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LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

being cheated. The words were understood by otherswho ivere present, and the poet thought it prudent toabsent himself for a time. He asked refuge from theduchess du Maine at Sceaux . Here he passed twomonths in the strictest retreat; and when danger waspast, he repaid his hostess by remaining in her cha-teau, and contributing to her recreation by getting upplays, and writing for her. “ Zadig ” and others ofhis tales were composed on this occasion. Operas,plays, concerts, and balls varied the amusements.Madame du Chatelet and Voltaire took parts in thesetheatricals. The lady was an admirable actress, as wellas musician : she shone in comedy, where her gaiety,grace, and vivacity had full play. Voltaire was also agood actor . The part of Cicero in his own tragedy of“Home Sauvee” was his favourite part. At other times,leaving these pleasures, he and his friend retired toCirey and to labour. We have an amusing account ofseveral of their migrations, from the pen of Long-champ, who, from being the valet of madame du Cha-telet, became elevated into the secretary of Voltaire .There is a great contrast between this man’s account,and the letters before quoted of madame de Graffigny.In both descriptions, we find mentioned the vivacityand petulance both of the poet and his friend ; but thedarker shadows thrown by irritability and quarrelling, donot appear in the pages of Longchamp ; and, above all,the fair disciple of Newton is delineated in far moreagreeable colours. “ Madame du Chatelet, ” he writes,“ passed the greater part of the morning amidst herbooks and her writings, and she would never be inter-rupted. But when she left her study, she was nolonger the same woman — her serious countenancechanged into one expressive of gaiety, and she enteredwith ardour into all the pleasures of society. Althoughshe was then forty, she was the first to set amusement onfoot, and to enliven it by her wit and vivacity.” Nordoes he make any mention of the violence and ill-humourfrom which her guest suffered so piteously. “ When