his Machiavellian stratagems [on account of the alleged political
immorality of Machiavelli, an illustrious Italian of the sixteenth
century, this expression has come to mean "destitute of political
morality; habitually using duplicity and bad faith." Cent. Dict.],
but laboured in vain to soothe and silence that painful feeling by
superstitious observances, severe penance, and profuse gifts to
the ecclesiastics. The second property, with which the first is
sometimes found strangely united, was a disposition to low pleasures
and obscure debauchery. The wisest, or at least the most crafty
sovereign of his time, he was fond of low life, and, being himself
a man of wit, enjoyed the jests and repartees of social conversation
more than could have been expected from other points of his character.
He even mingled in the comic adventures of obscure intrigue, with
a freedom little consistent with the habitual and guarded jealousy
of his character, and he was so fond of this species of humble
gallantry, that he caused a number of its gay and licentious anecdotes
to be enrolled in a collection well known to book collectors, in
whose eyes (and the work is unfit for any other) the right edition
is very precious.

[This editio princeps, which, when in good preservation, is
much sought after by connoisseurs, is entitled Les Cent Nouvelles
Nouvelles, contenant Cent Histoires Nouveaux, qui sont moult plaisans
a raconter en toutes bonnes compagnies par maniere de joyeuxete.
Paris, Antoine Verard. Sans date d'annee d'impression; en folio
gotique. See De Bure. S]

By means of this monarch's powerful and prudent, though most unamiable
character, it pleased Heaven, who works by the tempest as well as
by the soft, small rain, to restore to the great French nation the