30 ME3IOIB, OF BUFFOtf. 



The personal appearance of Buffon is said to have 

 been commanding, while his countenance was intelli- 

 gent. The engravings which we have seen, represent 

 his forehead high and ample, but we should scarcely 

 say that his countenance was very prepossessing. His 

 gait was erect, but perhaps leaned a little more to the 

 strut of foppery, than to a mem of dignity. In his dis- 

 position he seems to have been zealous and perseve- 

 ring, and to have followed out all his undertakings 

 with great ardour. The study of a subject, so as to 

 acquire its mastery, must however have cost him 

 considerable labour -, and he was always inclined to be 

 led away by beauties or defects, which a lively power 

 of imagination presented. This we can every where 

 trace in his writings ; by the best judges they have 

 been pronounced elegant, but more attention is always 

 given to the style and detail as it were, of the story, 

 than to that rigid adherence to truth which is so 

 essentially required by the naturalist. This may be 

 preserved without dry ajid weary detail, and at the 

 same time without wandering theoretically from the 

 subject. Nature presents innumerable instances, where 

 there is no need of any embellishment, beyond the garb 

 in which she has already dressed them, and where the 

 gaudy trickery of language is unnecessary, to give addi- 

 tional lustre to her beautiful but chaste productions. 



Notwithstanding the high reputation of his works. 



Buffon, with the aristocracy of the country. Brewst. Encyclop* 

 Art. Buffon. 



