Edward Bruce Hamley

“ It has been asserted that Voltaire repelled Louis Quinze by the vivacity and familiarity of his eulogies—that the king would not admit the idea of counting men of letters and men of intellect for anything, or of tolerating them on any footing at Court: "It is not the fashion in France," said he. ”

“ And it would certainly appear that a Court with no great merits of its own to rest upon, could scarcely strengthen itself upon cheaper terms than by attaching to its interests the chief literary power of the nation. Fortifying himself with such sound reasoning, Voltaire opened his campaign for the conquest of the Court with an ode. Louis XV. was, in 1744, in the camp of the army which was besieging Fribourg. Thither Voltaire repaired, bearing with him his "Ode to the King." It begins, "Thou whose justice all Europe loves or fears;... king necessary to the world"—and so on. ”

“ Though gratified by these favours, he could not help seeing how inadequate was the occasion taken for bestowing them, and expressed his sense of the incongruity in a verse (not specially adapted for translation into English verse, nor a particularly good example of his style,) which says "My 'Henriade,' my 'Zaire,' and 'Alzire' never procured for me a single look from the king: I had a thousand enemies and very little glory—now, honours and benefits are showered on me for une farce de la Foire," which may fairly be translated "a burlesque at the Strand." ”