aid
Voltaire, "so skilful to launch the shaft without showing the hand." But
there is a letter from no less a person than D'Alembert, which reveals
something of the "filing" which this verse underwent, and something of
the persons consulted. Unhappily, the letter is without date; nor does
it appear to whom it was addressed, except that the "_cher confrere_"
seems to imply that it was to a brother of the Academy. This letter will
be found in a work which is now known to have been the compilation of
the Marquis Gaetan de La Rochefoucauld,[31] entitled, "Memoires de
Condorcet sur la Revolution Francaise, extraits de sa Correspondance et
de celle de ses Amis."[32] It is introduced by the following words from
the Marquis:--

"It is known how Franklin had been feted when he came to Paris, because
he was the representative of a republic. The philosophers, especially,
received him with enthusiasm. It may be said, among other things, that
D'Alembert lost his sleep; and we are going to prove it by a letter
which he wrote, where he put himself to the torture in order to versify
in honor of Franklin."

The letter is then given as follows:--

"_Friday Morning_.

"MY DEAR COLLEAGUE,--You are acquainted with the Franklin verse,--

'Eripuit coelo fulmen, _mox sceptra_ tyrannis.'

You should surely cause it to be put in the Paris paper, if it is
not there already.

"I should agree with La Harpe that _sceptrumque_ is better: first,
because _mox sceptra_ is a little hard, and then because _mox_,
according to the dictionary of Gesner, who collects examples,
signifies equally _statim_ or _deinde_, which causes a double
meaning, _mox eripuit_ or _mox eripiet_.

"However, here is how I have attempted to translate this verse for
the portrait of Franklin:--

'Tu vois le sage courageux
Dont l'heureux et male genie
Arracha le tonnerre aux dieux
Et le sceptre a la tyrannie.'

If you find these verses sufficiently supportable, so that people
will not laugh at me, you can put them into the Paris paper, even
with my name. I shall honor myself in rendering this homage to
Franklin, but on condition that you find the verses _printable_.
As I make no pretension on account of them, I shall be perfectly
content, if you reject them as bad.

"The third verse can be put,--_A ravi le tonnerre aux cieux_, or
_aux dieux_."

From this letter it ap