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Lafontaine, born about 1621

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[begin surface 1] Lafontaine, born about 1621 lived 73 years —(1694) was of good family, inherited some property,—wrote fables in verse— somewhat like Æsop's—also wrote poems & plays—lived 20 years supported by a noble lady in her house—was intimate with (?Racine, Boileau, Bossuet, Moliere).— [begin surface 2]

BUFFON.

[THE Comte de Buffon, the most eloquent if not the most accurate of naturalists, was born in 1707, and died in 1788. More than two-thirds of his fourscore years were passed in unremitting literary labor. He was rich, luxurious, fond of display,—yet he went to bed every night at nine o'clock, and began his appointed task every morning at six. In his latter years, when asked how he could have done so much, he replied, "Have I not spent fifty years at my desk?" The passage which we translate from his chapter on "Man," will give a notion of the fertility of his imagination, under the guidance of science.]

[begin surface 3] order 29 Unmount & put news cuttings with item No 4
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