The Ancient Regime Part 26

[Footnote 4103: The "Oedipe," by Voltaire, belongs to the year 1718, and his "Lettres sur les Anglais," to the year 1728. The "Lettres Persanes,"

by Montesquieu, published in 1721, contain the germs of all the leading ideas of the century.]

[Footnote 4104: "Raison" (cult of). Cult proposed by the Hebertists and aimed at replacing Christianity under the French Revolution. The Cult of Reason was celebrated in the church of Notre Dame de Paris on the 10th of November 1793. The cult disappeared with the Hebertists (March 1794) and Robespierre replaced it with the cult of the Superior Being. (SR.)]

[Footnote 4105: Joseph de Maistre, Oeuvres inedites," pp. 8, 11.]

[Footnote 4106: Diderot's letters on the Blind and on the Deaf and Dumb are addressed in whole or in part to women.]

[Footnote 4107: "Correspondence of Gouverneur Morris," (in English), II, 89.

(Letter of January 24, 1790)]

[Footnote 4108: John Andrews in "A comparative view," etc. (1785).--Arthur Young, I. 123. "I should pity the man who expected, without other advantages of a very different nature, to be well received in a brilliant circle in London, because he was a fellow of the Royal Society. But this would not be the case with a member of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, he is sure of a good reception everywhere."]

[Footnote 4109: "I met in Paris the d'Alemberts, the Marmontels, the Baillys at the houses of d.u.c.h.esses, which was an immense advantage to all concerned. . . . When a man with us devotes himself to writing books he is considered as renouncing the society equally of those who govern as of those who laugh. . . Taking literary vanity into account the lives of your d'Alemberts and Baillys are as pleasant as those of your seigniors." (Stendhal, "Rome, Naples et Florence," 377, in a narrative by Col. Forsyth).]

[Footnote 4110: "Entretien d'un philosophe avec la Marechale--."]

[Footnote 4111: The television audience today cannot threaten never again to invite the boring "philosopher" to dinner, but will zap away, a move that the system accurately senses. The rules that Taine describes are, alas, therefore once more valid. (SR.)]

[Footnote 4112: The same process is observable in our day in the "Sophismes economiques" of Bastiat, the "Eloges historiques" of Flourens, and in "Le Progres," by Edmond About.]

[Footnote 4113: The "Portier de Chartreux." (An infamous p.o.r.nographic book. (SR.))]

[Footnote 4114: "Therese Philosophe." There is a complete literature of this species.]

[Footnote 4115: See the edition of M. Dauban in which the suppressed pa.s.sages are restored.]

[Footnote 4116: "Esprit des Lois," ch. XV. book V. (Reasons in favor of slavery). The "Defence of the Esprit des Lois," I. Reply to the second objection. II. Reply to the fourth objection.]

[Footnote 4117: Letter 24 (on Louis XIV.)]

[Footnote 4118: Letter 18 (on the purity and impurity of things). Letter 39 (proofs of the mission of Mohammed).]

[Footnote 4119: Letters 75 and 118.]

[Footnote 4120: Letters 98 (on the modern sciences), 46 (on a true system of wors.h.i.+p), 11 and 14 (on the nature of justice).]

[Footnote 4121: Cf "Micromegas," "L'homme aux quarantes ecus,"

"Dialogues entre A, B, C," Dic. Philosophique," pa.s.sim.--In verse, "Les systemes," "La loi naturelle," "Le pour et le countre,", "Discours sur l'homme," etc.]

[Footnote 4122: "Traite de metaphysique," chap. I. p.1 (on the peasantry).--"Lettres sur les Anglais," pa.s.sim.--"Candide," pa.s.sim.--"La Princesse de Babylone," ch. VII. VIII. IX. and XI.]

[Footnote 4123: "Dict. Phil." articles, "Maladie," (Replies to the princess).--"Candide," at Madame de Parolignac. The sailor in the wreck.

Narrative of Paquette.--The "Ingenu," the first chapters.]

[Footnote 4124: "Candide," the last chapter. When there was no dispute going on, it was so wearisome that the old woman one day boldly said to him: "I should like to know which is worse to be ravished a hundred times by Negro pirates, to have one's rump gashed, or be switched by the Bulgarians, to be scourged or hung in an auto-da-fe, to be cut to pieces, to row in the galleys, to suffer any misery through which we have pa.s.sed, or sit still and do nothing?"--"That is the great question," said Candide.]

[Footnote 4125: For example, in the lines addressed to the Princess Ulrique in the preface to "Alzire," dedicated to Madame du Chatelet:

"Souvent un peu de verite," etc.]

[Footnote 4126: The scholar in the dialogue of "Le Mais," (Jenny).--The canonization of Saint Cucufin.--Advice to brother Pediculuso.--The diatribe of Doctor Akakia.--Conversation of the emperor of China with brother Rigolo, etc.]

[Footnote 4127: "Dict. Philosophique," the article "Ignorance."--"Les Oreilles du Comte de Chesterfied."--"L'homme au quarante ecus," chap.

VII. and XI.]

[Footnote 4128: Bachaumont, III, 194. (The death of the Comte de Maugiron).]

[Footnote 4129: "The novels of the younger Crebillon were in fas.h.i.+on. My father spoke with Madame de Puisieux on the ease with which licentious works were composed; he contended that it was only necessary to find an arousing idea as a peg to hang others on in which intellectual libertinism should be a subst.i.tute for taste. She challenged him to produce on of this kind. At the end of a fortnight he brought her 'Les bijoux indiscrets' and fifty louis." (Memoires of Diderot, by his daughter).--"La Religieuse," has a similar origin, its object being to mystify M. de Croismart.]

[Footnote 4130: "Le Reve de d'Alembert."]

[Footnote 4131: "Le neveau de Rameau."]

[Footnote 4132: The words of Diderot himself in relation to the "Reve de d'Alembert."]

[Footnote 4133: One of the finest stanzas in "Souvenir" is almost literally transcribed (involuntarily, I suppose), from the dialogue on Otaheite (Tahiti).]

[Footnote 4134: "Nouvelle Heloise," pa.s.sim., and notably Julie's extraordinary letter, second part, number 15.--"emile," the preceptor's discourse to emile and Sophie the morning after their marriage.--Letter of the comtesse de Boufflers to Gustavus III., published by Geffroy, ("Gustave III. et la cour de France"). "I entrust to Baron de Lederheim, though with reluctance, a book for you which has just been published, the infamous memoirs of Rousseau ent.i.tled 'Confessions.' They seem to me those of a common scullion and even lower than that, being dull throughout, whimsical and vicious in the most offensive manner. I do not recur to my wors.h.i.+p of him (for such it was) I shall never console myself for its having caused the death of that eminent man David Hume, who, to gratify me, undertook to entertain that filthy animal in England."]

[Footnote 4135: "Confessions," part I, book III.]

[Footnote 4136: Letter to M, de Beaumont.]

[Footnote 4137: "emile," letter IV. 193. "People of the world must necessarily put on disguise; let them show themselves as they are and they would horrify us," etc.]

[Footnote 4138: See, especially, his book ent.i.tled "Rousseau juge de Jean-Jacques," his connection with Hume and the last books of the "confessions."]

[Footnote 4139: "Confessions," part 2. book XI. "The women were intoxicated with the book and with the author to such an extent that there were few of them, even of high rank, whose conquest I could not have made if I had undertaken it. I possess evidence of this which I do not care, to publish, and which, without having been obliged to prove it by experience, warrant, my statement." Cf. G. Sand, "Histoire de ma vie," I.73.]

[Footnote 4140: See an engraving by Moreau called "Les Pet.i.ts Parrains."--Berquin, pa.s.sim., and among others "L'epee."--Remark the ready-made phrases, the style of an author common to children, in Berquin and Madame de Genlis.]

[Footnote 4141: See the description of sunrise in "emile," of the elysee (a natural garden), in "Heloise." And especially in "Emile," at the end of the fourth book, the pleasures which Rousseau would enjoy if he were rich.]

[Footnote 4142: See in Marivaux, ("La double inconstance,") a satire on the court, courtiers and the corruptions of high life, opposed to the common people in the country.]

[Footnote 4143: Bachmaumont, I. 254.]

[Footnote 4144: "A calculator was required for the place but a dancer got it."--"The sale of offices is a great abuse."--"Yes, it would he better to give them for nothing."--"Only small men fear small literature."--"Chance makes the interval, the mind only can alter that!"--"A courtier?--they say it is a very difficult profession."--"To receive, to take, and to ask, is the secret in three words," etc,--Also the entire monologue by Figaro, and all the scenes with Bridoisin.]

CHAPTER II. THE FRENCH PUBLIC.