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"That is not the way," said Pelisson, gravely, "that I translate lepores." "How do you translate it?" said La Fontaine. "Thus: The hares run away as soon as they see M. Fouquet." A burst of laughter, in which the superintendent joined, followed this sally. "But why hares?" objected Conrart, vexed.
Do you know, you speak Greek as well as Aesop did, my dear La Fontaine." "Is there any wickedness in that, my dear Conrart?" "God forbid I should say so." "Then let us return to M. Fouquet. What did he repeat to us all the day? Was it not this? 'What a cuistre is that Mazarin! what an ass! what a leech! We must, however, submit to that fellow. Now, Conrart, did he say so, or did he not?"
"I ought to have availed myself precisely of that very comparison. It is true, M. Fouquet plays the part of the Colossus of Rhodes; but I remember to have heard it said by M. Conrart, a member of the academy, I believe, that when the Colossus of Rhodes fell from its lofty position, the merchant who had cast it down a merchant, nothing more, M. Colbert loaded four hundred camels with the ruins.
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?"
"Rara avis in terres!" cried Conrart. "And like a black swan, is he not?" added La Fontaine; "well, then, the bird in question, black and rare, is already found." "Do you mean to say that you have found a purchaser for my post of procureur-general?" exclaimed Fouquet. "I have, monsieur." "But the superintendent never said that he wished to sell," resumed Pelisson.
'Dans les corps a talent, nulle distinction ne fait ombrage, si ce n'est pas celle du talent. Un due et pair honore l'Academie Francaise, qui ne veut point de Boileau, refuse la Bruyere, fait attendre Voltaire, mais recoit tout d'abord Chapelain et Conrart.
M. Arnaud pretends that I have no logic; I have more than M. Nicole." "Yes," replied Conrart, "you have logic, but you are a Jansenist." This peroration was hailed with a boisterous shout of laughter; by degrees the promenaders had been attracted by the exclamations of the two disputants around the arbor under which they were arguing.
In spite of her subtle analysis of love, and her exact map of the Empire of Tenderness, the sentiment of the "Illustrious Sappho" seems to have been rather ideal. She had numerous adorers, of whom Conrart and Pellisson were among the most devoted.
"He was a goose, that fellow Epictetus." "Granted, but he might easily become the fashion by only changing his name into that of Colbert." "Bah!" replied La Fontaine, "that is impossible. Never will you find Colbert in Epictetus." "You are right, I shall find Coluber there, at the most." "Ah! you are beaten, Conrart; you are reduced to a play upon words.
After losing her mother, who is said to have been a woman of some distinction, she was carefully educated by an uncle in all the accomplishments of the age, as well as in the serious studies which were then unusual. According to her friend Conrart she was a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge both useful and ornamental.
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