4 4 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

and Clairon in her youth, who took the part of Pal-myre. During an interval between the acts, a letterwas brought to Voltaire , announcing the gain of thebattle of Molwitz ; he rose and read it aloud from hisbox. The applause redoubled ; and he afterwards said,jestingly, that the victory of Molwitz had insured thesuccess of “ Mahomet.” The tragedy was approved evenby the clergy at Lille, and Fleuri, when he read it, sawno objection to its being acted. It was brought out inParis under brilliant auspices ; but the clergy formed acabal; it was declared to be a covert attack on theChristian religion, and Fleuri weakly begged the authorto withdraw it after the second representation.

1743 . When cardinal Fleuri died, and Louis XV . declarediEtat. he would have no other first minister, Voltaire hoped to49> establish his influence on surer foundations, through, hislong-established friendship with the duke de Richelieu.This libertine, but not unambitious, noble sought to laythe foundations of his power by any means, howeverdisgraceful. By giving the king a mistress of his ownchoosing, he hoped to rule his sovereign ; and while theduchess de Chateauroux lived, he possessed considerablepower. One of the first advantages Voltaire wished toreap was, to succeed to the seat in the academy,vacant by the death of cardinal Fleuri.

To understand the importance Voltaire attached tosuccess in this endeavour, we must consider his views andhis position. The chief aim of his life was to difFusein France that knowledge and freedom of discussionwhich was permitted in England, but which was barredout of his country with a rigorous and persecutingspirit. At the same time, desirous of living in hisnative land, and to reap there the fruits of his laboursin the applause of his countrymen, he wished to insurehis personal security. As a chief means to this end, hebelieved it necessary to gain the favour of influentialpersons about the sovereign, and to make himself one ofa powerful society, such as formed the French academy.Voltaire understood his countrymen. He knew how a