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to strict decorum； of finished politeness； of exquisite gallantry；
deferential without being servile； fond without being mawkish；＇25＇ and
always at his ease； it suffices that he should be before the public；
to fall naturally into the proper tone； the discreet ways； the winning
half…smile of the well…bred man who； introducing his readers into his
mind； does them the honors of the place。 Are you on familiar terms
with him； and of the small private circle in which he freely unbends
himself； with closed doors？ You never tire of laughing。 With a sure
hand and without seeming to touch it； he abruptly tears aside the veil
hiding a wrong； a prejudice； a folly； in short； any human idolatry。
The real figure； misshapen； odious or dull； suddenly appears in this
instantaneous flash； we shrug our shoulders。 This is the risibility
of an agile； triumphant reason。 We have another in that of the gay
temperament； of the droll improvisator； of the man keeping youthful； a
child； a boy even to the day of his death； and who 〃gambols on his own
tombstone。〃 He is fond of caricature； exaggerating the features of
faces； bringing grotesques on the stage；＇26＇ walking them about in all
lights like marionettes； never weary of taking them up and of making
them dance in new costumes； in the very midst of his philosophy； of
his propaganda and polemics； he sets up his portable theater in full
blast； exhibiting oddities； the scholar； the monk； the inquisitor；
Maupertuis； Pompignan； Nonotte； Fréron； King David； and countless
others who appear before us； capering and gesticulating in their
harlequin attire。 … When a farcical talent is thus moved to tell the
truth； humor becomes all…powerful； for it gratifies the profound and
universal instincts of human nature： to the malicious curiosity； to
the desire to mock and belitte； to the aversion to being in need or
under constraint； those sources of bad moods which task convention；
etiquette and social obligation with wearing the burdensome cloak of
respect and of decency； moments occur in life when the wisest is not
sorry to throw this half aside and even cast it off entirely。 … On
each page； now with the bold stroke of a hardy naturalist； now with
the quick turn of a mischievous monkey； Voltaire lets the solemn or
serious drapery fall； disclosing man； the poor biped； and in which
attitudes！＇27＇ Swift alone dared to present similar pictures。 What
physiological crudities relating to the origin and end of our most
exalted sentiments！ What disproportion between such feeble reason and
such powerful instincts！ What recesses in the wardrobes of politics
and religion concealing their foul linen！ We laugh at all this so as
not to weep； and yet behind this laughter there are tears； he ends
sneeringly； subsiding into a tone of profound sadness； of mournful
pity。 In this degree； and with such subjects； it is only an effect of
habit； or as an expedient； a mania of inspiration； a fixed condition
of the nervous machinery rushing headlong over everything； without a
break and in full speed。 Gaiety； let it not be forgotten； is still a
incentive of action； the last that keeps man erect in France； the best
in maintaining the tone of his spirit； his strength and his powers of
resistance； the most intact in an age when men； and women too；
believed it incumbent on them to die people of good society； with a
smile and a jest on their lips＇28＇。
When the talent of a writer thus accords with public inclinations
it is a matter of little import whether he deviates or fails since he
is following the universal tendency。 He may wander off or besmirch
himself in vain； for his audience is only the more pleased； his
defects serving him as advantageously as his good qualities。 After
the first generation of healthy minds the second one comes on； the
intellectual balance here being equally inexact。 〃Diderot；〃 says
Voltaire； 〃is too hot an oven； everything that is baked in it getting
burnt。〃 Or rather； he is an eruptive volcano which； for forty years；
discharges ideas of every order and species； boiling and fused
together； precious metals； coarse scorioe and fetid mud； the steady
stream overflows at will according to the roughness of the ground； but
always displaying the ruddy light and acrid fumes of glowing lava。 He
is not master of his ideas； but his ideas master him； he is under
submission to them； he has not that firm foundation of common
practical sense which controls their impetuosity and ravages； that
inner dyke of social caution which； with Montesquieu and Voltaire；
bars the way to outbursts。 Everything with him rushes out of the
surcharged crater； never picking its way； through the first fissure or
crevice it finds； according to his haphazard reading； a letter； a
conversation； an improvisation； and not in frequent small jets as with
Voltaire； but in broad currents tumbling blindly down the most
precipitous declivities of the century。 Not only does he descend thus
to the very depths of anti…religious and anti…social doctrines； with
logical and paradoxical rigidity； more impetuously and more
obstreperously than d'Holbach himself； but again he falls into and
sports himself in the slime of the age； consisting of obscenity； and
into the beaten track of declamation。 In his leading novels he dwells
a long time on salacious equivocation； or on a scene of lewdness。
Crudity with him is not extenuated by malice or glossed over by
elegance。 He is neither refined nor pungent； is quite incapable； like
the younger Crébillon； of depicting the scapegrace of ability。 He is
a new…comer； a parvenu in standard society； you see in him a commoner；
a powerful reasoner； an indefatigable workman and great artist；
introduced； through the customs of the day； at a supper of fashionable
livers。 He engrosses the conversation； directs the orgy； or in the
contagion or on a wager； says more filthy things； more 〃gueulées；〃
than all the guests put together＇29＇。 In like manner； in his dramas；
in his 〃Essays on Claudius and Nero；〃 in his 〃Commentary on Seneca；〃
in his additions to the 〃Philosophical History〃 of Raynal； he forces
the tone of things。 This tone； which then prevails by virtue of the
classic spirit and of the new fashion； is that of sentimental
rhetoric。 Diderot carries it to extremes in the exaggeration of tears
or of rage； in exclamations； in apostrophes； in tenderness of feeling；
in violences； indignation； in enthusiasms； in full…orchestra tirades；
in which the fire of his brains finds employment and an outlet。 …
On the other hand； among so many superior writers； he is the only
genuine artist； the creator of souls； within his mind objects； events
and personages are born and become organized of themselves； through
their own forces； by virtue of natural affinities； involuntarily；
without foreign intervention； in such a way as to live for and in
themselves； safe from the author's intentions； and outside of his
combinations。 The composer of the 〃Salons；〃 the 〃Petits Romans；〃 the
〃Entretien；〃 the 〃Paradoxe du Comédien；〃 and especially the 〃Rêve de
d'Alembert〃 and the〃 Neveu de Rameau 〃is a man of an unique species in
his time。 However alert and brilliant Voltaire's personages may be；
they are always puppets； their action is derivative； always behind
them you catch a glimpse of the author pulling the strings。 With
Diderot； the strings are severed； he is not speaking through the lips
of his characters； they are not his comical loud…speakers or puppets；
but independent and detached persons； with an action of their own； a
personal accent； with their own temperament； passions； ideas；
philosophy； style and spirit； and occasionally； as in the 〃Neveu de
Rameau；〃 a spirit so original； complex and complete； so alive and so
deformed that； in the natural history of man； it becomes an
incomparable monster and an immortal document。 He has expressed
everything concerning nature；＇30＇ art morality and life＇31＇ in two
small treatises of which twenty successive readings exhaust neither
the charm nor the sense。 Find elsewhere； if you can； a similar stroke
of power and a greater masterpiece； 〃anything more absurd and more
profound！〃＇32＇ … Such is the advantage of men of genius possessing
no control over themselves。 They lack discernment but they have
inspiration。 Among twenty works； either soiled； rough or nasty； they
produce a creation； and still better； an animated being； able to live
by itself； before which others； fabricated by merely intellectual
people； resemble simply well…dressed puppets。 … Hence it is that
Diderot is so great a narrator； a master of dialogue； the equal in
this respect of Voltaire； and； through a quite opposite talent；
believing all he says at the moment of saying it； forgetful of his
very self； carried away by his own recital； listening to inward
voices； surprised with the responses which come to him unexpectedly；
borne along； as if on an unknown r