, 1875-11-15
THE FORUM.
William Braokett's Estimate
Of the Philosophy Of
Voltaire.
Sketch of Tho Author Who Brought
About tue French Reyo-
luton.
Summary Of the Great Easayiat's Con-
tributions to the Worlds
Thoughts,
Or. r. LudIam's Experience and Oh
sefyations In the Hospi-
tails Of Paris.
Description Of the Most Famous Medi.
cal School in fhe World.
Edward Everett Hnle's True HIS.
tory of Philip Nolan.

E1Wnrtl Everett hnlc'6 IFMc dt3.
tory Of Philip Nolan.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF VoLTAiRE.
LECTURE DELIVERED nEFohE TnE pafLosoP3i1cAL
soclETY u WILLIAM BHAcKErT.
To cstlmase and determine properly tho vhluo
Of Voltnlrs's services to tho world, it w0ltd be
necessary to regard him under many different
aapcc.a, aud from many different points Of viau.
For though he wss not equally great In every
character 10 excelted ~ poet, historian, .
philosopher, = dfamatio author, \ writer upon
politics, religion, science, ind Almnst ayery
subject that can inte.ost md occupy tho human
mind. In all tho hlehor grAces Of componition,
IN power Of expEeAslon, yigor Of thought, fes-
tiity Of Invention. Wit, aud fancy, and above a'l
IN his admirable cleari1ebs Of dlutton, he out
stripped all OF lia contemporaries aud stanaa
with scarcely pocr In tho nhote world Of iettera.
He wfoio equally well In pr0so and verso. As
dramatic Auttof hiS own eountrynsn rank him
with Shakespeare ard the Orcea writer's Of trare-
dy, though. 10 my opinion, without tustsca. And
IN their estimation, toa his great epic poom. the
nonriadc Stands ~ high ~ tho Had Of Homer
or the Divine Comcdy Of Danss. Many Of bis
minor poerua, like thss upon Tho dessrucsaon Of
Lisbon by IN earthquake. bseathe Tho highest
Among hia prose writings those curious csoa-
tlous Of lia fancy, such ~ Csnd!do mad Lingo
M, abound,ug in Wit and humor. and iustsat-
Ing and enforcing sone groas principles OF hu.
man conduct, IRE the mont pleasing to tic ma-
jority OF readers. With many, however. tho
preference Is given to bis coIrespnpd-
once, which conpsisos soysrat volumos
With others, to his philosophical
essays, his Aoteuttac treataea. or his critical aud
controversial u1itings. But, doubtlnss, tho Arst
place OUGHT to be asstgued to hia historical
works, IN Which ho atluok ont new path, and
ralsod Tho minds Of men To higher contemplation
OF tho true eutn and aims OF thls brauch Of hu-
mau knowledge.
10 do Justice, therefore, 10 Volsalre's merits,
repeat it, would require All oxam' nation OF i
mulhtula Of workn, which run through hun
drod yoIumee. and which exhaust almost every
fold Of knowledge. To writa Tho hlatory Of auoll
: man Ia 10 write Tho hs:ory Of civilization for
moro than 3 century past ; for bis lahoFe not
only liTo altar him, but they arc Of such strik-
Ing aud enduring character ~ 10 impress them-
sslvaa on succeediug geuetasions, and givo d.
rectlon 10 much Of tho thought and action Of
aodern s0clcty.
Now, II I felt 1ayaolf conpetent to ans1yzo
and pronouHce judgment Upon b's 1tcr4rT lAhors.
bestowed upou such vast variety Of subjects,
should hesitate 10 do 10, II for no othor rcason
than toAt do not couatdor this to bo tho bright
cat side Of bis Ronud. In my judgment, tho 1t
orary prndaotiuns Of the hutuao mud bear no
comparison Ia yA!ue to the Legacy It leaves us
ths songh .........
l1n PHILOSOPHICAL AID tc1vNr1r.o LABons.
The litefataro 0. tho wufid rounsa hus as nide.
mere banbIo md ptaythi.sg whsu conpared
with the solid resuts which law from wess-d'-
sected Investigations of Nature aud hor laws.
Through taene chaanese, aud theae Alonn,
has tho lastle light voachnAfed ~ xyas to
not como tu them th1ouah imaginary revelations
mado 10 them by soma imaglnsry 6sing nitt,uR
hIxh 10 this clouds abose III neither 10 II fonnd
in tho l.npsssioned At'peais Of ths rhe1o1ienu.
! Ne]I-tufned periods Of tue historiAu. We look
III vain Tor II In those leAgned tones, now hap.
| plly Consigned Ia oDavion. IN which the ya.lons
rs,,rionn =, bletna hAye found the.r champions
| auu ArologistB. We look iu VAIN for Il to thesa
religious bysttns thsmBetves. Tho cn!y rek!
knowledge No have, and the truth cannot bs too
of'on repealed, oomeB FROM tho study of Nature
and Il Is wreatcd from her, tittie BY little. and
added 10 the coumun Rtoch, bs the labora Of The
| phiio. .opher and thh heibntint.
Now, Vo!taits lAtply united, IN the compile
! hcns}ys sweep and uttuctnro oi bin Intellect,
| many Of The qualities tnat belong, to bota thess
| the mold OF science. His ,uteIloct was both
J d,scuspiys and trxc:ical. Hence 1t hs some-
,1lep eeema 70 soar aboyn the earth. It IL pniy
10 HaAEcb for aud bting down something to 40.
[ hMcr ltB III seticAl needs.
! II 1a III 7HlB MonE ELEvATEn ASPECT
Of his characler. tn which ths discovery Vt truth
WAS the rlnnlpal am OF ha Inc, TINT dostra to
| view fvltsite to-ni8ht- and u ! an uoI taia-
taken, II will % found, upou fair reYiew OF It.
tlst Tho moro man Of lstters atnks into insgpih-
csoca wheu compared with ths Ih1lo sorhss and
tlie phianthsopiat, and thks tho csadid mlnd
must ADMIT that, whsssrct Were the fAulta and
$.,ti ~ Nhrftjt@ ma tHn{
| dored hin the conHplcuDus object Of obloquy
| and detrAot!on fer mote thxn half centt1ry, hls
| ca1eor nahrIa an IRA 1n tho progress Of human
thought. and fairly entities him to be consIdesed
ona ot tho gseasoet beuefactots oF hts race.
But, befora proceeding with my main deb!Ru,
II eeeub Indispensable to take brief gtaace at
Tue CONDITION or THINGS ~ FRANCE
as tho 1:nle Voltas,o too& leading Fart 10 tact,
and at the various influences 1t Wora 10 1olna hiA
| mud aod mold Ills Character:
Under tho Ietgp Of Louis XIV. she French nA-
tion sdvauced w,,h rapid ssrdos towards wealth
aud power, aud wlolded A lntiuencs that was
| But the peopIa thrmaelTcs reapsd l,tttlo hoanat
| from this prosperity. Thay vera cEuaned under
| burdens shs< weEb really snsuai ostAhla. uusclu-
putous rulers alled al tie oltees Of tho atate;
| prutl1gate priesthood governed the Church snd
I'LL tha AVENUES 70 wealth aud dlstinGtlon ware
| nouupollzsd b. = few ssrorttes at the refgning
'nousreh. landed .ratueraoy had possess'oa
Of sll the great eslatea Of Tie realm. md tbesp
| wera No1ked for their benet1t by saryiie popu.
lation ~ho never dreamed of rtsiug to sny
| h,guef condition., Tho tnlnda OF the 10 ,es
| elssses were inspired with ave aod terror bY
t,leil ,cls slouH teaohers, "Loss only iustruc.lou
| co;.tlBtet in ! nlixtute or un.neAuing cant aud
the most de2r4dca su sgeE.tlou. And those
aalutasy lea o,a wese e,f,sesi br TIN iron
rod II discipline. II any mau Loldsr
thau the 1851. da cd to rsb~s asa!nst thou, 10
~as Lru ,gl,t 70 proper asnso pf lha uuotmitg
Of III c,iIs,e Lr The mohL ,gnomta,ots ;.llu.sil-
uents. Cunso luenslY. scarc"ls. auJ man WAS
| auotmous abu-cs thAt wbFa ms. sicod by b,lh
the ecc!osiasstcat aud c4yil Anthor,tiea. II he
uodc, took to puGI,s, uuytL:ng aust them. ho
WAS thrown into ,sss s1u. ass lIooorty oanasoatsd,