Volume III Part 77 (2/2)

M de Voltaire said that if I liked to play it at his house he would write to M de Chavigni to send the Lindane, and that he hi that Madao on my journey the next day At this he exclaiainst me, and said at last that he should consider my visit as an insult unless I spared him a week at least of my society

”Sir,” said I, ”I have only co you, and now that I have obtained that favour I have nothing more to do”

”Have you come to speak to me, or for me to speak to you?”

”In a measure, of course, to speak to you, but much more for you to speak to me”

”Then stay here three days at least; come to dinner every day, and ill have so and pressing that I could not refuse it with a good grace I therefore accepted, and I then left to go and write

I had not been back for a quarter of an hour when a syndic of the town, an amiable man, whom I had seen at M de Voltaire's, and whose naive hiuh I did not open my mouth I should much like to have an hour's talk with you” By way of reply, I eown, and telling hiht with me

The worthya word on the subject of literature, but to please me he had no need to talk of books, for he was a disciple of Epicurus and Socrates, and the evening was spent in telling little stories, in bursts of laughter, and in accounts of the various kinds of pleasure obtainable at Geneva Before leavingevening, pro that boredom should not be of the party

”I shall wait for you,” said I

”Very good, but don't tell anyone of the party”

I pro Fox calisha fifty louis I left off, and alked about the town till dinner-time

We found the Duc de Villars at Delices; he had come there to consult Dr

Tronchin, who had kept hi the repast, but at dessert, M de Voltaire, knowing that I had reasons for not liking the Venetian Government, introduced the subject; but I disappointed him, as I maintained that in no country could a man enjoy more perfect liberty than in Venice

”Yes,” said he, ”provided he resigns hi that I did not care for the subject, he took arden, of which, he said, he was the creator The principal walk led to a pretty running stream

”'Tis the Rhone,” said he, ”which I send into France”

”It does not cost you e, at all events,” said I

He smiled pleasantly and shewed me the principal street of Geneva, and Mont Blanc which is the highest point of the Alps

Bringing back the conversation to Italian literature, he began to talk nonsense with ment I let him talk on He spoke of Hoht of these great geniuses, but he did hiht I contented reat men did not merit the estee tih place in which the praise of centuries, had placed them

The Duc de Villars and the famous Tronchin came and joined us

The doctor, a tall finea conversationalist, a learned physician, a man of wit, a favourite pupil of Boerhaeve, without scientific jargon, or charlatanism, or self-sufficiency, enchanted imen, and to make rules he had to be a man of profound science

I have been assured, but can scarcely believe it, that he cured a consumptive patient of a secret disease by means of thefrictions of mercury by four sturdy porters

As to Villars he also attracted my attention, but in quite a different way to Tronchin On exaht I saw before me a woman of seventy dressed as a man, thin and emaciated, but still proud of her looks, and with claims to past beauty His cheeks and lips were painted, his eyebrows blackened, and his teeth were false; he wore a huge hich, exhaled amber, and at his buttonhole was an enorracious manner, and he spoke so softly that it was often impossible to hear what he said He was excessively polite and affable, and his ency His whole appearance was supremely ridiculous I was told that in his youth he was a lover of the fair sex, but now that he was no longer good for anything he had modestly made himself into a woman, and had four pretty pets in his e his old carcase at night

Villars was governor of Provence, and had his back eaten up with cancer

In the course of nature he should have been buried ten years ago, but Tronchin kept hi the wounds on slices of veal Without this the cancer would have killed hiht well be called an artificial one