The sun., 1893-11-05
was then no slight authority for those who
maintained the superiority OF everything Eng
lish over ito French counterpart

was then no SLIGHT authority for those who
maintained the superiority OF everything Eng
lish over its French counterpart
III.
As the name OF yoltaire Is associated with
that Of Nine. du Chhtelet. 80 10 Roussenu's
with that OF Nine dEpinay. Without being
very clever or very handsome. Nine. d'Epinay
was an attractive woman. She never had q
regular bureau d'esprit which rendered her
house moro pleasant than IL could otherwise
have been. She established In her circle .
philosophic ease and freedom authorized by
her secondary position in society. Authors.
artists. men. and women OF tho world met
there without restraint, and not for the ex-
press purpose OF philosophizlng and uttering
| clover parodoXcs. Her society, indeed. was
neither brilliant nor renowned; perhaps 1t
| was not very amusing. for Nine dEninay had
little OF what is called wilt and still less origl-
| nality: but 1t was at least free and natural
She had tho good sense to abstain from exer-
cising over her friends n control for which she
was little ndapted She possessed judgment and
| penetration. but she had no Imagination and
very little taste. She derived pleasure from
| the intercourse OF clever people. but she could
| not afford thcm much entertainment herself.
Her conversation was cold and som mewhat COM
mon place. and she yielded almost instinctively
| to the opinions OF those In whose intimacy
| she lived; she was caustic with Grimm and
sentimental with Rousseau: sho would not
have. been either, IL left to her own
impulses. The same traits characterized
her writing: whenever che attempted high
compositions she failed. but her epistolary
style was good, and she excelled In easy. Cos
sipinG narrative. It was less design than acci-
dent which procured for her her philosophical
connection. She seems to have been naturally
| inclined to virtue. but the example OF her hus-
band had a pernicious influence on her char
actor Disguised with the vices OF NJ. d Eri-
| nay. she formed an attachment for NJ. de
| Francoeil. with whose philosophical and liter
| ary friends she was soon on Intimate terms.
Among those brought to her house were Did
| erot. D'Holbach. Grimm. and Rousseau. Did
| erot. however. she could not retain. for he was
always i'll at ease in tho polite world. Too
great a portion OF his life had been spent In too
questionable society for him to acquire the
artist ocratic elegance which distinguished Vol
taire. This was perhaps why. with all his fer
vid eloquence Diderot often failed in produc-
ing the effect which might have been antici-
pated from his great talents His mind was
| too vast and his manner too vehement for the
artificial society in which he was COM
PEELED to move. 1t was tho waspish Ger
man Grimm. tho successor OF Francoeil In
Nine. d'Epinay's affections. who held the most
conspicuous place in her circle: where his
| despotic disposition and his habit OF covering
| his face with coating OF red and white paint
| caused him to be fumiliarly named "Tyran 10
Blanc" The lively little Abbe Gallant also
stood high in Nine. d'Epinay's good graces.
| few foreigners Of distiction the most eminent
Of whom wns Hume. likewise made their ap-
pearance In the circle Of Nine d'Epinay. Hume
| then enjoyed In Paris so high a reputation that
lady was dsgraced at court for having asked
| who and what he was. Tho star. however. Of
| the coterie, so long as he consented to shine
| In 1t, was Rousseau. who had not yet
wholly broken with the world whom he
contracted for Nine. d'Epinay a friendship.
which. though very ardent at first WAS as un-
fortunate as his other attachmen 1t Is we'll
known that Rousseau's 8 unhappy temper would
never let him agree long with his friends OF
either sex. He passionately loved the society
OF women-it was to his intercourse with them
that Diderot partly ascribed the grace and fer
| vor Of his stylebut he did little to conciliate
their favor: though he knew from the first
that nothing could be done in Paris without
| the aid OF women" He absolutely refused to
submit to the patronizlng tone they were in
tho habit OF using toward the philosophers:
nor were his auarrels with his fair friends
marked by much amenity OF tone or feeling
on his part His connection with Nine. d'Epi-
nay was particularly unfortunate. The pas
sionate love he expressed for nature and soli-
tude induced Nine. d'Epinay in the first
enthusiasm OF her friendship to fit up for him
q romantic little hermitage at Montmorency.
in the neighborhood OF her own residence.
Rousseau was extremely unhappy in this re-
treat: he com planned that his friends deserted
! him. and accused Grimm OF seeking to deprive
him Of the friendship Of Diderot. D'Holbach.
and Mme. d'Epinay. To add to his misery. he
fell desperately In love with Mme dHoudetot.
Nine. d'Epinay's sister-in-law. and the mis-
tress of Satnt-Lambert who had been brought
into notice In Partisan society by the fact that
he had succeeded so great man as Voltaire
In the affections OF Mme. du Chateet Rous-
seau was then composing his Nouvelle Hclo1se.
| and he road the letters ss he finished them to
Nine. dEplnav and Nine d'Houdetot. Though
this latter lady was. as he AYERS, the only wo-
man he ever loved. she could boast OF little
beauty: she squlnted and was marked with
the smallpox. But she was gay. frank. and