à Paris 25 n^bre n. s. 1743

S^r,

One of my strongest desires was to be naturaliz'd in England; the royal society, prompted be you vouschafes to honour me with the best letters of naturalisation.
My first masters in y^r frée and learned country, were Shakespear, Adisson, Dryden, Pope; j made some steps afterwards in the temple of philosophy towards the altar of Newton. J was even so bold as to introduce into France some of his discoveries; but j was not only a confessor to his faith, j became a martir. J could never obtain the privilege of saying in print, that light comes from the sun and stars, and is not waiting in the air for the sun's impulsion; that vortices cannot be intirely reconcil'd with mathematics; that there is an evident attraction between the heavenly bodies, and such trash.

But the liberty of the press was fully granted to all the witty gentlemen who teach'd us that attraction is a chimera, and vortices are demonstrated, vho printed that a mobile lanch'd out from on high describes a parabola because of the resistance from the air below, that t'is false and impious to sai, light comes from the sun. Even some of them printed, col la licenza dei superiori, that Newton ridiculously mistook, when he learn'd from experience the smaller are the pores of transparent bodies, the more pellucid they are; they alleg'd very wisely that the widest windows give the greatest admittance to light in a bed chamber. These things j have seen in our booksellers shops, and at their shops only.

You reward me sir for my sufferings. The tittle of brother you honour me with is the dearest to me of all titles. J want now to cross the sea to return you my hearthy thanks, and to show my gratitude and my veneration for the illustrious society of which you are the chief member.

Be pleas'd sir to be so Kind as to present y^r worthy bretheren with my most humble respects. J hope you will sait to mylord duke of Richemont, to m^r Jurin, m^r Turner etc. how deeply j am sensible of their favours.

J am with the greatest esteem, and the most sincere respect

s^r

y^r most humble and faithfull servant, j dare not say brother

Voltaire