clothes pinched me terribly; my feet were imprisoned in tight
shoes, with which it was impossible for me to walk; I had a multitude
of curl papers put on my head; and I wore a hoop, for the first time
in my life. In order to get rid of my country attitudes, I had an iron
collar put on my neck, and, as I squinted a little at times, I was
obliged to put on goggles as soon as I woke in the morning; and these
I wore four hours. I was, moreover, not a little surprised when they
talked of giving me a master to teach me what I thought I knew well
enough already--to _walk_. Beside all this, I was forbidden to run, to
leap, or ask questions.

"All these painful constraints made such an impression on me, that I
have never forgotten them. I have since faithfully depicted them in a
little comedy called 'The Dove.' But a great ceremony, and the fine
entertainments which followed it, soon made me forget my little
griefs. I had only been privately christened; I was now baptized in
public; my aunt, Madame de Bellevau, was my godmother, and M. Bouret,
the farmer-general, my godfather. I received some splendid presents;
and I had, besides, plenty of sweetmeats and playthings, and I soon
recovered my good-humor. I was taken also to the opera, which
delighted me beyond measure.

"My father had the utmost affection for me, but he did not interfere
with my education in any point but one; he wished to make me a woman
of firm mind, and I was born with numberless little antipathies. I had
a horror of all insects, particularly of spiders and toads. I was also
afraid of mice, and he made me feed and bring up one. I loved my
father to excess, and he had such an influence over me, that I never
dared to disobey him. He would frequently oblige me to catch spiders
with my fingers, and to hold toads in my hands, and, at such times,
though I felt as if the blood had forsaken my veins, I was forced to
obey. These trials proved clearly to me that toads are not venomous;
but they powerfully contributed to weaken my nerves, and have only
augmented the antipathies which they were intended to remove. They
have, however, served to give me a habit of self-command, which of
itself is a great benefit.

"So passed several years. Mademoiselle de Mars, a young woman from
Brittany, had now the sole direction of my studies, and she gave me
also lessons in singing, and on the harpsichord. I became attached to
her from the first, and passed nearly all my time with he