D'ALEMBERT. 475 



fine writing. Would that our physical, ay, and even 

 our geometrical writers, would always keep the great 

 example of D'Alembert before their eyes not only when 

 they deviate from their proper orbit into general specu- 

 lation, but even when they are confined to their own 

 subjects! How much vile figure and inaccurate trope; 

 how many jumbled metaphors, disjointed declamations, 

 and misplaced quotations, should we then be spared! 

 His own character of his style is not at all too favour- 

 able, exemplifying what it describes : "Son style serre, 

 clair et precis, ordinairement facile, sans pretension 

 quoique chatie, quelquefois un peu sec, mais jamais de 

 mauvais gout, a plus d'energie que de chaleur, plus de 

 justesse que d'imagination, plus de noblesse que de 



grace." * 



We have now surveyed this illustrious life in its 

 various phases, and observed its merits reduced to their 

 real, but still magnificent dimensions. The events by 

 which it was diversified were necessarily few. The kind 

 of existence which D'Alembert enjoyed in his study and 

 the society of Paris has been described. From those 

 habits he seldom deviated, unless in so far as his whole 

 literary occupations may be considered to have been, 

 as indeed they were, a deviation. His intercourse with 

 Voltaire and with Frederick II. have been mentioned, 

 and they were nearly all that can be said to have varie- 

 gated the tranquil and uniform tenor of his way. 



To Voltaire at Ferney he paid a visit in the autumn 

 of 1756; and it is plain from all Voltaire's letters that 

 this occurrence gave the greatest satisfaction to " the 



* Portrait de lui-meuie. (CEuv. i., xlv.) 



