The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-27

THE SC
person who wished to speak tohim. No sooner
Ind he placed his foot In It than no was soizeu'
pulled back. and held firmly from oehina "n,o
blows were showered upon his ehouiaer-slA'
according to his own account. being tne mum
Der OF his assailants. In another vemc'' =. az
acme distance. the Chevalier dc Roman ~
rected tho chivalrous operation. In vain oio
voltaire endeavor to obtain redress ior tnis
foul outrage, and the upshot Of his sVoImy
sayings and doines was that on April l. ~, ~,
he found himscl a second time In tho bas.i'e'
Friends. however were allowed to WISH MIN.
and his reauest to be allowed to go to Eneiahu
having been granted. he touched EnRilsn so'
for the first time on May 80 OF the year nameu
II IA probable that few Frenchmen outside OF
Ambassadors have como to England oe.'ei
recomme ended than was Voltaire he Already
know Lord Bolinbroke. who was. OF course. IN
opposition. but from Horatio Waipole. wno
was English Ambassador at Paris. he naa ls.'
tors to the Primo Minister. Sir Robert Ma,po,e'
and also to the Duke OF Newcastle and to Buoo
Dod;pgton. Some little knowledge OF English
he seems to have acquired before his arrival
and in n few months he could write 1t intelil-
gently: but he never wrote 1t with the correct
meas of a native. A natterlng letter from VOL
taire to Pope written In English ana aouo'-
less corrected by another hand. reads as IL ITO
had already made the personal acquaintance
Of the great man at Twickenhnm. he was
the guest for some time OF Peterborough
and at his house met Swift. who had Just pup
lished "Gulliver." Gay showed MIN the
"Bergars' Opera" before 1t was performed
About tho same time occurred the WISH anu
famous reply to the veteran Congreve. who'
having INTERRUPTED the compliments OF his
French admirer by asking to be looked on not
as an author but us u gentleman. was told tha1
II he had had the misfortune to be simply gem
tlemun. Voltaire would not havo troubled NM
self to wait on him. Thomson two OF whose
Seasons" wore published about this tine'
yoltaire knew sufficiently to admire the sim
plicity OF his character. With Young. alter
ward of the Night Thoughts. then issuing
his Satircs, .Voltaire was the fellow guest at
tho country seat Of Bubb Dodincton. eir lsaac
Newton was on the brink OF the grave
when Voltare arrived In England. out the
French visitor sought and made the acaua!h',
ance Of his niece. tho beautiful and gifted
Mrs. Conditt. from whom he learned the story
of the apple and Crnvitation. With Newtona
champion and exposition. Samuel Clarke. VOL
taire discussed philosophy and theology.
Meanwhile the chief practical object ~ MS
English visit was not forgotten. This was 10
push on tho issue by subscription OF tho
"Henriade," as the English edition OF La
Ligus" was to be called. The King. George
H.. and Queen Caroline and many OF the
nobility and gentry" were among the three
hundred and fifty-four subscribers. In spite
Of Noltaire's persistent Efforts 10 oo-
tain subscriptions. there Ia reason 10 pe-
lieve that his gains from tho safe OF
tho "Henrinde" were really inconsiderable.
For another yoar after the publication OF this
poem voltaire remained in England. employed
mainly in collecting material for his History
OF Charles XII. Many OF the impressions
made on him by his English visit are recorded
in his bright little book "Lettres sur les
Anglais" the greater portion OF which was
thought out in England. In writing this book
he had two objects in view: one was to make
his countrymen acquainted with what seemed
to him nj ost interesting IN the Thought. science.
literature politics. and social aspects OF Eng
land. The other was to bring out as far as no
dared. usually indirectly. the contrast between
what he admired in FREQ England and what re-
PEELED him in despotic France.
voltaire's study Of English literature during
his residence in England seems to have been
chiefly confined to poetry and the drama. lie
boosted afterward that he had been the first
to make Milton and Shakespeare known to his
countrymen. In both cases his expression OF
admiration was coupled with great severity Of
faultfnding. He speaks with enthusiasm Of
Millions description OF the espousal. loves OF
Adam and Eve. but. on the other hand. con-
siders the episode OF Death and Sin disgust
ing and abominable story Shakespeare he
pronounces q semi-barbarous writer with
many beauties. There are fine things. he says.
In Dryden. but in general way English tragic
writer's are barbarous, and the sole exception
Is Addison's rational "Cato." AS to comedy.
Wycherly is too indecent for the French. VAN
brugh has gayety. and ConGrsve's plays pos
sess. among other merits. that OF wise
conformity to the rules OF the drama.
In poetry Voltaire reserves his highest
praise for Pope. 1.-The most elegant. tho
most correct. and tho most harmonious
of English poets" Toward Newton and Locke
Voltaire's feeling was almost wholly one OF en-.
thusiastic admiration. Certain other English
writer's lie must have read eagerly during his
residence in England. though he did not hazard
| an account OF them ut the time The contro-
| versy between Desm and orthodoxy was never
| more briskly prosecuted In England than while
| Noltaire was there. through the publication
OF Woolston's Discusses on the Miracles. -
! The audacity and then unparalleled scurrlity
of Woolston's assault on much Of tho Scrip
| tural account OF the Founder OF Christianity
left a deep impression on Voltaire. But II the
| writings OF the English Deists contributed
some new weapons for use in his lon: war
| against what he denounced as supcrstitions.
nothing that Voltaire read or heard during his
English visit can have added much to the con-
| victon which he brought with him o: the falsi-
ty Of the old theology.
| ~.
After an exile OF not far from three years
Voltaire received permission to return to
France in tho spring OF 1929. He was now in
his thirty-f:th year and without q definite 20.
sition. He had known to his cost the unccr.
tainty OF dependence on tho great and he was
more intent than ever on becomi nj an indcpen.
dent author. Soon after his arrival in Pari.
an opportunity presented itself for making q
| financial stroke. Tho French Controller G en-
eral had brought out q lottery so un.