It is significant that he wrote his great _Histoire naturelle_ at Montbard and not at Paris, where were the collections of natural history.
His biographer, Flourens, says: "What dominates in the character of Buffon is elevation, force, the love of greatness and glory; he loved magnificence in everything.

His fine figure, his majestic air, seemed to have some relation with the greatness of his genius; and nature had refused him none of those qualities which could attract the attention of mankind.
"Nothing is better known than the _naivete_ of his self-esteem; he admired himself with perfect honesty, frankly, but good-naturedly." He was once asked how many great men he could really mention; he answered: "Five--Newton, Bacon, Leibnitz, Montesquieu, and myself." His admirable style gained him immediate reputation and glory throughout the world of letters.

His famous epigram, "_Le style est l'homme meme_" is familiar to every one.

That his moral courage was scarcely of a high order is proved by his little affair with the theologians of the Sorbonne.

Buffon was not of the stuff of which martyrs are made.
His forte was that of a brilliant writer and most industrious compiler, a popularizer of science.