D'ALEMBERT. 439 



tirely free. He is described as coming into society 

 from his geometry like a boy escaped from school ; 

 and with the buoyant spirits which he drew from the 

 success of his morning's investigations, combined with 

 the pleasure of his present relaxation a pure mind, 

 free from all passions, satisfied with itself a gentle 

 and equal spirit, ever true, ever simple and natural, 

 far removed from both pride and dissimulation such 

 is the picture drawn of him by the Marmontels, the 

 Grimms, and the Diderots, who knew him best. His 

 conversation was admitted to be delightful by the 

 members of the most delightful and most fastidious 

 circle in the world. His favourite maxim contributed 

 to the charm of his conversation ; he held that men 

 should be most careful what they did, less careful 

 about what they wrote, and least careful about what 

 they spoke a maxim to which he acted up in all re- 

 spects himself. His inexhaustible memory his lively 

 unexpected sallies that never went a hair's-breadth too 

 far his inimitable talent of telling, and even of acting 

 a story his constant vein of liberal and enlightened, 

 but sound, and therefore tolerant philosophy, are the 

 themes of those who survived him, and found that the 

 blank he had left could not be filled up. That he pos- 

 sessed higher qualities than these is certain, for he was 

 the most kind and charitable of men. Half his small 

 income was given away in beneficent acts as soon as it 

 became greater than his few wants and strict economy 

 required. His patronage was easily obtained for merit; 

 not easily, or at all, by powerful solicitation. An in- 

 stance, and a celebrated one, occurred of this differ- 

 ence. When Laplace came to Paris as a young man, 

 he brought letters of introduction to him from persons 

 of importance in his native town ; but no notice being 

 taken of these, he wrote him a letter on the principles 

 of mechanics. This produced an immediate invitation 

 to call upon the Secretary, who told him he had no 

 need of any introduction but his own merits, and in a 



