344] 
dal of the village. He knows every 
minvte event that surrounds him. 
His confidence is almost wholly 
engrossed by a Mademoiselle Blcs, 
Seau: a woman now forty years 
old, well-made, who has been pret. 
ty, and has lived with him about 
twenty years. She is very attentive 
to him, manages in the house, and 
js hated by the servants. Ma- 
dame de Buffon, who has long been 
dead, could not endure this woman. 
She adored her husbund, and is 
said to have been very jealous 
of him. 
Mademoiselle de Blesseau is not 
the only one who manages Buffon. 
Father Ignatius Prouzut, a capu- 
chin friar, born at Dijon, divides 
her empire. He is, it seems, a 
convenient confessor. Thirty years 
ago the author of the Epogues de la 
Nature sent for him at Easter, and 
confessed to him in the very labo- 
ratory in which he had put to. 
gether his materialism, in which 
Rousseau prostrated himself at the 
threshold. Ignatius told me that 
M. de Buffon, when about to sub- 
mit to this. ceremony, hesitated 
awhile—‘* the effeét of human 
weakness’’—added he—and insisted 
on his valet-de-chambre’s confess- 
ing himself first. This will sur- 
prise at Paris. Yes: Buffon, when 
at Montbart, receives the annual 
communion in his seignora! chapel, 
goes every Sunday to high mass, 
and distributes a Jouis weekly 
amongst different descriptions of 
pious “beggars. M. de Buffon tells 
me that he makes a point of re 
specting religion; that there must 
be a religion for the multitude ; 
that in little places every one is 
observed ; and that we should avoid 
giving offence. ‘ I am persuaded, 
“(said he to me,) that in your 
Le me 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
ches you take care to let no. 
thing escape you that should be 
remarked, or excite alarm on this 
head, J have ever had that atten- 
tion in my writings, and have pub. 
lished them separately, that ordi- 
nary men may not catch at the 
connexion of ideas. 1 have always 
named the Creator, but it is only 
putting, mentally, in its place, 
the energy of nature, which re- 
sults from the two great laws of 
attraction and impu'se. When the 
Sorbonne piagued me, I gave all the 
satisfactions which. they solicited : 
*twas a form which I despised, 
but men are silly enough to be 
so satisfied. For the same reason, 
when I fall dangerously ill, I shall 
not hesitate to send for the sacra- 
ments. This is due to the public 
religion. Those who aét otherwise 
aie madmen. ‘The arictation af 
Voltaire, of Diderot, of Helwetius, 
oftcn wounded themselves. The 
Jatter was my friend; he spent 
more than four years at Montbart 
on different occasions. I recom. 
mended more reserve to him. Had 
he attended to me, he would haye 
been better of,’’ 
In faét, this spirit of accom. 
modation answered to M. de Buf. 
jon. His works demonstrate ma- 
terialism; yet they were printed at 
the royal press. 
My early volumes — appeared, 
(said he), at the same time with 
the Spirit of Laws. We were 
teazed by the Sorbonne, both Mon. 
tesquieu and I, and assailed by the 
critics. The president was quite 
furious ; 
swer??’ said he to me, Noting 
at all, president,’’ replied I. 
bloodedness. Aad (oa 
- I was reading to Buffon one even- 
ing 
‘© What shall you an. , 
-He 
could. not. understand such. ‘cold. - 
ee ee ee a 
