496 
forty years that he has refided at Mont- 
bart, he has regularly {pent eight months 
of every year in this cabinet. ‘The other 
four months are employed at Paris, in fu- 
perintending the royal gardens, and con- 
duéting his own concerns. Here, as he 
himfelf informed me, has he paffed his 
his moft deleétable hours, ftimulated by 
the love of knowledge, and an infatiable 
thirft of renown. His example and af- 
fertion unite to confirm me in the opi- 
nion, that whoever is determined to ob- 
tain reputation, may be almoft certain of 
fuccefs. I have heard of a perfon, who 
was marechal of France, and general in 
chief, that he had been accuftomed to 
walk about in his chamber every day, re- 
peating to himfelf, <¢ I wiil be marechal 
of France, and general in chief.’ It is 
the opinion of Monfieur de BuFFON, 
that genius is no otber than the power 
of exercifing patience. This brings to 
my remembrance a faying of the great 
Newton, who, being afked by what 
means he had made fo many difcoveries ? 
anfwered, ‘“* By examining daily, and 
examining with patience.” But we muft 
refleét, that this word patience, muft be 
‘applied to every circumftance. Patience 
in inveftigation, patience in oppofing dif- 
ficulties that may unexpectedly occur; 
‘patience to endure hardfhips that would 
overwhelm weaker minds. The conduc 
of the count himfelf will exemplify this 
remark. In his youth, when he refided 
at’ Paris, he frequently returned to his 
lodgings, at two o'clock in the morning : 
but his fervant, a Savoyard, had ftriét 
Injunctions to call him regularly at five 
o'clock, and to pull him out of bed by 
force, if he refufed to obey the fummons. 
He informed me alfo, that he continued 
his ftudies till fix in the evening. ‘“ I had 
(fays he) at that time a miftrefs, whom 
IT adored ; but J reftrained myfelf from 
vifiting her till the clock had ftruck /x, 
though I was frequently mortified at not 
‘finding her athome.’ At Montbart, as 
foon as he had finithed the ftudies of the 
day, a young girl was introduced to him ; 
but he left the bed precifely at five 
o'clock. He always gave the preference 
in his amours to thefe petites filles, as he 
was apprehenfive, that women pofleffing 
more mental endowments, would fteal 
too much of his time from his ftudies. 
« © His-ufual’ plan of life is as follows : 
he rifes at five o'clock; is attended by 
the hair-dreffer, diftates letters, and 
regulates domeftic concerns. He goes to 
his cabinet at fix, which is about a quar- 
Memoirs. of the Chevalier de Buffon. 
[ Sup. 
ter of a mile diftant fromthe houfe. He 
fits to write, or he wamders in the 
fhady walks that furround it,. having 
given ftriét orders that no one fhall be 
admitted to him; which his domefties 
dare not to difobey, under the pesalty 
of being difmiffed. It is his cuftom to 
read over, repeatedly, what he has writ- 
ten, and then lay it afide for feveral days, 
or for longer. ‘* It is highly neceflary, 
(he obferved) that a writer fhould not be 
ina hurry. After an interval of fome time, 
we fee the fubjeét with new eyes, and 
are generally able to make fome advan- 
tageous additions or alterations.’ When 
his manufcript abounds with interlinea- 
tions and correétions, he gives jt to his 
amanuenfis to tranfcribe, and then he 
proceeds to farther corrections. He tells 
me that his Epogues dé fa Nature were 
thus tranfcribed not lefs than 18 times, 
and that he was i5 years before he pub- 
lifhed it. I muit not omit to add, that 
the Count has placed his cabinet at fuch 
a diftance from his houfe, not only to 
avoid interruption, but to keep his learn- 
ed labours diftinét from his fecular and 
domeftic concerns. ‘‘I burn every paper 
(fays he) that I deem ufelefs ; not a manu- 
{cript will be found after my death. 
I have taken this refolution, from a con- 
vidtion that every thing would other- 
wife run into confufion. My papers 
would become a perfeét. chaos.’’—This 
cuftom, however, does not extend to 
the panegyrics which he receives.—It 1s 
an invariable rule, never to take up the 
pen until he has meditated for a confi-. 
derable time upon the fubjeét. Gost 
“To return to his divifion of time 
His breakfaft 1s brought to him in the 
cabinet, which he generally takes while he 
is dreffing. It confifts of bread, and about 
two glafles of wine. He now fits down 
to his labours, till one or two o'clock, 
when he returns to the manfion to dine, 
He is fond of long repafts. At table he 
totally lays afide the ftudent and the-man 
of fcience; and amufes himfelf with 
every trifle that ftrikes his imagination. 
It is his greateft pleafure to talk a lively 
kind of nonfenfe with a ferious counte- 
nance, which produces a more ftriking 
effect by the force of contraft. His pleas 
fantries are fometimes fo void of delicacy, 
that the females are obliged to quit the 
room. In general, he is very negligent 
in his converfation, both refpeéting mat- 
ter and manner. When this has been 
reprefented to him, he has uniformly 
an{wered, that “ he was refolyed to un- 
bend 
