history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第5章

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General　Browne　is　busy　besieging　Antibes；　aided　by　English　Seventy…　fours；　so　that　〃sixty　French　Battalions〃　have　to　hurry　home；　from　winter…quarters；　towards　those　Provencal　Countries；　and　Marechal　de　Belleisle；　who　commands　there；　has　his　hands　full。　Triumphant　enough　her　Hungarian　Majesty；　in　Italy；　while　in　the　Netherlands；　the　poor　Sea…Powers　have　met　with　no　encouragement　from　the　Fates　or　her。　＇〃Battle　of　Piacenza〃　（Prince　Lichtenstein；　with　whom　is　Browne；　VERSUS　Gages　and　Maillebois）；　16th　June；　1746　（ADELUNG；　v。　427）；　〃Battle　of　Rottofreddo〃　（Botta　chief　Austrian　there；　and　our　old　friend　Barenklau　getting　killed　there）；　12th　August；　1746　（IB。　462）；　whereupon；　7th　SEPTEMBER；　Genoa　（which　had　declared　itself　Anti…Austrian　latterly；　not　without　cause；　and　brought　the　tug　of　War　into　those　parts）　is　coerced　by　Botta　to　open　its　gates；　on　grievous　terms　（IB。　484…489）；　so　that；　NOVEMBER　30th；　Browne；　no　Bourbon　Army　now　on　the　field；　enters　Provence　（crosses　the　Var；　that　day）；　and　tries　Antibes：　5th…11th　DECEMBER；　Popular　Revolt　in　Genoa；　and　Expulsion　of　proud　Botta　and　his　Austrians　（IB。　518…523）；　upon　which　surprising　event　（which　could　not　be　mended　during　the　remainder　of　the　War）；　Browne's　enterprise　became　impossible。　See　Buonamici；　　Histoire　de　la　derniere　Revolution　de　Genes；　　Adelung；　v。　516；　vi。　31；　&c。　&c。＇　All　which　the　reader　may　keep　imagining　at　his　convenience；but　will　be　glad　rather；　for　the　present；　to　go　with　us　for　an　actual　look　at　M。　de　Voltaire　and　the　divine　Emilie；　whom　we　have　not　seen　for　a　long　time。　Not　much　has　happened　in　the　interim；　one　or　two　things　only　which　it　can　concern　us　to　know；scattered　fragments　of　memorial；　on　the　way　thus　far：

1。　M。　DE　VOLTAIRE　HAS；　IN　1745；　MADE　WAY　AT　COURT。　Divine　Emilie　picked　up　her　Voltaire　from　that　fine　Diplomatic　course；　and　went　home　with　him　out　of　our　sight；　in　the　end　of　1743；　the　Diplomatic　career　gradually　declaring　itself　barred　to　him　thenceforth。　Since　which；　nevertheless；　he　has　had　his　successes　otherwise；　especially　in　his　old　Literary　course：　on　the　whole；　brighter　sunshine　than　usual；　though　never　without　tempestuous　clouds　attending。　Goes　about；　with　his　divine　Emilie；　now　wearing　browner　and　leaner；　both　of　them；　and　takes　the　good　and　evil　of　life；　mostly　in　a　quiet　manner；　sensible　that　afternoon　is　come。

The　thrice…famous　Pompadour；　who　had　been　known　to　him　in　the　Chrysalis　state；　did　not　forget　him　on　becoming　Head…Butterfly　of　the　Universe。　By　her　help；　one　long　wish　of　his　soul　was　gratified；　and　did　not　hunger　or　thirst　any　more。　Some　uncertain　footing　at　Court；　namely；　was　at　length　vouchsafed　him：uncertain；　for　the　Most　Christian　Majesty　always　rather　shuddered　under　those　carbuncle　eyes；　under　that　voice　〃sombre　and　majestious；〃　with　such　turns　lying　in　it：some　uncertain　footing　at　Court；　and　from　the　beginning　of　1745；　his　luck；　in　the　Court　spheres；　began　to　mount　in　a　wonderful　and　world…evident　manner。　On　grounds　tragically　silly；　as　he　thought　them。　On　the　Dauphin's　Wedding；a　Termagant's　Infanta　coming　hither　as　Dauphiness；　at　this　time；there　needed　to　be　Court…shows；　Dramaticules；　Transparencies；　Feasts　of　Lanterns；　or　I　know　not　what。　Voltaire　was　the　chosen　man；　Voltaire　and　Rameau　（readers　have　heard　of　RAMEAU'S　NEPHEW；　and　musical　readers　still　esteem　Rameau）　did　their　feat；　we　may　think　with　what　perfection；　with　what　splendor　of　reward。　Alas；　and　the　feat　done　was；　to　one　of　the　parties；　so　unspeakably　contemptible！　Voltaire　pensively　surveying　Life；　brushes　the　sounding　strings；　and　hums　to　himself；　the　carbuncle　eyes　carrying　in　them　almost　something　of　wet：　　　　　　　　　〃MON　Henri　Quatre　ET　MA　Zaire；　　　　　　　　　　ET　MON　AMERICAIN　Alzire；　　　　　　　　　　NE　M'ONT　VALU　JAMAIS　UN　SEUL　REGARD　DU　ROI；　　　　　　　　　　J'AVAIS　MILLE　ENNEMIS　AVEC　TRES　PEU　DE　GLOIRE：　　　　　　　　　　LES　HONNEURS　ET　LES　BIENS　PLEUVENT　ENFIN　SUR　MOI　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　POUR　UN　FARCE　DE　LA　FOIRE。〃　　＇〃My　HENRI　QUATRE；　my　ZAIRE；　my　ALZIRE　＇high　works　very　many＇；　could　never　purchase　me　a　single　glance　of　the　King；　I　had　multitudes　of　enemies；　and　very　little　fame：honors　and　riches　rain　on　me；　at　last；　for　a　Farce　of　the　Fair〃　（　OEuvres；　　ii。　151）。　The　〃Farce〃　（which　by　no　means　CALLED　itself　such）　was　PRINCESSE　DE　NAVARRE　（　OEuvres；　　lxxiii。　251）：　first　acted　23d　February；　1745；　Day　of　the　Wedding。　Gentlemanship　of　the　Chamber　thereupon　（which　Voltaire；　by　permission；　sold；　shortly　after；　for　2；500　pounds；　with　titles　retained）；　and　appointment　as　Historiographer　Royal。　Poor　Dauphiness　did　not　live　long；　Louis　XVI。's　Mother　was　a　SECOND　Wife；　Saxon…Polish　Majesty's　Daughter。＇　Yes；　my　friend；　it　is　a　considerable　ass；　this　world；　by　no　means　the　Perfectly　Wise　put　at　the　top　of　it　（as　one　could　wish）；　and　the　Perfectly　Foolish　at　the　bottom。　Witnessnay；　witness　Psyche　Pompadour　herself；　is　not　she　an　emblem！　Take　your　luck　without　criticism；　luck　good　and　bad　visits　all。

2。　AND　GOT　INTO　THE　ACADEMY　NEXT　YEAR；　IN　CONSEQUENCE。　In　1746；　the　Academy　itself；　Pompadour　favoring；　is　made　willing；　Voltaire　sees　himself　among　the　Forty：　soul；　on　that　side　too；　be　at　ease；　and　hunger　not　nor　thirst　anymore。　＇〃May　9th；　1746；　Voltaire　is　received　at　the　Academy；　and　makes　a　very　fine　Discourse〃　（BARBIER；　ii。　488）。　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxiii。　355；　385；　and　i。　97。＇　This　highest　of　felicities　could　not　be　achieved　without　an　ugly　accompaniment　from　the　surrounding　Populace。　Desfontaines　is　dead；　safe　down　in　Sodom；　but　wants　not　for　a　successor；　for　a　whole　Doggery　of　such。　Who　are　all　awake；　and　giving　tongue　on　this　occasion。　There　is　M。　Roi　the　〃Poet；〃　as　he　was　then　reckoned；　jingling　Roi；　who　concocts　satirical　calumnies；　who　collects　old　ones；　reprints　the　same；and　sends　Travenol；　an　Opera…Fiddler；　to　vend　them。　From　which　sprang　a　Lawsuit；　PROCES…　TRAVENOL；　of　famous　melancholy　sort。　As　Voltaire　had　rather　the　habit　of　such　sad　melancholy　Lawsuits；　we　will　pause　on　this　of　Travenol　for　a　moment：

3。　SUMMARY　OF　TRAVENOL　LAWSUIT。　〃Monday；　9th　May；　1746；　was　the　Day　or　reception　at　the　Academy；　reception　and　fruition；　thrice…savory　to　Voltaire。　But　what　an　explosion　of　the　Doggeries；　before；　during　and　after　that　event！　Voltaire　had　tried　to　be　prudent；　too。　He　had　been　corresponding　with　Popes；　with　Cardinals；　and；　in　a　fine　frank…looking　way；　capturing　their　suffrages：not　by　lying；　which　in　general　he　wishes　to　avoid；　but　by　speaking　half　the　truth；　in　short；　by　advancing；　in　a　dexterous；　diplomatic　way；　the　uncloven　foot；　in　those　Vatican　precincts。　And　had　got　the　Holy　Father's　own　suffrage　for　MAHOMET　（think　of　that；　you　Ass　of　Mirepoix！）；　among　other　cases　that　might　rise。　When　this　seat　among　the　Forty　fell　vacant；　his　very　first　measuremark　it；　Orthodox　readerwas　a　Letter　to　the　Chief　Jesuit；　Father　Latour；　Head　of　one's　old　College　of　Louis　le　Grand。　A　Letter　of　fine　filial　tenor：　'My　excellent　old　Schoolmasters；　to　whom　I　owe　everything；　the　representatives　of　learning；　of　decorum；　of　frugality　and　modest　human　virtue：in　what　contrast　to　the　obscure　Doggeries　poaching　about　in　the　street…gutters；　and　flying　at　the　peaceable　passenger！'　＇In　　Voltairiana；　ou　Eloges　Amphigouriques；　　&c。　（Paris；　1748）；　i。　150…160；　the　LETTER　itself；　〃Paris；　7th　February；　1746；〃　omitted　（without　need　or　real　cause　on　any　side）　in　the　common　Collections　of　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire。　＇　Which　captivated　Father　Latour；　and　made　matters　smooth　on　that　side；　so　that　even　the　ANCIEN　DE　MIREPOIX　said　nothing；　this　time：　What　could　he　say？　No　cloven　foot　visible；　and　the　Authorities　strong。　　

〃Voltaire　had　started　as　Candidate　with　these　judicious　preliminaries。　Voltaire　was　elected；　as　we　saw；　fine　Discourse；　9th　May；　and　on　the　Official　side　all　things　comfortable。　But；　in　the　mean　while；　the　Doggeries；　as　natural；　seeing　the　thing　now　likely；　had　risen　to　a　never…imagined　pitch；　and　had　filled　Paris；　and；　to　Voltaire's　excruciated　sense；　the　Universe；　with　their　howlings　and　their　hyena…laughter；　with　their　pasquils；　satires；　old　and　new。　So　that　Voltaire　could　not　stand　it；　and；　in　evil　hour；　rushed　downstairs　upon　them；　seized　one　poor　dog；　Travenol；　unknown　to　him　as　Fiddler　o