Letters on England

by Voltaire

25 chapters5h 10mEnglish1731

About this book

Voltaire spent his early thirties in England as an exile following the Bastille imprisonment for his satires. With passionate admiration, he then wrote this series of letters in English putting forward his views on the 18th century England, in contrast with the feudal society of his home country, encompassing aspects of religion, politics, sciences, and literature. The book was published in England and the free England received these philosophical, political, critical, poetical, heretical, and diabolical letters with delight, whereas in France, the book was denounced and publicly burnt in Paris as scandalous, contrary to religion, to morals, and respect for authority. - Summary by IstXA

Chapters (24)

1LETTER I. ON THE QUAKERS

886

2LETTER II. ON THE QUAKERS

431

3LETTER III. ON THE QUAKERS

671

4LETTER IV. ON THE QUAKERS

770

5LETTER V. ON THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

506

6LETTER VI. ON THE PRESBYTERIANS

298

7LETTER VII. ON THE SOCINIANS, OR ARIANS, OR ANTITRINITARIANS

341

8LETTER VIII. ON THE PARLIAMENT

532

9LETTER IX. ON THE GOVERNMENT

746

10LETTER X. ON TRADE

309

11LETTER XI. ON INOCULATION

778

12LETTER XII. ON THE LORD BACON

870

13LETTER XIII. ON MR. LOCKE

1189

14LETTER XIV. ON DESCARTES AND SIR ISAAC NEWTON

908

15LETTER XV. ON ATTRACTION

1624

16LETTER XVI. ON SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S OPTICS

719

17LETTER XVII. ON INFINITES IN GEOMETRY, AND SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S CHRONOLOGY

1063

18LETTER XVIII. ON TRAGEDY

1116

19LETTER XIX. ON COMEDY

809

20LETTER XX. ON SUCH OF THE NOBILITY AS CULTIVATE THE BELLES LETTRES

315

21LETTER XXI. ON THE EARL OF ROCHESTER AND MR. WALLER

944

22LETTER XXII. ON MR. POPE AND SOME OTHER FAMOUS POETS

826

23LETTER XXIII. ON THE REGARD THAT OUGHT TO BE SHOWN TO MEN OF LETTERS

634

24LETTER XXIV. ON THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND OTHER ACADEMIES

896

Letters on England

About this book

Chapters (24)

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