Hunt's Merchants' Magazine Volume 7 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 edition. Excerpt: ...dependents of the crown seized on the one idea he uncovered, and locked it up exultingly in the strong place where they kept their household truths. Through the Marquis of Pezay, he obtained the ear of royalty itself, and in a short period transmitted to the king an exposition of the finances of the realm, which was plain enough to be understood by their royal receiver, and was flattering enough to accelerate the elevation of the man who had reduced them into system. In the end of 1776, Necker was associated with Taboureau, in the comptroller-generalship of the finances; and eight months afterwards, by Taboureau's resignation, he was left without a colleague in an office, at that momentous period, the most important in the realm. It was then for the first time that the Geneva banker was brought within the presence of the descendant of Henry IV. and the child of Maria Theresa. Great names must have stood on the wall before him, as he touched the carpet that had been trod by St. Louis, by the protestant king of Navarre, and by their recreant and apostate successors. In that little chamber had been determined the adventures of French royalty from the first crusade of Louis III. to the last debauch of Louis XV.; and who can wonder that the protestant reforming minister felt his limbs fettered in every fresh motion, by the cob-webs which formed the archives of the cabinet 1 "I still remember," he said, a long time after, " the steep dark staircase to M. de Maurepa's apartments, up which I used to mount with fear and despondency, not very clear how a new idea might succeed with him, which occupied all my attention, and which often tended to produce an increase of the revenue by some just but rigid curtailment. I still remember that...