[178] “Most women have no characters at all,” says Pope in the Second Epistle “Of the Characters of Women.” The late Rev. Whitwell Elwin thinks this “a literal rendering” of La Bruyèreʼs § 65 “Of Men.” I imagine it inspired by the above paragraph. [179] To deceive some one is now in French _en imposer à quelquʼun_, but until the last hundred years _imposer_ was used, which meant “to deceive” and “to impose respect.” [180] Glycera is said to have been Madame de la Ferrière, whom we have already mentioned. See page 66, note. [181] Pierre du Puget, lord of Montauron, who died in 1664, first president of the _bureau des finances_ at Montauban, was celebrated for his riches and vanity. P. Corneille dedicated his tragedy _Cinna_ to him. Michael Particelli, lord of Esmery, became, through the patronage of Cardinal Mazarin, _surintendant des finances_, and died in 1650. [182] Venouse is not Venuzia, the native town of the Roman lyric poet Horace, but Vincennes; the road from Paris to Vincennes was a favourite spot for walking. [183] The Faubourg Saint-Germain is meant by the “grand suburb.” [184] Canidia, a Neapolitan lady, is said to have been loved by Horace, and to have deserted him. Out of revenge the poet, in his _Epodes_ v. and xvii., depicted her as an old sorceress who could unsphere the moon. Canidia is supposed to allude to La Voisin, who was burned at the stake in Paris, in 1680, for having poisoned several people. [185] In the original _affranchi_, freedman. [186] All the “Keys” say that “the husband” of this paragraph and the following one was a certain Nicolas de Bauquemare, _président de la deuxième chambre des requêtes au palais_. [187] Wives of a similar kind seem to have been Madame de Montespan, Madame de Sévigné, and Madame de la Fayette. [188] This paragraph refers again to the _président_, mentioned on page 80, note 2, and to his wife, who was always called “DʼOns-en-Bray,” pronounced “DʼOsembray,” after a property belonging to her husband. [189] _Stupide_ had, in La Bruyères time, the meaning of “stupefied” as well as of “stupid.” [190] It might have been expected that some of the “Keys” would have told us who Emira was, but this anecdote is either invented by La Bruyère or founded on a fact only known to him. [191] La Rouchefoucauld, in the _Maximes_ (1665), makes almost the same remarks, and so does Pascal in the _Pensées_ (1670). It often happens that those two authors agree in their expressions and thoughts with La Bruyère, who carefully studied them before publishing his _Caractères_. [192] _Discordia fit carior concordia_ is a saying of the Latin poet Publius Syrus (104-41 B.C.) [193] In the chapter “Of the Affections,” La Bruyère has borrowed a goodly number of ideas of Senecaʼs treatise _De beneficiis_; this is one of them. [194] An imitation of another line of Publius Syrus: _Ita amicum habeas, posse inimicum fieri ut putes_.