MADAME &EOFFRIN. 343 



fmifhed the diftribution of the effects of our poor 

 Mairan ; this money has been a great embarraffinent to 

 me." 



While M. de Voltaire was employing himfelf in the 

 affairs of the unfortunate family of Sirven, he wrote to 

 Madame Geoffrm, who was then at Warfaw. Both 

 his letter and her anfwer do both parties too much ho- 

 nour to allow me to omit them here. 

 Letter from M. de Voltaire to Madame GeofFrin, 

 the 5th of July, 1766. 



" Madam, 



* c You are with a king, who alone, of all the kings 

 ©f the earth, owes his crown to his merits. Your 

 journey does infinite honour to you both. Had my 

 health permitted, I mould have joined you on the road 

 to alk you the favour of allowing me to travel in your 

 fnite. I cannot better make my court to the king and 

 to you, than by propoling a good action to you. 

 Pleafe to caufe this little paragraph annexed to be read 

 to the king, and to read it yourfelf. 



" Thofe who affifl the Sirvens and have taken up 

 their caufe 5 are in want of the countenance of great 

 and beloved names. We only defire to fee our lift 

 adorned with fuch as are efteemed and revered by the 

 public : the fmallell contribution is fufficient for our 

 purpofes. The glory of prote cling the innocent, is a 

 hundred times of more worth, than the gift. The 

 caufe in which we are engaged is the general concern 

 pf the human race ; and, in that name, madam, I ap- 

 ply to you. To you we mail be indebted for the ho- 

 nour, to you the delight of feeing a good and great 

 king ftanding forth in the fupport of innocence againft 



z 4 a conn- 



