330
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 S.I.APRIL 22, me.
English autograph collector named Sievs-
worth !
This
attracted the attention of M.
Gustave Lanson, who hailed it in the Revue
without going to london, and quite given over to
the pleasures of indolence and of friendship,
the true and genrous affection of this man, who
sooths the bitterness of my life brings me to love
you more and more, all the instances of f riendshipp
d'Histoire litteraire de la France (1905. p. 719) indear my friend Tiriot to me. 3* have seen often
as one of the best pieces of Voltaire's English I my lord and my lady Bolinbroke. 3 have found
his
correspondence, and subsequently in
definitive edition of * Les Lettres Philo-
sophiques ' (1909) went more fully into
detail concerning it.
The English text of the letter next ap-
their affection still the same, even increased in
proportion to my unhappiness. they offered me
all, their money, their house ; but 3 refused all,
because they are lords, and j have accepted all
from Mr. faulknear, because he is a single
gentleman.
j had a mind at first to print our Poor Henry
peared, with my permission, in the late Prof. a t my own expenses hi london, but the loss of my
money is a sad stop to my design : j question if
j shall try the way of subscriptions by the favour
Churton Collins' s second edition of his book,
published in 1908 under the title of 'Vol-
taire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau in Eng-
land,' but he made no allusion to its previous i reblican philosophy,! won't drink the least
publication in The Athenaeum. This journal, ' -
in its review of the book on April 18, 1908,
compliments the author on "a newly
discovered letter from Voltaire," from which
it quotes a long passage of " the
draught of slavery in the land of liberty.
j have written freely to the abbot desfontaines it is true, and 3 will alwais do so, having no reason to lay myself under any restraint.* j fear, j
. hope nothing from your country, all that j wish for,
new ' is to see you one day in london. j am entertaining
material," oblivious of the fact that it had myself with this pleasant hope, 'if it is but a dream,
already appeared in its own columns.
The full text of the part of the letter in my possession which was published in The Athenceum of Aug. 6, 1892, and which, written
let me enjoy it, don't undeceive me, let me believe j
shall have the pleasure to see you in london,
draining up the strong spirit of this unaccountable
nation. you will translate their thoughts better,
you live among em. you will see a nation
on two sheets of quarto paper, begins at p. 4, fond of her liberty, learned, witty, despising life
and death, a nation of philosoffers, not but that there are some fools in england, every country has his madmen, it may be, french folly is pleasanter, than english madness : but by god english wisdom and English Honesty is above yours, one day j will acquaint you with the caracter of this strange people, but tis time to make an end of my english talkativeness, i fear, you will take this long epistle for one of those tedious english books that I have advised you not to translate, before j make up my letter, j must acquaint you with the reason of receiving yours so late, 'tis the fault of my correspondent at Calais master dunoquet. so you must write to me afterwards, at my lord bolingbroke's house london. this way is shorter and surer, tell all who will write to me that they ought to make use of this superscription.
j have written so much about the death of my sister to those who had writ to me on this account, that j had almost forgotten to speak to you of her. j have nothing to tell you on that accident but
is as follows :
the best poet of England, and at present, of
all the world, j hope you are acquainted enough
with the English tongue to be sensible of all the
charms of his works, for my part j look on his
poem call'd the essay upon criticism, as superior
to the art of poetry of horace ; and his rape of the
lock la boucle de cheveux that is a comical one, is
in my opinion above the lutrin of despreaux.
never saw so amiable an imagination, so gentle
graces, so great varyety, so much wit, and so
refined knowledge of the world, as in this little
performance.
now my dear Tiriot after having fully answered to what you asked about English books, let me acquaint you with an account of my for ever cursed fortune, j came again into England in the latter end of July very much dissatisfied with my secret yoiage into France both unsuccessful and expensive, j had about me only some bills of exchange upon a jew called Medina for the
sum of about eight or nine thousand french livres, that you know my heart and my way of thinking,
rekoning all. at my coming to london i found j have wept for her death and 3' would be with
my damned jew was broken, j was without a her. Life is but a dream full of starts of folly, penny, sick to death of a violent ague a stranger
alone, helpless, in the midst of a city, wherein
3 was known to no body, my lord and my lady
bolingbroke were in the country, j could not
make bold to see our ambassador in so wretched
a condition, j had never undergone such distress ;
but j am born to run through all the misfortunes
of life, in these circumstances, my star, that
among all its direful influences pours allways on
me some kind refreshment, sent to me an english
gentleman unknown to me, who forced me to
receive some money that j wanted, an other
London citizen that j had seen but once at paris
carried me to his own country house, wherein j
and of fancied, and true miseries, death awakes
us from this painful dream, and gives us, either a
better existence, or no existence at all. farewell,
write often to me. depend upon my exactness
in answering you when I shall be fixed in london.
write me some lines in english to show your improvement in your learning, j have received the letter of the marquess of Villars, and that which came from turky by marseille.
j have forgot the romance which you speak of. j dont remember j have ever made verses upon
^ _ w y .,_, __ j The portion of the letter shown in the facsimile
lead an obscure and charming life since that time, I opposite is here printed in italics.
