prepare an exclusive wafer ("hostie choisie")
for her use.

It seemed, indeed, as if these "exclusives"
fancied they condescended in allowing
themselves to be redeemed at all; and the
Chanoine-Comtes of the Chapter of Saint John
of Lyons were so impressed with their own
dignity, that they actually refused to kneel
during the celebration of mass and elevation
of the host; and what was more extraordinary,
were confirmed in this "privilege"
(which Louis the Fourteenth abrogated) by
an ecclesiastical decree. The Canonesses of
Verdun also enjoyed the same immunity from
genuflexion, and wore their heads covered
at the religious processions.

The Abbé de Pompadour, who, although
a clergyman, was of the secular order, was
of opinion that it would be as serviceable
to his soul, as probably it was, if he said his
prayers by deputy; he accordingly gave his
valet extra wages to read his breviary for
him in the ante-chamber, while he, most likely,
was playing at cards in the salon. This pious
Abbé died in 1710.

We could multiply anecdotes like the above,
but our document awaits us. It is intituled,
"Petition of the Dukes and Duchesses"
(M.Mgrs. les Dues et M.Mmes. les Duchesses)
"to his Royal Highness the Duke of Orleans,
Regent," and commences in the following
(humble) strain:—

"MONSEIGNEUR, So little respect is paid
to us in public ('dans le monde'), that it is
necessary we should have an express law
enacted to replace us in our rights and
privileges, with regard to the people, the inferior
nobility, and the clergy. Who can be ignorant
that the clergy are only allowed to be
anything in the State, but because a certain
number of Peers have not disdained the titles
of Bishop and Archbishop? It is necessary
that a bishop, at the least, should be the
person to administer the sacrament to us.
We alone have the right to carry cushions
(to kneel upon 'carreaux') to church. It is
our privilege to receive the sacred bread
before any one else, no matter who! If we
go to a conventual church, we must be
waited for at least half-an-hour, whenever we
should happen to be detained. In the streets,
all the other classes of nobility must give the
right-hand side ('le haut du pavé') to a peer,
whether that peer be in a carriage or on
horseback; and as to the coaches of people
of the commonalty ('gens de la roture'), they
must be obliged to draw up as we pass,
however inconvenient it may happen to be.

"A peer and peeress occupy, as a matter
of course, the back seat of the carriage;
indeed, it is necessary that the law should
restrain them from giving up their places,
if moved to it by politeness or natural
modesty. At table their healths ought to be
drunk before those of the master and mistress
of the house. At the theatre, they are to
occupy the best boxes, and if these are filled
on their arrival, those who are sitting there
must immediately withdraw; any other
arrangement, Monseigneur, would neither be
just nor endurable. A peer has no occasion
for fighting a duel with a private nobleman,
even if it should happen that he has been
well beaten by him ('quand même il en aurait
reçu des coups de bâton').

"No one can pretend to hold any place
until it has been refused by the peers, the
peers being so completely above the people,
that they really are not called upon to recognise
their existence ('lesquels pairs sont tellement
au-dessus du peuple, qu'à peine ils doivent
le connoître.') No workman or mechanic
should be allowed to compel them by process
of law (les contraindre juridiquement) to pay
their debts. This sort of persons ought only
to give them a polite intimation of the fact
of their indebtedness (les avertir honnêtement),
and the peers will satisfy them, if they
think proper to do so (s'ils le jugent à propos).

"Finally, Monseigneur, on the same
principle that a nobleman has not the right to draw
his sword upon a duke; so the servants of
noblemen cannot force those of dukes to
make use of their fists in self-defence; and
the latter should rather allow themselves to
be thoroughly milled (se laisserent plutôt rouer
de coups) than compromise the honour which
they enjoy, of being in the service of their
masters."

One would think that this "document"
was the production of a farçeur who wished
to raise a laugh against the pretensions of
"Ducs et Pairs;" but no such thing; it
is a veritable State paper, taken from box K,
of the Archives of France, in Paris, and so
extracted, as we have already said, in the
last year of the reign of Louis Philippe.

STILL ON THE WING.

TROT away, ye good and steady-footed
steeds. On, Andrew, on, till the sea once
more stops us. We are out again to seek
our fortune. With such a bright sun, and
such a soft breeze, it is impossible to despond.
The Eastern princes, who went out in search
of the singing tree and the golden waters, did
not come home without bringing back some
pleasant results of travel with them; nor
shall we.

It is impossible to proceed far without
observing, to the right and to the left,
frequent "bals" displaying their respectable
proportions. They are a little mysterious,
like people of known good property, who
keep the exact amount of it to themselves.
They look "keenly," that is to say, kindly—
[an expression, which is matched by the
Germanism of a friendly-looking house]
especially those that have " pretty courses of
ore," as far down as "the forty-fourth level"—
"courses of ore," ninety feet "big." The
beautiful bals! They pay dividends, and give