1806] 



Memoirs of Mr. Necker^ by his Daughter. 



527 



^raft the general ideas, in order to form 

 a body of political dortrine, which may 

 perpetuate his name. I am fure that even 

 among the admirers of Mr. Necker there 

 are fome who will be ftruck with frefh in- 

 llances of his genius, thus detached from 

 their connection with the events of the 

 day , for he was forced to employ much of 

 his refources to ftruggle with paffing 

 events ; and it will be curious lo extrail 

 from his Works maxims that may ferve 

 lor ages. 



The only Work of Mr. Necker's, 

 printed during his retreat, which has no 

 relation to political fubjcfls, is his Courle 

 of Religious Morality. Some have been 

 difpleafed with this book, divided into dil- 

 counes, or rather iermons. Still I think 

 this form peculiarly adapted to the end 

 propofed by my father. It conveys a full 

 idea of the efFeft that may be produced in 

 our religion by the eloquence of the pulpit, 

 and of the fpirit of which it is fufceptible. 

 The recurrence of beautiiul thoughts, of 

 the moft original and poetical txprcfTions of 

 the holy fcriptures, imparts an interelt to 

 thefe difcouri'es which fingle dircourl'es ne- 

 ver could produce. What beauties of 

 flyle, of thought, of fentiment, does not 

 this work exhibit ! What profound know- 

 ledge of human nature in its ftretigth and 

 in its weakness, of that (formy and paflijn-. 

 ate nature which charafterizes all thole 

 whofe affeftions, misfonunes, or talents, 

 Ihatch them fiooi the flumber of the fuul, 

 and from the vulgar courle of a mere phy- 

 iicai exirtence ! What fublinie indulgence 

 from the. moft auftere purity ! What con- 

 folations for every grief, fave one, for 

 wh;ch I fcek in vain for folace, even from 

 his admirable genius. There is no focial 

 affeflion, no litiiation of human life, 

 youth, age, adverfity, glory, public and 

 private duties, no one (itu'.tion of which 

 he h^s not treited intiniatel) and truly. — 

 But to undcrftand him, it is necelfary to 

 have been a fufferer. 



What is molt Itriking in the Works of 

 Mr. Necker is, the incredible variety of 

 talent they di/play. Voltaire ftands alone 

 fii ille littiary world for the diverfiiy of 

 liis genius : Mr. Necker, I think, Hands 

 alone for the unifcrfality of his faculties. 

 The blending and harmony of contrails is 

 what conftituies in the univerfe, as in 

 man, the moft perfeff beauty. Del cacy 

 and coniprehenfivenefs, gaiety of wi; and 

 tcnderncls of lieart, energy and refinement, 

 precifion and fancy, elevation of thought 

 a,nd originality of exprtfTion, — all tlicfe 

 qualities, without the defefls that ufually 

 accompany them, are to be f«und in the 



writings of Mr. Necker. There is every 

 where ftrength under due controul, a fpirit 

 of analyfis which never decompofes fenti- 

 ment, and feparates caufes without damp- 

 ing a fingle generous impulfe, or enfeebling 

 a fingle emotion of the heart. In ranging 

 the world of fancy, he is never found in 

 oppofition to experience or to reafon ; he 

 elevates, but he never bewilders. The 

 minifter and the poet unite in him by I'ub- 

 lime but natural ties ; by that comprehen- 

 fion of intelleft which embraces all things; 

 by that well-ordered habit of mind which 

 always fulfains his greatnefs. 



That Work of my father which I now 

 publiili, confilts of detached thoughts and 

 fcparate pieces on various fubjecfs. Some 

 ol them have been written at different pe- 

 riods, but the greater part of them were 

 compofed this winter. I have fupprefrQ;d a 

 very few of them, which perhaps related 

 too clofely to political I'ubjeSs. None of 

 his Works, I think, can give a better idea 

 of himfelf. There is an aftonifhing f iga- 

 city in his reflexions on the human heart, 

 and a remarkable comic ftrength in hisob- 

 fervations on fociety. The lame Work 

 compril'es a Tra£t on metaphyfics, on the 

 commerce of grain, and on the happinefs 

 of fools. To treat on thefe three lubjefts, 

 a head fhould contain, if 1 may Co exprefs 

 it, a clue of uncommon extent ; and to 

 thefe fubjefts, of themfelves io oppolrte, 

 muft be added all thofe which are treated 

 with a profound fenfibility, and every 

 where with a beauty of expreiTijn, which 

 paints with an equal charm both freedom 

 and referve, conltraint and independence. 

 He intended to increafc the number of 

 thefe detached thoughts: he had made 

 notes on fcveral fubjects which he had de- 

 figned to inveltigate : the political career 

 he had paflTed through had led him to 

 confine himlelf only to matters of admi- 

 nilfration and of high public importance : 

 he therefore found a new pleallire in ex- 

 ercifiiig himfelf fieeiy on all fubjefls, and 

 thus lummoned in rev.cw before him the 

 oblervations of his life. It is a great mif- 

 fortunc, tliat, by adapting himfelf only 

 to public contemplation, his unexpefled 

 death prevented his continuing toopen the 

 rich (tores of his mind. It Hill contained 

 freafures which aie forever lo:t ; percrp- 

 tions fb refined and lojuit, lb much honefty 

 even in his wit, a manner of judging lyfte. 

 matically fiee and exempt from prejudice, 

 a (acuity of thought which was neither 

 bigottcd to philor(>|>liic method nor fttttrcd 

 by received opinion.s, and which dircfted 

 itielf by its own tlallicity and (Irength ; 

 in fine, fontclhing of va(tiicfs in it{ 

 glance. 



