D'ALEMBERT. 481 



recevoir une lettre de D'Alembert,' que je tire a moitie 



de ma poche, et que j'y laisse tomber sans cu faire la 



lecture a cause d'un certain petit bricole qu'il y a 



dedans, qui n'est pas pour tout le rnonde." I cannot 



refrain from continuing the quotation of this truly witty 



letter: "Sur cela grands discours sur D'Alembert; 



grand etonnement lorsque je dis qu'il est petit de taille, 



pantomime et polisson au possible. On vent partout 



que vous soyez grand comnie St. Christophe, et serieux 



et barbeux comnie le MoTse de Michel Ange.* On 



finit par me demander tons a la fois, ' L'avez vous-vu V 



comme on demandait a Pape Panurge dans File des 



Papegais et des Papefigues. Non, en verite, un Messi- 



nois n'est pas si vain de sa lettre de la Madonne que 



je le suis de la votre." (CEuv., XIV., 399.) Such is 



the style of one who himself stood at the very head of 



the most witty and agreeable society of the times ; and 



was more run after than any one of its members. And 



it may safely be affirmed that no man in any circle of 



Europe, would in those days (1773) have received a 



letter from D'Alembert with different emotions, f 



The neutrality which he had always during his life 

 maintained upon sacred subjects, was unfortunately con- 



* I have corrected the manifest error of the books which make 

 it " Moine." 



t This letter is one of the most charming for its light gay wit, 

 that is any where to be found; nothing can give a higher idea of 

 the Abbe's powers. The profound sense of it is on a par with the 

 wit. Thus: "La crainte et 1'avidite sont et seront toujours les 

 causes de la cruaute:" which he proceeds to illustrate by a most 

 picturesque allusion to the conduct of the most cruel of men the 

 Spaniards in America. 



2 I 



