Vol. IIT. ] 
bend his mind, and he was perfeétly indif- 
ferent concerning the remarks that fhould 
be made upon what he might utter.’’ 
Sometimes, however, his converfation is 
very interefling; particularly when it 
turns upon the fubjeét of ftyle, and of 
natural hiftory ; or when he {peaks of 
himfelf, which he often does, with no 
fmall degree of appiaufe. This, I affure 
you, fo far from being repugnant, is 
very pleafing tome. It does not appear 
to be an indication of ambition or of 
pride, fo much as a mark of felf-know- 
ledge. He feels his own merits, and 
does them juftice. We may be content- 
_ ed to enjoy a great man, now and then, 
upon thefe terms. He that does not feel 
his ftrength, can never be ftrong. Let 
us not expect, from exalted characters, 
an appearance of modefty, which would 
be mere affectation. He does not praife, 
but effeems himfelf, as pofterity will do. 
“« Every day I am learning to write (laid 
he tome); my laft works are infinitely 
better than the firft. I order my writ- 
ings to be repeatedly read over to me, 
and I often find faults to be correéted, 
and additions to be made. Of fome of 
my works | can carry the improvement 
no farther.”’ Indeed no author can be 
more attentive than he is to jufinefs of 
conception and purity of ftyle, which he 
confiders as the firft qualities in a good 
writer. ‘I have been compelled (fays 
he) to vary my ftyle, according to the 
nature of my fubjeét, but it is highly 
important to know in what owe we ought 
to {peak. Fidelity is naturally expected 
from an author; that his conceptions 
fhould harmonize, and that he remain 
in uniformityvith himfelf, are alfo in- 
difpenfible requifites.”” His ideas and 
expreffions have all the accuracy and pre- 
cifion of a calculator. Thefe properties 
he has, doubtlefs, acquired by his ‘kill 
in the mathematics, and addrefs in the 
folution of problems. This, he informed 
me, was his favourite ftudy, from his 
youth; in which he was aflifted by the 
elements of Euclid, and afterwards by the 
works of Le Marquis dHépital. At 
twenty years of age, he had ditcovered the 
binomial theorem of Newtor, without hav- 
ing been acquainted with the difcoveries 
of that philofopher. Upon expreffing my 
furprife that a perfon of his ambition 
fhould not have mentioned the circum- 
ftance in fome of his works, he anfwered, 
‘* No man would have given me credit.” 
He could not forgive the contrarieties 
which he difcovered in Rouféau. ‘I 
ence eftcemed him highly (faid he) but 
AMemoirs of the Chevalier de Buffon. 
497 
when I had perufed his Confeffions, my ~ 
eftcem was greatly abated. I was dif- 
gufted with them; and, which is feldom 
the cafe, I did not begin to defpife 
Fean Faques till after his death.’ This 
cenfure appears not only fevere, but ill 
founded. 
“Tt is not extraordinary that Monf. 
BuFrron, who poffeffes fo much fimpli- 
city himfelf, fhould give eafy credit to 
every thing that Is told him. He is even 
fond of goffiping conyerfation, and can 
amufe himfelf with it for an hour toge- 
ther. While he fits before; rhe glafs, 
under the hands of his hair-dreffer, he is 
entertained with all the trifling incidents 
that occur at Moutéart. His fondnefs 
for trifles may, perhaps, be afcribed to 
his affociating fo much with females, and 
particularly with young girls. This 
propenfity, which he has indulged in 
order to efcape female influence, has im- 
perceptibly led him to place all his confi- 
dence in a peafant’s daughter, of Momt- 
bart, whom he has conftituted his hoafe- 
keeper, and who has gained a great 
afcendency over him. She ftyles herfelf 
Madame Bleffeav, is now about forty 
years of age, hasa graceful figure, and 
has heen very handfeme. She has lived 
with the count upwards of twenty years, 
and is very affiduous to pleafe him: the 
has the direétion of his houfehold, and, 
of courle, is hated by all the other 
domeftics, who fcruple not to report, 
that her ill health and peevifh humour 
proceed from drugs adminiftered: by her 
mafter to procure abortions. 
* But Madame Blefaz is not the only 
perfon who governs our philofopher: 
another original charaéter has alfo his 
fhare of influence, viz. father Ignanius, 
a capuchin friar, of Dyon. This monk 
underftands the mendicant arts of his 
order fo well, that he feems to lay thofe 
who dc/fow their gifts, under obligations 
to the receiver. Give me ju/t what you 
pleaje, is the con{tant expreffion of our 
modeft mendicant. By his addrefs in 
this art, he has been enabled to rebuild 
the monattery at Semur. Tobe fly, in- 
finuating, humble, cautious of giving 
celence tofervants as well as their matters, 
and very atliduous to render fervices 
that fhall give them future influence, is 
the character of the order; nor is father 
IGnatius deficient in thefe qualities. 
Imagine to yourfeif a large figure, with 
a round head, not unlike the mafk of 
harlequin in an Jtalian comedy; his 
voice alfo refembles Carliz, and his 
countenance is equally roguith, 
$§ This 
