You remember our agreement; short and frequent letters. The first
part of the treaty you have no doubt of my observing: I think I ought
not to leave you any of the second. _À propos_ of treaty,[34] our
definitive one was signed here yesterday, and this morning the Duke
of Bridgewater and Mr. Neville[35] went for London with the news of
it. The plenipotentiaries sat up till ten o'Clock in the morning at
the ambassador of Spain's ball, and then went to sign this treaty
which regulates the fate of Europe.
[Sidenote: PARISIAN SOCIETY.]
Paris in most respects, has fully answered my expectations. I have
a number of very good acquaintances which encrease every day, for
nothing is so easy as the making them here. Instead of complaining
of the want of them, I begin already to think of making a choice.
Next Sunday for instance I have only three invitations to Dinner.
Either in the houses you are already acquainted, you meet with people
who ask you to come and see them, or some of your friends offer
themselves to introduce you. When I speak of these connections, I
mean chiefly for dinner & the evening. Suppers, as yet I am pretty
much a stranger to, and I fancy shall continue so: for Paris is
divided into two Species who have but little communication with each
other. The one who is chiefly connected with the men of letters
dine very much at home, are glad to see their friends, and pass the
evenings till about nine in agreable and rational conversation.
The others are the most fashionable, sup in numerous parties, and
always play or rather game both before and after supper. You may
easily guess which sort suits me best. Indeed, Madam, we may say
what we please of the frivolity of the French, but I do assure you
that in a fortnight passed at Paris I have heard more conversation
worth remembering, and seen more men of letters among the people of
fashion, than I had done in two or three winters in London.
Amongst my acquaintance I cannot help mentioning M. Helvetius,[36]
the author of the famous book _de l'Esprit_. I met him at dinner at
Madame Geoffrin's,[37] where he took great notice of me, made me a
visit next day, & has ever since treated me not in a polite but a
friendly manner. Besides being a sensible man an agreable companion,
& the worthiest creature in the world He has a very pretty wife,
a hundred thousand Livres a year and one of the best tables in
Paris. The only thing I dislike in him is his great attachment to
and admiration for Stanley,[38] whose character is indeed at Paris
beyond any thing you can conceive. To the great civility of this
foreigner, who was not obliged to take the least notice of me, I must
just contrast the behaviour of the D. of B.[39] I could not see him
(on account of his gout) till last Sunday. I was then introduced
to him & presented my letter from the D[uke] of R[ichmond].[40] He
received me civilly, desired I would apply to him whenever I wanted
his assistance, and thus dismissed me. I have not heard of him since.
Indeed I have often blushed for him, for I find his stateliness and
avarice make him the joke of Paris. Instead of keeping any thing of a
publick table, he hardly ever asks any body; while the Spaniard[41]
gives balls every week, the magnificence of which is only exceeded by
their politeness & elegance. Neville who is exactly Mr. W. Patton[42]
received me very well, but seemed to laugh both at Mallet & his
letter of recommendation.
I beg my duty to my father to whom I propose writing next week, and
my most sincere compliments to the two Gentlemen.
I am, Dear Madam,
Most affectionately yours,
E. GIBBON, JUNIOR, _alias_ DE GUIBON.
[34] The Treaty of Paris was signed February 10, 1763.
[35] Mr. Neville arrived in London with the Definitive Treaty,
February 15, and at once had an audience of the king, which he
describes in a letter printed in the _Bedford Correspondence_,
vol. iii. p. 199.
[36] Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771) published his
materialistic book, _De l'Esprit_, in 1758. He married
Mademoiselle de Ligneville, who survived him more than a quarter
of a century.
[37] Madame Geoffrin (1699-1777), a woman of humble origin,
the widow of a wealthy ice-merchant, opened her _salon_ to
philosophers and men of letters. Madame du Deffand called her
_la mère des philosophes_, also _la reine mère de Pologne_ for
her intimacy with Stanislas Poniatowski. She affected to despise
the influence of Madame Geoffrin. When some friend spoke to her
of her rival's _salon_, she exclaimed, "Voilà bien du bruit pour
une omelette au lard." Gibbon owed his introduction to Madame
Geoffrin to Lady Hervey. Writing to Lady Hervey in October, 1765,
Horace Walpole says of Madame Geoffrin, "she has one of the best
understandings I ever met, and more knowledge of the world."
Yet his account of her, on the whole, confirms Lord Carlisle's
opinion that she was "the most impertinent old brimstone" (Lord
Carlisle to George Selwyn, December 26, 1767). Gibbon speaks in
his _Autobiography_ of her "capricious tyranny." In a letter to
Gray (January 25, 1766) Walpole paints an elaborate portrait of
her and her rival, Madame du Deffand.
[38] The Right Hon. Hans Stanley, of Paultons in the New Forest,
was a grandson of Sir Hans Sloane. He was a distinguished
diplomatist, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Trustee of the
British Museum, Cofferer of the Royal Household, and M.P. for
Southampton. Walpole speaks of him as "deep in the secrets of the
peace of Paris." He committed suicide at Althorpe on January 13,
1780. Gibbon knew him through Stanley's connection with Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight. Stanley was twice Captain and Governor of
the Island, 1764-66 and 1770-80.
[39] John, fourth Duke of Bedford (1710-1771), to whom Gibbon
had a letter of introduction from the Duke of Richmond, was in
1756 appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Keeper of the Privy
Seal in 1761, and in 1762 ambassador to France, where he signed
the preliminaries of peace with France and Spain. "The Duke of
Bedford," writes Horace Walpole in September, 1762, "is gone in a
fury to make peace, for he cannot be even pacific with temper."
[40] Charles, third Duke of Richmond, born 1735; ambassador at
Paris, 1765; Secretary of State, 1766; Master of the Ordnance,
1783; died 1806.
[41] The Marquis Jeronymo Grimaldi, a member of an illustrious
Genoese family, was at this time the Spanish ambassador. He
negotiated the family compact of 1761 between France and Spain.
[42] Mrs. Gibbon's youngest brother.
22.
_To his Stepmother._
Paris, March the 25th, 1763.