behavior; multitudes of small interests, small to us, great to
them,--death of old Fleury, hopeful changes of Ministry, not to
speak of theatricals and the like,--giving opportunity and
invitation. Madame, we observe, is marrying her Daughter: the happy
man a Duke of Montenero, ill-built Neapolitan, complexion rhubarb,
and face consisting much of nose. [Letter of Voltaire, in
OEuvres, lxxiii 24.] Madame never wants for business;
business enough, were it only in the way of shopping, visiting,
consulting lawyers, doing the Pure Sciences.

As to Voltaire, he has, as usual, Plays to get acted,--if he can.
MAHOMET, no; MORT DE CESAR, yes OR no; for the Authorities are shy,
in spite of the Public. One Play Voltaire did get acted, with a
success,--think of it, reader! The exquisite Tragedy MEROPE,
perhaps now hardly known to you; of which you shall hear anon.

But Plays are not all. Old Pleury being dead, there is again a
Vacancy in the Academy; place among the sacred Forty,--vacant for
Voltaire, if he can get it. Voltaire attaches endless importance to
this place; beautiful as a feather in one's cap; useful also to the
solitary Ishmael of Literature, who will now in a certain sense
have Thirty-nine Comrades, and at least one fixed House-of-Call in
this world. In fine, nothing can be more ardent than the wish of
M. de Voltaire for these supreme felicities. To be of the Forty, to
get his Plays acted,--oh, then were the Saturnian Kingdoms come;
and a man might sing IO TRIUMPHE, and take his ease in the
Creation, more or less! Stealthily, as if on shoes of felt,--as if
on paws of velvet, with eyes luminous, tail bushy,--he walks
warily, all energies compressively summoned, towards that high
goal. Hush, steady! May you soon catch that bit of savory red-