Let me desire you to read this letter more than once, that you may not forget my requests, which are very important to me; and I must give you one other caution, without which all would be useless.

There is at Paris a Mademoiselle de l,Espinasse,(135) a pretended bel esprit, who was formerly an humble companion of Madame du Deffand; and betrayed her and used her very ill.  I beg of you not to let any body carry you thither.  It Would disoblige my friend of all things in the world, and she would never tell you a syllable; and I own it would hurt me, who have such infinite obligations to her, that I should be very unhappy if a particular friend of mine showed her this disregard.  She has done every thing upon earth to please and serve me, and I owe it to her to be earnest about this attention.  Pray do not mention it; it might look simple in me, and yet I owe it to her, as I know it would hurt her, and, at her age, with her misfortunes, and with infinite obligations on my side, can I do too much to show My gratitude, or prevent her any new mortification?  I dwell upon it, because she has some enemies so spiteful that they try to carry all English to Mademoiselle de l’Espinasse.

I wish the Duchess of Choiseul may come to Paris while you are there; but I fear she will not; you would like her of all things.  She has more sense and more virtues than almost any human being.  If you choose to see any of the savans, let me recommend Monsieur Buffon.  He has not only much more sense than any of them, but is an excellent old man, humane, gentle, well-bred, and with none of the arrogant pertness of all the rest. if he is at Paris, you will see a good deal of the Comte d e Broglie at Madame du Deffand’s.  He is not a genius of the first water, but lively and sometimes agreeable.  The court, I fear, will be at Fontainbleau, which will prevent your seeing many, unless you go thither.  Adieu! at Paris!  I leave the rest of my paper for England, if I happen to have any thing particular to tell you.

(132) Mr. Conway ended is military tour at Paris; whither Lady Ailesbury and Mrs. Damer went to meet him, and where they spent the winter together.

(133) In her letter to Walpole, of the 28th of October, Madame du Deffand draws the following portrait of General Conway:—­ “Selon l’id`ee que vous m’en aviez donn`ee, je le croyais grave, s`ev`ere, froid, imposant; c’est l’homme le plus aimable, le plus facile, le plus doux, le plus obligeant, et le plus simple que je connaisse.  Il n’a pas ces premiers mouvemens de sensibilit`e qu’on trouve en vous, mais aussi n’a-t-il pas votre humeur."-E.

(134) To this request Madame du Deffand replied—­“Je ne me flatte point de vous revoir l’ann`ee prochaine, et le renvoi que vous voulez que je vous fasse de vos lettres est ce qui m’en fait denier.  Ne serait-il pas plus naturel, si vous deviez venir, que je vous les rendisse `a vous-m`eme? car vous ne pensez pas que je ne puisse vivre encore un an.  Vous me faites croire, Par votre m`efiance, que vous avez en vue d’effacer toute trace de votre intelligence avec Moi."-E.