Sff LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

rendered him susceptible to the contamination of the badpassions then so active around him. Ardent, ambitious,subtle,.—we find him, in the time of the Fronde, busiestamong the intriguers ; eager in pursuit of his objects,yet readily turned aside; violent in his hatred, pas-sionate in his attachments, yet easily detached fromboth, after the first fire had burnt out. His vaccillationof conduct and feeling at that time caused it to besaid, that lie always made a quarrel in the morning,and the employment of his day was to make it up byevening. Cardinal de Retz, his great enemy, accuseshim of thinking too ill of human nature.* Thrownamong the fools, knaves, and demoralised women of theFronde, we cannot wonder that he, seeing the extent of

* “ II v a toujours efit du je ne Rais quoi en tout M. de la Rochefoucauld.II a voulu se meler d’intrigues dds son enfance, et en un temps oil il nesentait pas les petits interets, qui n’ont jamais ete son faible, et ou il neconnoissait pas les grands, qui, d’un autre sens, n’ont pas &t£ son fort. Un’a jamais ete capable d’aucune affaire, et je ne sais pourquoi; car il avaitdes qualites qui eussent suplit?, en tout autre celles qu’il n’avait pas. Savue n etait pasassez etendue, et il ne voyait pas meme tout ensemble cequi etait k sa portee; mais son bon sens, tr$s bon dans la speculation, jointk sa douceur, & son insinuation, et £ sa facilite de mceurs, qui est admirable,devait recompenser plus qu’il n’a fait le defaut de sa penetration. Il ktoujours etit une irrt solution habitueile; mais je ne sais meme h quoiattribuer cette irresolution : elle n’a pu venir en lui de la fecondite de sonimagination, qui est rien moins que vive. Je ne puis la donner a la steri.lite de son jugement, car quoiqu’il ne Pait pas exquis dans l’action, il k unbon fonds de raison. Nous voyons 1’effects de cette irresolution, quoiquenous n’en connaissons pas la cause. 11 n’a jamais ete guerier, quoiqu’ilfut tres soldat. Il n’a jamais ete par luimeme bon courtisan, quoiqu’ilait eut toujours bonne intention de Petre. Il n‘a jamais ete bon hommede parti, quoique toute sa vie il y ait ete engage. Cet air de honte et detimidite que vous lui voyez dans la vie civile s’etait tourne dans les af-faires en air d’apologie. 11 croyait toujours en avoir besoin, ce qui jointesa ses maximes, qui ne marquent pas assez de foi a la vertu, et £ sa pratique,qui il toujours et£ k sortir des affaires avec autant d’impatience qu’il y estentre, me fait conclure qu’il eut beaucoup mieux fait de se connaitre etde se reduire £ passer, comme il eut pu, pour le courtisan le plus poli etpour le plus honnete homme, d 1’egard de la vie commune, qui eut parudans le siede.”

Such is the character de Retz gives of his rival. Madame de Sfevignehas preserved a portrait of the cardinal by Rochefoucauld. He gives himhigh praise for good understanding and an admirable memory. He repre-sents him as high minded, and yet more vain than ambitious; an easytemper, ready to listen to the complaints of his followers; indolent toexcess, when allowed to repose, but equal to any exertion when called intoaction; and aided on all occasions by a presence of mind which enabled himto turn every chance so much to his advantage that it seemed as if each hadbeen foreseen and desired by him. He relates that he was fond of narratinghis past adventures ; and his reputation was founded chiefly on his ability inplacing his very defects in a good light. He even regards his last retreatas resulting from vanity, while his friend, madame de Sevign**, more justlylooks upon it as resulting from the grandeur of his mind and love of justice.