large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb_94
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb
English
12344
The king was now legally of age; but he was dull and backward, and little fitted for government, and the country was really ruled by the Duke of Bourbon, and after him by Cardinal Fleury, an aged statesman, but filled with the same schemes of ambition as Richelieu or Mazarin. THE KING WAS NOW LEGALLY OF AGE BUT HE WAS DULL AND BACKWARD AND LITTLE FITTED FOR GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTRY WAS REALLY RULED BY THE DUKE OF BOURBON AND AFTER HIM BY CARDINAL FLEURY AN AGED STATESMAN BUT FILLED WITH THE SAME SCHEMES OF AMBITION AS RICHELIEU OR MAZARIN
cious, and his mother said of him that he was like the prince in a fable whom all the fairies had endowed with gifts, except one malignant sprite who had prevented any favour being of use to him. In the general exhaustion produced by the wars of Louis XIV., a Scotchman named James Law began the great system of hollow speculation which has continued ever since to tempt people to their ruin. He tried raising sums of money on national credit, and also devised a company who were to lend money to found a great settlement on the Mississippi, the returns from which were to be enormous. Every one speculated in shares, and the wildest excitement prevailed. Law's house was mobbed by people seeking interviews with him, and nobles disguised themselves in liveries to get access to him. Fortunes were made one week and lost the next, and finally the whole plan proved to have been a mere baseless scheme; ruin followed, and the misery of the country increased. The Duke of Orleans died suddenly in 1723. HIS MOTHER SAID OF HIM THAT HE WAS LIKE THE PRINCE IN A FABLE WHOM ALL THE FAIRIES HAD ENDOWED WITH GIFTS EXCEPT ONE MALIGNANT SPRITE WHO HAD PREVENTED ANY FAVOUR BEING OF USE TO HIM IN THE GENERAL EXHAUSTION PRODUCED BY THE WARS OF LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH A SCOTCHMAN NAMED JAMES LAW BEGAN THE GREAT SYSTEM OF HOLLOW SPECULATION WHICH HAS CONTINUED EVER SINCE TO TEMPT PEOPLE TO THEIR RUIN HE TRIED RAISING SUMS OF MONEY ON NATIONAL CREDIT AND ALSO DEVISED A COMPANY WHO WERE TO LEND MONEY TO FOUND A GREAT SETTLEMENT ON THE MISSISSIPPI THE RETURNS FROM WHICH WERE TO BE ENORMOUS EVERYONE SPECULATED IN SHARES AND THE WILDEST EXCITEMENT PREVAILED LAW'S HOUSE WAS MOBBED BY PEOPLE SEEKING INTERVIEWS WITH HIM AND NOBLES DISGUISED THEMSELVES IN LIVERIES TO GET ACCESS TO HIM FORTUNES WERE MADE ONE WEEK AND LOST THE NEXT AND FINALLY THE WHOLE PLAN PROVED TO HAVE BEEN A MERE BASELESS SCHEME RUIN FOLLOWED AND THE MISERY OF THE COUNTRY INCREASED THE DUKE OF ORLEANS DIED SUDDENLY IN SEVENTEEN TWENTY THREE
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