p. 166 | VOLTAIRE'S LAST WORDS by William Seward

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 19, 1864

VOLTAIRE'S LAST WORDS.

By William Seward

Voltaire was fertile and elegant, his observations are very acute, yet he often betrays great ignorance when he treats on subjects of ancient learning. Madame de Talmond once said to him, "I think, sir that a philosopher should never write but with the endeavor to render mankind less wicked and unhappy than they are. Now you do quite the contrary; you are always writing against that religion which alone is able to restrain wickedness, and to afford us consolation under misfortunes." Voltaire was much struck, and excused himself by saying that he only wrote for those who were of the same opinion as himself. Tronchin assured his friends that Voltaire died in great agonies of mind. "I die forsaken by gods and men," exclaimed he, in those awful moments, when truth will force its way. "I wish," added Tronchin, "that those who had been perverted by his writings had been present at his death; it was a sight too horrid to support."—William Seward.