John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Fran&edilois Marie Arouet de Voltaire 1694-1778 John Bartlett
| 1 | |
| If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him. 1 | |
| Epître à l’Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs. cxi. | |
| 2 | |
| The king [Frederic] has sent me some of his dirty linen to wash; I will wash yours another time. 2 | |
| Reply to General Manstein. | |
| 3 | |
| Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts. 3 | |
| Dialogue xiv. Le Chapon et la Poularde (l763). | |
| 4 | |
| History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes. 4 | |
| L’Ingénu. Chap. x. (1767.) | |
| 5 | |
| The first who was king was a fortunate soldier: Who serves his country well has no need of ancestors. 5 | |
| Merope. Act i. Sc. 3. | |
| 6 | |
| In the best of possible worlds the château of monseigneur the baron was the most beautiful of châteaux, and madame the best of possible baronesses. | |
| Candide. Chap. i. | |
| 7 | |
| In this country [England] it is well to kill from time to time an admiral to encourage the others. | |
| Candide. Chap. xxiii. | |
| 8 | |
| The superfluous, a very necessary thing. | |
| Le Mondain. Line 21. | |
| 9 | |
| Crush the infamous thing. | |
| Letter to d’Alembert, June 23, 1760. | |
| 10 | |
| There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times. | |
| Letter to Cardinal de Bernis, April 23, 1761. | |
| 11 | |
| The proper mean. 6 | |
| Letter to Count d’Argental, Nov. 28, 1765. | |
| 12 | |
| It is said that God is always on the side of the heaviest battalions. 7 | |
| Letter to M. le Riche, Feb. 6, 1770. | |
| 13 | |
| Love truth, but pardon error. | |
| Discours sur l’Homme. Discours 3. |
| Note 1. See Tillotson, Quotation 1. [back] |
| Note 2. Voltaire writes to his niece Dennis, July 24, 1752, “Voilà le roi qui m’envoie son linge à blanchir.” [back] |
| Note 3. See Young, Quotation 64. [back] |
| Note 4. See Gibbon, Quotation 1. [back] |
| Note 5. See Scott, Quotation 72. Borrowed from Lefranc de Pompignan’s “Didon.” [back] |
| Note 6. See Cowper, Quotation 112. [back] |
| Note 7. See Gibbon, Quotation 6. Bussy Rabutin: Lettres, iv. 91. Sévigne: Lettre à sa Fille, p. 202. Tacitus: Historia, iv. 17. Terence: Phormio, i. 4. 26. [back] |