seamy side and the smooth, of Life at Cirey, in her experience of
it. Published, fourscore years after, under the above title.]
For the Ten Commandments are at a singular pass in cultivated
France at this epoch. Such illicit-idyllic form of life has been
the form of Voltaire's since 1733,"--for some three years now,
when Friedrich and we first make acquaintance with him. "It lasted
above a dozen years more: an illicit marriage after its sort, and
subject only to the liabilities of such. Perhaps we may look in
upon the Cirey Household, ourselves, at some future time; and"--
This Editor hopes not!

"Madame admits that for the first ten years it was, on the whole,
sublime; a perfect Eden on Earth, though stormy now and then.
[ Lettres Inedites de Madame la Marquise du Chastelet;
auxquelles on a joint une Dissertation (&c. of hers):
Paris, 1806.] After ten years, it began to grow decidedly dimmer;
and in the course of few years more, it became undeniably evident
that M. de Voltaire 'did not love me as formerly:'--in fact, if
Madame could have seen it, M. de Voltaire was growing old, losing
his teeth, and the like; and did not care for anything as
formerly! Which was a dreadful discovery, and gave rise to results
by and by.

"In this retreat at Cirey, varied with flying visits to Paris, and
kept awake by multifarious Correspondences, the quantity of
Literature done by the two was great and miscellaneous. By Madame,
chiefly in the region of the pure sciences, in Newtonian
Dissertations, competitions for Prizes, and the like: really sound
and ingenious Pieces, entirely forgotten long since. By Voltaire,
in serious Tragedies, Histories, in light Sketches and deep