ends, having never experienced anything but languor, disappointment
and obscurity. Under the pseudonym of Clazomene, just before his
death, he drew a picture of his own fortune and character which proves
that he had no illusion about himself, and which yet contains not a
murmur against the injustice of fate nor a breath of petulance or
resentment. "Let no one imagine," this portrait closes, "that
Clazomene would exchange his wretchedness for the prosperity of weak
men; fortune may sport with the wisdom of brave souls, but it has no
power to subdue their courage."

It is time, however, to examine the actual compositions of our
author.[18] Until his friendship with Voltaire began, Vauvenargues had
not given much attention to verse, but he now began a series of
critical essays on the poets. He says, in the course of these
"Reflexions," that what little he knew of poetry he owed to M. de
Voltaire. His remarks on this subject, however, are more independent
than he would give us to suppose, and they are always worthy of
attention because they illustrate the moral attitude of Vauvenargues
himself. He was not embarrassed by tradition in advancing along his
road through the masterpieces of literature. He was always an amateur,
never a man in bondage to the "authorities;" he seems, indeed, to have
avowed a dislike for general reading: "Pascal avait peu lu, ainsi que
Malebranche," was his excuse. In the case of Pascal, we may question
the fact, but it is recorded that when at last Malebranche was
persuaded to read Descartes' "Traite de l'homme," it excited him so
violently as to bring on palpitation of the heart. Such are the
dangers of a retarded study of the classics. Vauvenargues was no less
inflammable. He met with the tragedies of Racine at a moment when the
reputation of that poet had sunk to its lowest point, and, totally
indifferent to the censure of the academical sanhedrim, he extolled
him as a master-anatomist of the human heart.

[Footnote 18: The writings of Vauvenargues exist in a
confusion which is not likely to be ever remedied, for the
bulk of his MSS. were burned during the Commune in May 1871.
But much gratitude is owing to Suard (1806) and Gilbert
(1857) for their pious labours. A variorum edition might
even yet be attempted, and although not complete, might at
least be final.]

In considering the observations of Vauvenargues with regard to poets,
we must bear in mind that