of which you know I have a copy, is the most repeated; but there is another with a longer and leaner face, which has by far the most sensible look.  She is in black, with a high point head and band, a long train, and is sitting in a chair of purple velvet.  Before her knees stands her niece Madame de Noailles, a child; at a distance a view of Versailles or St. Cyr, I could not distinguish which.  We were shown some rich reliquaries, and the corpo santo that was sent to her by the Pope.  We were then carried into the public room of each class.  In the first, the young ladies, who were playing at chess, were ordered to sing to us the choruses of Athaliah; in another, they danced minuets and country-dances while a nun, not quite so able as St. Cecilia, played on a violin.  In the others, they acted before us the proverbs or conversations written by Madame de Maintenon for their instruction; for she was not only their foundress but their saint, and their adoration of her memory has quite eclipsed the Virgin Mary.  We saw their dormitory, and saw them at supper; and at last were carried to their archives. where they produced volumes of her letters, and where one of the nuns gave me a small piece of paper with three sentences in her handwriting.  I forgot to tell you, that this kind dame, who took to me extremely, asked me if we had many convents and many relics in England.  I was much embarrassed for fear of destroying her good opinion of me, and so said we had but few now.  Oh! we went to the apothecaries where they treated us with cordials, and where one of the ladies told me inoculation was a sin, as it was a voluntary detention from mass, and as voluntary a cause of eating gras.  Our visit concluded in the garden, now grown very venerable, where the young ladies played at little games before us.  After a stay of four hours we took our leave.  I begged the abbess’s blessing; she smiled, and said, she doubted I should not place much faith in it.  She is a comely old gentlewoman, and very proud of having seen Madame de Maintenon.  Well! was not I in the right to wish you with me? could you have passed a day more agreeably!

I will conclude my letter with a most charming trait of Madame de Mailly, which cannot be misplaced in such a chapter of royal concubines.  Going to St. Sulpice, after she had lost the King’s heart, a person present desired the crowd to make way for her.  Some brutal young officers said, “Comment, pour cette catin-l`a!” She turned to them, and, with the most charming modesty said, “Messieurs, puisque vous me COnnoissez, priez Dieu pour moi.”  I am sure it will bring tears into your eyes.  Was not she the Publican, and Maintenon the Pharisee?  Good night!  I hope I am going to dream of all I have been seeing.  As my impressions and my fancy, when I am pleased, are apt to be strong.  My night perhaps, may still be more productive of ideas than the day has been.  It will be charming, indeed, if Madame de Cambis is the ruling tint.  Adieu!  Yours ever.