One had to captivate him by some piquant detail; without that, he would escape you, give you no time to speak.

The success generally began by the first words, no matter how vague, of any conversation; these he found means to make interesting; and what, generally, is mere talk about the weather became at once sublime; and one never heard anything vulgar from him.

He ennobled everything; and the examples of Greeks and Romans, or of modern Generals, soon dissipated everything of what, with others, would have remained trivial and commonplace.
"'Have you ever,' said he, 'seen such a rain as yesterday's?
Your orthodox Catholics will say, "That comes of having a man without religion among us: what are we to do with this cursed (MAUDIT) King; a Protestant at lowest ?" for I really think I brought you bad luck.

Your soldiers would be saying, "Peace we have; and still is this devil of a man to trouble us!"' EGO.

"'Certainly, if your Majesty was the cause, it is very bad.