Letters on the English
Voltaire arrived in Great Britain during the year 1726. He remained there until 1729, a period that shaped his entire worldview. This three-year stay provided the raw material for what would become Letters on the English. The book first appeared in English print in 1733. A French edition followed quickly in 1734 under the title Lettres philosophiques. Authorities in France viewed this work as a direct attack on their government system. They moved to suppress it with great speed and force. Voltaire had to flee Paris to avoid arrest. The text became an underground sensation despite these efforts. A revised English version emerged much later in 1778. Modern readers often encounter the 1734 translation titled Philosophical Letters.
The first four letters focus entirely on Quaker customs and beliefs. Voltaire noted their lack of baptism rituals. He wrote about how they believed sprinkling water on a child's head did not make one Christian. He also recorded their rejection of communion ceremonies. One Quaker told him only spiritual communion existed between hearts. These believers had no priests, which Voltaire called a great happiness. Letter five shifts attention to the Church of England. He compared its clergy morals favorably against those in France. Yet he criticized their retention of Roman Catholic tithes. Letter six attacks Presbyterian practices as intolerant and strict. He described men wearing broad-brimmed hats and long cloaks over short coats. Sunday activities were restricted to church or tavern visits. Letter seven discusses Socinians who shared some deist views with Voltaire. He argued that common people preferred following Martin Luther or John Calvin instead of logical thinkers like Newton.
Letter eight examines the British Parliament system directly. Voltaire compared it to ancient Rome and contemporary France. He praised England for serving liberty rather than tyranny. This stood in contrast to Rome which entered wars based on religion. He defended the English judicial process against French criticism regarding Charles I. Voltaire highlighted how Britain avoided outright murders seen under Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII. Letter nine traces the history of the Magna Carta. It details equal dispensing of justice across classes. Taxes were levied through established legal channels. This political structure offered stability absent elsewhere on the continent. The text suggests these institutions protected individual rights better than continental alternatives. Voltaire used these examples to critique absolute monarchy systems back home.
Letters fourteen through seventeen explore scientific inquiry deeply. Voltaire contrasts Isaac Newton with René Descartes extensively. A eulogy by Fontenelle compared Newton to Descartes after Newton died in 1727. British scholars rejected this comparison initially. Voltaire argued both men deserved recognition as great philosophers. Letter fifteen focuses on universal gravitation laws. Letter sixteen covers Newton's work with optics. Letter seventeen discusses geometry and historical chronology theories. Letter twenty-four evaluates the Royal Society of London. He found its methods inferior to those of the Académie Française. These essays reflect his admiration for empirical observation over abstract speculation. The Royal Society represented a model of organized scientific progress he admired.
Letter eighteen addresses British tragedy specifically through William Shakespeare. Voltaire translated the famous To be or not to be soliloquy into French rhyming verse. He also cited passages from John Dryden for comparison. Letter nineteen shifts focus to comedy writers like William Wycherley. It mentions John Vanbrugh and William Congreve as key figures. Letter twenty briefly touches upon nobility cultivating belles lettres. The Earl of Rochester and Edmund Waller appear here. Letter twenty-two references poetry by Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope. Voltaire argues Britain honors Men of Letters better than France does financially. Writers received money and veneration unavailable to their continental counterparts. This cultural difference formed a central theme throughout these literary discussions.
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Common questions
When did Voltaire arrive in Great Britain to write Letters on the English?
Voltaire arrived in Great Britain during the year 1726. He remained there until 1729, a period that shaped his entire worldview.
What was the original French title of Voltaire's Letters on the English published in 1734?
A French edition followed quickly in 1734 under the title Lettres philosophiques. Authorities in France viewed this work as a direct attack on their government system and moved to suppress it with great speed and force.
Which religious groups does Voltaire discuss in the first four letters of Letters on the English?
The first four letters focus entirely on Quaker customs and beliefs. Voltaire noted their lack of baptism rituals and recorded their rejection of communion ceremonies.
How does Voltaire compare Isaac Newton and René Descartes in Letters on the English?
Voltaire contrasts Isaac Newton with René Descartes extensively in letters fourteen through seventeen. A eulogy by Fontenelle compared Newton to Descartes after Newton died in 1727, but British scholars rejected this comparison initially.
Why did Voltaire praise the English trade system in Letter ten of Letters on the English?
Trade contributed significantly to national liberty according to Voltaire. That freedom in turn expanded commercial opportunities further and allowed naval riches and power to stem directly from this economic engine.