20 VOLTAIRE. 



summing up of an invective satirical, but perfectly 

 just, against the Pagan superstitions which are spe- 

 cified, we may well suppose, that had not his future 

 writings supplied the commentary, no one could have 

 deemed the allusion in these fine lines irreverent to 

 the hierarchy of Rome. Now, it is true, they are 

 sufficiently marked ; and in consequence of that com- 

 mentary they never fail to be applied. I recollect 

 the thunder of applause which they called forth in 

 1814, when I saw this play during the first restor- 

 ation. The court of Louis XVIII. was supposed to 

 favour the Church in an especial manner, and this 

 pointed the public attention more peculiarly to such 

 allusions. Two other lines were productive of nearly 

 equal applause : 



" Un pretre,"quel qu'il soit, quelque Dieu qui 1'inspire, 

 Doit prier pour ses rois, et non pas les maudire." 



(Act iii. sc. 3.) 



The reason of this excitement was, that the lines 

 contain a reproof of the High Priest's insolence, and 

 that was sufficient. On another occasion, the same 

 season, I heard much louder applause in that theatre. 

 It was of the lines, 



" Le premier qui fut roi, fut un soldat heureux : 

 Qui sert bien son pays n'a pas besoin d'a'ieux." 



The reference was instantly made to Napoleon, and 

 the piece could hardly proceed for the boisterous 

 plaudits. 



It is certain that the tragedies of Voltaire are the 

 works of an extraordinary genius, and that only a 

 great poet could have produced them ; but it is 

 equally certain that they are deficient for the most 



