His  Majesty's  face  I  thought  very  beautiful  while  he  was  living  ;
but  now,  on  my  conscience,  I  consider  it  the  ugliest  phiz  I  ever
beheld.  But  I  directed  your  notice  to  the  picture  because  we
were  talking  of  love  ;  and  Old  Rowley  believed  that  he  could
make  it  better  than  any  one  else.  All  his  courtiers  had  the
same  opinion  of  themselves  ;  and  I  dare  say  the  beaux  gar f on s
of  Queen  Anne's  reign  would  say  that  not  one  of  King  Charley's
gang  knew  what  love  was.  Oh  !  'tis  a  strange  circle  of  revolu-
tions, that  love  !  Like  the  earth,  it  always  changes,  and  yet
always  has  the  same  materials."

"  V Amour — V amour — toujours  Famour,  with  Count  Anthony
Hamilton  ! "  said  Boulainvilliers.  "  He  is  always  on  that  sub-
ject ;  and  sacre  bleu!  when  he  was  younger,  I  am  told  he  was
like  Cacus,  the  son  of  Vulcan,  and  breathed  nothing  but  flames."

"  You  flatter  me,"  said  Hamilton.  *'  Solve  me  now  a  knotty
riddle,  nly  Lord  Bolingbroke.  Why  does  a  young  man  think
it  the  greatest  compliment  to  be  thought  wise,  while  an  old  man
thinks  it  the  greatest  compliment  to  be  told  he  has  been  foolish?"

"Is  love  foolish,  then  ?  "  said  Lord  Bolingbroke.
*'  Can  you  doubt  it  ?"  answered  Hamilton  ;  "it  makes  a^nan
think  more  of  another  than  himself  f^  I  ktiow  not  a  greater
proof  of  folly  ! "  ■

"Ah — mon  aimable  ami" — cried  Chaulieu;  "you  are  the
wickedest  witty  person  I  know.  I  cannot  help  loving  your
language,  while  I  hate  your  sentiments."

"  My  language  is  my  own — my  sentiments  are  those  of  all


230  DEVEREUX.
