Voltaire - Livres de poche

VOLTAIBE NOTE. THE edition to which the references are made in the following pages is that published by Baudouin in 1826, in seventy-five volumes. This edition is to be distinguished from that known as the first Baudouin edition, published 1824-34, in ninety-seven volumes. The extent of the difference between them, which is entirely in favour of the more voluminous form, may be seen in M. Qu rards BilliograpUe Foltairieme p. 107. The large number of complete and elaborate editions of Voltaires works, which were undertaken and executed in the years between the overthrow of the Empire and the overthrow of the Monarchy in 1830, is one of the most striking facts in the history of books. 1872. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PEBLIMINAEY. PAGE Importance of Toltaires name 1 Catholicism, Calvinism, and the Benaiss aaee ... 1 Voltairism the Renaissance of the eighteenth century . 4 His power the result of his sincerity, penetration, and courage . 6 Different tempers proper for different eras ... 11 Voltaires freedom from intellectual cowardice . . 12 And from worldly indifference to truth and justice . . 13 Keason and humanity only a single word to him . . 15 His position towards the purely literary life ... 17 Enervating regrets that the movement had not a less violent leader . 19 The share of chance in providing leaders ... 20 Combination of favourable circumstances in Voltaires case 22 Occasion and necessity of the movement ., ., . 24 Age of Lewis xiv. entirely loyal to its own ideas . . 25 Subsequent discredit of these ideas 26 viii CONTENTS. PAGB Preparation for abandonment of the old system by Descartes and Bayle 29 Toltaire continues the work, not wholly to the disadvan tage of the old system 31ISTo ascetic element in the Yoltairean revolt ... 33 Why primarily an intellectual movement ... 34 The hostile memory of Christians for it . . . 37 Comtes estimate of it 7 The estimate of culture 40 Some pleas on the other side 40 CHAPTER II. ENGLISH INFLUENCES. Significance of the journey to England .... 44 His birth and youthiul history 45 Ninon de FEnclos, Ghaulieu, and the Regency . . 46 Manner of life from 1716 49 Affront from the Chevalier de Rohan . ... 53 Leaves France 54 Had previously been no more than a vague esprit fort . 56 Le Pour et le Centre 57 Freethinking a reality in England 58 Condorcets account of the effect of England upon Voltaire 59 Social and political consequence of men of letters . . 59 Evil effect of this in France 60 Freedom of speech 61 Newtons discoveries 65 Their true influence on Voltaire 67 Locke 67 Profound effect of Lockian common-sense on Voltaire . 70 Contrast between social condition of England and France 73 CONTENTS. ix Voltaires imperfect appreciation of the value and working of a popular government 76 Confounds two distinct conceptions of civil liberty . . 79 A confusion shared by most of his countrymen, . 79 The Church of England 82 The Quakers 34 Voltaires diligence in study of English literature . . 86 And in mastering one side of the deistical controversy . 88 Through the influence of the deists on Voltaire, the genius of Protestantism entered France .... 91 Limited consistency of Voltaires philosophy ... 93 English deism contrasted with that of Leibnitz and with the atheism of DHolbach 95 CHAPTEB III. LITERATURE. Most just way of criticising character .... 98 Some traits in Voltaire 99 Acquaintance with the arquise du Chatelet . 101 Hercharacter 103 Voltaires placableness 105 His money transactions 107 The life at Cirey HI His attempts in physical science 116 Literature his true calling 117 Qualities of his style 119 Significance of literature as a profession .... 125 Voltaires dramatic art 126 Not deliberately art with a purpose ., . .126 His plays a prolongation of the tradition of the great age of Lewis xiv 129 X CONTENTS. PAGE His criticism on Hamlet ., 132 Merits of the French classic drama 134 Voltaire compared with. Corneille and Racine . ...