Frederick William II to Voltaire - 1770 November 12
November 1770
1 I admire you, sir, since I began reading you, but I did not
2 think to tell you so, since you are too accustomed to this
3 point of view on the part of your readers. I cannot nevertheless
4 resist the desire that I have to thank you for your last
5 brochure. I have seen with an extreme pleasure that the same
6 pen that has been working for so long to strike super-
7 stition and to reduce tolerance, is also taking charge
8 of overthrowing the fatal principle of the System of Nature.
9 No one is more capable than you to re-
10 fute with success this unfortunate book; to discern falsehood
11 and the monstrous among the excellent things that it includes,
12 and to show how much the idea of an intelligent and
13 benevolent God is necessary for the general welfare of society, and for the particular
14 happiness of man. You have already said it in
15 many of your writings, but you will never say it too much.
16 Since I have allowed myself the pleasure to talk
17 with you, allow me sir, to ask you,
18 solely to increase my knowledge, if, as you advance in age, you do not
19 in any way change your ideas about the nature of
20 the soul? Your latest books still have all the fire, the
21 strength and the beauty of the Henriade; has your body
22 also retained the vigor that it had at the time of the poem
23 La Ligue[1]? I do not like to lose myself in metaphysical reasoning
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24 but I foresee that you will not die entirely,
25 and that a talent such as yours will not be annihilated.
26 I often regret Monsieur, when I read you,
27 of not having been of age to enjoy the charms of
28 your conversation during the time that you were here.
29 I am not unaware of the fact that the late Prince of Prussia, my
30 father, esteemed you personally; please
31 believe that I inherited such feelings.
32 I would embrace with pleasure any opportunity to provide you
33 with evidence of this, and to convince you how very sincerely I am
Sir
Your most affectionate
friend
Frederick Willia[m]
Prince of Pru[ssia]
[1] La Ligue, ou Henry le Grand , poème épique par M. de Voltaire
