Note 18 — Chapter XI

Voltaire believed sincerely in God, but no one nowadays even thinks of reading his correspondence, which shows us all his faults, his kindheartedness, his charity, and his other good qualities. One of the strongest features in Voltaire’s character was his sense of friendship. Génonville, who took away his mistress, Mlle. Livy, from him, remained his friend, and Voltaire laments his death in a poem of marvellous beauty, with all the warmth of truth. This poem and the one which follows it, les Vous et le Tu, in which also Mlle. Livy is referred to, are two of his most beautiful poems. Of Rousseau, Grillparzer says: “I read les Confessions and am terrified to recognize myself in them.” How Rousseau would have been surprised if someone had called him the most perfect egoist. He lived with the woman who was so devoted to him and never married her, although it would have been a great happiness to her to bear his name. Corneille, according to Grillparzer, was an excellent poet, and his first works were admirable, but his later ones show a steady decline from his early standard, which is difficult to explain, except perhaps after reading his tragedy, Feodora. In Grillparzer’s opinion, Racine was as great a poet as ever lived.