[ Tallentyre's Commentary: D'Alembert, one of the greatest geometricians of his age, was better known to it as the author of the Preface of that famous Encyclopaedia of which Diderot was the chief promoter, and to which Voltaire was already a contributor. D'Alembert--whose literary style in general has not been unfairly described as "dry as a stick, hard as a stone, and cold as a cucumber "--rose in that Preface to warmth and eloquence: and by it to fame and the French Academy. In 1756 he stayed for five weeks with Voltaire at Geneva: and met at his table many Calvinistic pastors of that town, to whom his gentle and unassuming character, his detestation of Rome, and his noble mental gifts made him a persona grata: while he, on his side, rejoiced to find ministers of religion almost as free-thinking--or so it seemed--as the philosophers themselves. On his return to Paris he wrote for the Encyclopaedia the famous article, Geneva, wherein he set it by the ears by complimenting it on the rationalism of its faith, and as having very often no other but "a perfect Socinianism, rejecting all mystery."

"The few lines on comedy" he added to the article heaped fresh fuel on the fire, for they pointed out to Calvinism, which considered it the pet amusement of the devil, the innocence of play-acting. The Calvinistic pastors took counsel together, and drew up what Voltaire calls in this letter their "fine profession of faith": while presently Jean Jacques gave, with "the rushing mighty wind of his inspiration," in his Letter on Plays, the case against the theatre. The opposition, which always goaded Voltaire to action, caused the gentler d'Alembert to draw back into his shell. Even the spur and incitement of a Voltaire could not rouse him to firmness and retaliation. A year after this letter was written, the Encyclopaedia--largely as a consequence of the article Geneva--was publicly burnt; the permit to continue publishing it rescinded; and printers and publishers sent to the galleys. To the passionate urging of his "dear and illustrious master" at Les Délices to fight on--to fight to the death--d'Alembert, wounded to the soul, made answer, "I do not know if the Encyclopaedia will be continued, but I am sure it will not be continued by me": and he devoted the rest of his life to his geometrical studies and to his long passion for Mdlle. de Lespinasse.

"Lausanne. Bed; whence I can see ten miles of Lake." Besides Les Délices at Geneva, Voltaire had also a house, Monrion, at Ouchy-Lausanne, where, as it was sheltered from the cold winds prevalent at Geneva, he often passed the winter.]

Lausanne, Bed; whence I can see ten miles of Lake.

January 29, 1758.

Do not speak of your letters as "babiole," my brave and worthy philosopher: it is essentiel, if you please, to discuss and understand the business with which they deal.

Geneva is making a fine profession of faith: you will have the satisfaction of having compelled the heretics to publish a catechism. They complain of the article on Actors, included in that on Geneva: but you added these few lines on comedy at the request of the citizens themselves. Thus, you have merely, on the one hand, yielded to the persuasions of the middle class, and, on the other, have repeated the opinion of the ministers--an opinion which has been published in the text-book of one of their theologians, and was publicly discussed everywhere before you spoke.

When I begged you to resume your work on the Encyclopaedia, I did not know to what a vile excess libel had been carried, and I was far from suspecting that it was actually prompted by the authorities. I wrote you a long letter by Mme. de Fontaine: she is your neighbour: cannot you manage to go and see her?

It would be sad to think you were leaving the Encyclopaedia on account of the article on Geneva, as rumour pretends: but it would be sadder still that you should continue to be the victim of annoyances which, in proportion as they are dishonouring to our nation, should rouse you to rebellion.

Are you in close cooperation with M. Diderot and your other colleagues? "A threefold cord is not quickly broken."

When you all state simultaneously that you will not work without a guarantee of the honourable freedom which is essential to you, and of the protection to which you are entitled, surely it is not doubtful that you will be implored not to deprive France of a monument necessary to her glory? The clamour will pass: the work will remain.

If you all abandoned the work together, making your own stipulations, that might be well: it would be very unpleasant for you to leave it by yourself: the head must not cut itself off from the body.

When you produce the first volume, add a preface to it which will shame those cowards who have permitted the only writers now working for the glory of the nation to be insulted: and, for God's sake, stop those feeble declamations which are being inserted in your Encyclopaedia. Do not give our enemies the right to complain that those who have been unsuccessful, or a dead failure, in the arts can take upon themselves to make the rules for those arts and set those rules by their own absurd fancies. Banish the feeble moralising which pads several articles. The reader wants to know the different acceptations of a word, and detests trivial and commonplace authorities quoted in support of it. What obliges you to disgrace the Encyclopaedia with this mass of twaddle and rubbish which gives so good a handle to the critics? and why join beggar's fustian to your cloth-of-gold? Be absolute masters of it, or abandon the whole thing. Unfortunate sons of Paris, you should have undertaken this work in a free country! You have laboured for the booksellers: they take the profits, and leave you the persecution. All this--which I regret with my whole heart for your sakes--makes me find my retirement delightful. Would to God you had never seen a minister when you were here! Keep me posted in everything, I implore you.