8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

1/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

2/447

I am a heritage because I

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

3/447

brln you years of tboupbt

and the lore of time *-

I Impart yet I can pot 5peak^

I have traveled among tbe

peoples of tbe eartb ^ I

am a rover- 5 - Oft-tlrpes

I stre^ fron? tbe /ireslde.

of tbe oi?s ubo loves and

cberlsbeo !e-ubo

n?e a" ben I an?

me va^rai?t please send

brotbers^on tbe

sbelves of

#$O#%$&' O(

"). .

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

4/447

 &he )O$+, of O&I$%

%I&IO0 % #1I(I1&IO0

imited to one thousand sets

for merica and 2reat 3ritain.

43et!een t!o servants of umanity6 !ho appeared

eighteen hundred years apart6 there is a mysterious relation.

* * et us say it !ith a sentiment of

profound respect7 8%,9, )%#&7 O&I$% ,:I%.

Of that divine tear and of that human smile is composed the

s!eetness of the present civili;ation.4

I1&O$ 92O.

::% 9 3$$'

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

5/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

6/447

(O$&'-&$%% O9:%,

O03 90$% 0 ,I>&'-%I2& %,I20,6 1O:#$I,I02 $%#$O91&IO0,

O( $$% O %02$I02,6 ,&%% #&%,6 #O&O2$9$%,6

0 19$IO9, (1-,I:I3,

O9:% >>>III

+$O06 OIO

 &% )%$0%$ 1O:#0'

@AB

1O#'$I2& @A

3' %. $. 9:O0&

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

7/447

O)0% 3'

 &% )%$0%$ 1O:#0'

+$O06 OIO

:% 3

/% )%$0%$ 1O:#0'

+$O06 OIO

-,tack

iftnneC

O&I$%

I,&O$' O( &% )$ O( DE

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

8/447

1O0&%0&,

1#&%$ #2%

I. ,&&% O( %9$O#% #$IO$ &O &% )$ 5

II. %& O( 1$%, I. ... FD

III. &% %%1&O$ O( 3$I :%

%:#%$O$ ..... ED

I. &% 0%) %:#%$O$G, :I,(O$&90%, . BF

. %9$O#% 9$I02 &% )$ ... @E

I. &% 3&&% O( %&&I02%0 . .HE

II. &$O93%, O( 1$%, II. . . EH

III. &% #$I01% O( 1O0&I (O$1%, &%

#,,2% O( &% #, . . B

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

9/447

I>. ouis >. I1&O$IO9, I0 (0%$, . BD

>. &% #$I01% O( 1O0&I )I0, I0 I&' E

>I. &% ,I%2% O( ($%I39$2 . . . @E

>II. &% +I02 O( #O0 8OI0, :$I

 &%$%, . . . .@

>III. %& O( 1$%, II. . . . HAE

>I. ,I%2% O( &O9$0'" 3&&% O( (O0-

 &%0O' . . . .H@

,9##%:%0&$' 0O&%, &O 4 00, O(

 &% %:#I$%64 BFH-BD

I,& O( #&%,

O. >>>III

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

10/447

#2%

::% u3$$' . . . (rontispiece

:$I &%$%, ...... DA

ouis > H

 8O0 ,O3I%,+I FA

I,&O$' O( &% )$ O( DE.

^ 1#&%$ I.

 &% ,&&% O( ((I$, I0 %9$O#%6 0 3$I%(

$%I%) O( :&&%$, #$IO$ &O &% )$ O( DE.

I % al!ays looked upon the 1hristian po!ers

of %urope as one great republic6 all !hose parts

correspond !ith one another6 even !hen they aim at

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

11/447

their mutual destruction. 1ertain customs6 !hich

!e call the la!s of !ar6 la!s unkno!n to other

nations6 have been established by general consent.

 &he precedence of almost all princes has been set-

tled" the 1atholics have t!o cities in common"

one of these is :alta6 the centre of a perpetual !ar

!aged against the enemies of the 1hristian name"

the other is $ome6 !hich in more respects than one

is the capital of all the 1atholic nations6 each of

!hich has a right to name one of the sovereignGs

principal ministers " and their ecclesiastical6 and

even temporal causes are tried by the tribunal of

the $ota6 the udges composing !hich are taken

from each nation. &he sovereigns6 in all the 1atholic

frontiers6 have some territories that are under the

 urisdiction of a foreign bishop. 0othing is more

common than to see the prerogatives6 honors6 and

5

B &he )ar of DE.

orders of knighthood of one country conferred upon

the natives of another. :ost princes have territo-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

12/447

ries lying in the middle of other states" as for

eCample6 the pope is possessed of vignon in (rance6

and of 3enevento in the kingdom of 0aples" the

enetians have dominions in the heart of the

:ilanese. &here is scarcely a prince in 2ermany

but has some dominions enclosed by the territory of

another sovereign.

 &he old $oman la! is in full force in all these

countries7 they have all one and the same learned

language" and every court speaks the same living

tongue the (rench6 !hich is used in every court of

%urope but our o!n. &hese connections have been

further strengthened by commerce. &he merchants

carry on so close a correspondence6 even in time of

!ar6 that at the very time in !hich the %nglish !ere

arming to ruin the ,paniards6 they !ere deeply

interested in the trade of that nation " so that !hen

their privateers sei;ed upon an enemyGs ship6 they

!ere absolutely plundering their o!n countrymen.

In eJect6 the !ars !aged against each other by

1hristian princes have in them so much of the nature

of civil !ars6 that in the year DA6 ictor6 duke of

,avoy6 !as in arms against his t!o sons-in-la! 7 the

prince of audemont commanded the ,paniards in

the :ilanese6 and !as nearly made prisoner by his

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

13/447

o!n son6 !ho had follo!ed the fortune of the house

of ustria.

In the year D6 !hen the duke of Orleans6 re-

 &he )ar of DE. D

gent of (rance6 carried on a !ar against his cousin6

#hilip . of ,pain6 the duke of iria served against

his father6 the duke of 3er!ick. In the !ar6 the

history of !hich I no! !rite6 the kings of (rance6

,pain6 and #oland6 and the elector of 3avaria !ere

the nearest akin to the Kueen of ungary6 !hom

they attacked " and upon that very tie of relationship

the last of these princes set up a claim to plunder

her. )e have seen6 in the course of this !ar6 (ran-

cis6 great duke of &uscany6 and no! emperor of

2ermany6 keep an envoy at #aris6 !hose children

served against him " and !e have seen all the sons

of the &uscan prime minister in our service. )e had

a thousand eCamples of this kind before our eyes6

and yet they did not surprise us.

ll the sovereigns of the diJerent states of this

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

14/447

part of the !orld are allied either by blood or by

treaty" and yet they scarcely conclude a marriage

or a treaty that is not the cause of some future dis-

agreement.

1ommerce6 !hereby they are necessarily linked6

is almost al!ays the occasion of their dissenting.

 &he t!o subects on !hich to ground a !ar are

every!here else unkno!n " no!here but in %urope

is a !ife kno!n to bring to her husband a !ar for

her do!er6 by setting up a right to some distant

province. 0o act of confraternity is kno!n among

princes " nor a reversion from one family to another

no !ay related to it" nor yet small Lefs paying

homage at the same time to several great princes6

&he )ar of DE.

!ho are disputing about the homage and Lef itself

among one another6 as happens so often in 2ermany

and Italy. ence it is that sia is almost al!ays in

a paciLc state6 if !e eCcept the invasions of con-

Kuerors6 !ho are in that part of the !orld yet more

cruel than in %urope6 and the unavoidable Kuarrels6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

15/447

more especially among the &urks and #ersians6

about frontiers.

 &hose !ho accurately and nicely eCamine into

the capital events of this !orld !ill easily remark

that6 since the year BAA6 there have been forty con-

siderable !ars in %urope6 and but one of any conse-

Kuence in 2reat &artary6 1hina6 and the Indies6

countries of immense eCtent6 better peopled6 and

much richer. In a !ord6 there has been no !ar on

account of trade in sia6 frica6 or merica6 but

has been kindled by the %uropeans.

 &he marriage of :aCimilian I.6 after!ards em-

peror of 2ermany6 !ith :ary of 3urgundy6 had

been for three ages the occasion of a perpetual dif-

ference bet!een (rance and ustria. &he merican

and siatic trade !as after!ards fresh ground for

discord in %urope. &he system of the balance of

po!er in %urope6 !hich is at present the cause and

preteCt of so many leagues and !ars6 Lrst made

its appearance during the disputes bet!een 1harles

. and (rancis I.

enry III.6 king of %ngland6 !ho6 seeing him-

self bet!een t!o potent rivals6 labored to prevent

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

16/447

each from acKuiring a superiority6 took for his

 &he )ar of DE. @

device an archer6 !ith his bo! bent6 and this motto 7

4 )hom I defend shall be my master " 4 but if enry

held the balance6 it !as !ith an unsteady hand.

enry I. of (rance6 oppressed by the house of

ustria6 !as constantly aided by =ueen %li;abeth6

and the states of olland o!ed their liberty to the

protection of these t!o princes. ,o long as these

three po!ers dreaded the superiority of the house

of ustria6 %ngland and olland continued to be

constant allies of (rance. If this union !as no! and

then !eakened6 it !as never totally destroyed6 their

real interests being so very apparent.

 &he #rotestant states of 2ermany !ere also the

natural friends of (rance6 for ever since the time of

1harles . they had reason to fear that the house

of ustria might make a patrimony of the empire6

and conseKuently oppress them. &he ,!edes !ere

invited into 2ermany by them6 by (rance6 nay6 even

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

17/447

by $ome itself6 !hich stood in a!e of the imperial

authority6 al!ays disputed6 and al!ays prevailing in

Italy. bout the middle of the last century6 %ngland

and olland !ith pleasure beheld the imperial

branch of the house of ustria obliged to give up

usacia to the electors of ,aCony6 the prefecture of

lsace to (rance by the &reaty of :iinster6 and

$oussillon taken by force of arms from the ,panish

branch of that house by ouis >III.

1rom!ell the usurper did not oppose this alli-

ance" for he remained Lrm to the (rench interest6

though he had murdered the brother-in-la! of ouis

io &he )ar of DE.

>III.6 and the uncle of ouis the 2reat. %verybody

almost !ished (rance success against the ustrians6

until ouis >I. became formidable from his con-

Kuests6 !hich he o!ed to his having chosen the

greatest generals and most able ministers of his

time6 as !ell as to the !eakness of his enemies.

In BBD6 he deprived the house of ustria of one-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

18/447

half of (landers6 and of (ranche-1omte the fol-

lo!ing year. It !as no! that the utch6 becoming

of some conseKuence from their courage in !ar6 and

their industry in trade6 no longer dreaded their old

masters6 the ustrians6 and began to entertain some

fears of their ancient protectors6 the (rench. &hey

compelled ouis >I.6 by dint of their negotiations6

to accede to the &reaty of iC-la-1hapelle6 and

boasted of their success.

 &his !as the Lrst occasion of that monarchGs sud-

den invasion of olland in BDH6 in !hich proect

he easily induced 1harles II.6 king of %ngland6 to

concur" !ho not only !anted money6 but had also

some grounds of complaint against olland. e

preferred the chastisement of the utch to the con-

Kuest of (landers6 !hich he might perhaps have

kept6 as he had some claims on that territory" but

%ngland and olland !ere soon after reunited6 and

ever since al!ays opposed the (rench interest. &he

glory and po!er of ouis >I. increased6 and so

in proportion did the number of his enemies.

 &he same system of the balance of po!er so long

opposed against the ustrians !as no! turned

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

19/447

 &he )ar of DE. II

against the (rench. %ver since B@6 )illiam III.6

king of %ngland and stadtholder of olland6 had

been the soul of a party !hich conspired against

(rance6 ,pain6 2ermany6 %ngland6 olland6 and

,avoy" nay even #ope Innocent >I. ouis the

2reat supported himself against all these enemies.

e had6 for a long time6 nearly four hundred thou-

sand men in arms6 and up!ards of one hundred

ships of the line" of !hich6 !hen he came to the

throne6 he had only siC" and though his marine

received such a violent shock at a ogue6 in /@H6

and the India company6 !hich had been established

by the celebrated 1olbert6 !as destroyed" yet he

made a peace at $ys!ick6 neither shameful nor un-

proLtable. &he system of general eKuilibrium6 com-

posed of so many particular vie!s6 produced this

peace6 and engendered a scheme of politics unheard

of before.

 &he last prince of the ustrian branch6 !ho no!

sat on the ,panish throne6 had no children6 and !as

in bad health. &he courts of ondon and &he ague

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

20/447

entered into a compact !ith ouis >I.6 !hom

they did not love6 !hereby6 in conunction !ith him6

they disposed of the ,panish dominions. &hese !ere

shared among several po!ers6 and a part given to

ouis6 for fear he should have put himself in a con-

dition to sei;e the !hole. 1harles II.6 king of ,pain6

resenting such an insult upon his !eakness as that

of dividing his estate even !hile he lived6 named the

H &he )ar of DE.

son of the elector of 3avaria as his heir. &his child

!as a grandson of #hilip III.

 &he choice appeared ust and prudent " the house

of ustria might murmur6 but had it not in its

po!er to avenge itself. &he dissensions !hich must

have inevitably follo!ed from the partition6 !ere

no! no longer to be feared " and the eKuilibrium of

%urope !as preserved7 but this young prince died

three months after his being declared heir to the

,panish succession.

second partition treaty !as then set on foot6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

21/447

!hereby the :ilanese !as given to the house of

orraine6 and the latter territory ceded to (rance6

part of !hich proect !e have seen carried into eCe-

cution.

 &he king of ,pain6 feeling himself dra!ing near

his end6 though in the Mo!er of his age6 proposed to

leave his cro!n to the archduke 1harles6 his !ifeGs

nephe!6 second son of the emperor eopold. ,o

strongly did the system of eKuilibrium predominate6

that he did not dare to leave his dominions to the

eldest son6 being certain that the fear of seeing

,pain6 the Indies6 the empire6 ungary6 3ohemia6

and ombardy united under one prince !ould raise

the rest of %urope in arms. e reKuested the

emperor eopold to send his second son6 1harles6 to

:adrid6 at the head of ten thousand men " but this

proceeding neither (rance6 %ngland6 olland6 nor

Italy !ould have allo!ed6 being all for the parti-

tion. It happened6 in these aJairs of the utmost

 &he )ar of DE. F

importance to the interest of t!o great kings6 as it

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

22/447

often does on very slight occasions in private life"

they had !ords6 and came to an open rupture. &he

2erman pride could not digest the ,panish haughti-

ness " the countess of #elit;6 !ho governed the Kueen

of ,pain6 alienated6 instead of securing6 the aJec-

tions of the people6 !hom she should have attached

to her side" and they !ere still more disgusted by

the arrogance of the court of ienna.

 &he young archduke commonly spoke of the

,paniards in a very disrespectful manner" and

thence !as taught6 that princes should be very cau-

tious ho! they eCpressed themselves. is speeches

!ere transmitted to :adrid6 not !ithout rancor6 by

the bishop of erida6 ambassador from ,pain to the

court of ienna6 !ho !as disgusted !ith the 2er-

mans. e !rote invectives against the ustrian

councils much more bitter than ever the archduke

had thro!n out against the ,paniards. 4 &he dis-

position of eopoldGs ministers64 says he in one of

his letters6 4 resembles the horns of the bulls in my

country" they are little6 hard6 and crooked.4 &his

letter !as made public" the bishop !as recalled6

and6 on his return to :adrid6 increased more than

ever the aversion of the ,paniards against the 2er-

mans. :any triMing matters6 for such !ill al!ays

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

23/447

intermingle themselves among the most important

aJairs6 contributed to bring about the great change

!hich happened in %urope6 and made !ay for that

E &he )ar of DE.

revolution !hereby ,pain and the Indies !as for-

ever lost to the house of ustria.

1ardinal #ortocarero6 and the rest of the ,panish

grandees6 !ho !ere most in favor at court6 united

to prevent the dismembering of the ,panish mon-

archy6 and persuaded 1harles II. to prefer a grand-

son of ouis >I. to a prince very distant from6

and incapable of defending6 them. &his disposition

!as not annulling the solemn renunciation of the

cro!n of ,pain6 !hich had been made by the mother

and !ife of ouis >I.6 because it had been made

only to prevent the t!o kingdoms from being united

under their eldest born6 !ho !as not no! selected.

 &hus ustice !as done to the rights of blood6 at the

same time that the ,panish monarchy !as preserved

entire.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

24/447

 &he king6 !ho !as a scrupulous man6 consulted

the best divines6 and they agreed in opinion !ith his

council. t length6 inLrm as he !as6 he !rote to

#ope Innocent >II.6 stating the case6 and asking his

advice. &he pope6 !ho imagined he sa! the liberty

of Italy established in proportion as the house of

ustria !as !eakened6 advised him in his ans!er to

give the preference to the house of (rance. &he

popeGs letter !as dated 8uly B6 DAA. e !isely

treated the kingGs case of conscience as a matter of

state6 !hile the king himself6 !ho !ith good reason

!as desirous of having ustice on his side6 treated

this very important matter of state as a case of con-

science.

 &he )ar of DE. 5

ouis >I. had notice of this step " the court of

ersailles had no other share in this memorable

event " there !as not then even a (rench ambassador

at :adrid " for :arshal dGarcourt had been recalled

siC months before6 his longer continuance there

being disagreeable6 because of the partition treaty6

!hich (rance seemed ready to support by force of

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

25/447

arms. ll %urope !as mistaken in supposing this

treaty dictated at the court of ersailles. &he eCpir-

ing monarch had consulted only the interest of his

kingdom and the desires of his subects. &his !ill6

!hich caused such an alteration in the aJairs of

%urope6 !as kept so secret that 1ount arrach6 the

imperial ambassador6 still Mattered himself that the

archduke !as the declared successor6 and a!aited

Kuite a !hile the issue of the council assembled

immediately after the kingGs death6 before he !as

undeceived.

 &he duke dGbrantes approached him !ith open

arms" the ambassador no longer doubted of the

archdukeGs being a king6 until he heard the duke

dGbrantes6 as he embraced him6 eCpress himself

thus 7 4 I come from taking leave of the house of

ustria.4

 &hus6 after t!o hundred years spent in !ar and

negotiations about some frontiers of the ,panish

dominions6 (rance sa! herself6 by a stroke of a pen6

put into possession of the !hole monarchy6 !ithout

treaty or cabal6 nay6 !ithout so much as having

hoped for that succession. It has been in some meas-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

26/447

B &he )ar of DE.

tire the custom thus to publish here the plain truth

of a fact hitherto misrepresented by statesmen or

historians6 according as preudices or appearances

misled them. &hat !hich has in so many volumes

been set forth of the sums of money lavished by :ar-

shal dGarcourt6 and his bribing the ,panish min-

isters to come at the !ill6 must be ranked among

political lies and popular errors. &he minister then

at the head of foreign aJairs in (rance has given an

authentic attestation of this truth under his o!n

hand" but the king of ,pain6 in choosing for his

successor the grandson of a king !ho had been so

long his enemy6 had plainly employed his thoughts

on the conseKuences !hich the idea of a general

eKuilibrium must necessarily eCcite.

 &he duke of nou6 grandson of ouis >I.6 had

been called to the succession of ,pain only because

there seemed to be no hope of his ever rising to the

throne of (rance " and the same !ill !hich6 in case

of the failure of princes of the blood of ouis >I.6

beKueathed the cro!n to the archduke 1harles6 after-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

27/447

!ard emperor by the name of 1harles I.6 eCpressly

stipulates that the empire and ,pain should never

be reunited under the same sovereign.

 &hat branch of the house of ustria !hich sat on

the imperial throne6 seeing itself deprived of the

,panish succession6 eCcept as a substitute6 raised

almost all %urope in arms against the house of 3our-

bon. &hat very eopold !ho neither !ould nor

could send ten thousand men into ,pain to secure

 &he )ar of DE. D

the throne to his son6 the archduke6 soon brought

a hundred thousand into the Leld. &he duke of

,avoy6 father-in-la! of the duke of 3urgundy and of

the king of ,pain6 shortly after!ard entered into a

confederacy against his sons-in-la!. %ngland and

olland6 !hich had declared for the archduke6 sus-

tained the chief burden of this long !ar6 until at

length that eKuilibrium !hich had been a preteCt

for so many disputes6 became itself the basis of a

peace. &he very thing happened !hich had been

foreseen by 1harles II. &he archduke6 to !hom

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

28/447

the ,panish monarchy had been provisionally left6

and for !hom a bloody !ar had been kindled6

became emperor in D6 by the death of his elder

brother6 8oseph. &hat faction !hich in %ngland !as

called &ory6 and !hich opposed the )hig adminis-

tration6 made use of this opportunity to dispose

=ueen nne to lavish no more blood and treasure

of the %nglish in a cause !hereby the emperor

1harles I. must acKuire more po!er than ever had

been vested in the hands of 1harles I.6 and by a

continuance6 in !hich she also acted in direct oppo-

sition to the vie!s and real interest of %ngland6 as

!ell as the rest of %urope6 !hich had been appre-

hensive of seeing ,pain and the empire united under

the same cro!ned head. 3ut an incident from !hich

such important conseKuences could never have been

eCpected contributed more than anything else to

bring about the great !ork of peace.

One of the chief causes of the !ill of 1harles II.

ol. FFH

&he )ar of DE.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

29/447

had been the haughtiness of a 2erman lady. &he

peace of %urope !as o!ing to the insolence !ith

!hich an %nglish lady treated =ueen nne. &he

duchess of :arlborough put the Kueen into a violent

passion " so that she lost all patience6 and the &ories

turned the aJair to their o!n advantage. &he Kueen

changed her ministers and her measures. %ngland6

after being so long the bitter enemy of (rance6 !as

the Lrst to conclude a peace !ith her at 9trecht 7

and soon after!ard that very useful victory obtained

by :arshal illars6 at enain6 in the neighborhood

of andrecy6 determined the states of olland and

the emperor 1harles I. to make a general peace.

ouis >I.6 after being persecuted for ten years

by evil fortune6 after having been reduced in DA to

such distress that he !as forced to abandon the

support of his grandson6 and having had the morti-

Lcation to Lnd himself not attended to6 unless he

 oined !ith the allies against his o!n blood6 had

yet at length the satisfaction to see his grandson

Lrmly settled upon the throne of ,pain.

3ut there !as a necessity for dividing this mon-

archy6 !hich had been given to #hilip . only in

hope that it might not be dismembered. 3y the

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

30/447

treaties of $astatt and 3aden6 made in DE6 the

emperor !as to keep all the ustrian 0etherlands6

!ith the duchy of :ilan and kingdom of 0aples6

in spite of that ancient la! !hich provides that this

kingdom shall never be held !ith the empire. 1harles

. had submitted to this la! in receiving the investi-

 &he )ar of DE. @

ture of 0aples from the pope6 before he had assumed

the imperial cro!n. 3ut this po!erful vassal of the

pope found not much diNculty in obtaining a release

from his oath" and 1harles I.6 after!ard eCperi-

enced as much civility from the court of $ome as

1harles . had done.

,icily6 another branch !hich had been lopped from

the ,panish monarchy6 !as then beKueathed to the

duke of ,avoy6 !ho had after!ard ,ardinia in

eCchange for it. t length :inorca and 2ibraltar6

having been taken by the %nglish6 remained to that

nation. 3y this peace the king of #russia !as put in

possession of the 9pper 2uelderland. &he utch

acKuired for their barrier 0amur6 &ournay6 :enin6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

31/447

(urnes6 )arneton6 'pres6 endermonde6 etc. &he

emperor6 besides ceding to them the defence of these

places6 paid them annually t!o million Lve hundred

thousand livres " a convention scarcely to be par-

alleled in history6 that a sovereign should give up

his strong to!ns and his money to his allies6 instead

of garrisoning the places !ith his troops.

 &he elector of 3avaria6 father of him !ho !as

after!ard emperor under the name of 1harles II. 6

and his brother6 the elector of 1ologne6 !ere rein-

stated in their principalities and rights6 !hich they

had lost by siding !ith (rance6 and being unfor-

tunate. &he emperor 8oseph had6 of his o!n author-

ity6 and independent of the consent of the three col-

leges6 put them under the ban of the empire. &hus

vast advantages !ere acKuired by all the potentates.

ao &he )ar of DE.

 &he principal one6 and yet it !as not suNciently

respected6 !as the preservation of mankind. hun-

dred thousand men at least must have been annually

sacriLced in the course of a !ar !herein siC hundred

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

32/447

thousand men !ere constantly in arms on both sides

in Italy6 ,pain6 2ermany6 and (landers. It is an

undoubted truth that in ten yearsG time the southern

parts of %urope had lost above one million men in

the Mo!er of their age.

 &he t!enty years !hich follo!ed the #eace of

9trecht enabled each nation to repair its losses" a

happy series of years6 the felicity of !hich met !ith

very slight interruption. %ngland increased her

trade by the cession made to her by (rance6 of

0e!foundland and cadia6 also by the ssiento con-

tract6 !hich put her in possession of the negro trade

in ,panish merica6 and6 in Lne6 by the liberty !hich

she eCtorted from ,pain of annually sending a ship

to #orto 3ello6 !hereby she carried on an immense

contraband trade.

(rance had above eighteen hundred merchant

ships employed in DEA" !hereas at the time of the

 &reaty of 9trecht6 she had not more than three hun-

dred. er trade and manufactures Mourished.

ne! %ast India company arose out of the ruins of

a system of Lnances !hich in D@ had impoverished

one part of the nation and enriched the other " and

in DH5 it advanced to the government ten millions

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

33/447

of livres6 and !as possessed of thirty-nine millions in

ships6 storehouses6 and merchantable goods. &his

 &he )ar of DE. H

company rebuilt and enlarged the to!n of #ondi-

cherry6 !hich is at present inhabited by a hundred

thousand people6 regularly fortiLed6 and defended

by four hundred and Lfty pieces of canon. &hey

caused the harbor of #ort GOrient in 3rittany to

be cleansed6 and raised the place from a small village

to a trading to!n. &hey !ere possessed of siCty

ships6 from four hundred to eight hundred tons. In

Lne6 during the space of t!enty-eight years they had

been establishing a nursery for seamen6 and a source

of continual abundance " for !hile all the stock pro-

prietors received a considerable interest from the

cultivation of tobacco6 all the proLts of the company

!ere eCpended in making ne! establishments. &hey

could be charged !ith nothing but superMuous

eCpenses6 !hich are strong proofs of !ealth. &he

commerce of the (rench colonies alone produced a

circulation of one hundred millions6 and enriched

the common!ealth by the commodities transported

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

34/447

from one hemisphere to the other. ,ince the year

DH6 some of these colonies have increased double.

lmost every to!n in (rance !as embellished6

and the !hole kingdom !as apparently more popu-

lous6 having6 during this long era6 received no dis-

turbance from foreign !ars. &he falling out bet!een

the duke of Orleans6 then regent6 and ,pain6 in

D6 !as of but short duration6 nor !as it attended

!ith unfortunate conseKuences. It !as not a Kuar-

rel bet!een nation and nation6 but bet!een t!o

princes " in #aris it !as hardly noticed " the people

HH &he )ar of DE.

there attended to nothing but the great game of

stocks6 !hich made and undid so many great for-

tunes.

 &he vie!s of ,pain !ere to recover the provinces

!hich had been rent from her formerly" and this

!as not a time for her to make the attempt. It !as

in vain that her troops made a descent upon the

island of ,ardinia6 !hich then belonged to the

emperor6 and after!ard upon ,icily6 of !hich the

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

35/447

duke of ,avoy had been put in possession by the

#eace of 9trecht. ll the fruit of these armaments

!as that the emperor 1harles I.6 assisted by an

%nglish sKuadron6 and aided even by the regent of

(rance6 sei;ed upon ,icily for himself6 though by the

#eace of 9trecht it had been ceded to the house of

,avoy6 the princes of !hich6 after having been four

years kings of ,icily6 became kings of ,ardinia6

!hich they still hold.

0ever at any time !ere so many negotiations on

foot as no! " never so many treaties " nor so many

 ealousies. &he interest of each nation seemed to

change !ith that of individuals. &he %nglish gov-

ernment6 !hich had been closely united !ith that

ministry !hich during the reign of ouis >I. had

done everything to LC #hilip . upon the throne of

,pain6 no! changed sides 7 matters !ent so far from

follo!ing their natural channel that the court of

:adrid Mung herself into the arms of her rival and

enemy6 the court of ienna6 !ho had so long con*

 &he )ar of DE. HF

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

36/447

tested !ith her the sovereignty of 0aples and lately

deprived her of the island of ,icily.

In short6 this very emperor 1harles I.6 !hose

Lrm intention !as al!ays to prevent the ne! house

of ,pain from having any footing in Italy6 !as so

far prevailed upon6 though of a diJerent inclination6

as to consent that a son of #hilip . and of his sec-

ond !ife6 %li;abeth of #arma6 should be introduced6

!ith siC thousand ,paniards6 into the duchies of

#arma and #lacentia6 though the succession !as not

as yet open" he also gave the eventual investiture

of it6 as !ell as that of the great dukedom of &us-

cany6 by a solemn treaty6 !hich had been long upon

the carpet6 in DH56 to on 1arlos " and he received

t!o hundred thousand ,panish pistoles6 by !ay of

purchase for an engagement !hich !as one day to

cost him so dear. ll the proceedings of this agree-

ment !ere surprising 7 t!o rival houses !ere united

!ithout any conLdence in each other. &he %nglish6

after having done all in their po!er to dethrone

#hilip . and dispossessed him of 2ibraltar and

:inorca6 !hich in spite of ,pain they still keep6 !ere

the mediators of this peace. It !as signed by $ip-

erda6 a utchman6 !ho !as then all-po!erful in

,pain6 and !ho !as disgraced after having signed it.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

37/447

)hile the ,panish branch of the house of 3our-

bon thus increased her dominions by a transient

union !ith her enemy6 she had a misunderstanding

!ith the (rench branch6 in spite of the ties of blood

and inte^tst !hereby they should sooner or later

HE &he )ar of DE.

have been reunited. It !as thus the t!o branches of

the house of ustria had been formerly divided.

(rance6 having at that time oined !ith %ngland6

had no real allies " but in the year DHD things began

to move in their natural channel. &he (rench min-

istry strengthened the bonds of friendship subsist-

ing bet!een the t!o houses of (rance" and that

ministry appearing altogether eKuitable and disin-

terested6 became insensibly the mediators of %urope.

!ar broke out bet!een %ngland and ,pain6

occasioned by a commercial dispute. &he ,paniards

laid siege to 2ibraltar6 before !hich to!n they

!asted their time and their forces6 for the %nglish

had rendered it impregnable. (rance !as the me-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

38/447

diatriC" she saved the honor of the ,paniards by

prevailing on them to raise the siege6 and reconciling

the disputing parties by treaty.

 &he emperor !ould have eluded the promise he

had made of ceding &uscany6 #arma6 and #lacentia

to on 1arlos. &he (rench ministry engaged him

to keep his !ord 7 they also artfully prevailed upon

the %nglish6 though avo!ed enemies to the grandeur

of the house of 3ourbon6 to transport siC thousand

,paniards into Italy6 thereby to secure to on 1arlos

his ne! territory" and6 in Lne6 that prince !as

shortly after conveyed thither6 together !ith his

troops6 by an %nglish Meet. In DF he !as ackno!l-

edged sovereign of #arma6 and heir to the dukedom

of &uscany. &he great duke of (lorence6 the last

of the :edici family6 accepted an heir6 !hich had

 &he )ar of DE. H5

been given him !ithout his having been once con-

sulted.

,ome time before6 the (rench ministry had deter-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

39/447

mined the emperor in his resolution of suppressing

the %ast India 1ompany6 !hich had been established

at Ostend. It !as the interest of all trading nations6

!hereof (rance !as not then the least considerable.

,he enoyed the serene glory of making up all dif-

ferences bet!een her neighbors6 !hen the death of

ugustus II.6 king of #oland6 gave a total change to

the aJairs of %urope. 1ardinal (leury6 then nearly

fourscore years of age6 made it his !hole study to

preserve this happy peace to (rance6 and to all

%urope. is turn of mind6 his character6 his time of

life6 and his glory6 !hich !as founded in modera-

tion6 all rendered him averse to !ar. )alpole6 the

prime minister of %ngland6 !as eCactly of the same

!ay of thinking7 ,pain !as possessed of all she

had reKuired. &he 0orth !as in profound peace6

!hen the death of ugustus II.6 king of #oland6

replunged %urope into that series of misfortunes

from !hich she is rarely eCempt for ten years

together.

+ing ,tanislaus6 father-in-la! of ouis >.6

already nominated to the cro!n of #oland in DAE6

had been chosen in the most legal and solemn man-

ner " but the emperor 1harles I. obliged the states

to proceed to another election6 !hich !as supported

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

40/447

by the Imperial and $ussian arms. &he son of the

late king of #oland6 elector of ,aCony6 and nephe!

HB &he )ar of DE.

of 1harles I.6 carried it from his competitor. &hus

the house of ustria6 !hich had found itself unable

to keep ,pain and the )est Indies6 !as yet suN-

ciently strong to !rest #oland from the father-

in-la! of ouis >. (rance sa! the same acci-

dent repeated !hich had happened to #rince

rmand de 1onti6 !ho though solemnly elected6 yet

being !ithout money and troops6 and little better

recommended than supported6 lost that kingdom6 to

!hich he had been called by the voice of the people.

+ing ,tanislaus !ent to ant;ic to support his elec-

tion" but the maority by !hom he had been chosen

soon allo!ed themselves to be borne do!n by the

minority that !ere against him. &his country6 !here

the people are enslaved " !here the nobility sell their

votes " !here there is never money enough in the

public treasury to maintain an army " !here the la!s

are !ithout vigor" !here their liberty is only pro-

ductive of divisions " this same country6 I say6 boasts

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

41/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

42/447

incline to ha;ard any large number of troops in his

defence. e therefore Ltted out a sKuadron6 on

board of !hich !ere embarked Lfteen hundred men

commanded by a brigadier. &his oNcer did not look

upon his commission in a serious light" so that6

 udging6 as he approached ant;ic6 that he should

only sacriLce his little army6 !ithout reaping any

advantage6 he retired into enmark.

1ount de #lelo6 ambassador from (rance to the

king of enmark6 beheld !ith indignation a retreat

!hich seemed so mortifying to the nation. e !as

a young man6 !ell versed in polite learning and

philosophy6 inspired !ith sentiments of a heroic

nature6 and deserving of a better fate. e resolved

to succor ant;ic !ith this small force against a

po!erful army6 or to die in the attempt. 3efore he

embarked6 he !rote a letter to 1ount de :aurepas6

the minister of state6 !hich concluded thus 7 4I am

certain I shall never return" to you I recommend

my !ife and children.4 e arrived before ant;ic6

landed his men6 and attacked the $ussian army. e

H &he )ar of DE.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

43/447

fell in the Leld6 as he had predicted6 covered !ith

!ounds " and those of his follo!ers that !ere not

killed !ere made prisoners of !ar. is letter6 !hich

!as very aJecting6 and the account of his death6

reached #aris together. It dre! tears from the eyes

of the !hole council 7 he !as unanimously admired

and lamented. I remember6 some time after6 !hen

his !ido! appeared !ith her children in the public

!alks6 the multitude gathered round !ith acclama-

tions of tenderness6 fully eCpressive of the venera-

tion in !hich they held his memory.

ant;ic !as taken 7 the ambassador from (rance

and #oland6 !ho !as then in the place6 !as made

prisoner of !ar6 !ithout any respect being paid to

the privileges of his character. +ing ,tanislaus

escaped6 but not !ithout inLnite danger6 and by

means of more disguises than one" after having

seen a price set by the :uscovite general upon his

head6 in a free country6 of !hich he !as a native6

and in the heart of a nation to the rule of !hich he

had been every !ay legally elected.

 &he (rench ministry had totally lost that reputa-

tion so necessary to the support of grandeur6 had

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

44/447

they not avenged such an insult" but that insult

!ould have been ill-timed6 if not advantageous.

 &heir distance from each other prevented the :us-

covites from feeling the indignation of (rance " and

policy directed it should be turned against the

emperor6 !hich !as eJectually done in 2ermany and

Italy.

 &he )ar of DE. H@

(rance entered into alliance !ith ,pain and ,ar-

dinia. &hese three po!ers had diJerent interests6

but all united in the one point of !eakening the

house of ustria. &he dukes of ,avoy had been

a long time increasing their dominions by slo!

degrees " sometimes by hiring troops to the emper-

ors6 and sometimes by declaring against them. +ing

1harles %manuel had his eye upon the :ilanese6 and

it had been promised him by the ministries of er-

sailles and of :adrid. #hilip . of ,pain6 or6 more

properly speaking6 his spouse6 %li;abeth of #arma6

had hoped for some better establishment for her

children than #arma and #lacentia. &he king of

(rance had no advantage in vie! but his o!n glory6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

45/447

the humbling of his enemies6 and the triumph of his

allies. 0obody then foresa! that orraine !ould

be the fruit of this !ar. )e are almost al!ays

guided by events6 !hereef !e seldom have the direc-

tion. 0ever !as any negotiation brought to so

Kuick a conclusion as that !hich united these three

monarchs. %ngland and olland6 !hich had been

generally accustomed to side !ith ustria against

(rance6 forsook her upon this occasion. &his !as

the eJect of that character for eKuity and modera-

tion !hich the court of (rance had acKuired. It

!as o!ing to the notion conceived by her natural

enemies6 that her vie!s !ere purely paciLc and free

from all ambitious vie!s6 that they kept Kuiet6 even

!hile she !as at !ar. 0othing could have done

more honor to 1ardinal (leury than his being able to

 o &he )ar of DE.

persuade the diJerent po!ers that (rance might

!age !ar against the emperor !ithout endangering

the liberties of %urope 7 therefore they looked Kuietly

upon the rapid success of the (rench arms. &hey

!ere masters of the $hine6 and conunctively !ith

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

46/447

,pain and ,avoy ruled in Italy6 !here :arshal il-

lars died at the age of eighty-four6 after having taken

:ilan. is successor6 :arshal 1oigni6 obtained t!o

victories6 !hile the ,panish general6 the duke de

:ontemar6 gained a battle at 3itonto in the king-

dom of 0aples6 !hence he acKuired a ne! surname.

on 1arlos6 !ho had been ackno!ledged heir to

 &uscany6 !as soon declared king of 0aples. &hus

did the emperor lose almost all Italy by having given

a king to #oland " and a son of the king of ,pain !as

in t!o campaigns secured in possession of the t!o

,icilies " kingdoms !hich had been so often taken

and retaken6 and !hich6 for t!o centuries past6 had

been al!ays claimed by the house of ustria.

 &his !ar in Italy is the only one !hich !as termi-

nated !ith any solid success to the (rench since the

time of 1harlemagne. &here !as this reason for

it 7 the guardian of the lps6 no! become the most

po!erful prince in these territories6 !as on their

side7 they !ere assisted by the best troops in the

service of the cro!n of ,pain6 and their armies !ere

al!ays !ell supplied. &he emperor !as then glad

to subscribe to such terms of peace as !ere oJered

him by victorious (rance. 1ardinal (leury6 !ho

had !isdom enough to prevent %ngland and oi-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

47/447

 &he )ar of DE . F

land from taking part in the !ar6 had also the sat-

isfaction of seeing it brought to a happy issue !ith-

out their interposition.

3y this peace on 1arlos !as ackno!ledged king

of 0aples and the t!o ,icilies. %urope had been

long accustomed to see kingdoms given a!ay and

eCchanged. &he inheritance of the house of :edici6

!hich had been formerly a!arded to on 1arlos6

!as no! made over to (rancis6 duke of orraine6 the

emperorGs intended son-in-la!. &he last grand duke

of &uscany asked6 upon his death-bed6 if they did not

intend him a third heir6 and !hat child it pleased the

empire and (rance to make for him. 0ot that the

grand duchy of &uscany looked upon itself as a Lef

of the empire " but the emperor regarded it as such6

as !ell as #arma and #lacentia6 !hich had been

al!ays claimed by the holy see6 to !hich the last

duke of #arma had paid homage" so much do the

rights of princes change !ith the times. 3y this

peace the duchies of #arma and #lacentia6 !hich

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

48/447

!ere the birthright of on 1arlos6 son of #hilip .

and a princess of #arma6 !ere yielded as his property

to the emperor 1harles I.

 &he king of ,ardinia6 duke of ,avoy6 !ho had laid

his account in having the :ilanese6 to !hich his fam-

ily6 !hich had gradually aggrandi;ed itself6 had

some old pretensions6 obtained only a small share of

it the 0ovarese6 the &ortonese6 and the Lefs of

anghes" he derived his claim to this dukedom

from a daughter of #hilip II.6 king of ,pain6 his

FH &he )ar of DE.

ancestor. (rance had also some old pretensions

descended to them from ouis >II.6 the natural heir

of the duchy. #hilip . like!ise had his claims

founded upon the enfeoJments rene!ed to four

kings of ,pain6 his predecessors " but these preten-

sions yielded to convenience and public advantage.

 &he emperor kept possession of the :ilanese6 not-

!ithstanding the general la! of the Lefs of the

empire6 !hich enoins that the emperor should

al!ays grant the investiture of them6 as lord para-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

49/447

mount " other!ise he might6 in process of time6 s!al-

lo! up all the feudal dependencies of his cro!n.

3y this treaty +ing ,tanislaus renounced the king-

dom to !hich he had been t!ice elected6 and in the

possession of !hich his friends could not preserve

him. e retained the title of king" but he !anted

a more solid indemnity " an indemnity more advan-

tageous to (rance than to himself. 1ardinal (leury

seemed at that time contented !ith the duchy of

3ar6 !hich !as yielded to ,tanislaus by the duke

of orraine6 and the reversion to the cro!n of

(rance" but the then reigning duke of orraine

!as not to yield up his duchy till put in full posses-

sion of &uscany. &hus the giving up of orraine

depended upon many casualties " and very little proLt

arose from the greatest success and most favorable

conunctures. &he cardinal !as encouraged to make

his o!n use of these advantages 7 he demanded or-

raine upon the same terms !ith the duchy of 3ar6

and he obtained it" it only cost him a little ready

 &he )ar of DE. FF

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

50/447

money6 and a pension of four million Lve hundred

thousand livres granted to (rancis until the duchy

of &uscany should devolve to him. &hus the reunion

of orraine !ith (rance6 !hich had before been so

often tried in vain6 !as irrecoverably completed. 3y

this proceeding a #olish king !as transplanted into

orraine6 the reigning dukes of orraine !ere

removed into &uscany6 and a second son of ,pain

mounted the throne of 0aples. &he medal of &raan

thus inscribed6 4 $egna assignata64 4 kingdoms dis-

posed of64 might have been rene!ed by (rance.

 &he emperor 1harles I. thought he had gained

considerably by this treaty 7 he had been laboring ever

since the year DF to engage all the states of the

empire6 and the princes6 his neighbors6 to guarantee

the indivisible possession of his hereditary dominions

to his eldest daughter6 :aria &heresa6 !ho had been

married to the duke of orraine6 grand duke of &us-

cany6 in DFB. &he emperor hoped to see his almost

eCpiring race revived in the person of his eldest

daughterGs son6 !hich son might preserve the patri-

mony of the house of ustria6 and reoin it to the

empire. )ith this vie! he had contributed to raise

the elector of ,aCony6 !ho had married one of his

nieces6 to the throne of #oland by force of arms "

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

51/447

and procured the guaranty of that famous act of

succession6 entitled 4 &he 1aroline #ragmatic ,anc-

tion.4 It !as guaranteed by %ngland6 olland6

$ussia6 enmark6 and the states of the empire" he

even Mattered himself that he should obtain an eKuiv-

ol. FFF

FE &he )ar of DE.

alent to a formal acceptation from the elector of

3avaria6 !hich elector !as on that account to inter-

marry !ith his niece6 daughter of the emperor

 8oseph. In short6 he thought he had secured every-

thing6 !hen he had obtained the guaranty of (rance "

although #rince %ugene6 a little before his death6

had told him he should have an army of t!o hun-

dred thousand soldiers6 and no guaranty.

e pressed the (rench ministry6 ho!ever6 to

assure6 by treaty6 the order established in the us-

trian succession" and they consented. &he elector

of 3avaria6 !ho imagined he had la!ful claims upon

the ustrian succession6 in preudice to the daugh-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

52/447

ters of 1harles I.6 also entreated the protection of

the court of (rance6 !hich !as at that time of suf-

Lcient !eight to settle all their rights. &hat min-

istry6 in DFD6 gave the emperor to understand that

by this guaranty nothing !as intended that could

inure the pretensions of the house of 3avaria " and

they reminded him6 that in DFH6 !hen he prevailed

upon the states of the empire to accede to this #rag-

matic ,anction6 he had formally declared he !ould

not preudice the rights of any person !hatever.

 &hey entreated him to do ustice to the house of

3avaria6 and their remonstrances !ere for that time

made in secret. &hose sparks6 !hich !ere so soon

to cause a most dreadful combustion6 !ere no!

concealed beneath the embers.

ll the princes of 1hristendom !ere at peace6 if

!e eCcept the disputes ust kindling bet!een ,pain

 &he )ar of DE. F5

and %ngland about their merican commerce. &he

court of (rance !as still looked upon as the general

arbitrator of %urope.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

53/447

 &he emperor6 !ithout consulting the empire6 made

!ar upon the &urks. It !as unfortunate for him "

but the mediation of (rance saved him on the very

brink of the precipice to !hich he had been driven.

:. illeneuve6 her ambassador to the #orte6 !ent to

ungary6 and in DF@ concluded a peace !ith the

grand vi;ier6 of !hich his imperial maesty stood in

much need.

lmost at the same time (rance restored peace to

the republic of 2enoa6 menaced !ith a civil !ar 7 she

like!ise subdued and tempered the 1orsicans6 !ho

had thro!n oJ the 2enoese yoke. &he island of

1orsica6 !hich had long since assumed the title of a

kingdom6 had submitted6 about the end of the thir-

teenth century6 to the 2enoese " a richer people6 but

less !arlike. &he 1orsicans6 !ho !ere al!ays

intractable6 !ere no! in open rebellion6 under pre-

tence of their being oppressed 7 their last insurrec-

tion had continued ever since DH5. 2erman6 a

native of the county of :arck6 called &heodore de

0euhoJ6 having travelled all over %urope in search

of adventures6 chanced to be at eghorn in DFB7

he held a correspondence !ith the malcontents6 and

oJered them his service. 3eing employed by them

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

54/447

for that purpose6 he embarked for &unis6 and

returned to 1orsica !ith a reinforcement of arms6

ammunition6 and money " !hereupon he !as declared

FB &he )ar of DE.

king " he !as cro!ned !ith a laurel !reath6 ackno!l-

edged by the !hole island6 and carried on the !ar.

 &he 2enoese senate set a price upon his head " but

being neither able to procure his assassination6 nor

yet to reduce the 1orsicans6 implored the emperorGs

protection. s this appeared a dangerous step6

because the emperor6 looking upon himself as lord

paramount of Italy6 !ould have set himself up as

supreme udge bet!een 2enoa and the rebels6 the

senate had then recourse to (rance6 !ho sent into

that island successively 1ount de 3oissieuC6 and the

marKuis de :aillebois6 after!ard a marshal of

(rance. &heodore !as driven out of the island6 the

malcontents Kuieted6 at least for a!hile6 and all

things !ere peaceably settled.

)hile (rance !as interposing her good oNces

bet!een the 2enoese and 1orsicans6 she !as doing

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

55/447

the same for ,pain and %ngland6 !ho !ere ust

embarking in a sea !ar6 much more destructive than

the claims about !hich they had Kuarrelled !ere

valuable. In DF56 (rance had employed herself in

settling the disputes bet!een ,pain and #ortugal"

none of her neighbors had any right to complain of

her " all nations looked upon her as their mediatriC

and common parent.

 &he )ar of DE. FD

1#&%$ II.

1$%, I. I%,7 (O9$ #O)%$, I,#9&% (O$ &%

,911%,,IO0 &% =9%%0 O( 902$' 1+0O)-

%2% I0 %$ %$%I&$' O:I0IO0, -,I%,I

,%I

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

56/447

archGs death !as occasioned by overeating himself

at an entertainment. It !as accident that brought

him to the grave6 and reduced the empire to the

brink of destruction. s the death of the king of

#oland6 ugustus II.6 had caused great disturbances6

it is evident that that of 1harles I.6 the last prince

of the house of ustria6 must have produced far

greater revolutions. In the Lrst place6 Italy eCpected

to become independent6 a condition to !hich it had

long aspired. ,everal principalities6 !hich !ere

looked upon as Lefs of the empire6 disclaimed this

subection. $ome especially6 plundered by 1harles

.6 severely treated by his successors6 oppressed and

Meeced by 8oseph6 brother of 1harles I.6 no! Mat-

tered herself !ith the hope of being delivered from

the pretensions of the 2erman emperors6 !ho6 ever

since Otho 6 have imagined themselves successors

to the rights of the ancient 1aesars " and6 indeed6 the

2erman chancery looks upon the other kingdoms of

F &he )ar of DE.

%urope as provinces severed from the empire. In

their protocol they give the title of :aesty to no

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

57/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

58/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

59/447

Lrst brother of 1harles . 3y this !ill6 (erdinand6

in default of male issue6 named his eldest daughter6

the archduchess nne6 !edded to a duke of 3avaria6

heiress to his dominions. (rom her the elector

1harles !as descended " and as there !ere no male

heirs left of the house of ustria6 he claimed to

inherit in right of his fourth ancestor.

$ights of a more recent nature !ere alleged by

ugustus III.6 king of #oland and elector of ,aC-

ony " these !ere the rights of his !ife6 eldest daugh-

ter of the emperor 8oseph6 the elder brother of

1harles I. If :aria &heresa looked upon the

#ragmatic ,anction as a sacred and inviolable la!6

the archduchess6 Kueen of #oland6 had another #rag-

EO &he )ar of DE.

matic ,anction previously regulated in her favor by

the father of 8oseph and of 1harles. It had been

settled6 in DAF6 that the daughter of 8oseph should

inherit preferably to the daughter of the younger

brother6 1harles I.6 in case her t!o brothers should

die !ithout male issue. fter 1harles mounted the

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

60/447

imperial throne6 he abolished this sanction" there-

fore6 after his death6 they might set aside that !hich

he had made. is brotherGs daughters had been in

his po!er6 nor did he marry them till he made them

renounce their rights 7 but a renunciation of such a

nature must be considered as compulsory6 and con-

seKuently illegal. On every side they pleaded rights

of blood6 testamentary dispositions6 family com-

pacts6 the la!s of 2ermany6 and the la! of nations.

 &he king of ,pain eCtended his pretensions to the

!hole succession of the house of ustria6 deriving

his right from a !ife of #hilip II.6 daughter of the

emperor :aCimilian II.6 a princess from !hom

#hilip . !as descended by the female line. It !as

indeed an eCtraordinary revolution in the aJairs of

%urope6 to see the house of 3ourbon laying claim to

the !hole inheritance of the house of ustria. ouis

>. might have pretended to this succession by as

 ust a title as any other prince6 since he !as

descended in a direct line from the eldest male

branch of the house of ustria6 by the !ife of

ouis >III. and like!ise by the !ife of ouis >I.6

but it !as his business to act rather as an arbitrator

and protector6 than as a competitor" for by that

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

61/447

 &he )ar of DE - E*

means he had it in his po!er to determine the fate

of this succession6 and of the imperial throne6 in

concert !ith one-half of %urope " !hereas6 had he

entered the lists as a pretender6 he !ould have had

all %urope against him. &his cause of so many

cro!ned heads !as published by public memorials

in every part of the 1hristian !orld " there !as not

a prince6 nor hardly a private person6 !ho did not

interest himself in the dispute " and nothing less !as

apprehended than a general !ar. 3ut ho! greatly

!as human policy confounded6 !hen a storm arose

from a Kuarter !here nobody eCpected it

In the beginning of this century6 the emperor

eopold6 availing himself of the right !hich the

2erman emperors had constantly attributed to them-

selves of creating kings6 erected ducal #russia into

a kingdom6 in DA6 in favor of (rederick )illiam6

elector of 3randenburg. t that time #russia !as

only a large desert" but (rederick )illiam II.6 its

second king6 pursued a plan of politics diJerent

from most of the princes of his time 7 he spent above

Lve millions of livres in clearing the lands that !ere

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

62/447

incumbered !ith !ood6 in building to!ns6 and in

Llling them !ith inhabitants 7 he sent for families

from ,uabia and (ranconia 7 he brought more than

siCteen thousand men from ,al;burg6 and furnished

them !ith all necessary implements of labor. In this

manner6 by forming a ne! state6 and by eCtraordi-

nary economy6 he created6 as it !ere6 a po!er of

another kind7 he laid up constantly about siCty

EH &he )ar of DE.

thousand 2erman cro!ns6 !hich6 in a reign of

t!enty-eight years6 amounted to an immense treas-

ure 7 !hat he did not put into his coJers he spent in

raising and maintaining eighty thousand men6 !hom

he taught a ne! kind of discipline6 though he did not

employ them in the Leld 7 but his son6 (rederick III.6

made a proper use of his fatherGs preparatives 7

ererybody kne! that this young prince6 having been

in disgrace in his fatherGs reign6 had devoted all his

leisure hours to the culture of his mind6 and to

improving those eCtraordinary talents !ith !hich

he had been blessed by nature. &hose talents6 !hich

indeed !ould have highly graced a private subect6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

63/447

the public sa! and admired " but neither his political

nor military abilities !ere yet perceived" so that

the house of ustria entertained no more distrust of

him than of the late king of #russia.

e came to the cro!n three months before the suc-

cession of the house of ustria and of the empire

!as open7 he foresa! the general confusion" and6

on the emperorGs decease6 he did not lose a moment6

but marched his army directly into ,ilesia6 one of the

richest provinces !hich the daughter of 1harles I.

possessed in 2ermany. e laid claim to four duchies6

!hich his ancestors had formerly held by purchases6

or by family compacts. is predecessors had repeat-

edly and solemnly renounced all pretensions thereto6

because they !ere not in a condition to make them

good" but6 as the present king had po!er in his

hands6 he !as resolved to reclaim them.

 &he )ar of DE. EF

(rance6 ,pain6 3avaria6 and ,aCony !ere all no!

busy about the election of an emperor. &he elector

of 3avaria solicited (rance to procure him at least

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

64/447

a share of the ustrian succession. e pretended6

indeed6 a title to the !hole inheritance in his !rit-

ings6 but he dared not demand the !hole by his

ministers. :aria &heresa6 ho!ever6 the great duke

of &uscanyGs spouse6 immediately took possession

of all the dominions !hich had been left her by her

father6 and received the homages of the states of

ustria at ienna6 on 0ov. D6 DEA. 3ohemia6 and

the provinces of Italy presented their testimonies of

allegiance by their deputies. 3ut she particularly

gained the aJections of the ungarians by consent-

ing to take the ancient coronation oath of +ing

ndre! II.6 made in HHH6 and couched in these

terms 7 4 If I or any of my successors shall6 at any

time !hatever6 violate your privileges6 be it per-

mitted6 in virtue of this promise6 both to you and

your descendants6 to defend yourselves !ithout being

liable to be treated as rebels.4

 &he greater the aversion !hich the ancestors of

the archduchess-Kueen had al!ays sho!n to the per-

formance of such engagements6 the more this pru-

dent step endeared her to the ungarians. &his

people6 !ho had so often attempted to shake oJ

the ustrian yoke6 embraced that of :aria &heresa "

and after they had been t!o hundred years engaged

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

65/447

in seditions6 Kuarrels6 and civil !ars they suddenly

began to adore their sovereign. &he Kueen !as not

EE &he )ar of DE.

cro!ned till some months after6 !hich ceremony

!as performed at #resburg6 on 8une HE6 DE " yet

her authority !as not the less complete7 she had

already gained the hearts of the !hole nation by that

popular aJability !hich her ancestors had seldom

practised" and she had laid aside that ceremonious

and fastidious air !hich is apt to render princes odi-

ous6 !ithout procuring them any greater respect.

er aunt6 the archduchess6 governess of the 0ether-

lands6 never admitted anybody to eat at her table"

the niece admitted to hers all her ladies and oNcers

of distinction " the deputies of the states !ere at lib-

erty freely to address her " she never refused audi-

ence6 nor suJered anybody to depart from her dis-

contented.

er Lrst care !as to secure to the grand duke6 her

husband6 a partnership of her cro!ns6 under the

name of co-regent6 !ithout diminishing her sover-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

66/447

eignty6 or violating the #ragmatic ,anction. ,he

mentioned it to the states of ustria the very day

she received their oath6 and soon after she compassed

her design. &his princess Mattered herself in these

beginnings6 that the dignities !ith !hich she

adorned her husband !ould have smoothed his !ay

to the imperial throne " but she had no money6 and

her troops !ere greatly diminished and dispersed in

the diJerent parts of her vast dominions.

 &he king of #russia proposed to her6 at Lrst6 that

she should yield o!er ,ilesia to him " and6 in that

case6 he oJered her his !hole credit6 his assistance6

 &he )ar of DE. E5

his arms6 !ith Lve millions of (rench livres6 and

also to guarantee the remainder of her dominions6

and to settle the imperial cro!n upon her husband.

 &he most eCperienced statesmen foresa! that6 if the

Kueen of ungary refused such oJers6 2ermany

must be thro!n into a total confusion " but the blood

of so many emperors !hich Mo!ed through the

veins of this princess6 !ould not suJer her even to

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

67/447

think of dismembering her patrimony7 she !as

!eak6 but intrepid " numbers of ustrians6 !ho sa!

only the out!ard grandeur6 but not the imbecility6

of the court of ienna6 haughtily pronounced that

the elector of 3randenburg !ould be put under the

ban of the empire in siC months. %ven the ministers

of this prince !ere frightened at the sound of the

ustrian name " but the king6 !ho sa! plainly that

this po!er !as at that time no more than a name6

and that the state in !hich %urope then !as6 !ould

infallibly procure him allies6 marched his army into

,ilesia in the month of ecember DEA. &hey !anted

to put this device on his standards6 4#ro eo P

#atria" 4 but he struck out 4#ro eo4 saying that

it !as improper thus to intermiC the name of 2od

!ith the Kuarrels of men " and that his dispute !as

concerning a province6 and not concerning religion.

e ordered the $oman eagle in relief to be LCed on

the top of a gilded staJ6 and borne before his regi-

ment of guards6 a step !hich carried !ith it the

appearance of his being necessarily invincible. e

harangued his army6 endeavoring in every respect to

EB &he )ar of DE.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

68/447

resemble the ancient $omans. %ntering ,ilesia6 he

made himself master of almost the !hole province6

of !hich they had refused him a part " but nothing

as yet !as decided.

:arshal 0^euperg marched an army of about

t!enty-four thousand ustrians to the relief of the

invaded province" and the king of #russia found

himself under the necessity of coming to an engage-

ment at :ol!it;6 near the river 0eisse. &hen it !as

that the #russian infantry sho!ed !hat they !ere

able to perform 7 the kingGs cavalry6 less strong by

half than the ustrian6 !as entirely broken " the Lrst

line of his infantry !as taken in Mank" the battle

!as thought to be lost " all the kingGs baggage !as

pillaged6 and this prince6 in danger of being taken6

!as carried a!ay by the cro!d that surrounded him "

but his second line of infantry set everything again

to rights6 by that unshaken discipline to !hich they

are so !ell accustomed " by their incessant Lre6 !hich

is at least Lve times repeated in a minute6 and by

LCing their bayonets to their muskets in a moment.

 &hey gained the victory and this event became the

signal of a universal combustion.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

69/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

70/447

lost all by befriending her against the house of us-

tria. fter the battle of ochstadt6 this very 1harles

lbert6 elector of 3avaria6 then in his infancy6 !as

made prisoner by the ustrians6 !ho stripped him

even of his name of 3avaria. (rance found her

account in avenging him. It seemed easy to procure

for him at one and the same time the empire and a

part of the ustrian succession. &his !as a step

by !hich the ne! house of ustria-orraine !ould

be deprived of that superiority !hich the old one

aJected to have over the other princes of %urope"

it also abolished the old rivalry subsisting bet!een

E &he )ar of DE.

the dependents of 3ourbon and ustria " nay6 it !as

doing more than ever enry I. or 1ardinal $iche-

lieu had hoped to compass.

 &his revolution6 the foundation of !hich !as

not yet laid6 !as foreseen in the very beginning by

(rederick III. of #russia6 on his setting out for

,ilesia7 it is so true that he had not concerted any

measures !ith 1ardinal (leury6 that :arKuis de

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

71/447

3eauveau6 !ho !as then at 3erlin6 !hither he had

been sent to compliment (rederick on his accession

in the name of (rance6 kne! not6 on the Lrst motion

of the #russian troops6 !hether they !ere destined

against (rance or ustria. +ing (rederick said to

him6 on the point of his setting out 7 4 I believe I am

going to play your game " if I thro! aces6 !e !ill

divide.4 &his !as the sole beginning of a negotia-

tion then at a distance.

 &he (rench ministry hesitated for some time.

1ardinal (leury6 then in his eighty-Lfth year6 !as

fearful of staking his reputation6 his old age6 and his

country6 on the ha;ard of a ne! !ar. &he #rag-

matic ,anction6 to !hich he had acceded6 and !hich

he had authentically guaranteed6 restrained him " yet

he might have been encouraged to it by former

treaties !ith 3avaria. It is certain that this !ar6 at

!hich they after!ard so !armly inveighed6 !as

loudly demanded by #aris and ersailles. I heard

a man of great distinction say 7 4 1ardinal $ichelieu

pulled do!n the house of ustria6 and 1ardinal

(leury !ill6 if he can6 erect a ne! one.4 &hese

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

72/447

 &he )ar of DE. E@

!ords !ere carried to the ministerGs ears6 and piKued

him sensibly" nor did he give up the grand point

until he found it impossible longer to oppose those

!ho !ere carrying it into eCecution. bout the end

of ecember6 the cardinal gave instructions to the

count de 3elle-Isle to prepare a plan for negotiating

in the empire the means of carrying on a !ar to

LC the elector of 3avaria in the imperial throne6

and secure to him part of the ustrian succession.

 &he count demanded eight days to consider it6 and

then produced his scheme6 of !hich he caused three

copies to be made out6 one of !hich !as for the car-

dinal6 another for the department of foreign aJairs6

and the third for himself.

If there could be any dependence on the designs

of men6 never did the eCecution of any proect

appear more certain. &he count6 after!ards duke de

3elle-Isle6 demanded6 that before the month of 8une

Lfty thousand (rench should have passed the $hine6

marching to!ards the anube. e insisted that in

this army there should be at least t!enty thousand

cavalry. e entered6 as !as al!ays his custom6 into

a long detail about the means of marching and sub-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

73/447

sisting these troops " and repeated in every page6 that

he !ould rather do nothing than do things by halves.

 &hey had nearly siC months to prepare for a revolu-

tion6 !hich the king of #russia had already begun in

the midst of !inter. ,aCony seemed disposed to

 oin !ith (rance and #russia " the king of %ngland6

elector of anover6 !as to have been compelled to a

ol. FF-E

5A &he )ar of DE.

neutrality by an army of forty thousand men in

readiness to enter his 2erman dominions on the side

of )estphalia " !hile 3elle-IsleGs army !as to have

seconded ,aCony6 #russia6 and 3avaria6 by advanc-

ing to!ard the anube. &he elector of 1ologne

also attached himself to this interest6 being that of

his brother6 the intended emperor. &he old elector

palatine6 !ho should have obtained for his heirs the

king of #russiaGs renunciation of his rights to the

duchies of 8uliers and 3ergues6 and this under the

protection of (rance6 !as more than all the rest

desirous of seeing 3avaria mount the imperial

throne. %verything united to favor his election7

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

74/447

he !as to be assisted in sei;ing upon ustrian ,ua-

bia and 3ohemia" for the imperial dignity alone

!ould have been !orth but little. &his alliance !as

to oin ,pain6 in order to put on #hilip6 son of

#hilip .6 and nearly related to 4ouis >.6 in posses-

sion of #arma and the :ilanese. In a !ord6 in DE6

they !anted in a part of %urope6 as they had done

in DFB6 to make a partition of the empire. &he

same thing had been meditated by %ngland and ol-

land6 conointly !ith (rance6 some time before the

death of 1harles II.6 king of ,pain.

:arshal 3elle-Isle !as sent to the king of #rus-

siaGs camp at (rankfort6 and to resden6 to settle the

vast proects !hich6 from the concurrence of so many

princes6 seemed infallible. e in everything agreed

!ith that august monarch6 !ho6 !riting of him6

says 7 4 I never sa! an abler man6 !hether in council

 &he )ar of DE . 5

or the Leld.4 e !ent from him into ,aCony6 and

gained there such an ascendency over the king of

#oland6 elector of ,aCony6 that he marched his

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

75/447

troops before the signing of the treaty. &he mar-

shal negotiated every!here in 2ermany" he !as

the life and soul of that body6 !hich !as con-

certing means of besto!ing empire and hereditary

honors upon a prince !ho could do nothing of him-

self. (rance gave at one and the same time to the

elector of 3avaria money6 allies6 votes6 and armies.

e had promised t!enty-eight thousand of his o!n

troops6 yet could scarcely furnish t!elve thousand6

though assisted !ith (rench money. &he king sent

the army he had promised him " and by letters-pat-

ent created him his general6 !hom he !as about to

give as head to the empire.

 &he elector of 3avaria6 thus strengthened6 easily

penetrated into ustria6 !hile :aria &heresa !as

scarcely able to oppose the king of #russia. e soon

made himself master of #assau6 an imperial city

governed by its bishop. &his place separates 9pper

ustria from 3avaria. e advanced as far as int;6

the capital of 9pper ustria6 and some of his

parties skirmished !ithin three leagues of ienna.

 &he alarm spread6 and thre! that city into con-

fusion " they prepared as Kuickly as possible against

a siege" one !hole suburb6 and a palace bordering

on the fortiLcations !ere entirely destroyed" the

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

76/447

anube !as covered !ith vessels laden !ith valuable

eJects6 !hich !ere removing to places of greater

5H &he )ar of DE .

security. &he elector of 3avaria even sent a sum-

mons to 1ount +hevenhuller6 governor of ienna.

%ngland and olland !ere at that time far from

holding in their hands that balance to !hich they had

so long pretended. &he states-general vie!ed in

silence :arshal :ailleboisGs army6 !hich !as then in

)estphalia " as did also the king of %ngland6 !ho

!as in some fears for the safety of his anoverian

dominions6 !here he then resided. e had raised

t!enty-Lve thousand men to succor :aria &heresa "

and at the head of this very army6 enlisted purposely

to assist6 he !as obliged to abandon her6 and sign

a treaty of neutrality. is domestics !ere furnished

!ith passports for themselves and their eKuipages

by the (rench general to carry them to ondon6

!hither the king himself returned by the !ay of

)estphalia and olland. 0ot one of the princes6

!hether !ithin the empire or !ithout6 at his time

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

77/447

supported that #ragmatic ,anction6 !hich so many

of them had guaranteed. ienna6 poorly fortiLed

on that side !here it !as threatened6 could not have

held out long. &hose !ho !ere best acKuainted

!ith 2ermany6 and the state of public aJairs6 looked

upon the taking of ienna as a certainty " !hereby

the assistance !hich :aria &heresa might other-

!ise have dra!n from the ungarians !ould have

been cut oJ6 her dominions laid entirely open to the

arms of the conKueror6 all claims settled6 and peace

restored to the empire6 and to %urope.

 &his princess seemed to gro! more and more cour-

 &he )ar of DE. 5F

ageous in proportion as her ruin seemed to be inev-

itable. ,he had Kuitted ienna6 and thre! herself

into the arms of the ungarians6 !hom her father

and ancestors had treated !ith so much severity.

aving assembled the four orders of the state at

#resburg6 she appeared in the midst of them6 hold-

ing in her arms her eldest son6 !ho !as yet in his

cradle6 and addressing them in atin6 a language in

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

78/447

!hich she eCpressed herself perfectly !ell6 spoke

nearly in these !ords 7 4 (orsaken by my friends6

persecuted by my enemies6 attacked by my nearest

relatives6 I have no resource but in your Ldelity6 your

courage6 and my o!n constancy " to your trust I sur-

render the daughter and son of your kings6 !ho from

you eCpect their safety.4 ll the palatines6 softened6

yet animated by this short speech6 dre! their sabres6

crying out at the same instant 7 4 et us die for our

king6 :aria &heresa 4 4 #ro rege nostro :aria

 &heresa mariamur64 &hey al!ays give the title of

king to their Kueen " and never6 in fact6 did princess

better deserve that title. &hey shed tears in taking

the oath to defend her" her eyes alone. !ere dry7

but !hen -she !ithdre! !ith her maids of honor6

those tears !hich the greatness of her soul had hith-

erto suppressed6 burst from her in abundance. ,he

!as at that time !ith child6 and had !ritten6 not

long before6 to her mother-in-la!6 the duchess of

orraine6 these !ords6 4 I as yet kno! not !hether

I shall have a single to!n left6 !herein to be brought

to bed.4

5E &he )ar of DE.

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

79/447

In this condition she eCcited the ;eal of the un-

garians " %ngland and olland roused in her behalf6

and supplied her !ith money 7 she corresponded all

through the empire" negotiated !ith the king of

,ardinia6 !hile her provinces furnished her !ith

soldiers.

 &he !hole kingdom of %ngland !as !armed in

her favor7 the %nglish are not a people !ho !ait

to kno! their sovereignGs opinion before they form

theirs. free gift for that princess !as proposed

by some private persons. &he duchess of :arlbor-

ough6 relict of that duke !ho had fought for 1harles

I.6 assembled the principal ladies of ondon6 !hom

she induced to advance for this cause a hundred

thousand pounds sterling6 forty thousand of !hich

she laid do!n herself. &he Kueen of ungary had

the Lrmness to decline accepting the money thus

generously oJered6 and to !ait for such sums as

might be granted to her by the nation in parliament

assembled. It !as generally believed that the vic-

torious armies of (rance and 3avaria !ould have

advanced to the siege of ienna. It is the opinion of

the king of #russia6 that !hat the enemy fears

should al!ays be carried into eCecution. &his siege

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

80/447

!as6 ho!ever6 not undertaken6 and the enemy turned

oJ to!ard 3ohemia" perhaps it !as because the

season appeared too far advanced6 or because it !as

intended to preserve a balance of po!er bet!een

the houses of 3avaria and ustria6 by leaving

 &he )ar of DE. 55

ienna and ungary to the one6 and the remainder

of the 2erman possessions to the other.

 &he (rench army6 commanded by the elector of

3avaria6 and strengthened !ith t!enty thousand

,aCons6 marched to!ard #rague in the month of

0ovember6 DE " and 1ount :aurice of ,aCony6

natural brother of the king of #oland6 took the place

by escalade. &his general6 !ho inherited from his

father his very eCtraordinary bodily strength6 as

!ell as all his valor and s!eetness of temper6 !as

moreover endued !ith the greatest talents for !ar.

(rom his reputation only he !as6 by the unanimous

voice of the people6 elected duke of 1ourland 7 but

$ussia6 having deprived him of the beneLt of an

election6 to !hich he !as presented by a !hole

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

81/447

province6 he consoled himself in the service of

(rance6 and the social pleasures of a nation !hich

!as not6 as yet6 suNciently acKuainted !ith his

merit.

 &o form a proper idea of 1ount ,aCeGs character6

!hose name !ill be handed do!n to latest posterity6

it is suNcient to observe that6 being accused to the

king of #russia at this time of engaging in those

petty disputes !hich almost al!ays divided the gen-

erals of the allied armies6 he ans!ered the charge

in these !ords6 addressed to 2eneral ,chmettau7

4 &hose !ho are acKuainted !ith me kno! that it is

more my talent to break a lance in the Leld than to

spin intrigues in a closet.4

It !as necessary that #rague should be taken in a

5B &he )ar of DE.

fe! days6 or the enterprise be abandoned. &hey

!ere in !ant of provisions" the season !as far

advanced " and the to!n6 though but poorly fortiLed6

could easily resist the Lrst attacks. 2eneral Ogilvy6

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

82/447

an Irishman by birth6 commanded in the place6 !here

he had a garrison of three thousand men. &he grand

duke of &uscany marched !ith an army of thirty

thousand men to its relief6 0ovember H5. e !as

already !ithin Lve leagues of it6 !hen the same

night the .(rench and ,aCons made an assault upon

the to!n. &hey made t!o attacks on one side6 under

cover of a desperate Lre from their artillery6 !hereby

the !hole garrison !as dra!n thither. In the mean-

time 1ount ,aCe silently applied a ladder to the ram-

parts of the 0e! &o!n6 in a part very distant from

the general scene of action " and the ladder not being

long enough6 they !ere obliged to make up the deL-

ciency !ith hand-barro!s. &he Lrst man that

mounted !as :. 1hevert6 then lieutenant-colonel of

the regiment of 3eauce 7 he !as follo!ed by :ar-

shal 3roglioGs eldest son. &hey reached the ram-

parts6 and found only one sentinel at some distance "

cro!ds soon follo!ed their eCample6 and they made

themselves masters of the place. &he !hole garrison

laid do!n their arms" and Ogilvy6 !ith his three

thousand men6 surrendered prisoners of !ar. 1ount

,aCe saved the to!n from being pillaged " and !hat

!as very eCtraordinary is6 that the conKuerers and

the conKuered !ere miCed together pell-mell for

three days7 (rench6 ,aCons6 3avarians6 and 3ohe-

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

83/447

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXXIII

84/447

imperial throne6 under the name of 1harles II. ll

the electors had put a negative upon the vote of

3ohemia in choosing an emperor6 !hile that province

remained to the Kueen of ungary6 pretending it !as

not !hat a !oman had a right to. &he elector of

3avaria6 no! master of #rague6 might have availed

himself of it" but being under no necessity of so

doing6 suJered it to lie dormant.

:arshal 3elle-Isle6 !ho had follo!ed him from

#rague to (rankfort6 appeare