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Letter XX: On Such Of The Nobility As Cultivate The Belles

Lettres

There once was a time in France when the polite arts were cultivated bypersons of the highest rank in the state. The courtiers particularly were

conversant in them, although indolence, a taste for trifles, and a passionfor intrigue, were the divinities of the country. The Court methinks at this

time seems to have given into a taste quite opposite to that of politeliterature, but perhaps the mode of thinking may be revived in a little time.

The French are of so flexible a disposition, may be moulded into such a

variety of shapes, that the monarch needs but command and he isimmediately obeyed. The English generally think, and learning is had in

greater honour among them than in our country an advantage that results

naturally from the form of their government. There are about eighthundred persons in England who have a right to speak in public, and to

support the interest of the kingdom and near five or six thousand may in

their turns aspire to the same honour. The whole nation set themselves upas !udges over these, and every man has the liberty of publishing histhoughts with regard to public affairs, which shows that all the people in

general are indispensably obliged to cultivate their understandings. "n

England the governments of #reece and $ome are the sub!ect of everyconversation, so that every man is under a necessity of perusing such

authors as treat of them, how disagreeable soever it may be to him% and

this study leads naturally to that of polite literature. &ankind in generalspeak well in their respective professions. 'hat is the reason why our

magistrates, our lawyers, our physicians, and a great number of the clergy,

are abler scholars, have a finer taste, and more wit, than persons of all

other professions( The reason is, because their condition of life requires acultivated and enlightened mind, in the same manner as a merchant is

obliged to be acquainted with his traffic. )ot long since an English

nobleman, who was very young, came to see me at *aris on his returnfrom "taly. +e had written a poetical description of that country, which, for

delicacy and politeness, may vie with anything we meet with in the Earl of

$ochester, or in our Chaulieu, our arrasin, or Chapelle. The translation "have given of it is so inexpressive of the strength and delicate humour of

the original, that " am obliged seriously to ask pardon of the author and of

all who understand English. +owever, as this is the only method " have tomake his lordship-s verses known, " shall here present you with them in

our tongue

/0u-ay !e donc vu dans l-"talie( 1rgueil, astuce, et pauvrete,

#rands complimens, peu de bonte Et beaucoup deceremonie

/2-extravagante comedie 0ue souvent l-"nquisition 3eut

qu-on nomme religion &ais qu-ici nous nommons folie.

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/2a )ature en vain bienfaisante 3eut enricher ses lieux

charmans, 4es pretres la main desolante Etouffe ses plus

beaux presens.

/2es monsignors, soy disant #rands, euls dans leurs palais

magnifiques 5 sont d-illustres faineants, ans argent, etsans domestiques.

/*our les petits, sans liberte, &artyrs du !oug qui lesdomine, "ls ont fait voeu de pauvrete, *riant 4ieu par

oisivete Et tou!ours !eunant par famine.

/Ces beaux lieux du *ape benis emblent habite6 par les

diables% Et les habitans miserables ont damnes dans le*aradis./

77ource http88www.fordham.edu8halsall8mod89::;voltairelettres.htmls such, it helped me to seeeven more humor in Changes of the Heart."t seems even more shocking and absurd to

me for a *rince who would be eloquent to become enraptured by someone who would be

blunt and lack elegance. >ll in all, this text helped me to further understand the mindset

of French nobility in the eighteenth century and gave me new insight to &arivaux=splays.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-lettres.html