honorable amend, which in his letter to the Count of d'Argental of May
31, 1762, Voltaire qualifies as a preface), addressed to his
parishioners.

"You know," said he, "my brethren, my disinterestedness; I do not
sacrifice my belief to any vile interest. If I embraced a profession so
directly opposed to my sentiments, it was not through cupidity. I obeyed
my parents. I would have preferred to enlighten you sooner if I could
have done it safely. You are witnesses to what I assert. I have not
disgraced my ministry by exacting the requitals, which are a part of it.

"I call heaven to witness that I also thoroughly despised those who
laughed at the simplicity of the blind people, those who furnished
piously considerable sums of money to buy prayers. How horrible this
monopoly! I do not blame the disdain which those who grow rich by your
sweat and your pains, show for their mysteries and their superstitions;
but I detest their insatiable cupidity and the signal pleasure such
fellows take in railing at the ignorance of those whom they carefully
keep in this state of blindness. Let them content themselves with
laughing at their own ease, but at least let them not multiply their
errors by abusing the blind piety of those who, by their simplicity,
procured them such an easy life. You render unto me, my brethren, the
justice that is due me. The sympathy which I manifested for your
troubles saves me from the least suspicion. How often have I performed
gratuitously the functions of my ministry. How often also has my heart
been grieved at not being able to assist you as often and as abundantly
as I could have wished! Have I not always proved to you that I took more
pleasure in giving than in receiving? I carefully avoided exhorting you
to bigotry, and I spoke to you as rarely as possible of our unfortunate
dogmas. It was necessary that I should acquit myself as a priest of my