The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-09
yOLTAIRE'S HEART.
A Suggestion Which Causes an Involuntary
Smile ON all Sides.
London Standard.

London Standard.
The General Council of the Seine has taken
singular, but perhaps not uncharacterlstlc reso-
luton 1t has unanimously decided to petition
for the removal of Voltaire's heart from the
National Library to the Pantheon, which was
the other day newly swept and garnlshed to re-
ceive the remains of Victor Hugo The very
mention of the word 'heart' in connection with
Votaire will make the profane world smile. One
has heard of Sheley's heart, and everybody feels
r., at Cor CordiUm" is no inappropriate epitaph
tn tn benevolent and self forgetful singer
whose ttccmb is under the shadow Of
the Eternal Citv I'm. the heart of Voltaire does
not awaken quite the same asa clatlons or arouse
the same "reminiscences as the hear u 'oHeley;
Not that Noltaire was deficient in the qualify OF
emotion. He could be deeply moved where his
own interests were concerned, or where he got
hold Of a subject congenial to his genius and in
writing or decaiming about which he could add
to his own celebrity No doubt his heart was
deeply moved when his father, n. 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 Able de Chateauneuf introduced him
to Nnon de rEnclos, and the witty and unprin-
cipled circle of which she was the centre.
Neither need we doubt that he deeply af
fected when he was thrown into the BaStlle, at
the age of twenty-three, for the verses which he
wrote upon the government Of Louis Quatorze
that were not sufficiently complimentary to that
lncense-loylng monarch. Perhaps too, we
should not be wrong in believing that Voltaire
felt some anguish Of the heart when his tragedy
upon 'Artemse' failed to achieve the success
won by his "CEdipe" Yet worse sufferings were
in store for the brilliant young adventurer when
he was waylaid in the most cowardly manner by
the attendants of the Chevalier de Rohan, and
he was caned by them at the orders of their
master, and the height Of misery was reached
when just remonstrance and challenge to a
duel addressed to his enemy only led him to
make a further acquaintance with the
bastile. 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 Fred
erick the Great was the holloWest Of impostures
on both sides. and it is not easy to decide which.
Of the ilustrious 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 Vol taire meant to
make good use Of him, he resolved to make good
use of Voltaire. The best thing the world
knows of Voltaire is his spirited and successful
advocacy Of the CALAIS family and no one would
dream Of denying that religious or political
persecution reused in Voltaire spontaneous and
generous Indignation. 1t was in matters of
public interest that he exhibited his heart, but
in these matters the heart is so near the head
that 1t is not easy to determine What is the
really dominant agent,