifition, be founded on " to much justice and humanity, that it cannot be controverted :" If “the authority with which it is introduced fhould preclude all difpulation about complying with it," we fhould be glad to know what freedom we have in the cafe. : In answer to the questions which your excellency has propofed with fo much feeming emotion, we beg leave to declare, That we will not fuffer ourselves to be in the leaft influenced by party animofities or domeftic feuds, let them exift where they may that if we can poffibly prevent it, this fine country shall never be ruined by any perfon: that it shall be through no default of ours, should this people be deprived of the great and manifeft advantages which the favour and indulgence of our most gracious fovereign and his parliament are even now providing for them. On the contrary, that it shall ever be our highest ambition, as it is our duty, fo to demean ourselves in public and in private life, as shall most clearly demonftrate our loyalty and gratitude to the belt of Kings, and thereby recommend this people to further gracious marks of the royal clemency and favour. With regard to the rest of your excellency's fpeech, we are constrained to obferve, that the general air and ftyle of it favours much more of an act of free grace and pardon, than of a parliamentary addrefs to the two houses of affembly; and we moit fincerely with your excellency had been pleased to referve it (if needful) for a proclamation. |