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. Rare A.L., one page, 8vo, n.p., 17th January 1753, to Johann Heinrich Samuel Formey, in French. Voltaire, openly expresses his opinion to his correspondent, explaining and reproaching to him his written attack against deists, stating `...où diable prenez-vous cette jérémiade? Je vous dis que vous avez parlé de Louis 14 d´une manière peu convenable, et que vous avez tort, comme j´ai dit au Roy qu´il avait eu tort de faire une brochure, et moi tort d´en avoir fait une autre; et je vous dis cela entre nous... Qui songe à vous faire de la peine? Ce n´est pas moi. Vous avez écrit contre les déistes, qui ne vous ont jamais fait de mal; et le Roy et moi, qui sommes déistes, nous avons pris le parti de notre religion.´ (Translation: "...where the devil do you get this jeremiad? I tell you that you have spoken of Louis XIV in an unsuitable manner, and that you are wrong, as I told the King that he was wrong to make a pamphlet, and I was wrong to make another; and I tell you this between us... Who thinks of hurting you? It is not me. You have written against the deists, who have never done you any harm; and the King and I, who are deists, have taken the side of our religion.") Further, Voltaire refers to Madame de Montespan, the most celebrated mistress of King Louis XIV, saying `Je vous dis encore une fois qu´il n´y a qu´à rire de tout cela. Vous ne voyez les choses que par le trou d´une bouteille. Ne vous affligez pas et ne pleurez point parce que Mme de Montespan était aimable. Encore une fois, soyez tranquille´ (Translation: "I tell you once again that you can only laugh at all this. You only see things through the hole of a bottle. Do not be upset and do not cry because Madame de Montespan was kind. Once again, be calm")

Johann Heinrich Samuel Formey (1711-1797) German Churchman, Educator and Author. He was the son of an immigrant French family, and for this reason he taught, and wrote in French. He popularized scientific and philosophical ideas, and also contributed to Diderot´s Encyclopedie.

Marquise of Montespan (1640-1707) Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, commonly known as Madame de Montespan. French noblewoman and the most famous Royal mistress of King Louis XIV. During their romantic relationship, which lasted ten years, she was sometimes referred to as the "true Queen of France" due to her influence at court. She was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Maria Theresa. Noted for her great beauty, she carefully cultivated a relationship with Louis XIV and supplanted the King´s former favourite. Madame de Montespan had seven children by the king, six of which survived infancy and were later legitimised. She is an ancestress of several royal houses in Europe, including those of Spain, Italy, Belgium, and many more.