VOLTAIRE. 31 



One is really tempted to question (as some have ques- 

 tioned) Voltaire's thorough acquaintance with the 

 force of the Latin tongue. Assuredly he very 

 differently judges the eloquence of Massillon, in a 

 language of which, like him, he was so accomplished 

 a master. 



It would be unjust to close the ' Rome Sauvee ' with- 

 out awarding just praise to many of its detached parts, 

 and especially of the lines, worthy of Cicero himself, 

 which he is made to pronounce 



" Remains, j'aime la gloire, et ne veux point m'en taire ! 

 Des travaux des humains, c'est le digne salaire : 

 Stfoat ! en vous servant, il la faut acheter ; 

 Qui n'ose la vouloir, n'ose la meriter !" 



All accounts agree that when Voltaire, at the first 

 representation of the piece in a private theatre, acted 

 this part, his enthusiastic delivery of these words con- 

 veying a sentiment so intimately mixed with his whole 

 soul produced such an effect that the audience could 

 hardly tell if it was the poet or the great orator they 

 heard. 



The conspiracy of Catiline has afforded not only to 

 Crebillon hut to our Ben Jonson the subject of a 

 tragedy. He copies, by translating, Sallust and Cicero ; 

 but he does not preserve the fire of the one, or the 

 picturesque effect of the other. The speech to the 

 conspirators is but poorly rendered. Thus the Quin 

 expergiscemini ? by being made an exhortation instead 

 of a reproach, sinks into 



" Wake, wake, brave friends, 

 And meet the liberty you oft have wished for." 



How much finer the literal version, " Why wake ye 



