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    I was present at his funeral ^ which was attended by his breth - ren of the Institute , and rendered particularly solemn by the discourse pronounced over his grave .

    Dupont de Nemours , now one of the most prominent of the literati of Paris , and ifrlio , as you may recollect , resided at New York a few years ago , stepped forth from the

    crowd , with the tears flowing rap hil - ly from ^ his eyes , and in the course of a ' very touching panegyric on the deceased , recited acts of benevolence , -which had fallen under

    his own observation , that would have done honour to a "Howard . He made one striking observation , in which his whole auditory appeared to acquiesce at once ; 'Uhat Lalande had much more

    religion than he was conscious of possessing / 5 Lalande was below the middle &i 2 e , and exhibited one of the ugliest faces that I havev ever seen .

    He was , however , not a little vain of his person , and extremely fond of narrating the conquesis which he had . atchieved in his yotath , over the hearts-of half the princesses of Europe . The egotism which

    completely vanquished his judgment in his old age , blinded him to the absurdity and falsehood of the recital on this head , which he never failed to make even to his

    casual visitors . He fancied that be had arrived at absolute perfection , and published At various tiroes a notification to the world , that he possessed all the virtues and good qualities of human

    nature / ' A wit of Paris very earnestly requested him , on one of « ese occasions , « at least , to dcdfcct that of modesty , " His man . an ? k Were exceedingly engaging , na bis conversation was enlivened ^ y brillian t sallies , and by a sin-

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    gular degree of candour and naivete . Lalande addressed a delineation of himself to a lady who had promised to write his life . I cannot resist the ^ temptation of transcribing it for yOu , as it exhibits an amusing specimen of the

    superlative vanity , and , for the most part , a very just picture of the character of this extraordinary man . — - ' I am , " says he , an enemy

    of show and ostentation ; my amour propre ( and every one has his share ) has but one object , — literary glory . My patience and temper can withstand any vexations , arising either from sickaes ^ disappointment ,, or injustice .

    " I exercise the most liberal indulgence , with regard to the faults or follies of t > ther $ . I ftnd every thing good . I can be ^ r pleasantry , sarcasm , oreven slander but I know haw to rally in my turn . I dislike the common pleasures of the world . I cannot

    endure gambling , shows > orfeasts . ; i I never go to the play : study and the converse of intelligent persons , particularly of well-informed women , are my only amusements Such have been for me , in regular succession , the meetings of Mde . Geoffrin , du Bocage , du Defant , de Bourdie , de Beauharnais , de Sa , lm &c . In frequenting their societies , I always go on foot , and sometimes take long walks : my

    object in so doing is to encounter mendicants , and I take pleasure in relieving them . ( ti I have often lent , and my money has been rarely returned

    but I have never reclaimed it . My honesty of speech often degenerates into rudeness . I have never been able to dissemble the truth , even when it was calculated to offend . I have often fallen out with old

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    Account of Lalande , the Asirotoomtr . 267

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1811, page 267, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2416/page/11/