From Alain by André Maurois:

I have known few great men; few, that is, of absolutely flawless metal. They could be counted on the fingers of one hand. The philosopher Alain was one of these, and quite a few of us, his pupils or readers, are aware of it. The truth about him, already widely known, is bound to spread further; and a hundred years hence Alain will rank, among writers of our day, alongside Paul Valéry; while many who to-day naively think themselves assured of immortality will have sunk into oblivion.