The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-28
HoNoRING ONE OF THEIR MEMORIALS

Frenchmen were delighted today to-
do honor to the memory of Denis Di-
derot, the famous philosopher who is
one of the greatest of the immortals of
France. Today is the one hundred and
ninety seventh anniversary of mis- birth
according to the most authentic rec
ords available, although this has been
disputed by some biographers, who
give l7l3 as his natal year.
Diderot was of lowly birth, his faith
sr being a cutler in Langres. the great
center of the cutlery industry of
France. The fathers ambition was to
make his son lawyer and he was
carefully educated. Then came disap-
pointment. for the youths heart was
set upon literary career. The few
years he spent in earning scant liv-
ing by translating and teaching at
Paris were not unhappy ones for Di-
derot. as he could keenly enjoy the
resources within himself.
When he was thirty he married a
Miss Annette Champion. She was very
pious narrow in her views of life and
had a most unpleasant disposition. The
domestic relations in their home were
soon made worse by the irregular life
that Diderot entered upon. Mile.
Volard at length caught his wandering
affections and held them so long as
she lived. His letters to her are
among the valuable literary treasures
of France, for they are vivid pen pic
lures of the life of this period.
The first work of real Importance
that attracted public attention to Di-
derot as a writer was work called
Letters to the Blind" in which he
treated of the dependence of mems
ideas on their five senses. He took up
the consideration of the intellect when
it was deprived of one of the senses.
In this was the suggestion that it
might be possible to teach the blind to
read through the sense of touch.
About this time one of the book
sellers of Paris thought of the plan of
bringing out French translation of
Chambers encyclopedia and sent for
Diderot to undertake the task. Full
of enthusiasm Diderot persuaded the
man to bring out an original encyclo
pedia and to make it a work of vital
Importance. His proposal was care
fully considered, money was furnished
sufficient to carry out the plan, and
famous philosopher, D'AleIbert, was
engaged to work in con junction with
Diderot.
D'Alembert wrote the articles on
mathematical subjects, and he also
derot wrote all the articles relating to
the arts and trades. Twenty years of
hard work were devoted to the en-
cyclopedia-years filled with hope, anx-
iety and despair. The government
suppressed it for its tone against re-
ligion; his friends drew aside from him
when popular feeling was against him;
he ruined his eyesight.
D'Alembert refused any longer to
nave share in the enterprise, and
when the entire work was finished Di-
derot discovered that in the proof
sheets the bookseller had cut out all
the passages that he thought the gov
eminent would not like. In all these
years the annual salary of Diderot had
been about 5000. He filled the remain
der of his years with varied liter
airy efforts. but never received much
money for these. When it became nee
essary to provide marriage portion
for his daughter there was no way
to raise it except by selling his Ii
brary, and this he set about to do.
Catherine, empress of Russia, heard
of this, and at once offered him S.,
900 for it. Then she requested that
he keep the books at Paris till she re-
quired them, and appointed him Ii
brarian for her at generous salary.
Touched profoundly by such kindness,
Diderot set out for st. Petersburg to
thank her. The empress was very cor
dial in her reception, and he remained
several months.