a» 
Volo lll] 
to read aloud a collection of verfes that 
had been compoled in compliment to 
him. When he was reprefented as pof- 
feffing an expanded mind, a creative 
genius, &c. he exclaimed, in a tone of 
fatistaction, “‘ Aye, aye, be bas jufe ideas ; 
toere is fomething in wht he fays.’ In 
the evening, when the verfes of | HOMAS 
were read to him, he remarked, with 
furprifing fimplicity, * Chefe are not to be 
compared with the verfes you read in the 
morning.” To give a fimilar initance, 
“‘ Once (fays he) after I had laboured a 
conliderable time, and had compofed a 
very ingenious fyftem concerning propa- 
gation, L looked into ARISTOTLE, and 
behold, I not only found the rogue in 
poffeflion of all my thoughts, but, 
pardicu, he had exprefled them better !”’ 
‘¢ The firft Sunday I was at Montbart, 
M. de Burron was, for a long time, 
in deep converfation with his fon; the 
fubjeét. was, that he fhould endeavour 
to preyail upen me to attend mats. 
When the fon mentioned this to me, lL 
direétly anfwered, that it was not necef- 
{ary to take fo much pains to perfuade 
me to perform an aét due to civil fociety. 
M. Burron was delighted with my an- 
{wer, and when I returned from high 
maf{s, which his pains prevented him 
from attending, he returned his warmeft 
thanks, and paid many compliments to 
my ftrength of mind, which permitted 
me to fuffer ezwui for the {pace of an 
hour. , 
‘Tt is cuftomary with M. de Burron, 
when he returns from church, to walk 
upon the green, accompanied by his fon, 
and furrounded by the peafants. He is 
particularly fond of appearing among 
them in a {uit of laced clothes. He 1s fo 
ftrongly attached to this ancient ftyle of 
drefs, as to be difpleated with his fon for 
wearing a frock in the prefent fathion.. 
Knowing his foible in this refpect, I had 
the precaution to equip my(elt in a gold- 
laced coat, and gold embroidered waiit- 
coat, which, as I have fince learned, was 
fingularly pleafing to him. He propofed 
me asa pattern for his fon’s imitation, | 
who urged, in vain, that the kind of 
drefs was no longer in the mode. He 
ferioufly maintains, in his Treatife on 
Man, that drefs conftitutes a part of 
ourfelves. Our machinery is fo con- 
ftruéted, that we immediately form a 
refpeétable opinion of thofe who ftrike 
the eye with a {fplendid appearance. 
Our ideas do not, at firft, difcriminate the 
man from the drefs. This is fo juft an 
obfervation, that BuFFon himfelf was 
3S 
t 
Memeirs of the Chevaher de Buffan. 
499 
impofed upon in the fame manner; for 
my own fiyle of drefs made a more 
favourable. impreffion concerning me, 
than he would otherwife have entertain- 
ed. He is fo accuftomed to this kind of 
ornament, that, as he has confefled tome, 
he,cannot ftudy with eafe and fatisfaction 
in an undrefs. Thus-a learned man, of 
the firft clafs, conftantly fits in his folt~ 
tude, adorned in a manner that men 
of fafhion deem neceflary only when 
they préfent themfelves to the public. 
He is alone, but the wuverfe, poficrity, are 
before him. 
‘« Let me now fpeak of the manner in 
which he employs the latter part of the 
day. After ‘dinner he retires to his 
chamber, to fleep for about half an hour ; 
he then takes a folitary walk, and, about 
five o’clock, goes to his cabinet, and con~ 
tinues his ftudies till about feven; he 
then returns to the large hail, has fome 
portion of his own works .read to him, 
explains, and paffes -fome encomium 
upon it. This is alfo the time in whick 
he frequently perufes the works of 
authors that have been recommended to 
him, or concerning which he has been, 
defired to give his opinion. He never 
fups, but retires to bed about nine 
o’clock. In this manner has our inde- 
fatigable philofopher {pent fifty years of 
his life, and ftil! continues, though at the 
age of feventy-eight. 
«When thofe of his writings are read 
to him, which he is preparing for publi- 
cation, he brings every thought and ex- 
preffion to the fevereft {crutiny ; fome 
ideas he developes in a diffe*ent manner, 
and others he preferves the order, bur 
retrenches fuperfluities, 8c. .He fome- 
times repeated to me, verbatim, paflages 
in his work of a confiderable extent, for 
he retains in his memory every thing he 
has written. He was very attentive to 
every obfervation that | made, aid rea- 
dily admitted it where it feemed perti-- 
nent. 
‘‘ Natura! hiftory and ftyle occupy his 
chief attention ; perhaps the laft has ftill 
the preference. He has frequently re- 
peated to me, “$ Style 7s a man's Jelj. 
Poets haverno ftyle ; they are fettered by 
the meafure and rhyme of their vertfes, 
and their ftyle is fervile. When a perfon 
has been highly praifed, I always urge, 
let me. fee bis fiyle.” 1 atked him how 
he liked the fiyle of Monf. Tuomas? 
«‘ Tolerably well (fay$ he) but it is proliz 
and \uintlarea. 6.) And i they digles 7c 
Rovusspau? “ Still better; out, Rout 
feau has all the defeéts of an imperfect 
education. 
i 
taal 
