th ae ae, ~ . 
- oubficr. 
~ philofaphe. 
O74 
quotation. Voltaire runs indignant to 
Richier, hears the ftory, perhaps, unfairly, 
and di‘tates to Richier a reproachful note 
for Lefiing, who was out of town, when he 
received it: The anfwer has its intereft.as 
a {pecimen of Leffing’s French. | 
«* Vous me croyez donc capable, Mon- 
fieur, d’un tour des plus traitres; et je 
vous parais afiez meprifable, pour me trai- 
ter comme un _voleur, qui eft hors d’at- - 
teinte ? On ne lui parle raifon que parceque 
la force n’eft pas de mife. 2 
Voila Vexemplaire dontil s’agit. Je 
nai jamais eu le deffein de le garder. Je 
vous Paurais méme renvoyé fans votre lettre 
qui eft la plus fingultere du monde. Vous 
my donnez des vues que je n’ai pas. Vous 
vous imaginez que je m’etais mis_a tra- 
duire.un livre,-dont M. Henning a an. 
moncé il y a long temps la tradu@tion com- 
me €tant deja fous prefle.. Sachez, mon 
ami, quen fait d’occupaticns iiteraires 
je ’alme pas a me rencontrer avec qui que: 
cefoit. Au refte j'ai Ja folle envie de bien 
traduire, et pour bien traduire M. de 
Voltaire je fais qu’il  faudrait donner au 
diable. C’elt ce que je ne veux pas faire. 
—C’cit un bon mot que jeviens de dire: 
trouvez le admirabie, je vous price, il n’eft 
as de-moi. 
*¢ Mais au fait. Vous vous attendez 2 des 
excufes; etles‘voila. J’ai pris fans votre 
permifizon avec moi, ce que vous ne m’aviez 
preié qu’en.cachette. .J°ai abufé de votre 
confiance, j°em conyiens;-mais eft cé ma 
faute & contre ma curiofité ma bonne foi 
n’a pas eté Ja plus forte? En partant de 
Berlin j’avais encore a lire quatre feuilles. 
Mettez vous a ma place, avant que de 
proroncercontre maj. M. de Valtaire pour- 
quoi ne ferait il pas un Limiers, ou_un 
autre compilateur, les, cuvrages Jes quels 
on peut finir partout par ce qu’ils nous en- 
muyent partout. : ; 4 
~ Vous dites dans votre léttre, M de Vol- 
taire me manquera pas de reconnaitre ce 
dervice qu'il attend de votre probité.. Par 
ma foi voila autant pour le brodeur.- Ce 
fervice elt i mince, et je m’en glorifitiai fi 
peu, que M. de Voltaire fera affez recon- 
najflant sul veut bien avoit la bonté. de 
Il vous a fait beaucoup de re- 
procnes qe vous ne meritez pas. J’en 
fuis au defefpoir. Dites lui donc que 
nous jommes-amis, et que ce.n’eft qu’un 
exces G’aiiiti€é, qui vous a fait faire cette 
jaute, fi c’en ef une de votre part. Ce 
fera bien aficz pour obtenir le pardon d’un 
Je fis" See. ) 
Voltaire, however, could not pardon: he 
€iimified Richitr, who pafled into the fir- 
r « 
. 
- 
* : 
Memoirs of Gotthsld Ephraim Leffind. 
afhamed. 
Spanish of Huaite, a: medical work, om 
(Jalycer | 
vice of Prince Henry of Pruffia, with the’ 
title of Hibrarian, and afterwards of coun- 
feller. Still Richier retained his zealotry 
fer Voltaire, and was: very angry with 
thofe criticifms of the Merope, whieh~ 
were inferted inthe Dramaturgy, and which ., 
may have been embittered by ‘this acci- 
cident. 3 ) 
The anecdote of the foreftailed copy had’ 
been talked of at the court of Berlin, and: 
had been deferibed by Voltaire as an at-. 
tempt to defraud him of the profits’ of a 
permitted tranflation ; Leffing’s name had 
fuffered with the king, and the hope of ob= | 
taining a librarianfhip, or a profefforfhip, — \ 
in the Pruflian dominions was mortifyingly 
damped... . Leffing, foon after this incident, 
removed to Wittenberg, where his yeung- 
er brother was fiudying theology; proba- 
bly in order to take an eafy degree, and 
thus to qualify himfelf (preparation he.did! 
not need) for the fituation which his father 
was folliciting for him at Gottingen. He 
accordingly took 2 mater of arts’ degree,’ 
but difliked to have it noticed on his letters,> 
or in fociety, as is ‘cuftomary among the 
Germans. Some fubfcription to the ar-: 
ticles of religion had apparently been re~ 
guired, and of this condefcenfion he felt 
His brether was modef to excels, and 
eing called upoa tobury a cerpfe, which 
was a_tafk alternately impofeden the theos ~ 
. oe 1 . . - aa 
logical ftudents, was fo much intimidated ~~ 
that he could not officiate. Thecofin was 
-on its march, the clerk was-in waiting 
with the caffock, aud the younger ftudents,. é 
whofe turns were approaching, had puton 
black to attend the ceremony, and take their fi 
leficn with due folemnity. There wasno 
time for irrefolution. Leffing'terminated © ~ 
his brother’s embarrafment with an== = 
T'jl'go.. He endofles the black robe,'takes 
in hand the book, fets ageing ‘* the croke 
of todes from lonely moores,” and'com- 
pletes the whole fervice with a morethan 
theatric {clemnity, and witheut the flight. ~ 
eft explofien of the--ridiculeus. Fine fun é 
for the ftudents over their punch; Leffing 
fell in with this too, at leaft with equal © 
platicity, and wrote what he called an 
—Epigiam on my brother's officiating at” © 
a funeral :-it rans thus: 3 <P 2 
. A face fo fad, way ae 
A veice fo bad; oi? pF A 
Sooner than he 2 We a cae 
Should bury-me 3 < =; ee Sa 
Id rather, I own, ent £2 “at 8 t 
-Let dying alene. ; 3 > = 
_ At Wittenberg he tranflated from the 
~ 7 < iA 
