The Works of Voltaire Volume 14; A Philosophical Dictionary (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 Excerpt: ...it in his letters. It appears to me, that there never existed a truly eloquent man who did not love poetry. I will simply cite, for example, Caesar and Cicero; the one composed a tragedy on CEdipus, and we have pieces of poetry by the latter which might pass among the best that preceded Lucretius, Virgil, and Horace. A certain Abbe Trublet has printed, that he cannot read a poem at once from beginning to end. Indeed, Mr. Abbe but what can we read, what can we understand, what can we do, for a long time together, any more than poetry? VIANDS. Forbidden Viands, Dangerous Viands.--A short Examination of Jewish and Christian Precepts, and of those of the Ancient Philosophers. "v1and" comes no doubt from "victus"--that which nourishes and sustains life: from victus was formed viventia; from viventa, "viand." This word should be applied to all that is eaten, but by the caprice of all languages, the custom has prevailed of refusing this denomination to bread, milk, rice, pulses, fruits, and fish, and of giving it only to terrestrial animals. This seems contrary to reason, but it is the fancy of all languages, and of those who formed them. Some of the first Christians made a scruple of eating that which had been offered to the gods, of whatever nature it might be. St. Paul approved not of this scruple. He writes to the Corinthians: "Meat commendeth us not to God: for neither if we eat are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse." He merely exhorts them not to eat viands immolated to the gods, before those brothers who might be scandalized at it. We see not, after that, why he so ill-treats St. Peter, and reproaches him with having eaten forbidden viands with the Gentiles. We see elsewhere, in the Acts of the A...