I have not the least doubt but that he will admit to his presence one
who has such hereditary claims on his notice. Madame de Maintenon, by
the way, has charged me to present you to her whenever you will give me
the opportunity. She knew your admirable mother well, and for her sake
wishes once to see you. You know perhaps, Monsieur, that the extreme
retirement of her life renders this message from Madame de Maintenon an
unusual and rare honour."

I expressed my thanks; the Bishop received them with a paternal rather
than a courtier-like air, and appointed a day for me to attend him to
the palace. We then conversed a short time upon indifferent matters,
which I observed the good Bishop took especial pains to preserve clear
from French politics. He asked me, however, two or three questions
about the state of parties in England,--about finance and the national
debt, about Ormond and Oxford; and appeared to give the most close
attention to my replies. He smiled once or twice, when his relation,
Madame de Balzac, broke out into sarcasms against the Jesuits, which had
nothing to do with the subjects in question.

"Ah, /ma chere cousine/," said he: "you flatter me by showing that you
like me not as the politician, but the private relation,--not as the
Bishop of Frejus, but as Andre de Fleuri."

Madame de Balzac smiled, and answered by a compliment. She was a
politician for the kingdom, it is true, but she was also a politician
for herself. She was far from exclaiming, with Pindar, "Thy business, O
my city, I prefer willingly to my own." Ah, there is a nice distinction
between politics and policy, and Madame de Balzac knew it. The
distinction is this. Politics is the art of being wise for others:
policy is the art of being wise for one's self.