VOLTAIRE: (1694-1778) French Enlightenment Writer and Philosopher. Voltaire is a pseudonym, his ...

VOLTAIRE: (1694-1778) French Enlightenment Writer and Philosopher. Voltaire is a pseudonym, his name being François-Marie Arouet. Voltaire is known for his attacks on Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion and expression, and separation of church and state. A rare fully autograph lengthy letter with excellent content, A.L.S., ` Voltaire´, three pages, 4to, Luneville, 19th November 1748, to a Dutch Editor and Librarian, in French. Voltaire returned in 1748 to Luneville after his mistress asked him to do so, and was kindly welcomed by King Stanislas. He devoted himself mainly to the theatre and performed his own plays at the castle stage. Voltaire starts urging his correspondent to send a preface he has since long and thanks him also for a present he intends to send to him, stating in part `… je n´ai point reçu la preface qui doit être mise au devant de l´édition et qu´on vous envoya il y a près d´un an. Je vous prie de la mettre dans le paquet adressé à Lunéville en Lorraine... J´ai vu une lettre que vous écrivez à un homme a moi, par laquelle vous lui mandez que vous voulez m´envoyer un service de porcelain de Saxe. Je vous suis très reconnaissant d´une pareille attention et je vous en fais des remerciements très sincères. Je vois que vous n´avez pas les sentiments d´un libraire Hollandais, et votre procédé renouvelle encore l´envie que j´ai de vous être utile´ (Translation: “… I have not received the preface which must be placed at the front of the edition and which was sent to you almost a year ago. Please put it in the package addressed to Lunéville in Lorraine... I saw a letter that you wrote to one of my close men, in which you tell him that you want to send me a porcelain set from Saxony. I am very grateful to you for such attention and I send you my very sincere thanks. I see that you do not have the feelings of a Dutch bookseller, and your way of working renews the wish that I have to be useful to you”) Voltaire thanks his correspondent´s aim but politely dismisses the present, and announces that he is about to finish a work that he will forward to the Dutch Editor, saying in part ` Je vous destine l´histoire de la guerre présente que j´aurai achevée dans quelques mois… Je recevrai avec plaisir quelques exemplaires de votre edition, cést bien assez et si vous m´envoyez autre chose je vous avertis que je vous renverrai votre présent. Vous aves assez fait de dépense pour votre édition. Encore une fois, des exemplaires sont tout ce qu´il me faut et tout ce que je veux´ (Translation: “ I am sending you the history of the present war which I will have completed in a few months... I will receive with pleasure a few copies of your edition, that is quite enough and if you send me anything else I will warn you that I will send you back your present. You have spent enough on your edition. Once again, copies of your edition are all I need and want”) Further again, and before concluding, Voltaire refers to the only accurate edition including all his works which he personally approves, saying ` Je vous ai écrit par la voie de Mr. l´Ambassadeur de France… Vous aurez Semiramis certainement mais je ne peux vous dire dans quel temps. Je me flatte que vous pourrez faire un jour une edition plus complete et plus correcte et je vous aiderai de tout mon pouvoir, mais comme la votre avec toutes ses fautes est assurément la meilleure, ou plutôt la seule bonne que nous ayons, je vous conseille et je vous prie de l´annoncer dans tous les journaux comme la seule edition fidèle qui soit en Europe de tous mes ouvrages, et la seule que j´approuve´ (Translation: “ I wrote to you through Mr. the French Ambassador… You will certainly have Semiramis but I cannot tell you when. I flatter myself that one day you will be able to produce a more complete and more correct edition and I will help you with all my strength, but as yours with all its faults is undoubtedly the best, or rather the only good one that we have, I advise you and I ask you to announce it in all the newspapers as the only faithful edition in Europe of all my works, and the only one that I approve”) Accompanied by a full transcription in French of the letter. In excellent condition, EX