A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Geoffrin, Marie Theresa Rodet
GEOFFRIN, MARIE THERESA RODET,
Born in 1699. She was a woman alike distinguished by her qualities of mind and heart, who, during half a century, was the ornament of the most polite and cultivated societies in Paris. An orphan from the cradle, she was educated by her grandmother, and early accustomed to think and judge justly. She afterwards became the wife of a man, of whom nothing can be said, excepting that he left her in possession of a considerable fortune, which she employed partly in assisting the needy, partly in assembling around her a select circle of distinguished persons. Her benevolence was exerted in a touching and delicate manner. An attentive study of mankind, enlightened by reason and justice, had taught Madame Geoffrin that men are more weak and vain than wicked; that it is necessary to overlook the weakness, and bear with the vanity of others, that they, in turn, may bear with ours. Her favourite maxim, therefore, was, "Give and forgive."
From her very childhood she was of a most charitable disposition. She wished to perpetuate her benevolence through the hands of her friends.
"They will be blessed," said she, "and they in their turn will bless my memory." Thus she assigned to one of them, who was poor, an income of twelve hundred livres for his lifetime. "If you should grow richer," said she, "distribute the money out of love to me, when I can use it no longer."
In her house the best society in Paris was assembled. Cultivated minds of every description found access to her; none could therefore claim a preference: the mistress of the house herself was far from desiring any precedence; she was only amiable and animating.
The abbe de St. Pierre, when she dismissed him, after a long conversation with these words, "Vous avez été charmant anjourd'hui," addressed to her the well-known and deserved compliment, "Je ne suis qu'un instrument, Madame, dont vous avez bien joué."
Among the great number of strangers who visited her house in Paris, the most distinguished was Count Poniatowsky, afterwards King of Poland. He apprised her of his accession to the throne in these words:—"Maman votre fits est roi;" inviting her at the same time, to Warsaw. On her journey thither, (1768,) she was received at Vienna in the most flattering manner, by the emperor and empress. The latter, having met Madame Geoffrin, while taking a ride with her children, immediately stopped and presented them to her. Upon her arrival at Warsaw, she found a room there, perfectly like the one she had occupied in Paris. She returned to Paris, after having received the most flattering marks of respect, and died in 1777. Three of her friends, Thomas, Morellet, and d'Alembert, dedicated particular writings to her memory, which, with her treatise, Sur la Conversation, have been lately republished.