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During his travels through Europe he continued to approach the facramenls, and perform his Eafter devotions at Vienna and Naples, with that exterior piety, \vhichc6uld not feem to coincide with the hypocrify of thofe of Voltaire at Fcrney. He carried his diffimula- tion fo far, that in pafling through France, he refufed to call at Ferney, though very near and expefted there by Voltaire. It is even faid, that in turning away he affe&edly faid, That be could not bear to Jee a man, whof by calumniating religion had given the feverejl blow to humanity ; what credit is to be given to thefe words, I will not pretend to decide, but certain it is, that the philofophers did not the lefs look upon Jofeph as one of theirs. This flight of Voltaire was foon pardoned ; they fpread every where, that his admiration had not diminifhed for tht premier in impiety , that he would have willingly vifited him, but that he had refrained through regard for his mother, who at the felicitations of the priefts, had made him pnmife that he -would not fee him during his journey*

Notwithftanding his referve and his diflimulation, the war which Jofeph waged, foon became one of authority and oppreffion, of rapine and violence, and was well nigh ending in the extermination of his own fub- jefts. He began by the fuppreflion of a large number of monafteries ; this we have feen was a leading feature in Frederick's plan; he feized on a great part of the ecclefiaftical property ; fo would Voltiare have done, when he exclaims, But I had rather plunder them ; Jofeph II. tore from their cells and cloifters, even to thofe Carmelite nuns, whofe extreme poverty could afford no bait to avarice and whofe angelic fervor left no room for reform. He was the firft who gave to his age the public (how of holy virgins reduced to wander into dillant countries, even as far as Portugal, to feek an afylum for their piety. Innovating at pleafure in the church, he only anticipated that famous conftitution of the clergy, called civil by the Jacobin legiflators, and which prepared the way to the butchery at the Carmes. The fovereign pontiff thought it incumbent on him to leave Rome and pafs into Auftria, and in the capacity of common father of the faithful, perfonally to repre- fent to the emperor the laws and rights of the church. Jofeph II. receives him with refpec\, and permits all

* See note to the letter of the Count de Touraille, 6th of Aug, 1777, General CorrefpODdence of Voltaire,

that homage and public veneration fhould be fhown to Pius VI. which both his virtues and dignity equally commanded. He did not for that ceafe to continue his war of oppreffion. He did not expel the bifhops, but he gave them much trouble; for conftituting himfelf in fome fort the faperior of a feminary, he would permit no lectures to be read but by thofe profeflbrs he had chofen, and whofe doctrine like that of Camus tended only to forward the grand apoftacy ; at length thefe fe- cret perfecutions and depredations gave rife to murmurs. The wearied Brabanters revolted. Since that, we have feen them call in thofe Jacobins who promifing them the free exercife of their religion, and more artful than Jofeph, are now confummating his work. Had they been lefs tormented by Frederick's adept in matters of faith, the Brabanters would have been lefs impatient under the yoke of Auftria: had they been penetrated with a greater zeal and affection for the Emperor Jofeph, they would have better feconded, and have had more confidence in the virtues of Francis II. They would with greater force have oppofed that invafion which we have fe'en extend to the very banks of the Danube. Should hiftory lay the blame on Jofeph, let it look back to that day, when by Frederick, he is initiated into the myfteries of Voltaire. It is the empe- : rpr adept, that fhall be found guilty of this war of extermination, which has threatened even to his throne.

In the fequel of this work we fhall fee Jofeph repenting of the war he had waged againft Chrift, when he beheld philofophifm attacking both himfelf and his throne. He will then attempt but too late to repair his fault. He will fall a. melancholy victim.

Many other fovereigns are mentioned in the corref- pondence of the confpirators, as having imprudently engaged in thefe plots. D'Alembert complaining to Voltaire of the obftacles he fometimes encountered, and which he terms perfecutions, from the public author- ities, at length confoles himfelf by adding, " But we " have on our fide, the Emprefs Catherine, the King " of Pruffia, the King of Denmark, the Queen of " Sweden and her fon, many princes of the empire and " all England."* Much about the fame time, Voltaire writes to the king of Pruffia, " I know not what Muf- » tapha thinks (on the immortality of the foul;) my

* aSthof Nov. 1770.

" opinion is, that he does not think at all. As for the " Emprefs of Raffia, the <%ueen of Swedtn, your Jtftert " the King of Poland, and Prince Guftavus fon of the " Qneen of Sweden, I imagine that I know what they " think."f

Voltaire effe&ually knew it. The letters of thefe fovereigns could not leave him in the dark j but had we not thofe letters to adduce in proof, we now fee an Emperor, an Emprefs, a Queen and four Kings who had already enlifted under the banners of the confpi- rators.

Falfe con- *" ba"ng to the light this horrid confpiracy, let not fequcnces the hiftorian abandon himfelf to falfe declamation nor to be a- draw inferences ftill more deceitful. Let him not pre-

fpeakfn"of tcnd to ^ to fhe People, 7*ur kings have fhaken off the the royal yoke of Chrift, it is butjuft, that you mould throw off adepts. that of their dominion ; fuch reafoning would be to blafpheme Chrift, his doflrines and his examples. The arm of vengeance is referved to God alone. For the happinefs of fubje&s, to preferve them from revolutions and all the horrors of rebellion, he alone can finite the apoftate on the throne. Let not the Chriftian apofta- tize, but let him be fubjeift to his lawful prince. To join revolt to impiety is not averting the fcourge of heaven ; that would be only adding anarchy, the moft terrible of political fcourges ; that would not be a bar againft the Sophifterof impiety, but the confummation of the confpiracy of the Sophifters of fedition, againft the throne and all the laws of civil fociety. Such was the fate of the unfortunate Brabanters when in rebellion againft the Emperor Jofeph. They pretended to the right of rejecting their lawful fovereign, and they are become the prey of Jacobins; they called infurrection to the aid of religion, and that religion profcnbes in- furre£tion againft all lawful authority. At the time that I am now writing, the fulminating reports made to the Convention, forbode thofe dreadful decrees which levelling the religious worfhip, the privileges and the churches of the Brabanters to the ftandard of the French revolution, fhall punifh them for their error. When therefore the hiftoiian fhall report the names of thofe fovereigns, who unfortunately were initiated and con- fpired againft their God, let his intention be to recal them to their religion, let him not be led away into

f *ift of Nov. 1770.

falfe confequences, fo contrary to the peace of nations. Then let him infill on the duties which religion im- pofes on the people ; let him teach them what they owe to Csefar and to every public authority.

.Among the royal proteftors all are not to be clafled Catherine with VcJtaire, Frederick or Jofcph. All had tafted of 1L the impious cup of incredulity, bat all did not equally wifli to imbibe their people with its poifon.

Immenfe was the diftance between Frederick and this Emprefs, in whom the confpirators placed fo much confidence. Seduced by the talents and homage of their premier chief, Catherine may have been indebted to him for her firft tafte for literature ; (he almoft devoured thofe works, which fhe had miftaken for maf- ter-pieces, whether in hiftory or philofophy, totally ignorant of their being difguifed folely to forward the ends of impiety. On the fallacious encomiums of the Sophifters, {he boldly pronounced, That all the miracles in the -world could never efface the pretended blot of having hindered the printing of the Encyclopedia.* But we never fee her, like Frederick, to obtain the fulfome flattery of the Sophifters, pay to impiety that degrading court. Catherine would read their works, Frederick would circulate them, compofe himfelf and wifhed to fee them, devoured by the people. Frederick would propofe plans for the deftrudlion of the Chriftian religion, Catherine rejefted all thofe propofed to her by Voltaire. She was tolerant by nature, Frederick only from neceflity. He would have been no longer fo, had his policy permitted him, in following the dictates of his hatred, to call in a fuperior force to eftecT; the overthrow of Chrif- tianity.f

* Her correfpondence with Voltaire, letter i, a, 3 and 8.

f Thofe who, as men of literature, fflall criticife the corret pondence of this Emprefs, will find an amazing difference between hers and that of the King of Pruffia. The former is that of a woman .of wit, who often plays upon Voltaire inthemoft agreeable manner. With her light ftyle and full of tafte, fhe never forgets her dignity ; fhe atTeaft will not be leen to degrade herfelf to that grofs dialeft of abufe and blafphemy ; while Frederick iir his, truly the pedantic Sophifter, will be as void of ihame in his impiety, as he is of dignity in his encomiums. When Voltaire wrote to Catherine, " We are three, Diderot, D'Aleni- " bert and myfelf, who raife altars to you." She anfwers, " Pray leave me, if you pleafe on earth, there I fliall be more at " hand to receive your letters and thpfe of vour friends." Nothing fo perfectly French can be found in Frederick's, we enly have Vol. I. S

Neverthelefs, Catherine is alfo a royal adept, fhe has the fecret of Voltaire, fhe applauds the moft famous of our infidels.* She is even willing to entruft the heir of her crown into the hands of D'Alembert ; her name conftanly appears among the protecting adepts in the writings of the Sophifters, nor can the hiftorian hide it. Cbriftiern The claims of (Jhriftiern VII. King of Denmark, to VII. King the title of adept, are alfo founded on his correfpon- >f lien- dence with Voltaire. Among the numerous fervices rendered by D'Alembert, I fhould not have omitted the pains he had taken to prevail on different powers and great perfonages, to fubfcribe to the ere£lion of a flatue in honor of Voltaire. I could have fhewn the Sophif- ter of Ferney, modeftly preffmg D'Alembert to get thefe fubfcriptions, and that in particular from the King of Pruffi i, who hardly waited their felicitations. JThis triumph of their chief was too defirable for the confpi- rators ; Chriftiern VII. eagerly contributed. A firft letter, with a few compliments, could not conftitute an adept, but we have Voltaire's own word for it. He mentions him, and befides, among thefe compliments we find one fo much in the ftyle of Frederick, " You " are now occupied in delivering a confiderable num- " ber of men from the yoke of the clergy, the hardejl of all " others, for the duties of fociety are only imprinted in " their heads, and never felt in their hearts. This is well " worth being revenged of the barbarians.,") Unfortunate monarchs ! Such was the language held to Mary Antoinette, in the days of her prosperity, by thofe cor- ruptors. But in her misfortunes, when fhe witnefled the loyalty and the fenfibility of thofe barbarians, at the Thuleries, fhe exclaimed, "" Oh ! how we have been " deceived ! We now plainly fee how much the clergy " diftinguifh themfelves among the faithful fubje£ls of " the king."J May the king that is led away by. philof- ophifm never be reduced to the fame experiment; may

to regret, that it was addreffedto a fet of infidels. Catherine wrote Voltaire's own language in perfect purity, while Frederick c^u'd h*ve had little preten(ions to the hero, had he not handled his fword better than his pen.

* z6th Dec. 1773, and No. 134, anrio 1774.

f- Let. to Voltaire, 1770.

I heard thisanecdotein the midft of the revolution, and fueh exprefGons were necefliiry to fhew, that fhe was recovered from thofe prejudices (he had imbibed againft the clergy, and which Appeared to have redoubled, after the fecond journey which her brother made to Verfailles.