Edward Bruce Hamley

“ In cleverness, in its audacious spirit, and in the opposing tides of admiration and reprobation which it set in motion, it is more comparable to "Don Juan" than to any other work.
Much as they appreciated their rural home, Madame du Châtelet and Voltaire did not object to leave it occasionally for a visit to Paris, where the lady plunged into amusements and dissipations with as much ardour as if Newton and geometry were idle words. In the year 1746 they were at Fontainebleau, guests of the Duke of Richelieu, and playing high at the queen's table. ”

“ At night, after the Duchess had gone to bed, and all the servants had withdrawn, Voltaire used to descend by a secret stair to her chamber (bed-chambers were places of comparatively public resort in those days) ; the confidential valet laid out his supper-table at the bedside; and the Duchess, who greatly delighted in his conversation, talked over old times with him. After supper he sometimes read to her a tale, composed during the day expressly for her amusement. The "Arabian Nights' Entertainments," introduced into France by Galland many years before, had rendered oriental romance popular. ”

“ The poor woman did riot understand him. "Fie, fie!" he exclaimed; "there ought to be good faith where the life of a poor unfortunate like me is concerned." His appeals, in spite of her attempts to explain, grew more urgent, till at last Madame du Châtelet entered in a fury holding out the opened letter, which she called a proof of infamy. The unlucky Madame de Grafigny was quite overcome by these attacks ”