"My dear father," exclaimed the princess, "can you be recalled to the throne of Poland ?" "God has done us a more astounding grace," replied Stanislaus: "you are Queen of France!" "Never shall I forget the horror of the calamities we were enduring in France, when Queen Mary Leckzinska arrived," says M.d'Argenson.

"A continuance of rain had caused famine, and it was much aggravated by the bad government under the duke.

That government, whatever may be said of it, was even more hurtful through bad judgment than from interested views, which had not so much to do with it as was said.

There were very costly measures taken to import foreign corn; but that only augmented the alarm, and, consequently, the dearness.
"Fancy the unparalleled misery of the country-places! It was just the time when everybody was thinking of harvests and ingatherings of all sorts of things, which it had not been possible to get in for the continual rains; the poor farmer was watching for a dry moment to get them in; meanwhile all the district was beaten with many a scourge.

The peasants had been sent off to prepare the roads by which the queen was to pass, and they were only the worse for it, insomuch that Her Majesty was often within a thought of drowning; they pulled her from her carriage by the strong arm, as best they might.