Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 02.djvu/160

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136
The Atheist and the Sage.

England; will marry an honest woman, who at least will pretend to love me while I am young, take care of me when I grow old, and whom I will bury decently, should I survive her. I think this is better than roasting men and enticing girls after the fashion of my cousin, Don Caracucarador, the inquisitor of the faith.

This is a faithful summary of the conversation between Mr. Freind and the bachelor Don Papalamiendo, since called by us Papa Dexando. This curious dialogue was drawn up by Jacob Hull, one of my lord's secretaries.

After this conversation, the bachelor took me aside and said:

"This Englishman, whom I took at first for as anthropophagus, must be a very good man, for he is a theologian and can keep his temper."

I informed him that Mr. Freind was tolerant or a Quaker, and a descendant of the daughter of William Penn, who founded Philadelphia. "Quaker, Philadelphia?" he cried, "I never heard of those sects!"

I gave him some information on the subject. He could scarcely believe me. It seemed to him like another universe. And, indeed, he was in the right.