EXTREMIS:--not needing mention again. The following is more to
the point.

"Voltaire, among his multifarious studies while in England, did
not forget that of economics: his Poem LA LIGUE,--surreptitiously
printed, three years since, under that title (one Desfontaines, a
hungry Ex-Jesuit, the perpetrator), [1723, VIE, par T. J. D. V.
(that is, "M--" in the second form), p. 59.]--he now took in hand
for his own benefit; washed it clean of its blots; christened it
HENRIADE, under which name it is still known over all the world;--
and printed it; published it here, by subscription, in 1726;
one of the first things he undertook. Very splendid subscription;
headed by Princess Caroline, and much favored by the opulent of
quality. Which yielded an unknown but very considerable sum of
thousands sterling, and grounded not only the world-renown but the
domestic finance of M. de Voltaire. For the fame of the 'new
epic,' as this HENRIADE was called, soon spread into all lands.
And such fame, and other agencies on his behalf, having opened the
way home for Voltaire, he took this sum of Thousands Sterling
along with him; laid it out judiciously in some city lottery, or
profitable scrip then going at Paris, which at once doubled the
amount: after which he invested it in Corn-trade, Army Clothing,
Barbary-trade, Commissariat Bacon-trade, all manner of well-chosen
trades,--being one of the shrewdest financiers on record;--and
never from that day wanted abundance of money, for one thing.
Which he judged to be extremely expedient for a literary man,
especially in times of Jesuit and other tribulation. 'You have
only to watch,' he would say, 'what scrips, public loans,
investments in the field of agio, are offered; if you exert any
judgment, it is easy to gain there: do not the stupidest of