578 THE JESUIT CRESSET. 



concern, he declares " Les gens cle bon air, les demi-raisonneurs, les 

 pi/oi/ablcs incredules, peuvent a leur aise se moquer de ma demarche : * 

 je serai trop dedommage de leur froides plaisanteries, si les gens senses 

 et vertueux. (courtiers and ecclesiastics, of course), si les ecrivains 

 dignes de servir la religion, si les ames honnetes et pieuses que j'ai pu 

 scandaliser, voient mon humble desaveu avec cette satisfaction pure 



* Voltaire and Piron, who never liked Gresset, lost no time in profiitng by 

 a permission conveyed in such flattering terms. The latter, vexed perhaps a't 

 the success of' 4 Le Merchant," which bade fair to rival his own " Metromanie," 

 had already given vent to his spleen at the reception of Gresset into the Aca- 

 demy, in one of his best epigrams, and which, by the way, seems to have been 

 a species of prophecy : 



" En France on fait par un plaisant moyen 

 Taire un auteur quand d'e'crits il assomme ; 

 Dans un f'auteuil d'Acadamicien 

 IML quarantieme on fait asseoir mon homme ; 

 Lors il s'endort, et ne fait plus qu'un sommc ; 

 Plus n'en avez phrase, ni madrigal. 

 Au bel esprit ce fauteuil est en somme 

 Ce qu'a 1 'amour est le lit conjugal." 



Upon Gresset's public declaration of repentance for the past, and abjuration of 

 the future, sins of authorship, Piron greeted him with another : 



" Gresset pleure sur ses ouvrages 

 En penitent des plus touche's. 

 Apprenez a devenir sages, 

 Petits ecrivains de'bauche's. 

 Pour nous qu'il a si bien preches, 

 Prions tous que dans 1'autre vie 

 Dieu veuille oublier ses pe'che's 

 Comme en ce monde on les oublie." 



Voltaire, on his part, suffered not so favourable an opportunity to escape, 

 and made the following lines a vehicle for the expression of that feeling of 

 jealousy of the fame and impatience at the success of his contempories'and 

 literary rivals, of which even the excess of his own glory could not in many 

 instances cure him. These verses, which he has placed in the mouth of his 

 " Pauvre Diable," breathe a spirit of greater bitterness against Gresset, than 

 is to be detected in the lively sallies of Piron : 



" Gresset doue du double privilege 

 D'etre au colle'ge un bel esprit momlain, 

 Et dans le monde un homme de colle'ge ; 

 Gresset devot, longtemps petit badin ; 

 Sanctirie par ses palinodies, 

 II pretendait avec compunction 

 Qu'il avait fait jadis dcs comedies 

 Dont a la Vierge il demandait pardon. 

 Gresset se trompe, il n'est pas si coupable ; 

 Un vers heureux et un tour agreable 

 Ne suffit pas ; il faut une action, 

 De Finteret, du comique, une fable, 

 Des mceurs du temps un portrait veritable, 

 Pour consbmmer cette ccuvre du demon." 



In justice, however, to our author, it is necessary to state, that such were the 

 simplicity of his manners, the amiability of his disposition, and the modesty of 

 his discourse, that his talents (and great they certainly were) procured him no 

 enemies. He was generally beloved by his literary compeers, and the above 

 sarcasms of Voltaire and Piron are the only satirical shafts ever directed either 

 against his person or his writings. 



