5
brother, who was dull and sombre. The elder, in pro-gress of time, became a Jansenist , a convulsionary, anda bigot; the germ of his tendency to superstitionexisted even in childhood ; and the brothers disputed,in prose and verse, to the amusement of the family.
The abbe de Chateauneuf, godfather to Francis-Marie,took pleasure in educating him, and taught him some ofLa Fontaine’s fables. The boy got hold also of adeistical ode, attributed to J. B. Rousseau, called the“ Mosaide,” a poem, which said—
•* Les homines vains et fanatiquesRe<;oivent, sans difficuUe,
Les fables les plus chimeriques ;
Un petit mot treterniMLes rend b£nins et pactfiques ;
Et 1’on r£duit ainsi le peuple b£beteA baiser les Hens dont il est garrotte.”
This was a singular production to put into a child'shand: it was more singular that a child should enterinto its meaning. Francis-Marie quoted it against hisbrother in argument, and his father, frightened at thepremature wit and freedom of speech his son betrayed,hastened to send him to school.
He entered the college of Louis-le-Grand, of which 1704.the Jesuits were the preceptors. Here the boy learned, dJtat.not to take part with the Jesuits , but to despise the 10 -Jansenists , against whom, as an author, he showedhimself hostile. The talents of the child renderedhim a favourite with the greater number of his masters ;father Poree, professor of rhetoric, saw the germ ofremarkable talents, which he took great pleasure indeveloping ; and, in after life, Voltaire always expressedgratitude for his master’s encouragement and kindness.Encouragement of a far different and of a pernicioussort he received from another professor, father le Jay,who entered into arguments with his pupil; was irritatedby his wit and sophistry ; and on one occasion, angrilyexclaimed that he would become the “ Choryphteus ofDeism,"—a prophecy which this very denunciationhelped probably to fulfil. On ah sides, the boy foundadmiration for his premature genius. His godfatherb 3