El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-26


letters, was born in the year 1884 near
Paris, where his father. Franscois
AroUet, was a notary.
The Arouets had always belonged to
the commandments class and it was
through Frausc0is's mother, although
she died when he was years of age,
that he received his early introduction
TO good society, his sponsor, the Able
de Chateauneuf, having been her
friend.
with the exception Of a rather thor
Ough instruction in bellies lettres and
deism from the Able. Franscois re-
ceived no education prior to his 10th
year, when he was sent TO the Jesuit
college of Louis-Ie-Grand. where he re
manned for seven years Doubtless the
Renaissance practice Of turning schools
into theaters for the production Of
plays in both Latin and the vernacular
which obtained here, had much to do
with his passion for the theater, TO
which he gave outward expression in
the composition OF between so and so
plays He was master of dramur-
EurEy. and "Zaire' and '-MerCpe-' the
best Of all his plays, are not surpassed
by any in the whole French classical
school
Is Given $1,000.
While still at school he met the
famous. but at that time aged, Ninon
de LencIos. wEo left him 1000 livres ito
buy books with" Aven as a young man
ArCuet was remarkable for his atten-
uated figure and extraordinary thin
face. over which ne himself made
merry. speaking Of himself as "a dried
herring" and again in one Of his let
tiers, 81 hope soon to see you face to
face. that is If I may apply the word
face TO such = phizz as minel" Wicked
Mummy" was one of his nick-uames.
once depreciatiuE Paradise Lost, par
ricularly ridiculinE Millions persOnlh-
cations Of death. sin and the devil, he
49, asE
author of Might Thoughts" who with
his happy talent for impromptu wit,
retorted-
Thou art so witty, proniEate and thin.
Thou art at once the devil death and
sin
Cared Little For Women.
His attentions to women were re-
Earded for the most part as platOn1c,
for he was all brain, and literature was
his god He numbered among his
staunch friends some Of the most
powerful women Of the day, including
such opposite characters as Madame de
Pompadour and the empress Catherine
Of Russia
Although the Able de Chateauneuf
died before his EOdson left school he
had already introduced FranscOis to
the renowned cOterie Of the Temple OF
which the grand prior, Vendome, was
the head
Arouet pere, not approving Of liter
AZURE or any Of its vOtaries, having
tried in vain to interest his son IN the
study of law, welcomed the opportunity
Of having him admitted TO the suite
OF Abbe's brother, marquis de Chaut-
eauneuf. French ambassador TO HOl-
land There he met Olympic Dunoyer
("Pimpette'), a Protestant pcnnlless
and many years his senior, the daugh-
ter Of a literary woman, with lar
from spotless literary reputation, who
did not regard the attachment with
favor, forbade the young man the house
and later sustained her reputation by
publishing the correspondence carried
Girl Dons Male Attire.
OIvupe dOuned male attire and
visited FranscOis in his rooms until
this romance was cut short by the
home. His exasperated father entered
action of the marquis in sending Arouet
him in an attorneys office but his stay
was hort, as much OF his time was
consumed in satOnical writing and IN
17l6 on suspicion Of lampOOning the
regent. he due d. Orleans he was ban
ished from Paris for several months
On his return as the author Of worse
lampOon, he was imprisoned IN the
Bastile On securing his freedom he
assumed the name Of Voltaire.
Often ExiIed-
VoItaire's life was a long record Of
alternate exile and restoration to favor,
the former through the publication Of
nolemical treatises or personal attacks,
sometimes more or less yelled, and the
latter when he denied any awkward
responsibility Of authorship. as was the
custom of the times. He could not re
frain from attacking what he believed
TO be false. he could not resist satire
In spite of his attacks upon orthodoxy
and upon the opinions religious, pollt-
icaI or literary Of those in high places,
he was ever the champion Of the weak
and the oppressed
Has Afuir Of the Heart.
He had formed an attachment for
Madame du Chatelet, and IN la34 the
country house on the border Of Cham
paeue and Lorraine. flied up with Vol
raire's money. become the home Of him
self. his hostess and occasionally OF her
accommodating husband He wrote
many of his most famous works. for
the arrangement lasted until the death
of Madame du Chatelet Is years after
wards. and he and the woman, who
was an expert mathematician and a
writer herself, wrote together a treatise
on the NeWtouian system
In 1916 his "Princesse de Navarro"
performed on the occasion Of the
dauphin's marriage, so pleased Louis
Ky that Voltaire was appointed royal
historiOgrapher and was also elected to
the French academy
Is Guest OF Emperor.
Frederick the Great invited him many
times to visit Prussia, and in 1749 the
death Of Madame du Chatelet left him
free to accept that monarchS invita-
ton He remained in Germany three
years. when he and Frederick parted
never to meet again. It was quite i'm
possible that two men Of such temper
aments should get on together for any
great length Of time.
In his Goth year Voltaire established
himself in the first house he had ever
possessed. although he had been for
many years a man OF great wealth, hav-
ing a yearly income Of 100000 This
first was a country house just outside
Of Geneva, TO which he gave the name
Of Les Delices- Here he fitted up a
private theater and enjoyed the great
est pleasure Of his life, acting in q
play of his own, staged-managed by
himself
Casting about for a place where he
could combine the social liberty Of
Paris with the political liberty of
Geneva he at last settled upon the con
siderab Bile property Of Ferney, on the
shore OF the lake about four miles from
Geneva and on French soil, where ne
spent the last 20 years Of his life He
was therea fter known as the squire o.
Ferney. and was visited by the mosl
celebrated men of Europe There ne
built a church, set up watch-wori1s and
in many ways promoted the interests
Of the village. busted himself with MS
estate and wrote unWeariedly-
In 1778. the year Of his death, al
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