33$ MADAME GEOFFRlfr. 



pardoned in her, as Hie always did 1 them ftrict juffice". 

 She wrote from Warfaw to M. Marmontel : 6 6 Neigh- 

 bour, I am delighted at your good fuccefs ; I would 

 with all my heart, exchange mine for it ; but for no- 

 thing in the world would I give up the profound know-* 

 ledge I have of mankind. What you mention to me 

 of , certifies me that my knowledge in that ar- 

 ticle is complete," About the fame time, fhe likewife 

 wrote to M. d'Alembert : 6% I am fenfible that I have 

 feen enough of men and things. I have laid up a good 

 ftore of comparifons and reflections for the reft of my 

 life." Perhaps fhe knew the human race, in general, 

 lefs than in the individuals of which it is compofed ; but 

 fhe had got together, from her own obfervations, a 

 certain number of facts, and reduced them into max- 

 ims, which Ihe occalionally repeated to her friends. 

 Some of them were the following. 



i 6 Oeconomy is the fource of independency and li- 

 berality. 



" We fliould let no grafs grow on thS path of friend- 

 Ihip." 



Thefe two maxims were engraved as mottoes on her 

 counters at cards. 



<c The ladies of Paris throw three things out at win* 

 dow : their time, their health, and their money. 



" The fureft way of avoiding tirefomenefs from 

 others, is to talk with them of themfelves ; one has at 

 the fame time this other advantage, that the time they 

 pafs with us does not feem long to them. 



u One fhould never afk perfons of confequence for 

 any thing till we are fure of obtaining it. 



"Of 



