MADAME GEQFFRIN. 341 



ceive a fervice of porcelain from the emprefs-queen, 

 and very beautiful furs from the emprefs of Ruffia. 

 " They are extremely line prefents, faid fhe, and 

 worthy of fuch emprefies ; but they are entirely fuper- 

 fiuous to me, as I wear no furs, and I {hall never ufe 

 this porcelain as long as I live. I am like the cock in 

 la Fontaine, who finds a pearl ; the leaft barley-corn 

 would be of more value to me." A great part of her 

 moll fubftantial and considerable acts of beneficence 

 never came to light, and in all probability will never 

 be known ; others were only difcovered by chance, 

 and others again cannot be buried in oblivion, as they 

 palled under the eye of the public. She was efpecially 

 a benefadlrefs to the learned. In the year 1760, fhe 

 fettled a penfion of 600 livres on M. d'Alembert, whofe 

 circumftances were at that time, to the difgrace of his 

 country, beneath mediocrity ; and afterwards added 

 1300 livres more in an annuity to take place at her 

 death. On her death-bed {he made him three align- 

 ments, which together amounted to the yearly fum of 

 4®o livres to be laid out in aclrs of beneficence at his 

 difcretion. When M. Thomas was difabled from wri- 

 ting by a diforder in his eyes, Madame Geoffrin feized 

 that opportunity to induce him to accept of an annuity 

 of 1200 livres, in order, as fhe faid, to defray the ex- 

 pences of his malady, and to compenfate his inability 

 to work. She afterwards added 6000 livres to it ; and 

 all thefe benefits were accepted with an acknowledge- 

 ment no lefs noble than the liberality of the friendfhip 

 that conferred them. She gave an annuity of 1200 

 livres to M. Merelet. She employed, to the benefit of 

 Mademoifelle de rEpinafTe, who, from her rare qua- 



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