was sent to Monsieur Chauvelin, guardian of the State’s seal; the third remained at the clerk’s office of the justiciary of St. Minehould.  The Count de Caylus had one of those three copies in his possession for some time, and soon afterward more than one hundred were at Paris, sold at ten Louis-d’or apiece.  A dying priest accusing himself of having professed and taught the Christian religion, made a deeper impression upon the mind than the “Thoughts of Pascal.”

The curate Meslier had written upon a gray paper which enveloped the copy destined for his parishioners these remarkable words:  “I have seen and recognized the errors, the abuses, the follies, and the wickedness of men.  I have hated and despised them.  I did not dare say it during my life, but I will say it at least in dying, and after my death; and it is that it may be known, that I write this present memorial in order that it may serve as a witness of truth to all those who may see and read it if they choose.”

At the beginning of this work is found this document (a kind of honorable amend, which in his letter to the Count of d’Argental of May 31, 1762, Voltaire qualifies as a preface), addressed to his parishioners.

“You know,” said he, “my brethren, my disinterestedness; I do not sacrifice my belief to any vile interest.  If I embraced a profession so directly opposed to my sentiments, it was not through cupidity.  I obeyed my parents.  I would have preferred to enlighten you sooner if I could have done it safely.  You are witnesses to what I assert.  I have not disgraced my ministry by exacting the requitals, which are a part of it.

“I call heaven to witness that I also thoroughly despised those who laughed at the simplicity of the blind people, those who furnished piously considerable sums of money to buy prayers.  How horrible this monopoly!  I do not blame the disdain which those who grow rich by your sweat and your pains, show for their mysteries and their superstitions; but I detest their insatiable cupidity and the signal pleasure such fellows take in railing at the ignorance of those whom they carefully keep in this state of blindness.  Let them content themselves with laughing at their own ease, but at least let them not multiply their errors by abusing the blind piety of those who, by their simplicity, procured them such an easy life.  You render unto me, my brethren, the justice that is due me.  The sympathy which I manifested for your troubles saves me from the least suspicion.  How often have I performed gratuitously the functions of my ministry.  How often also has my heart been grieved at not being able to assist you as often and as abundantly as I could have wished!  Have I not always proved to you that I took more pleasure in giving than in receiving?  I carefully avoided exhorting you to bigotry, and I spoke to you as rarely as possible of our unfortunate dogmas.  It was necessary that I should acquit myself as a priest of