Lettere inglesi
- Lingua:
- inglese
- Stato:
- Opera completa
- Autorialità:
- Scritta dall'autore
- Stato del testo:
- Nessun rumore di scansione rilevato (misura automatica su tutto il testo, non verificata a mano)
- Estensione:
- ~39.200 parole · 186 passi
Cita quest'opera
- APAVoltaire. (n.d.). Letters on England [Lettere inglesi]. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/it/works/voltaire/letters-on-england
- MLAVoltaire. Letters on England [Lettere inglesi]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/it/works/voltaire/letters-on-england.
- ChicagoVoltaire. Letters on England [Lettere inglesi]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/it/works/voltaire/letters-on-england.
Riferimento dell'edizione che SigPhi riproduce: SigPhi ne è la riproduzione digitale, non l'editore. L'anno dell'edizione non figura nei metadati (da qui «n.d.») e il traduttore compare solo quando è noto.
Di che cosa tratta
Le Lettere filosofiche, o Lettere sugli inglesi (1734): l'Inghilterra spiegata ai francesi come lezione su quel che a loro mancava.
Contesto e storia
Voltaire scrive dei quaccheri, del parlamento, dell'inoculazione del vaiolo, di Newton e di Locke, e ogni complimento agli inglesi è un'accusa alla Francia. Il libro fu bruciato dal boia a Parigi e gli costò l'esilio. È il testo che ha introdotto Newton nel continente. Voltaire scriveva in francese: questa è una vecchia traduzione inglese, di pubblico dominio. Per citare, l'originale.
Contesto editoriale, non una fonte citabile: a differenza dei passi dell'opera, questi dati non si possono verificare sul corpus.
the priestess of the Pythian god at Delphos could not have acted her part to better advantage. Inspiration soon became so habitual to him that he could scarce deliver himself in any other manner. This was the first gift he communicated to his disciples. These aped very sincerely their master's several grimaces, and shook in every limb the instant the fit of inspiration came upon them, whence they were called Quakers. The vulgar attempted to mimic them; they trembled, they spake through the nose, they quaked and fancied themselves inspired by the Holy Ghost. The only thing now wanting was a few miracles, and accordingly they wrought some. Fox, this modern patriarch, spoke thus to a justice of peace before a large assembly of people: "Friend, take care what thou dost; God will soon punish thee for persecuting His saints." This magistrate, being one who besotted himself every day with bad beer and brandy, died of an apoplexy two days after, the moment he had signed a _mittimus_ for imprisoning some Quakers. The sudden death with which this justice was seized was not ascribed to his intemperance, but was universally looked upon as the effect of the holy man's predictions; so that this accident made more converts to Quakerism than a thousand sermons and as many shaking fits could have done. Oliver, finding them increase daily, was desirous of bringing them over to his party, and for that purpose attempted to bribe them by money. However, they were incorruptible, which made him one day declare that this religion was the only one he had ever met with that had resisted the charms of gold. The Quakers were several times persecuted under Charles II.; not upon a religious account, but for refusing to pay the tithes, for "theeing" and "thouing" the magistrates, and for refusing to take the oaths enacted by the laws.…