upon me, whom two considerations enabled to withstand his temptation;
namely, my promise to my uncle, and my aversion to an ecclesiastical
life; for as to the difference of religion, I looked upon it as a thing
of too small moment to come in competition with a man's fortune. Finding
me immovable on this head, he told me, he was more sorry than offended
at my noncompliance, and still ready to employ his good offices in
my behalf. "The same erroneous maxims," said he, "that obstruct your
promotion in the church, will infallibly prevent your advancement in the
army; but, if you can brook the condition of a servant, I am acquainted
with some people of rank at Versailles, to whom I can give you letters
of recommendation, that you may be entertained by some one of them in
quality of maitre d'hotel; and I do not doubt that your qualifications
will soon entitle you to a better provision." I embraced his offer with
great eagerness, and he appointed me to come back in the afternoon,
when he would not only give me letters, but likewise introduce me to
a capuchin of his acquaintance, who intended to set out for Paris next
morning in whose company I might travel, without being at the expense
of one livre during the whole journey. This piece of good news gave me
infinite pleasure; I acknowledged my obligation to the benevolent father
in the most grateful expressions; and he performed his promise to a
tittle, in delivering the letters, and making me acquainted with the
capuchin, with whom I departed next morning by break of day.

It was not long before I discovered my fellow traveller to be a merry
facetious fellow, who, notwithstanding his profession and appearance of
mortification, loved good eating and drinking better than his rosary,
and paid more adoration to a pretty girl than to the Virgin Mary, or St.
Genevieve. He was a thick brawny young man, with red eyebrows, a hook
nose, a face covered with freckles; and his name was Frere Balthazar.
His order did not permit him to wear linen, so that, having little
occasion to undress himself, he was none of the cleanliest animals in
the world; and his constitution was naturally so strongly scented that
I always thought it convenient to keep to the windward of him in our
march. As he was perfectly well known on the road, we fared sumptuously
without any cost, and the fatigue of our journey was much alleviated by
the good humour of my companion, who sang an infinite number of catches
on