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The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Voltaire hosted a grand entertainment at his country house near Geneva two days after news of Quebec's capture, featuring a performance of his play 'Le Patriot Insulaire' advocating liberty. He played the lead role, moving the audience to tears, with stage decorations and an inscription proclaiming liberty 'spite of the French'.
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Two days after the news arrived of the taking of Quebec, Mons. de Voltaire gave a grand entertainment at his house in the country. In the evening, the company retired into a noble gallery, at the end of which was erected an elegant theatre, and a new piece called Le Patriot Insulaire was performed, in which all the genius and fire of that celebrated poet were exhausted in favour of the cause of Liberty. M. de Voltaire himself appeared in the principal character, and drew tears from the whole audience. The scenes were decorated with emblems of liberty, and over the stage was this inscription in Latin and English:
LIBERTATI QUIETI
MVSIS SACRVM
SPITE
OF
THE
FRENCH
The English line means, Spite of the French. The meaning of the whole inscription, is that M. de Voltaire now in a free country enjoys that liberty and tranquility, in spite of the French, which that tyrannical and insolent nation had always refused him.
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Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Geneva
Event Date
Nov. 6 (Letter Date; Event Two Days After News Of Quebec's Taking)
Key Persons
Outcome
drew tears from the whole audience
Event Details
Mons. de Voltaire gave a grand entertainment at his house in the country, featuring a performance of the new piece Le Patriot Insulaire in favor of liberty, where he appeared in the principal character. The theatre was decorated with emblems of liberty and an inscription: LIBERTATI QUIETI MVSIS SACRVM SPITE OF THE FRENCH, meaning Voltaire enjoys liberty and tranquility in a free country despite the French.