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MAXIMS AND ANECDOTES FROM
NICOLAS DE CHAMFORT
SELECTED AND TRANSLATED BY
WILLIAM G. HUTCHISON
LONDON
ELKIN MATHEWS
VIGO STREET
1902
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Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort wasborn in 1741 and died in 1794. Thus hetraversed almost the whole of the latter half ofthe century, that in France began with theclosing years of one great ruler and ended withthe accession to supreme power of another—thecentury of social license and colloquialphilosophy, of encyclopædists and actresses, ofblue-stockings and wits. He knew every oneworth knowing—Voltaire, Madame Dubarry,Diderot, Charlotte Corday, Helvetius, Mademoisellede L’Espinasse, St. Just, Marie[Pg 6]Antoinette, and all the other prominent figuresof that fascinating age. Most essentially hewas a man of his time, a misanthrope whoshone in society, a cynic with a curious vein ofhumanitarian optimism.
About his birth hangs much mystery. A. M.Mège has proved, to his own satisfaction atleast, that Chamfort was the lawful offspring ofa respectable grocer, but all other authoritiesagree that he was an illegitimate child, thoughthey are far from being unanimous in assigninghis father and mother. That paternity is amatter of opinion, maternity a matter of fact isan old piece of wisdom, but in this case eventhe latter is doubtful. The one point certain isthat the only name to which our author waslegally entitled was Nicolas. The Chamfortwith its aristocratic “de” was his own invention,[Pg 7]just as Molière was that of Poquelin,Voltaire of Arouet, D’Alembert of Jean Lerond.Influence won Chamfort a good education, andat school and college he played the part ofyouthful prodigy in two ways; he carried offprizes and in the end was rusticated for writinglampoons on the professors. A few months’nomad existence in Normandy with two otherscapegraces followed, and then the prodigalreturned, was forgiven and became an abbé.Lest he be accused of hypocrisy in thus takingorders, I must hasten to say that no particularsanctity of life or opinions was essential to anabbé of that period. “The abbés,” says M.Houssaye, “were amiable pagans living gailyoutside the Church, who read a different senseinto the scriptures from that in vogue now.They went to the Court, to balls and the Opera;[Pg 8]they masked and dabbled in adventure—andthey said their prayers after supper.”
Chamfort’s instincts naturally drew him toliterature both as a means of support and as apath to society. But, like other aspirants, hefound editors and publishers unappreciative,and he was growing weary of his efforts whenone day he happened on an old schoolfellowwho had entered the Church, but, so he confessed,was always at a loss for words in thepulpit. “Listen to me,” said Chamfort, and hedelivered a glowing apostrophe to his ill fortune.Lost in admiration the priest promptly offereda louis apiece for any sermons Chamfort wouldwrite for him. The bargain was concluded, asermon was composed weekly and the preacherdeclaimed his second-hand thunder to the satisfactionof himself and his flock. But Chamfort[Pg 9]aimed higher than devilling for the clergy andwon a reputation in comp