e? Voltaire answered, "Yes,
certainly!"--for what will a poor man not do in extreme stress of
Fortune? Hirsch, as a Jew, is not permitted to make oath, where a
Quasi-Christian will swear to the contrary, or he gladly would; and
might justly. The Judges, willing to prevent chance of perjury, did not
bring Voltaire to swearing, but contrived a way to justice without that.

FEBRUARY 18th, 1751, the Court arrives at a conclusion. Hirsch's
Diamonds, whatever may have been written or forged, are not, nor
were, worth more than their value, think the Judges. The Paris Bill is
admitted to be Voltaire's, not Hirsch's, continue they;--and if Hirsch
can prove that Voltaire has changed the Diamonds, not a likely fact,
let him do so. The rest does not concern us. And to that effect, on the
above day, runs their Sentence: "You, Hirsch, shall restore the Paris
Bill; mutual Papers to be all restored, or legally annihilated. Jewels
to be valued by sworn Experts, and paid for at that price. Hirsch, if he
can prove that the Jewels were changed, has liberty to try it, in a new
Action. Hirsch, for falsely denying his Signature, is fined ten thalers
(thirty shillings), such lie being a contempt of court, whatever more."

"Ha, fined, you Jew Villain!" hysterically shrieks Voltaire: "in the
wrong, weren't you, then; and fined thirty shillings?" hysterically
trying to believe, and make others believe, that he has come off
triumphant. "Beaten my Jew, haven't I?" says he to everybody, though
inwardly well enough aware how it stands, and that he is a Phoenix
douched, and has a tremor in the bones! Chancellor Cocceji was far
from thinking it triumphant to him. Here is a small Note of Cocceji's,
addressed to his two colleagues, Jarriges and Loper, which has been
found among the Law Papers:

"BERLIN, 20th FEBRUARY, 1751. The Herr President von Jarriges and
Privy-Councillor Loper are hereby officially requested to bring the
remainder of the Voltaire Sentence to its fulfilment: I am myself not
well, and can employ my time much better. The Herr von Voltaire has
given in a desperate Memorial (EIN DESPERATES MEMORIAL) to this purport:
'I swear that what is charged to me [believed of me] in the Sentence is
true; and now request to have the Jewels valued.' I have returned
him this Paper, with notice that it must be signed by an
Advocate.--COCCEJI." [Klein, 256.]

So wrote Chancellor Cocceji, on the Saturday, washing his hands of this
sorry business. Volt