lowed them every where. Reason hid herself in a well with her daughter Truth, and nobody knew the situation of this well; had people entertained the least suspicion of it, they would have descended into it and cut the threat of both daughter and mother.

When the Turks had taken Constantinople, and redoubled the miseries of Europe, two or three Greeks in their flight tumbled into this well or rather cavern, half-dead with fatigue, hunger, and fear. Reason received them with humanity; set victuals be fore them without distinction of meats, a thing which they had' never known at Constantinople; gave them a few instructions, for Reason is by no means prolix; and bound them by an oath not to discover the place of her retreat. They took their leave, and after many peregrinations, arrived at the court of Charles V. and Francis I. Here they were received as jugglers who came to per form their tricks in order to amuse the indolence of the courtiers and ladies in their intervals of assignation. The ministers conde, scended to notice them in those moments of relaxation which they were able to snatch from a torrent of business they were even received by the Emperor and the King of France, who in going to their mistresses honoured them with a passing glance; but they were more noticed in some little cities, where they met with some good citizens who had obtained, I know not how, a certain glim mering of common sense.

These feeble glimmerings were utterly extinguished in the civil wars which desolated Europe. Two or three sparks of reason could have no effect in a world, illuminated for so many years with the burning torches and stakes of Fanaticism. Reason and her daughter hid themselves closer than ever. The disciples of their first apostles held their tongues, with the exception of one or two who were inconsiderate enough to preach reason unreasonably and out of season. It cost them their lives as it did Socrates; but nobody took any notice of it. Nothing is so disagreeable as to be hung in obscurity: but people had been occupied so long with Saint-Bartholomews, with massacres in Ireland, with beheadings in Hungary, and with assassinations of kings, that they had neither time nor spirit to think of the petty crimes and private calamities which inundated the world from one end to the other.

Reason, informed of what was passing by some exiles who took shelter in her retreat, was touched with pity, though she has no great character for tenderness. Her daughter, who is of a stronger temperament, persuaded her to see the world and endeavour to heal it's wounds. They made their appearance and began talking; but they found so many profligates interested in contradicting them, so many weak persons in the pay of these profligates, so many indifferent persons completely taken up with themselves and the present moment, and caring neither

for

for them nor their enemies, that they wisely returned to their asylum.

In the mean time, some fruit-seeds, which they always carry about them and which they had scattered abroad, sprung up on the earth, without even rotting.

At length, they took it into their heads one day to go on a pilgrimage to Rome, disguising themselves and concealing their names for fear of the Inquisition. On their arrival, they addressed themselves to the cook of Pope Ganganelli, Clement XIV., for they knew that of all the cooks in Rome, he had the least employment: perhaps one might say, that after you, Messieurs confessors, he was the most unoccupied man of his profession.*

This worthy person, after giving the pilgrims a dinner almost as frugal as that of the Pope, introduced them to his Holiness, whom they found reading the meditations of Marcus Aurelius. The Pope recognized the masques, and embraced them cordially in spite of etiquette. "Ladies," said he, "if I could possibly have imagined that you were upon earth, I would have paid you the first visit."

From compliments they proceeded to business. The next day Ganganelli abolished the bull In Cana Domini, which had so long been one of the greatest monuments of human folly, and an outrage on all potentates. † The day after, he took the resolution of destroying the company of Garasse, of Guignard, of Garnet,

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*It is well known that Ganganelli, through all the stages of his exaltation, preserved the usual philosophic simplicity of his life and manners. When he came to the throne, he told the papal cook, that though he would do no injury to the latter's profits, he did not mean to lose his health purely to keep the kitchen in employment.—Ref.

+ The bull In Cana Domini, first issued by the violent Julius II., and gathering repeated aggravation from the violence or necessities of succeeding Popes, contributed at last to render that power ridiculous which it had once made so formidable. This bull excommunicated, among others, all heretics, their abettors, and those who read their books; all civil magistrates who pretended to judge ecclesiastics; all persons who issued edicts, regulations, &c., affecting in the smallest degree the liberties of ecclesiastics and the rights of the Holy See; and all ministers, chancellors, parliaments, &c. &c. daring to interfere with ecclesiastical matters, or to obstruct, under pretence of keeping order, the execution of the apostolic letters. It was read publicly every year by a cardinal-deacon at the gate of St. Peter's, and his Holiness concluded the ceremony by throwing down a burning torch by way of gauntlet to all such as chose to dare a similar fate hereafter and oppose his edict. Ganganelli, who had as little power as inclination to make any use of this farce, consented to gratify the feelings of the European powers re specting it. He did not however abolish the bull; but he answered all the purposes of it's abolition by discontinuing the above ceremony in the year 1770.-Ref

Garnet, of Busembaum, of Malagrida, of Paulian, of Patouillet, of Nonotte; and Europe clapped her hands. The day after that, he lessened the imposts of which the people complained; he encouraged agriculture and the rest of the arts; and endeared himself to all those who were supposed to be hostile to his si tuation. It might have been said in Rome at that time, that there was but one nation and one law in the world.

The two pilgrims, perfectly astonished and perfectly satisfied, took their leave of the Pope, who presented them, not with Ag nuses and reliques, but with a good post-chaise to continue their journey. Reason and Truth had never before been so much at their ease. They made the tour of Italy; and were surprised to find, in the room of Machiavelism, an universal emulation among the princes and republics, from Parma to Turin, to render their subjects better, richer, and happier. My child, said Reason to Truth, our reign is now commencing, I think, after our long im prisonment. Some of the prophets, who came to visit you in your well, must have been very powerful both in words and works to effect such a change in the face of things. Every thing, you see, advances slowly it has to pass through the shades of ignorance and illusion before it arrives at your palace of light, from which you and I were driven for so many ages. What has happened to Nature will happen to us for innumerable ages she was covered with a paltry veil and altogether disfigured: at last comes a Galileo, a Copernicus, a Newton, who exhibit her almost naked, and make every body fall in love with her.

Conversing in this manner, they arrive at Venice. Their attention here was principally excited by a Procurator of St. Mark, who held a large pair of scissars before a table covered with claws, beaks, and black feathers. "With your leave," cried Reason, "Illustrissimo Signor, those scissars, I believe, are a pair of mine which I took with me into the well when I fled thither for refuge with my daughter! How did your Excellency get them? And what are you about ?"" Illustrissima Signora," returned the Procurator, "the scissars may have belonged once to your Excellency, but we had them some time since from one Father

*The Jesuits. Some of those here mentioned were fanatics; others formed part of the literary rabble that persecuted Voltaire with equal want of principle and common sense.-This society, powerful from it's influence in education, from it's spirit of combination, and from a worldly ambition at once cloaked and assisted by it's vow against worldly honours, became at last intolerable to all the Catholic governments by it's political intrigues and Ganganelii, after much anxious reflection, suppressed it in the year 1773, declaring his conviction at the same time that the proceeding would be fatal to him. He died a few weeks after, with all the appearances of poison.-Ref.

Father Paul, and they serve us to cut off the claws of the In. quisition, which you see displayed on this table. These black feathers belong to the harpies who come to eat the republic's dinner; we clip their nails and their beaks every day, or they would finish by devouring every thing, and then nothing would be left for our wise nobles, nor for the Pregadi, nor for the citizens. If you pass into France, you will probably find at Paris your other pair of scissars in the possession of a Spanish minister, who puts them to the very same use, and who will one day be blessed by the human species." +

Our travellers, after having attended a Venetian opera, de. parted for Germany. This country, which in the time of Char lemagne

* The illustrious Peter Sarpi, better known by his monastic title of Fa. ther Paul, flourished at the commencement of the 17th century. It was by his spirited advice and still more spirited though temperate conduct, that the Venetians successfully resisted the pretensions and corruptions of the See of Rome. The only forcible reply to his arguments, according to the custom of those times, was an attempt to assassinate him he received three wounds, but recovered, and hung up one of the weapons used on the occasion, with this inscription over it-Stilo della Chiesa Romana-Stiletto of the Romish Church. Father Paul has been called the Pascal of the Venetians, but he went beyond Pascal in accomplishments. Dr. Johnson, in his pleasing little account of him, (Vol. XII Murphy's Edit.), tells us that he was "" not only acquainted with the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldee languages, but with philosophy, the mathematicks, canon and civil law, all parts of natural philosophy, and chemistry itself,"-that he could converse upon astronomy, medicine, and the analysis of metals, with their respective professors, not as a superficial enquirer, but as a complete master;" and that Aquapendente confessed himself indebted to him for his theory of vision. Something, however, must be allowed for the exaggeration usually attendant on the praises of such men, and had Johnson written this account at a later period of life, he would have made the due allowances for it; but there is no question that Sarpi was at once a genius in some things, and a discerning one in every thing; and the Doctor might have added, that he was the reputed architect of the celebrated elliptical chamber of anatomy in the University of Padua,—and that he had the glory of bringing forward the genius of Galileo. The Venetians ascribe to him the discovery of the circulation of the blood, as the Socinians did to Servetus, and as the discovery of the Newtonian attraction has been attributed to Bacon. It is very probable that such men made excellent guesses at these secrets; but the honour of discovery belongs only to him who proves it; and thus the reputa tion of our Harvey remains undiminished.-Ref.

Was this the Count d'Aranda, President of the Supreme Council in Spain, and Captain General of New Castile ? A Spaniard opposing the Inquisition is a phenomenon even in our times: Jovellanos only ventured upon it obliquely; but the resistance of Aranda was face to face, and what is more singular, or rather what helpt to account for it, the throne was on his side. In 1770, a soldier had been taken up for bigamy, and the right of trying him was claimed by the Inquisition: the Count disputed this claim; and the King decided in his favour by a very curious edict, in which the Inquisitor-General was advised to keep to his proper sphere and not meddle with the royal jurisdiction. See the article Aranda in the Dictionnaire Philosophique.-Ref.

lemagne was nothing but a huge forest, intersected with morasses; they rejoiced to see covered with flourishing and peaceful cities;

.*

this country, peopled with sovereigns once barbarous and des titute, now altogether polished and magnificent;—this country, which in ancient times had none but sorceresses for priests, who sa crificed their own species upon huge mishapen stones; this country, which afterwards had been inundated in it's own blood in order to discover precisely whether or not a thing was in, with, or by; this country, in fine, which took to it's bosom three hos, tile religions, astonished at living peaceably together. God be praised! said Reason; these people have come over to me by mere force of madness. The pilgrims were introduced to an Em, press, who was something more than reasonable, for she was li beral: they were so pleased with her that they overlooked a few customs that might have shocked them; but they absolutely fell in love with her son the Emperor. +

Their amazement redoubled when they came to Sweden. What! said they, a revolution so difficult and at the same time so instan taneous, so perilous and yet so peaceable! And after this great event, not a day lost without doing good! And all this at an age which is so little the age of reason! We should have done well to have come out of our hiding place when this great event struck all Europe with admiration. ‡

From hence they passed rapidly into Poland. Ah, my mother! cried Truth; what a contrast! It makes me long to return to my well. Such is the result of oppressing the most useful part of the human species and of treating the cultivators of the earth worse than they treat their own cattle. This chaos of anarchy could never be cleared away but by a general ruin, which was too clearly predicted. I am grieved for a monarch virtuous, wise, and humane; and I dare hope that he will yet be happy, since other

The jargon of the theological disputants respecting the divine presence in the sacrament.-Ref.

+ The celebrated Maria Theresa of Hungary, and her son Joseph II.; who is here sufficiently praised by Voltaire. He had a reforming spirit, but it seemed the result of a love of display, rather than of sound thinking. It was the brother of this Joseph, who abolished in Tuscany the inefficient and worse than useless punishment of death: he had the happiness of seeing the good effects of the abolition, and of thus setting an excellent and complete example, which will most probably be followed by all Europe at no great distance of time, unless commerce interfere.- Ref.

This passage, by the description and by the year in which the Voyage de la Raison was written, can hardly allude to the Revolution which made the Swedes a free people; it must refer to the one in 1772, which enslaved them again; and yet it is difficult to conceive how the author could be in raptures at such an event. It is true, his philosophy and his prejudices were generally at variance on such subjects. See the following note.-Ref.