His housekeeper was in the habit of reading him the works brought for his examination, and she would stop reading when she came to a passage which, in her opinion, deserved his censure, but sometimes they were of a different opinion, and then their discussions were truly amusing.

I once heard the housekeeper send away an author with these words: "Come again next week; we have had no time to examine your manuscript." During a whole year I paid M.Crebillon three visits every week, and from him I learned all I know of the French language, but I found it impossible to get rid of my Italian idioms.

I remark that turn easily enough when I meet with it in other people, but it flows naturally from my pen without my being aware of it.

I am satisfied that, whatever I may do, I shall never be able to recognize it any more than I can find out in what consists the bad Latin style so constantly alleged against Livy.
I composed a stanza of eight verses on some subject which I do not recollect, and I gave it to Crebillon, asking him to correct it.

He read it attentively, and said to me, "These eight verses are good and regular, the thought is fine and truly poetical, the style is perfect, and yet the stanza is bad." "How so ?" "I do not know.