Volume II Part 14 (2/2)
I coht verses on soave it to Crebillon, asking him to correct it He read it attentively, and said to ht is fine and truly poetical, the style is perfect, and yet the stanza is bad”
”How so?”
”I do not know I cannot tell you what is wanting Iine that you see a man handso to your oes away telling you that the man does not please her 'But what fault do you find in hiain at the man, you exaive him a heavenly voice, he has been deprived of that which constitutes a e that a spontaneous feeling has stood the woood stead”
It was by that co al alone can account for a thing which is subject to no rule whatever
We spoke a great deal of Louis XIV, whom Crebillon had knoell for fifteen years, and he related several very curious anecdotes which were generally unknown As he assured me that the Siamese ambassadors were cheats paid by Madame de Maintenon He told us likewise that he had never finished his tragedy of Cro had told him one day not to wear out his pen on a scoundrel
Crebillon edy of Catilina, and he told me that, in his opinion, it was the most deficient of his works, but that he never would have consented, even toh, as they would do if Madea were to appear previous to her acquaintances with Jason
He praised the talent of Voltaire very highly, but he accused hi stolen from him, Crebillon, the scene of the senate He, however, rendered hi that he was a true historian, and able to write history as well as tragedies, but that he unfortunately adulterated history by ht anecdotes and tales for the sake of rendering itto Crebillon, the Man with the Iron Mask was nothing but an idle tale, and he had been assured of it by Louis XIV hi with Crebillon at Silvia's, 'Cenie', a play by Madany, was performed at the Italian Theatre, and I went away early in order to get a good seat in the pit
The ladies all covered with diarossed all my interest and all my attention I wore a very fine suit, butner, for the fashi+on was not the sa round, when a gentleman, splendidly dressed, and three times stouter than I, caner I answered affirmatively, and he politely asked me how I liked Paris I praised Paris very warmly But at that moment a very stout lady, brilliant with diamonds, entered the box near us Her enorentleman:
”Who is that fat sow?”
”She is the wife of this fat pig”
”Ah! I beg your pardon a thousand tiies, and very far frohter This was the happy result of the practical and natural philosophy which Frenchmen cultivate so well, and which insures the happiness of their existence under an appearance of frivolity!
I was confused, I was in despair, but the stout gentleh heartily At last he left the pit, and a minute afterwards I saw hi an eye on the to look at the the exah Theirthe pit, when the husband called out to uilty of impoliteness, and I went up to their box Then, with a serious countenance and with great affability, he begged raciously invitedI thanked hieto elude their invitation, that I was expected to sup at Silvia's house
”In that case I a your release if you do not object Allow o myself to Silvia”
It would have been uncourteous on er He left the box and returned almost immediately with hted to seesuch excellent acquaintances, and that she would expect to see me at dinner the next day He whispered to me that my new acquaintance was M de Beauchamp, Receiver-General of Taxes
As soon as the performance was over, I offered nificent carriage There I found the abundance or rather the profusion which in Paris is exhibited by the ood cheer, and open cheerfulness The supper was not over till one o'clock in the ings That house offeredthe whole of my stay in Paris, and I must add that my new friends proved very useful to ners find the first fortnight in Paris very dull, because a little tih to findas I could desire within twenty-four hours, and the consequence was that I felt delighted with Paris, and certain thatPatu called and yric on the Marechal de Saxe We went out together and took a walk in the Tuileries, where he introducedof the Marechal de Saxe
”It is singular,” she said, ”that we cannot have a 'De profundis' for athe 'Te Deum' so often”
As we left the Tuileries, Patu took me to the house of a celebrated actress of the opera, Mademoiselle Le Fel, the favourite of all Paris, andand char around her like butterflies
”I adore them,” she said to me
”They deserve adoration for their beauty,” I answered, ”although they have all a different cast of countenance”
”No wonder! The eldest is the son of the Duke d'Anneci, the second of Count d'Ege, who has just married the Romainville”