Above all 'tis pleasantest to get The top of high philofophy, and fit On the calm, peaceful, flourishing head of it; Others, with cares and dangers vex each hour, I I shall add nothing to this long epistle relative to the tragedy which I have done myself the honour to dedicate to you. How is it poffible, madam, to speak of it, after speaking of you? All I can fay, is, that I wrote it at your house, and under your directions. I ftrove to render it lefs unworthy of you, by introducing into it, novelty, truth, and virtue. have endeavoured to delineate that generous fentiment, that humane disposition, * Sed nîl dulcius eft, benè quam munita tenere Edita doctrina Sapientum Templa serena, Defpicere unde queas alios, paffimque videre, Errare, atque viam palantus quærere vitæ, Certare ingenio, contendere nobilitate, Noctes atque dies niti præftante labore. Ad fummas emergere opes, rerum que potiri, O miferas hominum mentes! O pectora cæca! Lucretius. that that greatness of foul, which does good to all men, and forgives their offences; these sentiments fo ftrongly recommended by the fages of antiquity, and fo much refined in our religion, thefe real laws of nature which have been always fo little obferved. You have corrected many faults in this performance, and you are confcious of the imperfections that ftill remain. May the public, the more severe to me, as it has been already the more indulgent, excuse these imperfections as you have done! May at least this homage which I pay you, madam, laft longer than my other writings! It would be immortal if it were worthy of the person to whom it is addreffed. I am with profound refpect, Madam, Your moft obedient, and Moft humble Servant, DE VOLTAIRE, PRE PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE To the Tragedy of ALZIRA. THE HE author has endeavoured, in the following tragedy, which is of pure invention, and wrote in a new manner, to fhew how much the true fpirit of religion is fuperior to the virtues of nature. The religion of a barbarian, confifts in offering to his gods the blood of his enemies. A christian ill inftructed, is often as unjuft: To be a ftrict obferver of uselefs ceremonies, and negligent of the real duties of man; to repeat certain prayers, and preferve his vices; to fast, but continue to hate, to cabal, to persecute; fuch is his religion.* That of a true chriftian, commands him to look upon all men as his brethren, to do them all the good he can, and to pardon them when they offer him an injury. *It is obvious that monfieur de Voltaire, in this paffage, alludes particularly to roman-catholic re ligion.✓ Such Such is Gufman at the hour of his death; fuch is Alvarez + in the whole courfe of his life; fuch have I represented Henry the fourth, even in the midst of his weakneffes. Moft of my writings refpire this humane difpofition, which should be the chief character of a thinking being: They all fhew, if I may fo express myfelf, the defire of the happiness of mankind, the horror of injuftice and of oppreffion; and it is this alone, which has rescued my writings from that oblivion, to which their many faults naturally condemned them. It is on this account that the Henriade has held up against the repeated efforts of fome jealous Frenchmen, who were abfolutely refolved that France should not produce an epic poem. There are always a few readers who fuffer not their judgment to be biaffed by the * † Characters in Alzira, one of monfieur de Voltaire's finest tragedies. An epic poem, wrote by monfieur de Voltaire when he was confined in the Baftile. It is compared by many french and foreign readers, to the best poems of antiquity, and by a few it is thought fuperior to any. venom of cabal or intrigues, who love truth, and who look for the man in the author. Such are the perfons in whom I met with favour. To fuch I offer the following reflections; I hope they will forgive the neceffity I am under to publish them. A foreigner one day in Paris expreffed his surprise at the load of libels which continually appeared in public, and the cruel outrages that were daily levelled against one man. It is probable, fays he, this is fome ambitious perfon, who would fain poffefs himself of one of those employments which ftir up the common defires and envy of mankind. No, it was answered him, he is an obfcure fubject, retired from the world, who lives more with Virgil and Locke, than with his countrymen, and whofe face is as little known to fome of his enemies, as to the man who pretended to engrave his picture. He is author of fome pieces which have forced tears from your eyes, and of fome other works, in which," notwithstanding their many defects, one is |