where scrupulous care is taken to authenticate all that is adduced. In his engaging work, ‘Le Secret du Roi,’ the Duke de Broglie treats at some length on the part taken by D’Eon in the secret correspondence of Louis XV. Unhappily, the Duke seems desirous of avenging the agony of mind his ancestor the Count de Broglio must have endured, upon certain occasions of the threatening attitude assumed by the Chevalier, and he evidently finds it impossible to forgive the Minister Plenipotentiary, D’Eon, for being more clever, abler, and readier-witted than the French Ambassador with whom it was his misfortune to be connected; for his Grace takes frequent occasion to traduce him, and calls attention to his ‘assertions mensongères,’ without clearly substantiating the grave charges—a hard measure where the person assailed is beyond the possibility of vindicating the accusation. The fact is that D’Eon related unpleasant truths, and exposed startling facts, as will be manifested in due course. Few persons, in all probability, have left behind them so much matter in MS. as did the Chevalier D’Eon, if we except perhaps the Duke of Berwick and the noted Saint-Simon, of whom Chateaubriand said: ‘... il avait heureusement un tour à lui; il écrivit à la diable pour l’immortalité.’ Like Saint-Simon, the Chevalier sketched admirable portraits, and like Saint-Simon too, he commenced in early youth to write his impressions, keeping to himself, through life, all he had written. There is evidence, amongst the papers the author has consulted, that D’Eon never contemplated an autobiography. ‘It has ever been my opinion,’ he wrote, ‘and I am even persuaded, that it is impossible for an author to write a just history of his own life; for he is either lifted to the height of vanity by pride so inseparable from the human heart, or else feigned modesty debases him to hypocritical humility. There are, at Versailles, public depôts of the Ministries for War and for Foreign Affairs, and Louis XV. has left his private papers of the Secret Correspondence. It is there that the faithful historian should seek the truth if he has the courage to tell it.’ Unfortunately, there is reason for apprehending that many MSS., some of consequence, are lost. Père Elisée, the Chevalière’s medical attendant, had a large number of his papers, which were seen in the possession of M. Nicolas de Chenart, about the years 1824-1828, by a correspondent, in ‘Notes and Queries.’ They may now possibly form a part or the whole of the collection of D’Eon MSS. at the British Museum, and at Tonnerre where they are numerous. Another large portion passed into the hands of Mr. Christie, to whom the Chevalière was indebted for many favours. The first and last of these collections have been well sifted by the author, the chief difficulty experienced being the making a judicious selection. It was quite possible to have enlarged on the acts and writings of the Chevalier or Chevalière D’Eon, by the introduction