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

VII.
Self-excluded from Prussia. and barred out
from Paris. Noltaire pitched his tent for time
in Alsace. but presently. in his quest for n
home OF his own. hethouCht him Of tree and
republican Switzerland. In the spring OF
1855 he became the leaseholder OF q house
and little domain in the vicinity OF Geneva
and soon afterward acquired a similar teno-
ment near Lausanne. Over his esta blishment.
which was that OF n country gentleman. his
niece. Nine. Denis presided Tourists from
all parts OF Europe made n point OF calling at
his house. and Gibbon. then a young man.
has left n record OF the pleasures he received
from visit to Lausanne. Here. in the inter-
walls of his researches into the history Of tho
Empire. Volairo composed "L'Orphclin de la
Chine" also his poem on the disaster at Lisbon.
in which he showed the difficulty OF reconcling
the phenomenon Of earthquakes with tho
axiom. "All is we'll" and m ironicnl develop
ment OF optimism in his famous "Candide."
In 1853 the Pomradour having become
stronger than ever at Versailles. and, her pro-
togo. Choiscul. having been made Minister OF
Foreign Afrnirs. Noltaire thought no might
safely have IL domicie in France. and accord
ingly purchased the chateau Of Ferncy on
French soil. three and half miles from
Geneva. Here it was that he pulled down
an old ugly parish church and suhsti-
tuted new one. with tho inscription.
Dec crexit Noltairc." His yearly in.
come was at this time Letwcen S.OU0 and
S25.OOO Of our money. perhaps equivalent to
three times ns much now. Half OF this in
come hc Is believed to have saved AMI protita-
bly, invested year after year But literature
was no: ncglc by the busy and hustlinx
country gentleman One Of tho tasks which
he now carried to completion was his history
- az Iva (,rnn Jr also lrOprtp u and llfi-
mately brought out u new edition OF Corneille
10 provide n dowry for n female descendant OF
the dramntist. For the ton years. however
which 10! owed 1852 Noltair" was most actively
engaged In his warfare against the Catholic
Church which in France had prescribed tho
Encyclop ;dia. an act OF persecution which WAS
soon fr low cal by the tn.as tragedy Mt Toulouse.
Jean CALAIS was tortured md broken on the
wheel March 10. l!'j2 and II month before
Hugucnot pastor had been hung at Toulouse
for hnvin. performed religious functions
among the members of hi. community. Then
it was that No!tairc began 10 preach upon his
memorable text which is t" this dhy
the wutchwuru OF tho French Incobin
party Ecrasdz lInfame- icrush tho in
famous one. 1t Is. Of course. under
ST ood that Votnire cared us little for the the
ology Of Professionalism MS for that Of Roman
ism. IN the very year OF the execution OF
Gains Noltnirc directly nseailed the docu-
ments or which Judaism and Christianity are
based ly sending forth the sermon DIES Sin-
Iuante. through which the scmina! facts IN
the narratives Of the Old and New Tostaments
were dealt with contemrtuousiy as absdrd'
often ridiculous. and sometimes neln'ci"ns
nctions. Thenceforward to the close "i ms
life poured forth from the same ""rEshop u
multitude OF hooks and pamphlet, with Inc
at all
| elaboratencss. from n hrie! dialogue to the
| Dictionnaire PhiosorEiuuc. tho first volume
| OF which belongs to tho year l7o@. In no
| case WAS tho authorship nrowcd. In almost
every case 1t was emphatcnlly dlsrnimcd
with n haid!hood OF continuous false.
hood M UNPARALLELED ms the warfare IN
which Votairo was engaged. Every resource
OF an almost incXhaustiblo ingenuity WAS
| brought into play to aid the circulation OF
| these productions. which. whenever they were
lighted on. the authorities In France and Swl'z-
| erland always conilscated and often Ind pub
| licly burned. ono device OF Noltaires for car
rying on his p:opagandism in Calyinistic
| Geneva was to give his pamphlets orthodox
| titles A Gencvese worshipper would some
| times talk M in church book lettorcd as and
| lookin: like the Psalms. only to lind that 1t
was n COPY OF the one-volumo edition o' the
| Dictionuaire Ph,!osophiaue. For smuggling
into Paris first copies OF dangerous produc-
lions. to be distributed among his friends. lie
pressed indirectly into his .crNico the
| French Government itself. on" OF his
most devoted disciples in Paris being the
head clerk In one Of the departments OF the
French Treasury. who had the right to frank
for postal services all letters and documents
sent from his ONCE. Such was the strategy tc
which Voltaire hal recourse In his warfare
against L'Infame. It 10 to be noted that al
] though Eredsrick's contempt for Catholioism