boldly, that I knew no other happiness on earth than that of acting
plays; that a severe and afflicting event having left me master of my
actions, and enjoying a small patrimony of 750 livres a year, I had
reason to hope, that by abandoning my father's business, I should lose
nothing by the change, if I might hope one day to be admitted into the
king's company of comedians.

"'Ah, my friend!' cried M. de Voltaire, 'never form this resolution. Be
ruled by me; play comedy for your amusement, but never make it your
profession. It is the finest, the most rare and difficult talent that
can be; but it is disgraced by blockheads, and proscribed by hypocrites.
At some future day France will esteem your art, but then there will be
no more Barons, Lecouvreurs, nor Dangevilles. If you will renounce your
project, I will lend you 10,000 francs to form your establishment, and
you shall repay me when you can. Go, my friend, return to me towards
the end of the week, reflect maturely upon my advice and proposal, and
give me a positive answer.'

"Stunned, confused, and moved even to tears at the goodness and
generosity of this great man, who had been called avaricious, severe and
pitiless, I wished to pour forth my gratitude. I attempted to speak no
less than four times, but was unable to articulate my thanks. I was
about to retire, when he called me back, and requested that I would
recite to him a few passages from the characters that I had already
played.

"Scarcely knowing what I was about, I unfortunately proposed to declaim
the great speech from _Gustavus_, in the second act--'No Piron! no
Piron!' he cried out, in a thundering and terrific voice, 'I do not love
bad verse; let me have all you know from Racine.'

"I luckily recollected, that when I was at the _College Mazarin_, I had
learnt the entire tragedy of Athaliah, from having heard it often
repeated by the scholars who were about to play it.

"I began, therefore, the first scene, speaking alternately the parts of
Abner and Joad; but I had hardly finished, before M. de Voltaire
exclaimed, with the highest enthusiasm--'Ah! my God! what exquisite
verses! and how very astonishing it is that the whole play should be
written with the same spirit, and the same purity, from the first scene
to the last. The poetry is inimitable. Adieu, my child!' he continued,
embracing me, 'I predict that you will possess a most heart-rending
voice [_la voice dechirante_]; that you will one day