Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-10
VOLTAIRE,s HEART.
Some Thoughts About the Celebrated
Organ.

From the London Standard.
The General Council of the Seine has
taken singular, but perhaps not I'M
characteristic, resolution. 1t has unani
mously decided to petition for the re-
moval OF Voltaire's heart from the Ma
tional Library to the Pantheon, which was
the other day newly swept and garnished
to receive the remains of Victor Hugo.
The very mention of the word ''heart" in
connection with VOltaire will make the
profane world smile. One has heard of
Shelley's heart, and everybody feels that
"C0r COrdj1tm" is no inappropriate epi-
taph to the benevolent and self-forgetful
singer whose tomb is under the shadow of
the monument of Caius Sextus in the
Eternal City. But the heart of VOltaire
does not awaken quite the same associa-
tions or arouse the same "reminiscences as
the heart Of Shelley. Not that VoItaire
was deficient in the quality or emotion
He could be deeply moved where his own
interests were concerned, or where he got
hold OF subject congenial to his genius,
aud in writing or declaiming about which
ne could add to his own celebrity. No
doubt his heart was deeply moved when
his father, NJ. Francois ArOuet, Notary Of
the Chatelet, decided that Francois
Marie should be set to study law Moved
also was it, though in a different way,
when the A bbe de Chateauneut intro
duced him to Ninon de rEnclos, and the
witty and unprincipled circle Of which
she was the centre. Neither need we doubt
that he was deeply affected when be was
thrown into the Bastile, at the age OF %,
for the verses which he wrote upon the
government of Louis QuatOrze that were
not sufficiently complimentary to that in
cense-lOying monarch. Perhaps, too, we
should not be wrong in believing that
Voltaire felt some anguish of the heart
when his tragedy upon 'Artemise" failed
to achieve the success won by his
"(Edipe." Yet worse sufferings were in
store for the brilliant young adyenturer
when he WAS waylaid in the most cow
ardiy manner by the attendants OF the
Chevalier de Rohan and WAS eaned by
them at the orders of their mSster, and the
height of misery was reached when just
rem0nstTance and a challenge to a duel
addressed to his enemy only led him to
make further acquaintance with the
BastiIe. But in all these notifications it
cannot be said that what is usually called
heart played any considerable part. The
so-called friendship between Voltaire and
Frederick the Great was the hOlloWest OF
impOstures on both sides, and il IS not
easy to decide which Of the illusTious
PAIR behaved with the more complete
want OF feeling and sincerity. The excuse
that can be urged for the King is that he
knew his man and distrusted him from the
first, and that, we'll aware that Noltaire
meant TO make good use OF him, he re-
solved to make good use of Voltaire. The
best thing tae world knows Of Voitaire is
his spirited and successful advocacy Of
The CALAIS family and no one would dream
of denying that religious or political
prosecution reused in VOltaire spOnta-
neous and generous indignation. 1t was
In matters OF public interest that he eX-
hibited his heart, but In these matters the
heart is 80 near the head that 1t is not
easy to determine what is the really domi-
naut agent