This did not, however, prevent me from speaking honorably of him and
his house, whilst he continually expressed himself relative to me in
the most insulting terms, calling me that petit cuistre: the little
college pedant, or servitor in a college; without, however, being able
to charge me with having done either to himself or any person to
whom he was attached the most trifling injury. In this manner he
verified my fears and predictions. I am of opinion my pretended
friends would have pardoned me for having written books, and even
excellent ones, because this merit was not foreign to themselves;
but that they could not forgive my writing an opera, nor the brilliant
success it had; because there was not one amongst them capable of
the same, nor in a situation to aspire to like honors. Duclos, the
only person superior to jealousy, seemed to become more attached to
me: he introduced me to Mademoiselle Quinault, in whose house I
received polite attention, and civility to as great an extreme, as I
had found a want of it in that of M. d'Holbach.
Whilst the performance of the Devin du Village was continued at
the opera-house, the author of it had advantageous negotiation with
the managers of the French comedy. Not having, during seven or eight
years, been able to get my Narcissus performed at the Italian theater,
I had, by the bad performance in French of the actors, become
disgusted with it, and should rather have had my piece received at the
French theater than by them.
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