a 
Cri eon 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
—— 
Some ACCOUNT of the LIFE and WRIT- 
INGS of MADAME DU BOCCAGE. 
ARIE Anne Lepace pu Boc- 
CAGE, of the academies of Rome, 
Bologna, Padua, Lyons, and Rouen, was 
born in the laft mentioned city the 22d of 
Ogtober, 1710. She was educated at 
Paris, in the convent of the Affumption ; 
and the progrefs fhe made in every branch 
of inftruction was uncommonly rapid. 
An exceflive fondnefs fer poetry mani- 
felting itfelf at an age when the paffions 
are ufually developed, took poffeffion of 
the place which they would have occupied 
in her heart ; and fhe applied herfelf to 
the ftudy of the Englith language, with a 
view to imitate, in French, Pope’s Tem- 
ple of Fame. Such: a choice indicated, 
at that early age, a mind formed for 
glory. 
This imitation of Pope, of which, as 
her firft attempt, fhe thought very hum- 
bly, did not appear till 1764, in the Col- 
Jection of her works. At the period when 
fhe compofed it, fhe made a fecret of her 
performance; and, to accommodate her- 
felf to the ton of the fafhionable circles 
of that time, the {crupuloufly obferved, as 
Fontenelle fays, the external decencies of 
ignorance. 
It was in 1746 that fhe entrufted the 
public with the fecret of her poetic ta- 
lents. ‘The defire of inftruction was then 
generally diffufed ; the character of a man 
of letters was no longer confidered incom- 
patible with that of a man of the world; 
nor were females afraid to commit them- 
felves, by acknowledging their literary pro- 
ductions. This revolution was effected by 
the influence of Fontenelle in the {ciences, 
and of Voltaire in literature. To gaming- 
parties or frivolous converfations, where 
ennui was the order of the day, fucceeded 
infruétive and agreeable amufements. 
Many of the literati affembled on certain 
days at the houles of perfons of rank or 
celebrated females ; and academies were 
eftablifhed in the provinces. 
Of thefe one of the moft diftinguifhed 
was the academy of Rouen, founded in 
3745, under the aufpices of the Duke of 
Luxembourg, governor of the province 
which gave birth to @orneille, to Pouffin, 
and to Fontenelle. Madame du Boccage 
had the honour, the following year, to 
obtain the firft prize given by that acade- 
my. She brought to recolleétion Made- 
moifelle Scudery, who, in 1671, gained 
the firft prize diftributed by the French 
academy; but this was the only feature 
in which fhe refembled her. On this oc- 
afion, La Condamine, the celebrated geo- 
metrician, addrefled to Madame du Boce 
cage the following lines + . 
D’ Apollon, de Venus reuniffant les armes, 
Vous fubjuguez Vefprit, vous captivez le 
coeur 5 
Et Scudery jaloufe en verferoit des larmes ; 
Mais fous un autre afpeét fon talent eft vain- 
. queur. 
Elle eut celui de faire oublier fa laideur, 
Tout votre efprit n’a pu faire oublier vos 
charmes. 
La Condamine was not the only mem- 
ber of the’ Academy of Sciences who. 
fought the fociety of Madame du Boccage. 
Among her moft intimate friends were 
Fontenelle, Claiaut, and Matran. The 
former, who always called her his daugh- 
ter, found in her another felf ; Clairaut 
beheld in her a fecond Duchatelet, till 
more amiable than the firft ; and Mairan, 
enchanted with the equality of her tem- 
per, no lefs than with the fuperiority of 
her underftanding, frequently faid to hers 
“ You are like a well regulated watch, 
which goes though its movement without 
9? 
° 
be perceived 
Madame du Boccage, by gaining the 
prize of the Academy of Rouen, had 
e(tablithed her reputation, and fhe after- 
wards publifhed nothing without affixing 
her name. Imbued with the fpirit of 
Paradife Loft, from which the received 
extreme delight, fhe endeavoured to tranf- 
fufe into her native language a portion of 
the beauties of the Britihh Homer. How 
fhe acquitted herfelf of this tafk, thofe 
who are not acquainted with her perform- 
ance may collect from the following ftan- 
zas tran{mitted her on this occafion by 
Voltaire. 
Milton, dont vous fuivez les traces, 
Vous préte fes tranfports divins 3 
Eve eft !amére des humains, 
Et vous étes celle des Graces. 
Comment n’cyit-elle pas feduit 
La raifon la plus indomptable ? 
Vous lui donnez tout votre efprit 5 
Adam étoit bien pardonnaole. — 
Eve le rendit criminel, 
Et vous meritez nos louanges 3 
Eve feduifit un mortel, 
Et vous auriez féduit les anges. 
The Death of Abel being in fome mea- 
fure a fequel to Paradife Loft, this con‘- 
2Hh deration 
