Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-24
All Of Voltaire's

the walls were curious. All of Voltaire's |
friends we're there; Catherins Of Russia,
and Frederick the Great of Prussia, were
most prominent. But I was surprised to
see among them the Christians, Newton
and Milton America was also represent
ed by Benjamin Franklin and Washington.
Voltaire's vanity is, of course, not unet-
pressed, in gIaring letters, upon the wall,
stands nearly the same utterance that fell,
afterward. from the dying Napolean: My
names are appeased, for my ashes rest
among you (Frenchmen). Prominent in
the chief room stands . costly urn, which
Voltaire intended to be the repository Of
his heart. 1t bears the words My spirit
IS eueryschsre my heart is here. The
urn, however, remains empty, and his heart
rests in the Pantheon at Paris. One sad
characteristic of the great man is here po-
tently impressed upon every visitant,-the
rooms contain several of his favorite and
costly paintings; these paint ngs are, almost
without exception, of licentious dharac
ter. Among the several portraits of Vol.
taire himself, one that represented him in
his ripe old age made curious impression
upon me; at short distance it irresisti-
bly, reminded me of the founder of Metho-
dism. When [ looked, however, beyond
the mere physical outlines, the difference
was at once worldwide. 1t was moral
but not physical difference. The serene
peace of the one was supplanted by the
ever self-conscious or vain-glorious sneer Of
the other. Within this antithesis, what
an infnity of space! God did the same
for both Voltaire and Wesley, but they
walked different ways. Before leaving the
chateau, We went out into the park which
used to shade the scoffer. Here there is
sacredIy preserved, by an iron grating, an
elm of Voltaire's own planting. 1t was
but twig one hundred and twenty years
ago but now it is stately tree, three
feet in diane er. On the whole, found
this shrine of Voltaire interesting and in
structive, but sad and unattra tive. The
shrines of morally great men are inspiring
and helpful. One wants to 60 to them
again. The element of love consecrates
them. But here this element is entirely
wanting. Voltaire loved only himself.
He was too selfish to love even a woman
morally or immorally. Hence the heart
turns away from his shrine, simply as it
would from any other strange lusus na-
turae.
OTHER sHRINEs.
As we returned 10 Geneva, we stopped
a moment to enjoy the cool air and the line
prospect, offered by the shady little isle
which lies in the Rhone. between the two
halves of the city OF Calvin. This isle if
called the Isle Of Rousseau. On it stands
pompous monuu ent in honor of the great
sentimentalst. This is only too we'll CAL
cula:ed to nurture in the rising generation,
and k, ep alive in the travelling public, the
memory of Thu. archdebauchee. Especially
is it pity that this beautiful, God given
lake of Geneva, as whole, should be as
ISOLATED with such polluting literary rec
objections. Votaire, Glbbon, Rousseau
Volney, Lord Byron-what constellation
of Internal meteors! The souvenirs OF
their inGdelity and blasphemies and de-
baucheries stain thepurlty of the secrystal
waters almost at every turn. Over yonder
in Savoy, for instance, is the scene Of
Roussean's early initiation into lewdness
there, at Clareus, every nook and cove is
involved in the tree-love laxity of his
great romance; here, at Geneva, the name
of Rousseau is the full rival of that of Cal
vim. 1t is true the borders of the lake
are not destitute of halIowing shrines
The Mischief Of the matter, however, is
that In this fallen world the evil propa.
gates itself OF its own spontaneity, where
the good is in need of constant nurturine
to keep it from speedily dying out.
A day shall come finally. however, wher
the scale will be turned-when the ev
will be the rdnishing quantity. But ,ehen
will that be? And how great the change
to be wrought between here and there
Are We, reader, both of US, contributing
our mite thereto ?