the reversal of the
sentence, David, the judge who had first condemned Calas,
went insane, and died in a madhouse.]

The French people never forgot Voltaire's efforts in this cause.
Notwithstanding all his offences against morals and religion, Voltaire
on this occasion acted on his best impulses. Many years after, in
1778, he visited Paris, where he was received with immense enthusiasm.
He was followed in the streets wherever he went. One day when passing
along the Pont Royal, some person asked, "Who is that man the crowd is
following?" "Ne savez vous pas," answered a common woman, "que c'est
le sauveur de Calas!" Voltaire was more touched with this simple
tribute to his fame than with all the adoration of the Parisians.

It was soon found, however, that there were many persons still
suffering in France from the cruelty of priests and judges; and one of
these occurred shortly after the death of Calas. One of the ordinary
practices of the Catholics was to seize the children of Protestants
and carry them off to some nunnery to be educated at the expense of
their parents. The priests of Toulouse had obtained a _lettre de
cachet_ to take away the daughter of a Protestant named Sirven, to
compel her to change her religion. She was accordingly seized and
carried off to a nunnery. She manifested such reluctance to embrace
Catholicism, and she was treated with such cruelty, that she fled from
the convent in the night, and fell into a well, where she was found
drowned.

The prejudices of the Catholic bigots being very much excited about
this time by the case of Calas, blamed the family of Sirven (in the
same manner as they had done that of Calas) with murdering their
daughter. Foreseeing that they would be apprehended if they remained,
the whole family left the city, and set out for Geneva. After they
left, Sirven was in fact sentenced to death _par contumace_. It was
about the middle of winter when they set out, and Sirven's wife died
of cold on the way, amidst the snows of the Jura.

On his arrival at Geneva, Sirven stated his case to Voltaire, who took
it up as he had done that of Calas. He exerted himself as before.
Advocates of the highest rank offered to conduct Sirven's case; for
public opinion had already made considerable progress. Sirven was
advised to return to Toulouse, and offer himself as a prisoner. He did
so. The case was tried with the same results as before; the advocates,
acting under Vo