them. All the enjoyers of privilege and authority,—all the lesser people whose interest it was to propitiate these—all who, knowing nothing of the questions, wished to obtain a cheap repute for orthodoxy and loyalty,—joined with those who honestly believed in the mischievous tendencies of free thought to denounce its advocates. They were charged with being not only the enemies of Church and State, which they were, but of morality and order, which they were not. But at the same time there were great numbers of people, especially in England, who lamented the condition of the French nation, and who regarded Voltaire and his disciples as its benefactors. Thus no cold medium was observed in estimating him; all were either persecutors or proselytes, and he stood aloft in all the prominence of a symbol of conflict.
As the sharer, or inspirer, of the views of the Encyclopedists, and the intimate friend of D'Alembert, the editor, Voltaire took an ardent interest in their work, and contributed many articles on a great diversity of subjects. Finding, at length, that, though this was an excellent mode of expression for himself, articles were often inserted of which he did not approve, he established an independent outlet of thought, of a similar kind, in his 'Philosophical Dictionary,' in which, following the alphabetical form of arrangement, he brought together a vast variety of short essays on subjects of literature, politics, theology, grammar, and physical science, written in styles which, always attractive, were various as their matter. It may serve to rescue him from a common and ignorant accusation to give here a few extracts from the article "Atheist," in which is set forth, probably for the first
