real causes
of the mischief, and to escape confusing principles with men; fond of form
rather than material; classical rather than Gothic; critical rather than
reverent; proud of its own discoveries, without appreciation of the
efforts of the past.--Such are the qualities which characterised the times
of Voltaire,(524) and in their most striking form marked his mind.

To qualities which were thus in some sense formed in him by circumstances,
he added remarkable ones which were Nature's special gift to him. His
extraordinary tact and good sense, both in dealing personally with
individuals and in literary criticism; his fiery ardour, and vehement
spirit of proselytism; his singular penetration of vision, and power to
arrange in the clearest mode the thoughts which he wished to transmit;
above all, his wit and wonderful power of satire were qualities which,
though in some degree shared by his countrymen, cannot be explained by
mere circumstances, but are natural gifts. These three intellectual
endowments, acuteness, order, and satire,(525) are regarded by the
authority that we are taking for our guide, as the qualities which formed
the secret of his power as a writer, and at the same time as the sources
of intellectual temptation which prevented him from gaining a deeper
insight into truth, and deprived him of influence with posterity. For his
quickness prevented the exercise of the reflection, the patient
meditation, which is the only high road to solve the mysteries of
existence. It has been well said,(526) that Voltaire saw so much more
deeply at a glance than other men, that no second glance was ever given by
him. His power of order assisting his quickness, was a still further
temptation. Though far inferior in erudition to some of his
contemporaries, such as Diderot, and in depth of feeling to Rousseau,
lacking originality, and borrowing most of his philosophical thoughts at
second hand, he yet surpassed them all by a matchless power of
arrangement. The perfection of form diverted attention from the subject
matter. He possessed method rather than genius, intellect rather than
imagination. But above all his other powers, his most singular gift was
his power of satire. When stimulated by a sense of injustice, or of hatred
against men or systems, it made him omnipotent in destruction. This
satirical power contributed to preclude the possession of depth of
reflection. Ridicule has an office in criticism. It is the true pun