[2] Hist:  honnête homme means gentleman. (Sr.)

[3] Descartes, ed.  Cousin, XI. 333, I. 121, . . .  Descartes depreciates “simple knowledge acquired without the aid of reflection, such as languages, history, geography, and, generally, whatever is not based on experience. . . .  It is no more the duty of an honest man to know Greek or Latin than to know the Swiss or Breton languages, nor the history of the Romano-Germanic empire any more than of the smallest country in Europe.”

[4] Molière, “Les Femmes Savantes,” and “La Critique de l’école des femmes.”  The parts of Dorante with Lycidas and of Clitandre with Trissotin.

[5] The learned Huet, (1630-1721), true to the taste of the sixteenth century, describes this change very well from his point of view.  “When I entered the world of letters these were still flourishing; great reputations maintained their supremacy.  I have seen letters decline and finally reach an almost entire decay.  For I scarcely know a person of the present time that one can truly call a savant.”  The few Benedictines like Ducange and Mabillon, and later, the academician Fréret, the president Bouhier of Dijon, in short, the veritable erudites exercise no influence.

[6] Nicole, “Oeuvres morales,” in the second essay on Charity and Self-love, 142.

[7] Voltaire, “Dialogues,” “L’intendant des menus et l’abbé Grizel,” 129.

[8] Maury adds with his accustomed coarseness, “We, in the French Academy, looked upon the members of the Academy of Sciences as our valets.” — These valets at that time consisted of Lavoisier, Fourcroy, Lagrange, Laplace, etc. (A narrative by Joseph de Maistre, quote by Sainte-Beuve, “Causeries du lundi,” IV. 283.)

[9] This description makes me think of the contemporary attitudes pejoratively called “politically correctness.”  Thus the drawings-room audience of the 18th century have today been replaced by the “political correct” elite holding sway in teacher training schools, schools of journalism, the media and hence among the television public.  The same mechanism which moved the upper class in the 18th century moves it in the 20th century.. (S.R.)

[10] Today in 1999 we may speak of the TV mold forced by the measured popularity or “ratings"of the programs. (Sr.

[11] Vaugelas, “Remarques sur la langue française:”  “It is the mode of speech of the most sensible portion of the court, as well as the mode of writing of the most sensible authors of the day.  It is better to consult women and those who have not studied than those who are very learned in Greek and in Latin.”

[12] One of the causes of the fall and discredit of the Marquis d’Argenson in the eighteenth century, was his habit of using these.