Edward Bruce Hamley

“ He was named Candide because he had, with a sound judgment, a simple mind. He was supposed to be the nephew of the Baron with whom he lived, and who was one of the most powerful lords in Westphalia, for his chateau had a door and windows. The preceptor Pangloss, the oracle of the house, taught the metaphysico-theologo-cosmolonigologie. 'It is demonstrable,' said he, 'that things could not be otherwise; for all being done for an end, all is necessarily for the best end. Observe well that noses are made to carry spectacles—and we have spectacles. ”

“ POEM ON THE EARTHQUAKE, AND CANDIDE.
In the year 1755 occurred the great earthquake of Lisbon, which destroyed that capital and a vast number of its inhabitants. Such a visitation could not but produce a profound impression throughout Europe; but no one so strongly evinced his feelings on the occasion as Voltaire. He had always been revolted by the form of philosophy called Optimism, which regards everything that takes place in the universe as inevitably right, because forming part of a general divine plan. ”

“ There are no evils, says Pope in his Fourth Epistle on the 'All is for the best;' 'if there are particular evils they make up the general good.' A strange general good!—composed of all diseases, all crimes, all sufferings, death and perdition... ”

“ As if this mode of treatment had not been specially adopted to exhibit optimism in a ridiculous light; and as if the author of the Poem on the Disaster of Lisbon could be characterised as indifferent to the sufferings of humanity! But Voltaire has suffered many things of many critics.
'Candide' seems to have been but little understood on its first appearance, being regarded as a mere narrative of adventure; but it has come to be considered by many as the writer's cleverest work. ”

“ This system of 'all for the best' represents the Author of nature as a ruler powerful and evil, who does not trouble Himself that a multitude of men should perish, and that others should drag out their days in want and in tears, so long as His designs are accomplished. ”

“ Many years before, it had been expounded, after a not too intelligible fashion, by the philosopher Leibnitz. Shaftesbury, followed by Bolingbroke, had maintained it in England; and Pope, following both, had versified it in his "Essay on Man," condensing it in the well-known couplet—
"And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, whatever is is right." ”

“ They are shipwrecked near Lisbon—all perish except the two adventurers and the greatest rascal in the ship; and they come to land just in time to see the city destroyed by an earthquake:—
"Some falling stones had hurt Candide: he was stretched in the street covered with rubbish. He called to Pangloss—'Oh, get me a little wine and oil—I am a dead man. 'This earthquake is nothing new,' said Pangloss: 'the city of Lima experienced similar shocks last year—like causes, like effects: there is certainly a train of sulphur underground from Lima to Lisbon.' 'Nothing more likely,' said Candide ”