abroad, it was either incognito, or in one of the Royal carriages,
with a powerful escort. An amusing anecdote is recorded of the
detestation in which he was held by the people, and the ill treatment
he would have met, had he fallen into their hands. A gentleman, of the
name of Boursel, was passing in his carriage down the Rue St. Antoine,
when his further progress was stayed by a hackneycoach that had
blocked up the road. M. Boursel's servant called impatiently to the
hackneycoachman to get out of the way, and, on his refusal, struck him
a blow on the face. A crowd was soon drawn together by the
disturbance, and M. Boursel got out of the carriage to restore order.
The hackney-coachman, imagining that he had now another assailant,
bethought him of an expedient to rid himself of both, and called out
as loudly as he was able, "Help! help! murder! murder! Here are Law
and his servant going to kill me! Help! help!" At this cry, the people
came out of their shops, armed with sticks and other weapons, while
the mob gathered stones to inflict summary vengeance upon the supposed
financier. Happily for M. Boursel and his servant, the door of the
church of the Jesuits stood wide open, and, seeing the fearful odds
against them, they rushed towards it with all speed. They reached the
altar, pursued by the people, and would have been ill treated even
there, if, finding the door open leading to the sacristy, they had not
sprang through, and closed it after them. The mob were then persuaded
to leave the church by the alarmed and indignant priests; and, finding
M. Boursel's carriage still in the streets, they vented their ill-will
against it, and did it considerable damage.

The twenty-five millions secured on the municipal revenues of the
city of Paris, bearing so low an interest as two and a half per cent.,
were not very popular among the large holders of Mississippi stock.
The conversion of the securities was, therefore, a work of