The Online Library of Liberty

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• The Works of Voltaire
• The Dramatic Works of Voltaire Vol. X— Part I
• ZaÏre
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• An Epistle Dedicatory to Mr. Falkener, an English Merchant, Since Ambassador At Constantinople, With the Tragedy of Zaïre.
• A Second Letter to Mr. Falkener, Then Ambassador to Constantinople.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• CÆsar.
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• The Prodigal
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Preface to Mariamne.
• Preface to Orestes.
• Preface to Catiline.
• Preface to MÉrope.
• Preface to the Prodigal.
• Preface to Nanine.
• 1 Preface to Socrates.
• Note On Mahomet.
• Preface to Julius CÆsar.
• Voltaire the Lisbon Earthquake and Other Poems Vol. X— Part Ii
• Author’s Preface to the Lisbon Earthquake.
• The Lisbon Earthquake. *
• Preface to the Poem On the Law of Nature.
• The Law of Nature.
• The Temple of Taste. *
• The Temple of Friendship.
• Thoughts On the Newtonian Philosophy, Addressed to the Marchioness Du ChÂtelet.
• On the Death of Adrienne Lecouvreur, a Celebrated Actress.
• To the King of Prussia On His Accession to the Throne.
• From Love to Friendship.
• The Worldling. *
• On Calumny.
• The King of Prussia to M. Voltaire.
• The Answer.
• On the English Genius.
• What Pleases the Ladies.
• The Education of a Prince.
• The Education of a Daughter.
• The Three Manners.
• Thelema and Macareus.
• Azolan.
• The Origin of Trades.
• The Battle of Fontenoy.
• The Man of the World. *
• The Padlock. *
• In Camp Before Philippsburg, July 3, 1734.
• Answer to a Lady, Or a Person Who Wrote to Voltaire As Such. *
• Envy.
• The Nature of Virtue.
• To the King of Prussia.
• To M. De Fontenelle.
• To Count Algarotti At the Court of Saxony.
• To Cardinal Quirini.
• To Her Royal Highness, the Princess of ***.
• To M. De Cideville.
• To ****.
• Epistle XIII. *
• To the Duke of Richelieu, Marshal of France, In Whose Honor the Senate of Genoa Had Just Before Caused a Statue to Be Erected. *
• To Madam De ***, On the Manner of Living At Paris and Versailles.
• To the Prince of Vendôme.
• To Madam De Gondoin, Afterward Countess of Toulouse, On the Danger She Had Been Exposed to In Passing the Loire In 1719.
• To the Duke Delafeuillade.
• To Marshal Villars. *
• To Monsieur Genonville.
• To the Countess of Fontaine-martel. *
• Written From PlombiÉres to M. Pallu, Intendant of Lyons.
• The Nature of Pleasure.
• The Utility of Sciences to Princes. to the Prince Royal of Prussia, Since King of Prussia.
• Epistle In Answer to a Letter, With Which, Upon His Accession to the Throne, the King of Prussia Honored the Author.
• Epistle to the King, Presented to His Majesty At the Camp Before Freiburg.
• On the Death of the Emperor Charles.
• To the Queen of Hungary.
• Inscribed to the Gentlemen of the Academy of Sciences, Who Sailed to the Polar Circle and the Equator, In Order to Ascertain the Figure of the Earth.
• To M. De Gervasi, the Physician. *
• The Requisites to Happiness.
• To a Lady, Very Well Known to the Whole Town.
• Fanaticism. *
• On Peace Concluded In 1736.
• To AbbÉ Chaulieu. *
• Answer to the Foregoing.
• To President HÉnault, Author of an Excellent Work Upon the History of France.
• Canto of an Epic Poem. *
• Epistle On the Newtonian Philosophy. * to the Marchioness of ChÂtelet.

TO A LADY, VERY WELL KNOWN TO THE WHOLE TOWN.

• Phillis, how much the times are changed,
• Since in a hack the town you ranged,
• Since without finery or train you shone,
• Conspicuous for your charms alone;
• When though you supped on sorry fare,
• You nectar seemed with gods to share.
• You foolishly to one consigned
• Beauty which might charm all mankind:
• A desperate lover, who for life
• Engaged you when he made his wife.
• You then no treasure did inherit,
• Your beauty was your only merit,
• Your bosom charms divine displayed;
• There Cupid still an ambush laid;
• Your heart was tender, and your mind
• To youthful frolics much inclined.
• With so many charms endued,
• What woman e’er could be a prude?
• That fault, oh! beauty all divine,
• Was very far from being thine;
• Because of favors you were free,
• You were the better liked by me.
• How differently you live, grown great,
• Your life is but the farce of state;
• The hoary porter, who still plies
• At your own door, and tells such lies,
• Is a just emblem of the age,
• His very looks ill-luck presage;
• He thinks the duty of his place is
• To drive away the loves and graces.
• The tender swain’s abashed, afraid
• Your pompous palace to invade.
• When you were young, to my amazement
• I’ve seen them enter at the casement;
• I’ve seen them enter every day,
• And in your chamber nimbly play.
• Not all your carpets, and your plate,
• Not all your proud parade of state,
• Those goblets which so brightly shine,
• Graved by Germain with art divine;
• Those closets nobly furnished, where
• Martin’s exceeds the China ware,
• Your vases of Japan, and all
• The brittle wonders of your hall;
• Your diamond pendants which appear
• With such bright lustre at each ear;
• Your solitaires so dazzling bright,
• Your pomp which strikes the gazer’s sight,
• Are worth one quarter of that bliss,
• Which once you imparted by a kiss.