I AM apt to be taken with all kinds of people at first sight; but never
more so than when a poor devil comes to offer his service to so poor a
devil as myself; and as I know this weakness, I always suffer my judgment
to draw back something on that very account,—and this more or less,
according to the mood I am in, and the case;—and I may add, the gender
too, of the person I am to govern.
When La Fleur entered the room, after every discount I could make for my
soul, the genuine look and air of the fellow determined the matter at
once in his favour; so I hired him first,—and then began to enquire what
he could do: But I shall find out his talents, quoth I, as I want
them,—besides, a Frenchman can do every thing.
Now poor La Fleur could do nothing in the world but beat a drum, and play
a march or two upon the fife. I was determined to make his talents do;
and can’t say my weakness was ever so insulted by my wisdom as in the
attempt.
La Fleur had set out early in life, as gallantly as most Frenchmen do,
with _serving_ for a few years; at the end of which, having satisfied the
sentiment, and found, moreover, That the honour of beating a drum was
likely to be its own reward, as it open’d no further track of glory to
him,—he retired _à ses terres_, and lived _comme il plaisoit à
Dieu_;—that is to say, upon nothing.
—And so, quoth Wisdom, you have hired a drummer to attend you in this
tour of yours through France and Italy!—Psha! said I, and do not one half
of our gentry go with a humdrum _compagnon du voyage_ the same round, and
have the piper and the devil and all to pay besides? When man can
extricate himself with an _équivoque_ in such an unequal match,—he is not
ill off.—But you can do something else, La Fleur? said I.—_O qu’oui_! he
could make spatterdashes, and play a little upon the fiddle.—Bravo! said
Wisdom.—Why, I play a bass myself, said I;—we shall do very well. You
can shave, and dress a wig a little, La Fleur?—He had all the
dispositions in the world.—It is enough for heaven! said I, interrupting
him,—and ought to be enough for me.—So, supper coming in, and having a
frisky English spaniel on one side of my chair, and a French valet, with
as much hilarity in his countenance as ever Nature painted in one, on the
other,—I was satisfied to my heart’s content with my empire; and if
monarchs knew what they would be at, they might be as satisfied as I was.