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formed one of La Barre’s crimes, and it was burned inParis , while exertions were made to denounce andpunish him as the author. These failed ; but they em-bittered Voltaire ’s enmity. He spread abroad the historyof the enormities, which the perpetrators, ashamedtoo late, were desirous of hushing up. Lalli, a bar-rister, who was accused of having a principal part inthe nefarious proceeding, wrote to Voltaire at once toexcuse himself, and threaten the author. Voltaire re-plied, by an anecdote in Chinese history. “ I forbidyou,” said the emperor of China , to the chief of thehistorical tribunal, “ to mention me.” The mandarintook out his note book and pen — “ What are youdoing ? ” said the emperor. “ I am writing down theorder which your majesty has just pronounced.”

As some sort of compensation for these acts of horrorand cruelty, Voltaire heard of the banishment of theJesuits from France . This community had longreigned paramount in that kingdom ; one of the so-ciety was, by custom, always selected as confessor ofthe king. It had signalised itself by every possible actof intolerance and persecution. The Jansenists , theHuguenots, and the Quietists were exiled, imprisoned,and ruined, through their influence. France was de-populated. In bitterness of spirit, the truly pious andwise of the kingdom, Boileau, Racine, Pascal, Fenelon ,Arnaud, and a long list more, knew that their zeal for apure religion exposed them to persecution. Voltaire disliked the Jansenists, and ridiculed the Quietists ;but he was too just not to revolt from persecution ; andthough, from the prejudices of early education, he wasinclined to look favourably on the Jesuits , he rejoicedin their fall from the power which they misused, andtheir expulsion from a country, so many of whose mostvirtuous inhabitants they had visited with exile and ruin.

In writing Voltaire ’s life, we have too often to turnfrom acts denoting a benevolent and generous spirit,to others which were inspired by self-love, and a rest-less spirit that could not repose. Among these, hisa 4