20 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

“ Nos pretres ne sont point ce qu'un vain peuple pense,

Notre credulite fait tout leur science.”

From that moment they lay in wait to crush him.It needed all his prudence to evade the effects of theirenmity. There was a party in Paris , indeed, whowent to the opposite extreme, by which he was idolised— a party which saw no medium between the super-stition upheld by the clergy and direct disbelief, whichit termed philosophy. This, indeed, is one of the chiefmischiefs of Catholicism — by demanding too much offaith, it engenders entire infidelity; and by makingmen, sinful as ourselves, the directors of the conductand thoughts, it injures the moral sense and deadens theconscience. The party in opposition had not yet risento the height of talent it afterwards displayed; but itsufficed, through the rank, abilities, and number of thepersons of whom it was composed, to encourageVoltaire in his career. Another chief support wasderived from the liberal independence of means whichhe had attained. He inherited a competent fortunefrom his father and brother ; the profits of “ (Edipus ”added to it; the duke of Orleans had made him presents;the queen of Louis XV . bestowed a pension on him;the edition of the “ Henriade,” brought out in London ,augmented his means considerably : he was economicaland careful. A fortunate speculation in a lotteryinstituted to pay the debts of the city of Paris , inwhich, from certain happy calculations, he was the chiefwinner, raised him to opulence. He was charitableand benevolent; and though, in his letters, we findallusions to his donations, this is never done osten-tatiously, but with the plain speech of a man who,having fabricated his own fortune, knows the value ofmoney, and keeps strict account of his expenditure.At this juncture we may also speak of his change ofname. It was the custom, as is well known, for theyounger branches of noble families in France to assumethe name of some estate, so to distinguish themselvesfrom their relations. In the middling ranks the same