The book story was a Eloisa which for a long time had been in the press did not yet at the end of the year 1760 appear the work already began to make a great noise. Madam de Luxembourg had spoken of it at court and Madam de Houdetot at Paris. The latter had obtained from me permission for Saint Lambert to read the manuscript to the King of Poland who had been delighted with it. Duclos to whom I had also given the perusal of the work had spoken of it at the academy. It appeared at the beginning of the carnival a hawker carried it to the Princess of Talmont. A rude but sensible example of the importance of the least detail in the exposition of facts of which the secret causes are sought for to discover them by induction.
