VOLTAIRE.

9

he interested the court in the conversion. It was agreedthat mademoiselle du Noyer should be carried off, andbrought to the convent of New Converts in Paris ; butthe marquis de Chateauneuf opposed himself to so vio-lent a proceeding, and the plan fell to the ground. Inthe sequel, the young lady married the baron de Win-terfeld, and always preserved a great esteem and friend-ship for her early friend.

The young man was not less earnest to be reconciledto his father. He was carried away by innate geniusto cultivate literature; but his heart was good, and herevolted from the idea of living at variance with hisparent. He wrote a pathetic letter to him, declaringthat he was ready to emigrate to America , and to liveon bread and water, if only, before he went, he wereforgiven. M. Arouet was touched by this mark ofsubmission; and, on receiving the further one of hisson’s consent to attend the office of a procureur, orattorney, he was reconciled to him.

The young poet became the pupil of M. Alain,an attorney, residing in a dark, obscure quarter ofParis . Disagreeable as this change was, it had its ad-vantages • it strengthened his habits of industry, and ittaught him a knowledge of business. Voltaire becamem after life a rich man, through his excellent manage-ment of his affairs : a legal education was the foundationof his prosperity. He lightened his labours, also, byforming a friendship with another pupil. Thiriot had nothis friend’s talents, but he shared in his youth his enthu-siasm for literature : an intimacy was formed whichlasted Thiriot’s life. In spite of various acts of faithless-ness on the part of the latter, Voltaire remained, to theend, constant to his early friend. However, the businessof procureur became intolerable. He still frequented thesociety of Paris . He had become deeply in love withmadame de Villars : he afterwards averred that thiswas the only passion he had ever felt that was strongerthan his love of study, and caused him to lose time. Itsill success made him conquer it; but the society into