_tions was peculiarly fortunate. 
er 
of Madame de Sevigné, both will suffer. 
The correspondence of Madame de Se- 
vigné displays infinite art, and all this 
art is employed in its own concealment; 
that of Madame du Chatelet on the 
other hand, exhibits a mind open and 
honourable, which is eager to say, and 
to avow any thing. Nothing is foreseen, 
prepared, or thought of beforehand. — It 
is doubtful, indeed, whether this lady 
ever re-perused her letters, as she 
may be said to speak, rather than to write. 
Gifted with an extraordinary degree of 
eloquence, this eloquence never display- 
ed itself, unless when an object worthy 
of it, occurred. To a taste forglory, she 
added a simplicity, which rarely accom- 
panies it. No female was ever more 
learned, and yet no one seemed to be 
less desirous of the appellation of a Sa- 
wante. She never conversed relative to 
the sciences, but in the company of those, 
who she thought could instruct her, and 
never once spoke for the purpose of being 
remarked. 
“ Madame du Chatelet was acquaint- 
ed with the Latin, the English, and the 
Italian languages, and some fragments of 
a translation of Virgil, by her, are still 
in existence. She studied the higher 
branches of mathematics, as well as 
physics. She coimmented both on Leib- 
nitzand Newton. Hermemoir relative to 
the nature of fire, obtained high eulogiums 
from the Academy of Sciences; her work 
entitled ‘‘ Institutions de Physique ;” 
her Analysis of the Philosophy of Leib- 
nitz, her Dispute with Mairan, together 
with her work on the Principles of the 
Newtonian Philosophy, seemed calcula- 
ted to occupy a whole life ; but she found 
time for all, even for the most frivolous 
occupations. In fine, she loved all the 
pleasures of society, as much as those 
persons did, who occupied their minds 
with nothing else. . 
“ Fontenelle one day said, ‘ T have 
attained ninety years of age, and am a 
Frenchman; notwithstanding which, [ 
have never once attempted to cast the 
slightest ridicule on any thing that had 
the appearance of virtue.’ In imitation 
of this, Madame de Chatelet was accus- 
tomed to exclaim: ‘I have never, God 
be praised, attempted the slightest ridi- 
cule against any thing that exhibited 
the appearance of pleasure;’ and this 
saying, appears to me, truly to depict 
the character of its author, 
“€ Voltaire was greatly indebted to this 
lady, whose influence*over his composi- 
His in- 
timacy with Madame de Chatele: enno- 
, 
Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellanies. 
bled and aggrandized his ideas. Jealous te 
please this illustrious friend, whose geni-+ 
us, according to his own confession, was 
of a vigorous cast; he conferred on his 
work a certain nobleness of character, 
strength, and elevation, not to be found 
in those which he published either before, 
or after the epoch alluded to. It was 
while in company with Madame de Cha- 
telet, it was at her house at Cirey, that 
he composed Le Siecle de Louis XIV., 
Merope, Alzire, Mahomet, Les Epitres 
Morales, and many other works, the 
beauties of which are universally allow- 
ed. It was then also, that he displayed 
most prudence and sagacity in his wri- 
tings—is it then unreasonable to affirm, 
that if Voltaire, as it was once supposed, 
and hoped, had concluded his career uns 
der the eye of Madame de Chatelet; 
that he would not at a remoter period, 
have fallen into those errors, which do 
so muchinjury to his memory, and which 
may have enfeebled the effects of those 
important truths, disclosed by him. 
“ The truth, indeed, of this observation 
is proved by all the letters of Madame de 
Chatelet, and one is greatly pleased with 
her, when, alluding to the Pucelle d'Or 
leans, she observes: 
‘¢T have written a thundering letter 
on this subject; but it will be so long 
before this reaches him, that the manus 
script may have been sent to the printers. 
‘I frankly avow to you,’ adds she to 
her correspondent, ‘ that L cannot re- 
frain from sighing at my lot,’ when I see 
how careless he is of my tranquillity. I 
will spend my whole life, in combating 
against him, for his own sake, without. 
being able to succeed, and shall never 
cease to tremble for him, and equally to 
lament his faults, and his absence. 
Such in fine is my destiny, and yet I 
account it more fortunate, than if it had 
been more happy.’ 
On the ** Memoirs of the Count de 
Hordt, and the Count de Bonneval.” 
The author, in criticising these works, 
is at great pains to prove that they ought 
not to have been republished. 
« A grand epoch,” says he, “replete 
with great eveuts, is for historians, what 
Rome is for those painters who are de= 
sirous to form themselves after grand 
models. The historian, who, after having 
beheld those great epochs, the recital ot 
which will astonish posterity, does not 
acquire that masculine and energetic sim- 
plicity, that digniy of tone, that elevated 
precision, and that rapid ‘style, which J 
appertains to this’ species of composition, 
ought either to threw away his pen, ar 
writes 
