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

no frequently tried to restrain Voltaire's We
homence Of attack. and threw cold water on
his hope OF founding new and purc religion.
He obtained more hearty sympathy from an-
other European potentate quite as much OF a
| free thinker as was Frederick. md who
reigncd over dominions far vaster than the
Prussisn kingdom. This was the Caarina. Cath
| arine H.. who had fed on Voltaires writings.
| and had opened u correspondence with him Ms
n man for whose genius and way Of thinking
she had the highest admiration. She sub.
scrbed handsomely to such funds us those
which he raised for the CALAIS and Sirvcn FAM
files. and she sent him imperial gifts. among
them magnificent furs to protect him from the
cold OF tho Swiss winter. vol.aire's responsive
letters were full Of enthusiasm and gratitude.
To him Catlarino was 1.-THE Star OF the North"
and through hor religious liberation put to
shame tho Government OF his own country
with its preensions to the highest civilization.
VIII.
Tho period OF voltairo's life between his six
ty-eighth and seventy eighth yenr was one Of
varied literary rroductvcness some results OF
which have been already mentioned. We
should add that the year 1765 witnessed the
completion OF the Essni sur les Moeurs" by
| tho prenxing OF a disCoUs prpliminnire n sort
OF Introduction to the philosophy OF history.
| which was dedicated to his imperial friend.
| Cathnrine II. In this essay. although VOL
| taire was not IN erudite man. he writes as II
he ha,i skinned all TINT wns known in his
! time OF the pa st OF humanity IN tbe world Tho
prcsent biopronhcr ia rone,leI hv tho f,,t
| that in general VoItnire refuses 10 900 tbnt
any Cpod thing can come out OF Nnznrc,b-
! that Ia to say. out OF Christianity llc acknowl-
! edges. however. that to this statement cycop-
lions must be made. Noltairo does ample
| Justice TO Iouis H.. although be wns N .nint
| and declares that of MI of tbe mon NJ ,ho
middle ages rore Alexander III. desorveL
most Of the human race Eycn amid his ss,-
lies against mopastirism II, admit. TINT tina
| Benedictines were stuJious. and that nv Thorn
nlone as copvists wore looks nreservcJ Altar
telling tbe story Of Joun Of Arc which be Ind
made tho subject of n ribnld hurIcsnu. Vol
taire spcaks of nor as ono who "would h.va
had altars raised TO hcr in hornic tim.s whom
men erected them TO their deIivcrors
During tho decade Of yolt,iro,s nfo now
under review he throw of mora than /, dovon
dramas. trnredies. comedies. and evsr on.r.s
mona NJ which bo,v.vor dose,vos mantle,
excent nerh,rs "Ja Denos;toir," IN whi,h
tbe friend ot Ma bovbood Ninon do rrnclos
ia nleosan,Iv introdur.d II w,s Ju,;,,, IN,
snmo neriod that IN. issue of ,bo rncvclonc1i.
he,,c susnordoI vo,t,iro cat tor,h IL irs,,I-
n,.nts hi. .o,o,t,o,, $40. ,,,,,,.I,,,; We
terw,rd ;ncorn,,,t.d i, III. nictinpnoir, mn.
o.o,hi6uo Arong othor ,,r,vo t-natisos ho-
lonrinr thc snn,n ennch oro IN, " rhi,o.onh,
Innorort- ,n1 tha :. I,r,,ns.i,n ,,o Coi ios ria,
istos "in witch yn,+,i.o roit.r,tod nc ox,oei-
tin, =, IN. Iir,;to,inns ~ hun,., tnn,,IaL,,.
willie ,b,t of Tic own r,oto, ,hys,cs ord oni.s 10
.coonn,ni.d Iv s,.,,,ti,,I oom,,orts IN ,n
ciont and m od.rr ,h,losonhic svs,ems
Tho om,nc;,,tinn fro,n nro,,,Ii,o ,or
nroIuc.d in tho orl ro.,,lts from, which oron
Lo raoo;,od Uor,,, wol,ol, wri,;n,, "a C,.,
rr,r, ,.,r;s :, I7,;I soi, ,h,, ,ho ,,i,,oso,i,.,
w.ro th.,, onoriy nro,.bir,, ,thoisn, vn,,nir,
| -, Ionror s,,isn,I ,bor, Opo 80 .h. I,,,
| Iovotoos s,iI of him. an oJ L;,,, ,,os, ~.
| d.,.Jo" In 177o tho ro,dir, nm, ,hi,,i,,,
| no,,d WINS s,,rt,o, ~, tLo ,,mIi;o,,i,, -
| "IIo,ho,I.s srsthr,o a, l., %o,r,, :" IL r,hi,h
! c.oa w.c b,,ishod rro,, , solf.suh.istor, ,-J
| so,f dovo,oninc up.vors, vo,,,iro .,J rr,l-
| .ri.t tool, ,i,r, ann, com,,toI UolL,,h,s
LnoL Not o,,v ror tic nrr,rts m .,ci.,v ln,t "a
IN ;.so,t ,rr,,i,rnl orl untrue II :. -
n,istnra 10 ro,,nrI vo,.,iro nc - NOR. sco,r,,
| I,r,.r ana d.st,nror 10 no,,oo, at NJ, r,o.,,.
=, ;,,,,,,,,i,r ~ ,,is,, nc ,,,,.,n;s,; =,
| tho othoio,, which h.,,,no f,shion,IL. in hi.
| later vears Iookinf, nj thc Lcovons,nI M.
sometimes. both in prose and verse. breaks
forth in almost psnln,-lik- praises of tho Wis
dom and benrncence of'the Creator.
According to his own account. Noltaire in
his later years suffered from number of
| maladies any one Of which would have SUI
feed to carry Off an ordinary man. But while
representing himself ut the point OF DEATH and
really i'll now and then. he was indc!atiGahly
active with his pcn He spent much of his
\ ;,, oJ Twin, FOR nrnfa al ,pt