New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-01
VOLT4IRE.
A CLEAR AND SUFFICIENT SKETCH.

] MANY biographies of Voltaire have been
written. as the bibliographcal list printed at the
| end Of this work shows. Among his own country
men he has been interpreted alike by friends ana
| ercmies and on both sides there has Dcen
| tendency TO excess, which doubt partly grew
! out of the many sharp contrasts ana ihcoh'
slstenccs of his character and career Inc presN't
| comnarativclv brief sketch OF him is not super
| guous seeing that il is an honest cndeavor to
J fell the plain truth about him. There is nothing
| TO indicate that NJ. Espinassc is carried away
| by any enthusiasm indeed the time Tor sucn
| feelings in regard 10 Noltairc has fairly passcd
| by The world has moved 80 far and 80 iast
| since his time that it has long been necessary 10
! look back upon him as pioneer, VINO wofhe"
with great energy. but for the most part with
! rude tools, and who. was 70 have pcen cN-
pectcd. shared with large element among his
contemporaries that tendency 10 excess which Is
engendercd by a conflict with great and
| tyranncal power
To-day, however, it is possible to avoid allowing
| too much significance to this really great man
| fobes. vices and pettincsses. and to judge him
candidly for his services to the sacred cause oil
| human frcc,om. No doubt amusement may he
| found in following his quarrcls and chickering's
| with Frederick the Great, Iii, tcapot-tcmpcst OF
contest with Nlaupertius. lis pncSlc displays OF
| jealousy and his gnohlc attempts to disarm MS
| enemies by foolishly denying what everybody knew
| 10 be true But the abiding interest OF his life
| bclonrs, always and finally, TO his dauntlcss
struggle against the paralyzing superstitlons oil
an age which had grown merciless in its dccrepi-
| tudc. and which was blindly attempting - ares
| the progress Of humanity by such methods OF
suppression and terrorism as the ln1Hisltloh anu
| ;,s onsboots furnished Voltairc and the en-
eve opacii,ts arraycd themselves aeairs tins mac-
| iccnt power Had they done 80 hall century
earlier they would simply have been enrolled III
| the noble army of martyrs; but the day was
| already breaking. and the intellectual DAWN us"-
| cred in their opportunity
| The old regime in France was already tottcrinS
TO its fall. Louis XIV lad at the same time
| bankrupted the country ana completed the do
| moralizatjon Of tn. nobility. They had become
50 cnervated by the vicious royal system that
| they were no longer capable Of even defending
| their own estate They welcomed the new attack
upon superstition because they had lost belIci IN
| everything Bu; they could not perceive that the
| people also opening their eyes. and that
| they were awalSing angry and rcvcneeful. lhcre
| ;s indeed nothing 10 show that Voltairc perceived.
| or 80 much as suspected, the coming storm. HIS
| was rot a profound mind though m'rvcliously
| ouick. dcxterous and versatile. Tho motto OF MS
whole later life" Ecrasez i'Infame very nn;ur-
| ally absorbed his attention. The hero of the
! CALAIS case had seen too much Of the atrocities
which superstition. armed with unbridlcd power
| could still pcrpctra'e 20 play with ms mission.
| flo had % ~, wary. 70 make the foN's hide exc
| on, the lions hut he hushandcd his forces 30
~ 10 plant his envenomcd darts in the most vital
parts OF his formidable opponent, and lc seldom
| struck vainy.
! Nor were courage ard literary genius tho
| only requisites for carrying the warfare IN
| which he had engaged Without money his bravery
and his craft might both have proved Ineffective
| Blu, he was equipped with gift which gave his
pen tenfod power; the gift. namely, OF making
money. When once lie had made mp his mini
| that he must he pccuniarilv independent u" SET
| 10 work, and in few yclr' had amasS'd what
| was' for the period large fortune. Thus the
sincws OF war We're provided, aHd thenceiorward
| he was able to choose his methods of carry
! ing on the contest a. no poor writer could nave
done The importance Of this money making
faculty 20 Votirc can scarcely be overestiina'"d.
| II led no doubt. 70 some episodes which reflect
| no credit upon him. such AZ the Iiirsch trans
actions but, on the other hand. it mad" him
parsonage who had 10 DO rcckoned with seriously,
| and who could safeguard himself against his
most implacabc and reckless foes.
|
best 10 hold the scales evenly, and his success is
| commemorative Voltarcs ugly defects plainly
nointed out ard his i'll deeds are plainly stated
| without apoloCy or any effort TO explain them
away. But the general view. IL not so picturesque
| is more Just than that taken by Carlyle. and
not lees honest and pcrspicuous than tina. oil John
| Morley There were so many opposed qualities III
Votare that all his biographies have been strongly
tempted to fall into extremes Oh one side or ia"
| other: and whoever undertakes TO maintain n
| dspassionatc and equitable position in regard TO
| HE, must rest content with leaving many points
| urcxclaincd This may he disappointing TO som :
readers who are not satisfied unless every trait
| and act is fully labelled and catalogncd; nut 1t
| il the faircs. and the best plan after all. In
M. Espinasse's sketch Voltairc appears as great
man. a man of genius, handicapped by several
scrious defects which have distoriing and some
| times n repcng effect But tho portrait no DOUBT
really resembles the man himself much more
| closely than do those earlier ones which repre-
scntcd him either as angelic or demonic.
| The death Of Votaire is here described frankly,
and 20 the complete dissipation OF those old III
| ventons which represented him rs passing away
| in mental agony and as desiring reconciliation
| with "L'Infamc" his dcathbcd. The evidence
| against all those reports is conclusive. II really
| seems necessary 10 say so much, prcnusc the
methods rcsortcl 10 in the ease OF Noltaire have
| unfortunately survived. and their employment has
been attempted since in other Instances Those
who wish TO possess fuller knowledge OF this
interesting man must pc referred TO the larger
| biographies, though few OF them are wholly trust
worthy; but for a succinct, clear, and sufficient
sketch we know no book which can be more
depended upon than this one.
| TASTE."