desiredmenottoshowVoltaire’slettertothekinguntilIhad
readitpreviouslytomyself。
“Hedoesnotlikethisextraordinary
man，“headded，“andaccuseshimofhavingfailedinrespect，
andperhapsyouwillfindinthispapersomeexpressionwhich
maydispleasehim。“
ScarcelyhadIputtheepistleinmypocket，whenthekingentered。
“Whatareyoutalkingabout，“saidhe，“youseemagitated？“
“OfM。deVoltaire，sire，“Ireplied，withsomuchpresenceof
mindastopleasetheducdeRichelieu。
“What，isheathistricksagain？
Haveyouanycauseofcomplaint
againsthim？“
“Quitethereverse；hehaschargedM。d’ArgentaltosaytoM。de
Richelieu，thathewassorrythathecouldnotcomeandprostrate
himselfatmyfeet。“
“Ah，“saidtheking，rememberingthelettertotheducd’Aiguillon，
“hepersistsinhiscoquetriestowardsyou:thatisbetterthan
beinglampoonedbyhim。
Butdonotplacetoomuchconfidencein
thisgentlemanofthechamber:heweighseverythingintwoscales；
andIdoubtmuchwhetherhewillspareyouwhenheevincesbut
littleconsiderationforme。“
CertainlyRichelieuhadagoodopportunityofundertakingthe
defenceofhisillustriousfriend。
Hedidnosuchthing；andI
havealwaysthoughtthatVoltairewasthepersonwhomtheduke
detestedmoreheartilythananyotherpersonintheworld。
Hedid，
infact，dreadhimtoomuchtoesteemhimasarealfriend。
“M。d’Argental，“saidtheking，“unitesthenatmycourtthedouble
functionofministerofParmaandstewardofFerney。*Arethese
twoofficescompatible？“
*ThenameofVoltaire’sresidence-TRANS
“Yes，sire，“repliedtheduke，laughing，“sincehehasnot
presentedofficiallytoyourmajestythelettersofhiscreationas
comtedeTournay。“
Thekingbegantolaugh。
Thiswasthenameofanestatewhich
Voltairehad，andwhichhesometimesassumed。
UnpublishedletterofVoltairetomadameduBarry——Replyofthe
countess——ThemarechaledeMirepoix——Herfirstinterviewwith
madameduBarry——AnecdoteofthediamondsofmadamedeMirepoix——
Thekingpaysforthem——Singulargratitudeofthemarechale——The
portfolio，andanunpublishedletterofthemarquisedePompadour
BythewayinwhichthekingcontinuedtospeaktomeofM。de
Voltaire，Iclearlysawhowrightthedukewasinadvisingmeto
readthelettermyselfbeforeIshowedittomyaugustprotector。
I
couldnotreadituntilthenextday，andfounditconceivedinthe
followingterms:——
“MADAMELACOMTESSE:——Ifeelmyselfurgedbyanextremedesire
tohaveanexplanationwithyou，afterthereceiptofaletter
whichM。theducd’Aiguillonwrotetomelastyear。
Thisnobleman，
nephewofagentleman，ascelebratedforthenamehebearsasby
hisownreputation，andwhohasbeenmyfriendformorethan
sixtyyears，hascommunicatedtomethepainwhichhadbeencaused
youbyacertainpieceofpoetry，ofmywritingaswasstated，
andinwhichmystylewasrecognised。
Alas！
madame，eversince
themostfoolishdesireintheworldhasexcitedmetocommita
greatdealofidletrashtopaper，notamonth，aweek，nay，evena
daypassesinwhichIamnotaccusedandconvictedofsomegreat
enormity；thatistosay，themaliciousauthorofallsortsof
turpitudesandextravagancies。
Eh！
，theentire
life-timeoftenmenwouldnotbesufficienttowriteallwith
whichIamcharged，tomyunutterabledespairinthisworld，and
tomyeternaldamnationinthatwhichistocome。
“Itisnodoubt，muchtodieinfinalimpenitence；altho’hellmay
containallthehonestmenofantiquityandagreatportionofthose
ofourtimes；andparadisewouldnotbemuchtohopeforifwe
mustfindourselvesfacetofacewithmessieursFreron，Nonatte，
Patouillet，AbrahamChauneix，andothersaintscutoutofthesame
cloth。
Buthowmuchmoreseverewoulditbetosustainyour
anger！
ThehatredoftheGracesbringsdownmisfortuneonmen
ofletters；andwhenheembroilshimselfwithVenusandtheMuses
heisalostbeing；as，forinstance，M。Dorat，whoincessantly
slandershismistresses，andwritesnothingbutpuerilities。
“Ihavebeenverycautious，inmylongcareer，howIcommitted
suchafault。
IfperchanceIhavelightlyassailedthecommoncry
ofscribblersorpendantswhowereworthless，Ihaveneverceased
toburnincenseonthealtarsoftheladies；themIhavealwayssung
whenI——couldnotdootherwise。
Independently，madame，ofthe
profoundrespectIbearallyoursexIprofessaparticularregard
towardsallthosewhoapproachoursovereign，andwhomhe
investswithhisconfidence:inthisIprovemyselfnolessa
faithfulsubjectthanagallantFrenchman；andIveneratetheGod
IserveinhisconstantfriendshipsasIwoulddoinhiscaprices。
ThusIwasfarfromoutragingandinsultingyoustillmore
grievouslybycomposingahatefulworkwhichIdetestwithmy
wholeheart，andwhichmakesmeshedtearsofbloodwhenIthink
thatpeopledidnotblushtoattributeittome。
“Believeinmyrespectfulattachment，madame，nolessthanin
mycrueldestiny，whichrendersmeodioustothosebywhomI
wouldbeloved。
Myenemies，aportionofwhomareamongstyours，
certainlysucceedeachotherwithfrightfuleagernesstotrymywind。
Nowtheyhavejustpublishedundermynamesomeattacksonthe
poorpresidentHenault，whomIlovewithsincereaffection。
What
havetheynotattributedtometoinculpatemewithmyfriends，
withmyillustriousprotectors，M。lemarechalducdeRichelieuand
theirmajestiesthekingofPrussiaandtheczarinaofRussia！
“Icouldexcusethemformakingwaruponstrangersinmyname，
altho’thatwouldbeapirate’smethod；buttoattack，undermy
banner，mymaster，mysovereignlord，thisIcanneverpardon，and
Iwillraiseagainstthemevenadyingvoice；particularlywhenthey
strikeyouwiththesameblows；you，wholoveliterature；you，who
domethehonortochargeyourmemorywithmyfeebleproductions。
ItisaninfamytopretendthatIfireonmyowntroops。
“Underanycircumstances，madame，Iambeforeyouinavery
delicatesituation。
ThereisinVersaillesafamilywhichoverwhelms
mewithmarksoftheirfriendship。
Mineoughttoappertaintoitto
perpetuity；yetIlearnthatitissounfortunateastohaveno
conceptionofyourmerit，andthatenvioustalebearersplace
themselvesbetweenyouandit。
Iamtoldthatthereisakindof
declaredwar；itisadded，thatIhavefurnishedsuppliestothis
camp，thechiefsofwhichIloveandesteem。
Morewise，more
submissive，Ikeepmyselfoutofthewayofblows；andmyreverence
forthesuprememasterissuch，thatIturnawaymyveryeyesthat
theymaynotbespectatorsofthefight。
“Donotthen，madame，thinkthatanysentimentofaffectionhas
compelled，orcancompelmetotakearmsagainstyou。
Iwould
refuseanypropositionwhichshouldrankmeashostiletoyou，if
thenaturalgenerosityofyourenemiescouldsofarforgetit。
In
realitytheyareasincapableoforderingabadactionasIamof
listeningtothosewhoshouldshowthemselvessodevoidofsense
astoproposesuchathingtome。
“Iampersuadedthatyouhaveunderstoodme，andIamfully
clearedinyoureyes。
Itwouldbedelightfultometoascertain
thiswithcertainty。
IchargeM。lemarechalducdeRichelieu
toexplaintoyoumydisquietudeonthishead，andthefavorI
seekatyourhands，fromyouwhocommandFrance，whilstI，I
oughttodieinpeace，nottodispleaseanyperson，andlive
wiselywithall。
Iconclude，madamelacomtesse，thislongand
stupidepistle，whichis，infact，lessaletterthanarealcase
forconsideration，bybeggingyoutobelieveme，etc。，
MyenemiessayeverywherethatIamnotaChristian。