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No body knew better than he how to avail himself of the advantages he gained over his enemies. Being defirous to punifh the Thracians for the ravages they committed upon his territories, he entered their country, and took poffeffion of that part of their dominions which was most convenient for him. As he knew they had golden mines, which they neglected, he sent a colony of Macedonians to the city of Crenides, opened the mines, and drew a confiderable fum of money from them every year. If Henry had no gold nor filver mines in his dominions, he had others in the produce of France and the industry of its inhabitants, who only wanted to be encouraged to have their commerce protected. Accordingly he took the utmost care to have the roads repaired, rivers rendered navigable, and manufactures established, and gave every encouragement to agriculture. If he had it not in his power to increafe, fo much as he could have wifhed, the maritime commerce of his fubjects, which before his reign they were almost utter ftrangers to, he at feaft laid the foundations of it.

Both these princes fhewed equal abilities in regard to their revenues. The finances were never in fuch good order, fince the foundation of the French monarchy, as they were in the reign of Henry' the fourth. He was the firft who knew the 'true fources of them, and made the nobleft and best use of them. When Philip came to the throne, his finances were in as great diforder as thofe of Henry, and, with equal ability be reftored them without oppreffing his fubjects. As both thefe princes, in the beginning of their reigns; were greatly diftreffed for want of money, they knew the value of it; accordingly they used it with that economy which is fo neceffary in kings, without avarice and without prodigality. They knew that true generofity confifts in rewarding thofe who have deferved well of the flate, and in employing their treafures only upon what is ufeful and necellary.

Henry and Philip were equal in 'point of courage, which they often, indeed, carried to temerity. They were not fertible that true valour has its boundaries afcertained by reafon, which obliges a brave man to encounter, with intrepidity, thofe dangers that come in his way, without afpiring after the foolish ambition of going in queft of them..

This is the picture drawn of Philip by Demofthenes, his greatcft enemy, whom a regard to truth obliged to do him the juftice he deferved." He is, fays he, an indefatigable warriour, active, prefent upon every occafion, fupporting the fevereft fatinues, regardlefs of fleep, and the difference of feafons; an intrepid hero, who darts through every obftacle, and thruffs himfelf into the midft of dangers.-I faw the fame Philip, (fay's he on another occafion) after the lofs of an eye, wounded in the leg, &c. throw himself into the midst of the combat, ready

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to deliver up to fortune whatever other part of his body she had a mind to deprive him of, provided with the remainder he could live with glory and in the esteem of mankind."-Demofthenes, in drawing this picture of Philip, little thought that he was drawing that of the greatest of our kings. We fee Henry in every feature of it, with this difference only, that he had the good fortune never to be wounded but once, though he often expofed himself to the greateft dangers..

No princes ever carried clemency and moderation a greater length than Henry and Philip. The first pardoned his greatest enemies, without referve; thofe feditious preachers of the league, who, converting the chair of truth into a school of fedition, uttered the most horrid invectives, fpread the molt infamous and atrocious libels against him, and kept the people fo long in rebellion. Though he had it feveral times in his power to take the city of Paris by affault, he would never do it, for fear of expofing it to rapine and plunder. After the battles of Argues and Ivry, he difmiffed a great number of prifoners without ranfom, even thofe of the first rank, and who had been his greatest enemies.

Philip too, after the victories he obtained over the Greeks, often difmiffed his prifoners, and granted them peace upon terms the most advantageous for them. Their ambafiadors being with him one day, in order to affift at the ratification of a treaty, which he had made with them, he declared he would forget every ground of complaint he had against them. When he took his leave of them, he asked them in a very obliging manner, if he could do them any fervice? Yes, replied Demochares, who was one of them, you'll do us an excellent piece of fervice, if you'll hang yourself. Philip, without any emotion, casting a look of contempt at this infolent wretch, faid to the other embaffadors; tell your mafters, that those who dare to make use of fuch language, are far lefs difpofed to peace than those who can pardon it. Being preffed, after the battle of Cherona to march against Athens; the gods forbid, replied he, that a prince, who bas fought only for glory, fhould destroy the temple and theatre of glory.

Both our princes were equally fortunate in generals and minifters. Sully and Biron were men who may well be compared with Antipater and Parmenio. This is Marshal Biron, Laid Henry one day to Cardinal Aldobrandin, introduce him chearfully both to my friends and enemies.-I declare to you, faid he once to the Dutchefs of Beaufort, if I was reduced to the alternative of fing you or Sully, I had rather lofe ten miftreffes like you, than one fervant like him.-His life abounds. with inftances of the efteem and regard he had for them, and all the other captains who ferved him faithfully; he took pleaLure in commending them upon every occafion.

The Athenians are very happy, faid Philip, in being able

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to choose ten generals every year; for my part, I have never been able to find but one, and that is Parmenio. We may give ourselves up to pleasure, faid he one day to his friends, with whom he was taking his glass a little too freely; it is énough that Antipater does not drink. Another time, having flept longer than ufual, as foon as he rofe he found Antipater in his antechamber with the emballadors of the different nations of Greece; I might well, fleep, faid he, addreffing himself to the ambaffadors, fince Antipater was awake.

The friends and minifters of both thefe princes might carry their fincerity to the utmost extravagance, if I may use the expreffion; they were never offended with the firmness of their Pemonftrances. We have feen that Henry, far from being offended with Rony for tearing the promife of marriage, which he had made to Madam d'Entragues, made him, not long after Grand Mafter of the Ordnance. The memoirs of this mihifter are full of inftances of the firmness wherewith he spoke to his master. Marshal Biron too fpoke his fentiments with the utmost freedom, without ever giving any offence,

Demarathus, one of the moft illuftrious citizens of Corinth, coming to fee Philip, this prince afked him the news of Greece, and if the feveral ftates lived in harmony with each other?--Why, Sir, replied Demarathus, fhould you concern yourfelf about the union of the Greek cities, whilft your own family is filled with diffenfion and difcord? -Philip, charmed with his freedom, begged his friend to affift him in reftoring the peace of his family, which he did by prevailing upon Olympias and Alexander to return to court, which they had left through fome difcontent.

The day after the battle of Cheronæa, Demadés, one of the firit orators of Athens, who had been made prifoner, being on the field of battle, when Philip, heated with wine, was dancing and finging for joy of the victory, faid to him, with the freedom of a republican;--is it poffible, Sir, that you can act the part of Therfites, when fortune puts it in your power to act that of Agamemnon !-Thefe words reftored Philip to himself; he gave Demades his liberty upon the fpot, and loaded him afterwards with marks of his esteem and friendship.I might relate many more inftances of the generofity and affability of both thefe princes; but I fhall content myself with referring my Readers to what I have faid upon this head in the life of Henry and that of Philip.

There is a great refemblance in thefe princes in regard to their attachment to the fair fex. This paffion which they indulged with too much ardor, was the occafion of much domeftic vexation and uneafinefs to both; but it never made them ommit an action contrary to their intereft or their glory. They alw ways entertained thofe fentiments of love and refpect for their

wives, with which virtuous women never fail to infpire good men. Their wives were never expofed to any bad treatment from them. It is true that Philip feemed to put away Olympias when he married Cleopatra. It is thought, however, that he did not put this Princefs away, as fhe remained at court after the marriage. The Kings of Macedonia were probably allowed to have feveral wives, though this feldom happened.

Henry had always the greateft refpect for Mary de Medicis, notwithstanding the uneafinefs fhe gave him. He even named her regent, to govern the ftate whilst he was engaged in war. We have feen, in the life of this prince, what pains he took to footh the Queen under all her vexations, though he well knew that they were generally occafioned by her favorite Galigai, whom he could not prevail upon himself to difmifs, for fear of making the Queen uneafy; and what shews that he never entirely forfook her, is, that during the nine years they were married, he had fix children by her. Though he had many reafons to complain of Margaret his firft wife, yet he always preferved that refpect for her which was due to her birth, and he has never been reproached for parting with her.

If there was fo great a resemblance between Philip and Henry, there was no lefs between Olympias and Mary de Medicis. They were both haughty and imperious; they were both too impatient on account of the occafional gallantries of their husbands; they reproached them with all the feverity and bitterness of the most violent jealoufy, without confidering that this conduct had no other effect than to alienate thofe affections which they might have fecured the entire poffeffion of by gentlenefs, good humour and complaifance; they filled their families and their courts with quarrels and diffenfions, the bad effects of which their fovereigns had the wifdom to prevent. Olympias, ambitious of governing, occafioned great disturbances in Macedonia after the death of her fon Alexander, and ruled there with the utmoft cruelty; fhe facrificed to her refentment the whole family of her hufband; fhe behaved herself in fo tyrannical a manner, that fhe was even detefted by those very perfons to whom the owed her authority; they abandoned her, and delivered her into the hands of Caffander, the ufurper of Macedonia, who put her to death.

Mary de Medicis had neither the vices nor the malignity of Olympias; her faults were jealoufy and a love of power. The errors the committed during her regency were owing to incapacity; she had not extent of genius fufficient to fupport the weight of fo difficult and laborious a government as that of the kingdom of France, nor to keep in awe the reftlefs, difconented, and ambitious fpirits of the generality of the Catholic Lords and Huguenots, as the King her husband had done. When Lewis the thirteenth was of age, he was obliged to re

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move her from the management of affairs, which he had too indifcreetly trufted to infolent and audacious favourites, who oc cafioned fuch disturbances in the state as could no otherwise be quieted, than by the punishment of Marshal D'Ancre and Galigar

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The deaths of Philip and that of Henry were equally unfortunate, and accompanied with the fame circumftances. They were both affaffinated, each by a single perfon, in the midft of their courts, and of preparations for the celebration of magnificent feafts, and at a time when they were upon the point of putting themselves at the head of their armies, in order to execute those grand projects they had formed. But their deaths had different caufes. That of Philip was occafioned by his refufal to do juftice to Paufanias, a young nobleman of his court, who had been cruelly infulted by Attalus. Philip did every thing in his power to footh this young man; begged him to forget the injury, and loaded him with favours in order to prevail upon him to pardon Attalus; but Paufanias, infentible of his master's kindness, facrificed him to his refentment. Olympias and her fon Alexander were fufpected, and even accused, of having been concerned in this wicked attempt; but hiftorians have not given us fufficient proofs of it.

Henry was affaffinated, amidst the preparations that were making for the Queen's entry, by a fingle man; a great many perfons have been accused of having been engaged with him in the fame horrid defign, but there is no clear evidence for it. This prince was the victim of his own clemency, and of a horrid fanaticism, which continued too long in France, and which nothing but time could cure. The enemies of France, frighted at the preparations Henry was making to punish them for thofe diforders which they had committed in his kingdom, may, as I have had occafion to pbferve, be accufed upon this occafion; in the fame, manner as Alexander accufed Darius for having been an accomplice in the confpiracy which hastened the death of Philip.

We fhall conclude with comparing the ambition of Henry and Philip, which was equal, though the character of it was different.-Ambition is a difpofition of the foul, which makes a man with himself fuperiour to others in glory, in command, in riches, and in the poffeffion of all thofe advantages which he confiders as real bleffings; it is praife-worthy or the contrary, according to the virtues or the vices that influence it, and the good or bad actions which a man does in order to gratify it.

Men of all ranks ought to have ambition; but I am now Speaking of that noble ambition which prompts a man to a faithful discharge of all the duties of that station wherein providence has placed him, to employ his abilities in promoting the happinefs of his inferiors or equals, and to have no other views in

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