MADAME GEOFFRIH. 



fary to their vanity, were infupportable to her : and 

 yet fhe took great pains to prevent them from being 

 aware of it. " I could wifh," faid fhe of one of them, 

 55 that heaven would have fo much companion on me, 

 as to make me deaf while he is talking to me, without 

 his knowing it. He would babble and babble, and 

 think that I was hearkning to him ; and we mould both 

 of us be perfectly fatisned." Never was fhe more 

 fharp and warm than when difputing with her friends ; 

 her emotions and expreffions were then fo original, and 

 had fuch truth of colouring, that it was impoffible to 

 be angry, and the friend fhe raillied was always the 

 firfl: to laugh at her harmnefs, and it conftantly gained 

 her a greater ihare of his affection. 



I have already faid, that fhe had received but littlev 

 inftruction ; all her knowledge coniifted in what a per^- 

 fon of good fenfe may collect in fociety, by attention 

 and obfervation. Men of genius and learning were al* 

 ways welcome to her houfe, and fhe loved them. The 

 ignorance of Madame GeofTrin was therefore an amiable 

 ignorance, without obftinacy, as fhe was ever ready to 

 receive information, and muft not be confounded with 

 pertinacious ignorance, the only fpecies that deferves 

 our fcorn. She pleafed, and even pleafed in conveffe 

 with learned perfons ; and none ever left her without 

 being charmed with the acutenefs and vivacity of her 

 judgment. 



If the fpeculative knowledge of Madame GeofTrin 

 Was not apparent, yet fhe poffeffed in a very high de- 

 gree the moft important branch of knowledge, becaufe 

 the moft ufeful, the knowledge of mankind. She was 

 proud of it, flie openly made it Jher bgaft ; and it was 



vol, ir, % pardoned 



