He had been a Turkey Merchant, it would seem, and nevertheless was
admitted to speak his word in intellectual, even in political
circles; which was wonderful to young Voltaire. This Fawkener,
I think, became Sir Edward Fawkener, and some kind of 'Secretary
to the Duke of Cumberland:'--I judge it to be the same Fawkener;
a man highly unmemorable now, were it not for the young Frenchman
he was hospitable to. Fawkener's and Bolingbroke's are perhaps the
only names that turn up in Voltaire's LETTERS of this English
Period: over which generally there reigns, in the French
Biographies, inane darkness, with an intimation, half involuntary,
that it SHOULD have been made luminous, and would if
perfectly easy.

"We know, from other sources, that he had acquaintance with many
men in England, with all manner of important men: Notes to Pope in
Voltaire-English, visit of Voltaire to Congreve, Notes even to
such as Lady Sundon in the interior of the Palace, are known of.
The brightest young fellow in the world did not want for
introductions to the highest quarters, in that time of political
alliance, and extensive private acquaintance, between his Country
and ours. And all this he was the man to improve, both in the
trivial and the deep sense. His bow to the divine Princess
Caroline and suite, could it fail in graceful reverence or what
else was needed? Dexterous right words in the right places, winged
with ESPRIT so called: that was the man's supreme talent, in which
he had no match, to the last. A most brilliant, swift, far-
glancing young man, disposed to make himself generally agreeable.
For the rest, his wonder, we can see, was kept awake; wonder
readily inclining, in his circumstances, towards admiration.
The stereotype figure of the Englishman, always the same, which