140 



Memoirs of Mr. Nechr^ by his Daughter. [Sept. 1* 



fecond and a third time without any quef- 

 tion aiifing en the fubjeft. 



The fame features in different lights 

 often recur in the life of my father; there 

 was (o much fimplicify in his manner of 

 conferring fervices on others, tliat many 

 forgot them ; tliere is a ceriair> delicacy 

 of condufl and nicety of exprifllon, to or- 

 dinary men rot always prcportioned to 

 their lagacity, sml with manvpeop'e, that 

 which is not toid them niu.1 be renounced 

 for that which they imderftand. I think, 

 then I niny affirm that no idea can be 

 formed of the conduit of Mr. Necker in 

 all that regards f, rtune, when it is faid, 

 what has ntver been qneflioned, that he 

 was a mnn of peife6i gtnercfity ; a word 

 muft be found to paint a charafter which 

 completely fcrgets the gorA it has done, 

 which forgets it not oftenfibly but really j 

 not by an effort of the will, but by that 

 negligence of geat fouls towards them- 

 felvts, which form's the inimitable feature 

 of ihcir natural beauty. 



My mother was a proud woman : Ihe 

 had brought no portion to my father, and 

 if flie had been united with a man of ordi- 

 nary dehcacy, flie had never made ufcof 

 his fortune but with the moft irkfome con- 

 ftraint. My father transferred to her all 

 that he pofltfled, the moment he engaged 

 in public affairs, not wifliing he faid to 

 have any other occupation than his duty 

 to the nation. And fo efFeftually did he 

 perfuade my mother that he thought no 

 more of his fortune, and that every care 

 relative lo its employment or management 

 was a fatigue to him, that in the end (he 

 confidered herl'clf its foie miftrefs. What 

 is ufually called delicacy, is inoffering, in 

 bellowing, in inviting th- difpofal of what 

 is offered : what refinement, what infpira- 

 tion of mind muft not Mr. Necker have 

 polTefled 10 ftudy the appearance of fauhs 

 that did not belong to him, to contribute 

 to his wife's enjoyments ! She often rallied 

 him on his pietc^nded incapacity for detail, 

 and fince her deah, he has refumedan un- 

 interrupted attention to thofe very details 

 which he affefted to deleft. 



Panchaud, a man who difliked my 

 father, has made a remark on him, which 

 feems to me to charaderize in feme refpefls 

 the hillory of his life. «• Mr. Necker," 

 fays he, " has devottd twenty years to 

 fortune, twenty years to ambition and 

 glory, detaching himfelf entirely from all 

 cpnfiierations ol fortune, and many years 

 to retirement, renouncing ai^tive life en- 

 tirely. Thus to make three great parts 

 of h'.s life, keeping the habits of one from 

 all influence over the other, without dif- 



covering as a defefl in cne fituation what 

 was a ufeful quality in the other, is I 

 think a proof of remarkable eUvation ot 

 chara6ler, and ftrcngth cf mind. 



Mr. Necker, a proteliant and Genevan, 

 met with fome obltacle» in arriving at the 

 firll places of the French monarchy ; but 

 his reputation, and talent of captivating 

 thofe he wifhed to pleafe, obtained him the 

 diiiindtion, without example, for a foreigner 

 and a proteflant, of being appointed in the 

 firft place minilfer, and aftei wards, on his 

 retal, couniellor of theking. The eulogy 

 of Colbert, and the work on the legiflation 

 and Commerce of Grain, had imprelTed a 

 great idea of Mr. Nccker's talents for ad- 

 miniflration ; and Mr. de Maurcpas, who, 

 in his conferences with him, h»d been 

 ftruck with his fuperiority, procured his 

 appointment as diieflor of the royal trea- 

 fury in 1777, at a moment when the finances 

 of France neccflitated a deviation from the 

 ordinary road ot favour, and demanded a 

 recourfe to the aid of genius. 



It has been faid that Mr. Necker was 

 unacquainted with mankind, becaufe he 

 has always fought to guide them by reafon 

 and morality, and btcaufe fince the French 

 Revolution many people are difpofed to 

 fancy a filiintfs in this mode of conduft ; 

 but I can fay with certainty that it was 

 from no exaggerated eftimation of mankind 

 ill general, but fiom a icrupulous refpecl 

 for Virtue, that he has never deviated from 

 the piinciples (lie impofes. He was per- 

 fcflly acquainted with the politics of ma- 

 chiavelilm, he had much more keennefsof 

 mind than was necelfary for artifice and 

 intrigue. It was impolTible more fagaci- 

 oufly or promptly to penetrate the charac- 

 ter and mind of thofe he had to deal with. 

 In the thoughts which I publilh, in " the 

 Happinefs of Fools," in many other paf- 

 fages of the works of Mr, Necker, may 

 certainly be perceived a gteat kn -wledge 

 of the human heart, and fometimes even 

 a fatlrical turn in the manner ot painting 

 and of judging; no perfon who has lived 

 with my father, will contradift me, when I 

 affirm that this man, difarmed by his good- 

 refs, by his fci uples, and by his delicacy, 

 would have been very formidable, if, 

 making the moft of his talents, of his ad- 

 drefs, and the rapidity of his perceptions, 

 he had committed himfelf to deceit or cor- 

 ruption : at a glance, or a quarter of an 

 hour's converfation with a man, he formed 

 the jufteft idea of him, the moft pointed 

 idea I may fay, becaufe it was particular, 

 becaufe the moft fubtle remarks led him to 

 the moft certain conclufions ; and he fur- 

 prifed the characters of mtn, in imper- 

 ceptible, 



