them better than everything else in the world. "Why," said
La Fontaine, "does not our master Epicurus descend into the garden?
Epicurus never abandoned his pupils; the master is wrong."

"Monsieur," said Conrart, "you yourself are in the wrong persisting in
decorating yourself with the name of an Epicurean; indeed, nothing here
reminds me of the doctrine of the philosopher of Gargetta."

"Bah!" said La Fontaine, "is it not written that Epicurus purchased a
large garden and lived in it tranquilly with his friends?"

"That is true."

"Well, has not M. Fouquet purchased a large garden at Saint-Mande, and
do we not live here very tranquilly with him and his friends?"

"Yes, without doubt; unfortunately it is neither the garden nor the
friends which constitute the resemblance. Now, what likeness is there
between the doctrine of Epicurus and that of M. Fouquet?"

"This--pleasure gives happiness."

"Next?"

"Well, I do not think we ought to consider ourselves unfortunate, for
my part, at least. A good repast--_vin de Joigny_, which they have the
delicacy to go and fetch for me from my favorite _cabaret_--not one
impertinence heard during a supper an hour long, in spite of the
presence of ten millionaires and twenty poets."

"I stop you there. You mentioned _vin de Joigny_, and a good repast; do
you persist in that?"

"I persist,--_anteco_, as they say at Port Royal."

"Then please to recollect that the great Epicurus lived, and made his
pupils live, upon bread, vegetables, and water."

"That is not certain," said La Fontaine; "and you appear to me to be
confounding Epicurus with Pythagoras, my dear Conrart."

"Remember, likewise, that the ancient philosopher was rather a bad
friend of the gods and the magistrates."

"Oh! that is what I will not admit," replied La Fontaine. "Epicurus was
like M. Fouquet."

"Do not compare him to monsieur le surintendant," said Conrart, in an
agitated voice, "or you would accredit the reports which are circulating
concerning him and us."

"What reports?"

"That we are bad Frenchmen, lukewarm with regard to the king, deaf to
the law."

"I return, then, to my text," said La Fontaine. "Listen, Conrart, this
is the morality of Epicurus, whom, besides, I consider, if I must tell
you so, as a myth. Antiquity is mostly mythical. Jupiter, if we give
a little attention to it, is life. Alcides is strength. The words are
there to bear me out; Zeus, that is, _zen_, to live. Alcides, t