Conversion figures are deeply problematical but in terms of purchasing power £300 would appear to be equivalent to over £1.4m in contemporary currency, so duck-governing (even after handouts to the minions and facilitation expenses) may have been quite attractive.
Apart from this undemanding post he refused any official role: when James II offered him the position of secretary for the king's foreign correspondence he declined, using his age as an excuse. William III showed him marked favour, enjoying his company and (with a perhaps uncharacteristic touch of humour) renewing his governorship of the ducks and attendant pension.The DNB comments that
Saint-Evremond's reputation derived principally from his short, informal critical essays, a form which he is often credited with having invented, and a model for the literary essay of the eighteenth century. The subjects are historical, moral, and literary, the tone that of a gentleman occupying his leisure hours, and writing for his friends. Much of their appeal comes from their personal tone: intelligent, judicious, and well read, Saint-Evremond is the very embodiment of taste, sound judgement, and the unprejudiced urbanity of the honnete homme. His intellectual position was essentially a broad-minded sceptical Epicureanism, with a sense of historical relativism and a ready curiosity for new ideas. Before his exile he had been strongly attracted to the Epicureanism of Gassendi; he admired Hobbes, and while in Holland sought out the acquaintance of Spinoza. His favourite authors included Montaigne, Cervantes, and Petronius, for whom, as both writer and man, he professed extraordinary admiration. He appreciated English comic drama despite his limited knowledge of the language, but always preferred French tragedy, especially that of Corneille.There are worse things in life than admiring Montaigne and being governor of the ducks or wrangler of the royal goat.
