r:
'Scandalous laggards, is this your mode of governing a free Republic?
Freedom to let the State go to dry-rot, and become the laughing-stock
of mankind. To provide for your own paltry kindred in the
State-employments; to palaver grandly with all comers; and publish
melodious Despatches of Van Hoey? Had not Britannic Majesty, for his
dear Daughter's sake, come to the rescue in this crisis, where had we
been? We demand a Stadtholder again; our glorious Nassau Orange, to keep
some bridle on you!' And actually, in this way, Populus and Plebs, by
general turning out into the streets, in a gloomily indignant manner,
which threatens to become vociferous and dangerous,--cowed the Heads of
the Republic into choosing the said Prince, with Princess and Family, as
Stadtholder, High-Admiral, High-Everything and Supreme of the Republic.
Hereditary, no less, and punctually perpetual; Princess and Family to
share in it. In which happy state (ripened into Kingship latterly) they
continue to this day. A result painfully surprising to Most Christian
Majesty; gratifying to Britannic proportionately, or more;--and indeed
beneficial towards abating dry-rot and melodious palaver in that poor
Land of the Free. Consummated, by popular outbreak of vociferation,
in the different Provinces, in about a week from April 23d, when
those helpful Seventy-fours hove in sight. Stadtholdership had been in
abeyance for forty-five years. [Since our Dutch William's death, 1702.]
The new Stadtholder did his best; could not, in the short life granted
him, do nearly enough.--Next year there was a SECOND Dutch outbreak,
or general turning into the streets; of much more violent character;
in regard to glaringly unjust Excises and Taxations, and to 'instant
dismissal of your Excise-Farmers,' as the special first item. [Adelung,
vi. 364 et seq.; Raumer, 182-193 ("March-September, 1748"); or,
in--Chesterfield's Works,--Dayrolles's Letters to Chesterfield: somewhat
unintelligent and unintelligible, both Raumer and he.] Which salutary
object being accomplished (new Stadtholder well aiding, in a valiant and
judicious manner), there has no third dose of that dangerous remedy been
needed since.

"JULY 19th, FATE OF CHEVALIER DE BELLEISLE. At the Fortress of Exilles,
in one of those Passes of the Savoy Alps,--Pass of Col di Sieta,
memorable to the French Soldier ever since,--there occurred a lamentable
thing;" doubtless much talked of at Sceaux while Voltaire was there.