Deffand, sceptical, sarcastic; feared and hated even
in her blind old age for her scathing criticisms. When the celebrated
work of Helvetius appeared he was blamed in her presence for having made
selfishness the great motive of human action.

"Bah!" said she, "he has only revealed every one's secret."

And listen to this trio of laconics, with their saddening knowledge of
human frailty and their bitter Voltaireish flavor:

We shall all be perfectly virtuous when there is no longer any flesh on
our bones.--_Marguerite de Valois._

We like to know the weakness of eminent persons; it consoles us for our
inferiority.--_Mme. de Lambert._

Women give themselves to God when the devil wants nothing more to do
with them.--_Sophie Arnould._

Madame de Sevigne's letters present detached thoughts worthy of
Rochefoucauld without his cynicism. She writes: "One loves so much to
talk of one's self that one never tires of a _tete-a-tete_ with a lover
for years. That is the reason that a devotee likes to be with her
confessor. It is for the pleasure of talking of one's self--even though
speaking evil." And she remarks to a lady who amused her friends by
always going into mourning for some prince, or duke, or member of some
royal family, and who at last appeared in bright colors, "Madame, I
congratulate myself on the health of Europe."

I find, too, many fine aphorisms from "Carmen Sylva" (Queen of
Roumania):

"Il vaut mieux avoir pour confesseur un medecin qu'un pretre. Vous dites
au pretre que vous detestez les hommes, il vous reponds que vous n'etes
pas chretien. Le medecin vous donne de la rhubarbe, et voila que vous
aimez votre semblable."

"Vous dites au pretre que vous etes fatigue de vivre; il vous reponds
que le suicide est un crime. Le medecin vous donne un stimulant, et
voila que vous trouvez la vie supportable."

"La contradiction anime la conversation; voila pourquoi les cours sont
si ennuyeuses."

"Quand on veut affirmer quelque chose, on appelle toujours Dieu a
temoin, parce qu'il ne contredit jamais."

"On ne peut jamais etre fatigue de la vie, on n'est fatigue que de
soi-meme."

"Il faut etre ou tres-pieux ou tres-philosophe! il faut dire: Seigneur,
que ta volonte soit faite! ou: Nature, j'admets tes lois, meme
lorsqu'elles m'ecrasent."

"L'homme est un violon. Ce n'est que lorsque sa derniere corde se brise
qu'il devient un morceau de bois."

In the recently published sketch of Madame Mohl there are s