270 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



confidered him as much inferior to themfelves^ 

 for with them he fpoke very little, or on very few 

 fubjefts. He has been fometimes accufed of pride, 

 on that account, by men of the fafhionable world, 

 who impute their own vices to perfons who have 

 not the advantage of fortune, but poflefs an inde- 

 pendent fpirit, that fcorns to bend the neck to 

 their yoke. But, among many other anecdotes 

 which I could produce, in fupport of what I juft 

 now faid, namely, that fimple people took him for 

 an ordinary man, here is one which muft convince 

 the Reader of his habitual modefty. 



The very day that we went to look for a dinner 

 with the hermits of Mount Valerian, as I have re- 

 lated in a note, toward the conclufion of the fourth 

 Volume, on our return to Paris in the evening, 

 we were caught in a fliower, not far from the Bois 

 de Boulogne, oppofite to the Gate Maillot. We 

 went in to take fhelter, under the great Cheftnut- 

 trees, which had now begun to put out leaves ; for 

 it was during the Eafter-holidays. Under thofe 

 trees we found a great deal of company, who, like 

 ourfelves, had crowded thither for covert. One 

 of the Svvifs's lads having perceived John-James^ 

 came running up to him, in a tranfport of joy, and 

 thus accofted him : " How now, my good man, 

 " whence do you come? It is an age fmce we have 

 ** had the pleafure of feeing you !" Ronjfeau mildly 



replied ; 



