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stickler for the rights and honours of legitimacy,
and a most energetic enemy of all
modern republicans. When seated by the
fire, with her spectacles on, her knitting-
needles in her fingers, and her snuff-box
within reach, she was armed at all points
in defence of the holy alliance, against the
Carbonari. The thread of her argument
moved on as swiftly as the thread of her
stocking, and in defending the leagued potentates,
she displayed more ability than
many of their prime ministers,— she always
remained unvanquished; for it seemed a
religious duty with her, never to yield up
her opinions. We had an Austrian minister
of state in the house, who came to Geneva
to have the advice of M. Mounoir,
the justly celebrated oculist. During these
political discussions, finding the cause of
legitimacy so ably managed by Mademoiselle
P., he good-lmmouredly resigned to
her the whole defence of the holy alliance.
Speaking with one of the most respectable
and opulent citizens in Geneva, on the
character of the inhabitants, I mentioned
the opinion which prevailed respecting
their attachment to money. He said it
was true that few of the rich families spent
■
as much as half their incomes, and many
not more than one-fourth ; but then, he
added, it is not uncommon at Geneva for
persons to expend more annually in charity
than on their own account, not in large
pompous subscriptions to public institutions,
but privately in assisting families in
declining circumstances, and enabling them
to live in the style of comfort to which
they had been accustomed. I f this be so,
and I have no reason to doubt it, they are
just stewards of the bounties of heaven,
and nothing can be more unjust than to
accuse them of avarice.
The Genevese are generally liberal supporters
of their own charitable institutions,
and as they have no poor laws, their indigent
poor are supported by the voluntary
aid of the opulent. On many occasions,
the Genevese have also assisted their neighbours
the Savoyards, very extensively, in
times of scarcity, and have saved numbers
of families from starving, particularly in
the year 1816. Their charitable and well-
timed aid, at that period, gave great offence
to the Sardinian government, which
we had recently restored. That humane
and liberal government, was highly indig-
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