New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-05
yOLTAIRE AND WILHELMINE
A CURIOUS CORRESPONDENCE.

. the German by Her Royal Highncss Princess
Christian Of Schlcswig IIolstcin. evo pp. loh
Scribncr & Wexford.
This volume contains collection Of letters
written by voltairc to the Margarine Of Baireuth
and the Margravinc's answers to them. The lctters
were found accidentally not long ago. Iney hao
been sold with the possessions OF the MargraVihc
and were supposed TO have persisted Princess
Christian, having translated the memoirs OF the
Margarine, naturally puts forward these supple
mentary documents in an English dress The
text which forms the commentary and connecting
links is that of Dr. George Horn. German savant
, who does not write very interestingly and has a
minimum of imagination. To the present genera
ton. and especially to the American reader the
letters of Voltaire TO the sister Of Frederic the
Great will be interesting because Of the light they
throw upon one of the most artificial schemes OF
life devised by men. Voltaire was great man
by right of intellectual predominance He stood
far above and king of his time. He was not
only a great thinker and writer, but he was
great man of affairs lie possessed that gift Oh
business which makes millionaires He had no
difficulty in amassing riches. He was bold spec
ulator and a successful one. Had he lived later
he would have made o colossal fortune on the
Bourse. In his own time he invested shrewdiy
and TO good purpose. With the first literary rep
utation in Europe, and means TO support princeiy
state. he might have been content. but he was
dcvoured by ambition and ambition which, at
this distance appears singularly poor and ignobe'
Frederic King of Prussia was strange combina-
ton. more cynically unprinciped ruler never
lived He believed in the venahty OF everybody
and he acted upon the abominable maxim that 10
attain his ends ali perfidy all mendacity, all vlo-
lence, was legitimate. No king ever lied more
cold bloodedly, systematically, and audac1ously.
No diplomacy was more crooked and treacherous
than his No sovereign made more unjust and
wanton wars. No head of State ever ex-
hibited more indifference to the suiIerings OF his
subjects. Yet when some wicked aggression had
brought chastisement upon him; whom his
notorious perfdy had melted his ncighbors
against him; when, after outrageously
harrying peaceful territories and seiz-
ing the possessions of Others right and left he
encountered some crushing defeat, at Hochkirch,
the lamentations uttered by this crowned high
wayman might have been thought to proceed from
the most innocent and the most unjustly perse-
cuted of l1en-a man who only wanted to be let
alone and whose turbulent neighbOrs were
continually bullying him. In truth, he brought
upon himself all his troubles, and 1t is pity
that his personal suferings were not greater
They might have brought him a realizing sense OF
what his subjects endured because of his lnsati-
able and lawless ambition.
In peace Frederic indulged tastes which deserve
to be called foolish. He really had very little
literary talent or Judgment, but he aspired to be
thought poet and philosopher, and his vanity
drove him into the advances to Votaire which
resulted so disastrously for both. Voltaire on his
part was not less absurd. Being what he was,
there were no appointments or dignities at the
Court of Berlin which could ennoble him. But he
was childishly delighted with the idea OF being
the comrade and confidential friend OF king, and
was simple enough to believe that Frederic would
submit to be guided by him in affairs Of state.
The young King Of Prussia never entertained such
O thought He was willing to admit Voltalre s
preeminence in literary matters and In a make
believe fashion to avow him MASTER but. after all,
even this condescenson was little more than
genteel comedy, and it is extremely doubtful
whether at any time it represented tangible ele-
ment of sincerity on either side. Frederic en-
ployed Voltaire to amuse him. Voltaire. who was
1apacious old man as we'll as vain one, eagerly
erasped the material gifts of the King. and plumed
himself Unfortunately upon his order and his
gold chamberlains key. The King wrote exc
cradle French verses, which the poet corrected.
The poet wrote charming verses, though their wit
and subtety have long since evaporated and, sooth
TO say they strike the modern reader as insipid.
Voltaire was full of jealousies. The high stand
ing of Maupertus really great man, and abomi-
nably lbelled, not only by Voltaire, but by Car
lyle irritated him, and he could not long restrain
his envenomed pen. Berlin indeed was fertile i'll
misadventures for him. The transactions which
brought his quarrel with the Jew Hirsch into pub
Lie notice were, observes DR.. Horn, only such as
in these days would have been considered bold
stroke Of finance Quite so, up to a certain point
but arc there any modern Napoleons Of finance
who would be justified by public opinion in doing
what Voltaire did about the bills OF exchange 7
1t is surely hardly correct to say that a man who
issues bills of exchange to his own agent and then
takes measures to have them dishOnored, is doing
what would only be thought good business nova
days. But Voltare did worse than this. 1t is
difficult to get at the exact facts, for the courts
were not impartial when the Kings favorite was
concerned; but it certainly looks as though the
philosopher had tried to swindle Hirsch out OF
his diamonds Frederic professed to be shocked at
all this Frederic. who habitually scoffed at honor
in affairs of state. and held no tool too dirty to
be used, no method too infamous to be adopted.
The morality of this precious pair the morality
of Peacbum and Lociit; but the king Of Prussia
possessed power and of course his INSCRIPTIONS
between these men indeed there is something
grotesque, and the final rupture is not the least
bizarre feature of the unstable alliance.
voltaire was always a dangerous guest for no.
Cody could tell where his satirical spirit might
sarry him, and as he had no more morals than
his host of Potsdam and Sans Souci, he never hes-
tated to ridicule. lampoon and libel Frederic when
his temper was black, as was quite frequently
the case. Frederic, who yearned to pose as pro-
tector Of letters and art. was also thin-skinned
and when he gave way to spleen his actions some
times were Of kind to recall the unsavory memory
Of his father. BY the way, DR.. Horn in this vol
ume expresses surprise and regret that Frederic
and the Margarine Of Baireuth should have
spoken and written of that father disrespectfully
But is there truly anything astonishing in this,
Lam flaf