The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-10-10

But the end of the house was placed to
this view, and 1T was fronted on a pros
pect that had hardly any thing to strike
the eye. The only reason l can imagine
for this is that he had ahttle more ground
for his vines, which were the most proht-
able part of his agriculture, and he made
something by it, but this reason seems
hardly sufficient. He must have been
utterly deficient in taste for the beauties
of nature.
The pecuhari6es of his taste are Obvl-
Gus as soon as one enters the two rooms
exhibited. and which are pretty much as
he left them. Two words will character
ize their decorations, and they largely
sum up the character of the man, vanity
and righteousness. In the reception
room is a monument which he caused to
be erected to hold his heart, and with
symbolic accuracy, it is cold and empty,
for his heart is where it was metaphor
cally when alive in Paris. The mOnu-
ment looks very much like a German
stove, and has written on 1t my spirit
is happy (maReS sont consoles "slnee
my heart is in the midst of you, a
prophetic announcement of two facts, one
of which has had the same fate with his
boast that he would show that the rell-
glen it took twelve men to establish, one
man lddestroy; theother fact is known
only to that God in whose hands all spir-
its are, that have gone to their reward.
The empty CenOtaph, with its inscription
of vanity, is all that is left. But the
vanity shown in that is cast far in the
shade bv ~ allegorical picture which
.sne, m ans bedroom, which was painted
BY his order. Henry ~. is seen on one
side. introducing "the Nestor of poets
to Apollo, who has in his hands copy
of the Henriade, no doubt the last
Olvmpian edition, in calf; and on the
other side, the same VOltaire appears
led by the MUSES. to the temple of Fame
crowned with laurel, while below him arr
his enemies, with the books they have
written against him in their hands OF
pockets, undergoing the most grievOu'
torments from demons, it being an artl
Gle of the Voltarian creed, that if 1t b'
doubtful whether there shall be any infer
nal punishments for the enemies of God
there ought certainly to be for the enc
mics of Voltaire. In the chamber hans
a portrait of the infamous Catharine o
Russia, worked in tapestry by herself fol
him, and a number of other pictures anC
engravings, some of them in wretcheC
taste and execution, including a bust, 4;
portrait, and a medallion of himself, thu
latter, evidently correct, for all the MAJ
was written in the Sinking outlines o
the poor, old weakened face. The old
faded drapery of the bed had almost al
been carried away by relic hunters. Out
side, the grounds are very beautiful, bu
it is a curious fact that the elm-tree h
planted with his own hand in 1853, wa
blasted by lightning fifty years after
ward. Perhaps that may be his most fit
ting memorial
One cannot avoid comparing Voltair
and Calvin, and were my space not al
ready used up, might dwell on the par
allel Both Frenchmen, exiles, reform
ers, and men of peerless intellect, boil
hating the corruptions and expressions o
Church and State, and laboring for thei
overthrow, both lonely and childless, anC
finding a home so long in the little re
public of Geneva, and both welding
more than royal sway over the minds o
both contemporaries and pOsterity, We
how different the lofty, and snowy puri
ty of the reverent Reformer, from tn,
pruerient Gttleness and restless vanity o
the sceptic; the one laboring in his lone
ly and untiring devotion to God and man
until worn out at little more than half
century of years, he went to his name
less grave, leaving all that was mobiles
and best, in civil and religious liberty il
England and America, as his magnifcen
monument; the other verging a century
of years, and leaving as his memorial, tn,
terrible hell-burst of the French Reyo
luton, and the poor CHASTITY relies O
Ferney, But l must stop. Yours, &c
EAST HANOVER.