258 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

The question has been asked, “In what does madamede Sevigne ’s merit consist ? Did she show herselfabove her age?” La Harpe says, in his panegyric,“ Even those who love this extraordinary woman donot sufficiently estimate the superiority of her under-standing. I find in her every species of talent: argu-mentative or frivolous, witty or sublime, she adoptsevery tone with wonderful facility.” To the question,however, of whether she was superior to her age, weanswer, at once, no ; but she was equal to the best andhighest portion of it. We pass in review before us thegreatest men of that day — the most profound thinkers,the most virtuous,—Pascal, Rochefoucauld, Racine, Boi-leau. Her opinions and sentiments were as liberal andenlightened as theirs ; and that is surely sufficient praisefor a woman absolutely without pretensions; and who,while she bares the innermost depths of her mind toher daughter, had no thought of dressing and educatingthat mind for posterity.

The race of madame de Sevigne is extinct. Her soncontinued childless. The marquis de Grignan died alsowithout offspring. He died young, of the small-pox;and his broken-hearted mother soon followed him to thetomb. Pauline, marquise de Simiane, left children, whobecame allied to the family of Crequi; but that, also,is now extinct.

guerres qu’onleura faites autrefois, el les Saints Bartheiemis, ont muitiplieet donne vigeur a cetle secte. Sa majeste Pa sap£e petit & petit, et P fed itqu’il vient de donner, soutenu des dragons et des Bourdaloues, a ete lecoup de grace.