Voltaire XII
-
Upload
jose-pablo-nolasco-quintero -
Category
Documents
-
view
225 -
download
0
Transcript of Voltaire XII
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 1/469
E D I T I O N D E L A P A C I F I C A T I O N
T H E W O R K S O F
VOLTAIRE A CONTEMPORARY VERSION
W ITH NOTES BY TOBIAS SMOLLETT, R EVISED AND MODERNIZED
NEW TRANSLATIONS BY W ILLIAM F. FLEMING, AND AN
INTRODUCTION BY OLIVER H. G. LEIGH
A CRITIQUE AND BIOGRAPHY
BY
T H E R T . H O N . J O H N M O R L E Y
F O R T Y - T H R E E V O L U M E S
ONE HUNDRED ANS SIXTY-EIGHT DESIGNS, COMPRISINGS REPRODUCTIONS
OF RARE OLD ENGRAVINGS, STEEL PLATES, PHOTOGRAVURES,
AND CURIOUS FAC-SIMILES
VOLUME XII
AKRON, OHIO
THE WERNER COMPANY
1!"
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 2/469
I am a heritage because I
brln you years cj thought
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 3/469
and tbe lore of time *-^
I Impart yet I can r>ot speak-
I have traveled amorxi tbe
peoples o^ tbe eartb
am a rover-^ Oft-tl
I strc^y jron? tbe tresufe-
of tbe or^ u!bo loves ar^"
cberlsbeo n#e-abo
rmooeo n?e uhep I an?
^oi?e ^-$hould you %nd
me varar?t please send
brothers -on tbe book-
sbelves of
&'O&(') O+
, . /0'1'(02($
)he ,O'3$ of 2O.)0I'(
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 4/469
(4I)IO5 4( .0 &06I+I60)IO5
.imited to one thousand sets
for 0merica and 1reat 7ritain
87et9een t9o servants of /umanity: 9ho appeared
eighteen hundred years apart: the rf *; a mysterious relation
* * * * .et us say it 9ith a sentiment of
profound respect< =($$ ,(&)< 2O.)0I'( $I.(4
Of that divine tear and of that human smile is composed the
s9eetness of the present civili@ation8
2I6)O' /1O
0IAlA(BO'IO0lA 7$) OC 2O.)0I'(
(4I)IO5 4( .0 &06I+I60)IO5
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 5/469
)/( ,O'3$ O+
2O.)0I '(
0 6O5)(&O'0' 2('$IO5
,I)/ 5O)($ 7 )O7I0$ $O..()): '(2I$(4 054 O4('5ID(4
5(, )'05$.0)IO5$ 7 ,I..I0 + +.(I51: 054 05
I5)'O46)IO5 7 O.I2(' / 1 .(I1/
0 6'I)IB( 054 7IO1'0&/
7
)/( ') /O5 =O/5 O'.(
+O')-)/'(( 2O.($
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 6/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 7/469
/I4( tf
,('5(' 6O&05
03'O5: O/ O
$tack
0nnex
2O.)0I'(
0 &/I.O$O&/I60. 4I6)IO50'
I5 )(5 2O.($
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 8/469
2O. 2III
O5( &'I2I.(1(
.I$) O+ &.0)($
2O. EII
&01(
0..(1O'I60. 7$) O+ 2O.)0I'( +rontispiece
)/( I5I)I0)( 705I$/I51 )/( &'I($) #H
=(05 =06B($ 'O$$(0 FH
=O/5 60.2I5 J#
0 &/I.O$O&/I60. 4I6)IO50'
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 9/469
O5(
0 ,O'4 made use of to express gold 8$ir: 9ill
you lend me a hundred louis d;or?8 8$ir: I 9ould
9ith all my heart: but I have no money ! I am out
of ready money8 )he Italian 9ill say to you<
8$ignore: non ha di danari8 8I have no deniers8
/arpagon asks aitre =acKues< 8,ilt thou
make a good entertainment?8 8es: if you 9ill
give me plenty of money8
,e continually inKuire 9hich of the countries of
(urope is the richest in money ? 7y that 9e mean:
9hich is the people 9ho circulate the most metals
representative of objects of commerce? In the
same manner 9e ask: 9hich is the poorest? and
thirty contending nations present themselves the
,estphalian: .imousin: 7asKue: )yrolese: 2alois:
1rison: Istrian: $cotch: and Irish: the $9iss of a
small canton: and above all the subjects of the pope
In deciding 9hich has most: 9e hesitate at pres-
ent bet9een +rance: $pain: and /olland: 9hich had
none in FHGG
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 10/469
+ormerly: in the thirteenth: fourteenth: and %f-
teenth centuries: the province of the papal treasury
had no doubt the most ready money: and therefore
L
H &hilosophical
the greatest trade /o9 do you sell that ? 9ould be
asked of a theological merchant: 9ho replied: +or
as much as the people are fools enough to give me
0ll (urope then sent its money to the 'oman
court: 9ho gave in change consecrated beads:
agnuses: indulgences plenary and limited: dispensa-
tions: con%rmations: exemptions: benedictions: and
even excommunications against those 9hom the
subscriber chose! and 9ho had not suMcient faith
in the court of 'ome
)he 2enetians sold nothing of all this: but they
traded 9ith all the ,est by 0lexandria: and it 9as
through them only that 9e had pepper and cinna-
mon )he money 9hich 9ent not to the papal
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 11/469
treasury came to them: excepting a little to the
)uscans and 1enoese 0ll the other kingdoms of
(urope 9ere so poor in ready money that 6harles
2III 9as obliged to borro9 the je9els of the
duchess of $avoy and put them in pa9n: to raise
funds to conKuer 5aples: 9hich he soon lost again
)he 2enetians supported stronger armies than his
0 noble 2enetian had more gold in his coCers: and
more vessels of silver on his table: than the emperor
aximilian surnamed 8&ochi danari8
)hings changed 9hen the &ortuguese tradeN
9ith India as conKuerors: and the $paniards sub-
jugated exico and &eru 9ith six or seven hundreH
men ,e kno9 that then the commerce of 2enice::
and the other to9ns of Italy all fell to the ground
&hilip II: the master of $pain: &ortugal: the .o9
4ictionary P
6ountries: the )9o $icilies: and the ilanese: of
%fteen hundred leagues of coast in 0sia: and mines
of gold and silver in 0merica: 9as the only rich:
and conseKuently the only po9erful prince in (u-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 12/469
rope )he spies 9hom he gained in +rance kissed
on their knees the 6atholic doubloons: and the small
number of angels and caroluses 9hich circulated in
that country had not much credit It is pretended
that 0merica and 0sia brought him in nearly ten
million ducats of revenue /e 9ould have really
bought (urope 9ith his money: but for the iron of
/enry I2 and the Qeets of Bueen (li@abeth
)he 84ictionnaire (ncyclopediKue8 in the article
on 80rgent:8 Kuotes the 8$pirits of .a9s:8 in 9hich
it is said < 8I have heard deplored a thousand times:
the blindness of the council of +rancis I: 9ho re-
jected the proposal of 6hristopher 6olumbus for the
discovery of the Indies perhaps this imprudence
has turned out a very 9ise thing8
,e see by the enormous po9er of &hilip that the
pretended council of +rancis I could not have done
such a 9ise thing 7ut let us content ourselves
9ith remarking that +rancis I 9as not born 9hen
it is pretended that he refused the oCers of 6hris-
topher 6olumbus )he 1enoese captain landed in
0merica in F#J: and +rancis I 9as born in F#P:
and did not ascend the throne until FLFL .et us
here compare the revenues of /enry III: /enry
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 13/469
I2: and Bueen (li@abeth: 9ith those of &hilip II
)he ordinary income of (li@abeth 9as only one
R &hilosophical
hundred thousand pound sterling: and 9ith extras
it 9as: one year 9ith another: four hundred thou-
sand! but she reKuired this surplus to defend her-
self from &hilip II ,ithout extreme economy she
9ould have been lost: and (ngland 9ith her
)he revenue of /enry III indeed increased to
thirty millions of livres of his time ! this: to the sum
that &hilip dre9 from the Indies: 9as as three to
ten! but not more than a third of this money en-
tered into the coCers of /enry III: 9ho 9as very
prodigal: greatly robbed: and conseKuently very
poor ,e %ndthat &hilip II in one article 9as ten
times richer than /enry
0s to /enry I2: it is not 9orth 9hile to com-
pare his treasures 9ith those of &hilip II ntil
the &eace of 2ervins: he had only 9hat he could
borro9 or 9in at the point of his s9ord! and he
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 14/469
lived as a knight-errant: until the time in 9hich he
became the %rst king in (urope (ngland had al-
9ays been so poor that 3ing (d9ard III 9as the
%rst king 9ho coined money of gold
,ould 9e kno9 9hat became of the money
9hich Qo9ed continually from exico and &eru
into $pain? It entered the pockets of the +rench:
(nglish and 4utch: 9ho traded 9ith 6adi@ under
$panish names! and 9ho sent to 0merica the
productions of their manufactories 0 great part
of this money goes to the (ast Indies to pay for
spices: cotton: saltpetre: sugar: candy: tea: cloths:
diamonds: and monkeys
4ictionary: #
,e may after9ards demand: 9hat is become of
all the treasures of the Indies ? I ans9er that $hah
)hamas 3ouli-3han or $hah 5adir had carried
a9ay all those of the great ogul: together 9ith
his je9els ou 9ould kno9 9here those je9els
are: and this money that $hah 5adir carried 9ith
him into &ersia? 0 part 9as hidden in the earth
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 15/469
during the civil 9ars ! predatory leaders made use
of the rest to raise troops against one another!
for: as 6aesar very 9ell remarks < 8,ith money 9e
get soldiers: and 9ith soldiers 9e steal money8 0
our curiosity is not yet satis%ed ! you are
troubled to kno9 9hat have become of the treasures
of $esostris: of 6roesus: 6yrus: 5ebuchadne@@ar:
and above all of $olomon: 9ho: it is said: had to his
o9n share eKual to t9enty millions and more of our
pounds in his coCers
I 9ill tell you It is spread all over the 9orld
)hings %nd their level in time 7e sure: that in the
time of 6yrus: the 1auls: 1ermany: 4enmark:
&oland: and 'ussia: had not a cro9n 7esides: that
9hich is lost in gilding: 9hich is fooled a9ay upon
our .ady of .oretto: and other places: and 9hich
has been s9allo9ed up by the avaricious sea must
be counted
/o9 did the 'omans under their great 'omulus:
the son of ars: and a vestal: and under the devout
5uma &ompilius? )hey had a =upiter of oak!
rudely carved huts for palaces! a handful of hay
at the end of a stick for a standard ! and not a piece
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 16/469
io &hilosophical
of money of t9elve sous value in their pockets
Our coachmen have gold 9atches that the seven
kings of 'ome: the 6amilluses: anliuses: and
+abiuses: could not have paid for
If by chance the 9ife of a receiver-general of
%nances 9as to have this chapter read at her
toilette by the bel-esprit of the house: she 9ould
have a strange contempt for the 'omans of the
three %rst centuries: and 9ould not allo9 a anlius:
6urius: or +abius to enter her antechamber: should
he come on foot: and not have 9here9ithal to take
his part at play
)heir ready money 9as of brass It served at
once for arms and money )hey fought and reck-
oned 9ith brass )hree or four pounds of brass:
of t9elve ounces 9eight: paid for an ox )hey
bought necessaries at market: as 9e buy them at
present ! and men had: as in all times: food: cloth-
ing: and habitations )he 'omans: poorer than
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 17/469
their neighbors: conKuered them: and continually
augmented their territory for the space of %ve hun-
dred years: before they coined silver money
)he soldiers of 1ustavus 0dolphus in $9eden
had nothing but copper money for their pay: before
the time that they made conKuests out of their o9n
country
&rovided 9e have a pledge of exchange for the
necessary things of life: commerce 9ill continually
go on It signi%es not 9hether this pledge be of
shells or paper 1old and silver have prevailed
4ictionary F F
every9here: only because they have been the most
rare
It 9as in 0sia that the %rst manufactures of
money of these t9o metals commenced: because
0sia 9as the cradle of all the arts
)here certainly 9as no money in the )rojan
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 18/469
9ar 1old and silver passed by 9eight ! 0gamem-
non might have had a treasure: but certainly no
money
,hat has made several hardy scholars suspect
that the 8&entateuch8 9as not 9ritten until the
time in 9hich the /ebre9s began to procure coins
from their neighbors is that in more than one pas-
sage mention is made of shekels It is there said
that 0braham: 9ho 9as a stranger and had not an
inch of land in the country of 6anaan: bought there
a %eld and a cave in 9hich to bury his 9ife: for four
hundred shekels of silver current money )he
judicious 4om 6almet values this sum at four hun-
dred and forty-eight livres: six sous: nine deniers:
according to the ancient calculation adopted at ran-
dom: in 9hich the silver mark 9as of six-and-
t9enty livres value 0s the silver mark has: ho9-
ever: increased by half the sum: the present value
9ould be eight hundred and ninety-six livres
5o9: as in that time there 9as no coined money
ans9ering to the 9ord 8pecunia8 that 9ould make
a little diMculty: from 9hich it is not easy to extri-
cate ourselves
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 19/469
0nother diMculty is: that in one place it is said
F J &hilosophical
that 0braham bought this %eld in /ebron: and in
another at $ichem On that point consult the vener-
able 7ede: 'aban: aure: and (manuel $a
,e 9ill no9 speak of the riches 9hich 4avid
left to $olomon in coined money $ome make it
amount to t9enty-one or t9enty-t9o millions of
+rench livres: others to %ve-and-t9enty )here is
no keeper of the royal treasure: nor t-efterdan of the
grand )urk;s: 9ho can exactly compute the treasure
of 3ing $olomon ! but the young bachelors of Ox-
ford and the $orbonne make out the amount 9ith-
out diMculty
I 9ill not speak of the innumerable adventures
9hich have happened to money since it has been
stamped: marked: valued: altered: increased: buried:
and stolen: having through all its transformations
constantly remained the idol of mankind It is so
much loved that among all 6hristian princes there
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 20/469
still exists an old la9 9hich is not to allo9 gold
and silver to go out of their kingdoms )his la9
implies one of t9o things either that these princes
reign over fools 9ho lavish their money in a foreign
country for their pleasure: or that 9e must not pay
our debts to foreigners It is: ho9ever: clear that
no person is foolish enough to give his money
9ithout reason: and that: 9hen 9e are in debt to a
foreigner: 9e should pay him either in bills of ex-
change: commodities: or legitimate coin )hus this
la9 has not been executed since 9e began to open
our eyes 9hich is not long ago
4ictionary F"
)here are many things to be said on coined
money! as on the unjust and ridiculous augmenta-
tion of specie: 9hich suddenly loses considerable
sums to a state on the melting do9n again ! on the
re-stamping: 9ith an augmentation of ideal value:
9hich augmentation invites all your neighbors and
all your enemies to re-coin your money and gain at
your expense! in short: on t9enty other eKually
ruinous expedients $everal ne9 books are full of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 21/469
judicious remarks upon this subject It is more easy
to 9rite on money than to obtain it ! and those 9ho
gain it: jest much at those 9ho only kno9 ho9 to
9rite about it
In general: the art of government consists in
taking as much money as possible from one part of
the citi@ens to give to the other
It is demanded: if it be possible radically to ruin
a kingdom of 9hich the soil in general is fertile
,e ans9er that the thing is not practicable: since
from the 9ar of FHR# till the end of FPH#: in 9hich
9e 9rite: everything has continually been done
9hich could ruin +rance and leave it 9ithout re-
source: and yet it never could be brought about It
is a sound body 9hich has had a fever of eighty
years 9ith relapses: and 9hich has been in the hands
of Kuacks: but 9hich 9ill survive
O5$)('$
)/( de%nition of monsters is more diMcult than
is generally imagined 0re 9e to apply the term
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 22/469
F &hilosophical
to animals of enormous si@e ! to a %sh: or a serpent
%fteen feet long: for instance? )here are some:
ho9ever: that are t9enty or even thirty feet long:
in comparison 9ith 9hich of course the others: in-
stead of enormous or monstrous: 9ould appear
small
)here are monsters through defect 7ut: if a
generally 9ell-made and handsome man 9ere desti-
tute from his birth of the little toes and little
%ngers: 9ould he be a monster? )eeth are more
necessary to a man ! I have seen a man 9ho never
had a tooth /e 9as in other respects pleasing in
his person 7eing destitute of the organs of genera-
tion: still more necessary in the system of nature:
9ould not constitute the person thus defective a
monster
)here are monsters by excess as 9ell as by de-
fect 7ut those 9ho have six %ngers: or three testi-
cles: or t9o perforations instead of one: or the spine
elongated in the form of a small tail: are not con-
sidered monsters
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 23/469
)he third kind consists of those 9hich have
members of other animals ! as: for example: a lion
9ith the 9ings of an ostrich: or a serpent 9ith the
9ings of an eagle: like the griMn and ixion of the
=e9s 7ut all bats have 9ings: and Qying %sh have
them: 9ithout being monsters
.et us: then: reserve the name for animals 9hose
deformities strike us 9ith horror
et the %rst negro: upon this idea: 9as a monster
4ictionary FL
to 9hite 9omen! and the most admirable of (u-
ropean beauties 9as a monster in the eyes of ne-
groes
If &olyphemus and the 6yclops had really ex-
isted: people 9ho carried an eye on each side of the
root of the nose: 9ould: in the island of .ipari: and
the neighborhood of ount ^tna: have been pro-
nounced monsters
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 24/469
I once sa9: at a fair: a young 9oman 9ith four
nipples: or rather dugs: and 9hat resembled the
tail of a co9 hanging do9n bet9een them $he
9as decidedly a monster 9hen she displayed her
neck: but 9as rather an agreeable 9oman in appear-
ance 9hen she concealed it
6entaurs and inotaurs 9ould have been mon-
sters: but beautiful monsters )he 9ell-propor-
tioned body of a horse serving as a base or support
to the upper part of a man 9ould have been a
masterpiece of nature;s 9orkmanship on earth ! just
as 9e dra9 the masterpieces of heaven those
spirits 9hich 9e call angels: and 9hich 9e paint and
sculpture in our churches adorned sometimes 9ith
t9o 9ings: sometimes 9ith four: and sometimes
even 9ith six
,e have already asked: 9ith the judicious .ocke:
9hat is the boundary of distinction bet9een the
human and merely animal %gure ! 9hat is the point
of monstrosity at 9hich it 9ould be proper to take
your stand against bapti@ing an infant: against ad-
mitting it as a member of the human species: against
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 25/469
F H &hilosophical
according to it the possession of a soul? ,e have
seen that this boundary is as diMcult to be settled
as it is diMcult to ascertain 9hat a soul is ! for there
certainly are none 9ho kno9 9hat it is but theo-
logians
,hy should the satyrs 9hich $t =erome sa9:
the oCspring of 9omen and baboons: have been re-
puted monsters? ight it not be thought: on the
contrary: that their lot 9as in reality happier than
ours ? ust they not have possessed more strength
and more agility ? and 9ould they not have laughed
at us as an unfortunate race: to 9hom nature had re-
fused both tails and clothing? 0 mule: the oC-
spring of t9o diCerent species ! a jumart: the oC-
spring of a bull and a mare ! a tarin: the oCspring:
9e are told: of a canary bird and hen linnet are
not monsters
7ut ho9 is it that mules: jumarts: and tarins:
9hich are thus produced in nature: do not them-
selves reproduce? 0nd ho9 do the seminists:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 26/469
ovists: or animalculists: explain: upon their respec-
tive theories: the formation of these mongrel produc-
tions ?
I 9ill tell you plainly: that they do not explain
it at all )he seminists never discovered ho9 it
is that the ass communicates to his mule oCspring
a resemblance only in the ears and crupper! the
ovists neither inform us: nor understand ho9 a
mare should contain in her egg anything but an
animal of her o9n species 0nd the animalculists
4ictionary FP
cannot perceive ho9 a minute embryo of an ass
could introduce its ears into the matrix of a mare
)he theorist 9ho: in a 9ork entitled the 8&hi-
losophy of 2enus:8 maintained that all animals and
all monsters are formed by attraction: 9as still less
successful than those just mentioned: in accounting
for phenomena so common and yet so surprising
0las S my good friends S you none of you kno9
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 27/469
ho9 you originate your o9n oCspring! you are
ignorant of the secrets of nature in your o9n
species: and yet vainly attempt to develop them in
the mule S
It may: ho9ever: be con%dently presumed: in
reference to a monster by defect: that the 9hole
seminal matter did not reach its destined appropria-
tion! or: perhaps: that the small spermatic 9orm
had lost a portion of its substance ! or: perhaps that
the egg 9as cra@ed and injured ,ith respect to
a monster by excess: you may imagine that some
portions of the seminal matter superabounded ! that
of t9o spermatic 9orms united: one could only ani-
mate a single member of the animal: and that that
member remains in supererogation! that t9o eggs
have blended together: and that one of them has
produced but a single member: 9hich 9as joined to
the body of the other
7ut 9hat 9ould you say of so many monstrosi-
ties arising from the addition of parts of animals of
a totally diCerent species? /o9 9ould you ex-
plain a crab on the neck of a girl? or the tail of
2ol FJ J
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 28/469
F R &hilosophical
a rat upon the thigh? or: above all: the four dugs
and tail of a co9: 9hich 9as exhibited at the fair
at $t 1ermain? ou 9ould be reduced to the
supposition that the unfortunate 9oman;s mother
belonged to the very extraordinary family of &asi-
phce
.et each of us boldly and honestly say: /o9 little
is it that I really kno9
O'0.I)
7077.('$: preachers: extravagant controversial-
ists S endeavor to remember that your master never
announced that the sacrament 9as the visible
sign of an invisible thing! /e has no9here ad-
mitted four cardinal virtues: and three divine ones
/e has never decided 9hether /is mother came
into the 9orld maculate or immaculate 6ease:
therefore: to repeat things 9hich never entered into
/is mind /e has said: in conformity 9ith a truth
as ancient as the 9orld .ove 1od and your neigh-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 29/469
bor 0bide by that precept: miserable cavillers S
&reach morality and nothing more Observe it: and
let the tribunals no longer echo 9ith your prosecu-
tions ! snatch no longer: by the cla9 of an attorney:
their morsel of bread from the 9ido9 and the or-
phan 4ispute not concerning some petty bene%ce
9ith the same fury as the papacy 9as disputed in
the great schism of the ,est onks S place not to
the utmost of your po9er: the universe under con-
4ictionary F#
tribution: and 9e may then be able to believe you
I have just read these 9ords in a piece of decla-
mation in fourteen volumes: entitled: 8)he /istory
of the .o9er (mpire8! 8)he 6hristians had a
morality: but the &agans had none8
Oh: .e 7eau S author of these fourteen
volumes: 9here did you pick up this absurdity?
,hat becomes of the morality of $ocrates: of Daleu-
cus: of 6harondas: of 6icero: of (pictetus: and of
arcus 0urelius ?
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 30/469
)here is but one morality: .e 7eau: as there
is but one geometry 7ut you 9ill tell me that the
greater part of mankind are ignorant of geometry
)rue ! but if they apply a little to the study of it: all
men dra9 the same conclusions 0griculturists:
manufacturers: artisans: do not go through a regu-
lar course of morality! they read neither the 84e
+inibus8 of 6icero: nor the 8(thics8 of 0ristotle!
but as soon as they reQect: they are: 9ithout kno9-
ing it: disciples of 6icero )he Indian dyer: the
)artarian shepherd: and the (nglish seaman: are
acKuainted 9ith justice and injustice 6onfucius
did not invent a system of morals: as men construct
physical systems /e found his in the hearts of all
mankind
)his morality existed in the bosom of the praetor
+estus: 9hen the =e9s pressed him to put &aul to
death for having taken strangers into their temple
8.earn:8 said he: 8that the 'omans never con-
demn any one unheard8
JG &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 31/469
If the =e9s 9ere de%cient in a moral sense: the
'omans 9ere not: and paid it homage
)here is no morality in superstition! it exists
not in ceremonies: and has nothing to do 9ith dog-
mas ,e cannot repeat too freKuently that dogmas
diCer: but that morality is the same among all men
9ho make use of their reason orality proceeds
from 1od: like light! our superstitions are only
darkness 'eQect: reader! pursue the truth: and
dra9 the conseKuences
O$($
$(6)IO5 I
&/I.O$O&/: of 9hich 9e sometimes pass the
boundaries: researches of antiKuity: and the spirit
of discussion and criticism: have been carried so
far that several learned men have %nally doubted
if there ever 9as a oses: and 9hether this man
9as not an imaginary being: such as 9ere &erseus:
7acchus: 0tlas: &enthesilea: 2esta: 'hea $ilvia:
Isis: $ammonocodom: +o: ercury: )rismegistus:
Odin: erlin: +rancus: 'obert the 4evil: and so
many other heroes of romance 9hose lives and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 32/469
pro9ess have been recorded
It is not very likely: say the incredulous: that a
man ever existed 9hose life is a continual prodigy
It is not very likely that he 9orked so many
stupendous miracles in (gypt: 0rabia: and $yria:
9ithout their being kno9n throughout the 9orld
4ictionary JF
It is not likely that no (gyptian or 1reek 9riter
should have transmitted these miracles to posterity
)hey are mentioned by the =e9s alone ! and in the
time that this history 9as 9ritten by them: they
9ere not kno9n to any nation not indeed until to-
9ards the second century )he %rst author 9ho
expressly Kuotes the 7ook of oses is .onginus:
minister of Bueen Denobia: in the time of the em-
peror 0urelian
It is to be remarked that the author of the 8er-
cury )rismegistus8 9ho certainly 9as an (gyptian:
says not a single 9ord about this oses
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 33/469
If a single ancient author had related a single
one of these miracles: (usebius 9ould no doubt
have triumphed in this evidence: either in his 8/is-
tory8 or in his 8(vangelical &reparation8
It is true: he mentions authors 9ho have Kuoted
his name: but none 9ho have cited his prodigies
7efore him: the =e9s: =osephus and &hilo: Tvho
have so much celebrated their o9n nation: sought
all the 9riters in 9hich the name of oses is found:
but there 9as not a single one 9ho made the least
mention of the marvellous actions attributed to him
In this silence of the 9hole 9orld: the incredu-
lous reason 9ith a temerity 9hich refutes itself
)he =e9s are the only people 9ho possessed the
&entateuch: 9hich they attribute to oses It is
said: even in their books: that this &entateuch 9as
not kno9n until the reign of their king =osiah:
thirty-six years before the destruction and captivity
JJ &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 34/469
of =erusalem ! and they then only possessed a single
copy: 9hich the priest /ilkiah found at the bottom
of a strong box: 9hile counting money )he priest
sent it to the king by his scribe $haphan 0ll this:
say they: necessarily obscures the authenticity of
the &entateuch
In short: if the &entateuch 9as kno9n to all
the =e9s: 9ould $olomon the 9ise $olomon: in-
spired by 1od /imself to build a temple have orna-
mented this temple 9ith so many statues: contrary
to the express order of oses ?
0ll the =e9ish prophets: 9ho prophesied in the
name of the .ord from the time of oses till that
of 3ing =osiah: 9ould they not have been supported
in all their prophecies by the la9s of oses?
,ould they not a thousand times have Kuoted his
o9n 9ords ? ,ould they not have commented upon
them ? 5one of them: ho9ever: Kuote t9o lines no
one follo9s the text of oses they even oppose
them in several places
0ccording to these unbelievers: the books at-
tributed to oses 9ere only 9ritten among the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 35/469
7abylonians during the captivity: or immediately
after9ards by (sdras Indeed: 9e see only &ersian
and 6haldsean terminations in the =e9ish 9ritings <
87abel:8 gate of 1od! 8&hegor-beel8 or 87cel-
phegor:8 god of the precipices! 8Debuth-beel:8 or
87eel-@ebuth:8 god of insects! 87ethel8 house of
1od! 84aniel8 judgment of 1od! 81abriel:8 man
of 1od! 8=ahel:8 aUicted of 1od! 8=ael:8 the life of
4ictionary J"
1od! 8Israel:8 seeing 1od! 8Ovid:8 strength of
1od ! 8'aphael:8 help of 1od ! 8riel:8 %re of 1od
)hus: all is foreign in the =e9ish nation: a
stranger itself in &alestine! circumcision: cere-
monies: sacri%ces: the ark: the cherubim: the goat
/a@a@el: baptism of justice: simple baptism: proofs:
divination: interpretation of dreams: enchantment
of serpents nothing originated among these peo-
ple: nothing 9as invented by them
)he celebrated .ord 7olingbroke believed not
that oses ever existed ! he thought he sa9 in the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 36/469
&entateuch a cro9d of contradictions and pu@@ling
chronological and geographical faults ! names of
to9ns not then built: precepts given to kings at a
time 9hen not only the =e9s had no kings: but in
9hich it is probable there 9ere none: since they
lived in deserts: in tents: in the manner of the 7ed-
ouin 0rabs
,hat appears to him above all the most palpable
contradiction is the gift of forty-eight cities 9ith
their suburbs: made to the .evites in a country in
9hich there 9as not a single village ! and it is prin-
cipally on these forty-eight cities that he refutes 0b-
badie: and even has the cruelty to treat him 9ith
the aversion and contempt of a lord of the pper
6hamber: or a minister of state to9ards a petty
foreign priest 9ho 9ould be so impertinent as to
reason 9ith him
I 9ill take the liberty of representing to 2iscount
7olingbroke: and to all those 9ho think 9ith him:
J &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 37/469
not only that the =e9ish nation has al9ays believed
in the existence of oses: and in that of his books:
but that even =esus 6hrist has ackno9ledged him
)he four 1ospels: the 0cts of the 0postles: recog-
ni@e him $t atthe9 says expressly: that oses
and (lias appeared to =esus 6hrist on the mountain
during the night of the trans%guration: and $t
.uke says the same
=esus 6hrist declares in $t atthe9 that he is
not come to abolish this la9: but to accomplish it
In the 5e9 )estament: 9e are often referred to the
la9 of oses and to the prophets )he 9hole
6hurch has al9ays believed the &entateuch 9ritten
by oses ! and further: of %ve hundred diCerent so-
cieties: 9hich have been so long established in 6hris-
tendom: none have ever doubted the existence of this
great prophet ,e must: therefore: submit our rea-
son: as so many men have done before us
I kno9 very 9ell that I shall gain nothing in the
mind of the viscount: or of those of his opinion
)hey are too 9ell persuaded that the =e9ish books
9ere not 9ritten until very late: and during the
captivity of the t9o tribes 9hich remained 7ut 9e
shall possess the consolation of having the 6hurch
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 38/469
9ith us
$(6)IO5 II
If you 9ould be instructed and amused 9ith an-
tiKuity: read the life of oses in the article on
80pocrypha8
In vain have several scholars believed that the
4ictionary JL
&entateuch could not have been 9ritten by oses
)hey say that it is aMrmed even by the $cripture:
that the %rst kno9n copy 9as found in the time of
3ing =osiah: and that this single copy 9as brought
to the king by the secretary $haphan 5o9: be-
t9een the time of oses and this adventure of the
secretary $haphan: there 9ere one thousand one
hundred and sixty-seven years: by the /ebre9 com-
putation +or 1od appeared to oses in the burn-
ing bush: in the year of the 9orld JJF": and the
secretary $haphan published the book of the la9 in
the year of the 9orld ""RG )his book found under
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 39/469
=osiah: 9as unkno9n until the return from the 7aby-
lonish captivity! and it is said that it 9as (sdras:
inspired by 1od: 9ho brought the /oly $criptures
to light
7ut 9hether it 9as (sdras or another 9ho di-
gested this book is absolutely indiCerent: since it is
inspired It is not said in the &entateuch: that oses
9as the author! 9e might: therefore: be permitted
to attribute it to the declaration of some other divine
mind: if the 6hurch had not decided that the book is
by oses
$ome opposers add: that no prophet has Kuoted
the books of the &entateuch: that there is no mention
of it either in the &salms or in the books attributed
to $olomon: in =eremiah or Isaiah: or: in short: in
any canonical book of the =e9s ,ords ans9ering
to those of 1enesis: (xodus: 5umbers: .eviticus:
4euteronomy: are not found in any other language
JH &hilosophical
recogni@ed by them as authentic Others: still
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 40/469
more bold: have put the follo9ing Kuestions <
F In 9hat language could oses have 9ritten
in a savage desert? It could only be in (gyptian!
for by this same book 9e are told that oses and
all his people 9ere born in (gypt It is therefore
probable that they spoke no other language )he
(gyptians had yet made no use of papyrus ! they
engraved hieroglyphics on tables of 9ood or marble
It is even said: that the tables of the commandments
9ere engraved on polished stones: 9hich reKuired
prodigious time and labor
J Is it likely: that in a desert 9here the =e9ish
people had neither shoemaker nor tailor in 9hich
the 1od of the universe 9as obliged to 9ork a con-
tinual miracle to preserve the old dresses and shoes
of the =e9s men could be found clever enough to
engrave the %ve books of the &entateuch on marble
or 9ood? ou 9ill say: that they found laborers
9ho made a golden calf in one night: and 9ho after-
9ards reduced the gold into po9der an operation
impracticable to common chemistry: 9hich 9as not
yet discovered ,ho constructed the tabernacle?
,ho ornamented thirty columns of brass 9ith capi-
tals of silver? ,ho 9ove and embroidered veils
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 41/469
of linen 9ith hyacinth: purple: and scarlet ? 0n ac-
count that supports the opinion of the contradictors
)hey ans9er: that it 9as not possible that in a des-
ert: 9here they 9ere in 9ant of everything: for
them to perform 9orks so intricate ! that they must
4ictionary JP
have begun by making shoes and tunics ! that those
9ho 9anted necessaries could not indulge in luxu-
ries! and that it is an evident contradiction to say:
that they had founders: engravers: and embroider-
ers: 9hen they had neither clothes nor bread
" If oses had 9ritten the %rst chapter of
1enesis: 9ould all young people have been forbidden
to read the %rst chapter? ,ould so little respect
have been paid to the legislator? If it 9as oses
9ho said that 1od punished the iniKuity of the
fathers to the fourth generation: 9ould (@ekiel
have dared to say the contrary ?
If oses 9rote .eviticus: could he have con-
tradicted it in 4euteronomy? .eviticus forbids a
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 42/469
9oman to marry her brother: 4euteronomy com-
mands it
L 6ould oses have spoken of to9ns 9hich ex-
isted not in his time? ,ould he have said that
to9ns 9hich: in regard to him: 9ere on the east of
the =ordan 9ere on the 9est?
H ,ould he have assigned forty-eight cities to
the .evites: in a country in 9hich there 9ere never
ten: and in a desert in 9hich he had al9ays 9an-
dered 9ithout habitation?
P ,ould he have prescribed rules for the =e9-
ish kings: 9hen not only there 9ere no kings
among this people: but they 9ere held in horror: and
it 9as not probable they 9ould ever have any?
,hatS 9ould oses have given precepts for the
conduct of kings 9ho came not until %ve hundred
JR &hilosophical
years after him: and have said nothing in relation
to the judges and priests 9ho succeeded him? 4oes
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 43/469
not this religion lead us to believe that the &enta-
teuch 9as composed in the time of kings: and that
the ceremonies instituted by oses 9ere only tra^
ditional
R $uppose he had said to the =e9s< I have
made you depart to the number of six hundred thou;
sand combatants from the land of (gypt under the
protection of your 1od ? ,ould not the =e9s have
ans9ered him < ou must have been very timid not
to lead us against &haraoh of (gypt ! he could not
have opposed to us an army of t9o hundred thou-
sand men )here never 9as such an army on foot
in (gypt! 9e should have conKuered them easily!
9e should have been the masters of their country
,hatS has the 1od: 9ho talks to you: to please us
slain all the %rst-born of (gypt: 9hich: if there 9ere
in this country three hundred thousand families:
makes three hundred thousand men destroyed in one
night: simply to avenge us: and yet you have not
seconded your 1od and given us that fertile country
9hich nothing could 9ithhold from us On the
contrary you have made us depart from (gypt as
thieves and co9ards: to perish in deserts bet9een
mountains and precipices ou might: at least:
have conducted us by the direct road to this land of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 44/469
6anaan: to 9hich 9e have no right: but 9hich you
have promised us: and on 9hich 9e have not yet
been able to enter
4ictionary J#
It 9as natural that: from the land of 1oshen:
9e should march to9ards )yre and $idon: along the
editerranean! but you made us entirely pass the
Isthmus of $ue@: and re-enter (gypt: proceed as far
as emphis: 9hen 9e %nd ourselves at 7eel-$ephor
on the borders of the 'ed $ea: turning our backs on
the land of 6anaan: having journeyed eighty leagues
in this (gypt 9hich 9e 9ished to avoid: so as at
last to nearly perish bet9een the sea and the army of
&haraoh S
If you had 9ished to deliver us to our enemies:
you could not have taken a diCerent route and other
measures 1od has saved us by a miracle: you say !
the sea opened to let us pass ! but after such a favor:
should /e let us die of hunger and fatigue in the
horrible deserts of 3adesh-barnea: ara: (lim:
/oreb: and $inai ? 0ll our fathers perished in these
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 45/469
frightful solitudes! and you tell us: at the end of
forty years: that 1od took particular care of them
)his is 9hat these murmuring =e9s: these unjust
children of the vagabonds 9ho died in the desert:
might have said to oses: if he had read (xodus
and 1enesis to them 0nd 9hat might they not
have said and done on the article of the golden calf ?
,hatS you dare to tell us that your brother made
a calf for our fathers: 9hen you 9ere 9ith 1od on
the mountain ? ou: 9ho sometimes tell us that you
have spoken to 1od face to face: and sometimes that
you could only see /is backS 7ut no matter: you
9ere 9ith this 1od: and your brother cast a golden
"G &hilosophical
calf in one day: and gave it to us to adore it! and
instead of punishing your un9orthy brother: you
make him our chief priest: and order your .evites to
slay t9enty-three thousand men of your people
,ould our fathers have suCered this ? ,ould they
have allo9ed themselves to be sacri%ced like so
many victims by sanguinary priests? ou tell us
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 46/469
that: not content 9ith this incredible butchery: you
have further massacred t9enty-four thousand of our
poor follo9ers because one of them slept 9ith a
idianitish 9 P oman: 9hilst you yourself espoused
a idianite ! and yet you add: that you are the mild-
est of men S 0 fe9 more instances of this mildness:
and not a soul 9ould have remained
5o! if you have been capable of all this cruelty:
if you can have exercised it: you 9ould be the most
barbarous of men: and no punishment 9ould suMce
to expiate so great a crime
)hese are nearly the objections 9hich all schol-
ars make to those 9ho think that oses is the au-
thor of the &entateuch 7ut 9e ans9er them: that
the 9ays of 1od are not those of men ! that 1od has
proved: conducted: and abandoned /is people by a
9isdom 9hich is unkno9n to us! that the =e9s
themselves: for more than t9o thousand years: have
believed that oses is the author of these books!
that the 6hurch: 9hich has succeeded the syna-
gogue: and 9hich is eKually infallible: has decided
this point of controversy ! and that scholars should
remain silent 9hen the 6hurch pronounces
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 47/469
4ictionary " F
$(6)IO5 III
,e cannot doubt that there 9as a oses: a legis-
lator of the =e9s ,e 9ill here examine his his-
tory: follo9ing merely the rules of criticism! the
4ivine is not submitted to similar examination ,e
must con%ne ourselves to the probable! men can
only judge as men It is very natural and very
probable that an 0rab nation d9elt on the con%nes
of (gypt: on the side of 0rabia 4eserta ! that it 9as
tributary or slave to the (gyptian kings: and that
after9ards it sought to establish itself else9here!
but that 9hich reason alone cannot admit is: that
this nation: composed of seventy persons at most in
the time of =oseph: increased in t9o hundred and
%fteen years: from =oseph to oses: to the number
of six hundred thousand combatants: according to
the 7ook of (xodus: 9hich six hundred thousand
men capable of bearing arms imply a multitude of
about t9o millions: counting old men: 9omen: and
children It is not certainly in the course of nature
for a colony of seventy persons: as many males as
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 48/469
females: to produce in t9o centuries t9o millions of
inhabitants )he calculations made on this progres-
sion by men very little versed in the things of this
9orld: are falsi%ed by the experience of all nations
and all times 6hildren are not made by a stroke of
the pen 'eQect 9ell that at this rate a population
of ten thousand persons in t9o hundred years 9ould
produce more inhabitants than the globe of the earth
could sustain
"J &hilosophical
Is it any more probable: that these six hundred
thousand combatants: favored by the 0uthor of na-
ture 9ho 9orked for them so many prodigies: 9ere
forced to 9ander in the deserts in 9hich they died:
instead of seeking to possess themselves of fertile
(gypt ?
7y these rules of an established and reasonable
human criticism: 9e must agree that it is very likely
that oses conducted a small people from the con-
%nes of (gypt )here 9as among the (gyptians
an ancient tradition: related by &lutarch in his
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 49/469
8)reatise on Isis and Osiris:8 that )iphon: the father
of =erosselaim and =uddecus: Qed from (gypt on an
ass It is clear from this passage that the ancestors
of the =e9s: the inhabitants of =erusalem: 9ere sup-
posed to have been fugitives from (gypt 0 tradi-
tion: no less ancient and more general is: that the
=e9s 9ere driven from (gypt: either as a troop of
unruly brigands: or a people infected 9ith leprosy
)his double accusation carries its probability even
from the land of 1oshen: 9hich they had inhabited:
a neighboring land of the vagabond 0rabs: and
9here the disease of leprosy: peculiar to the 0rabs:
might be common It appears even by the $cripture
that this people 9ent from (gypt against their 9ill
)he seventeenth chapter of 4euteronomy forbids
kings to think of leading the =e9s back to (gypt
)he conformity of several (gyptian and =e9ish
customs still more strengthens the opinion that this
people 9as an (gyptian colony: and 9hat 4rives it a
4ictionary ""
ne9 degree of probability is the feast of the &ass-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 50/469
over! that is to say: of the Qight or passage insti-
tuted in memory of their evasion )his feast alone
9ould be no proof ! for among all peoples there are
solemnities established to celebrate fabulous and in-
credible events ! such 9ere most of the feasts of the
1reeks and 'omans ! but a Qight from one country
to another is nothing uncommon: and calls for belief
)he proof dra9n from this feast of the &assover re-
ceives a still greater force by that of the )aberna-
cles: in memory of the time in 9hich the =e9s in-
habited the desert on their departure from (gypt
)hese similitudes: united 9ith so many others: prove
that a colony really 9ent from (gypt: and %nally
established itself for some time at &alestine
0lmost all the rest is of a kind so marvellous that
human sagacity cannot digest it 0ll that 9e can do
is to seek the time in 9hich the history of this Qight
that is to say: the 7ook of (xodus can have
been 9ritten: and to examine the opinions 9hich
then prevailed! opinions: of 9hich the proof is in
the book itself: compared 9ith the ancient customs
of nations
,ith regard to the books attributed to oses: the
most common rules of criticism permit us not to be-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 51/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 52/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 53/469
rounded 9ith high forti%ed 9alls: independent of
an in%nite number of open cities? Is it not much
more probable that these exaggerations 9ere after-
9ards 9ritten by a man 9ho 9ished to Qatter a
stupid nation?
H It is still less likely: that oses related the
miracles 9ith 9hich this history is %lled
It is easy to persuade a happy and victorious peo-
ple that 1od has fought for them ! but it is not in
human nature that a people should believe a hundred
miracles in their favor: 9hen all these prodigies
ended only in making them perish in a desert
.et us examine some of the miracles related in
(xodus
P It appears contradictory and injurious to the
divine essence to suppose that 1od: having formed a
people to be the sole depository of /is la9s: and to
reign over all nations: should send a man of this
people to demand of the king: their oppressor: per-
mission to go into the desert to sacri%ce to his 1od:
that this people might escape under the pretence of
this sacri%ce Our common ideas cannot forbear
attaching an idea of baseness and knavery to this
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 54/469
*
management: far from recogni@ing the majesty and
po9er of the $upreme 7eing
,hen: immediately after: 9e read that oses
changed his rod into a serpent: before the king: and
turned all the 9aters of the kingdom into blood!
that he caused frogs to be produced 9hich covered
the surface of the earth ! that he changed all the dust
"H &hilosophical
into lice: and %lled the air 9ith venomous 9inged
insects! that he aUicted all the men and animals
of the country 9ith frightful ulcers ! that he called
hail: tempests: and thunder: to ruin all the country !
that he covered it 9ith locusts! that he plunged
it in fearful darkness for three days! that: %nally:
an exterminating angel struck 9ith death all the
%rst-born of men and animals in (gypt: commencing
9ith the son of the king ! again: 9hen 9e after9ards
see his people 9alking across the 'ed $ea: the 9aves
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 55/469
suspended in mountains to the right and left: and
later falling on the army of &haraoh: 9hich they
s9allo9ed up 9hen: I say: 9e read all these mira-
cles: the %rst idea 9hich comes into our minds is r
that this people: for 9hom 1od performed such as-
tonishing things: no doubt became the masters of
the universe 7ut: noS the fruit of so many 9on-
ders 9as: that they suCered 9ant and hunger in arid
sands! and prodigy upon prodigy all died 9ith-
out seeing the little corner of earth in 9hich their
descendants after9ards: for some years: established
themselvesS It is no doubt pardonable if 9e disbe-
lieve this cro9d of prodigies: at the least of 9hich
reason so decidedly revolts
)his reason: left to itself: cannot be persuaded
that oses 9rote such strange things /o9 can 9e
make a generation believe so many miracles use-
lessly 9rought for it: and all of 9hich: it is said:
9ere performed in the desert? ,hat being: enjoy-
ing divine po9er: 9ould employ it in preserving the
4ictionary "P
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 56/469
clothes and shoes of these people: after having armed
all nature in their favor?
It is therefore very natural to think that all this
prodigious history 9as 9ritten a long time after
oses: as the romances of 6harlemagne 9ere forged
three centuries after him! and as the origins of all
nations have not been 9ritten until they 9ere out
of sight: the imagination has been left at liberty to
invent )he more coanse and unfortunate a people
are: the more they seek to exalt their ancient his-
tory! and 9hat people have been longer miserable:
or more barbarous: than the =e9s?
It is not to be believed that: 9hen they had not
9here9ithal to make shoes in their deserts: under
the government of oses: there 9ere any cunning
enough to 9rite ,e should presume: that the poor
creatures born in these deserts did not receive a very
brilliant education ! and that the nation only began
to read and 9rite 9hen it had some commerce 9ith
&hoenicia It 9as probably in the commencement of
monarchy that the =e9s: feeling they had some
genius: 9rote the &entateuch: and adjusted their
traditions ,ould they have made oses recom-
mend kings to read and 9rite his la9 in a time in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 57/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 58/469
0sia
)he authors of the &entateuch give us to under-
stand that every nation has its gods: and that these
gods have all nearly an eKual po9er
If oses: in the name of 1od: changed his rod
into a serpent: the priests of &haraoh did as much !
if he changed all the 9aters of (gypt into blood:
even to that 9hich 9as in the vases: the priests im-
mediately performed the same prodigy: 9ithout our
being able to conceive on 9hat 9aters they per-
formed this metamorphosis ! at least: unless they ex-
pressly created ne9 9aters for the purpose )he
=e9ish 9riters prefer being reduced to this absurd-
ity: rather than allo9 us to suspect that the gods of
(gypt had not the po9er of changing 9ater into
blood as 9ell as the 1od of =acob
7ut 9hen the latter %lls the land of (gypt 9ith
4ictionary "#
lice: changing all the dust into them: /is entire su-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 59/469
periority appears! the magi cannot imitate it: and
they make the 1od of the =e9s speak thus < 8&ha-
raoh shall kno9 that nothing is eKual to me8 )hese
9ords put into his mouth: merely mark a being 9ho
believes himself more po9erful than his rivals! he
9as eKualled in the metamorphosis of a rod into a
serpent: and in that of the 9aters into blood! but
he gains the victory in the article of the lice and the
follo9ing miracles
)his idea of the supernatural po9er of priests of
all countries is displayed in several places of $crip-
ture ,hen 7alaam: the priest of the little state
of a petty king: named 7alak: in the midst of deserts:
is near cursing the =e9s: their 1od appears to him to
prevent him It seems that the malediction of 7a-
laam 9as much to be feared )o restrain this priest:
it is not enough that 1od speaks to him: he sends be-
fore him an angel 9ith a s9ord: and speaks /imself
again by the mouth of his ass 0ll these precautions
certainly prove the opinion 9hich then prevailed:
that the malediction of a priest: 9hatever it 9as:
dre9 fatal conseKuences after it
)his idea of a 1od superior to other gods: though
/e made heaven and earth: 9as so rooted in all
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 60/469
minds: that $olomon in his last prayer cries < 8Oh:
my 1od S there is no other god like thee in earth or
heaven8 It is this opinion 9hich rendered the =e9s
so credulous respecting the sorceries and enchant-
ments of other nations
G &hilosophical
It is this 9hich gave rise to the story of the ,itch
of (ndor: 9ho had the po9er of invoking the shade
of $aul (very people had their prodigies and ora-
cles: and it never even came into the minds of any
nations to doubt the miracles and prophecies of
others )hey 9ere contented 9ith opposing similar
arms! it seems as if the priests: in denying the
prodigies of other nations: feared to discredit their
o9n )his kind of theology prevailed a long time
over all the earth
It is not for us to enter here on the detail of all
that is 9ritten on oses ,e speak of his la9s in
more than one place in this 9ork ,e 9ill here
con%ne ourselves to remarking ho9 much 9e are
astonished to see a legislator inspired by 1od ! a
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 61/469
prophet: through 9hom 1od /imself speaks: pro-
posing to us no future life )here is not a single
9ord in .eviticus: 9hich can lead us to suspect the
immortality of the soul )he reply to this over-
9helming diMculty is: that 1od proportioned /im-
self to the ignorance of the =e9s ,hat a miserable
ans9er S It 9as for 1od to elevate the =e9s to nec-
essary kno9ledge not to lo9er /imself to them
If the soul is immortal: if there are re9ards and
punishments in another life: it is necessary for men
to be informed of it If 1od spoke: /e must have
informed them of this fundamental dogma ,hat
legislator: 9hat god but this: proposes to his people
9ine: oil: and milk aloneS ,hat god but this al-
9ays encourages his believers: as a chief of robbers
4ictionary F
(ncourages his troops: 9ith the hope of plunder only S
Once more! it is very pardonable for mere human
reason simply to see: in such a history: the barbarous
stupidity of the %rst ages of a savage people an:
9hatever he does: cannot reason other9ise! but if
Tjod really is the author of the &entateuch: 9e must
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 62/469
ibmit 9ithout reasoning
O)IO5
0 &/I.O$O&/(': in the neighborhood of ount
3rapak: argued 9ith me that motion is essential to
matter
8(verything moves:8 says he! 8the sun contin-
ually revolves on its o9n axis ! the planets do the
same: and every planet has many diCerent motions !
everything is a sieve! everything passes through a
sieve! the hardest metal is pierced 9ith an in%nity
of pores: by 9hich escapes a constant torrent of
vapors that circulate in space )he universe is noth-
ing but motion! motion: therefore: is essential to
matter8
87ut: sir:8 said I to hinij 8might not any one
say: in ans9er to 9hat you have advanced< )his
block of marble: this cannon: this house: this motion:
are not in motion! therefore motion is not essen-
tial?8
8)hey do move:8 he replied ! 8they move in space
together 9ith the earth by the common motion: and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 63/469
they move so incontestably although insensibly
by their o9n peculiar motion: that: at the expiration
J &hilosophical
of an inde%nite number of centuries: there 9ill re-
main not a single atom of the masses 9hich no9
constitute them: from 9hich particles are detaching
themselves every passing moment8
87ut: my good sir: I can conceive matter to be in
a state of rest! motion: therefore: cannot be con-
sidered essential to it8
8,hy: certainly: it must be of vast conseKuence
9hether you conceive it to be: or conceive it not to
be: in a state of rest I still repeat: that it is impos-
sible for it to be so8
8)his is a bold assertion! but 9hat: let me ask
you: 9ill you say to chaos?8
8Oh: chaosS If 9e 9ere inclined to talk about
chaos: I should tell you that all 9as necessarily in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 64/469
motion: and that ;the breath of 1od moved upon the
9aters;! that the element of 9ater 9as recogni@ed
in existence: and that the other elements existed also !
that: conseKuently: %re existed ! that there cannot be
%re 9ithout motion: that motion is essential to %re
ou 9ill not succeed much 9ith chaos8
80lasS 9ho can succeed 9ith all these subjects
of dispute? 7ut: as you are so very fully ac-
Kuainted 9ith these things: I must reKuest you to
inform me 9hy one body impels another< 9hether
it is because matter is impenetrable: or because t9o
bodies cannot be together in one place ! or because:
in every case of every description: the 9eak is driven
before the strong?8
8our last reason is rather more facetious than
4ictionary "
philosophical 5o person has hitherto been able
to discover the cause of the communication of mo-
tion8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 65/469
8)hat: ho9ever: does not prevent its being essen-
tial to matter 5o one has ever been able to discover
the cause of sensation in animals! yet this sensa-
tion is* so essential to them: that: if you exclude the
idea of it: you no longer have the idea of an ani-
mal8
8,ell: I 9ill concede to you: for a moment: that
motion is essential to matter just for a moment: let
it be remembered: for I am not much inclined to em-
broil myself 9ith the theologians and no9: after
this admission: tell me ho9 one ball produces motion
in another?8
8ou are very curious and inKuisitive ! you 9ish
me to inform you of 9hat no philosopher ever
kne98
8It appears rather curious: and even ludicrous:
that 9e should kno9 the la9s of motion: and yet be
profoundly ignorant of the principle of the commu-
nication of motion S8
8It is the same 9ith everything else ! 9e kno9 the
la9s of reasoning: but 9e kno9 not 9hat it is in us
that reasons )he ducts through 9hich our blood
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 66/469
and other animal Quids pass are very 9ell kno9n
to us: but 9e kno9 not 9hat forms that blood and
those Quids ,e are in life: but 9e kno9 not in
9hat the vital principle consists8
8Inform me: ho9ever: at least: 9hether: if mo-
&hilosophical
tion be essential to matter: there has not al9ays ex-
isted the same Kuantity of motion in the 9orld ?8
8)hat is an old chimera of (picurus revived by
4escartes I do not: for my o9n part: see that this
eKuality of motion in the 9orld is more necessary
than an eKuality of triangles It is essential that
a triangle should have three angles and three sides:
but it is not essential that the number of triangles on
this globe should be al9ays eKual8
87ut is there not al9ays an eKuality of forces:
as other philosophers express it?8
8)hat is a similar chimera ,e must: upon such
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 67/469
a principle: suppose that there is al9ays an eKual
number of men: and animals: and moving beings:
9hich is absurd8
7y the 9ay: 9hat: let me ask: is the force of a
body in motion ? It is the product of its Kuantity mul-
tiplied by its velocity in a given time 6alling the
Kuantity of a body four: and its velocity four: the
force of its impulse 9ill be eKual to sixteen 0n-
other Kuantity 9e 9ill assume to be t9o: and its ve-
locity t9o! the force 9ith 9hich that impels is as
four )his is the grand principle of mechanics
.eibnit@ decidedly and pompously pronounced the
principle defective /e maintained that it 9as nec-
essary to measure that force: that product: by the
Kuantity multiplied by the sKuare of the velocity
7ut this 9as mere captious sophistry and chicanery:
an ambiguity un9orthy of a philosopher: founded
on an abuse of the discovery of the great 1alileo:
4ictionary L
that the spaces traversed 9ith a motion uniformly
accelerated 9ere: to each other: as the sKuares of the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 68/469
times and velocities
.eibnit@ did not consider the time 9hich he
should have considered 5o (nglish mathematician
adopted his system It 9as received for a 9hile by a
small number of geometricians in +rance It per-
vaded some books: and even the philosophical insti-
tutions of a person of great celebrity aupertuis
is very abusive of airan: in a little 9ork entitled
80: 7: 68 ! as if he thought it necessary to teach the
a: b: c: of science to any man 9ho follo9ed the old
and: in fact: the true system of calculation airan
9as: ho9ever: in the right /e adhered to the an-
cient measurement: that of the Kuantity multiplied
by the velocity /e gradually prevailed over his
antagonists: and his system recovered its former sta-
tion! the scandal of mathematics disappeared: and
the Kuackery of the sKuare of the velocity 9as dis-
missed at last to the extramundane spaces: to the
limbo of vanity: together 9ith the monads 9hich
.eibnit@ supposed to constitute the concentric mirror
of nature: and also 9ith his elaborate and fanciful
system of 8pre-established harmony8
O5)0I5
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 69/469
)/( fable of the mountain 9hich: after alarming
the 9hole neighborhood 9ith its outcries in labor:
9as ridiculed by all present 9hen it became deliv-
ered of a mouse: is at once ancient and universal
H &hilosophical
)he company: ho9ever: 9ho thus gave 9ay to ridi-
cule 9ere not a company of philosophers )hose
9ho mocked should in reality have admired 0
mountain;s being delivered of a mouse 9as an event
as extraordinary: and as 9orthy of admiration: as a
mouse;s being delivered of a mountain 0 rock;s
producing a rat is a case absolutely prodigious: and
the 9orld never beheld anything approaching to
such a miracle 0ll the 9orlds in the universe could
not originate a Qy )hus: in cases 9here the vulgar
mock: the philosopher admires ! and 9here the vul-
gar strain their eyes in stupid astonishment: he often
smiles
50I.
,( O5. ask here from the censors of books:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 70/469
permission to transcribe from that 9hich the 4omin-
ican missionary .abat: proveditor of the holy oMce:
has 9ritten concerning the nails of the cross: into
9hich it is more than probable no nails 9ere ever
driven
8)he Italian priest 9ho conducted us had suM-
cient interest to get us: among other things: a sight
of the nails 9ith 9hich our $aviour 9as fastened
to the cross )hey appeared to me very diCerent
from those 9hich the 7enedictines sho9 at $t
4enis &ossibly those belonging to $t 4enis served
for the feet: and the others for the hands It 9as
necessary that those for the hands should be suM-
ciently large and strong to support all the 9eight of
4ictionary P
the body /o9ever: the =e9s must either have
made use of more than four nails: or some of those
9hich are sho9n to the faithful are not genuine
/istory relates that $t /elena thre9 one of them
into the sea: to appease a furious tempest 9hich as-
sailed the ship in 9hich she had embarked 6on-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 71/469
stantine made use of another: to make a bit for the
bridle of his horse One is sho9n entire at $t 4enis
in +rance ! another also entire at the /oly 6ross of
=erusalem at 'ome 0 very celebrated 'oman au-
thor of our day asserts that the iron cro9n 9ith
9hich they cro9n the emperors in Italy 9as made
out of one of these nails ,e are sho9n at 'ome
and at 6arpentras t9o bridle bits also made of these
nails: not to mention more at other places )o be
sure:: several of them are discreet enough to say: that
it is the head or point only of these nails 9hich they
exhibit8
)he missionary speaks in the same tone of all the
relics /e observes in the same passage: that 9hen
the body of the %rst deacon: $t $tephen: 9as brought
from =erusalem to 'ome: in LLP: and placed in the
tomb of the deacon of $t .a9rence< 8$t .a9-
rence made 9ay of himself to give the right hand to
his predecessor! an action 9hich procured him the
name of the civil $paniard8
pon this passage 9e venture only one reQec-
tion: 9hich is: that if some philosopher had said as
much: in the 8(ncyclopaedia:8 as the 4ominican .a-
bat: a cro9d of &antouillets: 5onnottes: 6hiniacs:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 72/469
R &hilosophical
6haumeix: and other knaves: 9ould have exclaimed
4eist: atheist: and geometricianS 0ccording to
circumstances things change their names
$elon ce Kue 2on peut etre
.es choses changent de nom
0mphytrion: &rologue
50)'(
4ialogue 7et9een the &hilosopher and 5ature
&/I.O$O&/('
,/0) are you: 5ature? I live in you? but I
have been searching for you for %fty years: and have
never yet been able to %nd you
50)'(
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 73/469
)he ancient (gyptians: 9hose lives it is said ex-
tended to t9elve hundred years: attached the same
reproach to me )hey called me Isis! they placed
a thick veil over my head ! and they said that no one
could ever raise it
&/I.O$O&/('
It is on that account that I apply directly to your-
self I have been able to measure some of your
globes: to ascertain their courses: and to point out
the la9s of motion! but I have never been able to
ascertain 9hat you are yourself
0re you al9ays active ? 0re you al9ays passive ?
4o your elements arrange themselves: as 9ater
places itself over sand: oil over 9ater: and air over
oil ? /ave you a mind 9hich directs all your oper-
4ictionary #
ations as councils are inspired as soon as they
meet: although the individual members composing
them are often ignorant? (xplain to me: I entreat:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 74/469
the enigma in 9hich you are enveloped
50)'(
I am the great universal system I kno9 nothing
farther I am no mathematician: and yet everything
in and about me is arranged agreeably to mathemat-
ical la9s 6onjecture: if you can: ho9 all this is
eCected
&/I.O$O&/('
6ertainly: since your great universal system
kno9s nothing of mathematics: and yet the la9s by
9hich you are regulated are those of the most pro-
found geometry: there must necessarily be an eter-
nal geometrician: 9ho directs you: and presides over
your operations
50)'(
ou are perfectly right ! I am 9ater: earth: %re:
air: metal: mineral: stone: vegetable: and animal I
clearly perceive that there is an intelligence in me<
you possess an intelligence: although you see it not
5either do I see mine ! I feel this invisible po9er !
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 75/469
I am unable to kno9 it< 9hy should you: 9ho are
only a very minute portion of myself: be anxious
to kno9 9hat I myself am ignorant of?
&/I.O$O&/('
,e are curious I should be pleased to learn
ho9 it is: that 9hile so rough and coarse in your
2ol FJ
LG &hilosophical
mountains: and deserts: and seas: you are at the same
time so ingenious and %nished in your animals and
vegetables ?
50)'(
y poor child: shall I tell you the real truth?
I have had besto9ed upon me a name that does not
at all suit me < I am called nature: 9hile I am all art
&/I.O$O&/('
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 76/469
)hat 9ord deranges all my ideas ,hatS is it
possible that nature should be nothing but art
50)'(
It is undoubtedly the case 4o you not kno9 that
there is in%nite art in those seas and mountains
9hich you represent as so rough and so coarse ? 4o
you not kno9 that all those 9aters gravitate to9ards
the centre of the earth: and are raised only by immu-
table la9s! and that those mountains 9hich cro9n
the earth are immense reservoirs of eternal sno9s:
incessantly producing the fountains: lakes: and
rivers: 9ithout 9hich my animal and vegetable oC-
spring 9ould inevitably perish? 0nd: 9ith respect
to 9hat are denominated my animal: vegetable: and
mineral kingdoms: constituting thus only three king-
doms: be assured that I have in fact millions of them
7ut if you consider the formation of an insect: of an
ear of corn: of gold: or of copper: all 9ill exhibit to
you prodigies of art
&/I.O$O&/('
It is undoubtedly true )he more I reQect on
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 77/469
4ictionary L F
the subject: the more clearly I perceive that you are
only the art of some 1reat 7eing: extremely po9er-
ful and skilful: 9ho conceals /imself and exhibits
you 0ll the reasoners: from the time of )hales:
and probably long before him: have been playing at
hide and seek 9ith you )hey have said: 8I have
hold of you8 ! and they in fact held nothing ,e all
resemble Ixion < he thought he embraced =uno: 9hen
he embraced only a cloud
50)'(
$ince I am the 9hole that exists: ho9 is it possi-
ble for a being like you: so small a portion of myself:
to comprehend me ? 7e contented: my dear little ;
atomic children: 9ith seeing a fe9 particles that sur-
round you: 9ith drinking a fe9 drops of ;my milk:
9ith vegetating for a fe9 moments in my bosom:
and at last dying 9ithout any kno9ledge of your
mother and your nurse
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 78/469
&/I.O$O&/('
y beloved mother: pray tell me a little 9hy you
exist 9hy anything has existed ?
50)'(
I 9ill ans9er you in the language in 9hich I al-
9ays have ans9ered: for so long a series of ages:
those 9ho have interrogated me on the subject of
%rst principles< 8I kno9 nothing at all about the
matter8
&/I.O$O&/('
5othing itself: 9ould it not be preferable to that
LJ &hilosophical
multitude of existences formed to be continually dis-
solved ! those tribes of animals born and reproduced
to devour others: and devoured in their turn!
those numberless beings endued 9ith sensation: and
formed to experience so many sensations of pain !
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 79/469
and those other tribes of reasoning beings 9hich
never: or at least only rarely: listen to reason? +or
9hat purpose: 5ature: 9as all this?
50)'(
Oh S pray go and inKuire of /im 9ho made me
5(6($$0' 5(6($$I)
O$I5
4o O not assert that everything is necessary?
$(.I
If all be not necessary: it follo9s that 1od does
unnecessary things
O$I5
)hat is to say: it 9as necessary for the 4ivine
5ature to do 9hat it has done
$(.I
I believe: or at least I suspect so )here are men
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 80/469
9ho think diCerently I do not understand them !
but possibly they are right I fear to dispute on this
subject
O$I5
It is: ho9ever: necessary for me to talk to you
upon it
4ictionary L"
$(.I
In 9hat manner? ,ould you speak of 9hat is
necessary to sustain life: or the evil to 9hich people
are reduced 9ho cannot procure it?
O$I5
5o ! for that 9hich is necessary to one is not al-
9ays necessary to another It is necessary for an
Indian to possess rice: for an (nglishman to eat ani-
mal food: as 'ussians must 9ear furs: and 0fricans
gau@e One man believes that he has need of a
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 81/469
do@en coach-horses: another limits himself to a pair
of shoes: and a third 9alks gayly on his bare feet
I 9ish to speak to you of that 9hich is necessary to
all men
$(.I
It appears to me that 1od has given us all that is
necessary in this sense< eyes to see: feet to 9alk: a
mouth to eat: a gullet to s9allo9: a stomach to di-
gest: a brain to reason: and organs to produce our
kind
O$I5
/o9 happens it then that men are sometimes
born 9ho are deprived of a part of these necessary
faculties?
$(.I
7ecause the general la9s of nature are liable to
accidents 9hich produce monsters ! but in general
man is provided 9ith all things necessary to his ex-
istence in society
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 82/469
L &hilosophical
O$I5
0re there not notions common to all men neces-
sary to this purpose?
V
$(.I
es! I have travelled 9ith &aul .ucas: and
9herever I 9ent I sa9 that man respected his father
and mother ! that he thought himself bound to keep
his promise ! that he pitied oppressed innocence !
that he detested persecution ! that he regarded free-
dom of thinking as a right of nature: and the enemies
of that freedom as the enemies of the human race
)hey 9ho think diCerently appear to me to be badly
organi@ed: and monsters: like those 9ho are born
9ithout eyes or heads
O$I5
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 83/469
)hese necessary things are they necessary in all
times: and in all places ?
$(.I
es< other9ise they 9ould not be necessary to
human kind
O$I5
)herefore: a ne9 creed is not necessary to man-
kind en could live in society: and perform all
their duties to9ards 1od: before they believed that
ahomet had freKuent conversations 9ith the angel
1abriel
$(.I
5othing is more evident ! it 9ould be ridiculous
to think that man could not perform his duties until
ahomet came into the 9orld It 9as no 9ay
4ictionary LL
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 84/469
necessary for men to believe the 3oran )he 9orld
9ent on before the appearance of ahomet: pre-
cisely as at present If ahometanism 9as neces-
sary to the 9orld: it 9ould exist every9here 1od:
9ho has given us t9o eyes to see the sun: 9ould
have besto9ed upon us some means of discovering
the truths of the ahometan religion )hat sect
therefore resembles the arbitrary la9s 9hich change
according to times and places: like fashions or the
theories of physicians: 9hich displace and succeed
one another )he ahometan religion cannot there-
fore be essentially necessary to man
O$I5
7ut since it exists: 1od has permitted it
$(.I
es: as /e permits all the 9orld to abound in
absurdities: errors: and calamities )his is not say-
ing that men 9ere absolutely created in order to
be foolish and unhappy 1od permits some men
to be eaten by serpents: but 9e ought not to say that
1od made man to be eaten by serpents
O$I5
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 85/469
,hat do you mean by saying that 1od permits?
6an anything happen but by /is orders? )o per-
mit and to 9ill are they not 9ith /im the same
thing ?
$(.I
/e permits crime: but does not commit it
LH &hilosophical
O$I5
)o commit a crime is to act against 4ivine jus-
tice to disobey 1od )herefore: as 1od cannot
disobey /imself: /e cannot commit crime! but /e
has so made man that man commits it freKuently
/o9 does that arise?
$(.I
$ome men can tell: but I am not one of them
0ll that I kno9 is: that the 3oran is ridiculous:
although possessing here and there things 9hich are
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 86/469
passable )he 3oran: ho9ever: is certainly not
necessary to man that I maintain I perceive
clearly that 9hich is false: but kno9 very little of
that 9hich is true
O$I5
I thought that you 9ould instruct me: but you
teach me nothing
$(.I
Is it not something to kno9 the men 9ho deceive
you: and the gross and dangerous errors they pro-
mulgate ?
O$I5
I should have cause to complain of a physician
9ho made me acKuainted 9ith poisonous plants:
9ithout instructing me in regard to such as are sal-
utary
$(.I
I am no physician: nor are you a sick man ! and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 87/469
it appears to me that I give you a very useful pre-
4ictionary LP
scription: 9hen I say to you< 4istrust the inven-
tions of charlatans! 9orship 1od! be an honest
man ! and believe that t9o and t9o make four
5(, 5O2(.)I($
I) $(($ as if the %rst 9ords of Ovid;s 8eta-
morphoses8 8In nova fert animus8 9ere the em-
blem of mankind 5o one is touched 9ith the ad-
mirable spectacle of the sun 9hich rises or seems
to rise every day ! but everybody runs at the small-
est meteor 9hich appears for a moment in the map
of vapors 9hich surround the earth: and 9hich 9e
call heaven ,e despise 9hatever is common: or
9hich has been long kno9n <
2illa sunt nobis KuacumKue prioribus annis
2idimus: et sordet KuidKuid spectavimus olim
0 ha9ker 9ill not burden himself 9ith a 82ir-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 88/469
gil8 or a 8/orace:8 but 9ith a ne9 book: 9ere it
ever so detestable /e dra9s you aside and says to
you < 8$ir: 9ill you have some books from /ol-
land?8
+rom the commencement of the 9orld: 9omen
have complained of the in%delities done to them in
favor of the %rst ne9 object 9hich presents itself:
and 9hich has often this novelty for its only merit
$everal ladies 9e must confess it: not9ithstanding
the in%nite respect 9hich 9e have for them have
treated men as they complain that the men have
treated them ! and the story of =ocondo is much
more ancient than 0riosto
LR &hilosophical
&erhaps this universal taste for novelty is a bene-
%t of nature ,e are told< 6ontent yourselves
9ith 9hat you have! desire nothing beyond your
situation! subdue the restlessness of your mind
)hese are very good maxims! but if 9e had fol-
lo9ed them: 9e should still live upon acorns and
sleep under the stars: and 9e should have had
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 89/469
neither 6orneille: 'acine: oliere: &oussin: .e
7run: .emoine: nor &igal
54I)
,/ do 9e shut up a man or a 9oman 9hom 9e
%nd naked in the streets ? and 9hy is no one oCended
at entirely naked statues: and 9ith certain paintings
of =esus and of agdalen 9hich are to be seen in
some of the churches ? It is very likely that human
beings existed for a considerable time 9ithout cloth-
ing In more than one island and on the continent
of 0merica: people are still found 9ho are ignorant
of clothing
)he most civili@ed of them conceal the organs of
generation by leaves: by interlaced rushes or mats:
and by feathers ,hence this latter modesty ? Is it
the instinct of nature to provoke desire by the con-
cealment of that 9hich 9e are inclined to discover?
Is it true that among nations some9hat more pol-
ished than the =e9s and demi-=e9s: there are entire
sects 9ho: 9hen they 9orship 1od: deprive them-
selves of clothing $uch have been: it is said: the
0damites and the 0belians )hey assembled: nicked:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 90/469
4ictionary L#
to sing the praises of 1od $t (piphanius and $t
0ugustine say this: 9ho: it is true: 9ere not contem-
poraries: and 9ho lived very distant from their coun-
try 7ut after all: this folly is possible: and is not
more extraordinary or insane than a hundred other
follies 9hich have made the tour of the 9orld: one
after another
,e have seen: in the article 8(mblem:8 that the
ahometans still possess saints 9ho are mad: and
9ho go about naked as apes It is very possible that
cra@y people have existed: 9ho thought that it 9as
more proper to present ourselves before the 4eity
in the state in 9hich /e has formed us: than under
any disguise of our o9n invention It is possible
that these persons exposed themselves out of pure
devotion )here are so fe9 9ell-made people of
either sex: that nudity may have inspired chastity:
or rather disgust: instead of augmenting desire
It is moreover asserted that the 0belians re-
nounced marriage If they abounded in youthful
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 91/469
gallants and amorous maidens: they 9ere the less
comparable 9ith $t 0dhelm and the happy 'obert
4;0rbriselle: 9ho lay 9ith the most beautiful
9omen: only in order to prove the strength of their
continence I confess: ho9ever: that it must be
pleasant to 9itness a hundred naked /elens and
&arises singing anthems: giving one another the kiss
of peace: and performing the ceremonies of the
agapae
0ll this proves that there is nothing so singular:
HG &hilosophical
so extravagant: or so superstitious: 9hich has not
been conceived by the head of man /appy it is:
9hen these follies do not trouble society: and make
of it a scene of hate: of discord: and of fury It is
doubtless better to pray to 1od stark naked: than to
soil /is altars and the public places 9ith human
blood
;57('
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 92/469
,0$ (uclid right in de%ning number to be a col-
lection of unities of the same kind? ,hen 5e9ton
says that number is an abstract relation of one
Kuantity to another of the same kind: does he not
understand by that the use of numbers in arithmetic
and geometry? ,olfe says: number is that 9hich
has the same relation 9ith unity as one right line has
9ith another Is not this rather a property attrib-
uted to a number: than a de%nition? If I dared: I
9ould simply de%ne numbers the idea of several
unities
I see 9hite I have a sensation: an idea of 9hite
It signi%es not 9hether these t9o things are or are
not of the same species ! I can reckon t9o ideas I
see four men and four horses I have the idea of
eight ! in like manner: three stones and six trees 9ill
give me the idea of nine
)hat I add: multiply: subtract: and divide these:
are operations of the faculty of thought 9hich I
have received from the master of nature! but they
are not properties inherent to number I can sKuare
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 93/469
4ictionary HF
three and cube it: but there is not certainly in nature
any number 9hich can be sKuared or cubed I very
9ell conceive 9hat an odd or even number is: but I
can never conceive either a perfect or an imperfect
one
5umbers can have nothing by themselves ,hat
properties: 9hat virtue: can ten Qints: ten trees: ten
ideas: possess because they are ten ? ,hat superior-
ity 9ill one number divisible in three even parts have
over another divisible in t9o?
&ythagoras 9as the %rst: it is said: 9ho discov-
ered divine virtue in numbers I doubt 9hether he
9as the %rst ! for he had travelled in (gypt: 7abylon:
and India: and must have related much of their arts
and kno9ledge )he Indians particularly: the in-
ventors of the combined and complicated game of
chess: and of ciphers: so convenient that the 0rabs
learned of them: through 9hom they have been com-
municated to us after so many ages these same
Indians: I say: joined strange chimeras to their
sciences )he 6haldaeans had still more: and the
(gyptians more still ,e kno9 that self-delusion
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 94/469
is in our nature /appy is he 9ho can preserve him-
self from itS /appy is he 9ho: after having some
access of this fever of the mind: can recover tolerable
health
&orphyrius: in the 8.ife of &ythagoras:8 says
that the number J is fatal ,e might say: on the
contrary: that it is the most favorable of all ,oe
to him that is al9ays single S ,oe to nature: if the
HJ &hilosophical
human species and that of animals 9ere not often
t9o and t9oS
If J: 9as of bad augury: ": by 9ay of recompense:
9as admirable: and 9as divine ! but the &ythag-
oreans and their imitators forgot that this myste-
rious : so divine: 9as composed of t9ice that dia-
bolical number J: T $ix had its merit: because the
%rst statuaries divided their %gures into six modules
,e have seen that: according to the 6haldaeans: 1od
created the 9orld in six gahambars! but P 9as the
most marvellous number ! for there 9ere at %rst but
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 95/469
seven planets: each planet had its heaven: and that
made seven heavens: 9ithout anyone kno9ing 9hat
9as meant by the 9ord heaven 0ll 0sia reckoned
seven days for a 9eek ,e divide the life of man
into seven ages /o9 many reasons have 9e in
favor of this number S
)he =e9s in time collected some scraps of this
philosophy It passed among the %rst 6hristians of
0lexandria 9ith the dogmas of &lato It is princi-
pally displayed in the 80pocalypse of 6erinthus:8
attributed to =ohn the 0postle
,e see a striking example of it in the number of
the beast < 8)hat no man might buy or sell: save he
that had the mark: or the name of the beast: or the
number of his name /ere is 9isdom .et him
that hath understanding count the number of the
beast < for it is the number of a man ! and his num-
ber is six hundred three score and six8
,e kno9 9hat great pains all the great scholars
4ictionary H"
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 96/469
have taken to divine the solution of this enigma
)his number: composed of three times t9o at each
%gure: does it signify three times fatal to the third
po9er? )here 9ere t9o beasts: and 9e kno9 not
yet of 9hich the author 9ould speak
,e have seen that 7ossuet: less happy in arith-
metic than in funeral orations: has demonstrated that
4iocletian is the beast: because 9e %nd the 'oman
%gures HHH in the letters of his name: by cutting oC
those 9hich 9ould spoil this operation 7ut in
making use of 'oman %gures: he does not remember
that the 0pocalypse 9as 9ritten in 1reek 0n
eloKuent man may fall into this mistake )he po9er
of numbers 9as much more respected among us
9hen 9e kne9 nothing about them
ou may observe: my dear reader: in the article
on 8+igure:8 some %ne allegories that 0ugustine:
bishop of /ippo: extracted from numbers
)his taste subsisted so long: that it triumphed at
the 6ouncil of )rent ,e preserve its mysteries:
called 8$acraments8 in the .atin church: because
the 4ominicans: 9ith $oto at their head: allege that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 97/469
there are seven things 9hich contribute to life: seven
planets: seven virtues: seven mortal sins: six days of
creation and one of repose: 9hich make seven ! fur-
ther: seven plagues of (gypt: seven beatitudes ! but
unfortunately the fathers forget that (xodus reckons
ten plagues: and that the beatitudes are to the num-
ber of eight in $t atthe9 and four in $t .uke
7ut scholars have overcome this diMculty! by re-
H &hilosophical
trenching from $t atthe9 the four beatitudes of
$t .uke: there remain six: and add unity to these
six: and you 9ill have seven 6onsult +ra &aolo
$arpi: in the second book of his history of the
6ounty of )rent
57('I51
$(6)IO5 I
)/( most ancient numberings that history has
left us are those of the Israelites: 9hich are indubit-
able: since they are extracted from the =e9ish books
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 98/469
,e believe that 9e must not reckon as a numbering
the Qight of the Israelites to the number of six hun-
dred thousand men on foot: because the text speci%es
them not tribe by tribe ! it adds: that an innumerable
troop of people gathered together and joined them
)his is only a relation
)he %rst circumstantial numbering is that 9hich
9e see in the book of the 82iedaber:8 9hich 9e
call 5umbers 7y the reckoning 9hich oses and
0aron made of the people in the desert: 9e %nd: in
counting all the tribes except that of .evi: six hun-
dred and three thousand %ve hundred and %fty men
capable of bearing arms ! and if 9e add the tribe of
.evi: supposing it eKual in number to the others: the
strong 9ith the 9eak: 9e shall have six hundred and
%fty-three thousand nine hundred and thirty-%ve
men: to 9hich 9e must add an eKual number of old
9omen and children: 9hich 9ill compose t9o mil-
4ictionary HL
lions six hundred and %fteen thousand seven hun-
dred and forty-t9o persons: 9ho departed from
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 99/469
(gypt
,hen 4avid: after the example of oses: or-
dered the numbering of all the people: he found eight
hundred thousand 9arriors of the tribes of Israel:
and %ve hundred thousand of that of =udah: accord-
ing to the 7ook of 3ings ! but according to 6hron-
icles they reckoned eleven hundred thousand 9ar-
riors in Israel ! and less than %ve hundred thousand
in =udah
)he 7ook of 3ings formally excludes .evi and
7enjamin: and counts them not If therefore 9e
join these t9o tribes to the others in their propor-
tion: the total of the 9arriors 9ill amount to nine-
teen hundred and t9enty thousand )his is a great
number for the little country of =udaea: the half of
9hich is composed of frightful rocks and caverns<
but it 9as a miracle
It is not for us to enter Into the reasons for 9hich
the $overeign 0rbiter of kings and people punished
4avid for an operation 9hich he himself com-
manded to oses It still less becomes us to seek
9hy 1od: being irritated against 4avid: punished
the people for being numbered )he prophet 1ad
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 100/469
ordered the king on the patrt of 1od to choose 9ar:
famine: or pestilence 4avid accepted the pesti-
lence: and seventy thousand =e9s died of it in three
days
$t 0mbrosius: in his book of 8'epentance:8 and
2ol FJ L
HH &hilosophical
$t 0ugustine in his book against +austus: ackno9l-
edged that pride and ambition led 4avid to make
this calculation )heir opinion is of great 9eight:
and 9e can certainly submit to their decision by
extinguishing all the deceitful lights of our o9n
minds
$cripture relates a ne9 numbering in the time
of (sdras: 9hen the =e9ish nation returned from
captivity 80ll this multitude Nsay eKually (sdras
and 5ehemiah: being as one manW amounted to
forty-t9o thousand three hundred and sixty per-
sons8 )hey 9ere all named by families: and they
counted the number of =e9s of each family: and the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 101/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 102/469
It is to be believed that the great neighboring
kings of &alestine made numberings of their people
as freKuently as possible /erodotus gives us the
amount of all those 9ho follo9ed Eerxes: 9ithout
including his naval forces /e reckons seventeen
hundred thousand men: and he pretends: that to ar-
rive at this computation: they 9ere sent in divisions
of ten thousand into a place 9hich 9ould only hold
this number of men closely cro9ded )his method
is very faulty: for by cro9ding a little less: each di-
vision of ten thousand might easily contain only
from eight to nine +urther: this method is not at
all soldier-like: and it 9ould have been much more
easy to have counted the 9hole by making the sol-
diers march in rank and %le
It should further be observed: ho9 diMcult it
9as to support seventeen hundred thousand men in
the country of 1reece: 9hich they 9ent to conKuer
,e may very 9ell doubt of this number: and the
manner of reckoning it! of the 9hipping given to
the /ellespont! and of the sacri%ce of a thousand
oxen made to inerva by a &ersian king: 9ho kne9
her not: and 9ho adored the sun alone as the only
emblem of the 4ivinity 7esides: the numbering of
seventeen hundred thousand men is not complete:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 103/469
even by the confession of /erodotus: since Eerxes
further carried 9ith him all the people of )hrace and
acedonia: 9hom he forced: he says: to follo9 him:
HR &hilosophical
apparently the sooner to starve his army ,e
should therefore do here 9hat all 9ise men do in
reading ancient: and even modern histories sus-
pend our judgment and doubt much
)he %rst numbering 9hich 9e have of a profane
nation is that made by $ervius )ullius: the sixth
king of 'ome /e found: says )itus .ivius: eighty
thousand combatants: all 'oman citi@ens< that im-
plies three hundred and t9enty thousand citi@ens at
least: as many old people: 9omen and children: to
9hich 9e must add at least t9enty thousand do-
mestics: slaves and freemen
5o9 9e may reasonably doubt 9hether the little
'oman state contained this number 'omulus only
reigned Nif 9e may call him kingW over about three
thousand bandits: assembled in a little to9n bet9een
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 104/469
the mountains )his to9n 9as the 9orst land of
Italy )he circuit of all his country 9as not three
thousand paces $ervius 9as the sixth chief or king
of this rising people )he rule of 5e9ton: 9hich is
indubitable for elective kingdoms: gives t9enty-one
years; reign to each king: and by that contradicts all
the ancient historians: 9ho have never observed the
order of time: nor given any precise date )he %ve
kings of 'ome must have reigned about a hundred
years
It is certainly not in the order of nature that an
ungrateful soil: 9hich 9as not %ve leagues in length
or three in breadth: and 9hich must have lost many
of its inhabitants in its almost continual little 9ars:
4ictionary H#
could be peopled 9ith three hundred and forty thou-
sand souls )here is not half the number in the
same territory at present: 9hen 'ome is the metrop-
olis of the 6hristian 9orld! 9hen the aUuence of
foreigners and the ambassadors of so many nations
must serve to people the to9ns ! 9hen gold Qo9s
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 105/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 106/469
four millions one hundred and thirty-seven thousand
PG &hilosophical
men: in the year F of our era )he same (chard
speaks of a general numbering of the empire for
the %rst year of the same era! but he Kuotes no
'oman author: nor speci%es any calculation of the
number of citi@ens )illemont does not speak in
any 9ay of this numbering
,e have Kuoted )acitus and $uetonius: but to
very little purpose )he census of 9hich $uetonius
speaks is not a numbering of citi@ens ! it is only a
list of those to 9hom the public furnished corn
)acitus only speaks: in book ii: of a census estab-
lished among the 1auls: for the purpose of raising
more tribute on each head 0ugustus never made
a calculation of the other subjects of his empire: be-
cause they paid not the poll-tax: 9hich he 9ished
to establish in 1aul
)acitus says that 0ugustus had a memoir: 9rit-
ten in his o9n hand: 9hich contained the revenues
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 107/469
of the empire: the Qeets and contributary kingdoms
/e speaks not of any numbering 4ion 6assius
speaks of a census: but he speci%es no number
=osephus: in his 80ntiKuities:8 says that in the
year PL# of 'ome the time ans9ering to the elev-
enth year of our era 6yrenius: then constituted
governor of $yria: caused a list to be made of all
the property of the =e9s: 9hich caused a revolt
)his has no relation to a general numbering: and
merely proves that this 6yrenius 9as not governor
of =udaea 9hich 9as then a little province of $yria
4ictionary PF
until ten years after: and not at the birth of our
$aviour
)hese seem to me to be all the principal passages
that 9e can collect in profane histories: touching
the numberings attributed to 0ugustus If 9e refer
to them: =esus 6hrist 9ould be born under the gov-
ernment of 2arus: and not under that of 6yrenius !
and there could have been no universal numbering
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 108/469
7ut $t .uke: 9hose authority should prevail over
that of =osephus: $uetonius: )acitus: 4ion 6assius:
and all the 9riters of 'ome $t .uke aMrms posi-
tively that there 9as a universal numbering of all
the earth: and that 6yrenius 9as governor of =udaea
,e must therefore refer solely to him: 9ithout even
seeking to reconcile him 9ith +lavius =osephus: or
9ith any other historian 0s to the rest: neither the
5e9 nor the Old )estament has been given to us
to enlighten points of history: but to announce salu-
tary truths: before 9hich all events and opinions
should vanish It is thus that 9e al9ays reply to
the false calculations: contradictions: absurdities:
enormous faults of geography: chronology: physics:
and even common sense: 9ith 9hich philosophers
tell us the /oly $cripture is %lled ! 9e cease not to
reply that there is here no Kuestion of reason: but o;f
faith and piety
$(6)IO5 II
,ith regard to the numbers of the moderns:
kings fear not at present that a doctor 1ad should
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 109/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 110/469
0s to the capital to9ns: opinions are further
divided 0ccording to some calculators: &aris has
seven hundred thousand inhabitants: and according
to others %ve hundred thousand It is thus 9ith
.ondon: 6onstantinople: and 1rand 6airo
0s to the subjects of the pope: they 9ill make a
cro9d in paradise: but the multitude is moderate
on earth ,hy so? because they are subjects of
4ictionary P"
the pope ,ould 6ato the 6ensor have ever be-
lieved the 'omans 9ould come to that pass ?
O66.) B0.I)I($
O66.) Kualities have for a very long time been
much derided! it 9ould be more proper to deride
those 9ho do not believe in them .et us for the
hundredth time repeat that every principle: every
primitive source of any of the 9orks 9hich come
from the hand of the demiourgos: is occult: and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 111/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 112/469
an enigma 9hich it is not in the po9er of man to
divine
)he furred ignoramus ought to have been a9are
of this truth 9hen he said that beasts possess a
vegetative and sensitive soul: and man a soul 9hich
is vegetative: sensitive: and intellectual &oor man:
kneaded up of pride: 9ho has pronounced only
9ords have you ever seen a soul ? 3no9 you ho9
it is made? ,e have spoken much of the soul in
these inKuiries: but have al9ays confessed our
ignorance I no9 repeat this confession still more
emphatically: since the more I read: the more I med-
itate: and the more I acKuire: the more am I enabled
to aMrm that I kno9 nothing
O++(56($ N.O60.W
I+ ,( travel throughout the 9hole earth: 9e still
%nd that theft: murder: adultery: calumny: etc: are
regarded as oCences 9hich society condemns and re-
presses ! but that 9hich is approved in (ngland and
condemned in Italy: ought it to be punished in Italy:
as if it 9ere one of the crimes against general
humanity ? )hat 9hich is a crime only in the pre-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 113/469
cincts of some mountains: or bet9een t9o rivers:
demands it not from judges more indulgence than
those outrages 9hich are regarded 9ith horror in all
countries ? Ought not the judge to say to himself: I
should not dare to punish in 'agusa 9hat I punish
at .oretto? $hould not this reQection soften his
heart: and moderate the hardness 9hich it is too apt
4ictionary PL
to contract in the long exercise of his employment?
)he 83ermesses8 of +landers are 9ell kno9n! they
9ere carried in the last century to a degree of in-
decency: revolting to the eyes of all persons 9ho
9ere not accustomed to such spectacles
)he follo9ing is the manner in 9hich 6hristmas
is celebrated in some countries In the %rst place
appears a young man half-naked: 9ith 9ings on his
shoulders! he repeats the 0ve aria to a young
girl: 9ho replies 8%at:8 and the angel kisses her on
the mouth ! after 9hich a child: shut up in a great
cock of pasteboard: imitates the cro9ing of the cock
8&uer natus est nobis8 0 great ox bello9s out
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 114/469
8ubi8 ! a sheep baas out 87ethlehem8 ! an ass brays
8hihanus:8 to signify 8eamus8 ! and a long proces-
sion: preceded by four fools 9ith bells and baubles:
brings up the rear )here still remain some traces
of this popular devotion: 9hich among a civili@ed
and educated people 9ould be taken for profanation
0 $9iss: out of patience: and possibly more intox-
icated than the performers of the ox and the ass:
took the liberty of remonstrating 9ith them at .ou-
vain: and 9as re9arded 9ith no small number of
blo9s ! they 9ould indeed have hanged him: and he
escaped 9ith great diMculty
)he same man had a dangerous Kuarrel at )he
/ague for violently taking the part of 7arnevelt
against an outrageous 1omarist /e 9as impris-
oned at 0msterdam for saying that priests 9ere the
scourge of humanity: and the source of all our mis-
jH &hilosophical
fortunes 8/o9S8 said he: 8if 9e maintain that
good 9orks are necessary to salvation: 9e are sent
to a dungeon! and if 9e laugh at a cock and an
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 115/469
ass 9e risk hanging S8 'idiculous as this adventure
9as: it is suMcient to convince us that 9e may be
criminal in one or t9o points in our hemisphere: and
innocent in all the rest of the 9orld
O505
)/( race of Onan exhibits great singularities
)he patriarch =udah: his father: lay 9ith his daugh-
ter-in-la9: )amar the &hoenician: in the highroad!
=acob: the father of =udah: 9as at the same time
married to t9o sisters: the daughters of an idolater !
and deluded both his father and father-in-la9 .ot:
the granduncle of =acob: lay 9ith his t9o daugh-
ters $aleum: one of the descendants of =acob and
of =udah: espoused 'ahab the 6anaanite: a prosti-
tute 7oa@: son of $aleum and 'ahab: received into
his bed 'uth the idianite! and 9as great grand-
father of 4avid 4avid took a9ay 7athsheba from
the 9arrior riah: her husband: and caused him to
be slain: that he might be unrestrained in his amour
.astly: in the t9o genealogies of 6hrist: 9hich diCer
in so many points: but agree in this: 9e discover
that he descended from this tissue of fornication:
adultery: and incest
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 116/469
5othing is more proper to confound human pru-
dence! to humble our limited minds! and to con-
vince us that the 9ays of &rovidence are not like
4ictionary PP
our 9ays )he reverend father 4om 6almet makes
this reQection: in alluding to the incest of =udah
9ith )amar: and to the sin of Onan: spoken of in
the "Rth chapter of 81enesis8 < 8$cripture:8 he ob-
serves: 8gives us the details of a history: 9hich on
the %rst perusal strikes our minds as not of a nature
for edi%cation ! but the hidden sense 9%ich is shut
up in it is as elevated as that of the mere letter ap-
pears lo9 to carnal eyes It is not 9ithout good
reasons that the /oly $pirit has allo9ed the his-
tories of )amar: of 'ahab^ of 'uth: and of 7ath-
sheba: to form a part of the genealogy of =esus
6hrist8
It might have been 9ell if 4om 6almet had ex-
plained these sound reasons: by 9hich 9e might
have cleared up the doubts and appeased the scruples
of all the honest and timorous souls 9ho are anxious
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 117/469
to comprehend ho9 this $upreme 7eing: the 6reator
of 9orlds: could be born in a =e9ish village: of a
race of plunderers and of prostitutes )his mys-
tery: 9hich is not less inconceivable than other mys-
teries: 9as assuredly 9orthy the explanation of so
able a commentator but to return to our subject
,e perfectly understand the crime of the patri-
arch =udah: and of the patriarchs $imeon and .evi:
his brothers: at $ichem ! but it is more diMcult to un-
derstand the sin of Onan =udah had married his
eldest son (r to the &hoenician: )amar (r died in
conseKuence of his 9ickedness: and the patriarch
9ished his second son to espouse the 9ido9: accord-
PR &hilosophical
ing to an ancient la9 of the (gyptians and &hoeni-
cians: their neighbors: 9hich 9as called raising up
seed for his brother )he %rst child of this second
marriage bore the name of the deceased: and this
Onan objected to /e hated the memory of his
brother: or to produce a child to bear the name of
(r! and to avoid it took the means 9hich are de-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 118/469
tailed in the chapter of 81enesis8 already men-
tioned: and 9hich are practised by no species of ani-
mals but apes and human beings
0n (nglish physician 9rote a small volume on
this vice: 9hich he called after the name of the patri-
arch 9ho 9as guilty of it )issot: the celebrated
physician of .ausanne: also 9rote on this subject: in
a 9ork much more profound and methodical than
the (nglish one )hese t9o 9orks detail the conse-
Kuences of this unhappy habit loss of strength: im-
potence: 9eakness of the stomach and intestines:
tremblings: vertigo: lethargy: and often premature
death
)issot: ho9ever: to console us for this evil: re-
lates as many examples of the mischiefs of repletion
in both sexes )here cannot be a stronger argument
against rash vo9s of chastity +rom the examples
aCorded: it is impossible to avoid being convinced
of the enormous folly of condemning ourselves to
these turpitudes in order to renounce a connection
9hich has been expressly commanded by 1od /im-
self In this manner think the &rotestants: the =e9s:
the ahometans: and many other nations ! the 6ath-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 119/469
4ictionary P#
olics oCer other reasons in favor of converts I
shall merely say of the 6atholics 9hat 4om 6almet
says of the /oly 1host )hat their reasons are
doubtless good: could 9e understand them
O&I5IO5
,/0) is the opinion of all the nations of the
north of 0merica: and those 9hich border the
$traits of $unda: on the best of governments: and
best of religions ! on public ecclesiastical rights ! on
the manner of 9riting history! on the nature of
tragedy: comedy: opera: eclogue: epic poetry ! on in-
nate ideas: concomitant grace: and the miracles of
4eacon &aris ? It is clear that all these people have
no opinions on things of 9hich they have no ideas
)hey have a confused feeling of their customs:
and go not beyond this instinct $uch are the people
9ho inhabit the shores of the +ro@en $ea for the
space of %fteen hundred leagues $uch are the in-
habitants of the three parts of 0frica: and those of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 120/469
nearly all the isles of 0sia! of t9enty hordes of
)artars: and almost all men solely occupied 9ith the
painful and continual care of providing their sub-
sistence $uch are: at t9o steps from us: most of
the orlachians: many of the $avoyards: and some
citi@ens of &aris
,hen a nation begins to be civili@ed: it has some
opinions 9hich are Kuite false It believes in spirits:
sorcerers: the enchantment of serpents and their im-
Ro &hilosophical
mortality! in possessions of the devil: exorcisms:
and soothsayers It is persuaded that seeds must
gro9 rotten in the earth to spring up again: and that
the Kuarters of the moon are the causes of accesses
of fever
0 )alapoin persuades his follo9ers that the god
$ammonocodom sojourned some time at $iam: and
that he cut do9n all the trees in a forest 9hich pre-
vented him from Qying his kite at his ease: 9hich
9as his favorite amusement )his idea takes root
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 121/469
in their heads! and %nally: an honest man 9ho
might doubt this adventure of $ammonocodom:
9ould run the risk of being stoned It reKuires ages
to destroy a popular opinion Opinion is called the
Kueen of the 9orld ! it is so ! for 9hen reason op-
poses it: it is condemned to death It must rise
t9enty times from its ashes to gradually drive a9ay
the usurper
O&)II$
I 7(1 of you: gentlemen: to explain to me ho9
everything is for the best ! for I do not understand
it 4oes it signify that everything is arranged and
ordered according to the la9s of the impelling
po9er? )hat I comprehend and ackno9ledge 4o
you mean that every one is 9ell and possesses the
means of living that nobody suCers? ou kno9
that such is not the case 0re you of the opinion
that the lamentable calamities 9hich aUict the earth
are good in reference to 1od ! and that /e takes
4ictionary R F
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 122/469
pleasure in them? I credit not this horrible doc-
trine! neither do you
/ave the goodness to explain ho9 all is for the
best &lato: the dialectician: condescended to allo9
to 1od the liberty of making %ve 9orlds ! because:
said he: there are %ve regular solids in geometry:
the tetrahedron: the cube: the hexahedron: the dodec-
ahedron: and the icosahedron 7ut 9hy thus re-
strict divine po9er? ,hy not permit the sphere:
9hich is still more regular: and even the cone: the
pyramid of many sides: the cylinder: etc ?
1od: according to &lato: necessarily chose the
best of all possible 9orlds ! and this system has been
embraced by many 6hristian philosophers: although
it appears repugnant to the doctrine of original sin
0fter this transgression: our globe 9as no more the
best of all possible 9orlds If it 9as ever so: it
might be so still ! but many people believe it to be
the 9orst of 9orlds instead of the best
.eibnit@ takes the part of &lato! more readers
than one complain of their inability to understand
either the one or the other ! and for ourselves: hav-
ing read both of them more than once: 9e avo9 our
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 123/469
ignorance according to custom ! and since the gospel
has revealed nothing on the subject: 9e remain in
darkness 9ithout remorse
.eibnit@: 9ho speaks of everything: has treated
of original sin ! and as every man of systems intro-
duces into his plan something contradictory: he im-
agined that the disobedience to9ards 1od: 9ith the
2ol FJH
RJ &hilosophical
frightful misfortunes 9hich follo9ed it: 9ere in-
tegral parts of the best of 9orlds: and necessary in-
gredients of all possible felicity < 86alla: calla: senor
don 6arlos! todo che se ha@e es por su ben8
,hat S to be chased from a delicious place: 9here
9e might have lived for ever only for the eating of
an apple ? ,hat S to produce in misery 9retched
children: 9ho 9ill suCer everything: and in return
produce others to suCer after them? ,hatS to ex-
perience all maladies: feel all vexations: die in the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 124/469
midst of grief: and by 9ay of recompense be burned
to all eternity is this lot the best possible? It cer-
tainly is not good for us: and in 9hat manner can it
be so for 1od? .eibnit@ felt that nothing could be
said to these objections: but nevertheless made great
books: in 9hich he did not even understand him-
self
.ucullus: in good health: partaking of a good din-
ner 9ith his friends and his mistress in the hall of
0pollo: may jocosely deny the existence of evil !
but let him put his head out of the 9indo9 and he
9ill behold 9retches in abundance ! let him be sei@ed
9ith a fevc)j and he 9ill be one himself
I do not like to Kuote! it is ordinarily a thorny
proceeding ,hat precedes and 9hat follo9s the
passage Kuoted is too freKuently neglected ! and thus
a thousand objections may rise I must: not9ith-
standing: Kuote .actantius: one of the fathers: 9ho:
in the thirteenth chapter on the anger of 1od:
makes (picurus speak as follo9s< 81od can either
4ictionary R"
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 125/469
take a9ay evil from the 9orld and 9ill not ! or be-
ing 9illing to do so: cannot ! or /e neither can nor
9ill ! or: lastly: /e is both able and 9illing If /e
is 9illing to remove evil and cannot: then is /e not
omnipotent If /e can: but 9ill not remove it: then
is /e not benevolent ! if /e is neither able nor 9ill-
ing: then is /e neither po9erful nor benevolent!
lastly: if both able and 9illing to annihilate evil: ho9
does it exist?8
)he argument is 9eighty: and .actantius replies
to it very poorly by saying that 1od 9ills evil: but
has given us 9isdom to secure the good It must be
confessed that this ans9er is very 9eak in compari-
son 9ith the objection! for it implies that 1od could
besto9 9isdom only by allo9ing evil a pleasant
9isdom truly S )he origin of evil has al9ays been
an abyss: the depth of 9hich no one has been able
to sound It 9as this diMculty 9hich reduced so
many ancient philosophers and legislators to have re-
course to t9o principles the one good: the other
9icked )yphon 9as the evil principle among the
(gyptians: 0rimanes among the &ersians )he
anichseans: it is said: adopted this theory ! but as
these people have never spoken either of a good or
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 126/469
of a bad principle: 9e have nothing to prove it but
the assertion
0mong the absurdities abounding in this 9orld:
and 9hich may be placed among the number of our
evils: that is not the least 9hich presumes the ex-
istence of t9o all-po9erful beings: combating 9hich
R &hilosophical
shall prevail most in this 9orld: and making a treaty
like the t9o physicians in oliere < 80llo9 me the
emetic: and I resign to you the lancet8
7asilides pretended: 9ith the platonists of the
%rst century of the church: that 1od gave the
making of our 9orld to /is inferior angels: and
these: being inexpert: have constructed it as 9e per-
ceive )his theological fable is laid prostrate by the
over9helming objection that it is not in the nature
of a deity all-po9erful and all-9ise to intrust the
construction of a 9orld to incompetent architects
$imon: 9ho felt the force of this objection: ob-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 127/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 128/469
food 0mbrosia exhaled by the pores! but after
eating cake: they 9ere obliged to relieve themselves
in the usual manner )he man and the 9oman re-
Kuested an angel to direct them to a 9ater-closet
7ehold: said the angel: that petty globe 9hich is al-
most of no si@e at all ! it is situated about sixty mil-
lions of leagues from this place: and is the privy of
the universe go there as Kuickly as you can )he
man and 9oman obeyed the angel and came here:
9here they have ever since remained! since 9hich
time the 9orld has been 9hat 9e no9 %nd it )he
$yrians 9ill eternally be asked 9hy 1od allo9ed
man to eat the cake and experience such a cro9d
of formidable ills?
I pass 9ith speed from the fourth heaven to .ord
7olingbroke )his 9riter: 9ho doubtless 9as a
great genius: gave to the celebrated &ope his plan
of 8all for the best:8 as it is found 9ord for 9ord in
the posthumous 9orks of .ord 7olingbroke: and
recorded by .ord $haftesbury in his 86haracter-
istics8 'ead in $haftesbury;s chapter of the
8oralists8 the follo9ing passage <
8uch may be replied to these complaints of the
defects of nature /o9 came it so po9erless and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 129/469
defective from the hands of a perfect 7eing? 7ut
I deny that it is defective 7eauty is the result of
contrast: and universal concord springs out of a
perpetual conQict It is necessary that every-
thing be sacri%ced to other things vegetables to
RH &hilosophical
animals: and animals to the earth )he la9s
of the central po9er of gravitation: 9hich give to
the celestial bodies their 9eight and motion: are not
to be deranged in consideration of a pitiful animal: ;
9ho: protected as he is by the same la9s: 9ill soon
be reduced to dust8
7olingbroke: $haftesbury: and &ope: their 9ork-
ing artisan: resolve their general Kuestion no better
than the rest )heir 8all for the best8 says no more
than that all is governed by immutable la9s! and
9ho did not kno9 that? ,e learn nothing 9hen
9e remark: after the manner of little children: that
Qies are created to be eaten by spiders: spiders by
s9allo9s: s9allo9s by ha9ks: ha9ks by eagles:
eagles by men: men by one another: to aCord food
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 130/469
for 9orms : and at last: at the rate of about a thou-
sand to one: to be the prey of devils everlastingly
)here is a constant and regular order established
among animals of all kinds a universal order
,hen a stone is formed in my bladder: the mechan-
ical process is admirable! sandy particles pass by
small degrees into my blood! they are %ltered by
the veins! and passing the urethra: deposit them-
selves in my bladder! 9here: uniting agreeably to
the 5e9tonian attraction: a stone is formed: 9hich
gradually increases: and I suCer pains a thousand
times 9orse than death by the %nest arrangement in
the 9orld 0 surgeon: perfect in the art of )ubal-
6ain: thrusts into me a sharp instrument ! and cut-
ting into the perineum: sei@es the stone 9ith his
4ictionary RP
pincers: 9hich breaks during the endeavors: by the
necessary la9s of mechanism! and o9ing to the
same mechanism: I die in frightful torments 0ll
this is 8for the best:8 being the evident result of un-
alterable physical principles: agreeably to 9hich I
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 131/469
kno9 as 9ell as you that I perish
If 9e 9ere insensitive: there 9ould be nothing
to say against this system of physics! but this is
not the point on 9hich 9e treat ,e ask if there
are not physical evils: and 9hence do they originate ?
)here is no absolute evil: says &ope in his 8(ssay
on an8 ! or if there are particular evils: they com-
pose a general good It is a singular general good
9hich is composed of the stone and the gout of all
sorts of crime and suCerings: and of death and
damnation
)he fall of man is our plaister for all these partic-
ular maladies of body and soul: 9hich you call 8the
general health8! but $haftesbury and 7olingbroke
have attacked original sin &ope says nothing about
it ! but it is clear that their system saps the founda-
tions of the 6hristian religion: and explains nothing
at all
In the meantime: this system has been since ap-
proved by many theologians: 9ho 9illingly embrace
contradictions 7e it so ! 9e ought to leave to every-
body the privilege of reasoning in their o9n 9ay
upon the deluge of ills 9hich over9helm us It
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 132/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 133/469
more 9ho in conseKuence spend the rest of their
days in penury and tears: provided /e succeeds in
/is designs
+ar therefore from the doctrine that this is the
best of all possible 9orlds being consolatory: it is
a hopeless one to the philosophers 9ho embrace it
)he Kuestion of good and evil remains in irremedi-
able chaos for those 9ho seek to fathom it in reality
It is a mere mental sport to the disputants: 9ho are
captives that play 9ith their chains 0s to un-
reasoning people: they resemble the %sh 9hich are
transported from a river to a reservoir: 9ith no more
suspicion that they are to be eaten during the ap-
4ictionary R#
preaching .ent: than 9e have ourselves of the facts
9hich originate our destiny
.et us place at the end of every chapter of meta-
physics the t9o letters used by the 'oman judges
9hen they did not understand a pleading 5 .
non liKuet it is not clear .et us: above all: silence
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 134/469
the knaves 9ho: overloaded like ourselves 9ith the
9eight of human calamities: add the mischief of
their calumny! let us refute their execrable im-
posture by having recourse to faith and &rovidence
$ome reasoners are of opinion that it agrees not
9ith the nature of the 1reat 7eing of 7eings for
things to be other9ise than they are It is a rough
system: and I am too ignorant to venture to ex-
amine it
O'06.($
$(6)IO5 I
0+)(' the sect of the &harisees among the =e9s
had become acKuainted 9ith the devil: some rea-
soners among them began to entertain the idea that
the devil and his companions inspired: among all
other nations: the priests and statues that delivered
oracles )he $adducees had no belief in such beings
)hey admitted neither angels nor demons It ap-
pears that they 9ere more philosophic than the
&harisees: and conseKuently less calculated to obtain
inQuence and credit 9ith the people
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 135/469
)he devil 9as the great agent 9ith the =e9ish
populace in the time of 1amaliel: =ohn the 7aptist:
#G &hilosophical
=ames Oblia: and =esus his brother: 9ho 9as our
$aviour: =esus 6hrist 0ccordingly: 9e perceive
that the devil transports =esus sometimes into the
9ilderness: sometimes to the pinnacle of the temple:
and sometimes to a neighboring hill: from 9hich
might be discovered all the kingdoms of the 9orld !
the devil takes possession: 9hen he pleases: of the
persons of boys: girls: and animals
)he 6hristians: although mortal enemies of the
&harisees: adopted all that the &harisees had imag-
ined of the devil ! as the =e9s had long before in-
troduced among themselves the customs and cere-
monies of the (gyptians 5othing is so common
as to imitate the practices of enemies: and to use
their 9eapons
In a short time the fathers of the church ascribed
to the devil all the religions 9hich divided the earth:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 136/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 137/469
6hild bent their heads in sign of grateful ackno9l-
edgment: but turned their backs on those 9ho pre-
sented themselves 9ith empty hands
In (ngland the case 9as much 9orse ,hen by
order of /enry 2III : a judicial visitation took place
of all the convents: half of the nuns 9ere found in
a state of pregnancy! and this: at least it may be
supposed: 9as not by the operation of the devil
7ishop 7urnet relates that in a hundred and forty-
four convents the depositions taken by the king;s
commissioners attested abominations 9hich those of
$odom and 1omorrah did not even approach In
fact: the (nglish monks might naturally be expected
to be more dissolute than the inhabitants of $odom:
as they 9ere richer )hey 9ere in possession of the
best lands in the kingdom )he territory of $odom
and 1omorrah: on the contrary: produced neither
grain: fruit: nor pulse! and being moreover de%-
cient even in 9ater %t to drink: could be neither
more nor less than a frightful desert: inhabited by
miserable 9retches too much occupied in satisfying
their absolute necessities to have much time to de-
vote to pleasures
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 138/469
#J &hilosophical
In short: these superb asylums of la@iness having
been suppressed by act of parliament: all the instru-
ments of their pious frauds 9ere exposed in the
public places! the famous cruci%x of 7rocksley:
9hich moved and marched like a puppet! phials of
a red liKuid 9hich 9as passed oC for blood shed by
the statues of saints 9hen they 9ere dissatis%ed
9ith the court ! candlesticks of tinned iron: in 9hich
the lighted candles 9ere carefully placed so as to
make the people believe they 9ere the same candles
that 9ere al9ays burning! speaking tubes sarba-
cans 9hich communicated bet9een the sacristy
and the roof of the church: and by 9hich celestial
voices 9ere occasionally heard by apparent devotees:
9ho 9ere paid for hearing them! in short: every-
thing that 9as ever invented by knavery to impose
upon imbecility
any sensible persons 9ho lived at this period:
being perfectly convinced that the monks: and not
the devils: had employed all these pious stratagems:
began to entertain the idea that the case had been
very similar 9ith the religions of antiKuity! that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 139/469
all the oracles and all the miracles so highly vaunted
by ancient times had been merely the tricks of char-
latans ! that the devil had never had anything to do
9ith such matters! and that the simple fact 9as:
that the 1reek: 'oman: $yrian: and (gyptian
priests had been still more expert than our modern
monks
)he devil: therefore: thus lost much of his credit !
4ictionary #"
insomuch that at length the honest 7ekker: 9hose
article you may consult: 9rote his tiresome book
against the devil: and proved by a hundred argu-
ments that he had no existence )he devil himself
made no ans9er to him: but the ministers of the
holy gospel: as you have already seen: did ans9er
him! they punished the honest author for having
divulged their secret: and took a9ay his living! so
that 7ekker fell a victim to the nullity of 7eel@ebub
It 9as the lot of /olland to produce the most
formidable enemies of the devil )he physician
2an 4ale a humane philosopher: a man of pro-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 140/469
found learning: a most charitable citi@en: and one
9hose naturally bold mind became proportionately
bolder: in conseKuence of his intrepidity being
founded on virtue undertook at length the task of
enlightening mankind: al9ays enslaved by ancient
errors: and al9ays spreading the bandage that
covers their eyes: until at last some po9erful Qash
of light discovers to them a corner of truth of 9hich
the greater number are completely un9orthy /e
proved: in a 9ork abounding in the most recondite
learning: that the devils had never delivered a single
oracle: had never performed a single prodigy: and
had never mingled in human aCairs at all ! and that
there never had in reality been any demons but those
impostors 9ho had deceived their fello9 men )he
devil should never ridicule or despise a sensible phy-
sician )hose 9ho kno9 something of nature are
very formidable enemies to all juggling performers
# &hilosophical
of prodigies If the devil 9ould be advised by me:
he 9ould al9ays address himself to the faculty oi
theology: and never to the faculty of medicine
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 141/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 142/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 143/469
service highly acceptable to 1od to take as much
care as possible of money! it 9as indeed expressly
enjoined in the gospel: as the negligent servant 9ho
had not put out his lord;s money to interest at %ve
hundred per cent 9as thro9n into outer darkness
In the conversations 9hich the hermit had 9ith
=acovello: he freKuently entertained him 9ith plausi-
ble discourses held by cruci%xes and by a Kuantity of
Italian 2irgin arys =acovello agreed that the
statues of saints sometimes spoke to men: and told
him that he should believe himself one of the elect
if ever he could have the happiness to hear the image
of a saint speak
)he friendly &asKuale replied that he had some
#H &hilosophical
hope he might be able to give him that satisfaction
in a very little time! that he expected every day
from 'ome a death;s head: 9hich the pope had pre-
sented to one of his brother hermits! and that this
head spoke Kuite as distinctly and sensibly as the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 144/469
trees of 4odona: or even the ass of 7alaam /e
sho9ed him the identical head: in fact: four days
after this conversation /e reKuested of =acovello
the key of a small cave and an inner chamber: that no
person might possibly be a 9itness of the a9ful mys-
tery )he hermit: having introduced a tube from
this cave into the head: and made every other suita-
ble arrangement: 9ent to prayer 9ith his friend
=acovello: and the head at that moment uttered the
follo9ing 9ords < 8= acove > I 9 i/ recompense thy
@eal I announce to thee a treasure of a hundred
thousand cro9ns under a ye9 tree in thy garden
7ut thou shalt die by a sudden death if thou makest
any attempt to obtain this treasure until thou hast
produced before me a pot containing coin amount-
ing to ten gold marks8
=acovello ran speedily to his coCers and placed
before the oracle a pot containing the ten marks
)he good hermit had had the precaution to procure
a similar vessel 9hich he had %lled 9ith sand: and
he dexterously substituted that for the pot of =aco-
vello: on his turning his back: and then left the pious
miser 9ith one death;s head more: and ten gold
marks less: than he had before 5early such is the
9ay in 9hich all oracles have been delivered: begin-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 145/469
O5( 054 .(02( ( 0.O5( ,I)/
V"GO8
4ictionary #P
ning 9ith those of =upiter 0mmon: and ending 9ith
that of )rophonius
One of the secrets of the priests of antiKuity: as
it is of our o9n: 9as confession in the mysteries It
9as by this that they gained correct and particular
information about the aCairs of families: and Kual-
i%ed themselves in a great measure to give pertinent
and suitable replies to those 9ho came to consult
them )o this subject applies the anecdote 9hich
&lutarch has rendered so celebrated 0 priest once
urging an initiated person to confession: that person
said< 8)o 9hom should I confess?8 ;)o 1od:8
replied the priest 87egone then: man:8 said the de-
sired penitent! 8begone: and leave me alone 9ith
1od8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 146/469
It 9ould be almost endless to recount all the in-
teresting facts and narratives 9ith 9hich 2an 4ale
has enriched his book +ontenelle did not translate
it 7ut he extracted from it 9hat he thought 9ould
be most suitable to his countrymen: 9ho love
sprightly anecdote and observation better than pro-
found kno9ledge /e 9as eagerly read by 9hat in
+rance is called good company ! and 2an 4ale: 9ho
had 9ritten in .atin and 1reek: had been read only
by the learned )he rough diamond of 2an 4ale
shone 9ith exKuisite brilliancy after the cutting and
polish of +ontenelle < the success of the 9ork 9as
such that the fanatics became alarmed 5ot9ith-
standing all +ontenelle;s endeavors to soften do9n
the expressions of 2an 4ale: and his explaining
2ol FJ P
#R &hilosophical
himself sometimes 9ith the license of a 5orman: he
9as too 9ell understood by the monks: 9ho never
like to be told that their brethren have been impos-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 147/469
tors
0 certain =esuit of the name of 7altus: born near
essina: one of that description of learned persons
9ho kno9 ho9 to consult old books: and to falsify
and cite them: although after all nothing to the pur-
pose: took the part of the devil against 2an 4ale
and +ontenelle )he devil could not have chosen
a more tiresome and 9retched advocate ! his name is
no9 kno9n solely from the honor he had of 9riting
against t9o celebrated men 9ho advocated a good
cause
7altus like9ise: in his capacity of =esuit: caballed
9ith no little perseverance and bitterness on the oc-
casion: in union 9ith his brethren: 9ho at that time
9ere as high in credit and inQuence as they have
since been plunged deep in ignominy )he =ansen-
ists: on their part: more impassionate and exasper-
ated than even the =esuits: clamored in a still louder
tone than they did In short: all the fanatics 9ere
convinced that it 9ould be all over 9ith the 6hristian
religion: if the devil 9ere not supported in his rights
In the course of time the books of =ansenists and
=esuits have all sunk into oblivion )hat of 2an
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 148/469
4ale still remains for men of learning: and that of
+ontenelle for men of 9it ,ith respect to the
devil: he resembles both =esuits and =ansenists: and
is losing credit from day to day
4ictionary ##
$(6)IO5 II
$ome curious and surprising histories of oracles:
9hich it 9as thought could be ascribed only to the
po9er of genii: made the 6hristians think they 9ere
delivered by demons: and that they had ceased at
the coming of 6hrist )hey 9ere thus enabled to
save the time and trouble that 9ould have been re-
Kuired by an investigation of the facts! and they
thought to strengthen the religion 9hich informed
them of the existence of demons by referring to
those beings such events
)he histories ho9ever that 9ere circulated on the
subject of oracles are exceedingly suspicious )hat
of )hamus: to 9hich (usebius gives credit: and
9hich &lutarch alone relates: is follo9ed in the same
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 149/469
history by another story so ridiculous: that that
9ould be suMcient to thro9 discredit upon it! but
it is: besides: incapable of any reasonable interpreta-
tion If this great &an 9ere a demon: can 9e sup-
pose the demons incapable of communicating the
event of his death to one another 9ithout employing
)hamus about it? If the great &an 9ere =esus
6hrist: ho9 came it that not a single &agan 9as un-
deceived 9ith respect to his religion: and converted
to the belief that this same &an 9as in fact =esus
6hrist 9ho died in =udaea: if 1od /imself compelled
the demons to announce this death to the pagans ?
)he history of )hulis: 9hose oracle is clear and
positive on the subject of the )rinity: is related only
by $uidas )his )hulis: king of (gypt: 9as not
ioo &hilosophical
certainly one of the &tolemies ,hat becomes of
the 9hole oracle of $erapis: 9hen it is ascertained
that /erodotus does not speak of that god: 9hile
)acitus relates at length ho9 and 9hy one of the
&tolemies brought the god $erapis from &ontus:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 150/469
9here he had only until then been kno9n?
)he oracle delivered to 0ugustus about the /e-
bre9 infant 9ho should be obeyed by all the gods: is
absolutely inadmissible 6edrenus Kuotes it from
(usebius: but it is not no9 to be found in him It
certainly is not impossible that 6edrenus Kuotes it
from (usebius: but it is not no9 to be found in him
It certainly is not impossible that 6edrenus may
have made a false Kuotation: or have Kuoted a 9ork
falsely ascribed to (usebius! but ho9 is it to be
accounted for: that all the early apologists for 6hris-
tianity should have preserved complete silence 9ith
respect to an oracle so favorable to their religion ?
)he oracles 9hich (usebius relates from
&orphyry: 9ho 9as attached to paganism: are not of
a more embarrassing nature than those just noticed
/e gives them to us stripped of all the accompany-
ing circumstances that attended them in the 9ritings
of &orphyry /o9 do 9e kno9 9hether that pagan
did not refute them +or the interest of his cause
it 9ould naturally have been an object for him to do
so! and if he did not do it: most assuredly it 9as
from some concealed motive: such: for instance: as
presenting them to the 6hristians only for an occa-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 151/469
sion to prove and deride their credulity: if they
4ictionary FGF
should really receive them as true and rest their re-
ligion on such 9eak foundations
7esides: some of the ancient 6hristians re-
proached the pagans 9ith being the dupes of their
priests Observe ho9 6lement of 0lexandria speaks
of them< 87oast as long as you please of your
childish and impertinent oracles: 9hether of 6laros
or the &ythian 0pollo: of 4indymus or 0mphilocus !
and add to these your augurs and interpreters of
dreams and prodigies 7ring for9ard also those
clever gentry 9ho: in the presence of the mighty
&ythian 0pollo: eCect their divinations through the
medium of meal or barley: and those also 9ho: by a
certain talent of ventriloKuism: have obtained such
high reputation .et the secrets of the (gyptian
temples: and the necromancy of the (truscans: re-
main in darkness ! all these things are most cer-
tainly nothing more than decided impostures: as
completely tricks as those of a juggler 9ith his cups
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 152/469
and balls )he goats carefully trained for the di-
vination: the ravens elaborately instructed to deliver
the oracles: are if 9e may use the expression
merely accomplices of the charlatans by 9hom the
9hole 9orld has thus been cheated8
(usebius: in his turn: displays a number of ex-
cellent reasons to prove that oracles could be nothing
but impostures ! and if he attributes them to demons:
it is the result of deplorable prejudices or of an
aCected respect for general opinion )he pagans
9ould never admit that their oracles 9ere merely
loi &hilosophical
the arti%ces of their priests ! it 9as imagined there-
fore: by rather an a9k9ard process of reasoning:
that a little 9as gained in the dispute by admitting
the possibility: that there might be something super-
natural in their oracles: and insisting at the same
time: that if there 9ere: it 9as the operation: not
of the deity: but of demons
It is no longer necessary no9: in order to expose
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 153/469
the %nesse and stratagems of priests: to resort to
means 9hich might themselves appear too strongly
marked by those Kualities 0 time has already been
9hen they 9ere completely exhibited to the eyes of
the 9hole 9orld the time: I mean 9hen the 6hris-
tian religion proudly triumphed over paganism un-
der 6hristian emperors
)heodoret says that )heophilus: bishop of 0lex-
andria: exhibited to the inhabitants of that city the
hollo9 statues into 9hich the priests entered: from
secret passages: to deliver the oracles ,hen: by
6onstantine;s order: the temple of =(sculapius at
^gea: in 6ilicia: 9as pulled do9n: there 9as driven
out of it: says (usebius in his life of that emperor:
not a god: nor a demon: but the human impostor 9ho
had so long duped the credulity of nations )o
this he adds the general observation that: in the stat-
ues of the gods that 9ere thro9n do9n: not the
slightest appearance 9as found of gods: or demons:
or even any 9retched and gloomy spectres: but only
hay: stra9: or the bones of the dead
)he greatest diMculty respecting oracles is sur-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 154/469
4ictionary FG"
mounted: 9hen it is ascertained and admitted: that
demons had no concern 9ith them )here is no
longer any reason 9hy they should cease precisely
at the coming of =esus 6hrist 0nd moreover: there
are many proofs that oracles continued more than
four hundred years after =esus 6hrist: and that they
9ere not totally silenced but by the total destruction
of paganism
$uetonius: in the life of 5ero: says the oracle of
4elphi 9arned that emperor to be a9are of seventy-
three years: and that 5ero concluded he 9as to die
at that age: never thinking upon old 1alba: 9ho: at
the age of seventy-three: deprived him of the empire
&hilostratus: in his life of 0pollonius of )yana:
9ho sa9 4omitian: informs us that 0pollonius vis-
ited all the oracles of 1reece: and that of 4odona:
and that of 4elphos! and that of 0mphiaraus
&lutarch: 9ho lived under )rajan: tells us that the
oracles of 4elphos still subsisted: although there
9as then only one priestess: instead of t9o or three
nder 0drian: 4ion 6hrysostom relates that he con-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 155/469
sulted the oracle of 4elphos! he obtained from it
an ans9er 9hich appeared to him not a little per-
plexed: and 9hich in fact 9as so
nder the 0ntonines: .ucian asserts that a priest
of )yana 9ent to inKuire of the false prophet 0lex-
ander: 9hether the oracles 9hich 9ere then delivered
at 4indymus: 6laros: and 4elphos: 9ere really an-
s9ers of 0pollo: or impostures? 0lexander had
some fello9-feeling for these oracles: 9hich 9ere of
IO &hilosophical
a similar description to his o9n: and replied to the
priest: that that 9as not permitted to be kno9n ! but
9hen the same 9ise inKuirer asked 9hat he should
be after his death: he 9as boldly ans9ered: 8ou
9ill be a camel: then a horse: after9ards a philos-
opher: and at length a prophet as great as 0lex-
ander8
0fter the 0ntonines: three emperors contended
for the empire )he oracle of 4elphos 9as con-
sulted: says $partian: to ascertain 9hich of the three
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 156/469
the republic might expect as its head )he oracle
ans9ered in a single verse to the follo9ing purport <
)he black is better ! the 0frican is good ! the 9hite
is the 9orst 7y the black 9as understood &escen-
nius 5iger ! by the 0frican: $everus $eptimus: 9ho
9as from 0frica! and by the 9hite: 6laudius 0l-
binus
4ion: 9ho did not conclude his history before the
eighth year of 0lexander $everus: that is: the year
J"G: relates that in his time 0mphilocus still de-
livered oracles in dreams /e informs us also: that
there 9as in the city of 0pollonia an oracle 9hich
declared future events by the manner in 9hich the
%re caught and consumed the incense thro9n upon
an altar
nder 0urelian: about the year JPJ: the people
of &almyra: having revolted: consulted an oracle of
$arpedonian 0pollo in 6ilicia ! they again consulted
that of the 0phacian 2enus .icinus: according to
the account of $o@omen: designing to rene9 the 9ar
4ictionary FGL
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 157/469
against 6onstantine: consulted the oracle of 0pollo
of 4indymus: and received from it in ans9er t9o
verses of /omer: of 9hich the sense is nhappy
old man: it becomes not you to combat 9ith the
young S you have no strength: and are sinking under
the 9eight of age
0 certain god: scarcely if at all kno9n: of the
name of 7esa: if 9e may credit 0mmianus arcelli-
nus: still delivered oracles on billets at 0bydos: in
the extremity of the )hebais: under the reign of
6onstantius +inally: acrobius: 9ho lived under
0rcadius and /onorius: sons of )heodosius: speaks
of the god of /eliopolis of $yria and his oracle: and
of the fortunes of 0ntium: in terms 9hich distinctly
imply that they all still subsisted in his time
,e may observe that it is not of the slightest
conseKuence 9hether these histories are true or
9hether the oracles in fact delivered the ans9ers
attributed to them ! it is completely suMcient for the
purpose that false ans9ers could be attributed only
to oracles 9hich 9ere in fact kno9n still to subsist !
and the histories 9hich so many authors have pub-
lished clearly prove that they did not cease but
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 158/469
9ith the cessation of paganism itself
6onstantine pulled do9n but fe9 temples: nor in-
deed could he venture to pull them do9n but on a
pretext of crimes committed in them It 9as on this
ground that he ordered the demolition of those of
the 0phacian 2enus: and of ^sculapius 9hich 9as
at =(gea in 6ilicia: both of them temples in 9hich
ioH &hilosophical
oracles 9ere delivered 7ut he forbade sacri%ces
to the gods: and by that edict began to render tem-
ples useless
any oracles still subsisted 9hen =ulian assumed
the reins of empire /e re-established some that
9ere in a state of ruin ! and he 9as even desirous of
being the prophet of that of 4indymus =ovian: his
successor: began his reign 9ith great @eal for the
destruction of paganism! but in the short space of
seven months: 9hich comprised the 9hole time he
reigned: he 9as unable to make any great progress
)heodosius: in order to attain the same object: or-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 159/469
dered all the temples of the pagans to be shut up
0t last: the exercise of that religion 9as prohibited
under pain of death by an edict of the emperors 2al-
entinian and arcian: in the year LF of the vulgar
era! and the destruction of paganism necessarily
involved that of oracles
)his conclusion has nothing in it surprising or
extraordinary< it is the natural conseKuence of the
establishment of a ne9 9orship iraculous facts:
or rather 9hat it is desired should be considered
as such: diminish in a false religion: either in propor-
tion as it becomes %rmly established and has no
longer occasion for them: or in proportion as it
gradually becomes 9eaker and 9eaker: because they
no longer obtain credit )he ardent but useless
desire to pry into futurity gave birth to oracles !
imposture encouraged and sanctioned them! and
fanaticism set the seal! for an infallible method of
4ictionary FGP
making fanatics is to persuade before you instruct
)he poverty of the people: 9ho had no longer any-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 160/469
thing left them to give! the imposture detected in
many oracles: and thence naturally concluded to
exist in all! and %nally the edicts of the 6hristian
emperors! such are the real causes of the estab-
lishment: and of the cessation: of this species of
imposture )he introduction of an opposite state
of circumstances into human aCairs made it com-
pletely disappear ! and oracles thus became involved
in the vicissitudes accompanying all human institu-
tions
$ome limit themselves to observing that the birth
of =esus 6hrist is the %rst epoch of the cessation of
oracles 7ut 9hy: on such an occasion: should some
demons have Qed: 9hile others remained? 7esides:
ancient history proves decidedly that many oracles
had been destroyed before this birth 0ll the distin-
guished oracles of 1reece no longer existed: or
scarcely existed: and the oracle 9as occasionally in-
terrupted by the silence of an honest priest 9ho
9ould not consent to deceive the people 8)he oracle
of 4elphi:8 says .ucian: 8remains dumb since princes
have become afraid of futurity ! they have prohibited
the gods from speaking: and the gods have obeyed
them8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 161/469
O'4(0.
I) I1/) be imagined that all the absurdities
9hich degrade human nature 9ere destined to come
ioR &hilosophical
to us from 0sia: the source at the same time of all
the sciences and arts S It 9as in 0sia and in (gypt
that mankind %rst dared to make the life or death of
a person accused: dependent on the thro9 of a die: or
something eKually unconnected 9ith reason and de-
cided by chance on cold 9ater or hot 9ater: on red
hot iron: or a bit of barley bread $imilar super-
stition: 9e are assured by travellers: still exists in
the Indies: on the coast of alabar: and in =apan
)his superstition passed from (gypt into 1reece
)here 9as a very celebrated temple at )re@ene in
9hich every man 9ho perjured himself died in-
stantly of apoplexy /ippolytus: in the tragedy of
8&haedra:8 in the %rst scene of the %fth act: addresses
the follo9ing lines to his mistress 0ricia <
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 162/469
0ux &ortes de )re@ene: etparmi ces tombeaux:
4es princes de ma race antiKues sepultures:
(st un temple sac re F formidable aux parjures
6est la Kue les mortels riosentjurer en vain!
.e per%de y reXoit un chatiment soudain !
(t: craignant d;y trouver la mart inevitable:
.e mensonge ri a point defrem plus redoubtable
0t )re@ene;s gates: amidst the ancient tombs
In 9hich repose the princes of my race:
0 sacred temple stands: the perjurer;s dread
5o daring mortal there may falsely s9ear:
+or s9ift the vengeance 9hich pursues his crime:
Inevitable death his instant lot!
5o9here has falsehood a more a9ful curb
)he learned commentator of the great 'acine
makes the follo9ing remark on these )re@enian
proofs or ordeals <
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 163/469
8 de la otte has remarked that /ippolytus
should have proposed to his father to come and hear
4ictionary FG#
his justi%cation in this temple: 9here no one dared
venture on s9earing to a falsehood It is certain:
that in such a case )heseus could not have doubted
the innocence of that young prince ! but he had re-
ceived too convincing evidence against the virtue of
&haedra: and /ippolytus 9as not inclined to make
the experiment de la otte 9ould have done
9ell to have distrusted his o9n good taste: 9hen he
suspected that of 'acine: 9ho appears to have fore-
seen the objection here made In fact: )heseus is
so prejudiced against /ippolytus that he 9ill not
even permit him to justify himself by an oath8
I should observe that the criticism of .a otte
9as originally made by the deceased marKuis de
.assai /e delivered it at de la +aye;s: at a din-
ner party at 9hich I 9as present together 9ith the
late de la otte: 9ho promised to make use of it !
and: in fact: in his 84iscourses upon )ragedy:8 he
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 164/469
gives the honor of the criticism to the marKuis de
.assai )he remark appeared to me particularly
judicious: as 9ell as to de la +aye and to all the
guests present: 9ho of course excepting myself
9ere the most able critics in &aris 7ut 9e all
agreed that 0ricia 9as the person 9ho should have
called upon )heseus to try the accused by the ordeal
of the )re@enian temple ! and so much the more so:
as )heseus immediately after talks for a long time
together to that princess: 9ho forgets the only thing
that could clear up the doubts of the father and
vindicate the son: )he commentator in vain objects
no &hilosophical
that )heseus has declared to his son he 9ill not be-
lieve his oaths <
)oujours les scelerats ont recours au parjure
&hedra 0ct iv: scene J
)he 9icked al9ays have recourse to oaths
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 165/469
)here is a prodigious diCerence bet9een an oath
taken in a common apartment: and an oath taken in
a temple 9here the perjured are punished by sudden
death /ad 0ricia said but a single 9ord on the
subject: )heseus could have had no excuse for not
conducting /ippolytus to this temple! but: in that
case: 9hat 9ould have become of the catastrophe ?
/ippolytus: then: should not have mentioned at
all the appalling po9er of the temple of )re@ene
to his beloved 0ricia! he had no need 9hatever to
take an oath of his love to her: for of that she 9as
already most fully persuaded In short: his doing
so is an inadvertence: a small fault: 9hich escaped
the most ingenious: elegant: and impassioned tra-
gedian that 9e ever had
+rom this digression: I return to the barbarous
madness of ordeals )hey 9ere not admitted in the
'oman republic ,e cannot consider as of one of
these ordeals: the usage by 9hich the most impor-
tant enterprises 9ere made to depend upon the man-
ner in 9hich the sacred pullets ate their vetches
,e are here considering only ordeals applied to as-
certain the guilt or innocence of men It 9as never
proposed to the anliuses: 6amilluses: or $cipios: to
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 166/469
4ictionary F F F
prove their innocence by plunging their hands into
boiling 9ater 9ithout its scalding them
)hese suggestions of folly and barbarism 9ere
not admitted under the emperors 7ut the )artars
9ho came to destroy the empire for the greater
part of these plunderers issued originally from )ar-
tary %lled our Kuarter of the 9orld 9ith their
ridiculous and cruel jurisprudence: 9hich they de-
rived from the &ersians It 9as not kno9n in the
(astern (mpire till the time of =ustinian: not9ith-
standing the detestable superstition 9hich prevailed
in it 7ut from that time the ordeals 9e are speak-
ing of 9ere received )his manner of trying men is
so ancient that 9e %nd it established among the =e9s
in all periods of their history
3orah: 4athan: and 0biram dispute the ponti%-
cate 9ith the high priest 0aron in the 9ilderness !
oses commands them to bring him t9o hundred
and %fty censors: and says to them < .et 1od choose
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 167/469
bet9een their censors and that of 0aron $carcely
had the revolted made their appearance in order to
submit to this ordeal: before they 9ere s9allo9ed
up by the earth: and %re from heaven struck t9o
hundred and %fty of their principal adherents ! after
9hich: the .ord destroyed fourteen thousand seven
hundred more men of that party )he Kuarrel ho9-
ever for the priesthood still continued bet9een the
chiefs of Israel and 0aron )he ordeal of rods 9as
then employed! each man presented his rod: and
that of 0aron 9as the only one 9hich budded
FFJ &hilosophical
0lthough the people of 1od had levelled the
9alls of =ericho by the sound of trumpets: they 9ere
overcome by the inhabitants of 0i )his defeat did
not appear at all natural to =oshua ! he consulted the
.ord: 9ho ans9ered that Israel had sinned! that
some one had appropriated to his o9n use a part of
the plunder that had been taken at =ericho: and there
devoted as accursed In fact: all ought to have been
burned: together 9ith the men and 9omen: children
and cattle: and 9hoever had preserved and carried
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 168/469
oC any part 9as to be exterminated =oshua: in
order to discover the oCender: subjected all the
tribes to the trial by lot )he lot %rst fell on the
tribe of =udah: then on the family of Darah: then on
the house of Dabdi: and %nally on the grandson of
Dabdi: 9hose name 9as 0cham
$cripture does not explain ho9 it 9as that these
9andering tribes came to have houses ! neither does
it inform us 9hat kind of lots 9ere made use of on
the occasion! but it is clear from the text: that
0cham: being convicted of stealing a small 9edge
of gold: a scarlet mantle: and t9o hundred shekels of
silver: 9as burned to death in the valley of 0chor:
together 9ith his sons: his sheep: his oxen: and his
asses ! and even his very tent 9as burned 9ith him
)he promised land 9as divided by lot ! lots 9ere
dra9n respecting the t9o goats of expiation 9hich
should be sacri%ced to the .ord: and 9hich should
go for a scapegoat into the 9ilderness ,hen $aul
9as to be chosen king: lots 9ere consulted: and the
4ictionary FF"
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 169/469
lot fell on the tribe of 7enjamin: on the family of
etri belonging to that tribe: and %nally on $aul:
the son of 3ish: in the family of etri
)he lot fell on =onathan to be punished for hav-
ing eaten some honey at the end of a rod )he sail-
ors of =oppa dre9 lots to learn from 1od 9hat 9as
the cause of the tempest )he lot informed them
that it 9as =onah ! and they thre9 him into the sea
0ll these ordeals by lot: 9hich among other na-
tions 9ere merely profane superstitions: 9ere the
voice of 1od /imself 9hen employed by /is cher-
ished and beloved people ! and so completely and de-
cidedly the voice of 1od that even the apostles %lled
the place of the apostle =udas by lot )he t9o candi-
dates for the succession 9ere atthias and 7arna-
bas &rovidence declared in favor of $t atthias
&ope /onorius: the third of that name: forbade
by a decretal from that time for9ard the method of
choosing bishops by lot 4eciding by lots 9as a
very common practice: and 9as called by the pagans:
8sortilegium8 6ato: in the 8&harsalia:8 says: 8$orti-
legis egeant dubil
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 170/469
)here 9ere other ordeals among the =e9s in the
name of the .ord! as: for example: the 9aters of
jealousy 0 9oman suspected of adultery 9as
obliged to drink of that 9ater mixed 9ith ashes: and
consecrated by the high priest If she 9as guilty
she instantly s9elled and died It is upon the foun-
dation of this la9 that the 9hole 6hristian 9orld
in the ,est established oracles for persons under
2ol iJR
FF &hilosophical
juridical accusation: not considering that 9hat 9as
ordained even by 1od /imself in the Old )estament
9as nothing more or less than an absurd supersti-
tion in the 5e9
4uel by 9ager of battle 9as one of those ordeals:
and lasted do9n to the sixteenth century /e 9ho
killed his adversary 9as al9ays in the right )he
most dreadful of all these curious and barbarous
ordeals: 9as that of a man;s carrying a bar of red-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 171/469
hot iron to the distance of nine paces 9ithout burn-
ing himself 0ccordingly: the history of the middle
ages: fabulous as it is: does not record any instance
of this ordeal: nor of that 9hich consisted in 9alking
over nine burning ploughshares 0ll the others
might be doubted: or the deceptions and tricks em-
ployed in relation to them to deceive the judges
might be easily explained It 9as very easy: for ex-
ample: to appear to pass through the trial of boiling
9ater 9ithout injury ! a vessel might be produced
half full of cold 9ater: into 9hich the judicial boil-
ing 9ater might be put! and the accused might
safely plunge his arm up to the elbo9 in the luke-
9arm mixture: and take up from the bottom the sa-
cred blessed ring that had been thro9n into it for
that purpose
Oil might be made to boil 9ith 9ater! the oil
begins to rise and appears to boil 9hen the 9ater
begins to simmer: and the oil at that time has ac-
Kuired but a small degree of heat In such circum-
stances: a man seems to plunge his hand into boiling
4ictionary FFL
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 172/469
9ater! but: in fact: moistens it 9ith the harmless
oil: 9hich preserves it from contact 9ith and injury
by the 9ater
0 champion may easily: by degrees: harden and
habituate himself to holding: for a fe9 seconds: a
ring that has been thro9n into the %re: 9ithout any
very striking or painful marks of burning )o pass
bet9een t9o %res 9ithout being scorched is no very
extraordinary proof of skill or address: 9hen the
movement is made 9ith great rapidity and the face
and hands are 9ell rubbed 9ith ointment It is thus
that the formidable &eter 0ldobrandin: or 8)he
+iery &eter:8 as he 9as called: used to manage if
there is any truth in his history 9hen he passed
bet9een t9o bla@ing %res at +lorence: in order to
demonstrate: 9ith 1od;s help: that his archbishop
9as a knave and debauchee O: charlatansS char-
latans S henceforth disappear forever from the pages
of history S
)here existed a rather ludicrous ordeal: 9hich
consisted in making an accused person try to s9al-
lo9 a piece of barley bread: 9hich it 9as believed
9ould certainly choke him if he 9ere guilty I am
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 173/469
not: ho9ever: so much diverted 9ith this case as
9ith the conduct of /arleKuin: 9hen the judge in-
terrogated him concerning a robbery of 9hich 4r
7alouard accused him )he judge 9as sitting at
table: and drinking some excellent 9ine at the time:
9hen /arleKuin 9as brought in ! perceiving 9hich:
the latter takes up the bottle: and: pouring the 9hole
F F H &hilosophical
of its contents into a glass: s9allo9s it at a draught:
saying to the doctor< 8If I am guilty of 9hat you
accuse me: sir: I hope this 9ine 9ill prove poison
to me8
O'4I50)IO5
I+ 0 $O.4I(': charged by the king of +rance 9ith
the honor of conferring the order of $t .ouis upon
another soldier: had not: 9hen presenting the latter
9ith the cross: the intention of making him a knight
of that order: 9ould the receiver of the badge be on
that account the less a member of the order than
if such intention had existed ? 6ertainly not
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 174/469
/o9 9as it: then: that many priests thought it
necessary to be re-ordained after the death of ;the
celebrated .avardin: bishop of ans? )hat singu-
lar prelate: 9ho had instituted the order of 81ood
+ello9s8 4es 6oteaux bethought himself on his
cleathbed of a singular trick: in the 9ay of revenge:
on a class of persons 9ho had much annoyed him
/e 9as 9ell kno9n as one of the most daring free-
thinkers of the age of .ouis EI2: and had been
publicly upbraided 9ith his in%del sentiments: by
many of those on 9hom he had conferred orders of
priesthood It is natural at the approach of death:
for a sensitive and apprehensive soul to revert to the
religion of its early years 4ecency alone 9ould
have reKuired of the bishop: that at least at his death
he should give an example of edi%cation to the Qock
to 9hich he had given so much scandal by his life
4ictionary FFP
7ut he 9as so deeply exasperated against his clergy:
as to declare: that not a single individual of those
9hom he had himself ordained 9as really and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 175/469
truly a priest! that all their acts in the capacity
of priests 9ere null and void! and that he never
entertained the intention of conferring any sacra-
ment
$uch reasoning seems certainly characteristic:
and just such as might be expected from a drunken
man! the priests of ans might have replied to
him: 8It is not your intention that is of any conse-
Kuence: but ours ,e had an ardent and determined
desire to be priests ! 9e did all in our po9er to be-
come such ,e are perfectly ingenuous and sincere !
if you are not so: that is nothing at all to us8 )he
maxim applicable to the occasion is: 8Kuic Kuid ac-
cipitur ad modum recipients accipitur:8 and not 8ad
modum dantis8 8,hen our 9ine merchant has sold
us a half a hogshead of 9ine: 9e drink it: although
he might have a secret intention to hinder us from
drinking it ! 9e shall still be priests in spite of your
testament8
)hose reasons 9ere sound and satisfactory
/o9ever: the greater number of those 9ho had
been ordained by that bishop did not consider them-
selves as real and authori@ed priests: and subjected
themselves to ordination a second time ascaron:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 176/469
a man of moderate talents: but of great celebrity as
a preacher: persuaded them: both by his discourses
and example: to have the ceremony repeated )he
F F R &hilosophical
aCair occasioned great scandal at ans: and &aris:
and 2ersailles! but like everything else 9as soon
forgotten
O'I1I50. $I5
$(6)IO5 I
)/I$ is a subject on 9hich the $ocinians or ni-
tarians take occasion to exult and triumph )hey
denominate this foundation of 6hristianity its 8orig-
inal sin8 It is an insult to 1od: they say ! it is ac-
cusing /im of the most absurd barbarity to have the
hardihood to assert: that /e formed all the succes-
sive generations of mankind to deliver them over to
eternal tortures: under the pretext of their original
ancestor having eaten of a particular fruit in a gar-
den )his sacrilegious imputation is so much the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 177/469
more inexcusable among 6hristians: as there is not
a single 9ord respecting this same invention of
original sin: either in the &entateuch: or in the
prophets: or the gospels: 9hether apocryphal or
canonical: or in any of the 9riters 9ho are called
the 8%rst fathers of the 6hurch8
It is not even related in the 7ook of 1enesis that
1od condemned 0dam to death for eating an apple
1od says to him: indeed: 8in the day that thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die8 7ut the very same
7ook of 1enesis makes 0dam live nine hundred
and thirty years after indulging in this criminal re-
past )he animals: the plants: 9hich had not par-
taken of this fruit: died at the respective periods
4ictionary F F #
prescribed for them by nature an is evidently
born to die: like all the rest
oreover: the punishment of 0dam 9as never:
in any 9ay: introduced into the =e9ish la9 0dam
9as no more a =e9 than he 9as a &ersian or 6hal-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 178/469
daean )he %rst chapters of 1enesis at 9hatever
period they 9ere composed 9ere regarded by all
the learned =e9s as an allegory: and even as a fable
not a little dangerous: since that book 9as forbid-
den to be read by any before they had attained the
age of t9enty-one
In a 9ord: the =e9s kne9 no more about original
sin than they did about the 6hinese ceremonies!
and: although divines generally discover in the
$cripture everything they 9ish to %nd there: either
8totidem verbis8 or 8totidem literis:8 9e may safely
assert that no reasonable divine 9ill ever discover
in it this surprising and over9helming mystery
,e admit that $t 0ugustine 9as the %rst 9ho
brought this strange notion into credit! a notion
9orthy of the 9arm and romantic brain of an 0fri-
can debauchee and penitent: anichaean and 6hris-
tian: tolerant and persecuting 9ho passed his life
in perpetual self-contradiction
,hat an abomination: exclaim the strict nita-
rians: so atrociously to calumniate the 0uthor of 5a-
ture as even to impute to /im perpetual miracles:
in order that /e may damn to all eternity the un-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 179/469
happy race of mankind: 9hom he introduces into
the present life only for so short a span S (ither /e
F JG &hilosophical
created souls from all eternity: upon 9hich system:
as they must be in%nitely more ancient than the sin
of 0dam: they can have no possible connection 9ith
it! or these souls are formed 9henever man and
9oman sexually associate! in 9hich case the $u-
preme 7eing must be supposed continually 9atching
for all the various associations of this nature that
take place: to create spirits that /e 9ill render eter-
nally miserable! or: %nally: 1od is /imself the soul
of all mankind: and upon this system damns /im-
self ,hich of these three suppositions is the most
absurd and abominable? )here is no fourth +or
the opinion that 1od 9aits six 9eeks before /e
creates a damned soul in a foetus is: in fact: no other
than that 9hich creates it at the moment of sexual
connection < the diCerence of six 9eeks cannot be of
the slightest conseKuence in the argument I have
merely related the opinion of the nitarians! but
men have no9 attained such a degree of superstition
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 180/469
that I can scarcely relate it 9ithout trembling
$(6)IO5 II
It must be ackno9ledged that 9e are not ac-
Kuainted 9ith any father of the 6hurch before $t
0ugustine and $t =erome: 9ho taught the doctrine
of original sin $t 6lement of 0lexandria: not9ith-
standing his profound kno9ledge of antiKuity: far
from speaking in any one passage of his 9orks of
that corruption 9hich has infected the 9hole human
race: and rendered it guilty from its birth: says in
4ictionary FJF
express 9ords: 8,hat evil can a ne9-born infant
commit ? /o9 could it possibly prevaricate ? /o9
could such a being: 9hich has: in fact: as yet done
no one thing: fall under the curse of 0dam ?8
0nd it is 9orth observing that he does not em-
ploy this language in order to combat the rigid opin-
ion of original sin: 9hich 9as not at that time devel-
oped: but merely to sho9 that the passions: 9hich
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 181/469
are capable of corrupting all mankind: have: as yet:
taken no hold of this innocent infant /e does not
say< )his creature of a day 9ould not be damned
if it should no9 die: for no one had yet conjectured
that it 9ould be damned $t 6lement could not
combat a system absolutely unkno9n
)he great Origen is still more decisive than $t
6lement of 0lexandria /e admits: indeed: in his
exposition of the (pistle of &aul to the 'omans:
that sin entered into the 9orld by 0dam: but he
maintains that it is the inclination to sin that thus
entered ! that it is very easy to commit evil: but that
it is not on that account said: man 9ill al9ays com-
mit evil: and is guilty even as soon as he is born
In short: original sin: in the time of Origen: con-
sisted only in the misfortune of resembling the %rst
man by being liable to sin like him 7aptism 9as a
necessary ordinance ! it 9as the seal of 6hristianity !
it 9ashed a9ay all sins ! but no man had yet said:
that it 9ashed a9ay those 9hich the subject of it
had not committed 5o one yet asserted that an in-
fant 9ould be damned: and burned in everlasting
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 182/469
FJJ &hilosophical
Qames: in conseKuence of its dying 9ithin t9o min-
utes of its birth 0nd an unans9erable proof on this
point is: that a long period passed a9ay before the
practice of bapti@ing infants became prevalent )er-
tullian 9as averse to their being bapti@ed! but: on
the persuasion that original sin of 9hich these poor
innocents could not possibly be guilty 9ould aCect
their reprobation: and expose them to suCer bound-
less and endless torture: for a deed of 9hich it 9as
impossible for them to have the slightest kno9ledge <
to refuse them the consecrated bath of baptism:
9ould be 9ilfully consigning them to eternal damna-
tion )he souls of all the executioners in the 9orld:
condensed into the very essence of ingenious cruelty:
could not have suggested a more execrable abomina-
tion In a 9ord: it is an incontestable fact that
6hristians did not for a certain period bapti@e their
infants: and it is therefore eKually incontestable that
they 9ere very far from damning them
)his: ho9ever: is not all! =esus 6hrist never
said< 8)he infant that is not bapti@ed 9ill be
damned8 /e came on the contrary to expiate all
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 183/469
sins: to redeem mankind by /is blood! therefore:
infants could not be damned Infants 9ould: of
course: 8a fortiori8 and: preferably: enjoy this priv-
ilege Our divine $aviour never bapti@ed any per-
son &aul circumcised his disciple )imothy: but is
no9here said to have bapti@ed him
In a 9ord: during the t9o %rst centuries: the bap-
tism of infants 9as not customary! it 9as not be-
4ictionary FJ"
lieved: therefore: that infants 9ould become victims
of the fault of 0dam 0t the end of four hundred
years their salvation 9as considered in danger: and
great uncertainty and apprehension existed on the
subject
In the %fth century appears &elagius /e treated
the opinion of original sin as monstrous 0ccording
to him: this dogma: like all others: 9as founded
upon a mere ambiguity 1od had said to 0dam in
the garden< 8In the day in 9hich thou shalt eat
of the tree of kno9ledge: thou shalt die8 7ut:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 184/469
he did not die ! and 1od pardoned him ,hy: then:
should /e not spare /is race to the thousandth
generation ? ,hy should /e consign to in%nite and
eternal torments the innocent infants 9hose father
/e received back into forgiveness and favor?
&elagius considered 1od: not merely as an abso-
lute master: but as a parent: 9ho left /is children
at perfect liberty: and re9arded them beyond their
merits: and punished them less than their faults de-
served )he language used by him and his disciples
9as< 8If all men are born objects of the eternal
9rath of that 7eing 9ho confers on them life! if
they can possibly be guilty before they can even
think: it is then a fearful and execrable oCence to
give them being: and marriage is the most atrocious
of crimes arriage: on this system: is nothing
more or less than an emanation from the anichaean
principle of evil ! and those 9ho engage in it: instead
of adoring 1od: adore the devil8
FJ &hilosophical
&elagius and his partisans propagated this doc-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 185/469
trine in 0frica: 9here the reputation and inQuence
of $t 0ugustine 9ere unbounded /e had been a
anichaean: and seemed to think himself called upon
to enter the lists against &elagius )he latter 9as
ill able to resist either 0ugustine or =erome! va-
rious points: ho9ever: 9ere contested: and the dis-
pute proceeded so far that 0ugustine pronounced
his sentence of damnation upon all children born: or
to be born: throughout the 9orld: in the follo9ing
terms < ;;)he 6atholic faith teaches that all men are
born so guilty that even infants are certainly damned
9hen they die 9ithout having been regenerated in
=esus8
It 9ould be but a 9retched compliment of con-
dolence to oCer to a Kueen of 6hina: or =apan: or In-
dia: $cythia: or 1othia: 9ho had just lost her infant
son to say< 87e comforted: madam! his highness
the prince royal is no9 in the clutches of %ve hun-
dred devils: 9ho turn him round and round in a
great furnace to all eternity: 9hile his body rests
embalmed and in peace 9ithin the precincts of your
palace8
)he astonished and terri%ed Kueen inKuires 9hy
these devils should eternally roast her dear son: the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 186/469
prince royal $he is ans9ered that the reason of it
is that his great-grandfather formerly ate of the
fruit of kno9ledge: in a garden +orm an idea: if
possible: of the looks and thoughts of the king: the
4ictionary FJL
Kueen: the 9hole council: and all the beautiful ladies
of the court S
)he sentence of the 0frican bishop appeared to
some divines for there are some good souls to be
found in every place and class rather severe: and
9as therefore mitigated by one &eter 6hrysologus:
or &eter 1olden-tongue: 9ho invented a suburb to
hell: called 8limbo:8 9here all the little boys and girls
that died before baptism might be disposed of It is a
place in 9hich these innocents vegetate 9ithout sen-
sation! the abode of apathy! the place that has
been called 8)he paradise of fools8 ,e %nd this
very expression in ilton /e places this paradise
some9here near the moon S
(xplication of Original $in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 187/469
)he diMculty is the same 9ith respect to this sub-
stituted limbo as 9ith respect to hell ,hy should
these poor little 9retches be placed in this limbo?
9hat had they done? ho9 could their souls: 9hich
they had not in their possession a single day: be
guilty of a gormandi@ing that merited a punishment
of six thousand years?
$t 0ugustine: 9ho damns them: assigns as a rea-
son: that the souls of all men being comprised in that
of 0dam: it is probable that they 9ere all accom-
plices 7ut: as the 6hurch subseKuently decided
that souls are not made before the bodies 9hich they
are to inhabit are originated: that system falls to the
ground: not9ithstanding the celebrity of its author
FJH &hilosophical
Others said that original sin 9as transmitted
from soul to soul: in the 9ay of emanation: and that
one soul: derived from another: came into the 9orld
9ith all the corruption of the mother-soul )his
opinion 9as condemned
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 188/469
0fter the divines had done 9ith the Kuestion: the
philosophers tried at it .eibnit@: 9hile sporting
9ith his monads: amused himself 9ith collecting to-
gether in 0dam all the human monads 9ith their
little bodies of monads )his 9as going further
than $t 0ugustine 7ut this idea: 9hich 9as
9orthy of 6yrano de 7ergerac: met 9ith very fe9
to adopt and defend it alebranche explains the
matter by the inQuence of the imagination on
mothers (ve;s brain 9as so strongly inQamed 9ith
the desire of eating the fruit that her children had
the same desire! just like the irresistibly authenti-
cated case of the 9oman 9ho: after having seen a
man racked: 9as brought to bed of a dislocated in-
fant
5icole reduced the aCair to 8a certain inclination:
a certain tendency to concupiscence: 9hich 9e have
derived from our mothers )his inclination is not
an act ! but it 9ill one day become such8 ,ell said:
5icole! bravoS 7ut: in the meantime: 9hy am I
to be damned ? 5icole does not even touch the diM-
culty: 9hich consists in ascertaining ho9 our o9n
souls: 9hich have but recently been formed: can be
fairly made responsible for the fault of another soul
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 189/469
that lived some thousands of years ago
4ictionary FJP
,hat: my good friends: ought to be said upon
the subject? 5othing 0ccordingly: I do not give
my explication of the diMculty< I say not a single
9ord
O2I4
$6/O.0'$ have not failed to 9rite volumes to in-
form us exactly to 9hat corner of the earth Ovidius
5aso 9as banished by Octavius 6epias: surnamed
0ugustus 0ll that 9e kno9 of it is: that: born at
$ulmo and brought up at 'ome: he passed ten years
on the right shore of the 4anube: in the neighbor-
hood of the 7lack $ea )hough he calls this land
barbarous: 9e must not fancy that it 9as a land of
savages )here 9ere verses made there ! 6otis: the
petty king of a part of )hrace: made 1etic verses for
Ovid )he .atin poet learned 1etic: and also com-
posed lines in this language It seems as if 1reek
poetry should have been understood in the ancient
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 190/469
country of Orpheus: but this country 9as then peo-
pled by nations from the 5orth: 9ho probably spoke
a )artar dialect: a language approaching to the an-
cient $lavonian Ovid seemed not destined to make
)artar verses )he country of the )omites: to
9hich he 9as banished: 9as a part of ysia: a 'o-
man province: bet9een ount /emus and the 4an-
ube It is situated in forty-four and a half degrees
north latitude: like one of the %nest climates of
+rance! but the mountains 9hich are at the south:
and the 9inds of the north and east: 9hich blo9
FJR &hilosophical
from the (uxine: the cold and dampness of the
forests: and of the 4anube: rendered this country in-
supportable to a man born in Italy )hus Ovid did
not live long: but died there at the age of sixty /e
complains in his 8(legies8 of the climate: and not
of the inhabitants 8Buos ego: cum loca sim vestra
perosus: amo8
)hese people cro9ned him 9ith laurel: and gave
him privileges: 9hich prevented him not from re-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 191/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 192/469
4ictionary FJ#
9hile pregnant by another ! 9hether he had seen the
said 0ugustus occupied 9ith his daughter or grand-
daughter! or: %nally: 9hether: he sa9 him doing
something still 9orse: 8torva tu entibus hircisf8 It
is most probable that Ovid detected an incestuous
correspondence: as an author: almost contemporary:
named inutionus 0puleius: says < 8&ulsum KuoKue
in exilium Kuod 0ugusti incestum vidisset8
Octavius made a pretext of the innocent book of
the 80rt of .ove:8 a book very decently 9ritten: and
in 9hich there is not an obscene 9ord: to send a 'o-
man knight to the 7lack $ea )he pretence 9as ri-
diculous /o9 could 0ugustus: of 9hom 9e have
still verses %lled 9ith obscenities: banish Ovid for
having several years before given to his friends
some copies of the 80rt of .ove8? /o9 could he
impudently reproach Ovid for a 9ork 9ritten 9ith
decorum: 9hile he approved of /orace: 9ho lav-
ishes allusions and phrases on the most infamous
prostitution: and 9ho proposed girls and boys: maid
servants and valets indiscriminately? It is nothing
less than impudence to blame Ovid and tolerate
/orace It is clear that Octavius alleged a very in-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 193/469
suMcient reason: because he dared not allude to the
real one One proof that it related to some secret
adventure of the sacred imperial family is that the
goat of 6aprea )iberius: immortali@ed by medals
for his debaucheries ! )iberius: that monster of lust
and dissimulation did not recall Ovid: 9ho: rather
than demand the favor from the author of the pro-
2ol FJ #
F"G &hilosophical
scriptions and the poisoner of 1ermanicus: remained
on the shores of the 4anube
If a 4utch: &olish: $9edish: (nglish: or 2ene-
tian gentleman had by chance seen a stadtholder: or
a king of 1reat 7ritain: $9eden: or &oland: or a
doge of 2enice: commit some great sin: even if it
9as not by chance that he sa9 it! if he had even
sought the occasion: and 9as so indiscreet as to
speak of it: this stadtholder: king: or doge could not
legally banish him
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 194/469
,e can reproach Ovid almost as much as 0u-
gustus and )iberius for having praised them )he
eulogiums 9hich he lavishes on them are so extrav-
agant that at present they 9ould excite indignation
if he had even given them to legitimate princes: his
benefactors: instead of to tyrants: and to his tyrants
in particular ou may be pardoned for praising a
little too much a prince 9ho caresses you ! but not
for treating as a god one 9ho persecutes you It
9ould have been a hundred times better for him to
have embarked on the 7lack $ea and retired into
&ersia by the &alus aeotis: than to have 9ritten
his 8)ristia8 /e 9ould have learned &ersian as
easily as 1etic: and might have forgotten the master
of 'ome near the master of (cbatana $ome strong
minds 9ill say that there 9as still another part to
take: 9hich 9as to go secretly to 'ome: address him-
self to some relations of 7rutus and 6assius: and get
up a t9elfth conspiracy against Octavius ! but that
9as not in elegiac taste
4ictionary F"F
&oetical panegyrics are strange things S It is very
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 195/469
clear that Ovid 9ished 9ith all his heart: that some
7rutus 9ould deliver 'ome from that 0ugustus:
to 9hom in his verses he 9ished immortality I re-
proach Ovid 9ith his 8)ristia8 alone 7ayle forms
his system on the philosophy of chaos so ably ex-
hibited in the commencement of the 8etamor-
phoses8 <
0nte mare et terras: et Kuod tegit omnia cesium:
nus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe
7ayle thus translates these %rst lines< 87efore
there 9as a heaven: an earth: and a sea: nature 9as
all homogeneous8 In Ovid it is: 8)he face of na-
ture 9as the same throughout the universe:8 9hich
means not that all 9as homogeneous: but hetero-
geneous this assemblage of diCerent things ap-
peared the same! 8unus vultus8 7ayle criticises
chaos throughout Ovid: 9ho in his verses is only
the poet of the ancient philosophy: says that things
hard and soft: light and heavy: 9ere mixed to-
gether <
ollia cum dun;s: sine pondere habentia pondus
Ovi4;s et: b i: F JG
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 196/469
0nd this is the manner in 9hich 7ayle reasons
against him < 8)here is nothing more absurd than
to suppose a chaos 9hich had been homogeneous
from all eternity: though it had the elementary Kual-
ities: at least those 9hich 9e call alteratives: 9hich
are heat: cold: humidity: and dryness: as those 9hich
9e call matrices: 9hich are lightness and 9eight:
F"J &hilosophical
the former the cause of upper motion: the latter of
lo9er atter of this nature cannot be homoge-
neous: and must necessarily contain all sorts of het-
erogeneousness /eat and cold: humidity and dry-
ness: cannot exist together: unless their action and
reaction temper and convert them into other Kual-
ities 9hich assume the form of mixed bodies ! and as
this temperament can be made according to innum-
erable diversities of combinations: chaos must con-
tain an incredible number of compound species )he
only manner of conceiving matter homogeneous is
by saying that the alterative Kualities of the ele-
ments modify all the molecules of matter in the same
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 197/469
degree in such a 9ay: that throughout there is the
same 9armth: the same softness: the same odor: etc
7ut this 9ould be to destroy 9ith one hand that
9hich has been built up 9ith the other ! it 9ould be
by a contradiction in terms to call chaos the most
regular: the most marvellous for its symmetry: and
the most admirable in its proportions that it is possi-
ble to conceive I allo9 that the taste of man ap-
proves of a diversi%ed rather than of a regular 9ork !
but our reason teaches us that the harmony of con-
trary Kualities: uniformly preserved throughout the
universe: 9ould be as admirable a perfection as the
uneKual division of them 9hich has succeeded chaos
,hat kno9ledge and po9er 9ould not the diCusion
of this uniform harmony throughout nature de-
mandS It 9ould not be suMcient to place in any
compound an eKual Kuantity of all the four ingre-
4ictionary F""
dients! of one there must be more and of another
less: according as their force is greater or less for ac-
tion or resistance! for 9e kno9 that philosophers
besto9 action and reaction in a diCerent degree on
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 198/469
the elementary Kualities 0ll 9ould amount to an
opinion that the po9er 9hich metamorphosed chaos
has 9ithdra9n it: not from a state of strife and con-
fusion as is pretended: but from a state of the most
admirable harmony: 9hich by the adjustment of the
eKuilibrium of contrary forces: retained it in a repose
eKuivalent to peace It is certain: therefore: that if
the poets 9ill insist on the homogeneity of chaos:
they must erase all 9hich they have added concern-
ing the 9ild confusion of contrary seeds: of the undi-
gested mass: and of the perpetual combat of conQict-
ing-principles
8&assing over this contradiction 9e shall %nd
suMcient subject for opposing them in other partic-
ulars .et us recommence the attack on eternity
)here is nothing more absurd than to admit: for
an in%nite time: the mixture of the insensible par-
ticles of four elements ! for as soon as you suppose
in them the activity of heat: the action and reaction
of the four primary Kualities: and besides these:
motion to9ards the centre in the elements of earth
and 9ater: and to9ards the circumference in those
of %re and air: you establish a principle 9hich neces-
sarily separates these four kinds of bodies: the one
from the other: and for 9hich a de%nite period alone
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 199/469
is necessary 6onsider a little: that 9hich is denom-
F" &hilosophical
inated ;the vial of the four elements; )here are put
into it some small metallic particles: and then three
liKuids: the one much lighter than the other $hake
these 9ell together: and you no longer discern any
of these component parts singly! each is con-
founded 9ith the other 7ut leave your vial at rest
for a short time: and you 9ill %nd every one of them
resume its pristine situation )he metallic particles
9ill reassemble at the bottom of the vial: the lightest
liKuid 9ill rise to the top: and the others take their
stations according to their respective degrees of
gravity )hus a very short time 9ill suMce to re-
store them to the same relative situation 9hich they
occupied before the vial 9as shaken In this vial
you behold the la9s 9hich nature has given in this
9orld to the four elements: and: comparing the uni-
verse to this vial: 9e may conclude: that if the earth
reduced to po9der had been mingled 9ith the matter
of the stars: and 9ith that of air and of 9ater: in
such a 9ay as that the compound exhibited none of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 200/469
the elements by themselves: all 9ould have imme-
diately operated to disengage themselves: and at the
end of a certain time: the particles of earth 9ould
form one mass: those of %re another! and thus of
the others in proportion to the lightness or heavi-
ness of each of them8
I deny to 7ayle: that the experiment of the vial
infers a de%nite period for the duration of chaos
I inform him: that by heavy and light things: Ovid
and the philosophers intended those 9hich became
4ictionary F"L
so after 1od had placed /is hand on them I say
to him < 8 ou take for granted that nature arranged
all: and besto9ed 9eight upon herself ou must
begin by proving to me that gravity is an essential
Kuality of matter: a position 9hich has never been
proved8 4escartes: in his romance has pretended
that body never became heavy until his vortices of
subtle matter began to push them from the centre
5e9ton: in his correct philosophy: never says that
gravitation or attraction is a Kuality essential to
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 201/469
matter If Ovid had been able to divine the 8&rin-
cipia8 of 5e9ton: he 9ould have said < 8atter 9as
neither heavy nor in motion in my chaos ! it 9as 1od
9ho endo9ed it 9ith these properties ! my chaos in-
cludes not the forces you imagine 8nee KuidKuam
nisi pondus iners8 ! it 9as a po9erless mass! 8pon-
dus8 here signi%es not 9eight but mass
5othing could possess 9eight: before 1od be-
sto9ed on matter the principle of gravitation In
9hatever degree one body is impelled to9ards the
centre of another: 9ould it be dra9n or impelled by
another: if the $upreme &o9er had not besto9ed
upon it this inexplicable virtue? )herefore Ovid
9ill not only turn out a good philosopher but a pass-
able theologian
ou say< 80 scholastic theologian 9ill admit
9ithout diMculty: that if the four elements had ex-
isted independently of 1od: 9ith all the properties
9hich they no9 possess: they 9ould have formed
of themselves the machine of the 9orld: and have
F"H &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 202/469
maintained it in the state 9hich 9e no9 behold
)here are therefore t9o great faults in the doctrine
of chaos! the %rst of 9hich is: that it takes a9ay
from 1od the creation of matter: and the production
of the Kualities proper to air: %re: earth: and 9ater !
the other: that after taking 1od a9ay: /e is made
to appear unnecessarily on the theatre of the 9orld:
in order to assign their places to the four elements
Our modern philosophers: 9ho have rejected the
faculties and the Kualities of the peripatetician phys-
ics: 9ill %nd the same defects in the description of
the chaos of Ovid ! for that 9hich they call general
la9s of motion: mechanical principles: modi%cations
of matter: the form: situation: and arrangement of
atoms: comprehends nothing beyond the active and
passive virtue of nature: 9hich the peripatetics un-
derstand by the alterative and formative Kualities of
the four elements $eeing: therefore: that: accord-
ing to the doctrine of this school: these four bodies:
separated according to their natural heaviness and
lightness: form a principle 9hich suMces for all
generation: the 6artesians: 1assendists: and other
modern philosophers: ought to maintain that the mo-
tion: situation: and form of the particles of matter:
are suMcient for the production of all natural ef-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 203/469
fects: 9ithout excepting even the general arrange-
ment 9hich has placed the earth: the air: the 9ater:
and the stars 9here 9e see them )hus: the true
cause of the 9orld: and of the eCect 9hich it pro-
duces: is not diCerent from the cause 9hich has be-
4ictionary F"P
sto9ed motion on particles of matter 9hether at
the same time that it assigned to each atom a deter-
minate %gure: as the 1assendists assert: or that it
has only given to particles entirely cubic: an impul-
sion 9hich: by the duration of the motion: according
to certain la9s: makes it ultimately take all sorts of
forms 9hich is the hypothesis of the 6artesians
7oth the one and the other conseKuently agree: that
if matter had been: before the generation of the pres-
ent 9orld: as Ovid describes: it 9ould have been ca-
pable of 9ithdra9ing itself from chaos by its o9n
necessary operation: 9ithout the assistance of 1od
Ovid may therefore be accused of t9o oversights
having supposed: in the %rst place: that 9ithout the
assistance of the 4ivinity: matter possessed the seeds
of every compound: heat: motion: etc ! and in the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 204/469
second: that 9ithout the same assistance it could
extricate itself from confusion )his is to give at
once too much and too little to both 1od and matter !
it is to pass over assistance 9hen most needed: and
to demand it 9hen no longer necessary8
Ovid may still reply< 8ou are 9rong in sup-
posing that my elements originally possessed all the
Kualities 9hich they possess at present )hey had
no Kualities! matter existed naked: unformed: and
po9erless! and 9hen I say: that in my chaos: heat
9as mingled 9ith cold: and dryness 9ith humidity:
I only employ these expressions to signify that there
9as neither cold: nor heat: nor 9et: nor dry: 9hich
are Kualities that 1od has placed in our sensations:
F"R &hilosophical
and not in matter I have not made the mistakes
of 9hich you accuse me our 6artesians and your
1assendists commit oversights 9ith their atoms and
their cubic particles! and their imaginations deal
as little in truth as my 8etamorphoses8 I prefer
4aphne changed into a laurel: and 5arcissus into
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 205/469
a Qo9er: to subtile matter changed into suns: and
denser matter transformed into earth and 9ater
I have given you fables for fables: and your philos-
ophers have given you fables for truth8
&0'04I$(
)/('( is no 9ord 9hose meaning is more remote
from its etymology It is 9ell kno9n that it origi-
nally meant a place planted 9ith fruit trees ! and
after9ards: the name 9as given to gardens planted
9ith trees for shade $uch: in distant antiKuity:
9ere those of $aana: near (den: in 0rabia +elix:
kno9n long before the hordes of the /ebre9s had
invaded a part of the territory of &alestine
)his 9ord 8paradise8 is not celebrated among the
=e9s: except in the 7ook of 1enesis $ome =e9ish
canonical 9riters speak of gardens ! but not one of
them has mentioned a 9ord about the garden de-
nominated the 8earthly paradise8 /o9 could it
happen that no =e9ish 9riter: no =e9ish prophet: or
=e9ish psalmodist: should have once cited that ter-
restrial paradise 9hich 9e are talking of every day
of our lives? )his is almost incomprehensible It
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 206/469
4ictionary F"#
has induced many daring critics to believe that 1en-
esis 9as not 9ritten till a very late period
)he =e9s never took this orchard or plantation
of trees this garden: 9hether of plants or Qo9ers
for heaven $t .uke is the %rst 9ho uses the 9ord
8paradise:8 as signifying heaven: 9hen =esus 6hrist
says to the good thief < 8)his day thou shalt be 9ith
e in paradise8
)he ancients gave the name of 8heaven8 to the
clouds )hat name 9ould not have been exactly ap-
propriate: as the clouds actually touch the earth by
the vapors of 9hich they are formed: and as heaven
is a vague 9ord signifying an immense space in
9hich exist innumerable suns: planets: and comets:
9hich has certainly but little resemblance to an or-
chard
$t )homas says that there are three paradises
the terrestrial: the celestial: and the spiritual I do
not: I ackno9ledge: perfectly understand the diCer-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 207/469
ence bet9een the spiritual and celestial )he spirit-
ual orchard is according to him: the beati%c vision
7ut it is precisely that 9hich constitutes the celes-
tial paradise: it is the enjoyment of 1od /imself
I do not presume to dispute against the 8angel of the
schools8 I merely say /appy must he be 9ho al-
9ays resides in one of these three paradisesS
$ome curious critics have thought the paradise of
the /esperides: guarded by a dragon: 9as an imita-
tion of the garden of (den: kept by a 9inged ox or
a cherub Others: more rash: have ventured to as-
FG &hilosophical
sert that the ox 9as a bad copy of the dragon: and
that the =e9s 9ere al9ays gross plagiarists! but
this 9ill be admitted to be blasphemy: and that idea
is insupportable
,hy has the name of paradise been applied to
the sKuare courts in the front of a church ? ,hy has
the third ro9 of boxes at the theatre or opera house
been called paradise ? Is it because: as these places
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 208/469
are less dear than others: it 9as thought they 9ere
intended for the poor: and because it is pretended
that in the other paradise there are far more poor
persons than rich? Is it because these boxes are
so high that they have obtained a name 9hich also
signi%es heaven ? )here is: ho9ever: some diCerence
bet9een ascending to heaven: and ascending to the
third ro9 of boxes ,hat 9ould a stranger think
on his arrival at &aris: 9hen asked< 80re you in-
clined to go to paradise to see &ourceaugnac ?8
,hat incongruities and eKuivoKues are to be
found in all languagesS /o9 strongly is human
9eakness manifested in every object that is pre-
sented around us S $ee the article 8&aradise8 in the
great 8(ncyclopaedia8 It is certainly better than
this ,e conclude 9ith the 0bbe de $t &ierre;s
favorite sentiment 8&aradise to the bene%cent8
4ictionary FF
&0$$IO5$
)heir InQuence upon the 7ody: and that of the 7ody
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 209/469
upon )hem
&'0 inform me: doctor I do not mean a doctor
of medicine: 9ho really possesses some degree of
kno9ledge: 9ho has long examined the sinuosities
of the brain: 9ho has investigated 9hether there is
a circulating Quid in the nerves: 9ho has repeatedly
and assiduously dissected the human matrix in vain:
to discover something of the formation of thinking
beings: and 9ho: in short: kno9s all of our machine
that can be kno9n ! alas S I mean a very diCerent
person: a doctor of theology I adjure you: by that
reason at the very name of 9hich: you shudder: tell
me 9hy it is: that in conseKuence of your young and
handsome housekeeper saying a fe9 loving 9ords:
and giving herself a fe9 coKuettish airs: your blood
becomes instantly agitated: and your 9hole frame
thro9n into a tumult of desire: 9hich speedily leads
to pleasures: of 9hich neither herself nor you can
explain the cause: but 9hich terminate 9ith the
introduction into the 9orld of a thinking being en-
crusted all over 9ith original sin Inform me: I
entreat you: ho9 the action tends to or is connected
9ith the result ? ou may read and re-read $anche@
and )homas 0Kuinas: and $cot and 7onaventure:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 210/469
but you 9ill never in conseKuence kno9 an iota the
more of that incomprehensible mechanism by 9hich
the eternal architect directs your ideas and your
FJ &hilosophical
actions: and originates the little bastard of a priest
predestined to damnation from all eternity
On the follo9ing morning: 9hen taking your
chocolate: your memory retraces the image of pleas-
ure 9hich you experienced the evening before: and
the scene and rapture are repeated /ave you any
idea: my great automaton friend: 9hat this same
memory: 9hich you possess in common 9ith every
species of animals: really is? 4o you kno9 9hat
%bres recall your ideas: and paint in your brain the
joys of the evening by a continuous sentiment: a con-
sciousness: a personal identity 9hich slept 9ith you:
and a9oke 9ith you? )he doctor replies: in the
language of )homas 0Kuinas: that all this is the
9ork of his vegetative soul: his sensitive soul: and
his intellectual soul: all three of 9hich compose a
soul 9hich: although 9ithout extension itself: evi-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 211/469
dently acts on a body possessed of extension in
course
I perceived by his embarrassed manner: that he
has been stammering out 9ords 9ithout a single
idea ! and I at length say to him < If you feel: doc-
tor: that: ho9ever reluctantly: you must in your o9n
mind admit that you do not kno9 9hat a soul is:
and that you have been talking all your life 9ithout
any distinct meaning: 9hy not ackno9ledge it like
an honest man ? ,hy do you not conclude the same
as must be concluded from the physical promotion
of 4octor 7ourssier: and from certain passages of
alebranche: and: above all: from the acute and
4ictionary F"
judicious .ocke: so far superior to alebranche
9hy do you not: I say: conclude that your soul is a
faculty 9hich 1od has besto9ed on you 9ithout dis-
closing to you the secret of /is process: as /e has
besto9ed on you various others? 7e assured: that
many men of deep reQection maintain that: properly
speaking: the unkno9n po9er of the 4ivine 0rti%-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 212/469
cer: and /is unkno9n la9s: alone perform every-
thing in us < and that: to speak more correctly still:
9e shall never kno9 in fact anything at all about the
matter
)he doctor at this becomes agitated and irritated !
the blood rushes into his face! if he had been
stronger than myself: and had not been restrained
by a sense of decency: he 9ould certainly have
struck me /is heart s9ells! the systole and dias-
tole are interrupted in their regular operation! his
brain is compressed! and he falls do9n in a %t of
apoplexy ,hat connection could there be bet9een
this blood: and heart: and brain: and an old opinion
of the doctor contrary to my o9n ? 4oes a pure in-
tellectual spirit fall into syncope 9hen another is of
a diCerent opinion ? I have uttered certain sounds !
he has uttered certain sounds ! and behold S he falls
do9n in apoplexy he drops dead S
I am sitting at table: 8prima mensis8 in the %rst
of the month: myself and my soul: at the $orbonne:
9ith %ve or six doctors: 8socii $orbonnici:8 fello9s
of the institution ,e are served 9ith bad and
adulterated 9ine ! at %rst our souls are elevated and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 213/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 214/469
Of all those persons 9ho have undergone the op-
eration of trepanning: a great proportion al9ays re-
main imbecile Of course: therefore: the thinking
%bres of their brain have been injured ! but 9here
are these thinking %bres ? Oh: $anche@ S Oh: as-
ters de 1rillandis: )amponet: 'iballierS Oh: 6oge-
&ecus: second regent and rector of the university:
do give me a clear: decisive: and satisfactory explan-
ation of all this: if you possibly can S
,hile I 9as 9riting this article at ount 3rapak
4ictionary FL
for my o9n private improvement: a book 9as
brought to me called 8)he edicine of the ind:8
by 4octor 6amus: professor of medicine in the ni-
versity of &aris I 9as in hopes of %nding in this
book a solution of all my diMculties 7ut 9hat 9as
it that I found in fact? =ust nothing at all 0h:
aster 6amusS you have not displayed much mind
in preparing your 8edicine of the ind8 )his
person strongly recommends the blood of an ass:
dra9n from behind the ear: as a speci%c against mad-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 215/469
ness 8)he virtue of the blood of an ass:8 he says:
8re-establishes the soul in its functions8 /e main-
tains: also: that madmen are cured by giving them
the itch /e asserts: like9ise: that in order to gain
or strengthen a memory: the meat of capons: lev-
erets: and larks: is of eminent service: and that
onions and butter ought to be avoided above all
things )his 9as printed in FPH# 9ith the king;s
approbation and privilege! and there really 9ere
people 9ho consigned their health to the keeping of
aster 6amus: professor of medicine S ,hy 9as he
not made %rst physician to the king?
&oor puppets of the (ternal 0rti%cer: 9ho kno9
neither 9hy nor ho9 an invisible hand moves all the
springs of our machine: and at length packs us a9ay
in our 9ooden boxS ,e constantly see more and
more reason for repeating: 9ith 0ristotle: 80ll is
occult: all is secret8
2ol FJ FG
FH &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 216/469
&0.
$(6)IO5 I
Buestions 6oncerning &aitl
,0$ &aul a 'oman citi@en: as he boasted? If
he 9as a native of )arsus in 6ilicia: )arsus 9as not
a 'oman colony until a hundred years after his
death! upon this point all antiKuaries are agreed
If he belonged to the little to9n or village of 1es-
cala: as $t =erome believed: this to9n 9as in 1alilee:
and certainly the 1alileans 9ere not 'oman citi@ens
Is it true: that $t &aul entered into the rising
society of 6hristians: 9ho at that time 9ere demi-
=e9s: only because 1amaliel: 9hose disciple he 9as:
refused him his daughter in marriage? It appears
that this accusation is to be found exclusively in the
0cts of the 0postles: 9hich are received by the
(bionites: and refuted by the 7ishop (piphanius in
his thirtieth chapter
Is it true: that $t )hecla sought $t &aul in the
disguise of a man: and are the acts of $t )hecla ad-
missible? )ertullian: in the thirteenth chapter of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 217/469
his book on 87aptism:8 maintains that this history
9as composed by a priest attached to &aul =erome
and 6yprian: in refuting the story of the lion bap-
ti@ed by $t )hecla: aMrm the genuineness of these
acts: in 9hich 9e %nd that singular portrait of $t
&aul: 9hich 9e have already recorded 8/e 9as
fat: short: and broad shouldered ! his dark eyebro9s
united across his aKuiline nose! his legs 9ere
4ictionary FP
crooked: his head bald: and he 9as full of the grace
of the .ord8 )his is pretty nearly his portrait in
the 8&hilopatris8 of .ucian: 9ith the exception of
8the grace of 1od:8 9ith 9hich .ucian unfortu-
nately had no acKuaintance
Is &aul to be reprehended for his reproof of the
=udai@ing of $t &eter: 9ho himself =udai@ed for
eight days together in the temple of =erusalem?
,hen &aul 9as traduced before the governor of
=udaea for having introduced strangers into the
temple: 9as it proper for him to say to the governor:
that he 9as prosecuted on account of his teaching
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 218/469
the resurrection of the dead: 9hilst of the resurrec-
tion of the dead nothing 9as said at all
4id &aul do right in circumcising his disciple
)imothy: after having 9ritten to the 1alatians: that
if they 9ere circumcised =esus 9ould not pro%t
them? ,as it 9ell to 9rite to the 6orinthians:
chap ix < 8/ave 9e not po9er to eat and drink at
your expense ? /ave 9e not po9er to lead about a
sister: a 9ife?8 etc ,as it proper to 9rite in his
$econd (pistle to the 6orinthians: that he 9ill par-
don none of them: neither those 9ho have sinned nor
others ? ,hat should 9e think at present of a man
9ho pretended to live at our expense: himself: and
his 9ife ! and to judge and to punish us: confound-
ing the innocent 9ith the guilty? ,hat are 9e to
understand by the ascension of &aul into the third
heaven? 9hat is the third heaven? ,hich is the
most probable humanly speaking? 4id $t &aul
FR &hilosophical
become a 6hristian in conseKuence of being thro9n
from a horse by the appearance of a great light at
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 219/469
noon day: from 9hich a celestial voice exclaimed<
8$aul: $aul: 9hy persecutest thou e?8 or 9as it
in conseKuence of being irritated against the &hari-
sees: either by the refusal of 1amaliel to give him
his daughter: or by some other cause?
In all other history: the refusal of 1amaliel 9ould
appear more probable than the celestial voice! es-
pecially if: moreover: 9e 9ere not obliged to believe
in this miracle I only ask these Kuestions in order
to be instructed! and I reKuest all those 9ho are
9illing to instruct me to speak reasonably
$(6)IO5 II
)he (pistles of $t &aul are so sublime: it is
often diMcult to understand them any young
bachelors demand the precise signi%cation of the fol-
lo9ing 9ords < 8(very man praying or prophesying:
having his head covered: dishonoreth his head8
,hat does he mean by the 9ords < 8I have learned
from the .ord: that the .ord =esus: the same night
in 9hich /e 9as betrayed: took bread ?8
/o9 could he learn anything from that =esus
6hrist to ,hom he had never spoken: and to ,hom
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 220/469
he had been a most cruel enemy: 9ithout ever hav-
ing seen /im? ,as it by inspiration: or by the
recital of the apostles? or did he learn it 9hen the
celestial light caused him to fall from his horse ? /e
does not inform us on this point
4ictionary F#
)he follo9ing again < 8)he 9oman shall be saved
in child-bearing8 )his is certainly to encourage
population < it appears not that $t &aul founded
convents /e speaks of seducing spirits and doc-
trines of devils! of those 9hose consciences are
seared up 9ith a red-hot iron: 9ho forbid to marry:
and command to abstain from meats )his is very
strong It appears that he abjured monks: nuns:
and fast-days (xplain this contradiction! deliver
me from this cruel embarrassment
,hat is to be said of the passage in 9hich he
recommends the bishops to have one 9ife? 8nius
uxoris virum8 )his is positive /e permits the
bishops to have but one 9ife: 9hilst the =e9ish pon-
tiCs might have several /e says uneKuivocally:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 221/469
that the last judgment 9ill happen during his o9n
time: that =esus 9ill descend from on high: as de-
scribed by $t .uke: and that $t &aul and the
righteous inhabitants of )hessalonica 9ill be caught
up to /im in the air: etc
/as this occurred? or is it an allegory: a %gure?
4id he actually believe that he should make this
journey: or that he had been caught up into the third
heaven? ,hich is the third heaven? /o9 9ill he
ascend into the air ? /as he been there ? 8)hat the
1od of our .ord =esus 6hrist: the +ather of 1lory:
may give you the spirit of 9isdom8 Is this ac-
kno9ledging =esus to be the same 1od as the
+ather? /e has manifested /is po9er over =esus
89hen /e raised /im from the dead: and set /im
F LG &hilosophical
at /is o9n right hand8 4oes this constitute the
divinity of =esus?
8)hou madest him N=esusW a little lo9er than
angels ! thou cro9nedst him 9ith glory8 If /e is
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 222/469
inferior to angels is /e 1od ?
8+or if by one man;s oCence death reigneth:
much more they 9ho receive of the abundance of
grace: and of the gift of righteousness: shall reign
in life by one =esus 6hrist8 0lmost man and never
1od: except in a single passage contested by (ras-
mus: 1rotius: .e 6lerc: etc
86hildren of 1od: and joint heirs 9ith =esus
6hrist8 Is not this constantly regarding =esus as
one of us: although superior by the grace of 1od?
8)o 1od: alone 9ise: honor and glory: through =esus
6hrist8 /o9 are 9e to understand these passages
literally: 9ithout fearing to oCend =esus 6hrist ! or:
in a more extended sense: 9ithout the risk of oCend-
ing 1od the +ather?
)here are many more passages of this kind:
9hich exercise the sagacity of the learned )he
commentators diCer: and 9e pretend not to possess
any light 9hich can remove the obscurity ,e sub-
mit 9ith heart and mouth to the decision of the
6hurch ,e have also taken some trouble to pene^
trate into the meaning of the follo9ing passages <
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 223/469
8+or circumcision verily pro%teth: if thou keepest
the la9! but if thou be a breaker of the la9: thy
circumcision is made uncircumcision8 85o9 9e
kno9: that 9hatever the la9 saith: it saith to then>
4ictionary FLF
9ho are under the la9! that every mouth may be
stopped: and all the 9orld may become guilty before
1od )herefore: by the deeds of the la9 shall no
Qesh be justi%ed ! for by the la9 is the kno9ledge of
sin $eeing that it is one 1od 9hich shall
justify the circumcision by faith: and uncircumcision
through faith 4o 9e then make void the la9:
through faith? 1od forbid! yea: 9e establish the
la98 8+or if 0braham 9as justi%ed by his 9orks:
he hath 9hereof to glory ! but not before 1od8
,e fear that even the ingenuous and profound
4om 6almet himself gives us not: upon these some-
9hat obscure passages: a light 9hich dissipates all
our darkness It is 9ithout doubt our o9n fault
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 224/469
that 9e do not understand the commentators: and
are deprived of that complete conception of the text:
9hich is given only to privileged souls 0s soon:
ho9ever: as an explanation shall come from the
chair of truth: 9e shall comprehend the 9hole per-
fectly
$(6)IO5 III
.et us add this little supplement to the article
8&aul8 It is better to edify ourselves 9ith the
(pistles of this apostle: than to 9eaken our piety
by calumniating the times and persons for 9hich
they 9ere 9ritten )he learned search in vain for
the year and the day in 9hich $t &aul assisted to
stone $t $tephen: and to guard the mantles of his
executioners
)hey dispute on the year in 9hich he 9as thro9n
FLJ &hilosophical
from his horse by a miraculous light at noonday:
and on the epoch of his being borne a9ay into the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 225/469
third heaven )hey can agree neither upon the year
in 9hich he 9as conducted to 'ome: nor that in
9hich he died )hey are unacKuainted 9ith the date
of any of his letters $t =erome: in his commentary
on the 8(pistle to &hilemon8 says that &aul might
signify the embouchure of a Qute
)he letters of $t &aul to $eneca: and from $en-
eca to $t &aul: 9ere accounted as authentic in the
primitive ages of the 6hurch: as all the rest of the
6hristian 9ritings $t =erome asserts their authen-
ticity: and Kuotes passages from these letters in his
catalogue $t 0ugustine doubts them not in his
F L"d letter to acedonius ,e have thirty letters
of these t9o great men: &aul and $eneca: 9ho: it
is pretended: 9ere linked together by a strict friend-
ship in the court of 5ero )he seventh letter from
&aul to $eneca is very curious /e tells him that
the =e9s and the 6hristians 9ere often burned as
incendiaries at 'ome <
86hristian* et =udcei tanKuam machinatores in-
cendii supplicio aMci solent8 It is in fact probable:
that the =e9s and the 6hristians: 9hose mutual en-
mity 9as extremely violent: reciprocally accused
each other of setting the city on %re! and that the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 226/469
scorn and horror felt to9ards the =e9s: 9ith 9hom
the 6hristians 9ere usually confounded: rendered
them eKually the objects of public suspicion and
vengeance
4ictionary F L"
,e are obliged to ackno9ledge: that the epistol-
ary correspondence of $eneca and &aul is in a ridic-
ulous and barbarous .atin! that the subjects of
these letters are as inconsistent as the style! and
that at present they are regarded as forgeries 7ut:
then: may 9e venture to contradict the testimony of
$t =erome and $t 0ugustine ? If 9ritings: attested
by them: are nothing but vile impostures: ho9 shall
9e be certain of the authenticity of others more re-
spectable? $uch is the important objection of many
learned persons If 9e are un9orthily deceived:
say they: in relation to the letters of &aul and $eneca
on the 0postolical Institutes: and the 0cts of $t
&eter: 9hy may 9e not be eKually imposed upon
by the 0cts of the 0postles? )he decision of the
6hurch and faith are uneKuivocal ans9ers to all
these researches of science and suggestions of the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 227/469
understanding
It is not kno9n upon 9hat foundation 0bdias:
%rst bishop of 7abylon: says: in his 8/istory of the
0postles:8 that $t &aul caused $t =ames the .ess
to be stoned by the people 7efore he 9as con-
verted: ho9ever: he might as readily persecute $t
=ames as $t $tephen /e 9as certainly very vio-
lent: because it is said in the 0cts of the 0postles:
that he 8breathed threatenings and slaughter8 0b-
dias has also taken care to observe: that the mover of
the sedition in 9hich $t =ames 9as so cruelly
treated: 9as the same &aul 9hom 1od had since
called to the apostleship
F L &hilosophical
)his book: attributed to 0bdias: is not admitted
into the canon ! but =ulius 0f ricanus: 9ho has trans-
lated it into .atin: believes it to be authentic $ince:
ho9ever: the church has not admitted it: 9e must
not admit it .et us content ourselves 9ith adoring
&rovidence: and 9ishing that all persecutors 9ere
transformed into charitable and compassionate apos-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 228/469
tles
&('$(6)IO5
I ,I.. not call 4iocletian a persecutor: for he
protected the 6hristians for eighteen years! and if:
during his latter days: he did not save them from
the resentment of 1alerius: he only furnished the
example of a prince seduced: like many others: by
intrigue and cabal: into a conduct un9orthy of his
character I 9ill still less give the name of perse-
cutor to )rajan or 0ntoninus I should regard my-
self as uttering blasphemy
,hat is a persecutor ? /e 9hose 9ounded pride
and fanaticism irritate princes and magistrates into
fury against innocent men: 9hose only crime is that
of being of a diCerent opinion Impudent man S you
have 9orshipped 1od ! you have preached and prac-
tised virtue! you have served and assisted man!
you have protected the orphan: have succored the
poor! you have changed deserts: in 9hich slaves
dragged on a miserable existence: into fertile dis-
tricts peopled 9ith happy families! but I have dis-
covered that you despise me: and have never read
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 229/469
4ictionary FLL
my controversial 9ork I 9ill: therefore: seek the
confessor of the prime minister: or the magistrate!
I 9ill sho9 them: 9ith outstretched neck and
t9isted mouth: that you hold an erroneous opinion
in relation to the cells in 9hich the $eptuagint 9as
studied! that you have even spoken disrespectfully
for these ten years past of )obit;s dog: 9hich you
assert to have been a spaniel: 9hilst I maintain that
it 9as a greyhound I 9ill denounce you as the
enemy of 1od and manS $uch is the language of
the persecutor! and if these 9ords do not precisely
issue from his lips: they are engraven on his heart
9ith the graver of fanaticism steeped in the gall of
envy
It 9as thus that the =esuit .etellier dared to
persecute 6ardinal de 5oailles: and that =urieu per-
secuted 7ayle ,hen the persecution of the &rotest-
ants commenced in +rance: it 9as not +rancis I:
nor /enry II: nor +rancis II: 9ho sought out these
unfortunate people: 9ho hardened themselves
against them 9ith reQective bitterness: and 9ho de-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 230/469
livered them to the Qames in the spirit of vengeance
+rancis I 9as too much engaged 9ith the 4uchess
d;%tampes ! /enry II: 9ith his ancient 4iana: and
+rancis II 9as too much a child ,ho: then:
commenced these persecutions? =ealous priests:
9ho enlisted in their service the prejudices of magis-
trates and the policy of ministers
If these monarchs had not been deceived: if they
had foreseen that these persecutions 9ould produce
FLH &hilosophical
half a century of civil 9ar: and that the t9o parts of
the nation 9ould mutually exterminate each other:
they 9ould have extinguished 9ith their tears the
%rst piles 9hich they allo9ed to be lighted Oh:
1od of mercyS if any man can resemble that ma-
lignant being 9ho is described as actually employed
in the destruction of our 9orks: is it not the perse-
cutor ?
&()(' N$0I5)W
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 231/469
,/ have the successors of $t &eter possessed
so much po9er in the ,est and none in the (ast?
)his is just the same as to ask 9hy the bishops of
,iir@burg and $al@burg obtained for themselves
regal prerogatives in a period of anarchy: 9hile the
1reek bishops al9ays remained subjects )ime: op-
portunity: the ambition of some: and the 9eakness
of others: have done and 9ill do everything in the
9orld ,e al9ays except 9hat relates to religion
)o this anarchy: must be added opinion ! and opin-
ion is the Kueen of mankind 5ot that: in fact: they
have any very clear and de%nite opinion of their
o9n: but 9ords ans9er the same end 9ith them
8I 9ill give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven8 )he @ealous partisans of the bishop of
'ome contended: about the eleventh century: that
9hoever gives the greater gives the less ! that heaven
surrounded the earth! and that: as &eter had the
keys of the container: he had also the keys of 9hat
9as contained If by heaven 9e understand all the
4ictionary FLP
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 232/469
stars and planets: it is evident: according to )omas-
ius: that the keys given to $imon 7arjonas: sur-
named &eter: 9ere a universal passport If 9e
understand by heaven the clouds: the atmosphere:
the ether: and the space in 9hich the planets revolve:
no smith in the 9orld: as eursius observes: could
ever make a key for such gates as these 'ailleries:
ho9ever: are not reasons
3eys in &alestine 9ere 9ooden latches 9ith
strings to them =esus says to 7arjonas: 8,hatso-
ever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven8 )he pope;s clergy concluded from these
9ords: that the popes had received authority to bind
and unbind the people;s oath of %delity to their
kings: and to dispose of kingdoms at their pleasure
)his certainly 9as concluding magni%cently )he
6ommons in the states-general of +rance: in F"GJ:
say: in their memorial to the king: that 87oniface
2III 9as a b for believing that 1od bound and
imprisoned in heaven 9hat 7oniface bound on
earth8 0 famous 1erman .utheran the great
elancthon could not endure the idea of =esus
having said to $imon 7arjonas: 6epha or 6ephas:
8)hou art &eter: and upon this rock 9ill I build my
assembly: my church8 /e could not conceive that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 233/469
1od 9ould use such a play of 9ords: and that the
po9er of the pope could have been established on a
pun $uch a doubt: ho9ever: can be indulged only
by a &rotestant
&eter has been considered as having been bishop
FLR &hilosophical
of 'ome ! but it is 9ell kno9n that: in the apostolic
age: and long after: there 9as no particular and ap-
propriate bishopric )he society of 6hristians did
not assume a regular form until about the middle of
the second century It may be true that &eter 9ent
to 'ome: and even that he 9as cruci%ed 9ith his
head do9n9ards: although that 9as not the usual
mode of cruci%xion ! but 9e have no proof 9hatever
of all this ,e have a letter under his name: in
9hich he says that he is at 7abylon< acute and
shre9d canonists have contended that: by 7abylon:
9e ought to understand 'ome! and on the same
principle: if he had dated at 'ome: 9e might have
concluded that the letter had been 9ritten at 7aby-
lon en have long been in the habit of dra9ing
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 234/469
such reasonable and judicious inferences as these!
and it is in this manner that the 9orld has been
governed
)here 9as once a clergyman 9ho: after having
been made to pay extortionately for a bene%ce at
'ome an oCence kno9n by the name of simony
happened to be asked: some time after9ards: 9hether
he thought $imon &eter had ever been in that city ?
/e replied: 8I do not think that &eter 9as ever
there: but I am sure $imon 9as8
,ith respect to the personal character and be-
havior of $t &eter: it must be ackno9ledged that
&aul is not the only one 9ho 9as scandali@ed at his
conduct /e 9as often 89ithstood to the face:8
as 9ell as his successors $t &aul vehemently re-
4ictionary FL#
preached him 9ith eating forbidden meats < that is:
pork: blood-pudding: hare: eels: the ixion: and the
griMn ! &eter vindicated himself by saying that he
had seen heaven opened about the sixth hour: and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 235/469
as it 9ere a great sheet descending from the four
corners of it: 9hich 9as %lled 9ith creeping things:
Kuadrupeds: and birds: 9hile the voice of an angel
called out to him: saying: 83ill and eat8 )his: says
,oolston: seems to have been the same voice 9hich
has called out to so many pontiCs since: 83ill every-
thing! eat up the substance of the people8 7ut
this reproach is much too strong
6asaubon cannot by any means bring himself to
approve the manner in 9hich $t &eter treated 0na-
nias and $apphira: his 9ife 87y 9hat right:8 says
6asaubon: 8did a =e9 slave of the 'omans order or
permit that all those 9ho believed in =esus should
sell their inheritance: and lay do9n the price paid for
it at his feet ?8 If an 0nabaptist at .ondon 9as to
order all the money belonging to his brethren to be
brought and laid at his feet: 9ould he not be appre-
hended as a seditious seducer: as a thief 9ho 9ould
certainly be hanged at )yburn? ,as it not abom-
ir:able to kill 0nanias: because: after having sold his
pVoperty and delivered over the bulk of the produce
to &eter: he had retained for himself and his 9ife
a fe9 cro9ns for any case of necessity: 9ithout
mentioning it? $carcely: moreover: has 0nanias
expired: before his 9ife arrives &eter: instead of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 236/469
9arning her charitably that he had just destroyed
F HG &hilosophical
her husband by apoplexy for having kept back a fe9
oboli: and cautioning her therefore to look 9ell to
herself: leads her as it 9ere intentionally into the
snare /e asks her if her husband has given all his
money to the saints ! the poor 9oman replies in the
aMrmative: and dies instantly )his is certainly
rather severe
6orringius asks: 9hy &eter: 9ho thus killed the
persons that had given him alms and sho9ed him
kindness: did not rather go and destroy all the
learned doctors 9ho had brought =esus 6hrist to the
cross: and 9ho more than once brought a scourging
on himself 8Oh: &eter S8 says 6orringius: 8you put
to death t9o 6hristians 9ho besto9ed alms on you:
and at the same time suCer those to live 9ho cruci-
%ed your 1od S8
In the reigns of /enry I2: and .ouis EIII : 9e
had an advocate-general of the parliament of &ro-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 237/469
vence: a man of Kuality: called d;Oraison de )orame:
9ho: in a book respecting the church militant: dedi-
cated to /enry I2: has appropriated a 9hole chap-
ter to the sentences pronounced by $t &eter in crim-
inal causes /e says: that the sentence pronounced
by &eter on 0nanias and $apphira 9as executed by
1od /imself: 8in the very terms and forms of spiri-
tual jurisdiction8 /is 9hole book is in the same
strain ! but 6orringius: as 9e perceive: is of a diCer-
ent opinion from that of our sagacious and liberal
provincial advocate It is pretty evident that 6or-
4ictionary F H F
ringius 9as not in the country of the InKuisition
9hen he published his bold remarks
(rasmus: in relation to $t &eter: remarked a
some9hat curious circumstance: 9hich is: that the
chief of the 6hristian religion began his apostleship
9ith denying =esus 6hrist: and that the %rst pontiC
of the =e9s commenced his ministry by making a
golden calf and 9orshipping it
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 238/469
/o9ever that may be: &eter is described as a
poor man instructing the poor /e resembles those
founders of orders 9ho lived in indigence: and
9hose successors have become great lords and even
princes
)he pope: the successor of &eter: has sometimes
gained and sometimes lost ! but there are still about
%fty millions of persons in the 9orld submitting in
many points to his la9s: besides his o9n immediate
subjects
)o obtain a master three or four hundred leagues
from home ! to suspend your o9n opinion and 9ait
for 9hat he puts forth as his ! not to dare to give
a %nal decision on a cause relating to certain of
our fello9-citi@ens: but through commissioners ap-
pointed by this stranger ! not to dare to take posses-
sion of certain %elds and vineyards granted by our
o9n sovereign: 9ithout paying a considerable sum
to this foreign master! to violate the la9s of our
country: 9hich prohibit a man;s marriage 9ith his
niece: and marry her legitimately by giving this for-
eign master a sum still more consideiable than the
2ol FJ II
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 239/469
F H J &hil osophical
former one! not to dare to cultivate one;s %eld on
the day this stranger is inclined to celebrate the
memory of some unkno9n person 9hom he has
chosen to introduce into heaven by his o9n sole au-
thority! such are a part only of the conveniences
and comforts of admitting the jurisdiction of a pope !
such: if 9e may believe arsais: are the liberties of
the 1allican 6hurch
)here are some other nations that carry their sub-
mission further ,e have: in our o9n time: actually
kno9n a sovereign reKuest permission of the pope
to try in his o9n courts certain monks accused of
parricide: and able neither to obtain this permission
nor to venture on such trial 9ithout it S
It is 9ell kno9n that: formerly: the po9er of the
popes extended further )hey 9ere far above the
gods of antiKuity! for the latter 9ere merely sup-
posed to dispose of empires: but the popes disposed
of them in fact $turbinus says: that 9e may par-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 240/469
don those 9ho entertain doubts of the divinity and
infallibility of the pope: 9hen 9e reQect < that forty
schisms have profaned the chair of $t &eter: t9enty-
seven of 9hich have been marked by blood! that
$tephen 2II: the son of a priest: disinterred the
corpse of +ormosus: his predecessor: and had the
head of it cut oC! that $ergius III: convicted of
assassinations: had a son by aro@ia: 9ho inherited
the popedom ! that =ohn E: the paramour of )heo-
dora: 9as strangled in her bed ! that =ohn EI: son
of $ergius III: 9as kno9n only by his gross in-
4ictionary FH"
temperance ! that =ohn EII 9as assassinated in the
apartments of his mistress ! that 7enedict IE both
bought and sold the ponti%cate ! that 1regory 2II
9as the author of %ve hundred years of civil 9ar:
carried on by his successors ! that: %nally: among so
many ambitious: sanguinary: and debauched popes:
there 9as an 0lexander 2I: 9hose name is pro-
nounced 9ith the same horror as those of 5ero and
6aligula
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 241/469
It is: 9e are told: a proof of the divinity of their
character: that it has subsisted in connection 9ith
so many crimes ! but according to this: if the caliphs
had displayed still more atrocious and abominable
conduct: they 9ould have been still more divine
)his argument: inferring their divinity from their
9ickedness: is urged by 4ermius /e has been
properly ans9ered ! but the best reply is to be found
in the mitigated authority 9hich the bishops of
'ome at present exercise 9ith discretion! in the
long possession 9hich the emperors permit them to
enjoy: because in fact they are unable to deprive
them of it! and in the system of the balance of
po9er: 9hich is 9atched 9ith jealousy by every
court in (urope
It has been contended: and very lately: that there
are only t9o nations 9hich could invade Italy and
crush 'ome )hese are the )urks and 'ussians!
but they are necessarily enemies! and: besides: I
cannot distinctly anticipate misfortunes so distant
=e ne sais point prcvoir les malheurs de si loin
'06I5(: 0ndromache: act i: scene J
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 242/469
F H &hilosophical
&()(' )/( 1'(0) 054 = = 'O$$(0
8)/( 6@ar &eter had not true genius
that 9hich creates and makes all of nothing $ome
things 9hich he did 9ere good! the greater part
9ere misplaced /e sa9 that his people 9ere bar-
barous! he has not seen that they 9ere not pre-
pared for polishing! he 9ould civili@e them 9hen
they only 9anted training /e 9ished at once to
make 1ermans and (nglish 9hen he should have
commenced by making 'ussians /e prevented his
subjects from becoming 9hat they might be: by
persuading them that they 9ere 9hat they are not
It is thus that a +rench preceptor forms his pupil to
shine for a moment in his childhood: and never
after9ards to be anything )he empire of 'ussia
9ould subjugate (urope: and 9ill be subjugated it-
self )he )artars: its subjects or neighbors: 9ill
become its masters and ours )his revolution ap-
pears to me unavoidable< all the kings of (urope
labor together to accelerate it8 N6ontrat $ocial:
livre ii chap: viiiW )hese 9ords are extracted from
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 243/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 244/469
trouble (urope =ean =acKues: 9ho possesses: as he
himself believes: true genius: %nds that &eter the
1reat had it not
0 'ussian lord: a man of much 9it: 9ho some-
times amuses himself 9ith reading pamphlets: 9hile
reading this: remembered some lines of oliere:
implying: that three miserable authors took it into
their heads: that it 9as only necessary to be printed
and bound in calf: to become important personages
and dispose of empires <
semble a trots gredins: dans leur petit cerveau:
Bue pour tre imprimcs et relits en veau:
.es voila dans retat d;importantes personnes:
Bu;avec leur plume s font le destin des couronnes
)he 'ussians: says =ean =acKues: 9ere never
polished I have seen some at least very polite: and
9ho had just: delicate: agreeable: cultivated: and
even logical minds: 9hich =ean =acKues 9ill %nd
very extraordinary 0s he is very gallant: he 9ill
not fail to say: that they are formed at the court of
the empress of 'ussia: that her example has inQu-
enced them < but that prevents not the correctness of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 245/469
F HH &hilosophical
his prophecy that this empire 9ill soon be de-
stroyed
)his good little man assures us: in one of his
modest 9orks: that a statue should be erected to him
It 9ill not probably be either at osco9 or $t
&etersburg: that anyone 9ill trouble himself to
sculpture =ean =acKues
I 9ish: in general: that 9hen people judge of
nations from their garrets: they 9ould be more
honest and circumspect (very poor devil can say
9hat he pleases of the 'omans: 0thenians: and an-
cient &ersians /e can deceive himself 9ith im-
punity on the tribunes: comitia: and dictatorships
/e can govern in idea t9o or three thousand leagues
of country: 9hilst he is incapable of governing his
servant girl In a romance: he can receive 8an acrid
kiss8 from his =ulia: and advise a prince to espouse
the daughter of a hangman )hese are follies 9ith-
out conseKuence there are others 9hich may have
disastrous eCects
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 246/469
6ourt fools 9ere very discreet ! they insulted the
9eak alone by their buCooneries: and respected the
po9erful < country fools are at present more bold
It 9ill be ans9ered: that 4iogenes and 0retin 9ere
tolerated 1ranted! but a Qy one day seeing a
s9allo9 9ing a9ay 9ith a spider;s 9eb: 9ould do
the same thing: and 9as taken
$(6)IO5 II
ay 9e not say of these legislators 9ho govern
the universe at t9o sous the sheet: and 9ho from
4ictionary FHP
their garrets give orders to all kings: 9hat /omer
said to 6alchas?<
Os ede ta conta: taere essomena: pro theonta
/e kne9 the past: present: and future
It is a pity that the author of the little paragraph
9hich 9e are going to Kuote: kne9 nothing of the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 247/469
three times of 9hich /omer speaks 8&eter the
1reat:8 says he: 8had not the genius 9hich makes
all of nothing8 )ruly: =ean =acKues: I can easily
believe it ! for it is said that 1od alone has this pre-
rogative 8/e has not seen that his people 9ere not
prepared for polishing8
In this case: it 9as admirable of the c@ar to pre-
pare them It appears to me: that it is =ean =acKues
9ho had not seen that he must make use of the
1ermans and (nglish to form 'ussians
8/e has prevented his subjects from ever be-
coming 9hat they might be:8 etc et these same
'ussians have become the conKuerors of the )urks
and )artars: the conKuerors and legislators of the
6rimea: and t9enty diCerent nations )heir sov-
ereign has given la9s to nations of 9hich even the
names 9ere unkno9n in (urope
0s to the prophecy of =ean =acKues: he may have
exalted his soul suMciently to read the future /e
has all the reKuisites of a prophet ! but as to the past
and the present: it must be confessed that he kno9s
nothing about them I doubt 9hether antiKuity has
anything comparable to the boldness of sending four
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 248/469
sKuadrons from the extremity of the 7altic into
F HR &hilosophical
the seas of 1reece of reigning at once over the
^(gean and the (uxine $eas of carrying terror into
6olchis: and to the 4ardanelles of subjugating
)aurida: and forcing the vi@ier 0@em to Qy from
the shores of the 4anube to the gates of 0drianople
If =ean =acKues considers so many great actions
9hich astonished the attentive 9orld as nothing: he
must at least confess: that there 9as some generosity
in one 6ount OrloC: 9ho having taken a vessel
9hich contained all the family and treasures of a
pasha: sent him back both his family and treasures
If the 'ussians 9ere not prepared for polishing in
the time of &eter the 1reat: let us agree that they
are no9 prepared for greatness of soul! and that
=ean =acKues is not Kuite prepared for truth and
reasoning ,ith regard to the future: 9e shall
kno9 it 9hen 9e have (@ekiels: Isaiahs: /abakkuks:
and icahs ! but their time has passed a9ay ! and if
9e dare say so much: it is to be feared that it 9ill
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 249/469
never return
I confess that these lies: printed in relation to
present times: al9ays astonish me If these liberties
are allo9ed in an age in 9hich a thousand volumes:
a thousand ne9spapers and journals: are constantly
correcting each other: 9hat faith can 9e have in
those histories of ancient times: 9hich collected all
vague rumors 9ithout consulting any archives:
9hich put into 9riting all that they had heard told
by their grandmothers in their childhood: very sure
that no critic 9ould discover their errors?
4ictionary FH#
,e had for a long time nine muses < 9holesome
6riticism is the tenth: 9hich has appeared very lately
$he existed not in the time of 6ecrops: of the %rst
7acchus: or of $anchoniathon: )haut: 7ramah: etc
&eople then 9rote all they liked 9ith impunity 0t
present 9e must be a little more careful
&/I.O$O&/('
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 250/469
$(6)IO5 I
&/I.O$O&/(': 8lover of 9isdom:8 that is: 8of
truth8 0ll philosophers have possessed this t9o-
fold character ! there is not one among those of an-
tiKuity 9ho did not give examples of virtue to man-
kind: and lessons of moral truth )hey might be
mistaken: and undoubtedly 9ere so: on subjects of
natural philosophy! but that is of comparatively so
little importance to the conduct of life: that philos-
ophers had then no need of it 0ges 9ere reKuired
to discover a part of the la9s of nature 0 single
day is suMcient to enable a sage to become ac-
Kuainted 9ith the duties of man
)he philosopher is no enthusiast ! he does not set
himself up for a prophet ! he does not represent
himself as inspired by the gods I shall not there-
fore place in the rank of philosophers the ancient
Doroaster: or /ermes: or Orpheus: or any of those
legislators in 9hom the countries of 6haldsea: &ersia:
$yria: (gypt: and 1reece made their boast )hose
9ho called themselves the sons of gods 9ere the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 251/469
FPG &hilosophical
fathers of imposture! and if they employed false-
hood to inculcate truths: they 9ere un9orthy of in-
culcating them! they 9ere not philosophers! they
9ere at best only prudent liars
7y 9hat fatality: disgraceful perhaps to the na-
tions of the ,est: has it happened that 9e are obliged
to travel to the extremity of the (ast: in order to
%nd a sage of simple manners and character: 9ith-
out arrogance and 9ithout imposture: 9ho taught
men ho9 to live happy six hundred years before our
era: at a period 9hen the 9hole of the 5orth 9as
ignorant of the use of letters: and 9hen the 1reeks
had scarcely begun to distinguish themselves by 9is-
dom? )hat sage is 6onfucius: 9ho deemed too
highly of his character as a legislator for mankind:
to stoop to deceive them ,hat %ner rule of con-
duct has ever been given since his time: throughout
the earth?
8'ule a state as you rule a family ! a man cannot
govern his family 9ell 9ithout giving a good ex-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 252/469
- ample ! virtue should be common to the laborer and
the monarch ! be active in preventing crimes: that
you may lessen the trouble of punishing them
8nder the good kings ao and Eu: the 6hinese
9ere good ! under the bad kings 3ie and 6hu: they
9ere 9icked
84o to another as to thyself! love mankind in
general: but cherish those 9ho are good! forget
injuries: but never bene%ts8
I have seen men incapable of the sciences: but
4ictionary FPF
never any incapable of virtue .et us ackno9ledge
that no legislator ever announced to the 9orld more
useful truths
0 multitude of 1reek philosophers taught after-
9ards a morality eKually pure /ad they distin-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 253/469
guished themselves only by their vain systems of
natural philosophy: their names 9ould be mentioned
at the present day only in derision If they are still
respected: it is because they 9ere just: and because
they taught mankind to be so
It is impossible to read certain passages of &lato:
and particularly the admirable exordium of the la9s
of Daleucus: 9ithout experiencing an ardent love of
honorable and generous actions )he 'omans have
their 6icero 9ho alone is perhaps more valuable than
all the philosophers of 1reece 0fter him come men
more respectable still: but 9hom 9e may almost de-
spair of imitating! these are (pictetus in slavery:
and the 0ntonines and =ulian upon a throne
,here is the citi@en to be found among us 9ho
9ould deprive himself: like =ulian: 0ntoninus: and
arcus 0urelius: of all the re%ned accommodations
of our delicate and luxurious modes of living? ,ho
9ould: like them: sleep on the bare ground? ,ho
9ould restrict himself to their frugal habits ? ,ho
9ould: like them: march bareheaded and barefooted
at the head of the armies: exposed sometimes to
the burning sun: and at other times to the free@ing
blast ? ,ho 9ould: like them: keep perfect mastery
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 254/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 255/469
that 1assendi should have been often compelled to
retire to 4igne: far distant from the calumnies of
&aris: are events that load a nation 9ith eternal
opprobrium
One of the philosophers 9ho 9ere most perse-
cuted: 9as the immortal 7ayle: the honor of human
nature I shall be told that the name of =urieu: his
slanderer and persecutor: is become execrable ! I
ackno9ledge that it is so ! that of the =esuit .etel-
lier is become so like9ise! but is it the less true
that the great men 9hom he oppressed ended their
days in exile and penury?
4ictionary FP"
One of the pretexts made use of for reducing
7ayle to poverty: 9as his article on 4avid: in his
valuable dictionary /e 9as reproached 9ith not
praising actions 9hich 9ere in themselves unjust:
sanguinary: atrocious: contrary to good faith: or
grossly oCensive to decency
7ayle certainly has not praised 4avid for having:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 256/469
according to the /ebre9 historian: collected six
hundred vagabonds over9helmed 9ith debts and
crimes! for having pillaged his countrymen at the
head of these banditti! for having resolved to de-
stroy 5abal and his 9hole family: because he re-
fused paying contributions to him ! for having hired
out his services to 3ing 0chish: the enemy of his
country! for having after9ards betrayed 0chish:
not9ithstanding his kindness to him! for having
sacked the villages in alliance 9ith that king! for
having massacred in these villages every human be-
ing: including even infants at the breast: that no one
might be found on a future day to give testimony
of his depredations: as if an infant could have pos-
sibly disclosed his villainy ! for having destroyed all
the inhabitants of some other villages under sa9s:
and harro9s: and axes: and in brick-kilns ! for hav-
ing 9rested the throne from Ishbosheth: the son of
$aul: by an act of per%dy ! for having despoiled of
his property and after9ards put to death ephibo-
sheth: the grandson of $aul: and son of his o9n pe-
culiar friend and generous protector: =onathan! or
for having delivered up to the 1ibeonites t9o other
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 257/469
F P &hilosophical
sons of $aul: and %ve of his grandsons 9ho perished
by the gallo9s
I do not notice the extreme incontinence of 4avid:
his numerous concubines: his adultery 9ith 7ath-
sheba: or his murder of riah
,hat thenS is it possible that the enemies of
7ayle should have expected or 9ished him to eulo-
gi@e all these cruelties and crimes? Ought he to
have said < 1o: ye princes of the earth: and imitate
the man after 1od;s o9n heart! massacre 9ithout
pity the allies of your benefactor ! destroy or deliver
over to destruction the 9hole family of your king!
appropriate to your o9n pleasures all the 9omen:
9hile you are pouring out the blood of the men!
and you 9ill thus exhibit models of human virtue:
especially if: in addition to all the rest: you do but
compose a book of psalms ?
,as not 7ayle perfectly correct in his observa-
tion: that if 4avid 9as the man after 1od;s o9n
heart: it must have been by his penitence: and not
by his crimes? 4id not 7ayle perform a service to
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 258/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 259/469
the learned 2an 4ale;s 8)reatise on Oracles:8 in
9hich he had taken particular care to retrench and
modify the original 9ork: so as to give no unneces-
sary oCence to fanaticism 0 =esuit had 9ritten
against +ontenelle: and he had not deigned to make
him any reply ! and that 9as enough to induce the
=esuit .etellier: confessor to .ouis EI2: to accuse
+ontenelle to the king of atheism
7ut for the fortunate mediation of d;0rgen-
son: the son of a forging solicitor of 2ire a son
9orthy of such a father: as he 9as detected in forg-
ery himself 9ould have proscribed: in his old age:
the nephe9 of the great 6orneille
It is so easy for a confessor to seduce his penitent:
that 9e ought to bless 1od that .etellier did no
more harm than is justly imputed to him )here are
t9o situations in 9hich seduction and calumny can-
not easily be resisted the bed and the confessional
,e have al9ays seen philosophers persecuted by
fanatics 7ut can it be really possible: that men of
letters should be seen mixed up in a business so
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 260/469
FPH &hilosophical
odious! and that they should often be o2 served
sharpening the 9eapons against their brethren: by
9hich they are themselves almost universally de-
stroyed or 9ounded in their turn nhappy men of
letters: does it become you to turn informers? 4id
the 'omans ever %nd a 1arasse: a 6haumieux: or a
/ayet: to accuse a .ucretius: a &osidonius: a 2arro:
or a &liny?
/o9 inexpressible is the meanness of being a
hypocrite S ho9 horrible is it to be a mischievous and
malignant hypocriteS )here 9ere no hypocrites in
ancient 'ome: 9hich reckoned us a small portion
of its innumerable subjects )here 9ere impostors:
I admit: but not religious hypocrites: 9hich are the
most proQigate and cruel species of all ,hy is it
that 9e see none such in (ngland: and 9hence does
it arise that there still are such in +rance? &hilos-
ophers: you 9ill solve this problem 9ith ease
$(6)IO5 II
)his brilliant and beautiful name has been some-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 261/469
times honored: and sometimes disgraced! like that
of poet: mathematician: monk: priest: and everything
dependent on opinion 4omitian banished the phi-
losophers: and .ucian derided them 7ut 9hat sort
of philosophers and mathematicians 9ere they
9hom the monster 4omitian exiled? )hey 9ere
jugglers 9ith their cups and balls ! the calculators of
horoscopes: fortune-tellers: miserable peddling =e9s:
9ho composed philtres and talismans! gentry 9ho
4ictionary FPP
had special and sovereign po9er over evil spirits:
9ho evoked them from their infernal habitations:
made them take possession of the bodies of men and
9omen by certain 9ords or signs: and dislodged
them by other 9ords or signs
0nd 9hat 9ere the philosophers that .ucian held
up to public ridicule? )hey 9ere the dregs of the
human race )hey 9ere a set of proQigate beggars
incapable of applying to any useful profession or oc-
cupation! men perfectly resembling the 8&oor
4evil:8 9ho has been described to us 9ith so much
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 262/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 263/469
0 victorious empress: at 9hose name the Otto-
mans tremble: and 9ho so gloriously rules an em-
pire more extensive than that of 'ome: 9ould never
have been a great legistratrix: had she not been a
philosopher (very northern prince is so: and the
5orth puts the $outh to absolute shame If the con-
federates of &oland had only a very small share of
philosophy: they 9ould not expose their country:
their estates: and their houses: to pillage ! they 9ould
not drench their territory in blood ! they 9ould not
obstinately and 9antonly reduce themselves to being
the most miserable of mankind! they 9ould listen
to the voice of their philosophic king: 9ho has given
so many noble proofs and so many admirable lessons
of moderation and prudence in vain
)he great =ulian 9as a philosopher 9hen he
9rote to his ministers and pontiCs his exKuisite let-
ters abounding in clemency and 9isdom: 9hich all
men of judgment and feeling highly admire: even
at the present day: ho9ever sincerely they may con-
demn his errors
6onstantine 9as not a philosopher 9hen he assas-
sinated his relations: his son and his 9ife: and 9hen:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 264/469
reeking 9ith the blood of his family: he s9ore that
1od had sent to him the 8.abarum8 in the clouds
It is a long bound that carries us from 6onstantine
to 6harles IE: and /enry III: kings of one of the
%fty great provinces of the 'oman (mpire 7ut if
these kings had been philosophers: one 9ould not
have been guilty of the massacre of $t 7artholo-
4ictionary FP#
me9: and the other 9ould not have made scandalous
processions: nor have been reduced to the necessity
of assassinating the duke of 1uise and the cardinal:
his brother: and at length have been assassinated
himself by a young =acobin: for the love of 1od and
of the holy church
If .ouis the =ust: the thirteenth monarch of that
name: had been a philosopher: he 9ould not have
permitted the virtuous de )hou and the innocent
arshal de arillac to have been dragged to the
scaCold ! he 9ould not have suCered his mother to
perish 9ith hunger at 6ologne ! and his reign 9ould
not have been an uninterrupted succession of intes-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 265/469
tine discords and calamities
6ompare 9ith those princes: thus ignorant: super-
stitious: cruel: and enslaved by their o9n passions
or those of their ministers: such a man as ontaigne:
or 6harron: or the 6hancellor de F;/opital: or the
historian de )hou: or la othe .e 2ayer: or a
.ocke: a $haftesbury: a $idney: or a /erbert ! and
say 9hether you 9ould rather be governed by those
sovereigns or by these sages
,hen I speak of philosophers I do not mean
the coarse and brutal cynics 9ho appear desirous of
being apes of 4iogenes: but the men 9ho imitate
&lato and 6icero 0s for you: voluptuous courtiers:
and you also: men of petty minds: invested 9ith a
petty employment 9hich confers on you a petty au-
thority in a petty country: 9ho uniformly exclaim
against and abuse philosophy: proceed as long as
F RG &hilosophical
you please 9ith your invective railing I consider
you as the 5omentanuses inveighing against /or-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 266/469
ace ! and the 6otins attempting to cry do9n 7oileau
$(6)IO5 III
)he stiC .utheran: the savage 6alvinist: the
proud 0nglican high churchman: the fanatical =an-
senist: the =esuit al9ays aiming at dominion: even
in exile and at the very gallo9s: the $orbonnist 9ho
deems himself one of the fathers of a council ! these:
and some imbecile beings under their respective
guidance: inveigh incessantly and bitterly against
philosophy )hey are all diCerent species of the
canine race: snarling and ho9ling in their peculiar
9ays against a beautiful horse that is pasturing in
a verdant meado9: and 9ho never enters into con-
test 9ith them about any of the carrion carcasses
upon 9hich they feed: and for 9hich they are per-
petually %ghting 9ith one another
)hey every day produce from the press their
trash of philosophic theology: their philosophico-
theological dictionaries! their old and battered ar-
guments: as common as the streets: 9hich they de-
nominate 8demonstrations8 ! and their ten thousand
tines repeated and ridiculous assertions 9hich they
call 8lemmas:8 and 8corollaries8! as false coiners
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 267/469
cover a lead cro9n 9ith a plating of silver
)hey perceive that they are despised by all per-
sons of reQection: and that they can no longer de-
ceive any but a fe9 9eak old 9omen )his state
I
4ictionary F R F
is far more humiliating and mortifying than even
being expelled from +rance and $pain and 5aples
(verything can be supported except contempt ,e
are told that 9hen the devil 9as conKuered by 'a-
phael as it is clearly proved he 9as that haughty
compound of body and spirit at %rst easily consoled
himself 9ith the idea of the chances of 9ar 7ut
9hen he understood that 'aphael laughed at him:
he roundly s9ore that he 9ould never forgive him
0ccordingly: the =esuits never forgave &ascal ! ac-
cordingly: =erieu 9ent on calumniating 7ayle even
to the grave! and just in the same manner all the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 268/469
)artuCes: all the hypocrites: in oliere;s time: in-
veighed against that author to his dying day In
their rage they resort to calumnies: as in their folly
they publish arguments
One of the most determined slanderers: as 9ell
as one of the most contemptible reasoners that 9e
have among us: is an ex-=esuit of the name of
&aulian: 9ho published a theologico-philosophical
rhapsody in the city of 0vignon: formerly a papal
city: and perhaps destined to be so again )his
person accuses the authors of the 8(ncyclopaedia8 of
having said<
8)hat as man is by his nature open only to the
pleasures of the senses: these pleasures are conse-
Kuently the sole objects of his desires! that man
in himself has neither vice nor virtue: neither good
nor bad morals: neither justice nor injustice! that
the pleasures of the senses produce all the virtues!
F RJ &hilosophical
that in order to be happy: men must extinguish re-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 269/469
morse: etc8
In 9hat articles of the 8(ncyclopaedia:8 of 9hich
%ve ne9 editions have lately commenced: are these
horrible propositions to be found? ou are bound
actually to produce them /ave you carried the
insolence of your pride and the madness of your
character to such an extent as to imagine that you
9ill be believed on your bare 9ord? )hese ridicu-
lous absurdities may be found perhaps in the 9orks
of your o9n casuists: or those of the &orter of the
6hartreux: but they are certainly not to be found
in the articles of the 8(ncyclopaedia8 composed by
4iderot: d;0lembert: the chevalier =aucourt:
or de 2oltaire ou have never seen them in the
articles of the 6ount de )ressan: nor in those of
essrs 7londel: 7oucher-d;0rgis: armontel:
2enel: )ronchin: d;0ubenton: d;0rgenville: and
various others: 9ho generously devoted their time
and labors to enrich the 8(ncyclopaedic 4ictionary:8
and thereby conferred an everlasting bene%t on (u-
rope ost assuredly: not one of them is chargeable
9ith the abominations you impute to them Only
yourself: and 0braham 6haumieux: the vinegar
merchant and cruci%ed convulsionary: could be
capable of broaching so infamous a calumny
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 270/469
ou confound error 9ith truth: because you have
not sense suMcient to distinguish bet9een them
ou 9ish to stigmati@e as impious the maxim
4ictionary F R"
adopted by all publicists: 8)hat every man is free
to choose his country8
,hatS you contemptible preacher of slavery:
9as not Bueen 6hristina free to travel to +rance
and reside at 'ome? ,ere not 6asimir and $tan-
islaus authori@ed to end their days in +rance ? ,as
it necessary: because they 9ere &oles: that they
should die in &oland? 4id 1oldoni: 2anloo: and
6assini give oCense to 1od by settling at &aris?
/ave all the Irish: 9ho have established themselves
in fame and fortune in +rance: committed by so
doing a mortal sin?
0nd you have the stupidity to print such ex-
travagance and absurdity as this: and 'iballier has
stupidity enough to approve and sanction you ! and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 271/469
you range in one and the same class 7ayle: ontes-
Kuieu: and the madman de .a etric! and it may
be added: you have found the +rench nation too
humane and indulgent: not9ithstanding all your
slander and malignity: to deliver you over to any-
thing but scorn S
,hat S do you dare to calumniate your country
if indeed a =esuit can be said to have a country?
4o you dare to assert 8that philosophers alone
in +rance attribute to chance the union and dis-
union of the atoms 9hich constitute the soul of
man?8 8entiris impudentissime S8 I defy you to
produce a single book: published 9ithin the last
thirty years: in 9hich anything at all is attributed
to chance: 9hich is merely a 9ord 9ithout a meaning
F R &hilosophical
4o you dare to accuse the sagacious and judicious
.ocke of having said 8that it is possible the soul
may be a spirit: but that he is not perfectly sure
it is so! and that 9e are unable to decide 9hat
it may be able or unable to acKuire?8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 272/469
8entiris impudentissime I8 .ocke: the truly
respectable and venerable .ocke: says expressly: in
his ans9er to the cavilling and sophistical $tilling-
Qeet: 8I am strongly persuaded: although it cannot
be sho9n: by mere reason: that the soul is immaterial:
because the veracity of 1od is a demonstration of
the truth of all that /e has revealed: and the absence
of another demonstration can never thro9 any doubt
upon 9hat is already demonstrated8
$ee: moreover: under the article 8$oul:8 ho9
.ocke expresses himself on the bounds of human
kno9ledge: and the immensity of the po9er of the
$upreme 7eing )he great philosopher 7oling-
broke declares that the opinion opposite to .ocke;s
is blasphemy 0ll the fathers: during the %rst three
ages of the church: regarded the soul as a light: at-
tenuated species of matter: but did not the less: in
conseKuence: regard it as immortal 7ut no9: for-
sooth: even your college drudges conseKuentially put
themselves for9ard and denounce as 8atheists8
those 9ho: 9ith the fathers of the 6hristian church:
think that 1od is able to besto9 and to preserve the
immortality of the soul: 9hatever may be the sub-
stance it consists of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 273/469
ou carry your audacity so far as to discover
4ictionary FRL
atheism in the follo9ing 9ords: 8,ho produces
motion in nature? 1od ,ho produces vegeta-
tion in plants? 1od ,ho produces motion in
animals? 1od ,ho produces thought in man?
1od8
,e cannot so properly say on this occasion:
8entlris impudentissime8 ! but 9e should rather
say you impudently blaspheme the truth ,e con-
clude 9ith observing that the hero of the ex- =esuit
&aulian is the ex- =esuit &atouillet: the author of a
bishop;s mandate in 9hich all the parliaments of the
kingdom are insulted )his mandate 9as burned
by the hands of the executioner 5othing after this
9as 9anting but for the ex-=esuit &aulian to elevate
the ex-=esuit 5onnotte to be a father of the church:
and to canoni@e the =esuits alagrida: 1uignard:
1arnet: and Oldham: and all other =esuits to 9hom
1od has granted the grace of being hanged or Kuar-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 274/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 275/469
stupidity 5ationsS it humani@es your manners
3ings: it gives you instruction S
$(6)IO5 v
)he philosopher is the lover of 9isdom and truth !
to be a sage is to avoid the senseless and the de-
praved )he philosopher: therefore: should live only
among philosophers
I 9ill suppose that there are still some sages
among the =e9s! if one of these: 9hen dining in
company 9ith some rabbis: should help himself to
a plate of eels or hare: or if he cannot refrain from a
hearty laugh at some superstitious and ridiculous
observations made by them in the course of conver-
sation: he is forever ruined in the synagogue ! the
like remark may be made of a ussulman: a 1ueber:
or a 7anian
I kno9 it is contended by many that the sage
should never develop his opinions to the vulgar ! that
he should be a madman 9ith the mad: and foolish
among fools ! no one: ho9ever: has yet ventured to
say that he should be a knave among knaves 7ut
if it be reKuired that a sage should al9ays join in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 276/469
4ictionary FRP
opinion 9ith the deluders of mankind: is not this
clearly the same as reKuiring that he should not be
an honest man? ,ould any one reKuire that a re-
spectable physician should al9ays be of the same
opinion as charlatans?
)he sage is a physician of souls /e ought to
besto9 his remedies on those 9ho ask them of him:
and avoid the company of Kuacks: 9ho 9ill infallibly
persecute him If: therefore: a madman of 0sia
inor: or a madman of India: says to the sage < y
good friend: I think you do not believe in the mare
7orac: or in the metamorphoses of 2ishnu! I 9ill
denounce you: I 9ill hinder you from being bos-
tanji: I 9ill destroy your credit! I 9ill persecute
you the sage ought to pity him and be silent
If ignorant persons: but at the same time per-
sons of good understanding and dispositions: and
9illing to receive instruction: should ask him < 0re
9e bound to believe that the distance bet9een the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 277/469
moon and 2enus is only %ve hundred leagues: and
that bet9een ercury and the sun the same: as the
principal fathers of the ussulman religion insist:
in opposition to all the most learned astronomers?
the sage may reply to them that the fathers may
possibly be mistaken /e should at all times incul-
cate upon them that a hundred abstract dogmas are
not of the value of a single good action: and that it
is better to relieve one individual in distress than to
be profoundly acKuainted 9ith the abolishing and
abolished ,hen a rustic sees a serpent ready to
F RR &hilosophical
dart at him: he 9ill kill it ! 9hen a sage perceives a
bigot and a fanatic: 9hat 9ill he do? /e 9ill pre-
vent them from biting
&/I.O$O&/
$(6)IO5 I
,'I)( %losophy or philosophy as you please: but
agree that as soon as it appears it is persecuted
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 278/469
4ogs to 9hom you present an aliment for 9hich
they have no taste: bite you ou 9ill say that I re-
peat myself! but 9e must a hundred times remind
mankind that the holy conclave condemned 1alileo !
and that the pedants 9ho declared all the good citi-
@ens excommunicated 9ho should submit to the
great /enry I2: 9ere the same 9ho condemned the
only truths 9hich could be found in the 9orks of
4escartes
0ll the spaniels of the theological kennel bark at
one another: and all together at de )hou: la othe:
.e 2ayer: and 7ayle ,hat nonsense has been
9ritten by little 6eltic scholars against the 9ise
.ockeS
)hese 6elts say that 6sesar: 6icero: $eneca:
&liny: and arcus 0urelius: might be philosophers:
but that philosophy is not permitted among the
6elts ,e ans9er that it is permitted and very use-
ful among the +rench ! that nothing has done more
good to the (nglish ! and that it is time to extermi-
nate barbarity ou reply that that 9ill never come
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 279/469
4ictionary FR#
to pass 5o! 9ith the uninformed and foolish it
9ill not! but 9ith honest people the aCair is soon
concluded
$(6)IO5 II
One of the great misfortunes: as also one of the
great follies: of mankind: is that in all countries
9hich 9e call polished: except: perhaps: 6hina:
priests concern themselves 9ith 9hat belongs only
to philosophers )hese priests interfered 9ith reg-
ulating the year ! it 9as: they say: their right ! for it
9as necessary that the people should kno9 their
holy days )hus the 6haldaean: (gyptian: 1reek:
and 'oman priests: believed themselves mathemati-
cians and astronomers! but 9hat mathematics and
astronomyS ,hoever makes a trade of Kuackery
cannot have a just and enlightened mind )hey
9ere astrologers: and never astronomers
)he 1reek priests themselves %rst made the year
to consist only of three hundred and sixty days
)heir geometricians must have informed them that
they 9ere deceived by %ve days and more )hey:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 280/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 281/469
versal 6aesar: 9as obliged to bring the philosopher
$osigenes from 0lexandria to repair the enormou?
errors of the pontiCs ,hen it 9as necessary to
correct the calendar of =ulius 6aesar: under the pon-
ti%cate of 1regory EIII: to 9hom did they address
themselves? ,as it to some inKuisitor? It 9as to
a philosopher and physician named .ilio
,hen the almanac 9as given to &rofessor 6oge:
rector of the university: to compose: he kne9 not
even the subject )hey 9ere obliged to apply to
de .alande: of the 0cademy of $ciences: 9ho 9as
burdened 9ith this very painful task: too poorly
recompensed )he rhetorician 6oge: therefore:
made a great mistake 9hen he proposed for the pri@e
of the university this subject so strangely expressed <
85on magis 4eo Kuam re gibus infensa est ista
Kua vocatur hodie philosophia8 8)hat 9hich 9e
no9 call philosophy: is not more the enemy of 1od
than of kings8 /e 9ould say less the enemy /e
has taken magis for minus 0nd the poor man ought
4ictionary F#F
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 282/469
to kno9 that our academies are not enemies either to
the king or 1od
$(6)IO5 III
If philosophy has done so much honor to +rance
in the 8(ncyclopaedia:8 it must also be confessed
that the ignorance and envy 9hich have dared to
condemn this 9ork 9ould have covered +rance 9ith
opprobrium: if t9elve or %fteen convulsionaries: 9ho
formed a cabal: could be regarded as the organs of
+rance! they 9ere really only the ministers of
fanaticism and sedition ! those 9ho forced the king
to dissolve the body 9hich they had seduced )heir
fanatical credulity for convulsions and the miserable
impostures of $t edard: 9as so strong: that they
obliged a magistrate: else9here 9ise and respect-
able: to say in full parliament that the miracles of
the 6atholic church al9ays existed 7y these mira-
cles: 9e can only understand those of convulsions:
for assuredly it never performed any others! at
least: if 9e believe not in the little children resus-
citated by $t Ovid )he time of miracles is passed !
the triumphant church has no longer occasion for
them $eriously: 9as there one of the persecutors
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 283/469
of the 8(ncyclopaedia8 9ho understood one 9ord of
the articles 0stronomy: 4ynamics: 1eometry: eta-
physics: 7otany: edicine: or 0natomy: of 9hich
this book: become so necessary: treats in every vol-
ume ,hat a cro9d of absurd imputations and
gross calumnies have they accumulated against this
treasure of all the sciencesS )hey should be re-
F#J &hilosophical
printed at the end of the 8(ncyclopaedia:8 to eterni@e
their shame $ee 9hat it is to judge a 9ork 9hich
they 9ere not even %t to study )he foolsS they
have exclaimed that philosophy ruined 6atholicism
,hat: then: in t9enty millions of people: has one
been found 9ho has vexed the least oMcer of the
parishS one 9ho has failed in respect to the
churchesS one 9ho has publicly proCered against
our ceremonies a single 9ord 9hich approached the
virulence 9ith 9hich these railers have expressed
themselves against the regal authorityS .et us re-
peat that philosophy never did evil to the state: and
that fanaticism: joined to the esprit du corps: has
done much in all times
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 284/469
$(6)IO5 I2
$ubstance of 0ncient &hilosophy
I have consumed about forty years of my pil-
grimage in t9o or three corners of the 9orld: seek-
8ing the philosopher;s stone called truth I have con-
sulted all the adepts of antiKuity: (picurus and 0u-
gustine: &lato and alebranche: and I still remain
in ignorance In all the crucibles of philosophers:
there are perhaps t9o or three ounces of gold: but
all the rest is caput mortuum: insipid mire: from
9hich nothing can be extracted
It seems to me that the 1reeks: our masters:
9rote much more to sho9 their intellect: than they
made use of their intellect to instruct themselves I
see not a single author of antiKuity 9ho has a con-
4ictionary F#"
sistent: methodical: clear system: going from con-
seKuence to conseKuence
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 285/469
0ll that I have been able to obtain by comparing
and combining the systems of &lato: of the tutor of
0lexander: &ythagoras: and the Orientals: is this <
6hance is a 9ord void of sense ! nothing can exist
9ithout a cause )he 9orld is arranged according
to mathematical la9s! therefore: it is arranged by
an intelligence
It is not an intelligent being like myself 9ho pre-
sided at the formation of the 9orld! for I cannot
form a miserable 9orm ! therefore: the 9orld is the
9ork of an intelligence prodigiously superior 4oes
this being: 9ho possesses intelligence and po9er in
so high a degree: necessarily exist? It must be so:
for he must either have received being from another:
or through his o9n nature If he has received his
being from another: 9hich is very diMcult to con-
ceive: I must look up to this other: 9hich 9ill in that
case be the %rst cause On 9hichever side I turn: I
must admit a %rst cause: po9erful and intelligent:
9ho by his o9n nature is necessarily so
/as this %rst cause created things out of nothing ?
,e cannot conceive that to create out of nothing is
to change nothing into something I cannot admit
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 286/469
such a creation: at least until I %nd invincible rea-
sons 9hich force me to admit 9hat my mind can
never comprehend 0ll that exists appears to exist
necessarily: since it exists ! for if to-day there is a
reason for the existence of things: there 9as one
2ol FJ F"
F # &hilosophical
yesterday ! there has been one in all times ! and this
cause must al9ays have had its eCect: 9ithout 9hich
it 9ould have been a useless cause during eternity
7ut ho9 can things have al9ays existed: being
visibly under the hand of the %rst cause? )his
po9er must al9ays have acted in like manner
)here is no sun 9ithout light: there is no motion
9ithout a being passing from one point of space to
another
)here is: therefore: a po9erful and intelligent
being 9ho has al9ays acted! and if this being had
not acted: of 9hat use to him 9ould have been his
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 287/469
existence? 0ll things are: therefore: emanations
from this %rst cause 7ut ho9 can 9e imagine that
stone and clay may be emanations of the eternal: in-
telligent: and puissant being? Of t9o things: one
must be! either that the matter of this stone and
mine necessarily exists of itself: or that it exists nec-
essarily by this %rst cause ! there is no medium
)hus: therefore: there are but t9o parts to take !
either to admit matter eternal of itself: or matter
eternally proceeding from a po9erful: intelligent:
eternal being 7ut existing of its o9n nature: or
emanating from a producing being: it exists from all
eternity: because it exists! and there is no reason
that it might not have al9ays existed
If matter is eternally necessary: it is in conse-
Kuence impossible it is contradictory: that it should
not exist ! but 9hat man can assure you that it is im-
possible: that it is contradictory: that this Qy and
4ictionary F#L
this Qint have not al9ays existed? ,e are: ho9-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 288/469
ever: obliged to s9allo9 this diMculty: 9hich more
astonishes the imagination than contradicts the prin-
ciples of reasoning
Indeed: as soon as 9e have conceived that all has
emanated from the supreme and intelligent being!
that nothing has emanated from him 9ithout rea-
son! that this being: al9ays existing: must al9ays
have acted ! that: conseKuently: all things must have
eternally proceeded from the bosom of his existence
9e should no more be deterred from believing
the matter of 9hich this Qy and Qint are formed
is eternal: than 9e are deterred from conceiving
light to be an emanation of the all-po9erful being
$ince I am an extended and thinking being: my
extent and thought are the necessary productions of
this being It is evident to me that I cannot give
myself extent or thought I have: therefore: re-
ceived both from this necessary being
6an he have given me 9hat he has not? I have
intelligence! I am in space! therefore: he is in-
telligent and is in space )o say that the (ternal
7eing: the 0il-&o9erful 1od: has from all time
necessarily %lled the universe 9ith /is productions:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 289/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 290/469
9hose corpuscular philosophy has combated these
dogmas 7ut let us remark that the (picureans
9ere founded on an entirely erroneous philosophy:
and that the metaphysical system of all the other phi-
losophy subsisted 9ith all the physical systems 0ll
nature: except the void: contradicts (picurus: and
no phenomenon contradicts the philosophy 9hich I
explain 5o9: a philosophy 9hich agrees 9ith all
9hich passes in nature: and 9hich contents the most
attentive mind: is it not superior to all other unre-
vealed systems?
0fter the assertions of the most ancient philoso-
phers: 9hich I have approached as nearly as possi-
ble: 9hat remains to us ? 0 chaos of doubts and chi-
meras I believe that there never 9as a philosopher
of a system 9ho did not confess at the end of his life
that he had lost his time It must be confessed that
4ictionary F#P
the inventors of the mechanical arts have been much
more useful to men than the inventors of syllogisms
/e 9ho imagined a ship: to9ers much above him
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 291/469
9ho imagined innate ideas
&/$I6I05$
'(1I(5 is superior to medicine: especially as:
from time immemorial: out of every hundred physi-
cians: ninety-eight are charlatans oliere 9as right
in laughing at them ! for nothing is more ridiculous
than to 9itness an in%nite number of silly 9omen:
and men no less than 9omen: 9hen they have eaten:
drunk: sported: or abstained from repose too much:
call in a physician for the headache: invoke him like
a god: and reKuest him to 9ork the miracle of pro-
ducing an alliance bet9een health and intemperance:
not omitting to fee the said god: 9ho laughs at their
folly
It is not: ho9ever: the less true that an able physi-
cian may preserve life on a hundred occasions: and
restore to us the use of our limbs ,hen a man
falls into an apoplexy: it is neither a captain of in-
fantry nor a sergeant at la9 9ho 9ill cure him If
cataracts are formed on my eyes: it is not my neigh-
bor 9ho 9ill relieve me I distinguish not bet9een
physicians and surgeons: these professions being so
intimately connected
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 292/469
en 9ho are occupied in the restoration of
health to other men: by the joint exertion of skill
and humanity: are above all the great of the earth
F#R &hilosophical
)hey even partake of divinity: since to preserve and
rene9 is almost as noble as to create )he 'oman
people had no physicians for more than %ve hundred
years )his people: 9hose sole occupation 9as
slaughter: in particular cultivated not the art of pro-
longing life ,hat: therefore: happened at 'ome
to those 9ho had a putrid fever: a %stula: a gan-
grene: or an inQammation of the stomach? )hey
died )he small number of great physicians intro-
duced into 'ome 9ere only slaves 0 physician
among the great 'oman patricians 9as a species of
luxury: like a cook (very rich man had his per-
fumers: his bathers: his harpers: and his physician
)he celebrated usa: the physician of 0ugustus:
9as a slave! he 9as freed and made a 'oman
knight! after 9hich physicians became persons of
consideration
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 293/469
,hen 6hristianity 9as so fully established as to
besto9 on us the felicity of possessing monks: they
9ere expressly forbidden: by many councils: from
practising medicine )hey should have prescribed
a precisely contrary line of conduct: if it 9ere de-
sirable to render them useful to mankind
/o9 bene%cial to society 9ere monks obliged to
study medicine and to cure our ailments for 1od;s
sakeS /aving nothing to gain but heaven: they
9ould never be charlatans! they 9ould eKually in-
struct themselves in our diseases and their reme-
dies: one of the %nest of occupations: and the only
one forbidden them It has been objected that they
4ictionary F##
9ould poison the impious ! but even that 9ould be
advantageous to the church /ad this been the case:
.uther 9ould never have stolen one-half of 6atholic
(urope from our holy father: the pope! for in the
%rst fever 9hich might have sei@ed the 0ugustine
.uther: a 4ominican 9ould have prepared his pills
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 294/469
ou 9ill tell me that he 9ould not have taken them !
but 9ith a little address this might have been man-
aged 7ut to proceed <
)o9ards the year FLFP lived a citi@en: animated
9ith a 6hristian @eal: named =ohn ! I do not mean
=ohn 6alvin: but =ohn: surnamed of 1od: 9ho insti-
tuted the 7rothers of 6harity )his body: instituted
for the redemption of captives: is composed of the
only useful monks: although not accounted among
the orders )he 4ominicans: 7ernardines: 5or-
bertins: and 7enedictines: ackno9ledge not the
7rothers of 6harity )hey are simply adverted to
in the continuation of the 8(cclesiastical /istory8
of +leury ,hy? 7ecause they have performed
cures instead of miracles have been useful and not
caballed cured poor 9omen 9ithout either direct-
ing or seducing them .astly: their institution being
charitable: it is proper that other monks should de-
spise them
edicine: having then become a mercenary pro-
fession in the 9orld: as the administration of justice
is in many places: it has become liable to strange
abuses 7ut nothing is more estimable than a phy-
sician 9ho: having studied nature from his youth:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 295/469
JOO &hilosophical
kno9s the properties of the human body: the dis-
eases 9hich assail it: the remedies 9hich 9ill bene%t
it: exercises his art 9ith caution: and pays eKual
attention to the rich and the poor $uch a man is
very superior to the general of the 6apuchins: ho9-
ever respectable this general may be
&I'0)($ O' 76605(('$
I5 )/( time of 6ardinal 'ichelieu: 9hen the
$paniards and +rench detested each other: because
+erdinand the 6atholic laughed at .ouis EI.: and
+rancis I 9as taken at the battle of &avia by an
army of 6harles 2 9hile this hatred 9as so strong
that the false author of the political romance: and
political piece of tediousness: called the 8&olitical
)estament of 6ardinal 'ichelieu:8 feared not to call
the $paniards 8an insatiable nation: 9ho rendered
the Indies tributaries of hell8! 9hen: in short: 9e
9ere leagued in FH"L 9ith /olland against $pain !
9=ien +rance had nothing in 0merica: and the $pan-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 296/469
iards covered the seas 9ith their galleys then buc-
caneers began to appear )hey 9ere at %rst +rench
adventurers: 9hose Kuality 9as at most that of cor-
sairs
One of them: named .egrande: a native of
4ieppe: associated himself 9ith %fty determined
men: and 9ent to tempt fortune in a bark 9hich had
not even a cannon )o9ards the Isle of /ispaniola
N$t 4omingoW: he perceived a galley strayed from
the great $panish Qeet! he approached it as a cap-
4ictionary JGF
tain 9ishing to sell provisions! he mounted: at-
tended by his people ! he entered the chamber of the
captain: 9ho 9as playing at cards: thre9 him do9n:
made him prisoner 9ith his cargo: and returned to
4ieppe 9ith his vessel laden 9ith immense riches
)his adventure 9as the signal for forty years; un-
heard-of exploits
+rench: (nglish: and 4utch buccaneers associated
together in the caverns of $t 4omingo: of the little
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 297/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 298/469
JGJ &hilosophical
only /aving after9ards retired into his boat: the
governor sent against him a ship of 9ar 9ith sol-
diers and an executioner Olonois rendered himself
master of the vessel: cut oC the heads of the $panish
soldiers: 9hom he had taken himself: and sent back
the executioner to the governor $uch astonishing
actions 9ere never performed by the 'omans: or by
other robbers )he 9arlike voyage of 0dmiral
0nson round the 9orld is only an agreeable prome-
nade in comparison 9ith the passage of the buc-
caneers in the $outh $ea: and 9ith 9hat they en-
dured on terra %rma
/ad their policy been eKual to their invincible
courage: they 9ould have founded a great empire in
0merica )hey 9anted females ! but instead of
ravishing and marrying $abines: like the 'omans:
they procured them from the brothels of &aris:
9hich suMced not to produce a second generation
)hey 9ere more cruel to9ards the $paniards
than the Israelites ever 9ere to the 6anaanites 0
4utchman is spoken of: named 'oc: 9ho put several
$paniards on a spit and caused them to be eaten by
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 299/469
his comrades )heir expeditions 9ere tours of
thieves: and never campaigns of conKuerors! thus:
in all the ,est Indies: they 9ere never called any-
thing but los ladrones ,hen they surprised and
entered the house of a father of a family: they put
him to the torture to discover his treasures )hat
suMciently proves 9hat 9e say in the article 8Bues-
tion:8 that torture 9as invented by robbers
4ictionary JG"
,hat rendered their exploits useless 9as: that
they lavished in debauches: as foolish as monstrous:
all that they acKuired by rapine and murder +inally:
there remains nothing more of them than their name:
and scarcely that $uch 9ere the buccaneers
7ut 9hat people in (urope have not been pirates ?
)he 1oths: 0lans: 2andals: and /uns: 9ere they
anything else? ,hat 9ere 'ollo: 9ho established
himself in 5ormandy: and ,illiam +ier-a-bras: but
the most able pirates ? ,as not 6lovis a pirate: 9ho
came from the borders of the 'hine into 1aul ?
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 300/469
&.01I0'I$
I) is said that this 9ord is derived from the
.atin 9ord plaga: and that it signi%es the condemna-
tion to the scourge of those 9ho sold freemen for
slaves )his has nothing in common 9ith the
plagiarism of authors: 9ho sell not men either en-
slaved or free )hey only for a little money occa-
sionally sell themselves
,hen an author sells the thoughts of another
man for his o9n: the larceny is called plagiarism
0ll the makers of dictionaries: all compilers 9ho do
nothing else than repeat back9ards and for9ards
the opinions: the errors: the impostures: and the
truths already printed: 9e may term plagiarists: but
honest plagiarists: 9ho arrogate not the merit of in-
vention )hey pretend not even to have collected
from the ancients the materials 9hich they get to-
gether! they only copy the laborious compilers of
JG &hilosophical
the sixteenth century )hey 9ill sell you in Kuarto
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 301/469
that 9hich already exists in folio 6all them if you
please bookmakers: not authors ! range them rather
among second-hand dealers than plagiarists
)he true plagiarist is he 9ho gives the 9orks
of another for his o9n: 9ho inserts in his rhapsodies
long passages from a good book a little modi%ed
)he enlightened reader: seeing this patch of cloth
of gold upon a blanket: soon detects the bungling
purloiner
'amsay: 9ho after having been a &resbyterian in
his native $cotland: an 0nglican in .ondon: then a
Buaker: and 9ho %nally persuaded +enelon that he
9as a 6atholic: and even pretended a penchant for
celestial love 'amsay: I say: compiled the 8)ravels
of 6yrus:8 because his master made his )elemachus
travel $o far he only imitated ! but in these travels
he copies from an old (nglish author: 9ho intro-
duces a young solitary dissecting his dead: goat: and
arriving at a kno9ledge of the 4eity by the process:
9hich is very much like plagiarism On conducting
6yrus into (gypt: in describing that singular coun-
try: he employs the same expressions as 7ossuet:
9hom he copies 9ord for 9ord 9ithout citing ! this
is plagiarism complete One of my friends re-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 302/469
proached him 9ith this one day! 'amsay replied
that he 9as not a9are of it: and that it 9as not sur-
prising he should think like +enelon and 9rite like
7ossuet )his 9as making out the adage: 8&roud
as a $cotsman8
4ictionary JGL
)he most singular of all plagiarism is possibly
that of +ather 7arre: author of a large history of
1ermany in ten volumes )he history of 6harles
EII had just been printed: and he inserted more
than t9o hundred pages of it in his 9ork ! making
a duke of .orraine say precisely that 9hich 9as said
by 6harles EII
/e attributes to the emperor 0rnold that 9hich
happened to the $9edish monarch /e relates of
the emperor 'udolph that 9hich 9as said of 3ing
$tanislaus ,aldemar: king of 4enmark: acts pre-
cisely like 6harles at 7ender: etc
)he most pleasant part of the story is: that a
journalist: perceiving this extraordinary resem-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 303/469
blance bet9een the t9o 9orks: failed not to impute
the plagiarism to the author of the history of 6harles
EII: 9ho had composed his 9ork t9enty years be-
fore the appearance of that of +ather 7arre It is
chieQy in poetry that plagiarism is allo9ed to pass !
and certainly: of all larcenies: it is that 9hich is
least dangerous to society
&.0)O
$(6)IO5 I
Of the 8)imaus8 of &lato and $ome Other )hings
)/( fathers of the 6hurch: of the %rst four cen-
turies: 9ere all 1reeks and &latomsts < you %nd not
one 'oman 9ho 9rote for 6hristianity: or 9ho had
the slightest tincture of philosophy I 9ill here
JGH &hilosophical
observe: by the 9ay: that it is strange enough: the
great 6hurch of 'ome: 9hich contributed in noth-
ing to this establishment: has alone reaped all the
advantage It has been 9ith this revolution: as 9ith
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 304/469
all those produced by civil 9ars < the %rst 9ho trou-
ble a state: al9ays unkno9ingly labor for others
rather than for themselves
)he school of 0lexandria: founded by one named
ark: to 9hom succeeded 0thenagoras: 6lement:
and Origen: 9as the centre of the 6hristian philos-
ophy &lato 9as regarded by all the 1reeks of
0lexandria as the master of 9isdom: the interpreter
of the divinity If the %rst 6hristians had not em-
braced the dogmas of &lato: they 9ould never have
had any philosophers: any man of mind in their
party I set aside inspiration and grace 9hich are
above all philosophy: and speak only of the ordinary
course of human events
It is said that it 9as principally in the 8)imseus8
cjf &lato that the 1reek fathers 9ere instructed )his
8)im@eus8 passes for the most sublime 9ork of all
ancient philosophy It is almost the only one 9hich
4acier has not translated: and I think the reason is:
because he did not understand it: and that he feared
to discover to clear-sighted readers the face of this
1reek divinity: 9ho is only adored because he is
veiled
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 305/469
&lato: in this ;%ne dialogue: commences by intro-
ducing an (gyptian priest: 9ho teaches $olon the
ancient history of the city of 0thens: 9hich 9as
4ictionary JGP
preserved faithfully for nine thousand years in the
archives of (gypt
0thens: says the priest: 9as once the %nest city of
1reece: and the most reno9ned in the 9orld for the
arts of 9ar and peace $he alone resisted the 9ar-
riors of the famous island 0tlantis: 9ho came in
innumerable vessels to subjugate a great part of
(urope and 0sia 0thens had the glory of freeing
so many vanKuished people: and of preserving (gypt
from the servitude 9hich menaced us 7ut after
this illustrious victory and service rendered to man-
kind: a frightful earthKuake in t9enty-four hours
s9allo9ed the territory of 0thens: and all the great
island of 0tlantis )his island is no9 only a vast
sea: 9hich the ruins of this ancient 9orld and the
slime mixed 9ith its 9aters rendered unnavigable
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 306/469
)his is 9hat the priest relates to $olon < and such
is the manner in 9hich &lato prepares to explain
to us subseKuently: the formation of the soul: the
operations of the 8,ord:8 and his trinity It is not
physically impossible that there might be an island
0tlantis: 9hich had not existed for nine thousand
years: and 9hich perished by an earthKuake: like
/erculaneum and so many other cities! but our
priest: in adding that the sea 9hich 9ashes ount
0tlas is inaccessible to vessels: renders the history
a little suspicious
It may be: after all: that since $olon that is to
say: in the course of three thousand years vessels
have dispersed the slime of the ancient island 0tlan-
JGR &hilosophical
tis and rendered the sea navigable! but it is still
surprising that he should prepare by this island to
speak of the 8,ord8
&erhaps in telling this priest;s or old 9oman;s
story: &lato 9ished to insinuate something contrary
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 307/469
to the vicissitudes 9hich have so often changed the
face of the globe &erhaps he 9ould merely say
9hat &ythagoras and )imaeus of .ocris have said so
long before him: and 9hat our eyes tell us every
day that everything in nature perishes and is re-
ne9ed )he history of 4eucalion and &yrrha: the
fall of &haethon: are fables < but inundations and
conQagrations are truths
&lato departs from his imaginary island: to speak
of things 9hich the best of philosophers of our days
9ould not disavo9 8)hat 9hich is produced has
necessarily a cause: an author It is diMcult to dis-
cover the author of this 9orld! and 9hen he is
found it is dangerous to speak of him to the people8
- 5othing is more true: even no9: than that if a
sage: in passing by our .ady of .oretto: said to an-
other sage: his friend: that our .ady of .oretto:
9ith her little black face: governs not the entire
universe: and a good 9oman overheard these 9ords:
and related them to other good 9omen of the march
of 0ncona: the sage 9ould be stoned like Orpheus
)his is precisely the situation in 9hich the %rst
6hristians 9ere believed to be: 9ho spoke not 9ell
of 6ybele and 4iana: 9hich alone should attach
them to &lato )he unintelligible things 9hich he
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 308/469
4ictionary JG#
after9ards treats of: ought not to disgust us 9ith
him
I 9ill not reproach &lato 9ith saying: in his
8)imaeus:8 that the 9orld is an animal! for he no
doubt understands that the elements in motion ani-
mate the 9orld ! and he means not: by animal: a dog
or a man: 9ho 9alks: feels: eats: sleeps: and engen-
ders 0n author should al9ays be explained in the
most favorable sense! and it is not 9hile 9e ac-
cuse people: or 9hen 9e denounce their books: that
it is right to interpret malignantly and poison all
their 9ords ! nor is it thus that I shall treat &lato
0ccording to him there is a kind of trinity 9hich
is the soul of matter )hese are his 9ords < 8+rom
the indivisible substance: al9ays similar to itself:
and the divisible substance: a third substance is
composed: 9hich partakes of the same and of
others8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 309/469
0fter9ards came the &ythagorean number:
9hich renders the thing still more unintelligible:
and conseKuently more respectable ,hat ammu-
nition for people commencing a paper 9ar S +riend
reader: a little patience and attention: if you please <
8,hen 1od had formed the soul of the 9orld of
these three substances: the soul shot itself into the
midst of the universe: to the extremities of being!
spreading itself every9here: and reacting upon it-
self: it formed at all times a divine origin of eternal
9isdom8
0nd some lines after9ards < 8)hus the nature of
2ol FJ F
J F o &hilosophical
the immense animal 9hich 9e call the 9orld: is
eternal8 &lato: follo9ing the example of his pred-
ecessors: then introduces the $upreme 7eing: the
6reator of the 9orld: forming this 9orld before
time ! so that 1od could not exist 9ithout the 9orld:
nor the 9orld 9ithout 1od ! as the sun cannot exist
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 310/469
9ithout shedding light into space: nor this light
steal into space 9ithout the sun
I pass in silence many 1reek: or rather Oriental
ideas ! as for example that there are four sorts of
animals celestial gods: birds of the air: %shes: and
terrestrial animals: to 9hich last 9e have the honor
to belong
I hasten to arrive at a second trinity < 8the being
engendered: the being 9ho engenders: and the be-
ing 9hich resembles the engendered and the engen-
derer8 )his trinity is formal enough: and the
fathers have found their account in it
)his trinity is follo9ed by a rather singular
theory of the four elements )he earth is founded
on an eKuilateral triangle: 9ater on a right-angled
triangle: air on a scalene: and %re on an isosceles tri-
angle 0fter 9hich he demonstratively proves that
there can be but %ve 9orlds: because there are but
%ve regular solid bodies: and yet that there is but
one 9orld 9hich is round
I confess that no philosopher in 7edlam has ever
reasoned so po9erfully 'ouse yourself: friend
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 311/469
reader: to hear me speak of the other famous trin-
ity of &lato: 9hich his commentators have so much
4ictionary JFF
vaunted < it is the (ternal 7eing: the (ternal 6rea-
tor of the 9orld! /is 9ord: intelligence: or idea!
and the good 9hich results from it I assure you
that I have sought for it diligently in this8)imaeus:8
and I have never found it there! it may be there
totidem literis: but it is not totidem verbis: or I
am much mistaken
0fter reading all &lato 9ith great reluctance: I
perceived some shado9 of the trinity for 9hich he
is so much honored It is in the sixth book of his
86himerical 'epublic:8 in 9hich he says< 8.et us
speak of the $on: the 9onderful production of good:
and /is perfect image8 7ut unfortunately he dis-
covers this perfect image of 1od to be the sun It
9as therefore the physical sun: 9hich 9ith the ,ord
and the +ather composed the platonic trinity In
the 8(pinomis8 of &lato there are very curious ab-
surdities: one of 9hich I translate as reasonably as
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 312/469
I can: for the convenience of the reader<
83no9 that there are eight virtues in heaven< I
have observed them: 9hich is easy to all the 9orld
)he sun is one of its virtues: the moon another ! the
third is the assemblage of stars ! and the %ve plan-
ets: 9ith these three virtues: make the number eight
7e careful of thinking that these virtues: or those
9hich they contain: and 9hich animate them: either
move of themselves or are carried in vehicles! be
careful: I say: of believing that some may be gods
and others not! that some may be adorable: and
others such as 9e should neither adore or invoke
JFJ &hilosophical
)hey are all brothers ! each has his share ! 9e o9e
them all the same honors ! they %ll all the situations
9hich the ,ord assigned to them: 9hen it formed
the visible universe8
/ere is the ,ord already found < 9e must no9
%nd the three persons )hey are in the second let-
ter from &lato to 4ionysius: 9hich letters assuredly
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 313/469
are not forged! the style is the same as that of his
dialogues /e often says to 4ionysius and 4ion
things very diMcult to comprehend: and 9hich 9e
might believe to be 9ritten in numbers: but he also
tells us very clear ones: 9hich have been found true
a long time after him +or example: he expresses
himself thus in his seventh letter to 4ion <
8I have been convinced that all states are very
badly governed ! there is scarcely any good institu-
tion or administration ,e see: as it 9ere: day after
day: that all follo9 the path of fortune rather than
that of 9isdom8 0fter this short digression on
temporal aCairs: let us return to spiritual ones: to
the )rinity &lato says to 4ionysius <
8)he 3ing of the universe is surrounded by /is
9orks < all is the eCect of /is grace )he %nest of
things have their %rst cause in /im ! the second in
perfection have in /im their second cause: and /e
is further the third cause of 9orks of the third de-
gree8
)he )rinity: such as 9e ackno9ledge: could not
be recogni@ed in this letter! but it 9as a great
point to have in a 1reek author a guaranty of the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 314/469
4ictionary: JF"
dogmas of the da9ning 6hurch (very 1reek
church 9as therefore &latonic: as every .atin
church 9as peripatetic: from the commencement of
the third century )hus t9o 1reeks 9hom 9e have
never understood: 9ere the masters of our opinions
until the time in 9hich men at the end of t9o thou-
sand years 9ere obliged to think for themselves
$(6)IO5 II
Buestions on &lato and $ome Other )riQes
&lato: in saying to the 1reeks 9hat so many phi-
losophers of other nations have said before him:
in assuring them that there is a $upreme Intelli-
gence 9hich arranged the universe did he think
that this $upreme Intelligence resided in a single
place: like a king of the (ast in his seraglio? Or
rather did he believe that this &o9erful Intelligence
spread itself every9here like light: or a being still
more delicate: prompt: active: and penetrating than
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 315/469
light ? )he 1od of &lato: in a 9ord: is he in matter:
or is he separated from it ? Oh: you 9ho have read
&lato attentively: that is to say: seven or eight fan-
tastical dreams hidden in some garret in (urope:
if ever these Kuestions reach you: I implore you to
ans9er them
)he barbarous island of 6assiterides: in 9hich
men lived in the 9oods in the time of &lato: has
%nally produced philosophers 9ho are as much be-
yond him as &lato 9as beyond those of his contem-
poraries 9ho reasoned not at all 0mong these phi-
JF &hilosophical
losophers: 6larke is perhaps altogether the clearest:
the most profound: the most methodical: and the
strongest of all those 9ho have spoken of the $u-
preme 7eing
,hen he gave his excellent book to the public he
found a young gentleman of the county of 1louces-
ter 9ho candidly advanced objections as strong as
his demonstrations ,e can see them at the end
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 316/469
of the %rst volume of 6larke! it 9as not on the
necessary existence of the $upreme 7eing that he
reasoned ! it 9as on /is in%nity and immensity
It appears not indeed: that 6larke has proved that
there is a being 9ho penetrates intimately all 9hich
exists: and that this being 9hose properties 9e
cannot conceive has the property of extending /im-
self to the greatest imaginable distance
)he great 5e9ton has demonstrated that there is
a void in nature! but 9hat philosopher could dem-
onstrate to me that 1od is in this void! that /e
touches it! that /e %lls it? /o9: bounded as 9e
are: can 9e attain to the kno9ledge of these mys-
teries? 4oes it not suMce: that it proves to us that
a $upreme aster exists? It is not given to us to
kno9 9hat /e is nor ho9 /e is
It seems as if .ocke and 6larke had the keys of
the intelligible 9orld .ocke has opened all the
apartments 9hich can be entered! but has not
6larke 9ished to penetrate a little above the edi%ce ?
/o9 could a philosopher like $amuel 6larke: after
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 317/469
4ictionary JFL
so admirable a 9ork on the existence of 1od: 9rite
so pitiable a one on matters of fact ?
/o9 could 7enedict $pino@a: 9ho had as much
profundity of mind as $amuel 6larke: after raising
himself to the most sublime metaphysics: ho9 could
he not perceive that a $upreme Intelligence presides
over 9orks visibly arranged 9ith a supreme intelli-
gence if it is true after all that such is the system
of $pino@a?
/o9 could 5e9ton: the greatest of men: com-
ment upon the 0pocalypse: as 9e have already re-
marked? /o9 could .ocke: after having so 9ell
developed the human understanding: degrade his
o9n in another 9ork? I fancy I see eagles: 9ho
after darting into a cloud go to rest on a dunghill
&O()$
0 O51 man on leaving college deliberates
9hether he shall be an advocate: a physician: a the-
ologian: or a poet 9hether he shall take care of our
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 318/469
body: our soul: or our entertainment ,e have al-
ready spoken of advocates and physicians ! 9e 9ill
no9 speak of the prodigious fortune 9hich is some-
times made by the theologian
)he theologian becomes pope: and has not only
his theological valets: cooks: singers: chamberlains:
physicians: surgeons: s9eepers: agnus del makers:
confectioners: and preachers: but also his poet I
kno9 not 9hat inspired personage 9as the poet of
JFH &hilosophical
.eo E: as 4avid 9as for some time the poet of
$aul
It is surely of all the employments in a great
house: that 9hich is the most useless )he kings of
(ngland: 9ho have preserved in their island many
of the ancient usages 9hich are lost on the conti-
nent: have their oMcial poet /e is obliged once a
year to make an ode in praise of $t 6ecilia: 9ho
played so marvellously on the organ or psalterium
that an angel descended from the ninth heaven to
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 319/469
listen to her more conveniently the harmony of the
psaltery: in ascending from this place to the land of
angels: necessarily losing a small portion of its vol-
ume
oses is the %rst poet that 9e kno9 of! but it
is thought that before him the 6haldaeans: the $y-
rians: and the Indians practised poetry: since they
possessed music 5evertheless: the %ne canticle
9hich oses chanted 9ith his sister iriam: 9hen
they came out of the 'ed $ea: is the most ancient
poetical monument in hexameter verse that 9e pos-
sess I am not of the opinion of those impious
and ignorant rogues: 5e9ton: .e 6lerc: and others:
9ho prove that all this 9as 9ritten about eight hun-
dred years after the event: and 9ho insolently main-
tain that oses could not 9rite in /ebre9: since
/ebre9 is only a comparatively modern dialect of
the &hoenician: of 9hich oses could kno9 nothing
at all I examine not 9ith the learned /uet ho9
4ictionary JFP
oses 9as able to sing so 9ell: 9ho stammered and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 320/469
could not speak
If 9e listened to many of these authors: oses
9ould be less ancient than Orpheus: usaeus:
/omer: and /esiod ,e perceive at the %rst glance
the absurdity of this opinion ! as if a 1reek could be
as ancient as a =e9 S
5either 9ill I reply to those impertinent persons
9ho suspect that oses is only an imaginary per-
sonage: a fabulous imitation of the fable of the
ancient 7acchus ! and that all the prodigies of 7ac-
chus: since attributed to oses: 9ere sung in orgies
before it 9as kno9n that =e9s existed in the 9orld
)his idea refutes itself! it is obvious to good sense
that it is impossible that 7acchus could have existed
before oses
,e have still: ho9ever: an excellent =e9ish poet
undeniably anterior to /orace 3ing 4avid! and
9e kno9 9ell ho9 in%nitely superior the 8is-
erere:8 is to the 8=ustum ac tenacem propositi vi-
rum8 7ut 9hat is most astonishing: legislators and
kings have been our earliest poets ,e %nd even at
present people so good as to become poets for kings
2irgil indeed had not the oMce of poet to 0ugustus:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 321/469
nor .ucan that of poet to 5ero ! but I confess that
it 9ould have debased the profession not a little to
make gods of either the one or the other
It is asked: 9hy poetry: being so unnecessary to
the 9orld: occupies so high a rank among the %ne
arts? )he same Kuestion may be put 9ith regard
J F R &hilosophical
to music &oetry is the music of the soul: and above
all of great and of feeling souls One merit of
poetry fe9 persons 9ill deny! it says more and in
fe9er 9ords than prose ,ho 9as ever able to
translate the follo9ing .atin 9ords 9ith the brevity
9ith 9hich they came from the brain of the poet<
82ive memor lethi: fugit hora: hoc Kuod loKuor
inde est?8
I speak not of the other charms of poetry: as they
are 9ell kno9n ! but I insist upon the grand precept
of /orace: 8$apere est principium et fons8 )here
can be no great poetry 9ithout great 9isdom! but
ho9 connect this 9isdom 9ith enthusiasm: like
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 322/469
6aesar: 9ho formed his plan of battle 9ith circum-
spection: and fought 9ith all possible ardor ?
)here have no doubt been ignorant poets: but
then they have been bad poets 0 man acKuainted
only 9ith dactyls and spondees: and 9ith a head
full of rhymes: is rarely a man of sense ! but 2irgil
is endo9ed 9ith superior reason
8.ucretius: in common 9ith all the ancients: 9as
miserably ignorant of physical la9s: a kno9ledge of
9hich is not to be acKuired by 9it It is a kno9l-
edge 9hich is only to be obtained by instruments:
9hich in his time had not been invented 1lasses
are necessary microscopes: pneumatic machines:
barometers: etc: to have even a distant idea of the
operations of nature
4escartes kne9 little more than .ucretius: 9hen
his keys opened the sanctuary! and an hundred
4ictionary JF#
times more of the path has been trodden from the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 323/469
time of 1alileo: 9ho 9as better instructed physically
than 4escartes: to the present day: than from the
%rst /ermes to .ucretius
0ll ancient physics are absurd< it 9as not thus
9ith the philosophy of mind: and that good sense
9hich: assisted by strength of intellect: can acutely
balance bet9een doubts and appearances )his is
the chief merit of .ucretius! his third book is a
masterpiece of reasoning /e argues like 6icero:
and expresses himself like 2irgil ! and it must be
confessed that 9hen our illustrious &olignac at-
tacked his third book: he refuted it only like a cardi-
nal
,hen I say: that .ucretius reasons in his third
book like an able metaphysician: I do not say that he
9as right ,e may argue very soundly: and de-
ceive ourselves: if not instructed by revelation .u-
cretius 9as not a =e9: and 9e kno9 that =e9s alone
9ere in the right in the days of 6icero: of &osi-
donius: of 6aesar: and of 6ato .astly: under )ibe-
rius: the =e9s 9ere no longer in the right: and com-
mon sense 9as possessed by the 6hristians exclu-
sively
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 324/469
)hus it 9as impossible that .ucretius: 6icero:
and 6aesar could be anything but imbecile: in com-
parison 9ith the =e9s and ourselves ! but it must be
allo9ed that in the eyes of the rest of the 9orld they
9ere very great men I allo9 that .ucretius killed
himself: as also did 6ato: 6assius: and 7rutus: but
JJO &hilosophical
they might very 9ell kill themselves: and still reason
like men of intellect during their lives
In every author let us distinguish the man from
his 9orks 'acine 9rote like 2irgil: but he became
=ansenist through 9eakness: and he died in conse-
Kuence of 9eakness eKually great because a man
in passing through a gallery did not besto9 a look
upon him I am very sorry for all this ! but the part
of &haedra is not therefore the less admirable
&OI$O5I51$
.() us often repeat useful truths )here have
al9ays been fe9er poisonings than have been spoken
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 325/469
of< it is almost 9ith them as 9ith parricides! the
accusations have been very common: and the crimes
very rare One proof is: that 9e have a long time
taken for poison that 9hich is not so /o9 many
princes have got rid of those 9ho 9ere suspected
by them by making them drink bullock;s bloodS
/o9 many other princes have s9allo9ed it them-
selves to avoid falling into the hands of their ene-
miesS 0ll ancient historians: and even &lutarch:
attest it
I 9as so infatuated 9ith these tales in my child-
hood that I bled one of my bulls: in the idea that his
blood belonged to me: since he 9as born in my
stable an ancient pretension of 9hich I 9ill not
here dispute the validity I drank this blood: like
0treus and ademoiselle de 2ergi: and it did me no
more harm than horse;s blood does to the )artars:
4ictionary JJF
or pudding does to us every day: if it be not too
rich
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 326/469
,hy should the blood of a bull be a poison: 9hen
that of a goat is considered a remedy? )he peas-
ants of my province s9allo9 the blood of a co9:
9hich they call fricas*ee: every day ! that of a bull
is not more dangerou* 7e sure: dear reader: that
)hemistocles died not of it
$ome speculators cf the court of .ouis EI2 be-
lieved they discove r ^d that his sister-in-la9: /en-
rietta of (ngland: 9as poisoned 9ith po9der of
diamonds: 9hich 9as put into a bo9l of stra9ber-
ries: instead of grated sugar ! but neither the impal-
pable po9der of glass or diamonds: nor that of any
production of nature 9hich 9as not in itself venom-
ous: could bf hurtful
)hey are only sharp-cutting active points 9hich
can become violent )he exact observer: ead: a
celebrated (nglish physician: sa9 through a micro-
scope the liKuor shot from the gums of irritated
vipers /e pretends that he has al9ays found them
stre9n 9ith these cutting: pointed blades: the im-
mense number of 9hich tear and pierce the internal
membranes
)he cantarella: of 9hich it is pretended that &ope
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 327/469
0lexander 2I and his bastard: the duke of 7orgia:
made great use: 9as: it is said: the foam of a hog
rendered furious by suspending him by the feet
9ith his head do9n9ards: in 9hich situation he 9as
beaten to death ! it 9as a poison as prompt and vio-
JJJ &hilosophical
lent as that of the viper 0 great apothecary assures
me that adame la )ofana: that celebrated poisoner
of 5aples: principally made use of this receipt ! all
9hich is perhaps untrue )his science is one of
those of 9hich 9e should be ignorant
&oisons 9hich coagulate the blood: instead of
tearing the membranes: are opium: hemlock: hen-
bane: aconite: and several others )he 0thenians
became so re%ned as to cause their countrymen:
condemned to death: to die by poisons reputed cold !
an apothecary 9as the executioner of the republic
It is said that $ocrates died very peacefully: and as
if he slept < I can scarcely believe it
I made one remark on the =e9ish books: 9hich is:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 328/469
that among this people 9e see no one 9ho 9as
poisoned 0 cro9d of kings and priests perished
by assassination! the history of the nation is the
history of murders and robberies! but a single in-
stance only is mentioned of a man 9ho 9as poi-
soned: and this man 9as not a =e9 he 9as a $y-
rian named .ysias: general of the armies of 0nti-
ochus (piphanes )he second 7ook of accabees
says that he poisoned himself 8veneno vitam %ni-
vit8 ! but these 7ooks of accabees are very sus-
picious y dear reader: I have already desired you
to believe nothing lightly
,hat astonishes me most in the history of the
manners of the ancient 'omans is the conspiracy
of the 'oman 9omen to cause to perish by poison:
not only their husbands: but the principal citi@ens
4ictionary JJ"
in general 8It 9as:8 says )itus .ivius: 8in the year
J" from the foundation of 'ome: and therefore
in the time of the most austere virtue! it 9as be-
fore there 9as any mention of divorce: though di-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 329/469
vorce 9as authori@ed! it 9as 9hen 9omen drank
no 9ine: and scarcely ever 9ent out of their houses:
except to the temples8 /o9 can 9e imagine: that
they suddenly applied themselves to the kno9ledge
of poisons! that they assembled to compose them!
and: 9ithout any apparent interest: thus adminis-
tered death to the %rst men in 'ome?
.a9rence (chard: in his abridged compilation:
contents himself 9ith saying: that 8the virtue of the
'oman ladies 9as strangely belied ! that one hun-
dred and seventy 9ho meddled 9ith the art of mak-
ing poisons: and of reducing this art into precepts:
9ere all at once accused: convicted: and punished8
)itus .ivius assuredly does not say that they re-
duced this art into rules )hat 9ould signify that
they held a school of poisons: that they professed
it as a science ! 9hich is ridiculous /e says noth-
ing about a hundred and seventy professors in cor-
rosive sublimate and verdigris +inally: he does
not aMrm that there 9ere poisoners among the 9ives
of the senators and knights
)he people 9ere extremely foolish: and reasoned
at 'ome as else9here )hese are the 9ords of
)itus .ivius < 8)he year J" 9as of the number
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 330/469
of unfortunate ones ! there 9as a mortality caused
by the temperature of the air or by human malice
JJ &hilosophical
I 9ish that 9e could aMrm 9ith some author that
the corruption of the air caused this epidemic: rather
than attribute the death of so many 'omans to poi-
son: as many historians have falsely 9ritten: to de-
cry this year8
)hey have therefore 9ritten falsely: according to
)itus .ivius: 9ho believes not that the ladies of
'ome 9ere poisoners < but 9hat interest had authors
in decrying this year? I kno9 not
8I relate the fact:8 continues he: 8as it 9as re-
lated before me8 )his is not the speech of a sat-
is%ed man ! besides: the alleged fact much resembles
a fable 0 slave accuses about seventy 9omen:
among 9hom are several of the patrician rank: of
causing the plague in 'ome by preparing poisons
$ome of the accused demand permission to s9allo9
their drugs: and expire on the spot! and their ac-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 331/469
complices are condemned to death 9ithout the man-
ner s of their punishment being speci%ed
I suspect that this story to 9hich )itus .ivius
gives no credit: deserves to be banished to the place
in 9hich the vessel is preserved 9hich a vestal dre9
to shore 9ith a girdle! 9here =upiter in person
stopped the Qight of the 'omans ! 9here 6astor and
&ollux came to combat on horseback in their be-
half ! 9here a Qint 9as cut 9ith a ra@or ! and 9here
$imon 7arjonas: surnamed &eter: disputed miracles
9ith $imon the magician
)here is scarcely any poison of 9hich 9e cannot
prevent the conseKuences by combating it immedi-
4ictionary JJL
ately )here is no medicine 9hich is not a poison
9hen taken in too strong a dose 0ll indigestion
is a poison 0n ignorant physician: and even a
learned but inattentive one: is often a poisoner 0
good cook is a certain slo9 poisoner: if you are not
temperate
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 332/469
One day the marKuis d;0rgenson: minister of
state for the foreign department: 9hilst his brother
9as minister of 9ar: received from .ondon a letter
from a fool as ministers do by every post! this
fool proposed an infallible means of poisoning all
the inhabitants of the capital of (ngland 8)his
does not concern me:8 said the marKuis d;0rgenson
to us ! 8it is a packet to my brother8
&O.I6
)/( policy of man consists: at %rst: in endeavor-
ing to arrive at a state eKual to that of animals:
9hom nature has furnished 9ith food: clothing: and
shelter )o attain this state is a matter of no little
time and diMculty /o9 to procure for himself
subsistence and accommodation: and protect him-
self from evil: comprises the 9hole object and busi-
ness of man
)his evil exists every9here! the four elements
of nature conspire to form it )he barrenness of
one-Kuarter part of the 9orld: the numberless dis-
eases to 9hich 9e are subject: the multitude of
strong and hostile animals by 9hich 9e are sur-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 333/469
rounded: oblige us to be constantly on the alert
2ol FJ FL
JJH &hilosophical
in body and in mind: to guard against the various
forms of evil
5o man: by his o9n individual care and exertion:
can secure himself from evil ! he reKuires assistance
$ociety therefore is as ancient as the 9orld )his
society consists sometimes of too many: and some-
times of too fe9 )he vicissitudes of the 9orld have
often destroyed 9hole races of men and other ani-
mals: in many countries: and have multiplied them
in others
)o enable a species to multiply: a tolerable cli-
mate and soil are necessary! and even 9ith these
advantages: men may be under the necessity of go-
ing unclothed: of suCering hunger: of being desti-
tute of everything: and of perishing in misery
en a;re not like beavers: or bees: or silk-9orms !
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 334/469
they have no sure and infallible instinct 9hich pro-
cures for them necessaries 0mong a hundred men:
theje is scarcely one that possesses genius ! and
among 9omen: scarcely one among %ve hundred
It is only by means of genius that those arts are
invented: 9hich eventually furnish something of
that accommodation 9hich is the great object of all
policy
)o attempt these arts 9ith success: the assistance
of others is reKuisite ! hands to aid you: and minds
suMciently acute and unprejudiced to comprehend
you: and suMciently docile to obey you 7efore:
ho9ever: all this can be discovered and brought to-
gether: thousands of years roll on in ignorance and
4ictionary JJP
barbarism! thousands of eCorts for improvement
terminate only in abortion 0t length: the outlines
of an art are formed: but thousands of ages are still
reKuisite to carry it to perfection
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 335/469
+oreign &olicy
,hen any one nation has become acKuainted 9ith
metallurgy: it 9ill certainly beat its neighbors and
make slaves of them ou possess arro9s and
sabres: and 9ere born in a climate that has rendered
you robust ,e are 9eak: and have only clubs and
stones ou kill us: or if you permit us to live: it
is that 9e may till your %elds and build your houses
,e sing some rustic ditty to dissipate your spleen
or animate your languor: if 9e have any voice ! or
9e blo9 on some pipes: in order to obtain from you
clothing and bread If our 9ives and daughters are
handsome: you appropriate them 9ithout scruple to
yourselves )he young gentleman: your son: not
only takes advantage of the established policy: but
adds ne9 discoveries to this gro9ing art /is serv-
ants proceed: by his orders: to emasculate my un-
fortunate boys: 9hom he then honors 9ith the guar-
dianship of his 9ives and mistresses $uch has been
policy: the great art of making mankind contribute
to individual advantage and enjoyment ! and such
is still policy throughout the largest portion of 0sia
$ome nations: or rather hordes: having thus by
superior strength and skill brought into subjection
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 336/469
others: begin after9ards to %ght 9ith one another
JJR &hilosophical
for the division of the spoil (ach petty nation
maintains and pays soldiers )o encourage: and at
the same time to control these soldiers: each pos-
sesses its gods: its oracles: and prophecies! each
maintains and pays its soothsayers and slaughtering
priests )hese soothsayers or augurs begin 9ith
prophesying in favor of the heads of the nation!
they after9ards prophesy for themselves and obtain
a share in the government )he most po9erful and
shre9d prevail at last over the others: after ages of
carnage 9hich excite our horror: and of impostures
9hich excite our laughter $uch is the regular
course and completion of policy
,hile these scenes of ravage and fraud are car-
ried on in one portion of the globe: other nations:
or rather clans: retire to mountain caverns: or dis-
tricts surrounded by inaccessible s9amps: marshes:
or some verdant and solitary spot in the midst of
vast deserts of burning sand: or some peninsular
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 337/469
and conseKuently easily protected territory: to se-
cure themselves against the tyrants of the continent
0t length all become armed 9ith nearly the same de-
scription of 9eapons ! and blood Qo9s from one ex-
tremity of the 9orld to the other
en: ho9ever: cannot forever go on killing one
another! and peace is conseKuently made: till either
party thinks itself suMciently strong to recommence
the 9ar )hose 9ho can 9rite dra9 up these treaties
of peace! and the chiefs of every nation: 9ith a
vie9 more successfully to impose upon their ene-
4ictionary JJ#
mies: invoke the gods to attest 9ith 9hat sincerity
they bind themselves to the observance of these
compacts Oaths of the most solemn character are
invented and employed: and one party engages in
the name of the great $omonocodom: and the other
in that of =upiter the 0venger: to live forever in
peace and amity! 9hile in the same names of $om-
onocodom and =upiter: they take the %rst opportu-
nity of cutting one another;s throats
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 338/469
In times of the greatest civili@ation and re%ne-
ment: the lion of ^sop made a treaty 9ith three ani-
mals: 9ho 9ere his neighbors )he object 9as to
divide the common spoil into four eKual parts )he
lion: for certain incontestable and satisfactory rea-
sons 9hich he did not then deem it necessary to de-
tail: but 9hich he 9ould be al9-ays ready to give in
due time and place: %rst takes three parts out of the
four for himself: and then threatens instant strangu-
lation to 9hoever shall dare to touch the fourth
)his is the true sublime of policy
Internal &olicy
)he object here is to accumulate for our o9n
country the greatest Kuantity of po9er: honor: and
enjoyment possible )o attain these in any extraor-
dinary degree: much money is indispensable In a
democracy it is very diMcult to accomplish this ob-
ject (very citi@en is your rival ! a democracy can
never subsist but in a small territory ou may
have 9ealth almost eKual to your 9ishes through
your o9n mercantile dealings: or transmitted in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 339/469
J"G &hilosophical
patrimony from your industrious and opulent grand-
father! your fortune 9ill excite jealousy and envy:
but 9ill purchase little real co-operation and service
If an aUuent family ever bears s9ay in a democ-
racy: it is not for a long time
In an aristocracy: honors: pleasures: po9er: and
money: are more easily obtainable 1reat discretion:
ho9ever: is necessary If abuse is Qagrant: revolu-
tion 9ill be the conseKuence )hus in a democracy
all the citi@ens are eKual )his species of govern-
ment is at present rare: and appears to but little ad-
vantage: although it is in itself natural and 9ise
In aristocracy: ineKuality or superiority makes it-
self sensibly felt ! but the less arrogant its demeanor:
the more secure and successful 9ill be its course
onarchy remains to be mentioned In this: all
mankind are made for one individual< he accumu-
lates all honors 9ith 9hich he chooses to decorate
himself: tastes all pleasures to 9hich he feels an in-
clination: and exercises a po9er absolutely 9ithout
control! provided: let it be remembered: that he
has plenty of money If he is de%cient in that: he
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 340/469
9ill be unsuccessful at home as 9ell as abroad: and
9ill soon be left destitute of po9er: pleasures: hon-
ors: and perhaps even of life
,hile this personage has money: not only is he
successful and happy himself: but his relations and
principal servants are Qourishing in full enjoyment
also! and an immense multitude of hirelings labor
for them the 9hole year round: in the vain hope that
4ictionary J" F
they shall themselves: some time or other: enjoy in
their cottages the leisure and comfort 9hich their
sultans and pashas enjoy in their harems Observe:
ho9ever: 9hat 9ill probably happen
0 jolly: full-fed farmer 9as formerly in posses-
sion of a vast estate: consisting of %elds: meado9s:
vineyards: orchards: and forests 0 hundred la-
borers 9orked for him: 9hile he dined 9ith his fam-
ily: drank his 9ine: and 9ent to sleep /is princi-
pal domestics: 9ho plundered him: dined next: and
ate up nearly everything )hen came the laborers:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 341/469
for 9hom there 9as left only a very meagre and
insuMcient meal )hey at %rst murmured: then
openly complained: speedily lost all patience: and
at last ate up the dinner prepared for their master:
and turned him out of his house )he master said
they 9ere a set of scoundrels: a pack of undutiful
and rebellious children 9ho assaulted and abused
their o9n father )he laborers replied that they
had only obeyed the sacred la9 of nature: 9hich he
had violated )he dispute 9as %nally referred to
a soothsayer in the neighborhood: 9ho 9as thought
to be actually inspired )he holy man takes the
farm into his o9n hands: and nearly famishes both
the laborers and the master ! till at length their feel-
ings counteract their superstition: and the saint is
in the end expelled in his turn )his is domestic
policy
)here have been more examples than one of this
description ! and some conseKuences of this species
J"J &hilosophical
of policy still subsist in all their strength ,e may
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 342/469
hope that in the course of ten or t9elve thousand
ages: 9hen mankind become more enlightened: the
great proprietors of estates: gro9n also more 9ise:
9ill on the one hand treat their laborers rather bet-
ter: and on the other take care not to be duped by
soothsayers
&O.&$
I5 B0.I) of a doubter: I have a long time
%lled my vocation I have doubted 9hen they 9ould
persuade me: that the glossopetres 9hich I have
seen formed in my %elds: 9ere originally the tongues
of sea-dogs: that the lime used in my barn 9as com-
posed of shells only: that corals 9ere the production
of the excrement of certain little %shes: that the sea
by its currents has formed ount 6enis and ount
)aurus: and that 5iobe 9as formerly changed into
marble
It is not that I love not the extraordinary: the
marvellous: as 9ell as any traveller or man of sys-
tem! but to believe %rmly: I 9ould see 9ith my
o9n eyes: touch 9ith my o9n hands: and that sev-
eral times (ven that is not enough! I 9ould still
be aided by the eyes and hands of others
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 343/469
)9o of my companions: 9ho: like myself: form
Kuestions on the 8(ncyclopaedia:8 have for some
time amused themselves 9ith me in studying the
nature of several of the little %lms 9hich gro9 in
ditches by the side of 9ater lentils )hese light
4ictionary J""
herbs: 9hich 9e call polypi of soft 9ater: have sev-
eral roots: from 9hich circumstance 9e have given
them the name of polypi )hese little parasite plants
9ere merely plants: until the commencement of the
age in 9hich 9e live .euenhoeck raises them to
the rank of animals ,e kno9 not if they have
gained much by it
,e think that: to be considered as an animal: it
i^$ necessary to be endo9ed 9ith sensation )hey
therefore commence by sho9ing us: that these soft
9ater polypi have feeling: in order that 9e should
present them 9ith our right of citi@enship
,e have not dared to grant it the dignity of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 344/469
sensation: though it appeared to have the greatest
pretensions to it ,hy should 9e give it to a species
of small rush? Is it because it appears to bud?
)his property is common to all trees gro9ing by
the 9ater-side ! to 9illo9s: poplars: aspens: etc It
is so light: that it changes place at the least motion
of the drop of 9ater 9hich bears it ! thence it has
been concluded that it 9alked In like manner: 9e
may suppose that the little: Qoating: marshy islands
of $t Omer are animals: for they often change their
place
It is said its roots are its feet: its stalk its body: its
branches are its arms ! the pipe 9hich composes its
stalk is pierced at the top it is its mouth In this
pipe there is a light 9hite pith: of 9hich some al-
most imperceptible animalcules are very greedy!
they enter the hollo9 of this little pipe by making
J" &hilosophical
it bend: and eat this light paste ! it is the polypus
9hc captures these animals 9ith his snout: though
it has not the least appearance of head: mouth: or
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 345/469
stomach
,e have examined this sport of nature 9ith all
the attention of 9hich 9e are capable It appeared
to us that the production called polypus resembled
an animal much less than a carrot or asparagus In
vain 9e have opposed to our eyes all the reasonings
9hich 9e formerly read! the evidence of our eyes
has overthro9n them It is a pity to lose an illu-
sion ,e kno9 ho9 pleasant it 9ould be to have
an animal 9hich could reproduce itself by oCshoots:
and 9hich: having all the appearances of a plant:
could join the animal to the vegetable kingdom
It 9ould be much more natural to give the rank
of an animal to the ne9ly-discovered plant of 0n-
glo-0merica: to 9hich the pleasant name of 2enus;
Qy-trap has been given It is a kind of prickly
sensitive-plant: the leaves of 9hich fold of them-
selves ! the Qies are taken in these leaves and perish
there more certainly than in the 9eb of a spider
If any of our physicians 9ould call this plant an
animal: he 9ould have partisans
7ut if you 9ould have something more extraor-
dinary: more 9orthy of the observation of philos-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 346/469
ophers: observe the snail: 9hich lives one and t9o
9hole months after its head is cut oC: and 9hich
after9ards has a second head: containing all the
organs possessed by the %rst )his truth: to 9hich
4ictionary J"L
all children can be 9itnesses: is more 9orthy than
the illusion of polypi of soft 9ater ,hat becomes
of its sensorium: its maga@ine of ideas: and soul:
9hen its head is cut oC ? /o9 do all these return ?
0 soul 9hich is rene9ed is a very curious phenome-
non! not that it is more strange than a soul be-
gotten: a soul 9hich sleeps and a9akes: or a con-
demned soul
&O.)/(I$
)/( plurality of gods is the great reproach at
present cast upon the 1reeks and 'omans < but let
any man sho9 me: if he can: a single fact in the
9hole of their histories: or a single 9ord in the
9hole of their books: from 9hich it may be fairly
inferred that they believed in many supreme gods !
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 347/469
and if neither that fact nor 9ord can be found: if:
on the contrary: all antiKuity is full of monuments
and records 9hich attest one sovereign 1od: su-
perior to all other gods: let us candidly admit that
9e have judged the ancients as harshly as 9e too
often judge our contemporaries
,e read in numberless passages that Deus: =upi-
ter: is the master of gods and men 8=ovis omnia
plena8 80ll things are full of =upiter8 0nd $t
&aul gives this testimony in favor of the ancients <
8In ipso vivimus: movemur: et sumns: ut Kuidam
vestrorum poetarum dlxlt:8 8In 1od 9e live: and
move: and have our being: as one of your o9n poets
has said8 0fter such an ackno9ledgment as this:
J"H &hilosophical
ho9 can 9e dare to accuse our instructors of not
having recogni@ed a supreme 1od?
,e have no occasion 9hatever to examine upon
this subject: 9hether there 9as formerly a =upiter
9ho 9as king of 6rete: and 9ho may possibly have
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 348/469
been considered and ranked as a god! or 9hether
the (gyptians had t9elve superior gods: or eight:
among 9hom the deity called =upiter by the .atins
might be one )he single point to be investigated
and ascertained here is: 9hether the 1reeks and 'o-
mans ackno9ledged one celestial being as the mas-
ter or sovereign of other celestial beings )hey
constantly tell us that they do ! and 9e ought there-
fore to believe them
)he admirable letter of the philosopher aximus
of adaura to $t 0ugustine is completely to our
purpose< 8)here is a 1od:8 says he: 89ithout any
beginning: the common +ather of all: but 9ho never
produced a being like /imself ,hat man is so
stupid and besotted as to doubt it?8 $uch is the
testimony of a pagan of the fourth century on be-
half of all antiKuity
,ere I inclined to lift the veil that conceals the
mysteries of (gypt: I should %nd the deity adored
under the name of 3nef: 9ho produced all things
and presides over all the other deities ! I should
discover also a ithra among the &ersians: and a
7rahma among the Indians: and could perhaps
sho9: that every civili@ed nation admitted one su-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 349/469
preme being: together 9ith a multitude of dependent
4ictionary J"P
divinities I do not speak of the 6hinese: 9hose
government: more respectable than all the rest: has
ackno9ledged one 1od only for a period of more
than four thousand years .et us here con%ne our-
selves to the 1reeks and 'omans: 9ho are the ob-
jects of our immediate researches )hey had among
them innumerable superstitions it is impossible to
doubt it! they adopted fables absolutely ridiculous
everybody kno9s it! and I may safely add: that
they 9ere themselves suMciently disposed to ridi-
cule them 0fter all: ho9ever: the foundation of
their theology 9as conformable to reason
In the %rst place: 9ith respect to the 1reeks
placing heroes in heaven as a re9ard for their vir-
tues: it 9as one of the most 9ise and useful of relig-
ious institutions ,hat nobler recompense could
possibly be besto9ed upon them! 9hat more ani-
mating and inspiring hope could be held out to
them? Is it becoming that 9e: above all others:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 350/469
should censure such a practice 9e 9ho: enlight-
ened by the truth: have piously consecrated the very
usage 9hich the ancients imagined ? ,e have a far
greater number of the blessed in honor of 9hom 9e
have created altars: than the 1reeks and 'omans
had of heroes and demi-gods ! the diCerence is: that
they granted the apotheosis to the most illustrious
and resplendent actions: and 9e grant it to the most
meek and retired virtues 7ut their dei%ed heroes
never shared the throne of =upiter: the great archi-
tect: the eternal sovereign of the universe! they
J" R &hilosophical
9ere admitted to his court and enjoyed his favors
,hat is there unreasonable in this ? Is it not a faint
shado9 and resemblance of the celestial hierarchy
presented to us by our religion ? 5othing can be of
a more salutary moral tendency than such an idea !
and the reality is not physically impossible in itself
,e have surely: upon this subject: no fair ground
for ridiculing nations to 9hom 9e are indebted
even for our alphabet
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 351/469
)he second object of our reproaches: is the mul-
titude of gods admitted to the government of the
9orld! 5eptune presiding over the sea: =uno over
the air: ^(olus over the 9inds: and &luto or 2esta
over the earth: and ars over armies ,e set aside
the genealogies of all these divinities: 9hich are as
false as those 9hich are every day fabricated and
printed respecting individuals among ourselves ! 9e
pass sentence of condemnation on all their light and
loose adventures: 9orthy of being recorded in the
pages; of the 8)housand and One 5ights:8 and
9hich never constituted the foundation or essence
of the 1reek and 'oman faith! but let us at the
same time candidly ask: 9here is the folly and stu-
pidity of having adopted beings of a secondary or-
der: 9ho: 9hatever they may be in relation to the
great supreme: /ave at least some po9er over our
very diCerently-constituted race: 9hich: instead of
belonging to the second: belongs perhaps to the
hundred thousandth order of existence? 4oes this
doctrine necessarily imply either bad metaphysics or
4ictionary J"#
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 352/469
bad natural philosophy? /ave 9e not ourselves
nine choirs of celestial spirits: more ancient than
mankind? /as not each of these choirs a peculiar
name? 4id not the =e9s take the greater number
of these names from the &ersians ? /ave not many
angels their peculiar functions assigned them?
)here 9as an exterminating angel: 9ho fought for
the =e9s: and the angel of travellers: 9ho conducted
)obit ichael 9as the particular angel of the
/ebre9s! and: according to 4aniel: he %ghts
against the angel of the &ersians: and speaks to the
angel of the 1reeks 0n angel of inferior rank
gives an account to ichael: in the book of Dacha-
riah: of the state in 9hich he had found the coun-
try (very nation possessed its angel ! the version
of the $eventy 4ays: in 4euteronomy: that the
.ord allotted the nations according to the number
of angels $t &aul: in the 0cts of the 0postles:
talks to the angel of acedonia )hese celestial
spirits are freKuently called gods in $cripture:
8(loim8 +or among all nations: the 9ord that
corresponds 9ith that of 8)heos:8 84eus:8 84ieu:8
8;1od:8 by no means universally signi%es the $ov-
ereign .ord of heaven and earth ! it freKuently sig-
ni%es a celestial being: a being superior to man: but
dependent upon the great $overeign of 5ature ! and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 353/469
it is sometimes besto9ed even on princes and
judges
$ince to us it is a matter of truth and reality:
that celestial substances actually exist: 9ho are in-
JG : &hilosophical
trusted 9ith the care of men and empires: the people
9ho have admitted this truth 9ithout the light of
revelation are more 9orthy of our esteem than our
contempt
)he ridicule: therefore: does not attach to poly-
; theism itself: but to the abuse of it! to the popular
fables of superstition! to the multitude of absurd
divinities 9hich have been supposed to exist and to
the number of 9hich every individual might add at
his pleasure
)he goddess of nipples: 8dea 'umilia8 ! the god-
dess of conjugal union: 8dea &ertunda8 ! the god of
the 9ater-closet: 8deus $tercutius8 ! the god of Qat-
ulence: 8deus 6repitus8 ! are certainly not calcu-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 354/469
lated to attract the highest degree of veneration
)hese ridiculous absurdities: the amusement of the
old 9omen and children of 'ome: merely prove that
the 9ord 8deus8 had acceptations of a 9idely dif-
ferent nature 5othing can be more certain or ob-
vious: than that the god of Qatulence: 8deus 6repi-
tus8 could never excite the same idea as 8deus di-
vum et hominum sator:8 the source of gods and
men )he 'oman pontiCs did not admit the little
burlesKue and baboon-looking deities 9hich silly
9omen introduced into their cabinets )he 'oman
religion 9as in fact: in its intrinsic character: both
serious and austere Oaths 9ere inviolable! 9ar
could not be commenced before the college of her-
alds had declared it just! and a vestal convicted of
4ictionary JF
having violated her vo9 of virginity: 9as con-
demned to death )hese circumstances announce
a people inclined to austerities: rather than a people
volatile: frivolous: and addicted to ridicule
I con%ne myself here to sho9ing that the senate
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 355/469
did not reason absurdly in adopting polytheism It
is asked: ho9 that senate: to t9o or three deputies
from 9hich 9e 9ere indebted both for chains and
la9s: could permit so many extravagances among
the people: and authori@e so many fables among the
pontiCs? It 9ould be by no means diMcult to
ans9er this Kuestion )he 9ise have in every age
made use of fools )hey freely leave to the people
their lupercals and their saturnalia: if they only
continue loyal and obedient ! and the sacred pullets
that promised victory to the armies: are judiciously
secured against the sacrilege of being slaughtered
for the table .et us never be surprised at seeing:
that the most enlightened governments have per-
mitted customs and fables of the most senseless
character )hese customs and fables existed before
government 9as formed ! and no one 9ould pull
do9n an immense city: ho9ever irregular in its
buildings: to erect it precisely according to line and
level
/o9 can it arise: 9e are asked: that on one side
9e see so much philosophy and science: and on the
other so much fanaticism? )he reason is: that
science and philosophy 9ere scarcely born before
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 356/469
2ol FJ FH
JJ &hilosophical
6icero: and that fanaticism reigned for centuries
&olicy: in such circumstances: says to philosophy
and fanaticism < .et us all three live together as
9ell as 9e can
&O&('
&0&I$) /is highness has 9ithin his principal-
ity .utherans: 6alvinists: Buakers: 0nabaptists: and
even =e9s ! and you 9ish that he 9ould admit ni-
tarians ?
)'(0$'(' 6ertainly: if these nitarians bring
9ith them 9ealth and industry ou 9ill only be
the better paid your 9ages
&0&I$) I must confess that a diminution of my
9ages 9ould be more disagreeable to me than the
admission of these persons! but: then: they do not
believe that =esus 6hrist is the $on of 1od
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 357/469
)'(0$'(' ,hat does that signify to you: pro-
vided that you are permitted to believe it: and are
9ell lodged: 9ell clothed: and 9ell fed? )he =e9s
are far from believing that /e is the $on of 1od:
and yet you are very easy 9ith the =e9s: 9ith 9hom
you deposit your money at six per cent $t &aul
himself has never spoken of the divinity of =esus
6hrist: 9ho is undisguisedly called a man 84eath:8
says he: 8entered into the 9orld by the sin of one
man and by one man: =esus 6hrist: the gift
of grace hath abounded unto many:8 etc 0ll the
early fathers of the 6hurch thought like &aul It is
evident that: for three hundred years: =esus 9as con-
4ictionary J"
tent 9ith /is humanity ! imagine yourself a 6hris-
tian of one of the %rst three centuries
&0&I$) es: sir ! but neither do they believe in
eternal punishments
)'(0$'(' 5or I either! be you damned
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 358/469
eternally if you please! for my o9n part: I do not
look for that advantage
&0&I$) 0h: sirS it is very hard not to be able
to damn at pleasure all the heretics in the 9orld !
but the rage 9hich the nitarian displays for ren-
dering everybody %nally happy is not my only com-
plaint 3no9: that these monsters believe the res-
urrection of the body no more than the $adducees
)hey say: that 9e are all anthropophagi: and that
the particles 9hich compose our grandfathers and
great-grandfathers: having been necessarily dis-
persed in the atmosphere: become carrots and aspar-
agus: and that it is possible 9e may have devoured a
portion of our ancestors
)'(0$'(' 7e it so! our children 9ill do as
much by us ! it is but repayment: and &apists 9ill
be as much bene%ted as others )his is no reason
for driving you from the states of his highness ! and
9hy any more so for ejecting the nitarians? 'ise
again: if you are able ! it matters little 9hether the
nitarians rise again or no: provided they are use-
ful during their lives
&0&I$) 0nd 9hat: sir: do you say to original
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 359/469
sin: 9hich they boldly deny? 0re you not scan-
dali@ed by their assertion: that the &entateuch
J &hilosophical
says not a 9ord about it: that the bishop of /ippo:
$t 0ugustine: is the %rst 9ho decidedly taught this
dogma: although it is evidently indicated by $t
&aul?
)'(0$'(' )ruly: if the &entateuch does not
mention it: that is not my fault ,hy not add a
text or t9o about original sin to the Old )esta-
ment: as it is said you have added on other sub-
jects? I kno9 nothing of these subtleties! it is my
business only to pay you your stipend: 9hen I have
the money to do so
&O&.0)IO5
$(6)IO5 I
)/('( 9ere very fe9 caterpillars in my canton
last year: and 9e killed nearly the 9hole of them
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 360/469
1od has rendered them this year more numerous
than the leaves Is it not nearly thus 9ith other
animals: and above all 9ith mankind ? +amine: pes-
tilence* death: and the t9o sister diseases 9hich
have visited us from 0rabia and 0merica: destroy
the inhabitants of a province: and 9 v e are surprised
at %nding it abound 9ith people a hundred years
after9ards
I admit that it is a sacred duty to people this
9orld: and that all animals are stimulated by pleas-
ure to ful%l this intention of the great 4emiourgos
,hy this inhabiting of the earth ? and to 9hat pur-
pose form so many beings to devour one another:
and the animal man to cut the throat of his fello9:
4ictionary JL
from one end of the earth to the other? I am as-
sured that I shall one day be in the possession of
this secret: and in my character of an inKuisitive
man I exceedingly desire it
It is clear that 9e ought to people the earth as
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 361/469
much as 9e are able! even our health renders it
necessary )he 9ise 0rabians: the robbers of the
desert: in the treaties 9hich they made 9ith travel-
lers: al9ays stipulated for girls ,hen they con-
Kuered $pain: they imposed a tribute of girls )he
country of edia pays the )urks in girls )he
buccaneers brought girls from &aris to the little
island of 9hich they took possession! and it is re-
lated that: at the %ne spectacle 9ith 9hich 'omulus
entertained the $abines: he stole from them three
hundred girls
I cannot conceive 9hy the =e9s: 9hom more-
over I revere: killed everybody in =ericho: even to
the girls ! and 9hy they say in the &salms: that it
9ill be s9eet to massacre the infants at the mother;s
breast: 9ithout excepting even girls 0ll other peo-
ple: 9hether )artars: 6annibals: )eutons: or 6elts:
have al9ays held girls in great reKuest
O9ing to this happy instinct: it seems that the
earth may one day be covered 9ith animals of our
o9n kind +ather &etau makes the inhabitants of
the earth seven hundred millions: t9o hundred and
eighty years after the deluge It is not: ho9ever: at
the end of the 80rabian 5ights8 that he has printed
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 362/469
this pleasant enumeration
JH &hilosophical
I reckon at present on our globe about nine hun-
dred millions of contemporaries: and an eKual num-
ber of each sex ,allace makes them a thousand
millions 0m I in error: or is he? &ossibly both
of us ! but a tenth is a small matter ! the arithmetic
of historians is usually much more erroneous
I am some9hat surprised that the arithmetician
,allace: 9ho extends the number of people at pres-
ent existing to a thousand millions: should pretend
in the same page: that in the year #HH: after the
creation: our forefathers amounted to sixteen hun-
dred and ten millions
In the %rst place: I 9ish the epoch of the creation
to be clearly established! and as: in our 9estern
9orld: 9e have no less than eighty theories of this
event: there 9ill be some diMculty to hit on the cor-
rect one In the second place: the (gyptians: the
6haldaeans: the &ersians: the Indians: and the 6hi-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 363/469
nese: have all diCerent calculations ! and it is still
more diMcult to agree 9ith them )hirdly: 9hy:
in the nine hundred and sixty-sixth year of the
9orld: should there be more people than there are
at present?
)o explain this absurdity: 9e are told that mat-
ters occurred other9ise than at present! that na-
ture: being more vigorous: 9as better concocted and
more proli%c! and: moreover: that people lived
longer ,hy do they not add: tha2 the sun 9as
9armer: and the moon more beautiful
,e are toldj: that in the time of 6aesar: although
4ictionary JP
men had begun to greatly degenerate: the 9orld
9as like an ant;s nest of bipeds ! but that at present
it is a desert ontesKuieu: 9ho al9ays exagger-
ates: and 9ho sacri%ces anything to an itching desire
of displaying his 9it: ventures to believe: and in his
8&ersian .etters8 9ould have others believe: that
there 9ere thirty times as many people in the 9orld
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 364/469
in the days of 6aesar as at present
,allace ackno9ledges that this calculation made
at random is too much ! but for 9hat reason ? 7e-
cause: before the days of 6aesar: the 9orld possessed
more inhabitants than during the most brilliant pe-
riod of the 'oman republic /e then ascends to
the time of $emiramis: and if possible exaggerates
more than ontesKuieu
.astly: in conformity 9ith the taste 9hich is al-
9ays attributed to the /oly $pirit for hyperbole:
they fail not to instance the eleven hundred and sixty
thousand men: 9ho marched so %ercely under the
standards of the great monarch: =osophat: or =ehoso-
phat: king of the province of =udah (nough:
enough: r ,allace! the /oly $pirit cannot de-
ceive! but its agents and copyists have badly cal-
culated and numbered 0ll your $cotland 9ould
not furnish eleven hundred thousand men to attend
your sermons: and the kingdom of =udah 9as not a
t9entieth part of $cotland $ee: again: 9hat $t
=erome says of this poor /oly .and: in 9hich he so
long resided /ave you 9ell calculated the Kuan-
tity of money the great 3ing =ehosophat must have
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 365/469
JR &hilosophical
possessed: to pay: feed: clothe: and arm eleven hun-
dred thousand chosen men? 7ut thus is history
9ritten
r ,allace returns from =ehosophat to 6aesar:
and concludes: that since the time of this dictator of
short duration: the 9orld has visibly decreased in
the number of its inhabitants 7ehold: said he: the
$9iss< according to the relation of 6aesar: they
amounted to three hundred and sixty-eight thou-
sand: 9hen they so 9isely Kuitted their country to
seek their fortunes: like the 6imbri
I 9ish by this example to recall those partisans
into a little due consideration: 9ho gift the ancients
9ith such 9onders in the 9ay of generation: at the
expense of the moderns )he canton of 7erne alone:
according to an accurate census: possesses a greater
number of inhabitants than Kuitted the 9hole of
/elvetia in the time of 6aesar )he human species
is: therefore: doubled in /elvetia since that expe-
dition
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 366/469
I like9ise believe: that 1ermany: +rance: and
(ngland are much better peopled no9 than at that
time ! and for this reason < I adduce the vast clear-
ance of forests: the number of great to9ns built and
increased during the last eight hundred years: and
the number of arts 9hich have originated in propor-
tion )his I regard as a suMcient ans9er to the
bra@en declamation: repeated every day in books:
in 9hich truth is sacri%ced to sallies: and 9hich are
rendered useless by their abundant 9it
4ictionary J#
8.;0mi des /ommes8 says: that in the time of
6aesar %fty-t9o millions of men 9ere assigned to
$pain: 9hich $trabo observes has al9ays been badly
peopled: o9ing to the interior being so de%cient in
9ater $trabo is apparently right: and 8.;0mi des
/ommes8 erroneous 7ut they scare us by asking
9hat has become of the prodigious Kuantity of
/uns: 0lans: Ostrogoths: 2isigoths: 2andals: and
.ombards: 9ho spread like a torrent over (urope
in the %fth century
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 367/469
I distrust these multitudes: and suspect that
t9enty or thirty thousand ferocious animals: more
or less: 9ere suMcient to over9helm 9ith fright the
9hole 'oman (mpire: governed by a &ulcheria: by
eunuchs: and by monks It 9as enough for ten
thousand barbarians to pass the 4anube ! for every
parish rumor: or homily: to make them more numer-
ous than the locusts in the plains of (gypt! and
call them a scourge from 1od: in order to inspire
penitence: and produce gifts of money to the con-
vents +ear sei@ed all the inhabitants: and they Qed
in cro9ds 7ehold precisely the fright 9hich a 9olf
caused in the district of 1evanden in the year FPHH
andarin the robber: at the head of %fty vaga-
bonds: put an entire to9n under contribution 0s
soon as he entered at one gate: it 9as said at the
other: that he brought 9ith him four thousand men
and artillery If 0ttila: follo9ed by %fty thousand
hungry assassins: ravaged province after province:
report 9ould call them %ve hundred thousand
JLG &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 368/469
)he millions of men 9ho follo9ed Eerxes: 6y-
rus: )omyris: the thirty or forty-four millions of
(gyptians: )hebes 9ith her hundred gates 8(t
KuicKuid 1recia mendax audet in historic:8 re-
semble the %ve hundred thousand men of 0ttila:
9hich company of pleasant travellers it 9ould have
been diMcult to %nd on the journey
)hese /uns came from $iberia: and thence I
conclude that they came in very small numbers $i-
beria 9as certainly not more fertile than in our o9n
days I doubt 9hether in the reign of )omyris a
to9n existed eKual to )obolsk: or that these fright-
ful deserts can feed a great number of inhabitants
India: 6hina: &ersia: and 0sia inor 9ere
thickly peopled ! this I can credit 9ithout diMculty !
and possibly they are not less so at present: not-
9ithstanding the destructive prevalence of invasions
and 9ars )hroughout: 5ature has clothed them
9ith pasturage! the bull freely unites 9ith the
heifer: the ram 9ith the sheep: and man 9ith
9oman8
)he deserts of 7arca: of 0rabia: and of Oreb: of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 369/469
$inai: of =erusalem: of 1obi: etc: 9ere never
peopled: are not peopled at present: and never 9ill
be peopled! at least: until some natural revolution
happens to transform these plains of sand and Qint
into fertile land
)he land of +rance is tolerably good: and it is
suMciently inhabited by consumers: since of all
kinds there are more than are 9ell supplied! since
4ictionary JLF
there are t9o hundred thousand impostors: 9ho beg
from one end of the country to the other: and sus-
tain their despicable lives at the expense of the rich !
and lastly: since +rance supports more than eighty
thousand monks: of 9hich not a single one assists
to produce an ear of corn
$(6)IO5 II
I believe that (ngland: &rotestant 1ermany: and
/olland are better peopled in proportion than
+rance )he reason is evident! those countries
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 370/469
harbor not monks 9ho vo9 to 1od to be useless to
man In these countries: the clergy: having little
else to do: occupy themselves 9ith study and propa-
gation )hey give birth to robust children: and give
them a better education than that 9hich is besto9ed
on the oCspring of +rench and Italian marKuises
'ome: on the contrary: 9ould be a desert 9ithout
cardinals: ambassadors: and travellers It 9ould be
only an illustrious monument: like the temple of
=upiter 0mmon In the time of the %rst 6aesar: it
9as computed that this sterile territory: rendered
fertile by manure and the labor of slaves: contained
some millions of men It 9as an exception to the
general la9: that population is ordinarily in propor-
tion to fertility of soil
6onKuest rendered this barren country fertile and
populous 0 form of government as strange and
contradictory as any 9hich ever astonished man-
kind: has restored to the territory of 'omulus its
JLJ &hilosophical
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 371/469
primitive character )he 9hole country is depopu-
lated from Orvieto to )erracina 'ome: reduced to
its o9n citi@ens: 9ould be to .ondon only as one
to t9elve ! and in respect to money and commerce:
9ould be to the to9ns of 0msterdam and .ondon
as one to a thousand
)hat 9hich 'ome has lost: (urope has not only
regained: but the population has almost tripled since
the days of 6harlemagne I say tripled: 9hich is
much! for propagation is not in geometrical pro-
gression 0ll the calculations made on the idea of
this pretended multiplication: amount only to absurd
chimeras
If a family of human beings or of apes multiplied
in this manner: at the end of t9o hundred years the
earth 9ould not be able to contain them 5ature
has taken care at once to preserve and restrain the
various species $he resembles the fates: 9ho spin
and cut threads continually $he is occupied 9ith
birth and destruction alone
If she has given to man more ideas and memory
than to other animals ! if she has rendered him
capable of generali@ing his ideas and combining
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 372/469
them! if he has the advantage of the gift of speech:
she has not besto9ed on him that of multiplication
eKual to insects )here are more ants in a sKuare
league of heath: than of men in the 9orld: counting
all that have ever existed
,hen a country possesses a great number of
idlers: be sure that it is 9ell peopled! since these
4ictionary JL"
Idlers are lodged: clothed: fed: amused: and re-
spected by those 9ho labor )he principal object:
ho9ever: is not to possess a superQuity of men: but
to render such as 9e have as little unhappy as pos-
sible
.et us thank nature for placing us in the tem-
perate @one: peopled almost throughout by a more
than suMcient number of inhabitants: 9ho cultivate
all the arts ! and let us endeavor not to lessen this
advantage by our absurdities
$(6)IO5 III
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 373/469
It must be confessed: that 9e ordinarily people
and depopulate the 9orld a little at random! and
everybody acts in this manner ,e are little adapted
to obtain an accurate notion of things! the nearly
is our only guide: and it often leads us astray
It is still 9orse 9hen 9e 9ish to calculate pre-
cisely ,e go and see farces and laugh at them !
but should 9e laugh less in our closets 9hen 9e
read grave authors deciding exactly ho9 many men
existed on the earth t9o hundred and eighty-%ve
years after the general deluge ,e %nd: according
to +ather &etau: that the family of 5oah had pro-
duced one thousand t9o hundred and t9enty-four
millions seven hundred and seventeen thousand in-
habitants: in three hundred years )he good priest
&etau evidently kne9 little about getting children
and rearing them: if 9e are to judge by this state-
ment
JL &hilosophical
0ccording to 6umberland: this family increased
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 374/469
to three thousand three hundred and thirty millions:
in three hundred and forty years ! and according to
,histon: about three hundred years after the 4el-
uge: they amounted only to sixty-%ve millions four
hundred and thirty-six
It is diMcult to reconcile and to estimate these
accounts: such is the extravagance 9hen people seek
to make things accord 9hich are repugnant: and to
explain 9hat is inexplicable )his unhappy en-
deavor has deranged heads 9hich in other pur-
suits might have made discoveries bene%cial to
society
)he authors of the (nglish 8niversal /istory8
observe: it is generally agreed that the present in-
habitants of the earth amount to about four thou-
sand millions It is to be remarked: that these gen-
tlemen do not include in this number the natives of
0merica: 9hich comprehends nearly half of the
globe * +or my o9n part: if: instead of a common
romance: I 9ished to amuse myself by reckoning up
the number of brethren I have on this unhappy little
planet: I 9ould proceed as follo9s< I 9ould %rst
endeavor to estimate pretty nearly the number of
inhabited sKuare leagues this earth contains on its
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 375/469
surface! I should then say< )he surface of the
globe contains t9enty-seven millions of sKuare
leagues! take a9ay t9o-thirds at least for seas:
rivers: lakes: deserts: mountains: and all that is
uninhabited! this calculation: 9hich is very moder-
4ictionary JLL
ate: leaves us nine millions of sKuare leagues to ac-
count for
In +rance and 1ermany: there are said to be six
hundred persons to a sKuare league ! in $pain: one
hundred and %fty ! in 'ussia: %fteen ! and )artary:
ten )ake the mean number at a hundred: and you
9ill have about nine hundred millions of brethren:
including mulattoes: negroes: the bro9n: the copper-
colored: the fair: the bearded: and the unbearded
It is not thought: indeed: that the number is so
great as this ! and if eunuchs continue to be made:
monks to multiply: and 9ars to be 9aged on the
most triQing pretexts: it is easy to perceive that 9e
shall not very soon be able to muster the four thou-
sand millions: 9ith 9hich the (nglish authors of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 376/469
the 8niversal /istory8 have so liberally favored
us ! but: then: of 9hat conseKuence is it: 9hether the
number of men on the earth be great or small ? )he
chief thing is to discover the means of rendering
ottr miserable species as little unhappy as possible
$(6)IO5 I2
Of the &opulation of 0merica
)he discovery of 0merica that %eld of so much
avarice and so much ambition has also become an
object of philosophical curiosity 0 great number
of 9riters have endeavored to prove that 0merica
9as a colony of the ancient 9orld $ome modest
mathematicians: on the contrary: have said: that the
same po9er 9hich has caused the grass to gro9 in
JLH &hilosophical
0merican soil: 9as able to place man there! but
this simple and naked system has not been attended
to
,hen the great 6olumbus suspected the exist-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 377/469
ence of this ne9 9orld: it 9as held to be impossible !
and 6olumbus 9as taken for a visionary ,hen it
9as really discovered: it 9as then found out that it
had been kno9n long before
It 9as pretended that artin 7ehem: a native
of 5uremberg: Kuitted +landers about the year
FHG: in search of this unkno9n 9orld! that he
made his 9ay even to the $traits of agellan: of
9hich he left unkno9n charts 0s: ho9ever: it is
certain that artin 7ehem did not people 0merica:
it must certainly have been one of the later grand-
children of 5oah: 9ho took this trouble 0ll antiK-
uity is then ransacked for accounts of long voyages:
to 9hich they apply the discovery of this fourth
Kuarter of the globe )hey make the ships of $olo-
mon proceed to exico: and it is thence that he
dre9 the gold of Ophir: to procure 9hich he bor-
ro9ed them from 3ing /iram )hey %nd out
0merica in &lato: give the honor of it to the 6artha-
ginians: and Kuote this anecdote from a book of
0ristotle 9hich he never 9rote
/ornius pretends to discover some conformity
bet9een the /ebre9 language and that of the
6aribs +ather .a%teau: the =esuit: has not failed
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 378/469
to follo9 up so %ne an opening )he exicans:
9hen greatly aUicted: tore their garments ! certain
4ictionary JLP
people of 0sia formerly did the same: and of course
they are the ancestors of the exicans It might be
added: that the natives of .anguedoc are very fond
of dancing! and that: as in their rejoicings the
/urons dance also: the .anguedocians are de-
scended %om the /urons: or the /urons from the
.anguedocians
)he authors of a tremendous 8niversal /is-
tory8 pretend that all the 0mericans are descended
from the )artars )hey assure us that this opinion
is general among the learned: but they do not say
9hether it is so among the learned 9ho reQect 0c-
cording to them: some descendants of 5oah could
%nd nothing better to do: than to go and settle in
the delicious country of 3amchatka: in the north
of $iberia )his family being destitute of occupa-
tion: resolved to visit 6anada either by means of
ships: or by marching pleasantly across some slip
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 379/469
of connecting land: 9hich has not been discovered
in our o9n times )hey then began to busy them-
selves in propagation: until the %ne country of 6an-
ada soon becoming inadeKuate to the support of so
numerous a population: they 9ent to people exico:
&eru: 6hile! 9hile certain of their great-grand-
daughters 9ere in due time brought to bed of giants
in the $traits of agellan
0s ferocious animals are found in some of the
9arm countries of 0merica: these authors pretend:
that the 6hristopher 6olumbuses of 3amchatka
took them into 6anada for their amusement: and
2ol FJFP
JLR &hilosophical
carefully con%ned themselves to those kinds 9hich
are no longer to be found in the ancient hemisphere
7ut the 3amchatkans have not alone peopled
the ne9 9orld! they have been charitably assisted
by the antchou )artars: by the /uns: by the 6hi-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 380/469
nese: and by the inhabitants of =apan )he ant-
chou )artars are incontestably the ancestors of the
&eruvians: for ango 6apac 9as the %rst inca of
&eru ango resembles anco! anco sounds
like ancu! ancu approaches antchu: and
antchou is very close to the latter 5othing can be
better; demonstrated 0s for the /uns: they built in
/ungary a to9n called 6unadi 5o9: changing
6u into 6a: 9e have 6anadi: from 9hich 6anada
manifestly derives its name
0 plant resembling the ginseng of the 6hinese:
gro9s in 6anada: 9hich the 6hinese transplanted
into the latter even before they 9ere masters of the
part of )artary 9here it is indigenous oreover:
the 6hinese are such great navigators: they formerly
sent Qeets to 0merica 9ithout maintaining the least
correspondence 9ith their colonies
,ith respect to the =apanese: they are the near-
est neighbors of 0merica: 9hich: as they are distant
only about t9elve hundred leagues: they have doubt-
less visited in their time: although latterly they have
neglected repeating the voyage )hus is history
9ritten in our o9n days ,hat shall 9e say to
these: and many other systems 9hich resemble
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 381/469
them ? 5othing
4ictionary JL#
&O$$($$(4
O+ 0.. those 9ho boast of having leagues 9ith
the devil: to the possessed alone it is of no use to
reply If a man says to you: 8I am possessed:8 you
should believe it on his 9ord )hey are not obliged
to do very extraordinary things ! and 9hen they do
them: it is more than can fairly be demanded ,hat
can 9e ans9er to a man 9ho rolls his eyes: t9ists
his mouth: and tells you that he has the devil 9ithin
him ? (veryone feels 9hat he feels ! and as the
9orld 9as formerly full of possessed persons: 9e
may still meet 9ith them If they take measures to
conKuer the 9orld: 9e give them property and they
become more moderate! but for a poor demoniac:
9ho is content 9ith a fe9 convulsions: and does no
harm to anyone: it is not right to make him inju-
rious If you dispute 9ith him: you 9ill infallibly
have the 9orst of it /e 9ill tell you: 8)he devil
entered me to-day under such a form! from that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 382/469
time I have had a supernatural colic: 9hich all the
apothecaries in the 9orld cannot assuage8 )here
is certainly no other plan to be taken 9ith this man:
than to exorcise or abandon him to the devil
It is a great pity that there are no longer pos-
sessed magicians or astrologers ,e can conceive
the cause of all these mysteries 0 hundred years
ago all the nobility lived in their castles ! the 9inter
evenings are long: and they 9ould have died of
ennui 9ithout these noble amusements )here 9as
JHG &hilosophical
scarcely a castle 9hich a fairy did not visit on cer-
tain marked days: like the fairy elusina at the
castle of .usignan )he great hunter: a tall black
man: hunted 9ith a pack of black dogs in the ;forest
of +ontainebleau )he devil t9isted arshal +a-
bert;s neck (very village had its sorcerer or sor-
ceress! every prince had his astrologer! all the
ladies had their fortunes told! the possessed ran
about the %elds! it 9as 9ho had seen the devil or
could see him! all these things 9ere inexhaustible
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 383/469
subjects of conversation 9hich kept minds in exer-
cise In the present day 9e insipidly play at cards:
and 9e have lost by being undeceived
&O$)
+O'('.: if you had one friend at 6onstanti-
nople and another at osco9: you 9ould have been
obliged to 9ait for their return before you could
obtain any intelligence concerning them 0t pres-
ent: 9ithout either of you leaving your apartments:
you may familiarly converse through the medium of
a sheet of paper ou may even despatch to them
by the post: one of 0rnault;s sovereign remedies for
apoplexy: 9hich 9ould be received much more in-
fallibly: probably: than it 9ould cure
If one of your friends has occasion for a supply
of money at $t &etersburg: and the other at
$myrna: the post 9ill completely and rapidly eCect
your business our mistress is at 7ordeaux: 9hile
4ictionary JHF
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 384/469
you are 9ith your regiment before &rague! she
gives you regular accounts of the constancy of her
aCections ! you kno9 from her all the ne9s of the
city: except her o9n in%delities In short: the post
is the grand connecting link of all transactions: of
all negotiations )hose 9ho are absent: by its
means become present ! it is the consolation of life
+rance: 9here this beautiful invention 9as re-
vived: even in our period of barbarism: has hereby
conferred the most important service on all (urope
$he has also never in any instance herself marred
and tainted so valuable a bene%t: and never has any
minister 9ho superintended the department of the
post opened the letters of any individual: except
9hen it 9as absolutely necessary that he should
kno9 their contents It is not thus: 9e are told: in
other countries It is asserted: that in 1ermany
private letters: passing through the territories of %ve
or six diCerent governments: have been read just
that number of times: and that at last the seal has
been so nearly destroyed that it became necessary to
substitute a ne9 one
r 6raggs: secretary of state in (ngland: 9ould
never permit any person in his oMce to open private
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 385/469
letters ! he said that to do so 9as a breach of public
faith: and that no man ought to possess himself of a
secret that 9as not voluntarily con%ded to him ! that
it is often a greater crime to steal a man;s thoughts
than his gold! and that such treachery is propor-
tionally more disgraceful: as it may be committed
JHJ &hilosophical
9ithout danger: and 9ithout even the possibility of
conviction
)o be9ilder the eagerness of curiosity and defeat
the vigilance of malice: a method 9as at %rst in-
vented of 9riting a part of the contents of letters in
ciphers! but the part 9ritten ill the ordinary hand
in this case sometimes served as a key to the rest
)his inconvenience led to perfecting the art of ci-
phers: 9hich is called 8stenography8
0gainst these enigmatical productions 9as
brought the art of deciphering ! but this art 9as ex-
ceedingly defective and ineMcient )he only ad-
vantage derived from it 9as exciting the belief in
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 386/469
9eak and ill-formed minds: that their letters had
been deciphered: and all the pleasure it aCorded con-
sisted in giving such persons pain 0ccording to
the la9 of probabilities: in a 9ell-constructed cipher
there 9ould be t9o: three: or even four hundred
chances against one: that in each mark the decipherer
9ould not discover the syllable of 9hich it 9as the
representative
)he number of chances increases in proportion
to the complication of the ciphers ! and deciphering
is utterly impossible 9hen the system is arranged
9ith any ingenuity )hose 9ho boast that they can
decipher a letter: 9ithout being at all acKuainted
9ith the subject of 9hich it treats: and 9ithout any
preliminary assistance: are greater charlatans than
those 9ho boast: if any such are to be found: of
understanding a language 9hich they never learned
4ictionary JH"
,ith respect to those 9ho in a free and easy 9ay
send you by post a tragedy: in good round hand:
9ith blank leaves: on 9hich you are reKuested
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 387/469
kindly to make your observations: or 9ho in the
same 9ay regale you 9ith a %rst volume of meta-
physical researches: to be speedily follo9ed by a
second: 9e may just 9hisper in their ear that a little
more discretion 9ould do no harm: and even that
there are some countries 9here they 9ould run
some risk by thus informing the administration of
the day that there are such things in the 9orld as
bad poets and bad metaphysicians
&O,(' O5I&O)(56(
I &'($( every reader of this article to be con-
vinced that the 9orld is formed 9ith intelligence:
and that a slight kno9ledge of astronomy and an-
atomy is suMcient to produce admiration of that
universal and supreme intelligence Once more I
repeat 8mens agitat molem8
6an the reader of himself ascertain that this in-
telligence is omnipotent: that is to say: in%nitely
po9erful? /as he the slightest notion of in%nity:
to enable him to comprehend the meaning and ex-
tent of almighty po9er?
)he celebrated philosophic historian: 4avid
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 388/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 389/469
therefore: that you should kno9 9hether his nature
may not have compelled him to do only the very
things 9hich he has done
)he globe on 9hich 9e live is one vast %eld of
destruction and carnage (ither the $upreme 7eing
9as able to make of it an eternal mode of enjoy-
ment for all beings possessed of sensation: or /e
9as not If /e 9as able and yet did not do it: you
9ill undoubtedly tremble to pronounce or consider
/im a male%cent being! but if /e 9as unable to
do so: do not tremble to regard /im as a po9er of
very great extent indeed: but nevertheless circum-
scribed by /is nature 9ithin certain limits
,hether it be in%nite or not: is not of any conse-
4ictionary JHL
Kuence to you It is perfectly indiCerent to a sub-
ject 9hether his sovereign possesses %ve hundred
leagues of territory or %ve thousand ! he is in either
case neither more nor less a subject ,hich 9ould
reQect most strongly on this great and ineCable
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 390/469
7eing< to say /e made miserable beings because it
9as indispensable to do so ! or that /e made them
merely because it 9as /is 9ill and pleasure?
any sects represent /im as cruel ! others:
through fear of admitting the existence of a 9icked
4eity: are daring enough to deny /is existence at
all ,ould it not be far preferable to say that prob-
ably the necessity of /is o9n nature and that of
things have determined everything?
)he 9orld is the theatre of moral and natural
evil ! this is too decidedly found and felt to be the
case! and the 8all is for the best8 of $haftesbury:
7olingbroke: and &ope: is nothing but the eCusion
of a mind devoted to eccentricity and paradox! in
short: nothing but a dull jest
)he t9o principles of Doroaster and anes: so
minutely investigated by 7ayle: are a duller jest
still )hey are: as 9e have already observed: the
t9o physicians of oliere: one of 9hom says to the
other < 8ou excuse my emetics: and I 9ill excuse
your bleedings8 anichaeism is absurd ! and that
circumstance 9ill account for its having had so
many partisans
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 391/469
I ackno9ledge that I have not had my mind en-
lightened by all that 7ayle has said about the an-
JHH &hilosophical
ichaeans and &aulicians It is all controversy ! 9hat
I 9anted 9as pure philosophy ,hy speak about
our mysteries to Doroaster? 0s soon as ever 9e
have the temerity to discuss the critical subject of
our mysteries: 9e open to our vie9 the most tre-
mendous precipices
)he trash of our o9n scholastic theology has
nothing to do 9ith the trash of Doroaster;s reveries
,hy discuss 9ith Doroaster the subject of original
sin? )hat subject did not become a matter of dis-
pute until the time of $t 0ugustine 5either
Doroaster nor any other legislator of antiKuity ever
heard it mentioned If you dispute 9ith Doroaster:
lock up your Old and 5e9 )estament: 9ith 9hich
he had not the slightest acKuaintance: and 9hich
it is our duty to revere 9ithout attempting to ex-
plain
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 392/469
,hat I should myself have said to Doroaster
9ould have been this< y reason opposes the
admission of t9o gods in conQict 9ith each other!
such an idea is allo9able only in a poem in 9hich
inerva Kuarrels 9ith ars y 9eak understand-
ing much more readily acKuiesces in the notion of
only one 1reat 7eing: than in that of t9o great
beings: of 9hom one is constantly counteracting
and spoiling the operations of the other our evil
principle: 0rimanes: has not been able to derange
a single astronomical and physical la9 established
by the good principle of Oroma@es ! everything pro-
ceeds: among the numberless 9orlds 9hich consti-
4ictionary JHP
tute 9hat 9e call the heavens: 9ith perfect regu-
larity and harmony! ho9 comes it that the ma-
lignant 0rimanes has po9er only over this little
globe of earth?
/ad I been 0rimanes: I should have assailed
Oroma@es in his immense and noble provinces: com-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 393/469
prehending numbers of suns and stars I should
never have been content to con%ne the 9ar to an in-
signi%cant and miserable village )here certainly
is a great deal of misery in this same village ! but
ho9 can 9e possibly ascertain that it is not abso-
lutely inevitable?
ou are compelled to admit an intelligence dif-
fused through the universe 7ut in the %rst place:
do you absolutely kno9 that this intelligence com-
prises a kno9ledge of the future? ou have as-
serted a thousand times that it does ! but you have
never been able to prove it to me: or to comprehend
it yourself ou cannot have any idea ho9 any
being can see 9hat does not exist ! 9ell: the future
does not exist: therefore no being can see it ou
are reduced to the necessity of saying that he fore-
sees it ! but to foresee is only to conjecture
5o9 a god 9ho: according to your system: con-
jectures may be mistaken /e is: on your prin-
ciples: really mistaken ! for if he had foreseen that
his enemy 9ould poison all his 9orks in this lo9er
9orld: he 9ould never have produced them ! he
9ould not have been accessory to the disgrace he
sustains in being perpetually vanKuished
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 394/469
JHR &hilosophical
$econdly: is he not much more honored upon
my hypothesis: 9hich maintains that he does every-
thing by the necessity of his o9n nature: than upon
yours: 9hich raises up against him an enemy: dis-
%guring: polluting: and destroying all his 9orks
of 9isdom and kindness throughout the 9orld S
In the third place: it by no means implies a mean
and un9orthy idea of 1od to say that: after forming
millions of 9orlds: in 9hich death and evil may
have no residence: it might be necessary that death
and evil should reside in this
+ourth: it is not deprecating 1od to say that /e
could not form man 9ithout besto9ing on him self-
love ! that this self-love could not be his guide 9ith-
out almost al9ays leading him astray ! that his pas-
sions are necessary: but at the same time noxious !
that the continuation of the species cannot be ac-
complished 9ithout desires! that these desires can-
not operate 9ithout exciting Kuarrels! and that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 395/469
these Kuarrels necessarily bring on 9ars: etc
+ifth: on observing a part of the combinations
of the vegetable: animal: and mineral kingdoms:
and the porous nature of the earth: in every part
so minutely pierced and drilled like a sieve: and
from 9hich exhalations constantly rise in immense
profusion: 9hat philosopher 9ill be bold enough:
9hat schoolman 9ill be 9eak enough: decidedly
to maintain that nature could possibly prevent the
ravages of volcanoes: the intemperature of seasons:
the rage of tempests: the poison of pestilence: or: in
4ictionary JH#
short: any of those scourges 9hich aUict the
9orld ?
$ixth: a very great degree of po9er and skill
are reKuired to form lions 9ho devour bulls: and
to produce men 9ho invent arms 9hich destroy: by
a single blo9: not merely the life of bulls and lions:
but melancholy as the idea is the life of one an-
other 1reat po9er is necessary to produce the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 396/469
spiders 9hich spread their exKuisitely %ne threads
and net-9ork to catch Qies ! but this po9er amounts
not to omnipotence it is not boundless po9er
In the seventh place: if the $upreme 7eing had
been in%nitely po9erful: no reason can be assigned
9hy /e should not have made creatures endo9ed
9ith sensation in%nitely happy ! /e has not in fact
done so! therefore 9e ought to conclude that /e
could not do so
(ighth: all the diCerent sects of philosophers
have struck on the rock of physical and moral evil
)he only conclusion that can be securely reached
is: that 1od: acting al9ays for the best: has done
the best that /e 9as able to do
5inth: this necessity cuts oC all diMculties and
terminates all disputes ,e have not the hardihood
to say < 80ll is good8 ! 9e say < 8)here is no more
evil than 9as absolutely inevitable8
)enth: 9hy do some infants die at the mother;s
breast ? ,hy are others: after experiencing the %rst
misfortune of being born: reserved for torments as
lasting as their lives: 9hich are at length ended by an
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 397/469
JPG &hilosophical
appalling death? ,hy has the source of life been
poisoned throughout the 9orld since the discovery
of 0merica ? ,hy: since the seventh century of the
6hristian era: has the smallpox s9ept a9ay an
eighth portion of the human species ? ,hy: in every
age of the 9orld: have human bladders been liable
to be converted into stone Kuarries? ,hy pesti-
lence: and 9ar: and famine: and the InKuisition?
6onsider the subject as carefully: as profoundly:
as the po9ers of the mind 9ill absolutely permit:
you 9ill %nd no other possible solution than that all
is necessary
I address myself here solely to philosophers: and
not to divines ,e kno9 that faith is the clue
to guide us through the labyrinth ,e kno9 full
9ell that the fall of 0dam and (ve: original sin: the
vast po9er communicated to devils: the predilection
entertained by the $upreme 7eing for the =e9ish
people: and the ceremony of baptism substituted
for that of circumcision: are ans9ers that clear up
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 398/469
every diMculty ,e have been here arguing only
against Doroaster: and not against the niversity
of 6oimbra: to 9hose decisions and doctrines: in all
the articles of our 9ork: 9e submit 9ith all possible
deference and faith $ee the letters of emmius
to 6icero! and ans9er them if you can
4ictionary JPF
&O,('
)he )9o &o9ers
$(6)IO5 I
,/O(2(' holds both the sceptre and the censer
has his hands completely occupied If he governs
a people possessed of common sense he may be con-
sidered as a very able man ! but if his subjects have
no more mind than children or savages: he may be
compared to 7ernier;s coachman: 9ho 9as one day
suddenly surprised by his master in one of the pub-
lic places of 4elhi: haranguing the populace: and
distributing among them his Kuack medicines
8,hatS .apierre:8 says 7ernier to him: 8have you
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 399/469
turned physician?8 8es: sir:8 replied the coach-
man ! 8like people: like doctor8
)he dairo of the =apanese: or the grand lama of
)hibet: might make just the same remark (ven
5uma &ompilius: 9ith his (geria: 9ould have an-
s9ered 7ernier in the same manner elchi@edek
9as probably in a similar situation: as 9ell as the
0nius 9hom 2irgil introduces in the follo9ing t9o
lines of the third book of his 8^(neid8 <
'ex 0nius: rex idem: hominum &hoebiKue sacerdos:
2ittis et sacra redimitus tempera lauro 2I'1I.
0nius: the priest and king: 9ith laurel cro9ned
/is hoary locks 9ith purple %llets bound 4'4(5
)his charlatan 0nius 9as merely king of the isle
of 4elos: a very paltry kingdom: 9hich: next to
those of elchi@edek and vetot: 9as one of the
least considerable in the 9orld ! but the 9orship of
JPJ &hilosophical
0pollo had conferred on it a high reputation! a
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 400/469
single saint is enough to raise any country into
credit and conseKuence
)hree of the 1erman electors are more po9erful
than 0nius! and: like him: unite the rights of the
mitre 9ith those of the cro9n! although in sub-
ordination: at least apparently so: to the 'oman
emperor: 9ho is no other than the emperor of 1er-
many 7ut of all the countries in 9hich the pleni-
tude of ecclesiastical and the plenitude of royal
claims combine to form the most full and complete
po9er fhat can be imagined: modern 'ome is the
chief
)he pope is regarded in the 6atholic part of (u-
rope as the %rst of kings and the %rst of priests It
9as the same in 9hat 9as called 8pagan8 'ome!
=ulius 6aesar 9as at once chief pontiC: dictator:
9arrior: and conKueror ! distinguished also both for
eloKuence and gallantry! in every respect the %rst
of mankind! and 9ith 9hom no modern: except in
a dedication: could ever be compared
)he king of (ngland: being the head also of the
6hurch: possesses nearly the same dignities as the
pope )he empress of 'ussia is like9ise absolute
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 401/469
mistress over her clergy: in the largest empire exist-
ing upon earth )he notion that t9o po9ers may
exist: in opposition to each other: in the same state:
is there regarded even by the clergy themselves as a
chimera eKually absurd and pernicious
In this connection I cannot help introducing a
4ictionary JP"
letter 9hich the empress of 'ussia: 6atherine II:
did me the honor to 9rite to me at ount 3rapak:
on 0ug JJ: FPHL: and 9hich she permitted me to
make use of as I might see occasion <
8)he 6apuchins 9ho are tolerated at osco9
Nfor toleration is general throughout the 'ussian
empire: and the =esuits alone are not suCered to re-
main in itW: having: in the course of the last 9inter:
obstinately refused to inter a +renchman 9ho died
suddenly: under a pretence that he had not received
the sacraments: 0braham 6haumeix dre9 up a fac-
tum: or statement: against them: in order to prove
to them that it 9as obligatory upon them to bury the
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 402/469
dead 7ut neither this factum: nor t9o reKuisitions
of the governor: could prevail on these fathers to
obey 0t last they 9ere authoritatively told that
they must either bury the +renchman or remove be-
yond the frontiers )hey actually removed accord-
ingly! and I sent some 0ugustins from this place:
9ho 9ere some9hat more tractable: and 9ho: per-
ceiving that no triQing or delay 9ould be permitted:
did all that 9as desired on the occasion )hus
0braham 6haumeix has in 'ussia become a rea-
sonable man ! he absolutely is an enemy to persecu-
tion ! 9ere he also to become a man of 9it and in-
tellect: he 9ould make the most incredulous believe
in miracles! but all the miracles in the 9orld 9ill
not blot out the disgrace of having been the de-
nouncer of the ;(ncyclopedia;
8)he subjects of the 6hurch: having suCered
2ol FJ FR
JP &hilosophical
many: and freKuently tyrannical: grievances: 9hich
the freKuent change of masters very considerably in-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 403/469
creased: to9ards the end of the reign of the em-
press (li@abeth: rose in actual rebellion ! and at my
accession to the throne there 9ere more than a hun-
dred thousand men in arms )his occasioned me: in
FPHJ: to execute the project of changing entirely
the administration of the property of the clergy: and
to settle on them %xed revenues 0rsenius: bishop
of 'osto9: strenuously opposed this: urged on by
some of his brother clergy: 9ho did not feel it per-
fectly convenient to put themselves for9ard by
name /e sent in t9o memorials: in 9hich he at-
tempted to establish the absurd principle of t9o
po9ers /e had made the like attempt before: in
the time of the empress (li@abeth: 9hen he had
been simply enjoined silence ! but his insolence and
folly redoubling: he 9as no9 tried by the metro-
politan of 5ovgorod and the 9hole synod: con-
demned as a fanatic: found guilty of attempts con-
trary to the orthodox faith: as 9ell as to the supreme
po9er: deprived of his dignity and priesthood: and
delivered over to the secular arm I acted leniently
to9ards him ! and after reducing him to the situa-
tion of a monk: extended his punishment no farther8
$uch are the very 9ords of the empress ! and the
inference from the 9hole case is that she 9ell kno9s
both ho9 to support the 6hurch and ho9 to restrain
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 404/469
it! that she respects humanity as 9ell as religion!
that she protects the laborer as 9ell as the priest!
4ictionary JPL
and that all orders in the state ought both to admire
and bless her
I shall hope to be excused for the further indis-
cretion of transcribing here a passage contained in
another of her letters: 9ritten on 5ovember JR:
FPHL<
8)oleration is established among us! it consti-
tutes a la9 of the state! persecution is prohibited
,e have indeed fanatics 9ho: as they are not perse-
cuted by others: burn themselves! but if those of
other countries also did the same: no great harm
could result! the 9orld: in conseKuence of such a
system: 9ould have been more tranKuil: and 1alas
9ould not have been racked to death8
4o not imagine that she 9rites in this style from
a feeling of transient and vain enthusiasm: contra-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 405/469
dicted after9ards in her practice: nor even from a
laudable desire of obtaining throughout (urope the
suCrages and applause of those 9ho think: and teach
others the 9ay to think $he lays do9n these prin-
ciples as the basis of her government $he 9rote
9ith her o9n hand: in the 86ouncil of .egislations:8
the follo9ing 9ords: 9hich should be engraved on
the gates of every city in the 9orld <
8In a great empire: extending its s9ay over as
many diCerent nations as there are diCerent creeds
among mankind: the most pernicious fault 9ould be
intolerance8
It is to be observed that she does not hesitate
to put intolerance in the rank of faults I had nearly
ijH &hilosophical
said oCences )hus does an absolute empress: in
the depths of the 5orth: put an end to persecution
and slavery 9hile in the $outh
=udge for yourself: sir: after this: 9hether there
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 406/469
9ill be found a man in (urope 9ho 9ill not be ready
to sign the eulogium you propose 5ot only is this
princess tolerant: but she is desirous that her neigh-
bors should be so like9ise )his is the %rst instance
in 9hich supreme po9er has been exercised in estab-
lishing liberty of conscience It constitutes the
grandest epoch 9ith 9hich I am acKuainted in mod-
ern histofy
)he case of the ancient &ersians forbidding the
6arthaginians to oCer human sacri%ces is a some-
9hat similar instance ,ould to 1od: that instead
of the barbarians 9ho formerly poured from the
plains of $cythia: and the mountains of Imaus and
6aucasus: to9ards the 0lps and &yrenees: carry-
ing 9ith them ravage and desolation: armies might
be seen at the present day descending to subvert
the tribunal of the InKuisition a tribunal more hor-
rible than even the sacri%ces of human beings 9hich
constitute the eternal reproach of our forefathers:
In short: this superior genius 9ishes to convince
her neighbors of 9hat (urope is no9 beginning to
comprehend: that metaphysical unintelligible opin-
ions: 9hich are the daughters of absurdity: are the
mothers of discord ! and that the 6hurch: instead of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 407/469
saying < 8I come to bring: not peace: but the s9ord:8
should exclaim aloud< 8I bring peace: and not the
4ictionary JPP
s9ord8 0ccordingly the empress is un9illing to
dra9 the s9ord against any but those 9ho 9ish
to crush the dissidents
$(6)IO5 II
6onversation 7et9een the 'everend +ather 7ouvet:
issionary of the 6ompany of =esus: and the
(mperor 6amhi: in the &resence of 7rother 0t-
tiret: a =esuit! (xtracted from the &rivate e-
moirs of the ission: in
+0)/(' 7O2()
es: may it please your sacred majesty: as soon
as you 9ill have had the happiness of being bapti@ed
by me: 9hich I hope 9ill be the case: you 9ill be re-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 408/469
lieved of one-half of the immense burden 9hich no9
oppresses you I have mentioned to you the fable
of 0tlas: 9ho supported the heavens on his shoul-
ders /ercules relieved him and carried a9ay the
heavens ou are 0tlas: and /ercules is the pope
)here 9ill be t9o po9ers in your empire Our ex-
cellent 6lement 9ill be the %rst pon this plan
you 9ill enjoy the greatest of all advantages ! those
of being at leisure 9hile you live: and of being saved
9hen you die
)/( (&('O'
I am exceedingly obliged to my dear friend: the
pope: for condescending to take so much trouble!
but ho9 9ill he be able to govern my empire at the
distance of six thousand leagues ?
JPR &hilosophical
+0)/(' 7O2()
5othing: may it please your Imperial ajesty:
can be more easy ,e are his vicars apostolic: and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 409/469
he is the vicar of 1od! you 9ill therefore be gov-
erned by 1od /imself
)/( (&('O'
/o9 delightful that 9ill be S I am not: ho9ever:
Kuite easy on the subject ,ill your vice-god share
the imperial revenues 9ith myself? +or all labor
ought to be paid for
+0)/(' 7O2()
Our vice-god is so kind and good that in general
he 9ill not take: at most: more than a Kuarter: ex-
cept in cases of disobedience Our emoluments 9ill
not exceed %fty million ounces of pure silver: 9hich
is surely a triQing object in comparison 9ith
heavenly advantages
)/( (&('O'
es: it is certainly: as you say: giving them al-
most for nothing I suppose your celebrated and
benevolent city derives just about the same sum
from each of my three neighbors the 1reat ogul:
the (mperor of =apan: and the (mpress of 'ussia !
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 410/469
and also from the &ersian and the )urkish em-
pires ?
+0)/(' 7O2()
I cannot exactly say that is yet the case! but:
9ith 1od;s help and our o9n: I have no doubt it 9ill
be so
4ictionary JP#
)/( (&('O'
0nd ho9 are you: 9ho are the vicars apostolic: to
be paid?
+0)/(' 7O2()
,e have no regular 9ages ! but 9e are some-
9hat like the principal female character in a comedy
9ritten by one 6ount 6aylus: a countryman of mine !
all that I is for myself
)/( (&('O'
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 411/469
7ut pray inform me 9hether your 6hristian
princes in (urope pay your Italian friend or patron
in proportion to the assessment laid on me
+0)/(' 7O2()
5o: they do not S One-half of (urope has sepa-
rated from him and pays him nothing! and the
other pays him no more than it is obliged to pay
)/( (&('O'
ou told me some time since that he 9as sover-
eign of a very %ne and fertile territory
+0)/(' 7O2()
es! but it produces very little to him! it lies
mostly uncultivated
)/( (&('O'
&oor manS he does not kno9 ho9 to cultivate
his o9n territory: and yet pretends to govern mine
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 412/469
+0)/(' 7O2()
+ormerly: in one of our councils that is: in one
of our assemblies of priests: 9hich 9as held in a city
JRG &hilosophical
called 6onstance our holy father caused a proposi-
tion to be made for a ne9 tax for the support of his
dignity )he assembly replied that any necessity
for that 9ould be perfectly precluded by his attend-
ing to the cultivation of his o9n lands )his: ho9-
ever: he took eCectual care not to do /e preferred
living on the produce of those 9ho labor in other
kingdoms /e appeared to think that this manner
of living had an air of greater grandeur
)/( (&('O'
,ell: go and tell him from me: that I not only
make those8 about me labor: but that I also labor my-
self ! and I doubt much 9hether it 9ill be for him
+0)/(' 7O2()
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 413/469
/oly 2irgin S I am absolutely taken for a fool S
)/( (&('O'
7egone: this instant S I have been too indulgent
7'O)/(' 0))I'() )O +0)/(' 7O2()
I 9as right: you see: 9hen I told you that the em-
peror: 9ith all his excellence of heart: had also
more understanding than both of us together
&'0(' N&7.I6W: )/053$1I2I51: ()6
2(' fe9 forms of public prayers used by the
ancients still remain ,e have only /orace;s beau-
tiful hymn for the secular games of the ancient
'omans )his prayer is in the rhythm and measure
4ictionary J:RF
9hich the other 'omans long after imitated in the
hymn: 8t Kueat laxis resonare %bris8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 414/469
)he 8&ervigilium 2eneris8 is 9ritten in a Kuaint
and aCected taste: and seems un9orthy of the noble
simplicity of the reign of 0ugustus It is possible
that this hymn to 2enus may have been chanted
in the festivals celebrated in honor of that goddess !
but it cannot be doubted that the poem of /orace
9as chanted 9ith much greater solemnity
It must be allo9ed that this secular poem of
/orace is one of the %nest productions of antiKuity !
and that the hymn: 8t Kueat laxis:8 is one of the
most Qat and vapid pieces that appeared during the
barbarous period of the decline of the .atin lan-
guage )he 6atholic 6hurch in those times paid
little attention to eloKuence and poetry ,e all
kno9 very 9ell that 1od prefers bad verses recited
9ith a pure heart: to the %nest verses possible
chanted by the 9icked 1ood verses: ho9ever:
never yet did any harm: and all other things being
eKual must deserve a preference
5othing among us ever approached the secular
games: 9hich 9ere celebrated at the expiration of
every hundred and ten years Our jubilee is only
a faint and feeble copy of it )hree magni%cent
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 415/469
altars 9ere erected on the banks of the )iber 0ll
'ome 9as illuminated for three successive nights !
and %fteen priests distributed the lustral 9ater and
9ax tapers among the men and 9omen of the city
9ho 9ere appointed to chant the prayers 0 sacri-
JRJ &hilosophical
%ce 9as %rst oCered to =upiter as the great god: the
sovereign master of the gods! and after9ards to
=uno: 0pollo: .atona: 4iana: &luto: &roserpine: and
the +ates: as to inferior po9ers 0ll these divinities
had their o9n peculiar hymns and ceremonies
)here 9ere t9o choirs: one of t9enty-seven boys:
and the other of t9enty-seven girls: for each of the
divinities +inally: on the last day: the boys and
girls: cro9ned 9ith Qo9ers: chanted the ode of
/orace
It is true that in private houses his other odes:
for .igurinus and .iciscus and other contemptible
characters: 9ere heard at table! performances
9hich undoubtedly 9ere not calculated to excite the
%nest feelings of devotion ! but there is a time for all
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 416/469
things: 8pictoribus atKue poetis8 6araccio: 9ho
dre9 the %gures of 0retin: painted saints also ! and
in all our colleges 9e have excused in /orace 9hat
the masters of the 'oman (mpire excused in him
9ithout any diMculty
0s to forms of prayer: 9e have only a fe9 slight
fragments of that 9hich 9as recited at the mysteries
of Isis ,e have Kuoted it else9here: but 9e 9ill
repeat it here: because it is at once short and beau-
tiful <
8)he celestial po9ers obey thee! hell is in sub-
jection to thee! the universe revolves under thy
moving hand! thy feet tread on )artarus! the
stars are responsive to thy voice! the seasons re-
4ictionary JR"
turn at thy command ! the elements are obedient to
thy 9ill8
,e repeat also the form supposed to have been
used in the 9orship of the ancient Orpheus: 9hich
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 417/469
9e think superior even to the above respecting Isis <
8,alk in the path of justice ! adore the sole
aster of the niverse ! /e is One 0lone: and
self-existent! all other beings o9e their existence
to /im! /e acts both in them and by them! /e
sees all: but has never been /imself seen by mortal
eyes8
It is not a little extraordinary that in the .e-
viticus and 4euteronomy of the =e9s: there is not a
single public prayer: not one single formula of pub-
lic 9orship It seems as if the .evites 9ere fully em-
ployed in dividing among themselves the viands that
9ere oCered to them ,e do not even see a single
prayer instituted for their great festivals of the
&assover: the &entecost: the trumpets: the taber-
nacles: the general expiation: or the ne9 moon
)he learned are almost unanimously agreed that
there 9ere no regular prayers among the =e9s: ex-
cept 9hen: during their captivity at 7abylon: they
adopted some9hat of the manners: and acKuired
something of the sciences: of that civili@ed and
po9erful people )hey borro9ed all from the 6hal-
daic &ersians: even to their very language: char-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 418/469
acters: and numerals! and joining some ne9 cus-
toms to their old (gyptian rites: they became a ne9
JR &hilosophical
people: so much the more superstitious than be-
fore: in conseKuence of their being: after the con-
clusion of a long captivity: still al9ays dependent
upon their neighbors
In rebus acerbis
0rcius advertunt animos ad religionem
.6'()I$: book iii: LJ: L"
)he common rout:
,hen cares and dangers press: gro9 more devout
6'((6/
,ith respect to the ten other tribes 9ho had been
previously dispersed: 9e may reasonably believe
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 419/469
that they 9ere as destitute of public forms of prayer
as the t9o others: and that they had not: even up to
the period of their dispersion: any %xed and 9ell-de-
%ned religion: as they abandoned that 9hich they
professed 9ith so much facility: and forgot even
their o9n name: 9hich cannot be said of the small
number of unfortunate beings 9ho returned to re-
build =erusalem
It is: therefore: at that period that the t9o tribes:
or rather the t9o tribes and a half: seemed to have
%rst attached themselves to certain invariable rites:
to have 9ritten books: and used regular prayers It
is not before that time that 9e begin to see among
them forms of prayer (sdras ordained t9o prayers
for every day: and added a third for the $abbath!
it is even said that he instituted eighteen prayers:
that there might be room for selection: and also to
aCord variety in the service )he %rst of these
begins in the follo9ing manner <
4ictionary JRL
87lessed be )hou: O .ord 1od of our fathers:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 420/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 421/469
9ith regard to many prayers: 9hich is: that every
nation has prayed for the direct contrary events to
those prayed for by their neighbors
)he =e9s: for example: prayed that 1od 9ould
exterminate the $yrians: 7abylonians: and (gyp-
tians! and these prayed that 1od 9ould extermi-
JRH &hilosophical
nate the =e9s! and: accordingly: they may be said
to have been so: 9ith respect to the ten tribes: 9ho
have been confounded and mixed up 9ith so many
nations! and the remaining t9o tribes 9ere more
unfortunate still ! for: as they obstinately persevered
in remaining separate from all other nations in the
midst of 9hom they d9elt: they 9ere deprived of
the grand advantages of human society
In our o9n times: in the course of the 9ars that
9e so freKuently undertake for the sake of partic-
ular cities: or even perhaps villages: the 1ermans
and $paniards: 9hen they happened to be the ene-
mies of the +rench: prayed to the /oly 2irgin: from
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 422/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 423/469
they sang their canticles in their synagogues: 9hich
did not take place until a late period
)he people of all nations: 9hether actuated by
desires or fears: have invoked the assistance of the
4ivinity &hilosophers: ho9ever: more respectful
to the $upreme 7eing: and rising more above hu-
man 9eakness: have been habituated to substitute:
for prayer: resignation )his: in fact: is all that ap-
pears proper and suitable bet9een creature and
6reator 7ut philosophy is not adapted to the great
mass of mankind ! it soars too high above the vul-
gar! it speaks a language they are unable to com-
prehend )o propose philosophy to them 9ould be
just as 9eak as to propose the study of conic sec-
tions to peasants or %sh-9omen
0mong the philosophers themselves: I kno9 of
no one besides aximus )yrius 9ho has treated of
this subject )he follo9ing is the substance of his
ideas upon it< 8)he designs of 1od exist from all
eternity If the object prayed for be conformable
to /is immutable 9ill: it must be perfectly useless
to reKuest of /im the very thing 9hich /e has de-
termined to do If /e is prayed to for the reverse
of 9hat /e has determined to do: /e is prayed to
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 424/469
be 9eak: %ckle: and inconstant ! such a prayer im-
plies that this is thought to be /is character: and is
nothing better than ridicule or mockery of /im
ou either reKuest of /im 9hat is just and right:
in 9hich case /e ought to do it: and it 9ill be
JRR &hilosophical
actually done 9ithout any solicitation: 9hich in fact
sho9s distrust of /is rectitude! or 9hat you re-
Kuest is unjust: and then you insult /im ou are
either 9orthy or un9orthy of the favor you implore <
if 9orthy: /e kno9s it better than you do yourself !
if un9orthy: you commit an additional crime in re-
Kuesting that 9hich you do not merit8
In a 9ord: 9e oCer up prayers to 1od only be-
cause 9e have made /im after our o9n image ,e
treat /im like a pasha: or a sultan: 9ho is capable
of being exasperated and appeased In short: all
nations pray to 1od < the sage is resigned: and
obeys /im .et us pray 9ith the people: and let
us be resigned to /im 9ith the sage
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 425/469
,e have already spoken of the public prayers of
many nations: and of those of the =e9s )hat people
have had one from time immemorial: 9hich deserves
all our attention: from its resemblance to the prayer
taught us by =esus 6hrist /imself )his =e9ish
prayer is called the 3adish: and begins 9ith these
9ords< 8O: 1odS let )hy name be magni%ed and
sancti%ed! make )hy kingdom to prevail! let re-
demption Qourish: and the essiah come KuicklyS8
0s this 3adish is recited in 6haldee it has in-
duced the belief that it is as ancient as the captivity:
and that it 9as at that period that the =e9s began
to hope for a essiah: a .iberator: or 'edeemer:
9hom they have since prayed for in the seasons of
their calamities
)he circumstance of this 9ord 8essiah8 being
4ictionary JR#
found in this ancient prayer has occasioned much
controversy on the subject of the history of this
people If the prayer originated during the 7aby-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 426/469
lonish captivity: it is evident that the =e9s at that
time must have hoped for and expected a 'edeemer
7ut 9hence does it arise: that in times more dread-
fully calamitous still: after the destruction of =eru-
salem by )itus: neither =osephus nor &hilo ever
mentioned any expectation of a essiah? )here
are obscurities in the history of every people! but
those of the =e9s form an absolute and perpetual
chaos It is unfortunate for those 9ho are desirous
of information: that the 6haldseans and (gyptians
have lost their archives: 9hile the =e9s have pre-
served theirs
&'(=4I6(
&'(=4I6( is an opinion 9ithout judgment
)hus: throughout the 9orld: children are inspired
9ith opinions before they can judge )here are
universal and necessary prejudices: and these even
constitute virtue In all countries: children are
taught to ackno9ledge a re9arding and punishing
1od ! to respect and love their fathers and mothers !
to regard theft as a crime: and interested lying as a
vice: before they can tell 9hat is a virtue or a vice
&rejudice may: therefore: be very useful: and such
as judgment 9ill ratify 9hen 9e reason
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 427/469
$entiment is not simply prejudice: it is something
much stronger 0 mother loves not her son because
2ol FJ F#
J#G &hilosophical
she is told that she must love him ! she fortunately
cherishes him in spite of herself It is not through
prejudice that you run to the aid of an unkno9n
child nearly falling do9n a precipice: or being de-
voured by a beast
7ut it is through prejudice that you 9ill respect
a man dressed in certain clothes: 9alking gravely:
and talking at the same time our parents have
told you that you must bend to this man! you re-
spect him before you kno9 9hether he merits your
respect ! you gro9 in age and kno9ledge ! you per-
ceive that this man is a Kuack: made up of pride: in-
terest: and arti%ce! you despise that 9hich you re-
vered: and prejudice yields to judgment )hrough
prejudice: you have believed the fables 9ith 9hich
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 428/469
your infancy 9as lulled < you are told that the )itans
made 9ar against the gods: that 2enus 9as amor-
ous of 0donis! at t9elve years of age you take
these fables for truth ! at t9enty: you regard them
as ingenious allegories
.et us examine: in a fe9 9ords: the diCerent
kinds of prejudices: in order to arrange our ideas
,e shall perhaps be like those 9ho: in the time of
the scheme of .a9: perceived that they had calcu-
lated upon imaginary riches
&rejudices of the $enses
Is it not an amusing thing: that our eyes al9ays
deceive us: even 9hen 9e see very 9ell: and that
on the contrary our ears do not ? ,hen your prop-
4ictionary J#F
erly-formed ear hears < 8ou are beautiful ! I love
you:8 it is very certain that the 9ords are not<
8I hate you ! you are ugly !8 but you see a smooth
mirror it is demonstrated that you are deceived!
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 429/469
it is a very rough surface ou see the sun about
t9o feet in diameter! it is demonstrated that it is a
million times larger than the earth
It seems that 1od has put truth into your ears:
and error into your eyes ! but study optics: and you
9ill perceive that 1od has not deceived you: and
that it 9as impossible for objects to appear to you
other9ise than you see them in the present state of
things
&hysical &rejudices
)he sun rises: the moon also: the earth is im-
movable ! these are natural physical prejudices 7ut
that crabs are good for the blood: because 9hen
boiled they are of the same color! that eels cure
paralysis: because they frisk about! that the moon
inQuences our diseases: because an invalid 9as one
day observed to have an increase of fever during the
9ane of the moon < these ideas and a thousand others
9ere the errors of ancient charlatans: 9ho judged
9ithout reason: and 9ho: being themselves deceived:
deceived others
/istorical &rejudices
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 430/469
)he greater part of historians have believed 9ith-
out examining: and this con%dence is a prejudice
+abius &ictor relates: that: several ages before him:
J#J &hilosophical
a vestal of the to9n of 0lba: going to dra9 9ater
in her pitcher: 9as violated: that she 9as delivered
of 'omulus and 'emus: that they 9ere nourished
by a she-9olf )he 'oman people believed this
fable ! they examined not 9hether at that time there
9ere vestals in .atium! 9hether it 9as likely that
the daughter of a king should go out of her con-
vent 9ith a pitcher: or 9hether it 9as probable that
a she-9olf should suckle t9o children: instead of
eating them< prejudice established it
0 monk 9rites that 6lovis: being in great danger
at the battle of )olbiac: made a vo9 to become a
6hristian if he escaped! but is it natural that he
should address a strange god on such an occasion?
,ould not the religion in 9hich he 9as born have
acted the most po9erfully ? ,here is the 6hristian
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 431/469
9ho: in a battle against the )urks: 9ould not rather
address himself to the holy 2irgin ary: than to
ahomet ? /e adds: that a pigeon brought the vial
in his beak to anoint 6lovis: and that an angel
brought the oriQamme to conduct him< the preju-
diced believed all the stories of this kind )hose
9ho are acKuainted 9ith human nature 9ell kno9:
that the usurper 6lovis: and the usurper 'ollo: or
'ol: became 6hristians to govern the 6hristians
more securely! as the )urkish usurpers became
ussulmans to govern the ussulmans more se-
curely
'eligious &rejudices
If your nurse has told you: that 6eres presides
4ictionary J#"
over corn: or that 2ishnu and Eaca became men
several times: or that $ammonocodom cut do9n a
forest: or that Odin expects you in his hall near
=utland: or that ahomet: or some other: made a
journey to heaven ! %nally: if your preceptor after-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 432/469
9ards thrusts into your brain 9hat your nurse has
engraven on it: you 9ill possess it for life If your
judgment 9ould rise above these prejudices: your
neighbors: and above all^ the ladies: exclaim 8im-
piety S8 and frighten you ! your dervish: fearing to
see his revenue diminished: accuses you before the
cadi ! and this cadi: if he can: causes you to be im-
paled: because he 9ould command fools: and he be-
lieves that fools obey better than others ! 9hich state
of things 9ill last until your neighbors and the der-
vish and cadi begin to comprehend that folly is good
for nothing: and that persecution is abominable
&'($7)('I05
)/( 0nglican religion is predominant only in
(ngland and Ireland! &resbyterianism is the estab-
lished religion of $cotland )his &resbyterianism
is nothing more than pure 6alvinism: such as once
existed in +rance: and still exists at 1eneva
In comparison 9ith a young and lively +rench
bachelor in divinity: bra9ling during the morning
in the schools of theology: and singing 9ith the
ladies in the evening: a 6hurch-of-(ngland divine is
a 6ato ! but this 6ato is himself a gallant in presence
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 433/469
of the $cottish &resbyterians )he latter aCect a
J# &hilosophical
solemn 9alk: a serious demeanor: a large hat: a
long robe beneath a short one: and preach through
the nose 0ll churches in 9hich the ecclesiastics
are so happy as to receive an annual income of %fty
thousand livres: and to be addressed by the people
as 8my lord:8 8your grace:8 or 8your eminence:8
they denominate the 9hore of 7abylon )hese gen-
tlemen have also several churches in (ngland: 9here
they maintain the same manners and gravity as in
$cotland It is to them chieQy that the (nglish
are indebted for the strict sancti%cation of $unday
throughout the three kingdoms )hey are forbid-
den either to labor or to amuse themselves 5o
opera: no concert: no comedy: in .ondon on a $un-
day (ven cards are expressly forbidden ! and there
are only certain people of Kuality: 9ho are deemed
open souls: 9ho play on that day )he rest of the
nation attend sermons: taverns: and their small af-
fairs of love
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 434/469
0lthough (piscopacy and &resbyterianism pre-
dominate in 1reat 7ritain: all other opinions are
9elcome and live tolerably 9ell together: although
the various preachers reciprocally detest one another
9ith nearly the same cordiality as a =ansenist damns
a =esuit
(nter into the 'oyal (xchange of .ondon: a
place more respectable than many courts: in 9hich
deputies from all nations assemble for the advantage
of mankind )here the =e9: the ahometan: and
the 6hristian bargain 9ith one another as if they
=O/5 60.2I5
4ictionary J#L
9ere of the same religion: and besto9 the name of
in%del on bankrupts only )here the &resbyterian
gives credit to the 0nabaptist: and the votary of the
establishment accepts the promise of the Buaker
On the separation of these free and paci%c assem-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 435/469
blies: some visit the synagogue: others repair to the
tavern /ere one proceeds to bapti@e his son in a
great tub: in the name of the +ather: $on: and /oly
1host! there another deprives his boy of a small
portion of his foreskin: and mutters over the child
some /ebre9 9ords 9hich he cannot understand ! a
third kind hasten to their chapels to 9ait for the in-
spiration of the .ord 9ith their hats on! and all
are content
,as there in .ondon but one religion: despotism
might be apprehended ! if t9o only: they 9ould seek
to cut each other;s throats ! but as there are at least
thirty: they live together in peace and happiness
&'()(5$IO5$
)/('( is not a single prince in (urope 9ho does
not assume the title of sovereign of a country pos-
sessed by his neighbor )his political madness is
unkno9n in the rest of the 9orld )he king of
7outan never called himself emperor of 6hina ! nor
did the sovereign of )artary ever assume the title
of king of (gypt
)he most splendid and comprehensive preten-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 436/469
sions have al9ays been those of the popes ! t9o keys:
saltier: gave them clear and decided possession of
J#H : &hilosophical
the kingdom of heaven )hey bound and unbound
everything on earth )his ligature made them mas-
ters of the continent ! and $t &eter;s nets gave them
the dominion of the seas
any learned theologians thought: that 9hen
these gods 9ere assailed by the )itans: called .uth-
erans: 0nglicans: and 6alvinists: etc: they them-
selves reduced some articles of their pretensions
It is certain that many of them became more mod-
est: and that their celestial court attended more to
propriety and decency! but their pretensions 9ere
rene9ed on every opportunity that oCered 5o
other proof is necessary than the conduct of 0ldo-
brandini: 6lement 2III: to the great /enry I2:
9hen it 9as deemed necessary to give him an abso-
lution that he had no occasion for: on account of his
being already absolved by the bishops of his o9n
kingdom: and also on account of his being victorious
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 437/469
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 438/469
his kingdom! 9hich 9ould have been neither hon-
orable nor possible It 9ould not have been honor-
able: because the &rotestants had profusely shed
their blood to establish him as king of +rance ! and
it 9ould not have been possible: as the number of
these dissidents amounted to t9o millions
L )hat he should immediately make 9ar on
the 1rand )urk: 9hich 9ould not have been more
honorable or possible than the last condition: as the
1rand )urk had recogni@ed him as king of +rance
at a time 9hen 'ome refused to do so: and as /enry
had neither troops: nor money: nor ships: to engage
in such an insane 9ar 9ith his faithful ally
H )hat he should receive in an attitude of com-
plete prostration the absolution of the pope;s legate:
according to the usual form in 9hich it is adminis-
tered! that is in fact: that he should be actually
scourged by the legate
P )hat he should recall the =esuits: 9ho had
been expelled from his kingdom by the parliament
for the attempt made to assassinate him by =ean
6hatel: their scholar
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 439/469
I omit many other minor pretensions /enry
obtained a mitigation of a number of them In
particular: he obtained the concession: although 9ith
J#R &hilosophical
a great deal of diMculty: that the scourging should
be inQicted only by proxy: and by the hand of 0ldo-
brandini himself
ou 9ill perhaps tell me: that his holiness 9as
obliged to reKuire those extravagant conditions by
that old and inveterate demon of the $outh: &hilip
II: 9ho 9as more po9erful at 'ome than the pope
himself ou compare 0ldobrandini to a contempt-
ible poltroon of a soldier 9hom his colonel forces
for9ard to the trenches by caning him
)o this I ans9er: that 6lement 2III 9as indeed
afraid of &hilip II: but that he 9as not less at-
tached to the rights of the tiara ! and that it 9as so
exKuisite a grati%cation for the grandson of a banker
to scourge a king of +rance: that 0ldobrandini
9ould not altogether have conceded this point for
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 440/469
the 9orld
ou 9ill reply: that should a pope at present re-
ne9 such pretensions: should he no9 attempt to ap-
ply the scourge to a king of +rance: or $pain: or
5aples: or to a duke of &arma: for having driven
the reverend fathers: the =esuits: from their domin-
ions: he 9ould be in imminent danger of incurring
the same treatment as 6lement 2II did from
6harles 2: and even of experiencing still greater
humiliations ! that it is necessary to sacri%ce pre-
tensions to interests! that men must yield to times
and circumstances! and that the sheriC of ecca
must proclaim 0li 7ey king of (gypt: if he is sue-
4ictionary J##
cessful and %rm upon the throne )o this I ans9er:
that you are perfectly right
&retensions of the (mpire! extracted from 1lafey
and $ch9edar
pon 'ome NnoneW (ven 6harles 2: after he
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 441/469
had taken 'ome: claimed no right of actual domain
pon the patrimony of $t &eter: from 2iterbo
to 6ivita 6astellana: the estates of the countess a-
thilda: but solemnly ceded by 'udolph of /apsburg
pon &arma and &lacentia: the supreme domin-
ion as part of .ombardy: invaded by =ulius II:
granted by &aul III: to his bastard +arnese < hom-
age al9ays paid for them to the pope from that time !
the sovereignty al9ays claimed by the seigneurs of
.ombardy! the right of sovereignty completely
ceded to the emperor by the treaties of 6ambray and
of .ondon: at the peace of FP"P
pon )uscany: right of sovereignty exercised by
6harles 2 ! an estate of the empire: belonging no9
to the emperor;s brother
pon the republic of .ucca: erected into a duchy
by .ouis of 7avaria: in F"JR! the senators declared
after9ards vicars of the empire by 6harles I2 )he
(mperor 6harles 2I: ho9ever: in the 9ar of FPGF:
exercised in it his right of sovereignty by levying
upon it a large contribution
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 442/469
pon the duchy of ilan: ceded by the (mperor
,incenslaus to 1aleas 2isconti: but considered as a
%ef of the empire
"GG &hilosophical
pon the duchy of irandola: reunited to the
house of 0ustria in FPFF by =oseph I
pon the duchy of antua: erected into a duchy
by 6harles 2! reunited in like manner in FPGR
pon 1uastalla: 5ovellara: 7o@@olo: and 6as-
tiglione: also %efs of the empire: detached from the
duchy of antua
pon the 9hole of ontferrat: of 9hich the duke
of $avoy received the investiture at 2ienna in
FPGR
pon &iedmont: the investiture of 9hich 9as be-
sto9ed by the emp;eror $igismund on the duke of
$avoy: 0madeus 2III
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 443/469
pon the county of 0sti: besto9ed by 6harles 2:
on the house of $avoy < the dukes of $avoy al9ays
vicars in Italy from the time of the emperor $igis-
mund
pon 1enoa: formerly part of the domain of the
.ombard kings +rederick 7arbarossa granted to
it in %ef the coast from onaco to &ortovenere!
it is free under 6harles 2: in FLJ#! but the 9ords
of the instrument are 8In civitate nostra 1enoa: et
salvis 'omani imperii juribus8
pon the %efs of .angues: of 9hich the dukes
of $avoy have the direct domain
pon &adua: 2icen@a: and 2erona: rights fallen
into neglect
pon 5aples and $icily: rights still more fallen
into neglect 0lmost all the states of Italy are or
have been in vassalage to the empire
4ictionary "GF
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 444/469
pon &omerania and ecklenburg: the %efs of
9hich 9ere granted by +rederick 7arbarossa
pon 4enmark: formerly a %ef of the empire!
Otho I granted the investiture of it
pon &oland: for the territory on the banks of
the 2istula
pon 7ohemia and $ilesia: united to the empire
by 6harles I2: in F"LL
pon &russia: from the time of /enry 2II !
the grand master of &russia ackno9ledged a mem-
ber of the empire in FLGG
pon .ivonia: from the time of the knights of
the s9ord
pon /ungary: from the time of /enry II
pon .orraine: by the treaty of FLJ! ackno9l-
edged an estate of the empire: paying taxes to sup-
port the 9ar against the )urks
pon the duchy of 7ar do9n to the year F"FF:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 445/469
9hen &hilip the +air: 9ho conKuered it: did homage
for it
pon the duchy of 7urgundy: by virtue of the
rights of ary of 7urgundy
pon the kingdom of 0ries and 7urgundy on the
other side of the =ura: 9hich 6onrad the $alian:
possessed in chief by his 9ife
pon 4auphiny: as part of the kingdom of 0ries !
the emperor 6harles I2 having caused himself to
be cro9ned at 0ries in F"HL: and created the dau-
phin of +rance his ;viceroy
pon &rovence: as a member of the kingdom of
"GJ &hilosophical
0ries: for 9hich 6harles of 0njou did homage to
the empire
pon the principality of Orange: as an arriere-
%ef of the empire
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 446/469
pon 0vignon: for the same reason
pon $ardinia: 9hich +rederick II erected into
a kingdom
pon $9it@erland: as a member of the kingdoms
of 0ries and 7urgundy
pon 4almatia: a great part of 9hich belongs at
present 9holly to the 2enetians: and the rest to
/ungary
&'I4(
6I6('O: in one of his letters: says familiarly to
his friend < 8$end to me the persons to 9hom you
9ish me to give the 1auls8 In another: he com-
plains of being fatigued 9ith letters from I kno9
not 9hat princes: 9ho thank him for causing their
provinces to be erected into kingdoms ! and he adds
that he does not even kno9 9here these kingdoms
are situated
It is probable that 6icero: 9ho often sa9 the 'o-
man people: the sovereign people: applaud and obey
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 447/469
him: and 9ho 9as thanked by kings 9hom he kne9
not: had some emotions of pride and vanity
)hough the sentiment is not at all consistent in
so pitiful an animal as man: yet 9e can pardon it in
a 6icero: a 6aesar: or a $cipio ! but 9hen in the ex-
tremity of one of our half barbarous provinces: a
4ictionary "G"
man 9ho may have bought a small situation: and
printed poor verses: takes it into his head to be
proud: it is very laughable
&'I($)$
&'I($)$ in a state approach nearly to 9hat pre-
ceptors are in private families< it is their province
to teach: pray: and supply example )hey ought to
have no authority over the masters of the house ! at
least until it can be proved that he 9ho gives the
9ages ought to obey him 9ho receives them Of
all religions the one 9hich most positively excludes
the priesthood from civil authority: is that of =esus
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 448/469
81ive unto 6aesar the things 9hich are 6aesar;s8
80mong you there is neither %rst nor last8 8y
kingdom is not of this 9orld8
)he Kuarrels bet9een the empires and the priest-
hood: 9hich have bede9ed (urope 9ith blood for
more than six centuries: have therefore been: on the
part of the priests: nothing but rebellion at once
against 1od and man: and a continual sin against
the /oly 1host
+rom the time of 6alchas: 9ho assassinated the
daughter of 0gamemnon: until 1regory EII: and
$ixtus 2: t9o bishops 9ho 9ould have deprived
/enry I2: of the kingdom of +rance: sacerdotal
po9er has been injurious to the 9orld
&rayer is not dominion: nor exhortation despot-
ism 0 good priest ought to be a physician to the
soul If /ippocrates had ordered his patients to
"G &hilosophical
take hellebore under pain of being hanged: he 9ould
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 449/469
have been more insane and barbarous than &halaris:
and 9ould have had little practice ,hen a priest
says< ,orship 1od! be just: indulgent: and com-
passionate! he is then a good physician! 9hen he
says < 7elieve me: or you shall be burned ! he is an
assassin
)he magistrate ought to support and restrain the
priest in the same manner as the father of a family
insures respect to the preceptor: and prevents him
from abusing it )he agreement of 6hurch and
$tate is of all systems the most monstrous: for it
necessarily implies division: and the existence of t9o
contracting parties ,e ought to say the protection
given by government to the priesthood or church
7ut 9hat is to be said and done in respect to
countries in 9hich the priesthood have obtained do-
minion: as in $alem: 9here elchisedek 9as priest
and king ! in =apan: 9here the dairo has been for a
long time emperor? I ans9er: that the successors
of elchisedek and the dairos have been set aside
)he )urks are 9ise in this ! they religiously make
a pilgrimage to ecca ! but they 9ill not permit the
xerif of ecca to excommunicate the sultan
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 450/469
5either 9ill they purchase from ecca permission
not to observe the ramadan: or the liberty of espous-
ing their cousins or their nieces )hey are not
judged by imans: 9hom the xerif delegates ! nor do
they pay the %rst year;s revenue to the xerif ,hat
is to be said of all that? 'eader: speak for yourself
4ictionary "GL
&'I($)$ O+ )/( &0105$
+0)/(' 5020'())(: in one of his letters to 4on
=ohn of 0ustria: relates the follo9ing speech of the
dalai-lama to his privy council < 8y venerable
brothers: you and I kno9 very 9ell that I am not
immortal! but it is proper that the people should
think so )he )artars of great and little )hibet are
people 9ith stiC necks and little information: 9ho
reKuire a heavy yoke and gross inventions 6on-
vince them of my immortality: and the glory 9ill re-
Qect on you: and you 9ill procure honors and riches
8,hen the time shall come in 9hich the )artars
9ill be more enlightened: 9e may then confess that
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 451/469
the grand lamas are not no9 immortal: but that their
predecessors 9ere so! and that 9hat is necessary
for the erection of a grand edi%ce: is no longer so
9hen it is established on an immovable founda-
tion
8I hesitated at %rst to distribute the agremens of
my 9ater-closet: properly inclosed in crystals orna-
mented 9ith gilded copper: to the vassals of my em-
pire! but these relics have been received 9ith so
much respect: that the usage must be continued:
9hich after all exhibits nothing repugnant to sound
morals: and brings much money into our sacred
treasury
8If any impious reasoner should ever endeavor
to persuade the people that one end of our sacred
person is not so divine as the other should they
2ol FJ JG
"GH &hilosophical
protest against our relics: you 9ill maintain their
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 452/469
value and importance to the utmost of your po9er
80nd if you are %nally obliged to give up the
sanctity of our nether end: you must take care to
preserve in the minds of the reasoners the most pro-
found respect for our understanding: just as in a
treaty 9ith the oguls: 9e have ceded a poor pro-
vince: in order to secure our peaceable possession of
the remainder
8$o long as our )artars of great and little )hibet
are unable to read and 9rite: they 9ill remain ignor-
ant and devout ! you may therefore boldly take their
money: intrigue 9ith their 9ives and their daugh-
ters: and threaten them 9ith the anger of the god
+o if they complain
8,hen the time of correct reasoning shall arrive
for it 9ill arrive some day or other you 9ill then
take a totally opposite course: and say directly the
contrary of 9hat your predecessors have said: for
you ought to change the nature of your curb in pro-
portion as the horses become more diMcult to gov-
ern our exterior must be more grave: your in-
trigues more mysterious: your secrets better
guarded: your sophistry more da@@ling: and your
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 453/469
policy more re%ned ou 9ill then be the pilots of
a vessel 9hich is leaky on all sides /ave under you
subalterns continually employed at the pumps: and
as caulkers to stop all the holes ou 9ill navigate
9ith diMculty: but you 9ill still proceed: and be
enabled to cast into the %re or the 9ater: as may be
4ictionary "GP
most convenient: all those 9ho 9ould examine
9hether you have properly re%tted the vessel
8If among the unbelievers is a prince of 6alkas:
a chief of the 3almucks: a prince of 3asan: or any
other po9erful prince: 9ho has unhappily too much
9it: take great care not to Kuarrel 9ith him 'espect
him: and continually observe that you hope he 9ill
return to the holy path 0s to simple citi@ens: spare
them not: and the better men they are: the more you
ought to labor to exterminate them ! for being men
of honor they are the most dangerous of all to you
ou 9ill exhibit the simplicity of the dove: the pru-
dence of the serpent: and the pa9 of the lion: ac-
cording to circumstances8
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 454/469
)he dalai-lama had scarcely pronounced these
9ords 9hen the earth trembled ! lightnings sparkled
in the %rmament from one pole to the other! thun-
ders rolled: and a celestial voice 9as heard to ex-
claim: 80dore 1od and not the grand lama8
0ll the inferior lamas insisted that the voice said:
80dore 1od and the grand lama!8 and they 9ere
believed for a long time in the kingdom of )hibet !
but they are no9 believed no longer
&'IO': 7).(': 054 $,I+)
I) ,0$ not kno9n to +rance that &rior: 9ho 9as
deputed by Bueen 0nne to adjust the treaty of
trecht 9ith .ouis EI2: 9as a poet +rance has
since repaid (ngland in the same coin: for 6ardinal
4ubois sent our 4estouches to ^.ondon: 9here he
"GR &hilosophical
passed as little for a poet as &rior in +rance &rior
9as originally an attendant at a tavern kept by his
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 455/469
uncle: 9hen the earl of 4orset: a good poet him-
self and a lover of the bottle: one day surprised him
reading /orace ! in the same manner as .ord 0ilsa
found his gardener reading 5e9ton 0ilsa made
his gardener a good geometrician: and 4orset made
a very agreeable poet of his vintner
It 9as &rior 9ho 9rote the history of the soul
under the title of 80lma:8 and it is the most natural
9hich has hitherto been composed on an existence
so much felt: and so little kno9n )he soul: accord-
ing to 80lma:8 resides at %rst: in the extremities !
in the feet and hands of children: and from thence
gradually ascends to the centre of the body at the
age of puberty Its next step is to the heart: in
9hich it engenders sentiments of love and heroism !
thence it mounts to the head at a mature age: 9here
it reasons as 9ell as it is able ! and in old age it is
not kno9n 9hat becomes of it ! it is the sap of an
aged tree 9hich evaporates: and is not rene9ed
again )his 9ork is probably too long: for all pleas-
antry should be short ! and it might even be as 9ell
9ere the serious short also
&rior made a small poem on the battle of /och-
stadt It is not eKual to his 80lma8 ! there is: ho9-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 456/469
ever: one good apostrophe to 7oileau: 9ho is called
a satirical Qatterer for taking so much pains to sing
that .ouis did not pass the 'hine Our plenipoten-
tiary %nished by paraphrasing: in %fteen hundred
4ictionary "G#
verses: the 9ords attributed to $olomon: that 8all is
vanity8 +ifteen thousand verses might be 9ritten
on this subject ! but 9oe to him 9ho says all 9hich
can be said upon itS
0t length Bueen 0nne dying: the ministry
changed: and the peace adjusted by &rior being al-
together unpopular: he had nothing to depend upon
except an edition of his 9orks! 9hich 9ere sub-
scribed for by his party < after 9hich he died like a
philosopher: 9hich is the usual mode of dying of all
respectable (nglishmen
/udibras
)here is an (nglish poem 9hich it is very diM-
cult to make foreigners understand: entitled 8/udi-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 457/469
bras8 It is a very humorous 9ork: although the
subject is the civil 9ar of the time of 6rom9ell 0
struggle 9hich cost so much blood and so many
tears: originated a poem 9hich obliges the most
serious reader to smile 0n example of this con-
trast is found in our 8$atire of enippus8 6er-
tainly the 'omans 9ould not have made a burlesKue
poem on the 9ars of &ompey and 6aesar: or the
proscription of 0ntony and Octavius /o9 then is
it that the frightful evils of the .eague in +rance:
and of the 9ars bet9een the king and parliament in
(ngland: have proved sources of pleasantry? be-
cause at bottom there is something ridiculous hid
beneath these fatal Kuarrels )he citi@ens of &aris:
at the head of the faction of $ixteen: mingled im-
"FG &hilosophical
pertinence 9ith the miseries of faction )he in-
trigues of 9omen: of the legates and of the monks:
presented a comic aspect: not9ithstanding the cal-
amities 9hich they produced )he theological dis-
putes and enthusiasm of the &uritans in (ngland:
9ere also very open to raillery! and this fund of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 458/469
the ridiculous: 9ell managed: might pleasantly
enough aid in dispersing the tragical horrors 9hich
abound on the surface If the bull nigenitus
caused the shedding of blood: the little poem 8&hil-
otanus8 9as no less suitable to the subject! and it is
only to be complained 8of for not being so gay: so
pleasant: and so various as it might have been ! and
for not ful%lling in the course of the 9ork the
promise held out by its commencement
)he poem of 8/udibras8 of 9hich I speak: seems
to be a composition of the satire of 8enippus8 and
of 84on Buixote8 It surpasses them in the ad-
vantage of verse and also in 9it ! the former indeed
does not come near it ! being a very middling pro-
duction ! but not9ithstanding his 9it: the author of
8/udibras8 is much beneath 84on Buixote8 )aste:
vivacity: the art of narrating and of introducing ad-
ventures: 9ith the faculty of never being tedious: go
farther than 9it! and moreover: 84on Buixote8 is
read by all nations: and 8/udibras8 by the (nglish
alone
7utler: the author of this extraordinary poem:
9as contemporary 9ith ilton: and enjoyed in-
%nitely more temporary popularity than the latter:
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 459/469
4ictionary "FF
because his 9ork 9as humorous: and that of ilton
melancholy 7utler turned the enemies of 3ing
6harles II into ridicule: and all the recompense he
received 9as the freKuent Kuotation of his verses by
that monarch )he combats of the knight /udibras
9ere much better kno9n than the battles bet9een
the good and bad angels in 8&aradise .ost8 ! but the
court of (ngland treated 7utler no better than the
celestial court treated ilton ! both the one and the
other died in 9ant: or very near it
0 man 9hose imagination 9as impregnated 9ith
a tenth part of the comic spirit: good or bad: 9hich
pervades this 9ork: could not but be very pleasant !
but he must take care ho9 he translates 8/udibras8
It is diMcult to make foreign readers laugh at pleas-
antries 9hich are almost forgotten by the nation
9hich has produced them 4ante is little read in
(urope: because 9e are ignorant of so much of his
allusion ! and it is the same 9ith 8/udibras8 )he
greater part of the humor of this poem being ex-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 460/469
pended on the theology and theologians of its o9n
time: a commentary is eternally necessary &leas-
antry reKuiring explanation ceases to be pleasantry !
and a commentator on bon mots is seldom capable of
conveying them
Of 4ean $9ift
/o9 is it that in +rance so little is understood
of the 9orks of the ingenious 4octor $9ift: 9ho is
called the 'abelais of (ngland ? /e has the honor:
like the latter: of being a churchman and an univer-
"FJ &hilosophical
sal joker! but 'abelais 9as not above his age: and
$9ift is much above 'abelais
Our curate of eudon: in his extravagant and
unintelligible book: has exhibited extreme gayety
and eKually great impertinence /e has lavished
at once erudition: coarseness and ennui 0 good
story of t9o pages is purchased by a volume of ab-
surdities )here are only some persons of an eccen-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 461/469
tric taste 9ho piKue themselves upon understanding
and valuing the 9hole of this 9ork )he rest of
the nation laugh at the humor of 'abelais: and
despise the 9ork! regarding him only as the %rst
of buCoons ,e regret that a man 9ho possessed
so much 9it: should have made so miserable a use
of it %e is a drunken philosopher: 9ho 9rote only
in the moments of his intoxication
4r $9ift is 'abelais sober: and living in good
company /e has not indeed the gayety of the
former: but he has all the %nesse: sense: discrimina-
tion: 9hich is 9anted by our curate of eudon
/is verse is in a singular taste: and almost inimit-
able /e exhibits a %ne vein of humor: both in
prose and in verse ! but in order to understand it: it
is necessary to visit his country
In this country: 9hich appears so extraordinary
to other parts of (urope: it has excited little sur-
prise that 4octor $9ift: dean of a cathedral: should
make merry in his 8)ale of a )ub8 9ith 6atholicism:
.utheranism: and 6alvinism! his o9n defence is
that he has not meddled 9ith 6hristianity /e
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 462/469
4ictionary "F"
pretends to respect the parent: 9hile he scourges
the children 6ertain fastidious persons are of opin-
ion that his lashes are so long they have even
reached the father
)his famous 8)ale of a )ub8 is the ancient story
of the three invisible rings 9hich a father be-
Kueathed to his three children )hese three rings
9ere the =e9ish: the 6hristian: and the ahometan
religions It is still more an imitation of the his-
tory of ero and (negu by +ontenelle ero is
the anagram of 'ome ! (negu of 1eneva: and they
are t9o sisters 9ho aspire to the succession of the
kingdom of their father ero reigns the %rst: and
+ontenelle represents her as a sorceress: 9ho plays
tricks 9ith bread and eCects conjuration 9ith dead
bodies )his is precisely the .ord &eter of $9ift:
9ho presents a piece of bread to his t9o brothers:
and says to them: 8/ere is some excellent 7ur-
gundy: my friends! this partridge is of a delicious
Qavor8 .ord &eter in $9ift performs the same
part 9ith the ero of +ontenelle
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 463/469
)hus almost all is imitation )he idea of the
8&ersian .etters8 9as taken from that of the
8)urkish $py8 7oyardo imitated &uki! 0riosto:
7oyardo! the most original 9its borro9 from one
another 6ervantes makes a madman of his 4on
Buixote: but is Orlando anything else? It 9ould
be diMcult to decide by 9hich of the t9o knight-
errantry is more ridiculed: the grotesKue portraiture
of 6ervantes: or the fertile imagination of 0riosta
"F &hilosophical
etastasia has borro9ed the greater part of his
operas from our +rench tragedies! and many
(nglish authors have copied us and said nothing
about it It is 9ith books as 9ith the %res in our
grates ! everybody borro9s a light from his neigh-
bor to kindle his o9n: 9hich in its turn is communi-
cated to others: and each partakes of all
&'I2I.(1( &'I2I.(1(4 60$($
6$)O: 9hich almost al9ays prevails against
reason: 9ould have the oCences of ecclesiastics and
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 464/469
monks against civil orders: 9hich are very freKuent:
called privileged oCences ! and those oCences com-
mon 9hich regard only ecclesiastical discipline: cases
that are abandoned to the sacerdotal hierarchy: and
9ith 9hich the civil po9er does not interfere
)he 6hurch having no jurisdiction but that 9hich
sovereigns have granted it: and the judges of the
6hurch being thus only judges privileged by the
sovereign: those cases should be called privileged
9hich it is their province to judge: and those com-
mon oCences 9hich are punishable by the prince;s
oMcers 7ut the canonists: 9ho are very rarely
exact in their expressions: particularly 9hen treat-
ing of regal jurisprudence: having regarded a priest
called the oMcial: as being of right the sole judge
of the clergy: they have entitled that privilege: 9hich
in common la9 belongs to lay tribunals: and the
ordinances of the monarch have adopted this ex-
pression in +rance
4ictionary "FL
)o conform himself to this custom: the judge
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 465/469
of the 6hurch takes cogni@ance only of common
crime ! in respect to privileged cases he can act only
concurrently 9ith the regal judge: 9ho repairs to
the episcopal court: 9here: ho9ever: he is but the as-
sessor of the judge of the 6hurch 7oth are as-
sisted by their register! each separately: but in one
another;s presence: takes notes of the course of the
proceedings )he oMcial 9ho presides alone inter-
rogates the accused! and if the royal judge has
Kuestions to put to him: he must have permission of
the ecclesiastical judge to propose them
)his procedure is composed of formalities: and
produces delays 9hich should not be admitted in
criminal jurisprudence =udges of the 6hurch 9ho
have not made a study of la9s and formalities are
seldom able to conduct criminal proceedings 9ithout
giving place to appeals: 9hich ruin the accused in
expense: make him languish in chains: or retard his
punishment if he is guilty
7esides: the +rench have no precise la9 to de-
termine 9hich are privileged cases 0 criminal
often groans in a dungeon for a 9hole year: 9ithout
kno9ing 9hat tribunal 9ill judge him &riests and
monks are in the state and subjects of it It is very
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 466/469
strange that 9hen they trouble society they are not
to be judged: like other citi@ens: by the oMcers of
the sovereign
0mong the =e9s: even the high priest had not the
privilege 9hich our la9s grant to simple parish
"FH &hilosophical
priests $olomon deposed the high priest 0biathar:
9ithout referring him to the synagogue to take his
trial =esus 6hrist: accused before a secular and
pagan judge: challenged not his jurisdiction $t
&aul: translated to the tribunal of +elix and +estus:
declined not their judgment )he (mperor 6on-
stantine %rst granted this privilege to bishops
/onorius and )heodosius the younger extended it
to all the clergy: and =ustinian con%rmed it
In digesting the criminal code of FHPG: the coun-
sellor of state: &ussort: and the president of 5ovion:
9ished to abolish the conjoint proceeding: and to
give to royal judges alone the right of judging the
clergy accused of privileged cases ! but this so rea-
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 467/469
sonable desire 9as combated by the %rst president
4e .amoignon: and the advocate-general )alon:
and a la9 9hich 9as made to reform our abuses
con%rmed the most ridiculous of them
0 declaration of the king on 0pril JH: FHLP: for-
bids the &arliament of &aris to continue the pro-
ceeding commenced against 6ardinal 'et@: accused
of high treason )he same declaration desires that
the suits of cardinals: archbishops: and bishops of
the kingdom: accused of the crime of high treason:
are to be conducted and judged by ecclesiastical
judges: as ordered by the canons
7ut this declaration: contrary to the customs of
the kingdoms: has not been registered in any parlia-
ment: and 9ould not be follo9ed Our books relate
several sentences 9hich have doomed cardinals:
4ictionary "FP
archbishops: and bishops to imprisonment: deposi-
tion: con%scation: and other punishments )hese
punishments 9ere pronounced against the bishop of
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 468/469
5antes: by sentence of =une JL: FLL ! against =ean
de la 7alue: cardinal and bishop of 0ngers: by sen-
tence dated =uly J#: FH#! =ean /ebert: bishop of
6onstance: in FRG ! .ouis de 'ochechouart: bishop
of 5antes: in FRF ! 1eoC roi de &ompadour: bishop
of &erigueux: and 1eorge d;0mboise: bishop of
ontauban: in FRR! 1eoCroi 4intiville: bishop of
0uxerre: in FL"F ! 7ernard .ordat: bishop of &u-
miers: in FL"P! 6ardinal de 6hatillon: bishop of
7eauvais: the I#th of arch: FLH#! 1eoCroi de .a
artonie: bishop of 0miens: the #th of =uly: FL#!
1ilbert 1enebrard: archbishop of 0ix: the JHth of
=anuary: FL#H! ,illiam 'ose: bishop of $enlis: $ep-
tember L: FL#R! 6ardinal de $ourdis: archbishop of
7ordeaux: 5ovember FP: FHFL
)he parliament sentenced 6ardinal de 7ouillon to
be imprisoned: and sei@ed his property on =une JG:
FPFG
6ardinal de ailly: archbishop of 'heims: in
FPFP: made a la9 tending to destroy the ecclesi-
astical peace established by the government )he
hangman publicly burned the la9 by sentence of
parliament
8/20/2019 Voltaire XII
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/voltaire-xii 469/469
)he sieur .anguet: bishop of $oissons: having
maintained that he could not be judged by the
justice of the king even for the crime of high
"FR &hilosophical 4ictionary
treason: 9as condemned to pay a %ne of ten thou-
sand livres
In the shameful troubles excited by the refusal
of sacraments: the simple presidial of 5antes con-
demned the bishop of that city to pay a %ne of six
thousand francs for having refused the communion