Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Life Of Philip Egalite, Late Duke Of Orleans.
On the death of his father , which occurred soon after , he acquired 3 . degree of opulence hitherto unattained by ar , y subject , and on this occasion he scorned to have recourse to hypocrisy , in order to dissemble his joy ! A bad son , a bad husband , the Duke of Orleans was also a bad parent . His children , abandoned from their early youth to the negli- ' of
gence strangers , but seldom experienced either his cares or ° his caresses . The crimes of Phili p had , of course , attracted the scorn of the royal family . The coward is naturall y vindictive , and the famous affair of the diamond necklace furnished this wretch with but too good an opportunity to evince his hatred to the queen . The disputes also which
about that time took place between the sovereign and the parliament of Paris , furnished the most ample means of vengeance . He accordingly declared himself in favour of that tribunal , and on this occasion the vulgar , who are always led by appearances , believed him to be a sincere patriot , and thought that his public would expiate his private conduct ; as if the good qualities of the one did not form the basis of the other ; and he that had displayed a heart entirely bereft of the feelings of nature , could all of a sudden become a good citizen ! ¦
It were needless to enter into a detail of the Duke of Orleans' crimes from this period to the revolution . His conduct during the assembl y of the notables , and the establishment of the com- pleniere;—in short , his reiterated efforts to shake the legitimate authority of the throne , under pretext of supporting the parliaments , which the people then looked upon as their palladium ,, are known to every one . The mortifications which he then experiencedand more especiallhis exilemade him
, y , exceedingly popular ; and , in truth , his seemingly patriotic conduct was well calculated to impose upon the-multitude . Many thought that therewas a native grandeur in the mind of Philip , which On certain occasions elevated him above himself . But those who observed his conduct more attentivel y , knew what interpretation to give to his actions , and were well aware of the secret motives that induced him to
assume so favourable an appearance . When he dared to oppose the will of the monarch , relative to the enregiftering of the edict for a loan , it was easy to perceive that he was actuated by " personal animosity ; in fine , he was only the defender of the parliaments and the peonle from interested-motives , and , above all , from that ardent desire of vengeance which ever occupies a bad heart .
v Ihe events that occurred soon after were but too favourable to his view _ s , _ andthe assembling of the states-general formed an epoch hi g hl y auspicious to all his wishes . It was then that , forgetting his avarice , or rather applying the sums issued b y it to the purposes of his ambition , he began to scatter about his wealth with profusion , in order to get himself elected a deputy to the flates-general , and to procure the nomination of a number of his creatures to seats in that assembly . Convinced of the . necessity of being supported b y the public opinion ,, he also courted popularity by every possible means , and bestowed immense sums of money in largesses among the indigent . The recal of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Life Of Philip Egalite, Late Duke Of Orleans.
On the death of his father , which occurred soon after , he acquired 3 . degree of opulence hitherto unattained by ar , y subject , and on this occasion he scorned to have recourse to hypocrisy , in order to dissemble his joy ! A bad son , a bad husband , the Duke of Orleans was also a bad parent . His children , abandoned from their early youth to the negli- ' of
gence strangers , but seldom experienced either his cares or ° his caresses . The crimes of Phili p had , of course , attracted the scorn of the royal family . The coward is naturall y vindictive , and the famous affair of the diamond necklace furnished this wretch with but too good an opportunity to evince his hatred to the queen . The disputes also which
about that time took place between the sovereign and the parliament of Paris , furnished the most ample means of vengeance . He accordingly declared himself in favour of that tribunal , and on this occasion the vulgar , who are always led by appearances , believed him to be a sincere patriot , and thought that his public would expiate his private conduct ; as if the good qualities of the one did not form the basis of the other ; and he that had displayed a heart entirely bereft of the feelings of nature , could all of a sudden become a good citizen ! ¦
It were needless to enter into a detail of the Duke of Orleans' crimes from this period to the revolution . His conduct during the assembl y of the notables , and the establishment of the com- pleniere;—in short , his reiterated efforts to shake the legitimate authority of the throne , under pretext of supporting the parliaments , which the people then looked upon as their palladium ,, are known to every one . The mortifications which he then experiencedand more especiallhis exilemade him
, y , exceedingly popular ; and , in truth , his seemingly patriotic conduct was well calculated to impose upon the-multitude . Many thought that therewas a native grandeur in the mind of Philip , which On certain occasions elevated him above himself . But those who observed his conduct more attentivel y , knew what interpretation to give to his actions , and were well aware of the secret motives that induced him to
assume so favourable an appearance . When he dared to oppose the will of the monarch , relative to the enregiftering of the edict for a loan , it was easy to perceive that he was actuated by " personal animosity ; in fine , he was only the defender of the parliaments and the peonle from interested-motives , and , above all , from that ardent desire of vengeance which ever occupies a bad heart .
v Ihe events that occurred soon after were but too favourable to his view _ s , _ andthe assembling of the states-general formed an epoch hi g hl y auspicious to all his wishes . It was then that , forgetting his avarice , or rather applying the sums issued b y it to the purposes of his ambition , he began to scatter about his wealth with profusion , in order to get himself elected a deputy to the flates-general , and to procure the nomination of a number of his creatures to seats in that assembly . Convinced of the . necessity of being supported b y the public opinion ,, he also courted popularity by every possible means , and bestowed immense sums of money in largesses among the indigent . The recal of