m other philosophers, lest
they, by being associated with him, should jointly wear laurels which
he was cultivating solely to form a crown for himself. Despite all, his
brow still bears a crown, and his fame has a freshness that we might all
be justly proud of, if appertaining to ourselves.

We trust that in these few pages we have succeeded in presenting Des
Cartes, to such of our readers who were unacquainted with his writings,
sufficiently well to enable them to appreciate him, and to induce
them to search further; and at the same time we hope that those better
acquainted with him will not blame as for the omission of much which
they may consider more important than the matter which appears in this
little tract. We have endeavored to picture Des Cartes as the founder
of the deductive method, as having the foundation-stone of all his
reasoning in his consciousness.

"I"

M. DE VOLTAIRE.

Francois Marie Arouet, better known by the name of Voltaire, was born
at Chatenay, on the 20th of February, 1694. By assuming the name of
Voltaire, young Arouet followed the custom, at that time generally
practiced by the rich citizens and younger sons, who, leaving the family
name to the heir, assumed that of a fief, or perhaps of a country house.
The father of M. de Voltaire was treasurer to the Chamber of Accounts,
and his mother, Margaret d'Aumart, was of a noble family of Poitou. The
fortune which the father enjoyed, enabled him to bestow a first-class
education upon the young Arouet, who was sent to the Jesuits' College,
where the sons of the nobility received their education. While at
school, Voltaire began to write poetry, and gave signs of a remarkable
genius. His tutors, Fathers Poree and Jay, from the boldness and
independence of his mind predicted that he would become the apostle of
Deism in France. This prediction he fulfilled. "Voltaire was," says Lord
Brougham, "through his whole life, a sincere believer in the existence
and attributes of the Deity. He was a firm and decided, and an openly
declared unbeliever in Christianity; but he was, without any hesitation
or any intermission, a Theist." His open declaration of disbelief in
the inspiration of the Bible, and his total rejection of the dogmas
of Christianity, laid him open to the malignant attacks and
misrepresentations of the priesthood and the bigots of Europe; and
so strong were they, that his life was continually in danger.
Lord Brougham, in his "Men of