VOLTAIRE.

49

not studying,” he remarks, “ she was always active,lively, and good-humoured.” At Cirey, she was equallyeager to afford amusement to her friends. “ When thereport of her arrival/’ writes Longchamp, “ was spreadthrough the neighbouring villages, the gentry of thecountry around came to pay their respects. They wereall well received; those who came from a distancewere kept for several weeks at the chateau. To amuseboth herself and her guests, madame du Chatelet set onfoot a theatre. She composed farces and proverbs;Voltaire did the same ; and the parts were distributedamong the guests. A sort of stage had been erected atthe end of a gallery, formed by planks placed uponempty barrels, while the side scenes were hung withtapestry ; a lustre and some branches lighted the galleryand the theatre; there were a few fiddles for an orchestra,and the evenings passed in a very gay and amusingmanner. Often the actors, without knowing it, weremade to turn their own characters into ridicule, for thegreater gratification of the audience. Madame duChatelet wrote parts for this purpose, nor did she spareherself, and often represented grotesque personages.She could lend herself to every division, and alwayssucceeded.”

From this scene of gaiety, at once rustic and refined,the pair proceeded to the court of king Stanislaus atLuneville. Here Voltaire employed himself in writingduring the morning, and, as usual, the evening wasgiven up to amusement. The theatricals were renewed;all was gaiety and good humour. The marquis duChatelet, passing through Luneville , on his way to jointhe army, was enchanted to find his wife in such highfavour at king Stanislaus’ court.

Voltaire left the gay scene to overlook the bringingout of his tragedy of “ Semiramis.” In this play heendeavoured to accustom his countrymen to greaterboldness of situation and stage effect. It was necessaryto banish that portion of the audience, the dandies ofthe day, who, seated on the stage itself, at once destroyed

VOL. IL E

1748 .AC tat.54 .