26 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

himself, but which casts gloomy and tempestuous sha-dows over the picture of his retirement. This accountis worth quoting; though, as we shall afterwards men-tion, the fair writer, from private reasons, representedmadame du Chatelet in darker colours than she merited.

When the marquis and marchioness du Chalelet re-solved on inhabiting Cirey, the chateau was in a stateof dilapidation. A portion of it was repaired, andfunished with princely magnificence; partly at the ex-pense of the owners, chiefly, it would seem, at Voltaire ’s,who built a gallery and bath rooms, decorated hisapartments with inlaid works of marble, and adornedthem with a variety of precious works of art.

Usually the family party was nearly uninterrupted.Madame du Chatelet disliked receiving visitors whoshould intrude on her hours of study. How the mar-quis regarded the severe labours of his wife, and thepermanent residence of his guest, we are not told; buthe seems to have been easy and complaisant. Whenvisitors arrived, Voltaire exerted himself to entertainthem by acting plays, and by calling into requisitionthe stores of his own mind, which, various and prolific,never failed to enchant. There was a lady, madamede Graffigny , who had been very unfortunate throughthe ill conduct of her husband. She at last obtained a1738 . divorce; but she was poor, and nearly friendless. SheAitat was asked to spend a few weeks at Cirey, and joyfullyaccepted the flattering invitation. She had been resid-ing at Luneville, at the court of the ex-king of Poland :she left there a friend, who had been brought up withher as a brother; and to him she poured out, in herletters, her enthusiasm, her joy, and her subsequent dis-appointment and misery. .

From the beginning, Voltaire acquired all her kind-ness by the cordiality and friendliness of his reception,and the great and delicate attention he paid to hercomfort; while madame du Chatelet lost it by her cold-ness and selfishness. Still the wit and talent of bothmade it at first enchanted ground. “ Supper

was