"
"It is M. de Voltaire," I said.
"Exactly so: your perspicacity has made you guess it."
"But what does he want with me?"
"To be at peace with you; to range himself under your banner,
secretly at first, but afterwards openly."
"Is he then afraid openly to evince himself my friend?" I replied,
in a tone of some pique.
"Rather so, and yet you must not feel offended at that. The
situation of this sarcastic and talented old man is very peculiar;
his unquiet petulance incessantly gives birth to fresh perils. He,
of necessity, must make friends in every quarter, left and right,
in France and foreign countries. The necessary consequence is,
that he cannot follow a straight path. The Choiseuls have served
him with perfect zeal: do not be astonished if he abandon them
when they can no longer serve him. If they fall, he will bid them
good evening, and will sport your cockade openly."
"But," I replied, "this is a villainous character."
"Ah, I do not pretend to introduce to you an Aristides or an
Epaminondas, or any other soul of similar stamp. He is a man of
letters, full of wit, a deep thinker, a superior genius, and our
reputations are in his hands. If he flatters us, posterity will
know it; if he laugh at us, it will know it also. I counsel you
therefore to use him well, if you would have him behave so
towards you."
"I will act conformably to your advice," said I to the marechal;
"at the same time I own to you that I fear him like a firebrand.
Pages:
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210