ems inexplicable upon any fair
supposition, except that he accounted the rules of spelling unworthy the
attention of any but copyists and office drudges; or (which is more
probable) that he wished this extraordinary spelling to be received as an
indication of the great rapidity with which he could commit his thoughts to
paper.

HENRY H. BREEN.

* * * * *

MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT.

(Vol. viii., pp. 461. 549.; Vol. ix., p. 3.)

There appearing to be a strong feeling that a correct edition of these
_Memoirs_ should be published, with the present inaccurate notes thoroughly
revised, I send you a few notes from a collection I have made on the
subject.

The proper orthography of the name is "Gramont," and the family probably
originally came from Spain. Matta's friend, the Marquis de Sevantes,
asserts the fact; and it is corroborated by the fact, that on the occasion
of the Marshal de Grammont's demanding the hand of the Infanta Maria
Theresa for Louis XIV., the people cried, "Viva el Marescal de Agramont,
que es de nuestro sangue!" And the King of Spain said to the Marshal after
the presentation of his sons, the Counts de Guiche and De Louvigny, "Teneis
Muy Buenos y lindos hijos y bien se hecha de ver que los Agramonteses salen
de la sangue de Espana."

The Grammont family had been so enriched and ennobled by its repeated
marriages with the heiresses of great families, that, like many noble
houses of our own times, members of it hardly knew their own correct
surname: thus, in the famous declaration of the parliament of Paris against
the Peers in 1717, on the subject of the Caps, it was said:

"The Grammonts have determined on their armorial bearings, and hold to
those of the house of Aure. The Count de Grammont said one day to the
Marshal, What arms shall we use this year?"

The Grammonts in the male line are descended from Sancho Garcia d'Aure,
Viscount de l'Arboust. Menaud d'Aure, his lineal representative, married
Claire de Grammont, sister and heiress of Jean, Seigneur de Grammont, and
daughter of Francis, Seigneur de Grammont, and Catherine d'Andoins his
wife.

Menaud d'Aure is the ancestor who is disguised in the _Memoirs_ as
"Menaudaure" and "Menodore;" and in the notes, coupled with "la belle
Corisande," they are styled two of the ancestresses of the family
celebrated for their beauty.

Philibert, who was styled Philibert de Grammont and de Toulongeon, Count de
Gra